- A return to the tactical structure of the original Total War games. Less units, faster gameplay and a simple yet effective rock-paper-scissors. It's amazing how a simple sword>spear, spear>cavalry and cavalry>swords can be fantastically fun. This is by far the major appeal of the game.

- Every Total War game brings to the table its own brand of role-playing. MTW had its knights and castles. RTW had its democratic clans and raw nature. Shogun's setting is all about honour, loyalty and the art of war. I hope STW2 is able to recapture the mood of the STW community as it once was. Remember the Honour Society someone? Remember the total respect people had for their 'daimyos'?

- Online foyer and chatroom.

- Last but not least, one of the biggest challenges of STW2 will be upgrading the visuals, going 3D and all that without losing gameplay. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened with Rome: Total War that made at least half of the STW/MTW1 online community quit. Recapturing the 'feel' of the game is far more important than just upgrading the bells and whistles.

KenchiTera