POLL: Best/Worst Stronghold

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Your most and least favorite, and why. Rate your selections based on subquests, challenge rating, exclusivity (ie, activities you get to do only through your stronghold duties), rewards and overall satisfaction. Should be interesting.

Poll Information
This poll contains 2 question(s). 36 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Best/Worst Stronghold (36 votes.)

The Best Stronghold? (Choose 1)
* Fighter/Monk/Barbarian (de'Arnise Keep) - 42% (15)
* Paladin (Order of the Radiant Heart) - 14% (5)
* Ranger (Umar Hills) - 3% (1)
* Cleric (Respective Temple) - 0% (0)
* Druid (Druid Grove) - 0% (0)
* Theif (Maevar's Guildhall - 3% (1)
* Bard (Five Flagons Playhouse) - 11% (4)
* Mage/Sorcerer (Planar Sphere) - 28% (10)

The Worst Stronghold? (Choose 1)
* Fighter/Monk/Barbarian (de'Arnise Keep) - 0% (0)
* Paladin (Order of the Radiant Heart) - 17% (6)
* Ranger (Umar Hills) - 11% (4)
* Cleric (Respective Temple) - 8% (3)
* Druid (Druid Grove) - 14% (5)
* Theif (Maevar's Guildhall - 28% (10)
* Bard (Five Flagons Playhouse) - 14% (5)
* Mage/Sorcerer (Planar Sphere) - 8% (3)

 

I voted but don't know all strongholds.

 

As difficult as it is to choose from the best, in the end, I had to say that the D'Arnise Keep is the best. There's just something about ruling your own little fiefdom, using the peasants, protecting or exploiting their meaningless lives that just appeals to me. The Ranger's cabin is nice, having your own village to protect and all. That said, the Planar Sphere has some genuinely funny moments, as well as some nice rewards. The Order is kinda nice, but the Thieves Guildhall is just a pain in the buttocks. Excuse me, but after completing all of the quests, I don't feel that I should be forced to go back every week or whatever. And

 

I know only sorcerers and paladins stronghold quests but I voted anyway and here's my opinion: paladins was quite nice and sorcerers sucked. Thank you.

 

I quite like the Fighter's stronghold -- it's fun and it can be profitable, IIRC -- plus, some of the subquests are cool.

I've read all the walkthroughs and stuff, but I think my game is buggy -- I've never managed to get the planar sphere as a stronghold -- the right people never appear.

 

I liked the paladin stronghold. From a roleplaying perspective nothing beats being accepted into the Most Noble Order of the Radiant Heart. The dream of every paladin...

 

I liked De Arnise Keep simply because it's a handy source of money. Oh, and ruling the land was pretty cool...all those lives in the balance, sure they're "only" peasants but still...

As for the worst, I've only done the Keep and Umar but having read the walkthroughs of the others, having to keep going back all the time and pay dues sounds like rubbish

 

I, too, like the fighter stronghold. Fairly easy to maintain and the little incidents you need to personally handle are fairly simplistic. Ruling over the lands wasn't the reason my character took the keep though -- it was more to prevent it from being ruined by the Roenalls.

It was a toss-up for worst stronghold. I agree with most that the having to go back every 5 days or so for the thieves guild was a pain. The planar sphere is ok at best, but got old quickly. The paladin stronghold is cool but I have NEVER been able to rest there -- regardless of whether or not I had completed all the quests associated with the stronghold.

 

I've had the same thing with the Paladin stronghold (only one I've done)...I thought that sucked, since the 'reward' was something I could've got anyway.

 

I liked the Planar Sphere, you can get some pretty nice items out of it and it's fun to teach people, methinks.

The worst? I'd say the pally one, just because it seemed a bit tedious to me (protect this person, kill this guy, etc.), but it did have its moments.

 

de'Arnise Keep is definitely my fave, although the Five Flagons is a close second. The thief strongold is easily the most annoying. If they automated some options, it would be much nicer. If your lackeys automatically paid Renal, or if they bail out any thieves that get caught it would be much better. If there are not enough funds, a message or runner could come and get you. It's irritating to have to check in just to pick up money and then give it to Renal's henchman.

 

I like the D'Arnise Keep the best because of the fact that it begins to pay off right away and it's not constantly requiring you to go to the other side of Amn like a few of the others do.

I don't like the Bard stronghold because you're constantly shelling out money and bad things keep happening, so you have to shell out more money. Plus, the whole play thing just doesn't appeal to me at all.

 

I'm surprised to see that so many find the d'Arnise Keep te best stronghold. Granted, you make easy money but on the other hand you have to spent a lot of it for several "quests". For example; you have to spend money to hire soldiers for the protection of trade caravans; why can't you deal with them yourself? An extra area would be nice. Where are the lands and villages you are supposed to protect? Again, extra area's needed. When you finally can do some fighting (Roenall invasion) the adversaries are simply too weak. I expected a siege, not some skirmish. This stronghold needs some serious modding...
The thief stronghold at least allows you to make more money (installing the Expanded Thief Stronghold makes it even quite good).

The Cleric Stronghold must be the worst although I liked giving evil advice as a cleric of Talos.

The Mage Stronghold is the coolest IMHO. Your own Golem, apprentices you can boss around...

 

Best: de'Arnise keep

Worst: de'Arnise keep if you're a monk, followed by paladin stronghold. Bard stronghold is also believed crappy, but I have no opinion on whether it's crappier than the paladin one or not.

 

I think that the Bard is the most in-depth, and probably the most realistic. Yeah, you do shell out a lot of cash to keep it going, but lets face it, how often is money REALLY a factor in the game? By the time you're half way through the second chapter, you have usually bought all that you need. Actually, I usually don't buy much at all - what you find is (in most cases) better than what you can buy.

For worst I went with Druid. I've only done it once, and was rather unimpressed. What's up with the Beholder creature that isn't a Beholder? Also, I voted against the druid because it takes WAAAAAAY to long to walk all the way up to the far corner of the map, and if you just click at the entrance, half your characters get confused and can't figure out how to get there.

 

Best stronghold: Probably the bards playhouse. So much to do. One gains a lot of experience, especially when finishing it. If only it wouldnt take so long... But I like the Planar Sphere as well.

Worst: The druid groove is a little bit lame but at least you get some decent items. So I voted for the thieve guild.