Sengoku--Worth looking into?

[Drinking with Skeletons]

I've been playing a lot of Crusader Kings 2 and Skyrim lately, and I'm getting a bit of an itch to play something that's not so...well, medieval European. Not necessarily to usurp those games, but to add to the mix, at least until the Old Gods and/or some theoretical Skyrim DLC demand my attention.

So what about Sengoku? Back when it came out, the consensus seemed to be that it was a poor-man's Crusader Kings, with too much focus on conquest. Have Paradox patched it up and/or expanded it via DLC to round it out? Is it decent enough for what it is to justify a purchase? And how does it compare to CK2 (which is my only experience with a Paradox title)? Are the interface and mechanics at all similar? Oh, and is the soundtrack as good as CK2's?

Thanks for the advice!

[Faldrath]

I've never played it, and I'm not sure about patches, but there was no DLC for it. I think it was mostly a test run for CK2, really.

[Spinoza]

I got Sengoku free for pre- order bonus for March of the Eagles and got pleasantly surprised by how much fun it really is.Interface definitely similar to CK2, mechanics I suspect too and , at least for me , great music .It is patched by Paradox, but looks like abandoned for DLC. Not that I think it really needs any. While I'm sure that 7.99 £ its a silly price for so much possible fun, You may try the demo http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/...emo-Released!& there and see for yourself.

[Fumarole]

There's always Adam Smith's Diary of a Nobutoki.

[Velko]

From what I've read, Faldrath is correct. It was a test run for CK2: basically a smaller-scale lite-version of CK2 set in feudal Japan. If you like the setting, then why not, but other that there isn't much.

[JiminyJickers]

It is a decent game, but not up to CK2's standards. If you can get it in a sale, go for it. I haven't played it for ages but believe I will play it again sometime.

[sonson]

Shogun 2 is a far better Sengpku Jidai simulation, CKII a far better political one, I think it's obsolete now to be honest

[Drinking with Skeletons]

I decided to take a chance, and it's kind of an interesting game for a few reasons.

First, it is similar to a Total War game minus the tactical battles. Which is kind of disappointing, because the character-based gameplay of CKII is more engaging than the military stuff that Paradox have here (and in CKII, to be fair).

Past that, there are actually a few things the game does better than in CKII. First, the interface. Part of this is just that the Japanese motif is more elegant and less cluttered than the ornate medieval styles of CKII (I think the same point was made in the WIT for Shogun 2). However, there's also the fact that it seems a bit more centralized and not spread all over Hell and creation like CKII's menus. Plus, the use of icons to display exactly what your councilors are doing in provinces is much better than the CKII method of showing the councilor on the map in the same manner regardless of what they're doing.

Finally, there are a few little touches that I though were better than in CKII. In particular, the way that flags flutter in the wind is weirdly appealing, and I wish that there were more lively touches like that in CKII.

In the end, it's clear that this is probably going to be a game that I don't spend too much time with. Luckily it wasn't expensive. However, I can't help but wish that Paradox would return to Japan. Specifically, I'd like to see some kind of ronin rpg using the engine and event-based gameplay; think Arkham Horror meets Darklands. Doubt that'll ever happen, though.

[spoonz]

Senguko is a fantastic game! It does differ from CK2 in the respect that its more war than politics and that's because of the different historical setting being a period of civil war and territorial expansion rather than Europes more politically volatile setting. So if you want such a setting than that is what you'll get.

I find Sengoku to be a intense gaming session as you need to be constantly one step ahead of your neighbors or you'll be in a severely disadvantaged position. Whether you are doing well or not it can quickly swing in the other direction making the game surprise you. CK2 is a more relaxed, long time strategy game.

A "test game" for CK2 could well be correct but that description frames Sengoku poorly. Its a great game in its own right.

For anyone playing Sengoku and perhaps wants to understand the period better, check out The Way Of The Samuri, Will Of The Shogun and Return Of The Barbarians

Lastly, who mentioned Darklands!?! Love that game.

[Rauten]

Will you people keep it down with the praise? I'm trying NOT to add more games to my backlog!

Geeze.

[dsch]

Will you people keep it down with the praise? I'm trying NOT to add more games to my backlog!

Geeze.

It's nothing special compared to CK2. Also really frustrating and barebones. You don't want to get it.

[Rauten]

Thing is, I already have CK2, and it didn't really grab me. But what they're saying about Sengoku seems more down my alley.

[spoonz]

It's nothing special compared to CK2. Also really frustrating and barebones. You don't want to get it.

I think an explanation why you feel its "frustrating and barebones" would offer more input for those sat on the fence about buying it or not.

Barebones - The game has less in the way off events and such (havnt played CK2 in sometime but I know what you mean) but the games restless civil war, shifting powers and alliances, failed betrothals, assassinated heirs, traitorous vassals for your or the A.Is benefit by no means leaves the game "barebones," as if you'd be sat there twiddling your thumbs.

Frustrating - In what way is the game likely frustrating to everyone as opposed to just yourself, as that's what counts?

[dsch]

I think an explanation why you feel its "frustrating and barebones" would offer more input for those sat on the fence about buying it or not.

Barebones - The game has less in the way off events and such (havnt played CK2 in sometime but I know what you mean) but the games restless civil war, shifting powers and alliances, failed betrothals, assassinated heirs, traitorous vassals for your or the A.Is benefit by no means leaves the game "barebones," as if you'd be sat there twiddling your thumbs.

Frustrating - In what way is the game likely frustrating to everyone as opposed to just yourself, as that's what counts?

I was just helping Rauten with backlog. :) Actually, I remember bouncing off it, possibly because I had no connection with the setting. With CKII, you can sort of set objectives like uniting X kingdom, but I couldn't find that in a Japanese setting. This may not be a problem for other people.

[Drinking with Skeletons]

Thing is, I already have CK2, and it didn't really grab me. But what they're saying about Sengoku seems more down my alley.

It does have a certain charm about it. It's definitely much more about the relentless march of war than CKII, and anything that isn't combat related is little more than fluff.