How is your first campaign going?

[Cecil XIX]

Played two campaigns, both an legendary: Uesugi and Chosokabe. Both times I lost without taking a single province, I think for the same reason: I focused first on developing my income and spurned recruitment. Either that, or I should have waited until I recruited a full stack. I'm going to keep trying with the Chosokabe and hopefully I can at least unify Shikoku.

[gollum]

Probably Cecil. I would expect that a strong rush at the beginning is essential.

[Cecil XIX]

Probably Cecil. I would expect that a strong rush at the beginning is essential.

I've heard the opposite actually. It looks to me like if you're too aggressive early on you'll get worn down quickly.

[gollum]

Right, don't take my word for it, i haven't the game yet.

[Dead Guy]

I got it installed at 10PM yesterday, when I normally start heading to bed :p

Started a Chosokabe campaign (VH), took the province to the north and a turn later got a warning that the guys to the east are likely to invade soon because of my weakened state. Hope I can hold them off somewhere where I can take advantage of the terrain, and then go into build-up mode for a while.

I think recruiting Samurai Archers might have been a really bad idea. They're so much more expensive, fewer men per unit and cost more upkeep. I bet the ability to envelop even with ashigerus would be worth more in the field.

Once again, being at work is being in hell... =)

[Zarky]

I've heard the opposite actually. It looks to me like if you're too aggressive early on you'll get worn down quickly.

I guess that depends on the circumstances. Though I haven't played on legendary, I've taken a couple of provinces by letting 2 enemies wear each other down, or capturing a castle that was just captured by someone else. Just have to be really careful about betraying your allies, it doing so too early in game can cause serious loyalty and happiness issues on top of the relationship penalties.

[gollum]

Once again, being at work is being in hell... =)

Unlike hell it doesn't last forever. Weekend is coming ;)

[Daevyll]

I've heard the opposite actually. It looks to me like if you're too aggressive early on you'll get worn down quickly.

That is what happened to me (Hard setting); now I am faced with a need for multiple armies for defense and expension, but I cannot afford both because I dont have the economic infrastructure to support them.
I cant build up my economy in existing provinces because I need the funds to maintain my military, so I need to conquer additional provinces. But I cant conquer new provinces because I cant afford the extra units without leaving myself wide open on the other front.

So in all I'd say I'm dying a slow death; I can keep what is mine, but make very little progression while other clans are making much greater progress. Soon I will be hopelessly behind in development and killed off no doubt.

Loving it.

[LordKhaine]

Well I went for the Shimazu clan. A reasonably fast paced attack at the start to grab a few provinces, but nothing too excessive. I seem to be managing my finances fairly well, while keeping what appears to be a fairly decent sized army. And then a neighbour (who hated me, it wasn't exactly too surprising) attacks from the north. He appears to have a similar income to me and a fairly substantial army that matches mine... time to prepare for war!

Next turn, a full stack of enemy troops, higher quality than my own, appears out of no-where on a fleet of ships far behind the front lines. No possible way to get enough troops together to hold that stack at bay, considering it would be a fairly good match for both my armies combined. And those are both needed to match the enemy forces in the north, and are too far away to help in time.

Bugger.

[Liberator]

Well I went for the Shimazu clan. A reasonably fast paced attack at the start to grab a few provinces, but nothing too excessive. I seem to be managing my finances fairly well, while keeping what appears to be a fairly decent sized army. And then a neighbour (who hated me, it wasn't exactly too surprising) attacks from the north. He appears to have a similar income to me and a fairly substantial army that matches mine... time to prepare for war!

Next turn, a full stack of enemy troops, higher quality than my own, appears out of no-where on a fleet of ships far behind the front lines. No possible way to get enough troops together to hold that stack at bay, considering it would be a fairly good match for both my armies combined. And those are both needed to match the enemy forces in the north, and are too far away to help in time.

I have played two times on hard, 15 rounds with the Uesugi and currently with the Date.
In both campaigns the Shimazu where killed within 3-4(!) rounds!

And other "major" clans are hardly doing better in my Date Campaign... I have reached 1567 and only my Date, the Hojo (weak) and the Chosokabe have survived the onslaught.
Leaving out the Chosokabe, who are still only located on their island, and out of 9 major clans only 2 have survived...

And it is not because of me; I have 7 provinces right now and annihilated 2 minor clans, but aside of the Chosokabe the rest of the map is domineted by 3 strong "minor" clans

I have noticed a huge turnover of provinces right at the beginning of both campaigns, with clans dying and (re)emerging everywhere, a huge contrast to the first Empire campaign I played 2 years ago, where there was one big stalemate within europe throughout the game.

If there is anything to complain, I would like to see more rebels and less "minor" clans to emerge, giving a bigger weight to the "major" clans

[antisocialmunky]

Maybe there should be a short period of turns where the major clans get a bonus against rebels and go after neighboring rebels beforing going after each other. It sounds a little unstable right now.