Stronghold 2 Patch Notes

By Asophix

Stronghold 2 has seen numerous official patches during its active support time. For archival purposes, a collection of patch notes can be read below, detailing most applicable changes. 

Note: some of the original note entries have been reworded and/or added extra clarification info.

Patch 1.1 (released 2005-04-22):

• Free Build - user selectable invasions added
• A few campaign chapters have been made easier
• Increased feedback of impending invasions - messages are sent a few game months prior
• Formations now place shields at the front, and weaker units at the back of the formation
• Non-missile troops now respond to more aggressively to missile attack - they chase missile units from longer range when a projectile connects
• Additional speech added to Carter Post system - the Scribe instructs the player on its use upon first selection
• AI more effective at using mantels, cats and burning logs
• Health bars on buildings added
• Units of the same type on the screen are selectable by double-clicking
• Added advanced patrols - multiple patrol points can be added via the Patrol command, while holding down 'Shift'
• LAN support for Multiplayer added - only human opponents can play

Patch 1.2 (released 2005-05-24):

Multiplayer

• Improved connecting to games
• Improved game stability
• Added Kick Player feature
• Added Country Identification - this shows a two-letter country code for games in the in-game multiplayer browser
• Added Password Protected Games feature
• Added Direct IP Address feature
• System for finishing games tweaked
• Gameplay tweaks to siege towers, stone towers, tower mangonels, armored units

General

• Honor is granted for using less lenient punishments
• Time until rehabilitation bar added on torture equipment panels
• Other tweaks to the crime system
• Fixed memory leak on higher end systems
• Reduced memory footprint
• Added additional sound effects

Patch 1.3.1 Deluxe Edition (released 2005-10-28):

Features

• Added 8 Historical Castles
• Added 3 AI Players - The Queen, the Bishop and Sir Grey
• Added 4 New Kingmaker Maps
• Added 'The Conquest Trail' - a series of sieges through Europe’s mightiest castles
• Honor gained from punishments is displayed in the interface
• Rock baskets can be placed on towers and gates

Game Balancing

• Hunter's Post - pheasants yield less, deers yield more
• Apple Farm - yields improved
• Dairy Farms - yields improved
• Pitch Rig - yields doubled
• Crossbowman - range increased, shot damage increased
• Knight - price increased
• Axe thrower - damage against metal armor decreased
• Assassin - immunity to traps, invisible unless in very close range of troops
• Monastery - price decreased, manuscripts provide more honor
• Gong Pit - no longer affected by crime
• Falconer's Post - no longer affected by crime
• Towers - price increased
• Gatehouse - price increased
• Statue - provides less honour.
• Tunnel Entrance - tunnelling range decreased (target cannot be chosen as far)
• Tunnel Entrance - cannot tunnel through water
• Moat - price reduced
• Rock basket - damage tripled
• Stone Tipper - damage tripled
• Rolling Logs - range halved
• Torture devices grant honour every month

Bug Fixes

• Fixed occasional crash in War Chapter 4 and 6
• Fixed a crash when selecting map type in the editor
• All objects in editor can be deleted
• Fixed issues with knights mounting horses
• Fixed controlling gatehouses bug
• Fixed pitch workers turning to crime bug
• Fixed invisible outlaws bug
• Fixed Lord walking on keep bug
• Fixed speech when placing pitch
• Fixed rocks sticking through buildings
• Fixed stone tippers on walls bug
• Fixed catapults not firing stone bug
• Fixed mangonels firing at long range bug
• Stopping carter post properly refunds goods

Patch 1.4 (released 2007-09-13):

General

• Added Real-Time Shadows, Bloom, Anisotropic Filtering and Anti-aliasing
• Added map transfer in multiplayer lobby - the current map selected by the host is automatically sent to any player not having it

Game Balancing

• Fire Ballista - autofire removed

Bug Fixes

• Fixed multiple troops pushing ladders off walls
• Fixed tower engine equipment being able to build in close proximity of an enemy unit
• Fixed auto-scrolling chat in multiplayer game lobby
• Fixed exploit where food could be sold repeatedly during periods of latency in multiplayer games

Patch 1.4.1 (released 2007-12-06):

Bug Fixes

• Blank games and duplicate games no longer appear in the multiplayer lobby
• Disbanded troops now appear from the player’s hovels. If no hovels are placed, peasants will appear outside the keep
• Troops placed in stockpiles can now be targeted by enemy players
• A player can no longer open and close their gatehouse once it has been captured by the enemy
• Sally ports now appear hidden to enemy players
• Dismounting units play their animation only once
• The Lord can no longer attack buildings, while instructed to “Return to Civilian Duties”
• Archers can no longer use braziers when standing on ground level next to a wall with a brazier
• Knights can properly mount horse, if they move while the horse is en route
• Weapons bring up the market panel properly, when selected in the Armoury
• Monks properly go to the monastery when placed in certain rotations
• Turning off food consumption no longer causes multiplayer games to go out-of-sync
• Herons (ambient birds) no longer cause games to go out of sync

Patch 1.5 Steam Edition (released 2017-10-05):

Stronghold 2 was brought in 2017 to the Steam platform, as a part of harmonizing existing and future games on one platform.

Features

• Added Steam Workshop support (allows sharing maps)
• Added 6 maps
• Included art book and soundtrack
• Fixed memory leak on higher end systems
• Added Steam achievements
• Improved compatibility with higher resolutions