Total War: Shogun 2 (Game)

Total War: Shogun 2

GAME » on May 26, 2011

Total War: Shogun 2 is the sequel to Shogun: Total War, the first game in the Total War series. Shogun 2 is an epic strategy game, combining real-time 3D battles with turn based city and economic management.

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Overview

Total War: Shogun 2 returns to Japan's Sengoku (or "Warring States") period, picking up in 1540; slightly later than the original Shogun: Total War. The shogunate lies shattered in the aftermath of the Onin War and the country's various daimyo are warring for scraps of political power. The player takes on the role of one of ten daimyo; it is up to the player to lead their forces to victory, and ultimately to seize control of Kyoto to take the title of shogun and restore order.

Gameplay

Total War: Shogun 2 use the same hybrid of real time and turn based gameplay found in previous Total War games. The turn based portion has the player using a Risk-like map to manage the clan's economy, conduct diplomacy, and move armies and agents across the islands of Japan.

The Campaign Map of Shogun 2

Once two armies meet and a battle begins, the game shifts and the player is taken to a detailed 3D battlefield to command formations in real time. These encounters range from small skirmishes of a few hundred, to epic fights of up to 2000 per side, all using the units the player selected and recruited in the turn based portion of the game.

With this latest entry, The Creative Assembly (Company) expands on gameplay features introduced from previous Total War (Franchise) games as well as including some all new additions to the franchise.

Character Progression

In previous Total War games, characters and generals gained skills and experience as they fought and completed missions, but Shogun 2 marks the first time in the series where the player has the ability to customize his agents directly. A general can be a skillful melee fighter, a cunning admiral, or a overseer with bonuses to clan happiness and research; Agents can specialize in different fields, such as assassination, sabotage, and inciting (or quelling) revolts.

Multiplayer

One of the major additions to Shogun 2 is the inclusion of an adversarial (or cooperative) online campaign mode. Rather than fighting one-off, staged battles, players can join together to complete a whole campaign spanning over half a century. Multiplayer battles now also feature upgradeable "General" avatars which the player can customize with gear and abilities as they win online battles and gain experience. Total War: Shogun 2 also features a new type of team play mode in support of clans: something that has never been seen in the Total War series. The total player count is currently eight players online in a single battle.

Naval Battles

Naval Battles in action.

First introduced in Empire, sea battles have received a major overhaul. In response to player criticisms, naval warfare has been simplified and no longer relies as heavily on reading wind direction or micromanaging sails and shot patterns. Combat is done mostly through arrow volleys and boarding actions, but contact with Western traders can reap rewards such as the powerful Black Ship and cannons for the standard Japanese fighting ship, the Bune.

Sieges

Sieges in Shogun 2 are very different from the standard field battle. The defenders position themselves within the walls of a castle, which can be a simple ring of stone or a complex, multi-tiered fortress. The attackers must either wipe the defenders out completely, or take hold of the inner most ring of the castle for a fixed length of time.

A Three-Tiered Fortress

Unlike previous games, almost every unit in Shogun 2 can scale the walls of a castle. This leads to more dynamic battles with the defenders engaging as the enemy comes over the first wall, only to fall back to the next deepest courtyard in the castle ring when the fighting becomes to intense.Attackers have various strategies at their disposable, including siege weapons to destroy defensive towers and ninjas to sabotage the castle gates before the battle begins.

AI System

Past Total War games were criticized for AI shortcomings such as non-aggressive campaign AI and battle AI that would send forces piecemeal against a strong defensive line. Shogun 2 has improved markedly, and the AI will now take full advantage of a undefended town or a weak flank. Even in diplomacy the player needs to be careful when choosing allies, a seemingly friendly neighbor with dubious honor could strike at any time.

Dynamic Landscapes

The conditions on the battle map will change depending on where on the campaign map the battle is fought and in what season. Grassy plains can be covered in snow in the winter, rain and fog can obscure the enemy, and forests can conceal whole armies. When and where to engage are serious considerations for a smart Daimyo.

Hero Units

Once certain high tier structures are built, the player can recruit hero units. These units are much smaller than ordinary formations, but they make up for their size with more fighting skill, better equipment, and higher morale. They also have special abilities and provide a morale boost to nearby units.

Encyclopedia

The game also includes a new and comprehensive encyclopedia system that shows and explains everything about the game. When playing the game the encyclopedia is your port of call for everything to do with how Shogun 2 works and the concepts behind the game. The player can access the encyclopedia from the in game advisors and from pretty much any information panel in the game. Once you are looking at an encyclopedia page, hyperlinks can take you to any other information in there.

Clans

There are ten main clans in the original release of Total War: Shogun 2 and two more available for purchase as DLC. Each clan offers unique clan traits.

Chosokabe

Increased income from farms,
Reduced recruitment cost and upkeep for all bow infantry,
Can recruit superior bow infantry,

Date

Charge bonus to all units.
Reduced recruitment cost and upkeep for no-dachi samurai.
Can recruit a superior no-dachi samurai.

Hattori

2% to the success of ninja actions.
Specialist Hattori units can hide effectively in battle.
Specialist Hattori units posses kisho training.

Hojo

Castles are cheaper to build and repair.
Reduced recruitment costs and upkeep for siege weapons.
Can recruit superior siege weapons.

Mori

Increase campaign map movement range for all ships.
Reduced recruit costs and upkeep for all ships.
Can recruit superior ships.

Oda

Improved morale for all ashigaru.
Reduced recruit and upkeep for all ashigaru.

Shimazu

Increased loyalty for all generals.
Reduced recruitment costs and upkeep for katana samurai.
Can recruit superior katana samurai.
Can recruit superior katana heroes.

Takeda

Improved morale for cavalry.
Reduced recruitment costs and upkeep for all cavalry.
Can recruit superior cavalry.

Tokugawa

2% to the success chance of metsuke actions.
Bonus to diplomatic relations.
Reduced recruitment costs and upkeep for kisho ninja.
Can recruit a superior kisho ninja.

Uesugi

+2% to the success chance of monk actions.
Increased trade income.
Reduced recruitment costs and upkeep for monks.
Can recruit superior warrior monks.

Ikko Ikki

Cannot recruit metsuke.
Can recruit large units of ashigaru, weak but with high moral.
Can recruit superior warrior monks.
Generals can convert provinces to the Ikko faith.

Otomo

Can recruit cheaper gunpowder units
Missionary actions are cheaper
Improved conversion to clan religion
Faster import of Matchlock Ashigaru units

Achievements

A Promising Beginning	Complete a campaign on easy difficulty.
A Respectable Rule	Complete a campaign on medium difficulty.
Advanced Firearms	Be the first clan in the campaign to obtain gunpowder mastery.
Against All Odds	Complete a campaign on legendary difficulty.
Agent of the Stealthy Blade	Obtain a maximum level ninja in the campaign.
Balanced Attacker	Win a battle using an army composed of at least one of every class of unit (sword infantry, cavalry, archer, matchlock, spear, naginata).
Battlefield Dominance	On maps with more than one key building, your alliance shows its dominance by holding all of them simultaneously.
Belligerent Admiral	Sink a European caravel or the flagship vessel the Nihon Maru during a naval battle.
Berserk Charge	Win a multiplayer battle using no ranged units in your army.
Bringer of Death	Win 50 matchmade battles in multiplayer.
Carve a Path	Capture 15 provinces on the avatar campaign map.
Castle-stormer	Win 10 siege battles as the attacker.
Chosokabe Victory	Win a campaign as the Chosokabe clan.
Claw of the Tiger	Win 25 matchmade battles in multiplayer.
Commander of Commoners	Keep at least 4 ashigaru units for a whole battle without routing once.
Date Victory	Win a campaign as the Date clan.
Dishonoured Foe	Win a multiplayer versus campaign despite giving the other player 10,000 koku.
Divine Right	Achieve the ultimate goal and become Shogun in the grand campaign.
Elusive Strikeforce	Have all your army, excepting the general, hidden simultaneously for more than 30 seconds.
Eradicate the Hattori	Wipe out the Hattori clan in the campaign.
Eradicate the Ikko-Ikki	Wipe out the Ikko-Ikki.
Exceptional Warriors	Through the avatar system, get a veteran unit to level 4.
Experienced Taisho	Play 10 multiplayer battles of any type.
Famed Shogun	Complete a campaign on hard difficulty.
Fear No Horseman	Win a multiplayer battle using no spear units in your army.
Fearsome Commander of Men	Obtain a maximum level general in the campaign.
Forged in the Hottest Flame	Win your first multiplayer battle.
Glittering Grand Cities	Be the first clan in the campaign to master the art of epic architecture.
Head-Hunter	Collect 10,000 heads of enemy soldiers.
Heroic Warriors	Through the avatar system, get a veteran unit to level 9.
Hojo Victory	Win a campaign as the Hojo clan.
Holder of Kyushu	Control the Kyushu province.
Holder of Shikoku	Control the Shikoku province.
Inspiring Counterattack	Successfully rally 5 units at once with one use of the general's rally ability.
Japan Torn Asunder	Win a multiplayer versus campaign.
Legendary Force	Win a battle using an army composed entirely of hero units and your general.
Legendary Sohei	Obtain a maximum level monk.
Living for Battle	Obtain a unit of maximum rank in the grand campaign.
Loyal to the Clan	Personally earn 20 clan tokens
Man the Defences	Win 10 siege battles as the defender.
Master Interrogator	Obtain a maximum level metsuke.
Master of the Waves	Win 20 naval battles in multiplayer.
Military Might	Be the first clan in the campaign to master the art of Shih.
Mori Victory	Win a campaign as the Mori clan.
Oda Victory	Win a campaign as the Oda clan.
One Rule Under God	Win a campaign as a Christian daimyo.
Onna-Bugeisha	Win a defensive siege battle with the lady of the house, the Onna-Bugeisha, as your general.
Path of the Leader	Spend the maximum number of points in your avatar's skill tree.
Requiem of the Dead	Win a defensive siege battle with your daimyo during any winter turn.
Servant of God	Obtain a maximum level missionary.
Serve with Honour	Join a multiplayer clan in Shogun 2.
Shimazu Victory	Win a campaign as the Shimazu clan.
Soaring Fame	Obtain 100 fame within 20 turns.
Spreading Like Wildfire	Defeat a Creative Assembly staff member in battle, or anyone else who has gained this achievement.
Stranglehold	Your clan holds 5 provinces simultaneously on the multiplayer clan campaign map.
Stubborn Pursuer of Victory	Complete a campaign on very hard difficulty.
Summer Son	Your daimyo wins 3 consecutive land battles during the summer season.
Swathed in Fire	Win a multiplayer battle where more than 50% of your army is made up of matchlock units.
Swift and Deadly	Win a multiplayer battle losing less than 15% of your starting troops.
Takeda Victory	Win a campaign as the Takeda clan.
The Army on the March	Win 25 land battles.
The Dragon of Japan	Win 100 ranked battles.
The Gathering Storm	Win a multiplayer battle using no cavalry units (excluding the general) in your army.
There Can Be Only One	Achieve the ultimate accolade and obtain rank 1 on the multiplayer Shogun Ladder.
Tokugawa Victory	Win a campaign as the Tokugawa clan.
Trade Route Monopoly	Control all the trade posts on the map at the same time.
Uesugi Victory	Win a campaign as the Uesugi clan.
United in Conquest	Win a multiplayer co-op campaign.
Uniter of Japan	Capture all provinces on the avatar campaign map.
Unnecessary Force	Completely wipe out an enemy unit.
Zen-like Dedication	Win 200 multiplayer games of any type.

Soundtrack

The original music composed in Total War: Shogun 2 is once again by Jeff Van Dyke, the same composer for Rome: Total War (Game), Medieval and Medieval 2 Total War.

Modding

As of September 2012, Shogun 2 supports Steam Workshop

Like other games in the Total War series, a rich modding scene has emerged around Shogun 2. While the game originally launched without official mod tools, in May 2012 The Creative Assembly publicly released TEd, the tool used internally to create battlefield environments, and in September 2012 released the Assembly Kit, a full suite of mod tools. With the release of the Assembly Kit, Shogun 2 supports Steam Workshop for the distribution and promotion of mods.

Total War Editor (TEd)

TEd allows for the creation of custom maps

The Total War Editor (TEd) is a visual battle map editor for Shogun 2 and Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai. While originally intended for use internally, it was made available publicly by The Creative Assembly in May 2012.

TEd is distributed exclusively through Steam, and is accessible through the "Tools" menu.

Assembly Kit

The Assembly Kit is a full suite of tools that allows modders to make significant adjustments to Shogun 2. The Assembly Kit consists of:

DAVe database tool
Unit Editor for changing the look for units
Tooldatabuilder for unpacking
Campaign map reprocessing
Max export scripts for models
Example Max files for most model types
BoB processing tool, also capable of building mod packs

System Requirements

Minimum	Recommended
OS: Windows 7 / Vista / XP	'*OS:'* Windows 7 / Vista / XP
'*Processor:'* 2 GHz Intel Dual Core processor / 2.6 GHz Intel Single Core processor, or AMD equivalent (with SSE2)	'*Processor:'* 2nd Generation Intel; Core i5 processor (or greater), or AMD equivalent
''''Memory: '1 GB RAM (XP), 2GB RAM (Vista / Windows 7)	''''Memory: '2 GB RAM (XP), 4GB RAM (Vista / Windows 7)
''''Graphics: '256 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card (shader model 3)	''''Graphics: 'AMD Radeon HD 5000 and 6000 series graphics cards or equivalent DirectX 11 compatible graphics card
''''DirectX: 'DirectX 9.0c	''''DirectX: 'DirectX 10
''''Hard Drive: '20 GB free hard disk space	''''Hard Drive: '20 GB free hard disk space

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