If I wasn't interested in Japan I wouldn't have bothered with Shogun and I know friends who like RTS that didn't bother on the grounds that they couldn't be bothered with learning a whole new type of RTS. Frankly I haven't got the time to learn a whole new type of game either for the most part. Some got it when the reviews rated it so well but scarecely played it thereafter. The whole thing is so different from C&C that I think a lot of copies got shelved pretty quickly. I love it and think it is a huge step forward but I can also sympathise with people who were confused that left click and drag didn't select a group of units. They were never going to buy the expansion pack.

Also, if I had been holding out to see what the reception was here I wouldn't have bought seeing the criticism that has abounded. CA would do well to be more vocal about their patching intentions as it would encourage more people to get the pack against the day the patches appear. Patching is good. I will buy anyting Valve put out in the future just because of thier fantastic support for Half Life. Even if their initial offering is weak I know they won't rest till the whole thing is perfect. Even two years later they are patching up Half Life and yet we are told that we have one MI patch if we are lucky. Hmmmm.