In Game Screenshots

[darius_d]

I voted for Shogun over Rome (Rome to be next), so I have it now.
Graphics is lovely. It's more than I need actually (and my pc). So what about the rest?

Indeed, so far, not a lot to be enthusiastic about. Official fact sheet does not reveal anything special or innovative coming. For example their concept for campaign is really outdated now, feels like dumbed down, actually, but nothing great was announced in that area. Meanwhile, Takeda 3 is *way* ahead, but I doubt they're aware.

I expect this to be more just scenery and skins changing with minor tweaks here and there, than real step forward.
But even so, if they just do it right about AI and iron most of common bugs, it could be enough to make most people happy, me included, so I may still buy it. I will follow the news and reviews.

For now, I appreciate what we can see in the screens, and declarations about focusing on AI, character progress and immersion.

BTW, I can't help but one of more touted new things - sea-borne invasions on the coast seem to be introduced as a pretext rather for full application in another title, and I think I know which period suits best...

[Tsar Alexsandr]

I was happy that Shogun was what they chose as well. :D

Oh sea borne invasion will be fun..... XD

[Ibn-Khaldun]

Avoided, but done every now and then by exceptional generals. (Or desperate generals.) It wasn't something everyone was good at.

In Sengoku warfare it wasn't particularly common, but I would say was more common. Sun Tzu had some passages on the subject. The darkness would create confusion, and isolate troops. Mitsuhide Akechi attacked Nobunaga Oda at Honnoji at night time, when the defenders would be less aware. The battle was a major success. A following battle at Yamazaki pitted Mitsuhide against Hideyoshi Toyotomi. I believe this was also at night. Mitsuhide Akechi did not come out on top of this battle, however. Mitsunari Ishida used the darkness of night to move his troops from Ogaki Castle to Sekigahara for his final confrontation with Ieyasu Tokugawa. (This wasn't a battle though.) Nobunaga Oda attacked Iga province at night. (Seems like a bad idea to attack ninjas at night... XD Made the fire more dramatic though?) Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin would also use night to their advantage. (Being exceptional generals.)

It was definitely used by generals of the Sengoku. (And and the West and other parts of the world) But the depth of vision was limited of course.... XD So there was always a chance a night attack would horribly misfire. Many great battles of the Sengoku were fought at night though. (As well as numerous but important skirmishes.)

It is hard to see, but I did like the option of doing it. :D Good for cutting off enemy reinforcements. And it gave you some tactical flexibility that was nice. (Similar to attrition warfare.) Which is very much in my element... XD

I wish there would be a fog of war around units and they could see only to certain distance. This way night battles(and battles generally) would be much harder and in my opinion more interesting.

[kyushudan]

Oh. Oh. Oh yeah! I am loving those in game screenshots.

Oh, how I have waited for this day.

[Hooahguy]

I wish there would be a fog of war around units and they could see only to certain distance. This way night battles(and battles generally) would be much harder and in my opinion more interesting.

maybe not a fog of war but a line of sight definitely! if there is a hill in the center of the field, then you should only be able to see what your units could see.

or:

maybe it should be limited to what your general sees. that way moving around your general has use than just a fighting/morale role.

[Tsar Alexsandr]

I wish there would be a fog of war around units and they could see only to certain distance. This way night battles(and battles generally) would be much harder and in my opinion more interesting.

Hmm. Definately an idea. :D But there'd have to be some major LoS stuff. Archers would have rood range to see, (otherwise their weapons would be usless.) As would gunners, and artillery. (Artillery would have to have a huge are of LoS. ) So one mentioned the general, that would be good for him as well.

Ambushes and tactics in general would certainly have more damage and flexibility. Imagine in a online game, starting out seeing no enemy..... XD Maybe that'd liven up combat lol!

[Sp00n]

Have to say its looking great on these shots and not a gun in sight :P

[Gregoshi]

In STW, with battle maps that actually had forests and hills, LoS was definitely a factor. The only cheat was that you couldn't hide your taisho (general) unit - it was always visible in trees.

[Tsar Alexsandr]

Oh yeah. And same for artillery in the games that follow. Which makes sense.... how do you hide artillery? XD

I guess the Generals can't hide cause you need to know roughly where the enemy army is? O_o

[Barkhorn1x]

In STW, with battle maps that actually had forests and hills, LoS was definitely a factor. The only cheat was that you couldn't hide your taisho (general) unit - it was always visible in trees.

This has been the same for EVERY Total War game to date.

[quadalpha]

Hmm. Definately an idea. :D But there'd have to be some major LoS stuff. Archers would have rood range to see, (otherwise their weapons would be usless.) As would gunners, and artillery. (Artillery would have to have a huge are of LoS. ) So one mentioned the general, that would be good for him as well.

Ambushes and tactics in general would certainly have more damage and flexibility. Imagine in a online game, starting out seeing no enemy..... XD Maybe that'd liven up combat lol!

Arti can attack ground (in AOE terminology).

[Revolting Friendship]

Looking at the concept art makes me feel like they should've hired me instead.. ;)

Not too excited yet, but this is early work, I'm sure they will touch everything up.
Loving the event panels thought, Utagawa Kuniyoshi would be proud :D

[hoom]

This has been the same for EVERY Total War game to date.

Line of sight is important in other TW games yes but not nearly as much as in Shogun.
In Shogun the radar would only show units that were in your units' LoS.
So in some maps especially when it was foggy you had to march your army around the map trying to find the enemy & then your tired troops would have to re-form before fighting the enemies' fresh troops.
Of course if you were defending it worked to your advantage similarly :)

In other maps there might be a ridgeline & from your camera up high you could see the enemy army on the other side but your units couldn't until they crested the ridge. There was a big 'surpise attack' morale penalty in Shogun so the sudden appearance of a big army just behind the ridgeline not far in-front was often enough to cause Ashigaru to at least waver.

[Tony Furze]

"Line of sight is important in other TW games yes but not nearly as much as in Shogun."

Loved this aspect of both of the earliest games in the series.

"your units couldn't until they crested the ridge"

Again, an excellent addition to the tactical nuance of the earlier game.

Like the first screenshot posted -but then it's nearest to "classic" Total War. What possessed someone to decide we would be interested in seeing individual soldiers in detail just flummoxes me no end.

(The "ships" look like Noah's Arks)

[Togakure]

The style of the outdoor art reminds me of Dimeolas' work. He did great stuff.

[Wundai]

This... is the game I have waited for, without knowing it!

AWESOME!!!