Sangokushi Taisen
| Sangokushi Taisen | |
|---|---|
| File:SangoTaisen.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Sega AM1, Shade (DS version) |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Producer(s) | Yasuhiro Nishiyama Atsushi Seimiya |
| Composer(s) | Susumu Tsugakoshi Tomonori Sawada |
| Platforms | Arcade, Nintendo DS, PC |
| Release date(s) | 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Real-time strategy, Collectible card game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Cabinet | Satellite |
| Arcade system | Sega RingEdge, Sega Lindbergh, Sega Chihiro |
Sangokushi Taisen (三国志大戦) is a collectible card and real-time strategy game based on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history and the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The game should not be confused with the similarly titled series Sangokushi and Sangoku Musou/Shin Sangoku Musou. They are based on the same novel, but are released by Japanese publisher Koei.
Contents
Gameplay system
The game itself has an input system in which cards are placed on a sensitive playing area. Movement in-game is done by moving the cards on the playing field, and card behaviour on the battlefield depends heavily on the card type.
This game is played one-on-one and online play is available.
Version History
New versions add balance adjustments, more cards, more factions and more modes.
Arcade
- Sangokushi Taisen 1.0 - Launched 2005.03.15
- Sangokushi Taisen 2.0 - Launched 2006.05.24
- Sangokushi Taisen 3.0 - Launched 2007.12.13 on the Lindbergh arcade platform, available in Japan, Shanghai, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Sangokushi Taisen 3.59 WAR BEGINS - Launched 2010.6.17, available in Japan, Shanghai, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.
- Sengoku Taisen 1560 - Launched 2010.11.10 in Japan. A completely new version with a different scenario set in feudal Japan. The arcade platform switched to RingEdge.
- Sengoku Taisen 1570 - Launched 2011.7.21
- Sengoku Taisen 15XX - Launched 2012.2.23
- Sengoku Taisen 1582 - Launched 2012.10.11
- Sengoku Taisen 1590 - Launched 2013.7.23
- Sengoku Taisen 1477 - Launched 2014.2.20
- Sengoku Taisen 1600 - Launched 2014.9.25
- Sengoku Taisen 1615 - Launched 2015
Other
- Sangokushi Taisen DS - Published by Sega on January 25, 2007 for the Nintendo DS. Based on version 2.0 of the arcade game.
- Sangokushi Taisen Ten - Based on version 3.0 of the arcade game; published by Sega on August 7, 2008 for the Nintendo DS.
- Sangokushi Taisen INFINITY ONLINE - PC Windows version launched on 2011.5.20 by GameCyber Technology Limited in Hong Kong.
- Sangokushi Taisen Trading Card Game - Based on the game, launched in 2012.
Game Features
Main Objective
In Sangokushi Taisen, the main objective of the game is to lay siege upon the enemy's castle with various generals deployed at the start of gameplay, along the way eliminating the enemy's generals. When one player's castle HP drops to zero or has A higher HP by the end of the time limit, the opposing player wins the game. Unlike most other RTS games, the game is not won merely by complete elimination of the opponent's generals, as generals can revive from time to time.
Slash/Retreat
A "Slash" is basically a situation where a player's generals causes one of the enemy general's forces to reach zero through conflicts. A "Retreat" is the opposite of a "Slash", whereby a player's general retreats due to his or her forces reaching zero.
A retreated general takes a basic 35 real-time seconds to return to the battlefield (this amount of time is lessened by 1/3 if the general possesses the Revival ability), and another 10 seconds to return to the battlefield by emerging from his or her own castle. When a general is about to emerge from a castle, the enemy will be notified by noticing smoke clouds emerging from the player's castle.
8 orb limit
Each general in Sangokushi Taisen is assigned an orb rating of a minimum of one orb, to a maximum of three orbs, with most of the cards falling in anywhere in between. Additionally, particularly famous generals such as Cao Cao, Liu Bei and Guan Yu have multiple cards (and thereby different orb rating of cards) of the same name, thereby adding to gameplay variety. The orb number of each general is based on two factors: The general's strength and intelligence ratings, which determines the strength of his unit during offensives, and his unit's susceptibility to skill offensives respectively. The orb limit thereby allows for a minimum of three generals (in a 3-3-2 or 3 - 2.5 - 2.5 combination) and a maximum of eight (all one-orb generals) when maxed out, thereby bringing with such a feature, extreme varieties to gameplay styles.
Skills and morale bar
During a game, generals on the field can cast spells or execute special skills through use of a morale bar (the equivalent of mana energy when compared to other games). The morale bar (otherwise known as mana orbs) rises slowly, and has a cap on its accumulation depending on the number of factions/countries the player has selected his generals from.
For example, if the player uses an all-Shu combination of forces, he would possess, and is able to utilise, a maximum of 12 mana orbs. In contrast, a player using a mixture of forces from Shu and Wei can only utilise 9 mana orbs, and a player using a mix of forces from three or more factions/countries can only utilise 6 mana orbs.
Skills require anywhere between 3 to 7 mana orbs to use, and the strength and effects of these skills vary widely. The more commonplace skills such as "Strengthen", "High Speed" and "Long Range" strengths the generals for a short duration, and sometimes act as aids to the generals in their field of specialties. Less orthodox skills, the bulk of which comes from Swordsmen Generals, include "Flood", "Burning", and "Lovely Dance", and are usually offensive spells (and therefore damage calculated through comparing the skill-caster's intelligence rating and the affected enemy generals') or an effect that would last as long as the general remains on the battlefield.
A Single Combat
During the game, a scenario can occur in which two generals move towards the same spot simultaneously. The two generals that clash would be engaged in "A Single Combat", which basically means duelling.
In Single Combat, small bars either in the form of a small strip of blue or a thick block of yellow would form across the screen, and this is usually relative to the general's strength rating, and additionally, units with the "Chivalry" ability are more likely to possess thick yellow blocks. The players' task is to hit the bars as close to the tail end as possible without completely missing the strip (for small strips of blue) or just atop it (with thick yellow blocks). Depending on how the bars are struck, the result could be "Failed (失敗)", "Weak (弱)", "Strong (強)", "Very Strong (激)" or "Musou (無双)(unrivalled)". When the five strikes from both generals are matched against each other, a circle (denoting a stronger strike than the opponent's), a cross (a weaker strike) or a triangle (denoting a tie) could form. When one general has won more strikes than the opposing general, the opposing general is eliminated completely regardless of the amount of health he or she had prior to the duel. This system generally emulates how an actual duel between two generals of varying strength would result.
Special Abilities
Special abilities are special characteristics pertaining to generals which give them added advantages or abilities, and which are not affected by enemy spells or statuses. A general can have up to a maximum of three Special Abilities, or have none at all.
Some of the Special Abilities are listed below:
- Revival (活): Revives in 2/3 of the time (i.e. 24 real-time seconds) after a retreat.
- Charisma (魅): Give the player 0.5 point of mana orb in the morale bar when the game start. For example, when two cards with Charisma is presence, 1 mana orb is given to the player.
- Recruitment (募): The unit with recruitment can recover lost troops outside his castle when the unit is not in combat/moving/attacking. Very useful for spearman. Only available in ver 2.0 and onwards.
- Ambush (伏): Gives the general the ability to stay in a "hidden" mode at the start of the game, denoted by grey dots on the player's screen. The enemy will not be able to spot such a hidden troop until after one of his or her generals come into direct contact with an ambush or when the ambushing general arrives at an enemy fence or enemy castle.
- Chivalry (勇): Gain a thick yellow bar during "A Single Combat", and thereby an almost-guaranteed "musou".
- Fence (栅): Gain a wooden fence for placing during the start of the game. Can only be broken down by physically clashing with the fence.
- Link (連): Certain skills can be linked with characters who carry this ability. If the spell is cast, the distance between the caster and the linked character becomes part of the area of effect. Only available in ver 2.0 and onwards.
Unit types
There are a total of 6 unit types in this game, namely:
- Cavalry - High movement speed and possesses the 'Rush' ability, which forms a wave after a certain amount of time spend galloping in the battlefield, and "rush strike" when a successful strike hits an enemy general. Wei has a lot of cavalry generals, and thereby a strong base of generals with high-speed skills that speeds up and strengthens the general for a short period of time. Strong against Bowmen.
- Spearmen - Medium-low movement speed with the 'spearhead' ability and the 'spear strike' attack. Is able to counter Cavalry 'rush' with its spearheads, and generally strong against Cavalry units. Shu generals are usually spear adepts, and most have an invincible all direction spear skill that forms a circular extension of the effective radius of their spear attacks.
- Bowmen - Medium movement speed, can shoot arrows at faraway enemies. Certain generals (especially Wu Generals) are adept at archery-based skills that can either paralyse the enemy generals' movements, add distance to its offensive range, or even shorten his/her own offensive range to gain a larger attack bonus. Effective against Spearmen.
- Swordsmen - Balanced basic unit type that does not have any advantages or disadvantages against other unit types, and usually possessing a more myriad variety of skills compared to the former three types.
- Siege Engine - Extremely slow movement speed but with high attacking power during siege. Like Swordsmen generals, Siege Engine generals possess little to no type-specific skills, but if any, such skills add speed to the Siege Engine's strength and movement speed.
- Elephant - Medium movement speed with the ability to push other unit types aside when charging. (only available from version 2.0 onwards) Nanman tribe generals are the only Elephant generals in the game. However, the more units an elephant pushes, the more damage it takes as a result.
