Stronghold 2 rats, gong, crime and popularity fixes
Identify the service chain behind each castle-life penalty.
Edition covered
The 2005 Stronghold 2 economy, castle life and warfare systems. Pictures show Stronghold 2: Steam Edition. Stronghold Legends and the original Stronghold use different rules.
Match the penalty to its service
Stronghold 2 adds sanitation and crime to the familiar food-and-tax economy. A granary full of bread cannot remove gong or arrest a criminal; inspect the popularity breakdown and solve the named cause.
| Problem | Building response | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Gong | Gong pit | Worker availability and collection route |
| Rats | Falconers post | Coverage and staffing |
| Crime | Guard post and courthouse | Arrest route and sentencing capacity |
| Fire | Well or water pot | Nearby workers and access |
| Low food | Granary and food producers | Rations, stocks and idle producers |
Follow the entire justice chain
Guard posts catch criminals and take them to the courthouse. Sentencing needs an available punishment facility, and some punishments need a torturer. A courthouse alone is not a complete crime system.
| Stage | Facility or worker | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | Guard post | Finds and collects criminals |
| Process | Courthouse | Holds criminals for sentencing |
| Punish | Punishment facility | Carries out the sentence |
| Operate | Torturers guild for applicable devices | Supplies the necessary specialist |
| Return | Rehabilitated peasant | Can return to the workforce |
Maintain enough free workers
Service buildings compete with farms and workshops for peasants. When your workforce shrinks, services can stop, creating a second popularity drop. Leave housing room and stabilize food before expanding production.
Distinguish honor from popularity
Popularity governs peasant movement, while honor is a separate resource. Ration quantity and food variety affect these systems differently, so read both displays when adjusting the granary.
Popularity governs peasant movement, while honor is a separate resource. Ration quantity and food variety affect these systems differently, so read both displays when adjusting the granary.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Publisher game and edition listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Publisher manual | shared.fastly.steamstatic.com |