Stronghold Crusader 2

Stronghold Crusader 2 is a real-time strategy game about fortresses and sieges, the action of which is transferred to the Middle East. In addition to building the castle, you have to take care of the housekeeping, because without food and materials you can’t build anything. The economy here is not a decoration: wheat, wood, stone, weapons - everything is interconnected. Sieges require preparation: ladders, battering rams, catapults and mines decide the outcome of the assault just as well as soldiers. Defense is built with calculation: walls, towers and ditches have to be placed wisely, otherwise the enemy will find a gap. There are campaigns for different sides, as well as a free play mode and battles with other people. It is worth mentioning separately about the service in the castle: visitors, taxes and order affect income, and without money there will be neither an army nor walls. Sieges require patience: first the engineers clear the way, then the infantry climbs the walls, and the archers cover the attackers. The defense is built in several directions, and it is clear in advance where the enemy will try to break through. Modes vary in scale: from small skirmishes to full-fledged campaigns. In online battles with people, tactics change because live opponents come up with non-standard moves. Capturing an enemy castle is possible only with a competent siege, and this requires all the resources available. Some maps require defending two castles at the same time, and then you have to sacrifice one to save the other. The economy and war are directly connected: without a trade tax, the army remains without pay. The game requires planning, but it provides a clear system where you can see whose mistake led to the defeat.