Shogun 2 Difficulty

Gusington · February 16, 2012, 10:10:42 PM

OK I'm no Sun Tzu but I just got my royal Nipponese buttocks handed to me in my first campaign of Shogun 2.

I was playing as the Ikko Ikki and for a few days was doing very well, collected about half of the provinces needed to win.

Then, the campaign AI appeared to get smart. The Oda faction, who I was slapping around, adopted slash and burn tactics and regrouped in their last two provinces where they built up there army, retook all I had taken from them and then began taking my own home provinces. They allied with the Takeda who swooped in from the other end of the map, then the Asai, and I was knocked out of the game by 1555. Shameful display!

But I do love this game. It is deep and elegant and addictive so I am thinking of starting another campaign as the Ikko Ikki again (love the whole warrior monk idea - if I could I would become a jewish one).

So...should I bother reading the manual to get better? I've read that it's crap and I'm not a newcomer to the series. Any other advice? Either way I can see myself playing this game for a long long time. Besides what I mentioned above it's got that certain something, like a good (Japanese) woman.

Thanks all!

TheCommandTent · February 16, 2012, 10:24:26 PM

I doubt you need to read the manual if you aren't a newcomer. Plus the the tutorials should take care of all the new stuff.

I have yet to complete a full campaign but I'm on my second. In the first I got destroyed after an rival clan landed next to my capital and took it while at the other end of my territory my main army was destroyed after a ninja killed my general. It went downhill from there.

In my current campaign I overextended myself to early in the game and lost a couple territories I took. Now I am fighting the spread of Christianity throughout my territories all while fending off three different nations that have declared war on me. I've lost my entire navy and all my trade routes are being blockaded so I have to be really smart with my money. However, I've got a highly ranked General and a pimped out ninja who can kill just about anyone or sabotage any army.

One thing that has helped me stem the tide is allying myself with two other clans. Every once in a while I see them attack my enemies and for a couple turns it takes the pressure off of me.

Now if only characters wife would have some sons things would be looking up.

Gusington · February 16, 2012, 10:29:47 PM

^Funny you mention alliances. The Asai were originally my vassal and I was so proud to watch them go rampaging across the map. Until they got wise and kicked my own butt :/

Silent Disapproval Robot · February 16, 2012, 10:54:26 PM

The Ikko Ikki are a bit tougher to play than some of the other clans in that their ashigaru units are piss-weak. I was able to win my campaign with them but it was a very close run thing. Use your monks and try to bribe weak provinces on the flanks of your enemy as much as possible. If you can keep your enemy off balance and moving to put down rebellions, it'll make rolling them up much easier.

Oh yeah, and if you think you've had if rough, wait until you experience the Realm Divide. Just remember, honour is easily forgotten once the spectre of debt rears its head. Learn to pillage and love it or you'll never survive the divide.

Slick Wilhelm · February 17, 2012, 10:29:10 AM

You guys are making it hard to hold out buying this title. I still think the original Shogun was the best of the series, probably because I liked the setting.

If the AI is that good, then it's worth a buy.

Still trying to picture Gus as a Jewish Monk Warrior.... :o

Gusington · February 17, 2012, 10:40:12 AM

No honor eh SDR? I thought it might come down to that. Slick it's unfair to compare the original Shogun (which knocked my socks off) with the newer one...tech has come very far in a decade. The game is simply great...it really captures the imagination and makes me feel Japanesey. Get it!

I do fear the Realm Divide but I didn't get that far, although when I was eliminated there were ~7 big clans left. I am definitely going to play as the Ikko Ikki again because they are bad ass. This time I will use priests and skullduggery a lot more, and LOOT. Let's see where it gets me.

It goes to show how much I am enjoying the game when it beats me to a pulp and I go back to play the same faction again! I rarely do that.

Below is the closest I could find to what I could possibly look like as a jewish/Japanese warrior monk, mainly because he has a dog:

W8taminute · February 17, 2012, 10:56:27 AM

That is so encouraging to hear that the AI was able to regroup and strike back from the death bed it was lying on. I still haven't completed my first game of Shogun 2 and unfortunately it was lost during my recent virus reformat issue. I should fire this game up again.

Gusington · February 17, 2012, 11:02:25 AM

^Yes, yes you should.

My game sounds similar to SCDJ's in that I totally overextended myself while trying to wipe out the Oda, who were waiting with a nasty surprise in their last province that included some skilled generals, a full stack army and an alliance with the Takeda (who look very badass, btw...got to play them at some point). Damn that fog of war...I gotta get better at skullduggery so I don't get surprised like that again. I also want to use skullduggery in as many posts as possible.

Players really have to stop and think here because it looks like the AI has learned how to stop and think for a bit.

W8taminute · February 17, 2012, 11:07:59 AM

Awesome, I'll re-install it on my Steam account tonight then! You should try to get some more ninja's to wander the land and spy on people.

And the only Skull Duggery I know is this:

You tell me where he came from and I'll let you beat me in every game we play together. No fair peeking at the image link address either!

Gusington · February 17, 2012, 11:16:08 AM

I'm not peeking. He looks to be from Speed Racer. The original.

My plan is to be a sneaky rat bastard in the next game and see where it takes me. I didn't want to rape, loot and pillage as it didn't seem right that the warrior monk faction would do that but now...WHATEVS.

W8taminute · February 17, 2012, 11:21:58 AM

^You are correct sir. That is Skull Duggery, a chap Speed had to beat in one of the episodes. Of course Skull raced to win whatever it took and if it meant skullduggery then it meant skullduggery. Hence his name.

Ok back on topic. No need to rape and pillage using your espionage units. Just do your recon but when war does break out then even as a bunch of monks, I still think it's ok to rape, burn, and pillage. :)

Gusington · February 17, 2012, 11:27:33 AM

^I'm going to quote you there. And when I am taken up on war crimes charges I'll tell the tribunal I was just following your order.

W8taminute · February 17, 2012, 11:51:50 AM

I accept all responsibility for your actions my good man. I have committed so many computer game atrocities it's embarrassing but it was only against the ai opponents. I would never act like a beast against a human. :D

Remember, "Life is the emperor's currency. Spend it well."

Gusington · February 17, 2012, 12:00:13 PM

When you go all Warhammer I can't help myself. Hopefully that will be enough of a reason for the tribunal. Time to slaughter some peasants.

Slick Wilhelm · February 17, 2012, 01:24:21 PM

Quote from: Gusington on February 17, 2012, 10:40:12 AM
Slick it's unfair to compare the original Shogun (which knocked my socks off) with the newer one...tech has come very far in a decade. The game is simply great...it really captures the imagination and makes me feel Japanesey. Get it!

No silly man, I wasn't comparing Shogun I to Shogun 2. I was merely saying that out of all the TW games I've purchased, the only one that blew my doors off was Shogun I.

I'll have to pull the trigger on Shogun 2 during the next sale.