MI battlefield observations...

[ishikawa2]

Small changes can have big results on the battlefield:

1) Bridges are MUCH wider. Tropps can really pour across.

2) Enemy reinforcements seem to come from everywhere... even your side of the bridge.

3) The Mongol Light Cav seems to be able to chew up most troop types, (but I haven't met the heavy stuff yet) and they are FAST!

The campaign seems to be moving very quickly. It is 1277 and I am advancing from Hoki-Bitchu-Tosa. (Kyushu is mine, and the Great Khan seems pleased!) The last reinforcements off the boat included some Thunder Bombers, but they haven't seen action yet.

It looks and feels much better. I almost hate to say it, but it seemed to install cleanly without problems... knock on wood.
There seems to be a general across-the-board improvement in the graphics.

I won't have time to respond to a lot of questions, but I thought I'd post an initial "thumbs up" review.

Back in the sengoku jidai: I see that if I can keep my emissary alive, I may just be able to bribe armies over to my side.

I started a "conventional" campaign as Oda and I found that the monks are simply NOT as tough as they used to be. Within 4 or 5 turns, I had Ise and the emperor's home town without a crippling number of casualties, my Daimyo had picked up half a dozen wins on his way to becoming a legend, and within a couple of year, the Oda were the richest clan in Japan. Interesting point though: The rebels may be more agressive than in the past. Some guys came storming out of Yamashiro in the first year and struck north into a province (Tamba) they apparently thought was lightly defended.
1 archer and 1 ashi took out 1 monk and 1 archer, sending only a few of them back to the emperor's doorstep to await the assault from the south once Ise castle had been stormed.

And wonder of wonders... when the dust settled in Ise, the Buddhist Temple was still standing, so I'm the richest in Japan and able to crank out quality troops including Monks within just a couple of years.

I think I like it

[vangersonm]

whoaa! PLEASE VERIFY!!!!

ARMIES ARE SEPERATED AS THEY ATTACK A PROVINCE!?

EX:/ATTAKING FROM THE REAR OF A PROVINCE PLACES YOUR TROOPS IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAN IF YOU ATTACK FROM THE FRONT!?

SO TAKING BRIDGES IS EASIER!? SURROND AND ATTACK!?


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If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

[ishikawa2]

Let me say again what I saw (and PLEASE don't shoot the messenger!)

I poured over the new 4-lane bridge, blew Hojo off the back edge of the field and waited for his re-inforcments to appear.

...and waited, and waited... nothing showed up in the old reinforcement area.

Then I took a good look around, and Holy Cow! Samurai to the right of me, Samurai to the left of me, and samurai coming over the bridge marching towards my rear.

Time to re-learn "situational awareness" !!

[Puzz3D]

In the manual when discussing castle maps, it says that reinforcements come on at random places. Sounds like it's random for all maps.

MizuYuuki ~~~
Clan Takiyama ~~~

[Vanya]

Very nice! I played as Mongols first time out. Must say those Korean Skirmishers pack a nasty punch! Next up: sanda bomas and mongol sumos!

[Vanya]

One nice little improvement: when your missle unit runs out of arrows/missles, you no longer need to alt-click for them to attack H2H. Now, when their ammo is spent, you only get the 'sword' icon, so plain clicking will send them a-charging!

I thought that was kinda nice...

[Anssi Hakkinen]

Wider bridges is surprising, but IMO a definite improvement. They are no longer the impassable bottlenecks they once were, which should lend new viability to eg. multiplayer...

The reinforcement business still doesn't seem fully thought out, but we are a-learning.

And finally, I am very envious of you.

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"The Way of the samurai is imperative and absolute. Practice, in the body, through the unconscious, is fundamental to it, thus the enormous importance attached to the learning of right action or behavior."

[HATAMOTOKILL]

harrarr now we can get across,without loseing half our men?

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Hato!!!
Knight Owltwwooo!!!

[BakaGaijin]

With the new Sanda Bombers and Skirmishers on the Mongol side, too, it seems like even castle sieges might be viable for multiplayer, provided that the attacker choose the Mongols... is this the case?

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Disappear into the Darkness!!

[Vanya]

Uhhhmmm... sanda bomas and Kensai in wedgies!

You better not shout!
You better not cry!
You better not pout!
I'm tellin' you why:
Sanda Bomas stormin' the town!

[BakaGaijin]

Magyar to his troops before a castle siege:

My Mongols, we will crush the cowardly Japanese tonight! We will burn their women, slaughter their homes, rape their cattle, and scatter their children! No, no... that's wrong somehow... Eh, whatever. ATTACK, HORSIES! ATTACK!



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Disappear into the Darkness!!

[A Nerd]

Another note...Strat map ninjas are far more competant. I made several assasinations. Killed one rank two general with green ninja. Only lost ninja trying to break seige! Better protect those generals!

[BakaGaijin]

Okay. YAY, I HAVE WARLORDS!#!#!#&%!&#

That said, the first thing I did was play with the Mongols in the campaign.

One of my main observations (other than "Wow, Mongol Cavalry, even the Light, absolutely tear everything else to shreds") was that the Skirmishers do quite a fair bit of damage! I've used them to break a couple of sieges so far, to great effect. I walked one unit of 60 up to a castle gate and fired in at the lone unit of 60 Yari Samurai which formed the garrison. 15 died on the first throw! When that one unit of Skirmishers finished up its ammo (in only a few seconds, it should be noted), there were only 5 of the Yari left! I also brought the Skirmishers to bear against two 60-man units of Ashi Crossbowman in a siege situation. It was no contest. I brought up my Skirmishers up one at a time to face the Crossbowman, and the first unit took NO LOSSES until I withdrew it after it had expended its ammo -- apparently, the shields work marvelously, but only when the unit is facing the enemy, which is a damned nice touch. I then brought up the second unit of Skirmishers and continued the wholesale decimation of the unfortunate peasants in the castle. Both units expended their ammo before the Ashi had all been killed, but there were maybe a maximum of 10 guys left alive inside the castle at that point. Talk about great siege units!

I have yet to experiment with the Sanda Bombas, but I assume that the losses taken by both sides will be much greater -- the bombs will cause many more casualties, indeed, but the Bombas have no shields, and will surely perish quickly before even light arrow bombardment. And that's BEFORE you take into account friendly fire bombs...

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Disappear into the Darkness!!

[Koga No Goshi]

I've actually had nothing but probs getting the game to run smoothly. Anyone who wants to help, check out my post in the Tech Support forum.

Thanks



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Koga no Goshi

"Nandai"
Since time began
the dead alone know peace.
Life is but melting snow.

[barocca]

Guys,
wait till you see what the Mongol Heavy Cav can do!
Yari cav - trampled,
Naganita cav - trampled,
Heavy cav - Trampled,
Kensai! - Trampled...

(all at 3h2 Japanese units to 1h2 Mongol unit!)
Tried mixes of various units (all at 3to1 odds), even led the mongol HC into a 'trap' and still fought my way out 3 times out of 4...

Pity I can't test them against monks!

and the Skirmishers do a heck of a lot of spear kills!
- not great at h2h, but still capable of pinning a unit of Yari Sam to allow flanking,

looks like we may be facing another Uber Unit!

well, back to the battlefield and try to find a counter for them...


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DoragonBarocca of Clan Doragon

[KumaRatta Yamamoto]

Barocca did you try souping up the Yari sams (honor, offense, armour) for 600 koku. Maybe a 600 koku yari sam unit will defeat a 600 koku Mongol Heavy cav.