Kirowan said:
Hmm, doesn't seem like that great of a buy. Is there anything else like it 3rd party? I know the Book of Strongholds and Dynasties has construction rules, but a lot of people aren't too keen on that either.
Nick
The Stronghold Builders' Guidebook is not bad if you want a very Fantasy-feeling stronghold. Its emphasis is on simplicity, in many ways, at the cost of realism.
As much as Psion dislikes the "shopping list" feel, I do like it. The book offers dozens of modular rooms/chambers, some of which are magical. The base costs are already worked out. All you have to do is choose which combination you like (and can afford) for your stronghold. The lengthy "lists" just covers many, many variations and options.
BoSD, on the other hand, goes much more into the building process, and into the resource gathering process. The prices come out a little high, but the PCs also have the option of getting their workers to cut the wood from the nearby forest themselves. It also has a variety of standard "building designs" listed. Some are more complete than others, though (the "Industrial Building" is a generic building for any industrial use, from Mills to Warehouses, with no internal floorplan, for example; while there are separate floorplans for various sizes of round and square towers).
MMS:WE's building rules are similar to those in BoSD, but more streamlined. Fewer example buildings are given, but the effects of choosing different materials are more concisely explained (BoSD does not cover building materials other than wood and stone, until you get to fantasy materials like ice and crystal).
It may come down to this:
If you and/or your players are more comfortable sitting down and looking through a "catalogue" of options than drawing a floorplan from scratch or using a historical floorplan, the Stronghold Builders' Guidebook may be your best bet.