G40 and G41

[GeeTwo]

From a game play perspective, G40 and G41 help enforce the GDC's envisioned game mechanics. Boulders are supposed to be carried, one by one, into the courtyard where they are used to weaken the tower. No tossing them over or bowling them through the outer works. No shortcuts through the other alliance's secret passage. I don't think it's an accident that a breach requires the same number of crossings as weakening the tower requires boulders.

From a thematic/historical perspective, all the same and even more so. Geologists classify sediments according to grain size, most commonly using the "phi scale". On the phi scale, boulders are (rather curiously) specified as stones having a minimum diameter of 10.1", and typically massing at least a hundredweight. Boulders are not to be "tossed", or otherwise casually propelled. Boulders should be carried deliberately to where our siege engine launches them to weaken the enemy's defenses.

Edit: Well played on both fronts, GDC.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Ditto GeeTwo. G40 and G41 are meant to shape the gameplay dynamics. Stronghold would be a very different game with very different scoring dynamics without them. At the least, the first 20 seconds of the match would be wildly different as teams tried to shuffle as many boulders as possible from the midline into their opponent's courtyard, and then follow them in to collect and score them. Having to drive each boulder across really slows down the flow rate and changes the balance between defense crossing and boulder scoring.

TLDR; G40 and G41 are they game you've been given to play and what you should've designed for. If you don't like them, petition IRI for an off-season rule change.