How To Play Stronghold: Understanding the Basics of the Game Interface

How To Play Stronghold: Understanding the Basics of the Game Interface
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Stronghold Game Interface

First-time players to Firefly’s Castle simulator game, Stronghold, may be fooled by the seemingly player-friendly interface. However, the game interface isn’t as friendly as it looks, especially when you need to perform actions quickly.

Understanding the layout, options and information of the game interface is an important part of learning to play Stronghold, and this guide points out the key aspects of what you need to know.

Stronghold Game Interface - Image

Area One: The Buildings Panel

Area one is the Buildings Panel. From here you can build various buildings for use throughout the game. There are six categories of building and each contains several types of building.

These categories are situated at the extreme bottom of the screen and are:

  • Castle (represented by a Tower),
  • Industry (represented by a hammer),
  • Farming (represented by an apple),
  • Town (represented by a cottage),
  • Weapons (represented by a shield),
  • Food (represented by a sickle).

Clicking on each of the six categories produces a list of the available buildings in the main panel. From here you can view the resources required to construct the building, or select the building you need. We’ll explore the various categories later in the series.

Area Two: Game Options

Area two is the game options panel. This panel has four actions, which are from the top:

  • Games Options – Allows you to save or load a game, change the ingame display and sound options, restart the mission or quit the game altogether.
  • Briefing – Tells you the objectives for the mission being played.
  • Delete – Allows you to demolish walls or buildings that have been built.
  • Undo – Allows you to undo your last building action.

Area Three: Scribe’s Information

Area three is the Scribe information panel. This panel provides the player with three statistics during the game. From the top, they are:

  • Popularity – This details how popular you are with your townsfolk. You need to keep this score above fifty; otherwise people will begin to leave your castle.
  • Treasury – Tells how much gold you have.
  • Population – There are two numbers given in this statistic. The figure before the slash is the current population of your castle, while the figure after the slash is the maximum population of your castle. You should always try to ensure that the current population never exceeds the maximum population.

Area Four: Campfire - Population

Area four is the campfire. This indicates your population growth and popularity. If you are gaining in popularity, the indicator fills up more quickly. Each time the indicator makes a full rotation then another peasant will arrive in your castle up to your maximum population.

If this indicator turns red, then you are unpopular and people will begin to leave your castle. The speed that the indicator fills shows how quickly people leave. The indicator will turn red if your popularity falls below fifty.

Other Controls

To access the camera, press and hold the right mouse button. On the main screen, the four camera options will be displayed.

These are, from the top and moving clockwise:

  • Map Rotate – Move the camera view 90 degrees clockwise.
  • Zoom – Allows you to zoom the camera out to gain a better view of the map.
  • Flatten – Allows you to flatten the landscape and scenery for a better view.
  • Full Screen – Allow you to hide the main panel so the game is displayed full screen.

Some of the individual buildings have additional actions that can be performed, such as food rationing (Granary) and setting taxes (Keep). This will be covered in more detail further in the guide.

In the next few parts of the guide, we’ll look at the various buildings that can be built in the game.

This post is part of the series: Guide & Strategies For The Stronghold PC Castle Sim Game

This series provides an overview and hints, tips and strategies to improve your gameplay of the Stronghold PC Castle sim game.

  1. Stronghold PC Game Review: A Medieval Real-Time Strategy Game by Firefly Studios
  2. Overview of The PC Castle Simulator Game, Stronghold - Introducing The Characters
  3. How To Play Stronghold – Understanding The Game Interface
  4. How To Play Stronghold: The Castle Building Category - Walls & Basic Constructions
  5. How To Play Stronghold: Special Constructions in The Castle Building Category
  6. Stronghold PC Game Guide: The Industry Buildings Category in Stronghold
  7. Stronghold PC Game Buildings Guide: Farm Buildings in Stronghold
  8. Stronghold PC Game Guide: Farm Processing Buildings in the Original Stronghold Game