Perhaps the discussion of the morale problem in Shogun: the Warlord Edition/Mongol Invasion (WE/MI) should be approached from a different perspective.
Currently the debate is reduced to one between 1) players who either don't care as much about military history or who have not practised the old Shogun: Total War (STW) morale system and 2) those whose interest in military history and experience with the old STW system has led them to conclude that the WE/MI morale system is broken.
There is a risk that such a debate will encourage a compromise that will allow either a "dial-a-morale" solution or set up some "happy medium" between the old and the new systems. In my opinion such solutions will result in a further departure of the Total War system from being a wargame to becoming a conventional strategy game. Such solutions will instead end up dividing the community further. Experienced wargamers will drift away as they see more units fighting to the death and experienced strategy players will become bored more quickly with another attrition game. Furthermore, I believe that such solutions do not get to the heart of the problems that players experience.
Instead I propose that this debate be turned into a detailed constructive criticism of the Total War morale system. Since that system shows up most clearly in the original Shogun: Total War, I propose that the constructive criticism be directed on that game's morale system.
What is right with the morale system in Shogun: Total War?
What is wrong with the morale system in Shogun: Total War?
What are your proposed corrections?
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