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Thread: Is Shogun a little Easy?

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    Member Member JamesB's Avatar
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    I've just started playing Shogun and so far the Campaign has been a Cakewalk......but I think this is purely because I have been Clan Shimazu on Easy Level, so far I have easily vanquished the Imagawa to the North and the Rebels on the Island to the East I have roughly 15 provinces and quite a large army and plentiful amounts of Koku the only truble for me has been occasional revolts from th peasants (lousy lowlife's). So I am asking should I start again on a higher Level or will this get harder as I venture into the Mainland's. Generally though this is easily one of the best game's this year and definitely the best Strategy game of all time.

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    Member Member Darth Wart's Avatar
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    Uh... there should be a "purple surprise" waiting for you about the time you reach Wakasa...

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    Member Member Bloodbane's Avatar
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    Put the game on normal setting

    I am also playing as Shimazu, after trying with Mori about 8 times unsuccessfully to beat the game. My Mori games have always ended up a disaster with 3 fronts. My Shimazu game is going on 40 years of battle, but I think I still have a chance of winning.

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    Member Member Tenchimuyo's Avatar
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    Try Imagawa or Takeda with hard level. It'll definitely drive you insane.
    A great warrior rarely reveal his true skills....

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    karoshi Senior Member solypsist's Avatar
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    I used to think STW was an easy game, until I stopped Automatically Resolving the batles and started playing them out. James, you've omitted that important detail from your post.


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    Member Member Heims30's Avatar
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    Bloodbane, the biggest problem with Mori is the Horde. If it wasn't for that then I wouldn't have to put all my resources into defending the one front, leaving the
    other(s) weakly defended. Stupid Horde.

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    Senior Member Senior Member Draksen's Avatar
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    "this is easily one of the best game's this year and definitely the best Strategy game of all time."
    You are 100% right !
    I think the same.

    About the difficulty levels of the game :
    I think that the normal level is ok, but hard is a little too ..."HARD"... I mean that an intermediate level would be a good idea...




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    Member Member Didz's Avatar
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    Yes! My first campaign was Shimazu on Easy level and it is very simple at least until you meet the Hojo horde. The Imagawa and Mori have too many distraction to be a real obstical and the Rebels on the island are not fanatical enough to be a real problem either.

    As already suggested up the difficulty to Normal and if you want a real challenge play Imagawa. Oh! and there's always the 'hardman' rules where you are not allowed to save the game before each turn just in case things go wrong.
    Didz
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    Senior Member Senior Member Draksen's Avatar
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    And IMAGAWA with hard settings...
    (never tried)
    ...arggggghhh!!!

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    [This message has been edited by Draksen (edited 12-22-2000).]
    What I hate the most:

    1-discussing politic with ignorant american teens.

    2-discussing politic with ignorant british teens.

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    Member Member Link(Micke)San's Avatar
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    I have to laugh lol

    If you feels it is to easy, why do you play on the easy level then???
    Go straight to Expert it makes it more fun.
    And dont ever save before autum season, like i did my self the first time i played the campaigne.
    Done all 7 on expert now..keep the tax on high all the time, just a tips!!!

    May the honour be with you all.

    AND A MERRY X-MAS TO YOU ALL

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    Member Member JamesB's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by solypsist:
    I used to think STW was an easy game, until I stopped Automatically Resolving the batles and started playing them out. James, you've omitted that important detail from your post.
    [/QUOTE]

    I don't Automatically Resolve the Battles I play all of them out.

    And also I don't save before each turn or even before a fight I save when I'm done for the session.

    I realise I probably should have started on Normal (at least). Can you by any chance change difficulty midway through a campaign?

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    Senior Member Senior Member Dark Phoenix's Avatar
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    James you cannot change the difficulty level after you have started. So you you are going to have to start again, unless of course you are enjoying destorying the clans on easy.

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  13. #13
    Senior Member Senior Member Draksen's Avatar
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    How hard is the "hard" level ?
    Is the AI just more agressive ?
    (AI cheating?)

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  14. #14

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    It seems that on easy the computer won't attack unless it knows that it has an enormous advantage, which it usually doesn't. On hard and expert, preemption seems much more common, and the AI battlefield tactics are slightly more sound. Keep in mind, however, that I'm usually Uesugi, so to a Shimazu, I'm the eastern terror that they usually see.


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    Member Member Link(Micke)San's Avatar
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    Well the computer units are harder to kill on Expert and do smarter moves on the battlefield..
    You can do a test...take one monk 9h for your self and one for the computer in custom battle and meet up on flat terrain....you lose 120 and the computer lose 50-60..thats the diffrence betwhen easy and expert level

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    Member Member HattoriKun's Avatar
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    I found that different strategies are needed to play the different clans well. Of course, it sometimes boils down to who has the best armies and best tactics, but for example, playing Imagawa becomes easier if you use his strengths - make allies with neighboring Daimyo before anybody else does, and then use Ninja to assassinate the Daimyo. If successful, Takeda, Oda, and even Hojo's lands and armies become yours quickly.

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    Member Member johnmcd's Avatar
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    I think that on hard and expert the harvests tend to much poorer too.

    Actually does anyone know if, in general, a bad harvest is shared across Japan or if it is possible for Hojo to have a +50% harvest the same turn as Uesugi has a -50% one?

  18. #18

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    everything is possible although it is very unlikely that the whole of japan has the same harvest.

    considering if have every province but one the whole of japan does have the same harvest?!?!

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    Member Member JamesB's Avatar
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    I decided to carry on for the moment with this campaign but I will only give myself minimal credit if I become Shogun and then start over on Hard difficulty (maybe Expert if this campaign continues to be this easy) and be someone like Clan Mori or Clan Oda.

    I love this game!

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    Member Member BanzaiZAP's Avatar
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    JamesB:
    And once you've conquered Nippon a few times on the settings, you can play by setting "Goals" for yourself. For example, going Christian gives you a different game, etc. Or going on Easy mode, and you must conquer ALL of Japan (even the Ronin!) before 1550. Things like that to add replay value.

    -- B)

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    Senior Member Senior Member ShaiHulud's Avatar
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    I once asked the same question about harvests. Seems that they are individual to each clan. Thus you may be starving while "your opponents are wallowing in koku".
    As for being too easy, well, you DID choose Easy level, no? I feel certain you'll find frequent frustration on Expert level...hehe

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    Member Member JamesB's Avatar
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    Well, I'm Clan Mori on Hard level now and it is tough going. I am having trouble removing the nearby Takeda presence, I waited too long to try and invade them and now they have a bigger army and have took over about 3 of my provinces. I tried a major attack of about 600+ of my troops on a large chunk of their army to win back a vital province and I lost the Battle and about 400 of my soldiers(oops!) Despite my frustrtion I am loving the game even more at this level and will fight on in this campaign(even though is seems inevitable that Takeda will vanquish and eradicate my army)

    [This message has been edited by JamesB (edited 12-26-2000).]

  23. #23
    Lost Ashigaru Member Whitey's Avatar
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    oh the game is tough...play Imagawa on expert and watch the horde swallow you up (you've just got to hold the rivers and hope you can kill their Daimyo enough times )


    expert is tough...expert on oda...oh the pain...you realize that in that game I lost my *last* Daimyo with one enemy province left...the chances of that??? you tell me...oh and guess who was playing as a hard man...the only time I have ever looked like winning on expert Oda and that happens...hell



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    Member Member BanzaiZAP's Avatar
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    JamesB:
    Yeah, as Mori you have to kick them out early - ideally, you can take two provinces in the first turn! (Depending on how good a general you are, I suppose.) Likewise, Shimazu can either kick out Imagawa quickly, or move to take over the Ronin held island as soon as you can. Either way, you NEED to get those provinces, just to keep even on the koku count. Wait too long, and everyone will be far richer than you are. Fun stuff!!!

    -- B)

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    Member Member Buccaneer's Avatar
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    This is a great thread, one that I will print out and include in my strategy notes. I'm glad to see that playing a different clan (esp. at a harder level) does offer a new experience (strategically and tactically). I also like the idea of setting goals for yourself. Even if they don't include custom/random strategic maps in the Exp Pack, the posts here will offer replayability.

  26. #26
    Member Member johnmcd's Avatar
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    I think Mori at hard you are well advised to take all 3 Takeda provinces in the first turn. The two archers that face Shimazu take Aki (Takeda runs inverariably, siege them once and then storm with archers, you'll lose a few but...). The three YS that can attack the middle province should, he will have YC and YA, fairly straight forward, you'll lose maybe 30 men tops. The river province- send in everyone else you can! Get the Diamyo across first and he can distract the enemy YS or harrass the CA depending on the AI response. You can also take that little shinobi province, though it often revolts. It depends on your long term plans about Oda whether or not thats a good idea straight away...

    Thats my first turn as Mori Hard, which is my normal game. I still haven't won it though....

  27. #27
    Hope guides me Senior Member Hosakawa Tito's Avatar
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    Mori on hard is a good challenge.I would definitely take Aki in the first year to cut off Takedas ability to reinforce his western armies.Mori's biggest problem is koku poor lands so taking Aki early will also provide you with a gold rich province to build a mine.You can then attack Bingo and Bitchu in the 2nd year.Then I would go after that ronin
    island,especially Sanuki,before I took on Oda.Hopefully by then you will have warrior monks,which Mori can train cheaper than any other clan.An army of monks,archers,and samurai spearmen will be a force to reckon with.
    Tito
    "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." *Jim Elliot*

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    Member Member JamesB's Avatar
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    Thanks for the tips guys, I will be sure to use them when restarting Mori on Hard level because I finally lost this one. It was a shame really becuase I abandoned the mainland area's to start over on the Rebel island but as I took over the island form the rebels and kept a couple of profitable mainland provinces (Takeda were too busy to notice as they were at war with several other clans and didn't regard us as a threat) and started to rebuild my armies I was subjected to a massive three-pronged attack from the traitorous Oda Clan (I had carefully allied with Shimazu and Oda to make sure I would come to no harm from them whiled I resumed my war with Takeda once I had succesfully rebuilt my armies). I lost three provinces in 1 turn which included my castle with all my troop producing facilities attached to it, therefore I had no chance of coming back and eventually lost......but who said war was fair and easy?

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    Member Member Buccaneer's Avatar
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    Which brings up a fundamental question...how long does it takes you guys to play/win? Seems like playing on hard, where each province is a struggle to conquer, will take a very long time to get and hold all 60?

  30. #30
    Hope guides me Senior Member Hosakawa Tito's Avatar
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    I just completed a campaign on hard with Takeda and it probably took 14 to 16 hours over three days time.Thank god for vacation!
    I'm sure as I become more experienced I can cut that time in half.If you auto-resolve some of the battles it would go quicker but I personally don't want to do that.Besides how can you learn new tactics that way?I also don't play with a timer.It takes time to get in position in some of the more mountainous provinces and with a timer you end up just rushing up a steep hill to beat the clock,a good way to lose the battle.As far as I'm concerned timers are for football games.
    Tito
    "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." *Jim Elliot*

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