Worth buying?

[Kaarle XII]

Thanks for the responses! I also wondered about marriages, do they actually affect anything (apart from having children, obviously)? Like in CK 2 you can get alliances and claims, but in Sengoku I didn't see any of that yet.

[VoodooEconomist]

From what I've gathered (but I'm a total n00b) you gain a substantial relation boost. Also I consider giving away my Sick, Ugly, Imbecile and Leperous daughters as a form of sabotage to the other clans' genetic pool :P

[Ellestar]

What about this one compared to other sengoku Japan games, like Sengoku Rance or Shogun 2:Total War? This one is more about what? S2:TW has tactical real-time battles and Sengoku Rance has tactical battles so they're more about fighting i guess, compared to anything on Paradox' engine. Is this one more about economy?

I don't like that manual is not in free access, usually a manual is enough to get the feeling about a strategy game, even more than a demo (i don't really want to play a demo without a manual...).

[Def Zep]

Ellestar, Sengoku is a straightforward Paradox-style wargame. If you are familiar with any of Paradox' other games (like SPQR, EU3 or CK2), you basically just build up a powerbase, raise an army and go map-painting to take 50% of Japan. Then declare you're Shogun and batten down the fort for a year or two - everybody comes after you to try to win themselves. It's very much like King of the Hill.

Many people prefer one of Paradox' other games in this style because they have politics and stuff and are "deeper". But Sengoku, because of its simplicity, has a very effective AI. Probably one of the harder computer games to beat that I've played.

[VoodooEconomist]

Yes, I find the simplifications in Sengoku very refreshing when switching over from, for example, Vicky 2. It's like playing a game of go after a whole day of chess. Just because the rules are simpler doesn't mean the game is less complex or exciting!

[chatnoir17]

What about this one compared to other sengoku Japan games, like Sengoku Rance or Shogun 2:Total War? This one is more about what? S2:TW has tactical real-time battles and Sengoku Rance has tactical battles so they're more about fighting i guess, compared to anything on Paradox' engine. Is this one more about economy?

I don't like that manual is not in free access, usually a manual is enough to get the feeling about a strategy game, even more than a demo (i don't really want to play a demo without a manual...).

I didn't play the Takeda series, but in my opinion, the Nobunaga's ambition series is best balanced between strategic, tactical and character elements. While S2TW concentrate on its wonderful battle scene, the strong point of Sengoku is strategic element, especially diplomatic action between clans via characters. It is simple, but AI is very wise as Def Zep and others said, so the player has to check the relationship with neighbors even if he owns 20-30% of Japan. As for Sengoku Rance, it is probably the best (fictional) character game about the Sengoku period, even without some erotic scenes.

[Ellestar]

Ellestar, Sengoku is a straightforward Paradox-style wargame. If you are familiar with any of Paradox' other games (like SPQR, EU3 or CK2), you basically just build up a powerbase, raise an army and go map-painting to take 50% of Japan. Then declare you're Shogun and batten down the fort for a year or two - everybody comes after you to try to win themselves. It's very much like King of the Hill.
Many people prefer one of Paradox' other games in this style because they have politics and stuff and are "deeper". But Sengoku, because of its simplicity, has a very effective AI. Probably one of the harder computer games to beat that I've played.

Hmm, i don't really get it how it's possible to win vs half of the map, usually Paradox seriously nerfs effectiveness of conquest so big empires are not that much stronger than small ones... It feels almost like cheating. Nah i guess i'll pass then, i don't really like that aspect of some Paradox' games that game denies me my spoils of conquest as it is, but to fight half of the map...

Well, thanks for advices.

[Brick Top]

Luckily, the issue of nerfing big empires was approached pretty sensibly in Sengoku. Because your demesne is 5 territories max, you gain no extra income through gaining more land, true. However, more territory means more levies and trust me on this, if you own 50% of the map you can raise armies which will break the bank in a couple of years but, more importantly, will pack a massive punch as well.

At 10% I was able to raise around 80k soldiers in levies. That is a lot. 50% of Japan with fully rested levies (with province upgrades) can give you close to half a million soldiers. Bigger = stronger althought not richer.

[Selenimar]

Of course, controlling all those levies when you own even 40% is pure hell, because you need to march them all the way along Japan and prevent them from pooling too far from the front line before attrition kicks in.

[Ellestar]

Of course, controlling all those levies when you own even 40% is pure hell, because you need to march them all the way along Japan and prevent them from pooling too far from the front line before attrition kicks in.

I don't like completely useless micromanagement either... I remember, Dominions 3 was bad in that aspect too.

Anyway, a focus on combat(?) on an engine that doesn't support any meaningful combat sounds like a bad idea to me. Hmm, i wanted to try something else about Sengoku Japan period. IIRC there is also Romance Of The Three Kingdoms XI (or was it about China? Well, i guess it's not a big difference for me, feudal China or feudal Japan). Is there something else other than these 4 strategy games (Sengoku, Sengoku Rance, Romance Of The Three Kingdoms XI, Shogun 2: Total War)?

P.S. I also saw some total conversion mod for Civ 4, about China i think. Although it's supposedly finished, on my PC it crashes almost immediately. A shame, really, it had some interesting game mechanics according to description.