Statistics: Posted by Rinox — Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:16 am
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I actually beat the game now and well, let's just say that the only way to win it was to steamroll over everyone with massive armies, to keep producing/maintaining them them and to loot cities left and right. Diplomacy, economy, subterfuge...all mostly useless or at least pointless if you can make massive armies. Diplomacy is pointless because the AI is insane. Economy is pointless since it's broken. Subterfuge works and us fun, but for example assassinating generals isn't very effective since the AI cheats and can always create new ones. I should know, I once murdered 25 family members and 3 successive daimyos of a clan and they kept coming.
Another thing that I hated: at one point you become 'too powerful' in the eyes of the current Shogunate and are declared an enemy of Japan. That means everyone will declare war at you. I mean I can kind of live with that, although I think it's absolutely ridiculous that a weak ally I have a 20-year long friendly alliance with will declare war on me just like that, seeing as I can destroy them in a second.
Anyway, so everyone suddenly hates you and breaks their alliances with you and attacks you like a pack of rabid dogs. This is where the AI becomes completely retarded: even after beating them completely into submission and offering them - magnanimously - to keep one province and become a vassal, they rarely accept. If they do accept they will attack you a few turns later, signing their own death sentence by declaring war on an empire of 40 + provinces that allowed them to live less than a year earlier. The fuck?
Other experiment: there is one little island to the North of Japan that has one province. The faction holding it only had that island - nothing else. The entire coastline and North of Japan was in my hands. I was unquestionably the only super power left. So, I offer the little faction to become a vassal - spared from warfare, and allowed to keep their own rule. Sounds like a good idea right? They refuse. I offer them 40k (!!!) to become vassal and they accept. 2 turns later, they DECLARE WAR ON ME.
AI has a death wish. How hard can it be to simulate some sensibility and self-preservation? Last example: I'm on my conquering march and liberate a few provinces. In Shogun, if you liberate a province you can occupy it, loot it or (if it used to be the historical capital of a certain clan) reinstate a clan as a vassal state. I do the latter, so keep in mind I'm actually conquering a city and giving it to the people, to the historical owners. At first, they are very friendly and happy to act as a vassal. 20 turns later or so, as I am even more powerful, they declare war. With their one, crappy army against my machine of death.
...almost speechless. What a joke.
Statistics: Posted by Rinox — Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:13 am
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I found another problem: it's impossible to maintain large armies and develop infrastructure at the same time. I currently have like 10-12 provinces in a new game and I can barely sustain one 3/4 stack if I still want to build SOME buildings in my cities. And this is when I try to pimp every piece of trade infrastructure in cities from the moment I can (roads, trade ports, markets, promoting agriculture). It's mindblowing, because this means I can only ever defend one side of my territory (which, as you can imagine, becomes harder as I grow).
It would appear that the only way to beat the game is to steamroll over friends and foes alike, looting and producing armies all the while. Sad.
Statistics: Posted by Rinox — Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:26 am
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Oh and just more and more BS of long-standing trade partners and big factions across the map declaring war on me. Totally insane. At one point, I was in a war with a faction whose provinces were above and below me. Above me (and them), there was a massive faction that'd already declared war turns ago. Then, below me (and them) there was another big faction that declares war on me out of the blue.
You'd think that's not too bad since there's my enemy buffering the way to me right? Guess again. Both factions walk past my nearest enemies' castles and armies, heading straight for my capital with a full stack of units commanded by their 5-star pimp daimyo. I HAD ONE PROVINCE. I wasn't even remotely a threat to anyone and had always been honourful in my diplomatic arrangements. But the AI's only goal seemed to destroy me, in a team effort.
Another point in case: Faction A is at war with me, as is Faction B. Faction A is 2 provinces away from me, behind Faction B's lands. Faction B is sieging me. I see a large army of faction A only 2 'steps' away from my fortress and Faction B's army. I go 'cool, maybe I'll ask them to surprise Faction B's army from the back while I sally forth from the fortress'. Of course, they wouldn't do it.
YES BECAUSE IT MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE TO CAPTURE AN ISOLATED PROVINCE BEHIND AN OPPONENT'S LINES FROM A HARMLESS OPPONENT THAN TO TRY TO EXPAND THROUGH YOUR MUCH MORE DANGEROUS OPPONENTS BORDER PROVINCES RAAAAGHH
Statistics: Posted by Rinox — Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:46 am
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Now...what really fucking annoys me is that I haven't offended ANYONE in the entire game yet, only reacted to enemy aggressions, and people are out for my blood every fucking way I turn. I started out as vassal to a nearby clan who (GOD KNOWS WHY) decided to attack me. I crushed them after a long battle and took their 3 provinces, bringing my total up to a majestic 4. (/sarcasm)
One turn after that, for no apparent reason, I became a threat to a strong clan on the other side of my territory (in the West). Back to war - after losing a few battles at first (army was at Eastern side of my territory), I struck back and conquered 3 of their provinces. As I was deeply involved in this, ANOTHER clan at the other (Western) side of my territory declares war. WTF. Luckily, they didn't really move on me but I was getting spanked by counterattacks from the guys in the West regardless.
Just when I thought I was getting hold of the situation again, ANOTHER clan in the West declares war and marches in 2 fucking full stacks of elite units. At this point I have barely any defense in the West and my main army is reduced to 1/4th of a full stack with no hope of reinforcement. I put up a fight but in the end have to run and leave most of my territory to them. I retreat to the two remaining provinces I had (recently conquered).
Now...there is only WTF to say about all this. All these clans are much more important than me and clearly have no honour at all (unilaterally declaring wars, breaking alliances) while I try my best to stay on my best behaviour. But apparently, the game doesn't care. That's fine, but then don't let me believe that honour is important, for fuck's sake. Realistically, if the honour system worked, these honourless dogs should be attacked from all sides by other clans and at least have some respect for my plight, fighting off much bigger agressors. Instead, being virtuous is the sign for every fucking clan to declare war and march in with massive armies.
Statistics: Posted by Rinox — Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:20 pm
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Statistics: Posted by Satis — Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:55 pm
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