Quote Originally Posted by drisos
however this kind of playing doesn't work for me, really. I really prefer doing something else every time and not playing the campaign 'perfect'. Myself I played another short uesugi campaign lately in which I held both hida and shinano, conquered all the hojo regions and killed hojo and imagawa in little more then 4 years. that went good enough to make me see it was pointless to contiue as I already knew I was going to win.

thanks for the intresting post, and please try this challenge too.
According to name of this topic it was intended as "Puzzle" - it means you must achieve your goal in most refined/perfect way.
According to Tora post with phrases like "Hojo NEVER make fight for Hitachi in second turn" or something like it - it means like he made a lot of attempts to reach his goal in most efficient way - yep, it means "doing something else every time" - by making different efforts, inevitable mistakes - then recognizing these mistakes for avoiding them for good.

Strictly speaking - this puzzle has absolute inefficient conditions - like making castle in any province + spy in any province to 16 seasons from start. You must reach Yamashiro province border by this turn - eliminating Hojo, Takeda and Imagawa in process and beating in bloody pulp Oda as small bonus. You needn't majke Castle in any province at all!
You must spend your money by building castles:
1530 - Sado Castle
1531 - Hitachi Castle (yeah, I know Shinano castle would be more efficient, but I liked to play my campaigns without reloading, then I've got an eternally Fear for losing Shinano to stray attack from my opps - then Hitachi Castle in this year is more - security-wise investment.)
1532 - Shinano Castle (Hojo used to cease to exist in 1531 in ANY campaign and 1532 is usual date of death for Takeda, then you will hold formidable army with Uesugi heir in this province anyway, then you fear for losing this province non-expectedly must vanish.)
1533 - it depends, but I used to grab Totomi castle in this year - anyway, then I used to stop Castle making for troops producing. Castles upgrades for Mine Complexes making is - another story. Come on - just realize some really simple idea - Mutsu (utility), Sado (YSam+Naginata), Hitachi (YSam+No-Dachi), Shinano (Cavalry) and Totomi (Archers) troop breeding incubators start to churn all necessary 5 dif units in ANY season - it is time to say "enough" for this madness.

By the way - most fickle thing in "Expert" campaigning in Classic Shogun environment is harvest results in ANY Autumn season. Small advice - invest more in Mine/Mine Complexes and in Ports, then you will get more stable money input. I will repeat - Mines in Dewa (Gold) and Echigo (Silver) in Winter of 1530 is MANDATORY for Uesugi strategy - either you like to follow one path or another - no difference. You must get some insurance against possible 50% of harvest dropping in really unlucky years. (Then idea to raise troops in Echigo is REALLY grave mistake!).

Quote Originally Posted by drisos
thanks for the intresting post, and please try this challenge too
What kind of challenge do you mean? I've already stated - I've got all necessary provinces in Autumn of 1531 and I've got 9 (NINE) seasons to create any buildings in ANY province in question as well as ability to produce any sort of troops after 4 season period in 2 different breeding centers. I've got alliances with Imagawa, Takedo and Oda and superior/mighty armies on Musashi/Shinano/Echigo line. In other words I can just "sleep out" next NINE seasons for meeting this puzzle requirements - in these conditions.

If you've got some another challenge, - pls, explain it.

Pls, understand quite simple idea - Classic Shogun environment encourages you to LURE enemy onto your defences, because your guys (Archers especially) would raise their honour faster and in more sure way in DEFENSIVE battles - not vice-versa.
Try to be more Japan/Asiatic-minded guy while Shogun playing.
Use enemy strength/power/arrogance for destabilising/tripping it. Don't crush him, - taunt your enemy, lure and invite him in non-favorable battle-fields. Ashigaru units is MOST important units in this game - they are dedicated "baits in booby-traps" here. It is main reason - why "running Ashigarus don't influe morale of Samurai Armies. Reason is - Ashigaru is intended by game designers to waive and run out under enemy pressure. Then they've got higher run speed - intentionally. But you must understand - Ashi high speed is designed for fast fleeing/routing, not for pursuing fleeing enemies. Do you see?

It is THE GAME. It is MAGIC SPELL of Shogun. Shogun is closest thing to Go game in whole Total War sequence in its hidden Nature.
Alas, absolute majority of players missed this Asiatic/cunning aspect of this game. Then next game - Medieval in sequence was quite similar to Shogun by appearance, but absolute different in game design. Medieval TW is very Europe-centric game designed for Western market/ Western customer - a lot of different units, complex technology trees and so on and so on.
But if you seek any Crush, Kill and Destroy experience - try some more-"Western-flavoured" thing - like Doom or Quake.

But if you like to get THE pleasure from Shogun try to be elusive, deceptive and treacherous (a bit) in Eastern-like way. Crush your enemy not in frontal assaults, but in tricky defensive battles. Don't attack - try to be attacked.

It is THE KEY for Shogun understanding.