The game will support day/night cycles, advanced lighting, fog of war, and weather. The engine is a vast graphical improvement over the previous games. The game uses Trinigy's Vision engine that is also used in games such as Arcania: Gothic 4 and The Settler's 7. The siege mechanics have been largely overhauled with the implementation of real physics and particle tracking.
![stronghold 3 economic campaign mission 2 stronghold 3 economic campaign mission 2](http://www.dsogaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Stronghold-3.jpg)
A major component of Stronghold 3 is the ability to siege other strongholds. The military units can either be created through training or recruited. The player can directly control the units to a fair degree. The major change between previous games and Stronghold 3's military combat is better control over military units. The break away from standard grid construction allows the player greater control over the design of their stronghold and ultimately makes the strong hold look more realistic than previous games. The type and size of the walls depends on the various stages of development the player is at. Walls can be augmented with gates, towers, and defense mechanisms. Players have the option to build housing, barracks, production facilities, and, most importantly, many types of walls and attachments to their fortress defenses. Stronghold 3 removes the construction grid and lets players build where ever and at whatever angle they desire as long as the topography will allow it. As with previous Stronghold titles, the majority of the player's time will be spent managing both the population and their supply chain. The player must manage the production chain to make sure carpenters have wood, blacksmiths have metal, etc. The tasks range from building houses, luring peasants into your community, and protecting the peoples so they can work productively. Stronghold 3 relies heavily on economic infrastructure and management. The game also allows players to reenact important battles throughout history.īeing an RTS, Stronghold 3 has three primary gameplay mechanics: The campaign of Stronghold 3 includes missions for both military victories and more economical approaches such as trading and alliances through two separate campaign paths.
![stronghold 3 economic campaign mission 2 stronghold 3 economic campaign mission 2](https://v1cdn.destructoid.com/214764_2-620x.jpg)
However, the game is not all about making war on your rivals. The goal of Stronghold 3 is to create a prospering keep while suppressing the advancement of neighboring developments into the player's territory. The player must fight for the freedom of his people. StoryĪ former ruler teams up with various other factions to take over the lands. The game also adds major graphical improvements and a Havok physics engine. Stronghold 3 aims to combat the numerous problems that plagued Stronghold 2 and to up date the franchise with modern gameplay mechanics such as directly controlling the units living in the player's stronghold.