First impressions thread

[Rothe]

Pros:
- Shogun theme, I loved the book "Shogun" and the time period is nice for variety of troop types etc.
- Improved AI: for me, the AI is a bit improved, although it is not a big jump forward from ETW
- Tech tree: I like the split and the fact that you probably can't research everything. Also, you can't just go with bushido or chi and forget about the other side.
- Generals: I like the XP system (Also see agents). It is really nice to be able to customize the generals.
- Agents: I like the RP side of the agents, and the fact that they added ways to hamper agents without killing them is nice. It makes it possible for the agents to develop without getting killed before they get to be good at anything.
- Unit variety: Just a starting observation that might change, but it seems the units are varied enough
- RPS: RPS seems to work for most of the units. Heavy infantry seems to break that a bit, being good enough vs. spears and cavalry at the same time.
- Visuals: Looks really nice, but still plays ok with Ultra detail on my 2 years old PC.

Cons:
- Bugs: I get a CTD when I start my second battle in a "session" of play. No idea why. I have to save a lot.
- Twisting camera on the campaign map. I don't enjoy it too much.
- Campaign AI attacks fortified towns too easily. AI should not attack towns without superior troops, especially it if lacks a back up army to defend its nearest castle. The fact is that the fortifications make the battles really lopsided, especially if the defender has missile troops.
- Suicidal generals: Not as bad as in earlier TW's, but the enemy generals still often charge in. It seems that they notice a weak position to exploit with a charge, but the player can reinforce it quickly and disengaging is not something I've seen the AI do ever.

Not sure yet:
- Naval combat: I have to admit I have not tried it even once. I autoresolve it always. Perhaps I try it later when I have more time, now I prefer to use it on the land battles.
- Diplomacy and the realm divide. I suspect I will grow to like the divide, as it gives the game some stages when you need to rush and others where you need to stop and gather strength. I can see why some don't like it, but I think might be a good thing to not be able to grow too powerful before the AI turns on you en masse.

[Shaka_Khan]

How are the graphics. Can someone post a screenshot?

[A Nerd]

Here you go shaka! :)

Screen shot thread.

[Khisanth Magus]

- Suicidal generals: Not as bad as in earlier TW's, but the enemy generals still often charge in. It seems that they notice a weak position to exploit with a charge, but the player can reinforce it quickly and disengaging is not something I've seen the AI do ever.

This is something I've also noticed quite a bit. The enemy general will see what seems to be a weakness in my line and charge in, at which point I just disengage a unit of spearmen or 2 to swarm the general and kill him almost effortlessly.

Overall I'm really enjoying Shogun 2. Other than a few AI glitches here and there, particularly in sieges, I'm really enjoying it, more than I have enjoyed a TW game in quite a while(one time the enemy army attacked my castle. They had me way outmatched, but thanks to how unbalanced siege warfare is in this game in favor of the defenders, I trounced his attacking units thoroughly. However, his general just sat out there on his horses without moving the entire time. As my defenders had been so depleted I wasn't sure I could defeat the general in an even battle out in the field, I had to sit there and wait for the battle timer to expire).

Speaking of which, however...I do kind of wish that defending wasn't quite so one sided, particularly when I'm defending. I can usually overwhelm the computer with rather minimal casualties when attacking, but I don't think I've lost a single siege defence, even when there was barely anything more in the castle than the retainers that come with it. There really is no good way until you get to the second level of siege tech for the attacker to even out the fight(short of overwhelming archers), and I have yet to see the AI have even fire bombers, let alone anything more advanced.

Which also brings up another point. I think archers are a bit too powerful in this game. It is most obvious in castle defence, when most of the attacking units don't even reach the walls if I actually have the castle manned, they usually rout from just archer fire alone. On the field cavalry can sometimes even things up, but as with seige equipment, I have yet to see the computer field anything but light cavalry, even when I know they are capable of fielding more(I took over a province from the Hojo clan that could make both katana and archer cavalry, yet they never made either). Light cavarly are too easy to shred with even one unit of the basic yari unit.

[Dexter]

Hello there Total War players, gamers, whatever you are called today ...
I have not been active for a long time, yet i do lurk in the "shades / shadows" from time to time.

I am glad to see that most of you have discovered, shared there views of this game, i had, rather have the opportunity to play it as well, yet time is not my friend.

So far i can cope with most of it's Empire likeness, even though it bugs me, specially on the battle map where the old alt and ctrl commands are gone, or i have not discovered the "new" and "improved" method of giving command to my units, but i still do manage.

Another thing that hit me was how fast battles have become ... i used to play battles for 25-40 minutes, changing formations, luring etc, but now once the "move" phase is over all is decided in 15-20 seconds witch did leave me TT_TT for the "old Shogun". What is the deal with this speed ???

Alas, toss all that aside, even the rock, paper scissors explanations, fantasy elements, one thing that i can not, will not forgive is the movement of the gold mines of Kai to Izu.

I do emphasize that i'm no expert on Japan (any era) but even my limited knowledge, and all maps do show that Kai (the historically province) does have 2 of them, or at least 2 that where used by the Takeda. I could go on explaining how this affected the Takeda tax laws and so on ... but even you can search for that on the web.

Please not that my "native" tongue is not English, and it is certainly possible i used some not exactly adequate words to express my thoughts, neither did i check this text for orthographic errors. Sorry ...

This post is long enough, so i shall leave it as it is for now.
I's a game, i know, worthy to be called the successor of Shogun ... well .. we shall see ...