Update: Second Age coming to first Russian world this week

With the Second Age beginning this week on Mir 1, the first Russian world, we want to give our Russian players new rules and challenges, adding additional layers of strategy and complexity.

The Second Age is an advanced game play world. It will begin first on Mir 1 and then other game worlds once their current Glory Race comes to an end, which occurs when there is one house remaining in the glory race. Until this time all other game worlds will remain unaffected, with the current rule set in place. Featuring a faster style of play, new opportunities and fresh challenge, the new age is designed to shake up the established order and generate fresh political conflict…

Core to the Second Age is the new rule set:

1. Armies move across the world map at double the normal speed.
2. Faster Glory Rounds with three times as much Glory gained for holding territory.
3. Monks can influence voting at a county level, albeit with high voting costs and caps at county, province and country level.
4. Interdicting and excommunicating villages costs twice the usual amount.
5. At the end of the Second Age Glory Race the world will close to new players. Players will be given unique treasures for their victory and a “Champion Pack” to kickstart their dominance on the many new worlds launching in 2013.

There will also be several changes to the status quo and power structure. All players will be removed from their factions and all factions with be removed from their houses. All houses will be brought back into the Glory Race, with any remaining house stars removed and the maximum number of factions per house increased to 20.

The Second Age will be a fresh start in other ways too, with changes to positions players have taken and to capitals and markets. All players in official positions from Steward to King will be removed from office. Parish buildings will be removed, parish building upgrade levels reset to zero, donations cleared and market goods removed. Unlike First Age worlds, when a parish building is deleted the parish will not retain the bonus from that building, parish forums will also be cleared.

The transition of Mir 1 to the Second Age is due to take place on Thursday 17th January 2013 at 11:00 AM GMT / Game Time. We estimate that it may take up to 3 hours to perform this update.

All players who were members of the winning house at the moment of victory in the Second Age will be inducted into a Stronghold Kingdoms hall of fame on the official Kingdoms website. Each player will be rewarded handsomely for their triumph, with unique items not available at the end of the First Age.

Good luck!

Please Note: Only Mir 1, the first Russian world, will transition to the Second Age this week on Thursday. All other worlds will enter the Second Age only when their current Glory Race comes to an end.

Once the Second Age has ended on a game world it will close only to new players, players currently part of that world will remain unaffected by this closure. We will not close worlds that are still active and teeming with life.