SyncCrate
Stronghold: Crusader HD guide · Updated
Same Crusader maps before the first siege.
Custom skirmish maps, editor creations and the map pack your group plays on, on every friend's PC. SyncCrate copies the host's Crusader Maps folder, and after the first time only the maps that changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why Crusader multiplayer nights need a map check
Stronghold Crusader is still played in multiplayer, and most of it happens on custom maps: balanced 1v1 and team maps, desert maps with fair oases for every lord, and maps the community has refined for years. Everyone in the game needs the same map file, and with several versions of popular maps around, "I have that one" doesn't always mean the same map.
The files live in the Stronghold Crusader folder in Documents, which makes them easy to copy once and hard to keep matching for a whole group.
With SyncCrate one PC hosts and the others match it. Maps are compared by content, only the differences are copied, and everyone sees the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for Stronghold: Crusader HD
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Maps | Maps/Custom maps and map files in Documents/Stronghold Crusader/Maps, editor maps and downloaded ones. | .map .sav |
// Where it looks
- Documents folder
Stronghold Crusaderinside your Documents folder- Steam
steamapps/common/Stronghold Crusader Extremein every Steam library, on every drive- Windows
C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Stronghold Crusader HD- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Stronghold: Crusader HD
- Turn mods on and off. Disabled mods move to a
_Disabledfolder the game doesn't load. - Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while Stronghold: Crusader HD is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync Stronghold: Crusader HD in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Stronghold: Crusader HD in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipClose Stronghold Crusader before syncing. SyncCrate warns you if the game is still running.
// 04 Common problems
When Stronghold: Crusader HD mods don't match
Two versions of the same map
Popular maps exist in many edited versions under the same name. Players on different files can run into trouble starting the game, or end up on maps that aren't quite the same.
Maps are compared by hash, so every player ends up with exactly the host's file.
A new player without the map pack
The group's map collection grew over the years, and a friend joining for the first time has none of it.
They sync the host's Maps folder once, and after that only new or changed maps.
Testing a map with a friend
A map that's still being balanced goes back and forth between the builder and the testers after every change.
The builder hosts, testers sync and get only the maps that changed. If two people edited the same map, SyncCrate asks whose to keep, or keeps both.
// 05 Stronghold: Crusader HD
Good to know
- Only maps sync. Saved games and settings stay on each PC, and so does the game itself.
- Game patches aren't copied. Anything that changes the game, like the Unofficial Crusader Patch, has to be installed on each PC. For multiplayer, everyone should use the same version and settings.
- Crusader Extreme comes with Crusader HD on Steam, and SyncCrate finds that install too.
- Steam or GOG doesn't matter: SyncCrate finds the folder in Documents either way.
// FAQ
Stronghold: Crusader HD questions
Where are Stronghold Crusader custom maps stored?
In Documents/Stronghold Crusader/Maps. Maps you save in the editor land there, and downloaded maps go there too. SyncCrate finds the folder by itself.
Do all players need the same map in Crusader multiplayer?
Yes, every player needs the map to play it, and it has to be the same file. Syncing from one host before the game makes sure of that.
Does SyncCrate install the Unofficial Crusader Patch?
No. SyncCrate syncs maps, not changes to the game itself. Install the patch on each PC with the same settings.
Can we sync at a LAN party without internet?
Yes. On a local network SyncCrate finds the host by itself and copies the maps PC to PC. Over the internet, friends paste the host's join code.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Stronghold: Crusader HD setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.