Yet Another Demo: Stronghold Legends

[Jason]

<strong>[ Demo ]</strong>

The August demo parade continues with what might be the crappiest of the bunch: <a href="http://www.fireflyworlds.com/shl_index.php" title="Behold my Legends!">Stronghold Legends</a>. Instead of a castle-building simulation, you'll get an uninspiring RTS filled with werewolves and Dracula and archers that can't kill anything. One bright spot is that it includes a full skirmish level along with the tutorial. Skirmishes are nice because they give you a reason to play the demo for more than 10 minutes. So if you're willing to give it a shot, head on over to <a href="http://www.gamershell.com/news/32271.html" title="GH download">Gamer's Hell</a> and download the 342 Mb file.<p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.gamershell.com/">Gamer's Hell</a></p>

 

[chaedwards]

The main site claims that the main focus is still castle building. Have they just managed to demo a terrible level?

 

[Direwolf]

So what's the difference between this, CivCity: Rome and Stronghold 2? Realistically?

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Sorry but 342 MB violates the > 300 MB = suckage rule. Oh wait, you said it did suck. I guess that all works out then.

 

[Jason]

The main site claims that the main focus is still castle building. Have they just managed to demo a terrible level?

Haven't tried the demo yet so I can't comment on that. As for the focus on RTS or castle building, I'm going by interviews like this:

FiringSquad: First, why did Firefly want to return to the Stronghold franchise one more time?

Simon Bradbury: Well I like to think that we would never leave it! Legends is to Stronghold 2, what Crusader was to Stronghold. It is much more of an RTS title and it allows us to take the engine, polish it, improve it, and create a strong and fresh sister title.

FiringSquad: Why was the decision made to make this new game less of a castle sim and more of an RTS title?

Simon Bradbury: Ah, see above! We didn’t just want to do an expansion title. We pushed Stronghold 2 very hard into the Sim area and that’s good, but for Legends we wanted to do something different, to go back to Stronghold basics, give the game a faster pace and combat with real teeth!

 

[chaedwards]

Ah, okay, so I'm guessing less of the in-depth economy of stronghold 2, but still including castles in skirmish based gameplay. That's what Crusader did by all accounts.

One thing I am pleased about is that the campaigns focus on genuine European legends rather than generic fantasy nonsense. King Arthur > Sub-Tolkien drivel

 

[Naked_Lunch]

So what's the difference between this, CivCity: Rome and Stronghold 2? Realistically?

This is much much more of a traditional RTS than a castle-building sim.

 

[Direwolf]

So they pretty much removed everything that was actually good in the series...