Help with starting off - SHOGUN

[blazer-glory]

Ive started playing this on the easy setting. Is there alot of difference between the different skill settings?

[Ghost of Rom]

Generally each difficulty level will add morale to enemy troops which makes them fight longer before running. The ai will also add a few more calculations above easy so that it's tactics are a bit better. (i.e. on easy the enemy will not ambush). The normal setting is not overpowering for a beguinner.

[econ21]

I think normal is the "fair" difficulty level, where neither you nor the computer get any bonuses in combat. I try to play at that level as then the unit match ups are intuitive and feel right. To be honest, with Shogun I don't think I played above normal - IIRC, the game is not easy. Last time I played it as Oda, the AI fought me to a standstill - Hojo horde ). Never did that in MTW or RTW.

[blazer-glory]

To be honest, with Shogun I don't think I played above normal - IIRC, the game is not easy. Last time I played it as Oda, the AI fought me to a standstill - Hojo horde ). Never did that in MTW or RTW.

Even more reason for me to play it on easy!

[blazer-glory]

Still a little confused about how units can move about the map. Can they only move to adjancent regions or can they be selected and placed on any of your territories?

[econ21]

IIRC, only adjacent by land; but you can move from one port to any other port (sea movement).

[blazer-glory]

Thanks again. :)

[Ludens]

Generally each difficulty level will add morale to enemy troops which makes them fight longer before running. The ai will also add a few more calculations above easy so that it's tactics are a bit better. (i.e. on easy the enemy will not ambush). The normal setting is not overpowering for a beguinner.

I thougth the S:TW difficulty bonuses were identical to M:TW: at easy you get a morale bonus; at expert the A.I. gets one. Also the A.I. gets more clever at higher difficulty (and receives a slight stat bonus as well).

[Martok]

I thougth the S:TW difficulty bonuses were identical to M:TW: at easy you get a morale bonus; at expert the A.I. gets one. Also the A.I. gets more clever at higher difficulty (and receives a slight stat bonus as well).

This is my understanding as well. On Normal and Hard, neither the player nor the AI gets any sort of bonus/cheat; everyone's on a level playing field.

[Ludens]

This is my understanding as well. On Normal and Hard, neither the player nor the AI gets any sort of bonus/cheat; everyone's on a level playing field.

I understood that the A.I. did get slight stat bonuses on hard and expert. From Froggy's Beginner's Guide:

There are four difficulties, easy, normal, hard and expert. Your difficulty will decide how much money you start off with, any bonuses given to you or the AI and what tactics the AI will use on the two maps. Starting funds are as follows:
Easy = 10000 florins
Normal= 8000 florins
Hard = 6000 florins
Expert = 4000 florins
On easy the player will get an extra +4 to morale in battle, making it harder for the AI to rout your troops. On expert the AI get this bonus. Normal and hard don't give anyone a bonus. The AI will use different tactics on the battlefield depending on your difficulty. Here is a list provided by GilJaySmith, one of the developers of Total War:
- On expert the AI gets a morale bonus - on easy the player gets one
- On hard and above, AI skirmishers will try to avoid being pincered
- On easy the AI will not consider going into loose formation to avoid being shot at
- On easy the AI will not consider outflanking, double-envelopment, or stop-and-shoot tactics
- On easy the AI won't move troops out of the way of castle walls that may be about to collapse
- On easy the AI will try to hide rather than flee if the battle is going badly
- On easy the AI will not try ambushes
- On easy the AI will not try the 'appear weak' battle plan
- The AI is more likely to deploy in woods on harder difficulties, and less likely to camp near the red zone on easier difficulties
- The AI is more likely to consider scouting the map to find the rest of your army if it can't see it all on higher difficulties
- On easy the AI will not skirmish
- On higher than easy, the AI will specifically consider sh00ting at your artillery
- On easy the AI will generally attack rather than defend, and will not consider withdrawing for a much longer time
- On higher than easy, the AI will check to see if it's marching into enfilade fire when attacking your main body
- On easy the AI may come out of a wall breach to chase you if you attack and are repulsed

In addition to these changes LongJohn (another developer) says the following: The combat strength of the a.i. units is affected by the difficulty level.
On easy its combat effectiveness is reduced by 30-40% (can't remember the exact figure).
On hard it's increased by 10-15%, and on expert its 30%. 30% being around 75% of the increase you'd get from 1 valour upgrade.

But this is about M:TW, not S:TW.

[blazer-glory]

Surely there must be advantages given for the computer AI, how else could it be made harder for the player?

[Ludens]

Surely there must be advantages given for the computer AI, how else could it be made harder for the player?

The beauty of M:TW and S:TW was that at higher difficulty levels the A.I. became smarter. I am afraid this is not the case in R:TW.