Stronghold combines city building and community management with intense real-time strategy (RTS) combat. Set in the Dark Ages, Stronghold players establish settlements, and construct and manage castles while engaging in siege warfare. Over 30 types of walls, towers and anti-siege equipment, 50 different structures, and a legion of troop classes are available for creating significant citadel and village detail. The game's simulation element offers players the opportunity to design and run a castle and fortress complete with lords, court jesters, village peasants and town drunkards. Decisions, such as the types of materials produced by various tradesmen throughout the village, and the class of army troops that will be trained and assembled, are all determined by how players build their castles.