As any competent leader knows, a well-fed village will draw more people to the keep and help generate more taxes to fund the army. Half the game's charm is the balance between the need for economic prosperity and a military superiority. Stone and iron must be mined for walls and weapons, and raw materials transformed into goods such as baked bread, leather armor, swords, and more, obviating the need for a fairly decent sized task force. An infrastructure must be established to feed the peasants who will be fighting under your banner. Styled mostly after the Age of Empires games, you must decide where to locate a keep and granary, the heart of any fort.

Stronghold breaks down the art of castle construction to the very bricks and mortar foundation. As a newly crowned lord, you must also protect and provide for the people - yours is an arduous task of building and battling before the final fight decides the fate of the land. As such a leader, you swear to avenge your father's death at the hand of The Rat, a spineless neighboring duke, and rid the counties of three others as well: The Snake, The Pig, and The Wolf. Peasants quickly swore allegiance to leaders who could provide protection in the form of castle walls. Fortunately, the game's balance and beauty will make it liked by players as well. At one point in Death of a Salesman, the main character, Willy Loman, sums up the key to success: 'Be liked and you'll never want.' Although the advice didn't serve him well in business, it applies nicely to Stronghold, where being 'well liked' is crucial to successful castle building.

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