Magitech games

By this, I mean games like Takeda, et al.

I played a demo of Strength and Honour some time ago, and while I could see the potential, I thought the combat system was very fiddly and not at all as good as Shogun or Medieval.

How are the new iterations of the games? I see a S&H 2, Takeda 3, etc. How are the combat systems on these newer games? How good is the strategic system? If these can match up against Shogun and MTW then I may have found a total war replacement.

 

I would like to know that myself. Tried to get the Sango 2 demo but none of the three mirrors works for me. Either too slow or no support of Getright, and I do get not get stable connections for 8 hours.

Takeda 3 will release around 27th so we should get the demo and discuss then. I fairly like what I see on the screens.

 

I was under the impression that various members here had played them. Perhaps they don't know that these games were made by Magitech.

In any case, I will check out the demo of T3 when it is out.

 

If by "various members had played them" you mean that I played Sango 2 for a little bit a while ago, yes. Don't remember much of the campaign map especially since I didn't spend a lot of time with it, but the battles were more challenging than the Total War games and there's not such a huge number of different units [if I remember correctly, just spearmen, swordsmen, archers, cavalry] so it definitely feels closer to Shogun than the newer TW titles.

 

I downloaded the Takeda3 demo. It's crap. The worst is the music, which shows a complete lack of sophistication on the part of the chinese devs

I also run side by side with Shogun Total War. Clear winner in all respects is the classic, only in the battle graphics Takeda gets close. However the battle maps are only 1/4 the size of shogun, which is a joke. I also don't see any need for realistic tactics.

To be fair Takeda has some nice ideas about generals personalities, but that doesnt make it less of a superfluous product.

I think I will get back into Shogun. There is simply nothing better, and the prospect of starting a new campaign in the very highest difficulty gets me quite excited. I think about taking on the Imagawa in the 1580 campaign, which is imo the most difficult of all starting positions. At least I have no idea how it could be won.

 

Let's play

 

Another one bites the dust. Pity really. I hope someone comes along and better's shogun in this regard, one day. Thanks for taking the time to check it out and report back, I meant to do it but had been too busy with RL.

 

Of course I think you should dl the demo and make up your own opinion, but I doubt it will be different.

My (STW) Tokugawa campaign is running and it seems I have found a strategy. Unfortunatey I don't have time to take screenshots.

In any case the amount of strategy involved in mastering Shogun is still amazing, especially that the campaign and battle part are just as important.

 

I think the battle system is actually the strength in these games, despite not being programmed very well. I wish more games would adapt the divisional AI system - where a single unit is divided into four regiments that react to the local situation. For example, an archer unit has three archers, and one spear. The unit's AI will send the spearmen forward to meet approaching threats without needing the player's micromangement. The player can worry more about the battle as a whole, and whole-army formation and maneuvering is done way better than the Total War games.

I just wish they didn't use the same engine game after game. There's barely been any improvement since Strength & Honor. At least they got an artist to make some decent portraits.

 

I admit I have no in depth experience with Takeda but have you run it side by side with Shogun? Graphically I find them about equal and there is a much better feel of a battle going on in STW.

The only thing I liked more in Takeda was the deployment phase. Too bad that it doesnt matter that much cause the maps are too tiny for any kind of tactics.

Finally the sound and art in Shogun are in a league of its own, and Takeda was a huge let down in that respect. Lets not forget Shogun is ten years older.

I would also recommend a look at Take Command 2nd Manassas for what I perceive as the best tactical battlefield engine at this day, and imo the direction CA should have moved after Shogun. It has all the divisional structure that you mention.

 

The Take Command games are my absolute favorite strategy wargames.

Shogun definitely stands head and shoulders above Takeda as far as art, sound design, and music goes. There's no comparison. The Magitech games are much closer to resembling an actual battle, though, even if Shogun is overall the better game.

 

As far as the battles go, absolutely. If they had some sort of campaign engine, lets say like the one in Close Combat 2, this would be a perfect game.

I'm sure you have heard about the new Gettysburg game that norb is going to finish this year? From the screenshots, it looks superb.

 

Definitely, I'm really looking forward to that. It's even got multiplayer! My memories of playing Gettysburg on Gamespy are all flooding back.