FireFly Studios, the folks behind the classic PC RTS series Stronghold (and the upcoming Dungeon Hero) announce today a new iteration: Stronghold Kingdoms.
This will be the first game in the franchise in about four years, and with it comes a twist: it will be an MMO, effectively making it the world's first castle-based game of this nature.
As with previous entries, you'll beseige even unbeseigable castles, overthrow tyrants, pillage resources, and/or just peacefully raise sheep, this time in an online environment against thousands of other players. All raising sheep...
The press release says Kingdoms will be a "unique hybrid of web and PC based gaming". We're not exactly sure what that means, but we'll let you know once FireFly gets back to us.
A "huge" range of stats and rankings are assured, from "Beseiger of the month" to "Apple farmer of the day", plus factions, elections, liege lords and their vassals should provide plenty of long-term play value. As your power grows, eventually you're able to join in a country wide war for the Crown.
Research nuts should find lots to love here, too, as the research tree (pictured above) will offer opportunities to specialise if you wish, in areas like trading, diplomacy, warfare, farming and more.
Many more features will be announced in the coming months. Fret not for the wait, FireFly guarantees they'll soon "have you eating roast ox with the Sheriff of Nottingham!"
