The host's Stronghold 2 game will start, and they will automatically be taken to the multiplayer lobby. From this point onwards, the process is automatic. When the host is ready, they can press the 'Start' button to start the game. Once inside the Stronghold 2 game lobby, you can chat to the players who are also playing the game. Simply click on the 'Host' button to host a new game, or left click on any existing Stronghold 2 lobby from the list and then click on the 'join' button. Once installed, you create your own lobby room for Stronghold 2, or join an existing one. GameRanger is an external program that you use to download and install, allowing you to connect with other players. You should all be playing the same game version and with unmodified files to play smoothly online. You can only do this through the disk version of the game, and generally through the latest 1.4.1 version of it. The second way to play Stronghold 2 online is through GameRanger. Unfortunately this means that you must play through the Steam client as well and cannot use any external service or program to play. This appears to be mostly backwards compatible in terms of maps which were made on prior versions of the game, however for multiplayer, you can only play with users who also have the 1.5 Steam version of the game. The first is through Steam using the 1.5 Steam version of the game. There are now two ways available of playing Stronghold 2 online. This undoutedly left many fans of the series very disappointed with what was happening alongside a feeling of no way to continue playing the game. Unfortunately in 2014 all GameSpy servers ceased to operate and were shut down. From here you could choose which game you wished to join, enter the password if necessary and continue on to play. You would simply click on the Multiplayer option in the main menu of the game, which would take you straight to the multiplayer lobby. When the game was first released back in 2005, it came with the built-in functionality to play online through GameSpy. Not unlike the preceding games in the series, Stronghold 2 provides the ability to play online with friends.

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