How to add in Lightning

#1 Lightning is added by script programing and a datablock definition. I do not seem to have any example files(will re-post if/when i find some) at hand right now, but a quick search returns this:
www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/27850

#2 Since you specifically mention Stronghold.exe I would assume you asking how to do this in TGEa. It seems as though the DefaultStorm datablock was overlooked. It's in the Demo project though, in "~/server/scripts/environment.cs".

First off you need some suitable thunder sounds and some datablocks:

datablock SFXProfile(ThunderCrash1Sound)
{
    filename = "~/data/sound/environment/ambient/thunder1";
    description = Audio2d;
};

datablock SFXProfile(ThunderCrash2Sound)
{
    filename = "~/data/sound/environment/ambient/thunder2";
    description = Audio2d;
};

datablock SFXProfile(ThunderCrash3Sound)
{
    filename = "~/data/sound/environment/ambient/thunder3";
    description = Audio2d;
};

datablock SFXProfile(ThunderCrash4Sound)
{
    filename = "~/data/sound/environment/ambient/thunder4";
    description = Audio2d;
};

//datablock SFXProfile(LightningHitSound)
//{
//    filename = "~/data/sound/crossbow_explosion";
//    description = AudioLightning3d;
//};

Then you need the lightning storm datablock itself:

datablock LightningData(DefaultStorm)
{
    //strikeTextures[0] = "~/data/environment/lightning1frame1";
    //strikeTextures[1] = "~/data/environment/lightning1frame2";
    //strikeTextures[2] = "~/data/environment/lightning1frame3";
   
    //strikeSound = LightningHitSound;
    thunderSounds[0] = ThunderCrash1Sound;
    thunderSounds[1] = ThunderCrash2Sound;
    thunderSounds[2] = ThunderCrash3Sound;
    thunderSounds[3] = ThunderCrash4Sound;
};

I commented out the strikeTextures because TGEa doesn't use them -- at all. Regardless of how you set it up it always procedurally generates the lightning strike effect. But if you are using TGE then you can certainly make use of them and in this one case TGE truly outshines TGEa (TGE also has something called weatherLigtning which is even more impressive looking).

As an added bonus, if you want your lightning to do damage add this to the lightning datablock:

directDamageType = $DamageType::Lightning;   
directDamage = 100;

And then add this function:

function LightningData::applyDamage(%data, %lightningObj, %targetObject, %position, %normal)  
{  
    %targetObject.damage(%lightningObj, %position, %data.directDamage, %data.directDamageType);  
}