In a press release today:
"Firefly Studios, creators of the Stronghold series, have just launched a new game world for their popular Castle MMO, adding Attack Formations and Faction Applications to the game.
The ability to save castle designs in Stronghold Kingdoms means that in a few clicks you can rebuild your stronghold and get back to razing your enemies! That system has now been adapted for use when launching attacks, giving you the ability to set up and save up to five troop formations. These Formations allow you to set up troops layouts for use when planning your attack, whether you are attacking AI opponents or other players. So if you have a specific set-up for taking down The Wolf or ridding your Parish of those pesky wolf lairs you can now store it for later use.
Also featured in the update are two additions to the Factions system. There is the ability to apply directly to join a Faction, without having to wait for an invitation or ask for one by mail. The Faction General and Officers can then approve or decline applications as they see fit. Players will also now receive a report when they are dismissed from their faction, with details of their dismissal.
In addition, several other small additions to the game have been made, most to do with increasing feedback and functionality for new players. As always a full list of Patch Notes can be found here - http://bit.ly/10uiV2g
More information on Stronghold Kingdoms can be found at www.strongholdkingdoms.com. We can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/strongholdkingdoms and on Twitter @shkingdoms."