Gadgets Philippines – July 2019

http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph july 2019 61

The Han dynasty of ancient China lasted for over 400 years and is considered the golden age of Chinese history.

During the Han dynasty, there were great advances in metallurgy, as well as science and technology in general.

Steel and wrought iron were considered two of the greatest advancements during the Han dynasty period. This

meant that the Chinese were well ahead of their Western counterparts in war, and many strategy games such as

Civilization and Age of Empires showcase the Chinese as a playable race. This is explored further in Total War:

Three Kingdoms, where players can micromanage the affairs of late-second century China.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is a turn-based strategy

real-time tactics game similar to Civilization.

Players are transported back to 190 AD, around

the time of the collapse of the Han dynasty.

Warlords practically control China during this

period, and players have to control one of the

game’s 12 factions, unite China, and become the

ultimate ruler of China. Like most turn-based

strategy games, one must be patient and carefully

calculate their next move. Therefore, to be

successful in this game, you might spend hours

and hours playing, as the other faction leaders

are rather dynamic and can quickly respond to

any of your moves. You can play “Romance” mode

where the generals have superhuman strength, or

“Records” mode which provides a more historically

authentic experience.

Characters in the game now have different

backgrounds and traits; there are no longer

dedicated generals, spies, and diplomats, allowing

the player to move from one role to the next. Fans

of previous Total War games may have to do a lot

(think Football Manager-level) of number crunching

as there are nearly 100 traits in the game that can

buff or nerf your character. These affect five different

attributes: authority, expertise, cunning, resolve,

and instinct. These five attributes give you specific

strengths in battle and in maintaining your army.

The guanxi (friendship and loyalty) system is used,

which is an actual Chinese concept that focuses

on dynamic inter-relationships. Characters are

very realistic, each with their unique personality,

motivations, and likes/dislikes. You can

additionally equip ancillaries to boost your own

character’s attributes.

Diplomacy has been greatly revamped from

the previous Total War titles. Your deal-making

skills will have to be unmatched, as your ability

to interact with other factions can affect state

relationships and attitudes. You can even form

coalitions with other states and guarantee the

autonomy of any vassals you bring under your

control. You can even create your own war stories

as certain events and initial dilemmas will come

up as you meet certain objectives. You can even

look at what happened during history and what

the outcomes will be. You can also reject the

historical option and instead form your own

alternative history in the game.

The court system allows you to install family

members in certain areas of your administration.

You can generate missions for the player

to improve national industry, military, and

commerce. You should ensure that their guanxi

is positive as well as their satisfaction, as they

can leave the court for other factions; they can

even bring retinues and territories they have

captured with them. The tech tree, or reforms,

has also been redesigned in the game. The

undercover network allows you to secretly

undermine your enemies (or allies). For example,

paranoid players can place family members in

spy positions to ensure loyalty. Not using the

undercover network forces the player to resort

to diplomacy or war, which severely limits the

player’s options.

During battle, you can have units of 240 infantry

or 60 horses. You can even utilize heroes on

the battlefield with their own armor, weapons,

and equipment. They can be used to buff your

heroes or even hunt down enemy heroes on the

battlefield. For the bold, you can even choose

to duel in front of their army. If you win, you can

boost the morale of your units and turn the tide

of battle.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is a great look into

Chinese history and I would recommend it to

any history buff or strategy game fan. There is a

lot to do and a very high replay value with this

game as you can create numerous scenarios

that may result in your faction ruling all of China

through strength.