SyncCrate
Stronghold HD guide · Updated
Same Stronghold maps in every castle.
The castle maps you built in the editor, or the siege maps your group found online, on every friend's PC. SyncCrate copies the host's Maps folder, and after the first time only the maps that changed.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why sharing Stronghold maps is still a chore
Stronghold HD has a map editor that players have used for years, and a lot of the fun is in the custom maps: new sieges, economic challenges, and maps a friend built just for your group. They're single files in the Maps folder in Documents, but every one of them has to be on the other PC before you can play it.
Passing them around by chat or USB stick works for one map. After a few evenings, everyone has a slightly different Maps folder, with old versions of the maps your friend keeps improving.
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 HD
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Maps | Maps/Custom maps and map files in Documents/Stronghold/Maps, your own editor maps and downloaded ones. | .map .sav |
// Where it looks
- Documents folder
Strongholdinside your Documents folder- Steam
steamapps/common/Strongholdin every Steam library, on every drive- Windows
C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Stronghold HD- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for Stronghold 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 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 HD in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add Stronghold 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 HD before syncing. SyncCrate warns you if the game is still running.
// 04 Common problems
When Stronghold HD mods don't match
A friend doesn't have the map
In multiplayer everyone has to be on the same map, and a player who doesn't have its file can't play it with you.
Everyone syncs the host's Maps folder before the game, so every map in the list is on every PC.
Old version of a map you're working on
Building a map with a friend means sending it back and forth after every change, and someone always tests the old one.
The builder hosts, the tester syncs and gets only the maps that changed. If both edited the same map, SyncCrate asks whose to keep, or keeps both.
Maps lost after a reinstall
Custom maps live in Documents, not the game folder, so they're easy to forget when you move to a new PC.
Sync the Maps folder from the old PC to the new one, straight over the local network.
// 05 Stronghold HD
Good to know
- Only maps sync. Saved games and your settings stay on each PC.
- Steam or GOG doesn't matter: SyncCrate finds the Maps folder in Documents either way.
- Crusader and Crusader 2 are separate games in SyncCrate with their own pages: [Stronghold: Crusader HD](stronghold-crusader-hd) and [Stronghold Crusader 2](stronghold-crusader-2).
// FAQ
Stronghold HD questions
Where are Stronghold HD custom maps stored?
In Documents/Stronghold/Maps. Maps you save in the editor land there, and downloaded maps go there too. SyncCrate finds the folder by itself.
How do I give a friend a map I made?
Host on your PC, your friend joins with the join code (or finds you under Scan for Hosts on the same network) and clicks Compare & Sync. The map shows up in their game's map list. Later changes only copy the maps you edited.
Does it sync saved games?
No, only the Maps folder. Saves stay on each PC.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same Stronghold HD setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.