Stronghold: Crusader
| Stronghold: Crusader | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Firefly Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Take 2 Interactive and God Games |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | September 25, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy, Simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer (IPX, TCP/IP or Modem) |
Stronghold: Crusader is a standalone expansion of Firefly Studios's 2001 game Stronghold; Firefly's first Stronghold is not required to play Stronghold: Crusader.[1] Crusader differs from its predecessor in the fact that the game is no longer set in a pseudo-Europe, but is instead set in the Middle East during the crusades. [2] The game features several new Arabian units that can be purchased in a new building, the mercenary post. Though the Arabian troops don't require any resources to produce, they are rather expensive.
Campaigns
Like in most RTS games, Stronghold Crusader features a campaign string. These document the first, second and third crusades, as well as conflicts within the individual crusader states. In the first Campaign string, you must lead the armies of Europe across Anatolia and towards Jerusalem (Nicea, Heraclea, countersiege of Antioch, Krak de Chavelliers, and the Siege of Jerusalem (1099).
Gameplay Differences
The gameplay between Crusader and the original differs in the fact it's a completely different setting. Since Crusader is set in the Middle East, there are limited resources and farmland. Instead of being able to build farms wherever you choose in the original, you are limited to building farms only in oases, or grassy areas of the map. This creates a rivalry among opponents and allies alike for farmland and makes the game more competitive. Also, there are 4 or 8 new AI opponents (depends on which version of the game purchased) and several new Arabian units purchasable from a mercenary post.