From: Bob Maras <bstripp@NSPAM.gr.com>
Subject: Shogun: A user review

Picked up Shogun last night and played for about five hours my
thoughts are as follows:


Specific Details:
Installation:
Relatively smooth process, however, this game is not for the faint of
disk space.  The normal install takes 600MB while the full install
takes a whooping 1500MB!  Other than that it was easy, a few more
options on what to install or what to leave on the CD would be nice.


Manual & Instructions:
Very poor.  In fact it makes sure to leave out about everything you
would need to play the game.  The tutorials are nice, however, they
don't cover the strategic elements of the game.  They do however, give
a good overview on how things work.


Graphics:
Wow!  The tactical engine has some spectacular graphics.  This is one
of the first landscapes that I actually would look at and believe that
it could be a real place.  The units are a bit small and can be hard
to distinguish, but they are fine for what you need.  There is enough
eye candy in the tactical game for any wargammer.  The strategic game
is a bit sterile, but not too bad overall.  A clean screen and
interface is about all you get.  Cut scenes are fairly well done, and
small movies add to the strategic game.  However, do not expect to be
overwhelmed by the FMV content.


Gameplay:
I am going to split this up into two sections Strategic and Tactical


Strategic Combat:
The strategic game reminded me a lot of Risk with its presentation.
There is a very nice looking map that has abstract pieces and castles
on it.  You can select provinces and build improvements and armies in
them.  The economic model is pretty straight forward, but has enough
flexibility that you can tinker with.  


In general you get income from farming.  You can get additional income
from trade (ports), and minerals (mines).  Not all regions will
benefit from them.  It's nice that they don't dwell too much on this,
although some folks would have wanted the extra detail and micro
management.


Armies are direct correspondents to their in game pieces.  Each unit
on the strategic board is the same in the tactical engine.  Raising
armies is dependant on what buildings you have to raise those troops
and a monetary cost.   When opposing troops are placed in the same
territory the option is presented for combat.  


One of the nice features is that you do not have to engage the enemy.
If you are attacking and realize that you are about to engage a
superior force, you can abort the attack and hope they don't come
after you.  If you are defending you can salvage your troops and
withdraw to a castle or a friendly province.  


An auto calc option is provided for those that do not want to play the
tactical portion of the game.  I found the results were not a sure
thing even if I had numerical and general advantages.  Still, for
battles that you don't care much about it is nice not to have to fight
a full battle out.


There are a bunch of diplomatic options, although, like the economic
model, they are simple and straightforward.  Not to say that this
detracts from the game, but those looking for a political simulator
will not find it here.


My overall impression with the strategic area of the game was that it
was a nice model that was fun to play.  If it was the whole game, I
would be a bit disappointed, however, it blends very nicely when you
consider the tactical engine is a large portion of the game.


Tactical Combat:
This is really where the game shines.  The game boasts epic battles
and it does deliver!  The largest battle I have fought was a massive
conflict of 1000 men on a side.  I don't know what the limits are
supposed to be, but that was a fun one.


Unlike most other real time games, tactics really come into play.
Units have flanks and rears, which actually matter in the game play.
Keeping good battle lines is important, and flanking maneuvers often
spell victory or defeat.  Units are measured by type, honor
(experience), morale, and fatigue.  Keeping on top of all this can be
a tough challenge.


There are about 10 troop types that I encountered (although there may
be more).  However, the game does not lack for not having more.
Keeping units in the right formations and working together is enough
challenge without having to worry about another dozen unit types.
Besides, how many different foot samurai can there be? ;)


Commands are executed through an interface that is a little odd, but
does seem to work with all of the troops that can be piled on a
screen.  


The default camera views seem to be pretty good.  I would have liked
to have a better control of zoom and the overhead angle, but the
system works easily with a mouse and doesn't detract much from the
game.


My only complaint is that sometimes the scenarios go on too long while
you are chasing people down.  It would be nice to just automatically
end the scenario when the opponent is defeated.  You can hit ESC to
exit, but it gives this warning that you won't do as well which
worries me.  In addition I played a few scenarios where the opponent
was out classed and would not engage my superior force.  Fine, but
don't make me click soldiers around for 5-10 minutes to do this.
Somehow, my opponent got a win out of that and I had to retreat.  


Multiplayer:
I have not played it multiplayer yet.  However, it looks pretty
standard with a few exceptions.  There are only two sides no matter
how many people are playing.  That's fine by me as team battles are
usually more interesting than a free for all brawl.  There do not seem
to be vagarious options for multiplayer battles, beyond duke it out.
The multiplayer element is limited to the tactical game, which is a
shame, however, there is rumor of a patch to take care of this.
Finally, if you play on a home LAN like me, it is nice to know that
you need the CD to start, but not to play.  That's copy protection
that I don't mind at all.


Overall:
Great game.  Seems to have that elusive balance between playability
and realism.  The strategic elements are fun, and the tactical battles
are brilliant.  This seems to be one of the best wargames to come out
in a long time.  Note I said wargame, it plays a lot more true to a
wargame than a typical point and push RTS game.  So I think it will
appeal to a slightly larger crowd than the typical RTS group.  


Well done!


Bill Stripp
bstripp@gr.com