Sengoku

[Tamas]

The map's bigger than Japan in the most recent Nobunaga's Ambition games (yes, the Japanese ones). 

Never played that game (its in English?).
But...I don't see how that makes a map not small. Looking at the screenshots Japan isn't all that much bigger than Japan in regular paradox games. Just because the setting of a game is smaller doesn't mean the map should be smaller too, they could have went majorly zoomed in, have a Japan which is the world. Which indeed it is here.

IF the character-focusedness is on a Rome-ish level at least, the smaller focus could work.

And plots are interesting. You can pre-negotiate attacks with characters. Much needed, and hopefully will make it to CK2 as well.

[Drakken]

The map's bigger than Japan in the most recent Nobunaga's Ambition games (yes, the Japanese ones). 

Never played that game (its in English?).

NA 11 and 12 are available in English on PS2 in the civilized world, thus in NTSC.

But not witb the PUKs.

People complain about Paradox and DLC, but they pale to the outrageousness of Tecmo-Koei: Bastardized version for the US, no PUK, and even if Japan you end up paying almost double price than the original for a few features, an editor, and a hidden patch coming with the PUK.

[Josquius]

IF the character-focusedness is on a Rome-ish level at least, the smaller focus could work.

And plots are interesting. You can pre-negotiate attacks with characters. Much needed, and hopefully will make it to CK2 as well.

I don't mind the small focus just on Japan, not at all, though I don't see why the map should be smaller just because it is more focussed, why can't it be the size of a normal world map with much smaller areas represented.

I'm hopeful for this game anyway. What with my CK love and my current situation.

[Tamas]

Well you can try the demo.

At first glance it is more Rome than CK (apart from the fact that you are playing a clan, not a country, so you can be ousted from your rank), but closer to CK than Rome was.

There is potential, but the 15 years of the demo is not enough to judge it.

[garbon]

I'm not sure I'll be purchasing that. I don't think I'm actually interested.

[Tamas]

I'm not sure I'll be purchasing that. I don't think I'm actually interested.

I am not too enthusiastic about the Japan theme, but the idea of a Paradoxian game which I am not utterly bored of, and maybe not totally broken (it's simpler than Rome or CK, so what's to brake?), intriques me.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Well you can try the demo.

At first glance it is more Rome than CK (apart from the fact that you are playing a clan, not a country, so you can be ousted from your rank), but closer to CK than Rome was.

There is potential, but the 15 years of the demo is not enough to judge it.

Apparently you can play past 15 years, you just can't save.

[Tamas]

Well you can try the demo.

At first glance it is more Rome than CK (apart from the fact that you are playing a clan, not a country, so you can be ousted from your rank), but closer to CK than Rome was.

There is potential, but the 15 years of the demo is not enough to judge it.

Apparently you can play past 15 years, you just can't save.

You can play past, one whole year.

[The Brain]

Tried the demo some. May get the game after the first three final expansions.

[The Brain]

They could have kept Hokkaido as an inaccesible area of the map just for looks. There's open ocean north of Honshu? Meh.

[Tamas]

Playing the full version.

I will either really like it, or grow to really hate it.

The character system is rather complex, even if at first glimpse appear to be perhaps even simpler than Rome's (altough Rome's wasn't really simple, more like totally out of your practical control).

I am not sure if it as complex as CK's, since CK has much more traits, but Sengoku's is much more sophisticated and streamlined. eg. not only you have actual relationship numbers with foreign characters, there are two such numbers for each pair of characters. So character A may have a better opinion about character B, than B has of A.
One thing is sure, it fills me with a lot of hope for CK2.

Add to this that while lands inherit in the family, the title of clan leadership is electoral among the direct vassals of the clan leader, so that's something you have to keep an eye on.

Aaand, all landed nobles may maintain a retuine of private troops. When you, as clan leader (altough you can start as a mere -insert japanese name for count- CK-style) declare war on an other clan, these vassals of yours may go around merrily conquering enemy provinces for themselves, and since (to quote the justification of the manual) the game represents a huge-ass civil war there are no peace treaties, they get to keep them too unless you revoke their new-found titles.
The result is a rather colorful patchwork of land ownership within your clan, with the daimyo (duke) titles over them.

So far it doesn't seem to be that hard to keep vassals content, altough I see one of my neighboring clan leaders being a prick and consequently hated by his vassals (been trying to get a plot together with them to backstab their liege). So at this point I am not sure how necessary it will become to fiddle with this chaotic feudal patchwork which develops under the hood of your growing clan lands.

So as I said, I will either keep liking this rather feudalistic character system, or grow frustrated with it in time.

Also, the very low requirement to micro, the excellent performance, and rather levelled playingfield makes this a big candidate for some serious MPing, at least at first glance.

[The Brain]

I would like better presentation of data, especially people and their relationships. Scrolling through lists wasn't that awesome back in CK, and hasn't grown on me since.

[Josquius]

No nice graphical family tree screen then?
There goes one hope for CK2

[garbon]

No nice graphical family tree screen then?
There goes one hope for CK2

Actually I believe that they already showed that off for CK2. I think it was in one of those video chats.

[Josquius]

No nice graphical family tree screen then?
There goes one hope for CK2

Actually I believe that they already showed that off for CK2. I think it was in one of those video chats.

Aha, cool, never watched those.
Wonder why they skipped it here.