Build houses (hovels) close to your keep for a popularity boost.
Use the gold earned from selling resources to "pay" your people (giving gold increases popularity) or set taxes high once you have enough popularity from food variety and ale. 4. Basic Defense & Military
According to expert strategy guides, building a strong economy requires a specific order of operations:
Your first taste of combat against an AI enemy while gathering stone. 2. Core Economy: The First "Installments"
Use Archers for range and Pikemen for defense. Stronghold Wiki notes that Pikemen are the best defensive units due to their high durability.
Stone is widely considered the primary source of income. Once your walls are built, leave stone quarries in full production and sell the excess.
