The weather.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Some of the most exciting games I've ever played, both in SP and MP, were in heavy fog.

I most whole-heartedly agree. Setting traps was exciting and fraught with uncertainty in heavy fog. Sometimes, instead of being the one to spring the trap, you became the ensnared instead.........

[Gregoshi]

Heavy fog was eerie, but heavy snow I think was worse, especially for an attacker. In addition to being blind, there was the sound of the gusting wind and your men tired easily. Heavy rain was cool when you'd get lightning. I once got a screen shot just as lightning struck. No lightning bolts but everything lit up real bright. The sound of the thunder was incredible too as I recall.

With the announcement of S2TW, I started up a Mori campaign the other day. My first battle was in fog. Man, I really love the weather in the original - something I missed in MTW.

[rory_20_uk]

Yes, weather is a great feature, and certainly made one wince when a musket heavy army got to defend in the rain.

I do like the reduced visibility, BUT I do think that there is a fault with the game where the attacker can "loose" as it can not find a small remnant of the army. The most memorable one I remember in the series was hiding in the forest on a bridge defence when the attackers could swim. Long story short I "won", and about 500 or so enemy soldiers drowned. Exactly how this should be addressed I am not sure, but I feel that there are better methods than have been used.

[rory_20_uk]

Yes, weather is a great feature, and certainly made one wince when a musket heavy army got to defend in the rain.

I do like the reduced visibility, BUT I do think that there is a fault with the game where the attacker can "loose" as it can not find a small remnant of the army. The most memorable one I remember in the series was hiding in the forest on a bridge defence when the attackers could swim. Long story short I "won", and about 500 or so enemy soldiers drowned. Exactly how this should be addressed I am not sure, but I feel that there are better methods than have been used.

[Togakure]

I found that frustrating too, and hence turned off the battle timer. Now, I never play with it on.

When the attackers could swim? I don't remember this being possible with STW, except on a custom map called River Crossing, which didn't have a bridge as I recall, you could just wade through the water at the junction of two rivers near the center of the map. It didn't seem to affect combat any, but was a nice visual. Kudos to that map-maker, who also made Horselands iirc, another excellent custom map. We (47Ronin) enjoyed many a late night MP battle on those.

Edit: diction fix

[rory_20_uk]

Apologies, bust have been a later version of the series.