The real-time strategy game Stronghold: Crusader may be nearly 20 years old, but it’s continuing to receive community-developed updates. The Unofficial Crusader Patch (UCP) brings new life to the nineteen year-old game, which originally came out in 2002.
The player-made patch is designed for the small community who continue to play the classic historical strategy, which encourages players to fight historically-inspired battles and castle sieges from the medieval Crusades. The patch adds new balance changes and quality of life features aimed at modernising the experience.
Changing the game
Stronghold Crusader HD
Image Credit: FireFly Studios
Among the changes the update brings are bug fixes that moderate the behaviour of units and balances to improve aspects of the game, from the rate of attack waves to recruitment speed. These change the way skirmishes play out.
The UCP also brings new AI castles to the game. Altogether, it’s good news for any Stronghold: Crusader players who have been waiting for a reason to play the game again. The patch can be installed using a simple installer provided Stronghold: Crusader is installed.
Community made
In July, FireFly Studios, the developers of the Stronghold series, promoted the voluntary project in a YouTube video. They included a handy invitation on behalf of the UCP organisers for developers, testers and translators to help with the project.
The Unofficial Crusader Patch has a main website with a full description of features, plus a FAQ and links to their Discord channel.
Another popular mod for Stronghold: Crusader, called Stronghold Europe, makes the game look more like the original Stronghold game. Having been worked on since 2009, it aims to incorporate the atmosphere and colour palette from its predecessor.
