Info about Stronghold: Definitive Edition:

Official game description:
Relive the glory of Stronghold, the original BAFTA-nominated real-time strategy game, with this new definitive edition of the classic 'castle sim'. Witness the game that started it all, carefully rebuilt using the source artwork, remastered music, returning voice talent and veteran developers of the first entry in this legendary series.  
Welcome to the fractured, war-torn frontier of medieval England. With the King betrayed by his treacherous lords and a realm on the brink of collapse, take control of scattered forces and reunite your kingdom against the monstrous Rat, Pig, Snake and Wolf!
Strike down each villainous Lord in missions ranging from breaking sieges and capturing enemy castles to building epic fortresses and repelling enemy assaults. Test the limits of your strategic mind with castle assaults and grand banquets in military and economic campaigns.
Dive into classic RTS and city builder gameplay now elevated with remade graphics, community requested features and remastered music from series maestro Robert L. Euvino. Gather resources, construct mighty castles, protect your townsfolk, manage your gold, raise armies and wage all out war!
Building on its 20 year legacy, **Stronghold: Definitive Edition** features two classic campaigns told across 26 missions, alongside fresh single player content in the form of a new narrative campaign designed by Firefly Studios founders Simon Bradbury and Eric Ouellette.
Exclusive to the definitive edition, this new 14 mission campaign sees players march across the devastated English hinterland in search of Sir Longarm's captured kin, before venturing beyond the story in a challenging new historical 'Castle Trail' of 10 unique scenarios.
With remade artwork, a higher fidelity soundtrack, full Steam multiplayer support for 8 players, Steam Workshop, modernised gameplay and more, **Stronghold: Definitive Edition** is the ultimate way to experience the game that started it all. Your kingdom awaits!
*   **ZOOM INTO NEW VISUALS** remade by the original artists with improved animations, textures and lighting.
*   **REMATCH CLASSIC VILLAINS** as you hunt The Rat and The Snake in a challenging new 14 mission campaign.
*   **BATTLE OLD FRIENDS** on Steam with 8 player multiplayer support and extra maps on which to wage war!
*   **RELIVE HISTORY** in a new Castle Trail with 10 challenging siege scenarios and famous historical fortresses.
*   **LOSE YOURSELF** in a remastered soundtrack, with fresh recordings from some of the game's original voice actors.
*   **CREATE, SHARE & ENJOY** new Stronghold community content with Steam Workshop support.

Release date: Nov 7, 2023

Categories: Real-time Strategy, City Builder, Economic Simulation, Castle Construction, Multiplayer, Campaign, Map Editor, Historical Simulation

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 20; verdict: Mostly Fair; summary: The game is generally perceived as offering good value for money, with many users appreciating the amount of content available for the price. However, there are some concerns about the pricing of DLCs, with a few users finding them overpriced. Additionally, there is a mention of the game providing incentives to purchase more DLCs, which could be seen as a strategy to encourage further spending.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Mixed Experience; summary: The game has received praise for its graphical improvements and compatibility with Steam Deck. However, there are significant issues with controls, interface, and stability, including frequent crashes that disrupt the user experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- New content and campaigns (weight 0.95): The addition of new campaigns, missions, and content enhances the gameplay experience. Players enjoy the variety and depth added by these new elements, including the Wolf and Boar campaigns and additional game modes.
- Nostalgic and enjoyable gameplay (weight 0.83): Many players appreciate the nostalgic atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay experience, especially when playing with friends. The game captures the essence of the original while adding new content and improved visuals.
- Enhanced visuals and graphics (weight 0.42): The remastered graphics and visuals are significantly improved, offering sharper textures, updated lighting, and a more polished look. Players appreciate the modernized visuals that stay true to the original style.
- Improved controls and zoom (weight 0.32): Modern control schemes, enhanced zoom options, and keyboard shortcuts make the game more accessible and convenient to play. These improvements are well-received by players.
- Faithful to the original (weight 0.06): The game remains faithful to the original, preserving its essence and atmosphere. Original voice actors and the nostalgic feel are highly appreciated by long-time fans.
- Calming and pleasant soundtrack (weight 0.05): The remastered soundtrack and sound effects are calming and pleasant, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Players enjoy the atmospheric music that complements the medieval setting.
- Immersive medieval atmosphere (weight 0.05): The game's medieval atmosphere is immersive and realistic, providing an engaging and authentic experience. Players appreciate the detailed and authentic medieval setting.

Common complaints:
- Poor AI and Pathfinding (weight 0.64): The AI is criticized for being stupid and having poor pathfinding, leading to units getting stuck or not following instructions properly. This includes issues with units disappearing or not moving as expected.
- Campaign and Mission Design (weight 0.61): The campaign and mission design are criticized for being linear, uninspired, and poorly executed. Some missions are too difficult or rely on trial and error.
- Fire Mechanics Issues (weight 0.44): The fire mechanics are frustrating and poorly implemented. Fires spread too quickly and are difficult to extinguish, making gameplay unenjoyable.
- Gameplay Mechanics and Bugs (weight 0.42): The gameplay mechanics are seen as broken or poorly implemented. This includes issues with terrain interactions, unit movements, and various bugs.
- Lack of New Content (weight 0.4): The new content and missions are seen as lackluster and uninspired. Players feel that the game does not offer enough new or interesting material.
- Economic and Resource Management (weight 0.38): The economic mode and resource management are criticized for being poorly designed and unenjoyable, including issues with fires and resource selling.
- Lack of Skirmish Mode (weight 0.17): Many players are disappointed by the absence of a skirmish mode against AI opponents, which was a feature in previous games like Stronghold Crusader.
- Voice Acting and Sound Issues (weight 0.09): The voice acting and sound in the game are criticized for being unpleasant or poorly executed, detracting from the overall experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Economic and resource management (weight 0.69): The game features a complex economic system where players manage resources, food supplies, and morale. This system is interdependent and requires strategic planning to ensure the castle's survival and growth.
- Castle-building and defense mechanics (weight 0.68): Players can build and manage castles, including defensive structures like walls, towers, and traps. The game emphasizes strategic placement and defense against enemy attacks, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Campaigns and missions variety (weight 0.68): The game includes a variety of campaigns and missions, such as story-driven campaigns, economic campaigns, and siege trails. These missions offer diverse objectives and difficulty levels, providing a rich and engaging single-player experience.
- Difficulty and learning curve (weight 0.59): The game offers varying difficulty levels and a steep learning curve, providing a challenge for both new and experienced players. The difficulty settings and mission objectives require strategic planning and adaptability.
- Multiplayer and cooperative modes (weight 0.58): The game offers multiplayer modes, including cooperative play with friends and competitive matches with up to eight players. These modes enhance the gameplay experience by allowing players to engage in strategic battles and collaborative castle-building.
- Visual and quality improvements (weight 0.57): The game has undergone a visual overhaul with modernized graphics and high-definition remastering. These improvements enhance the overall aesthetic and immersion of the game.
- Map editor and custom content (weight 0.54): The game includes a map editor and supports custom maps and missions, allowing players to create and share their own content. This feature adds replayability and community engagement.
- Auto-market and economic features (weight 0.52): The game includes an auto-market feature for automatic buying and selling of resources. This feature, along with other economic mechanics, streamlines resource management and enhances the gameplay experience.
- Unit mechanics and combat (weight 0.2): The game features a variety of military units with specific mechanics and combat strategies. Players must consider unit strengths and weaknesses, as well as strategic positioning, to succeed in battles.
- Historical and medieval setting (weight 0.15): The game is set in a medieval environment, featuring historical siege scenarios and castle-building mechanics. This setting provides a unique and immersive experience for players interested in medieval strategy games.

Performance notes:
- Performance and optimization issues (weight 0.15): While some players report better performance, others experience noticeable drops in optimization and FPS. The game's performance appears inconsistent across different systems.
- Server synchronization problems (weight 0.14): Multiplayer mode suffers from server synchronization issues, causing delays and disconnections. This affects the overall multiplayer experience negatively.
- Frequent crashes and technical issues (weight 0.14): The game experiences frequent crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode. Players report having to reload the game often and encounter issues with joining the same host multiple times.
- High-resolution and refresh rate support (weight 0.11): The game supports high resolutions like 3440x1440 and 1440p, as well as high refresh rates up to 165 Hz. This caters to players with modern gaming setups.
- Audio and unit bugs (weight 0.04): Some players report issues with character voice synchronization and units bugging inside buildings or randomly disappearing. These bugs can disrupt gameplay.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.3): The game is highly recommended for fans of the original Stronghold series, RTS games, and those who enjoy building and strategy games. It is considered the best version to get and is worth buying for both new and veteran players.
- Worth the price (weight 0.28): The game is seen as a good buy whether you're a long-time fan or new to the series. It is considered worth full price for new players and a steal at discounted prices.
- Nostalgic value (weight 0.25): The game is praised for its nostalgic value, bringing back memories of the original Stronghold series. It is recommended for those who have nostalgia for the classic games.
- DLCs and additional content (weight 0.21): The DLCs are considered cheap and worthwhile, providing more gameplay. However, some new content may not be as well-done but still offers additional gameplay.
- Specific recommendations for certain content (weight 0.19): Valley of the Wolf is recommended only for those who want to complete all content. Swine's Bay is considered good value for money.
- Improvements needed (weight 0.12): Suggestions for improvements include enhancing AI, adding more keybinds, improving pre-built castles, and fixing terrain issues. Players also want more cooperative content and better map design.
- Recommended for strategy fans (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for fans of strategy games, including those who enjoy Age of Empires 2 and similar titles. It is particularly appealing to those who love building fortresses and managing complex economies.
- Miscellaneous suggestions (weight 0.04): Various other suggestions include adding a skirmish mode, improving shadows and mountains, and adding stage skip functionality.
- Multiplayer and difficulty adjustments (weight 0.04): Players suggest increasing multiplayer content and adjusting difficult campaign levels. Some recommend removing the easy option or increasing the timer for certain missions.
- Minor issues noted (weight 0.03): Despite minor UI and control issues, the game is still recommended for purchase. Some players suggest waiting for potential improvements or a definitive edition.

Other player notes:
- Desire for custom maps (weight 0.01): Players expressed a desire to create their own maps and scripts to enhance their gameplay experience.
- Humorous gameplay moments (weight 0.01): Some players found humor in building walls between wheat fields, indicating a light-hearted and enjoyable aspect of the game.
- Gift for special occasions (weight 0.01): The game was mentioned as a gift for a dad's birthday, suggesting it may appeal to a wide age range.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.29): Players experience nostalgia due to the game's faithful remastering of classic elements, such as original voice actors, classic sound effects, and music. The game evokes childhood memories and comparisons to the original versions, enhancing the nostalgic feel with remastered visuals and new content.
- Frustration (weight 0.14): Players are frustrated by several gameplay issues, including limited UI, poor mission design, and unit behavior problems. Frequent and unquenchable fires, AI behavior issues, and multiplayer crashes contribute to the frustration. Additionally, the lack of skirmish mode and high difficulty levels in certain missions add to the players' dissatisfaction.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stems from the lack of significant improvements and missing features such as skirmish mode and custom game modes. Players feel the new content is uninspired and monotonous, with some campaigns and modes being poorly done. The absence of cooperative content and difficult campaign levels also contribute to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.09): Players are satisfied with the game's faithful remaster and enjoyable experience, including detailed and interesting gameplay mechanics. The improved graphics, new campaigns, and balanced gameplay mechanics contribute to a satisfying castle-building experience. The modern features and improvements enhance the overall gameplay.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment comes from the fun and engaging gameplay, including unique and humorous elements. Players appreciate the challenging and varied missions, good balance between combat and economics, and the freedom to plan and build cities and defenses. The game offers good value for the price and a relaxing experience.
- Joy (weight 0.05): Joy is derived from the improved graphics and enjoyable gameplay experience. Players appreciate the engaging battle world, new campaigns, and the overall gaming experience. The remastered version brings happiness with its enhanced graphics and new content.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement is generated by the improved graphics and sound, as well as the anticipation for future releases like Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition. Players are excited about building epic castles, defending against sieges, and the fun gameplay and economic system.
- Happiness (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from the positive remaster experience and the new content added to the game. Players are happy with the overall experience and the enhanced gameplay.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the unique gameplay mechanics and high ratings for characters, plot, and building mechanics. Players are highly recommend the game due to its positive features and engaging gameplay.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger arises from issues such as toxic player behavior, high game prices, and poorly executed remasters. Players are angry about game design changes and the lack of fixes for existing issues.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is expressed by players expecting patches to improve the game and expand its functions. Players hope for further development and updates to enhance the gaming experience.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game is expressed despite its difficulty. Players appreciate the overall enjoyment and the engaging gameplay mechanics.
- Immersed (weight 0.01): Players feel immersed due to the atmospheric gameplay and visual improvements. The enhanced graphics and detailed gameplay mechanics contribute to an immersive experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0): Appreciation is shown for the inspirational economy and troop production mechanics. Players value the unique gameplay elements and the detailed mechanics.}