Guide for the Dark Side: How to be Lucky if Luck is involved

**Maltz** · 01-26-2012, 22:05

This is mostly for those who enjoys the Dark Side. Let's get started!

(1) New random seeds are generated when a new save is loaded.

A lot of games nowadays are like this. What this means is that if you don't like the outcome of anything that involves a roll of dice, simply load a new save made before the event. For example, before your Ninja is about to flip a coin, save the game. If the outcome is undesirable, load the new save (and make another new one) then try again. Repeat until happy.

*Legendary mode? The game's save file can be found on the Hard Drive. Do a quick google search to find the locations, make a desktop shortcut to this folder. Make a habit of backing up this file. (Which is always a great idea regardless of your path. Saves can be corrupted, too!)

(2) Retainers are randomly generated at the experience gaining event

This means that you don't get a new set of retainer choices if you simply make a game save after the general or agent levels up. You have to make the save before the last battle/mission. Now since you keep loading the same save to carry out the level-up mission, you will always get the same outcome.

(3) Wife's trait is rerolled after every diplomatic transaction with that clan.

Save before proposing. If you don't like a bitter wife, load the save, do something else first (trade deals, etc.), then propose again. Repeat until wife is helpful. If only life is like that. :p

(4) Offspring can be randomly born in winter.

For those who get a good wife but now considers fertility clinic: Loading the autosave made at the end of autumn until you have a son. (A new autosave is generated every time you press end turn, so there is no need to make additional save. So you might get different end-turn events by doing so, too.)

*If all you need is additional generals, it is probably much more efficient to simply to promote generals for 1000 koku. It is also a random event available in the winter (maybe also other seasons).

The above are probably the most luck-dependent aspects of the game. Enjoy the force of the dark side! :D

**Jarmam** · 01-27-2012, 05:14

Originally Posted by Maltz

*Legendary mode? The game's save file can be found on the Hard Drive. Do a quick google search to find the locations, make a desktop shortcut to this folder. Make a habit of backing up this file. (Which is always a great idea regardless of your path. Saves can be corrupted, too!)

This is the single most important thing to spread the word about. Legendary saves *can and will* get corrupted and there is nothing more tediously frustrating than having finally stabilized a difficult faction only to have the savegame corrupt and have the game laugh at you for your inability to just do it all again. Especially if you're doing something silly that requires 100 turns to set into action. That can ruin your day much more so than an Ace on the river.

I backup every legendary save every time I exit the game or play for more than 20 or so turns. Also my game seems to like crashing after huge battles (especially if I get heroic victories) so if it doesnt Ill backup at that point as well.

**Maltz** · 01-30-2012, 15:12

Legendary is meant to be hard because you can no longer manually save the game. But there are work arounds that makes this handicap almost non-existent - it just takes a little time.

First, we need to know when the game makes autosaves:

(1) Before a battle. As soon as you enter the zoom-in view of the armies on the campaign map (and decide whether to fight manually, auto-resolve, or retreat), the game makes a save.

(2) After a battle. The saving action is a little delayed. It is possible to load the autosave made before the battle if you hit Esc fast enough.

(3) At the BEGINNING of every turn.

Updated:

(4) At the mooment you hit end-turn. You can actually immediately hit Esc and load that auto-save and continue to play the turn as if you have never hit end-turn.

You can always make a backup of every different autosave above. These are also your oppurtunities to get a new random seed for agent actions. There is also a 100% reliable way to stay lucky even if there is no battle or new turn involved. We have to exploit the feature that moving some unit also generates a new random seed.

(a) At the beginning of a turn (autosave (3) is made), carry out agent #1 action. If succeed, perfect.

(b) If the agent fails, load the (3) autosave, move sometehing else, such as a navy fleet, then carry out agent #1's action. If succeed, write down what and how you moved. If he fails, load the save and move something else. Repeat until success.

(c) If you have more than one agent, simply repeat the steps to make agent #1 successful, make it happen, then do the move-act thing with agent #2, #3.

That's it! No difficulty stands in the way of the Dark Side! (hope it is fun for you)

**Fagar** · 02-14-2012, 23:51

Being one to always try and get the most out of my gaming experience I never shirk away from the dark side ;-)...
Here is the latest underhanded strategy I undertook..
Playing as Mori Legendary I had taken the province belonging to Kittatawa? while they were out of the castle..They had 2 huge stacks of teched samurai I did not have the numbers to defeat so as an exploit I made them a vassal..thus gaining time to deal with them later instead of having to fight them as rebels anyway..
Well I convinced them then to go to war with my enemies, luckily more me they were an expansive lot and liked to march to war, therefore I was also able to use them often as fodder before taking provinces out from under them..still leaving them with just the one province and their armies no where near it..
The real exploit here though is every-time my diplomatic relations get so poor with them that I feel they will go to war I simply retake their Provence and make them vassals all over again..Ta-da! sudden 100 to military alliance no territorial expansion minuses and they welcome me as their honourable friend!!! ;-)

**Maltz** · 02-15-2012, 01:23

Thanks for your contribution.
If you "retake" their province by declaring war on them, wouldn't this make you lose honor and incur a diplomatic penalty to all other clans?

**Fagar** · 02-15-2012, 02:38

Hey Maltz..
Yes it most certainly would..I forgot to mention that this "retaking" came after the realm divide and so I did not need to consider the effect on other clans..
I am thinking that you could use ninja/monk combinations to make them take the steps to war if you wanted to try this before or near a critical ream divide..

**Fagar** · 02-17-2012, 23:59

O.k This is just an observation in the pipeline but I am interested if anyone else has seen the same pattern..
Lately in trying to boost diplomatic relations I have been ransoming off my young children quite regularly..
On a few occasions now as the ransom has been returned I have gone to the diplomatic screen to try and renew this arrangement only to find the option unavailable..I have then checked my family tree and noted several eligible children for the task but the option not reset..

End turn and these allies I have been trying to butter up go to war with me that very turn..
on re-checking the ransom option has reopened and is now available..
Have I possibly stumbled on a clue as to what factions are just about to go to war with me....hmmmm..Thoughts??

**Gray_Lensman** · 03-08-2012, 16:42

Originally Posted by Maltz

...

(2) Retainers are randomly generated at the experience gaining event[/B]

This means that you don't get a new set of retainer choices if you simply make a game save after the general or agent levels up. You have to make the save before the last battle/mission. Now since you keep loading the same save to carry out the level-up mission, you will always get the same outcome.

Does this mean that you have to refight/replay the battle/mission to get different retainer choices?

**Maltz** · 03-08-2012, 16:46

Yes. So it is better to find an auto-resolve battle to increase efficiency.

**Maltz** · 03-13-2012, 14:43

One addition:

Previously I claimed that on legendary, there is NO auto-save generated at the end of the turn. This is wrong! As soon as you hit end turn, an auto-save is still generated as if you has not hit the end turn, just like any other difficulty level. However, it will soon be replaced by any new auto-save, such as a battle initiated by an AI faction, or the arrival of the next turn.

So you can see a wide application of this.