"Players are essentially DMing their own microcosms, within the larger campaign, giving identities to their hirelings, triggering events that happen in the bastions, and seeing the results and consequences. ... Its allowing the players to get a taste of what DMing is like."
The cynical part of me notes that how even with the DMG they're still pitching to players- next it'll be "The Monster Manual isn't just for DMs, players should buy it too so they can learn all the monsters' weaknesses!"
BUT it's nice that strongholds are finally included, I assume it'll be somewhere that gold can actually go so maybe players won't expect to find Magick Itym Shoppes on every corner (Fantasy Costco, where all of your dreams come true!) One of the criticisms of 5e was that it lacked places for players to sink treasure into, with no carousing and no real stronghold rules (iirc the properties in the DMG actively cost you money without much of a justification to have them).
Getting them at level 5 seems a little early, but I suppose since level 5 is where the meat of the game starts it makes sense... maybe your level 5 characters gets a little toll-booth box with a guy that guards a bridge. I'd hope that level 5 characters aren't getting keeps, within the context of the world it'd seem early? Maybe not.
The cynical part of me notes that how even with the DMG they're still pitching to players- next it'll be "The Monster Manual isn't just for DMs, players should buy it too so they can learn all the monsters' weaknesses!"
BUT it's nice that strongholds are finally included, I assume it'll be somewhere that gold can actually go so maybe players won't expect to find Magick Itym Shoppes on every corner (Fantasy Costco, where all of your dreams come true!) One of the criticisms of 5e was that it lacked places for players to sink treasure into, with no carousing and no real stronghold rules (iirc the properties in the DMG actively cost you money without much of a justification to have them).
Getting them at level 5 seems a little early, but I suppose since level 5 is where the meat of the game starts it makes sense... maybe your level 5 characters gets a little toll-booth box with a guy that guards a bridge. I'd hope that level 5 characters aren't getting keeps, within the context of the world it'd seem early? Maybe not.
Which MCDM system? I bounced off Kingdoms & Warfare cuz it was "too much" to try to get into, but I still use Strongholds & Followers extensively. The rules in that one are pretty basic and tell the players exactly what they get, and I use other simple rules if warfare ever comes up. If the new DMG somehow covers the content that K&W did but in a more approachable way then I'll be using it, but it suggests to me that it's just covering S&F-type stuff.
