Shogun: Total War

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Shogun: Total War
Studio	Creative assembly
Publisher	Electronic Arts Sega (since 2005)
Senior Developer	Michael Simpson
composer	Jeff van Dyck
Erstveröffent- lichung	June 13, 2000 June 14, 2000
platform	Windows
genre	Combination of real-time strategy game and turn-based strategy game
Game mode	Single player , multiplayer (real-time mode only)
control	Mouse , keyboard
system advantages preconditions	OS : Windows 98 / 2000 / ME / XP CPU : 233 MHz RAM : 32 MB HDD : 500 MB Graphics : 3D map
medium	CD-ROM , download
language	English , German
Current version	1.12
Age rating	USK PEGI

Shogun: Total War is a computer strategy game by Creative Assembly for Windows and the first in the Total War series . Released in 2000, it combined strategic and tactical aspects for the first time. The strategy part is a PC implementation of the board game Shogun (published in 1986 in the MB Gamemaster series , since 1995 under the name Samurai Swords ). The scenario is therefore the Japanese islands.

scenario

In this scenario, the player controls the fortunes of influential Japanese families who fight for supremacy in Japan and its islands. One of the historical battles is the fourth battle of Kawanakajima .

Compared to the successors, the geography and extent of the scenario limit the strategic possibilities.

Gameplay

The main game is the endless mode known from global strategy games. In this campaign, strategy and tactics are combined in such a way that the results achieved by the player in one part influence the situation in the other. The aim is to lead the faction belonging to the player to victory under the given starting conditions. This can be achieved in all five games by dominating the strategy map.

In addition, there is the possibility to fight individual battles separately in the tactics part. These can either be replayable, historical battles or scenarios created by the player himself. The multiplayer option is limited to the separate tactical part.

Strategy part

Provinces are administered on a two-dimensional overview map, orders are given to troops, and strategic units are used (including for the operation of diplomacy).

The overview map is based on the scenario. On the map, the land and (in the first two games) sea areas of the scenario are divided into provinces or areas. In each of these provinces there is a city whose values ​​represent that province. Only the respective provincial cities are administered by the player. In these buildings and facilities can be built on the one hand to improve the values ​​of the city, and on the other hand troops and strategic units can be raised.

Strategic units can be used for diplomacy (diplomats), spying (spies), opposing personalities (generals) and strategic units can be eliminated ( assassins ). There are other units and functions available, but they differ in the individual parts of the series.

The troops can be used for warfare by moving them on the strategy map. They can be grouped into armies to make organization easier for the player. As soon as an army meets an enemy army, you can choose whether to fight the enemy or to withdraw your own troops. The fight can then either be calculated automatically or carried out by the player on a three-dimensional map (see tactics part). The situation in the tactics part corresponds to that of the strategy part (number and types of troops, terrain, climatic conditions).

Tactics part

In a three-dimensional environment, battles are fought between two or more factions. Each faction leads units into the field, each consisting of 12 to 240 soldiers. The number of units per army is limited to 16, so an army can consist of up to 4,800 soldiers. The special feature of the Total War series is that each individual soldier is displayed and calculated so that battles can arise in which up to 38,400 soldiers and one general per army including the war equipment suitable for this scenario ( horses , ballista , Catapults , etc.).

The soldiers' uniforms and weapons mostly correspond to those of their historical models. Orders can then be given to these units. This includes movement and attack commands as well as formation and behavioral instructions. The latter can affect both the direct combat power and the morale of the units, which is an important factor in these tactical battles.

The opponent is defeated when there are either no more enemy troops on the tactic card or when all troops still on it flee. You can also win a battle by expiring the time quota, which can be set in the settings beforehand. There are also many other ways to win the battle.

reception

• GameStar 06/2000: 80%

Mongol Invasion (add-on)

With this add-on , Shogun was supplemented by the scenario and the factions and units of the Mongolian invasion . The two warring parties are the Hōjō and the Mongols, who end up in Kyūshū at the beginning of the game .

The Mongols have heavy Mongol cavalry, light mounted archers, naphtha throwers, and Korean spearmen. Your strongest unit is the Mongolian heavy cavalry. They are the only buildings that can erect watchtowers, so they are completely dependent on the mainland for supplies. There are supplies of troops depending on the conquests and the stolen koku. The Mongols initially have an extreme local superiority.

Web links

• Official website for the Total War series (multilingual)
• Shogun: Total War at MobyGames (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Shogun in the test . In: GameStar . tape 06/2000 , June 2000 ( gamestar.de ).