Interface

Campaign Management

Shogun is a game that has depth in spite of simplicity and that carries through the interface for the most part. The front-end and campaign interface is simple point and click and presents information so clearly that it seems too simplistic at times. It is marred by a few minor issues - for example, telling borders apart between two clans is difficult - but you can hold your mouse button over the province for a second to see the province owner's name displayed. There's only one issue that we found repetitively annoying with the campaign interface. You see, to succeed in Shogun you must advance technology like in any RTS. However, Shogun does this part on its turn-based strategy end where you build structures, upgrades and units in provinces. Yet the interface doesn't provide a list that shows the provinces and what they are producing.

Do you wish to attack today?

The fool charges my Yari!

Initially that may not be a problem, especially since at the beginning of every turn you are told where construction is completed. It's also no that big of a problem toward the end of the game. But in the mid-game where you control one third to one half of the provinces, production is still a high priority. There are turns where you're told that 8 different provinces have completed construction. Some have queued up buildings, others nothing - the popup messages don't say what's next (or isn't.) A simple list of production would solve this, or maybe an option in the popup to go and inspect the province. This lack of a summary is not a game-breaking issue but certainly a luxury we wouldn't mind having.

That's the daimyo

It's a foregone conclusion

Tactical Control

The most important part in making combat successful and fun in a tactically oriented game like Myth or Shogun is giving the user clean, crisp control over his troops. Shogun's controls are adequate and crisp but aren't as clean as they could be. Your mouse can do everything - select troops, move the camera, order an attack, change formations... well, anything except grouping (that requires you to hold the control key while clicking units.) The keyboard shortcuts aren't the worst in the world - generally the first letter of whatever command you wish to give - but while intuitive, they aren't nicely arranged. Another knock against the control setup is that your camera keys are all the way on the keypad which really doesn't work out for the best. The setup is average at worst, but it could be better. Key re-mapping would be a huge plus.

Once the last one dies, the daimyo is slain

Lord Takeda himself!

We were also a bit dismayed to learn that it's difficult getting your men to face the direction you want in battle, in the proper formation. They will turn in the direction you click them, but this isn't very convenient as it usually entails unnecessary movement. To make matters worse, there seems to be no way to adjust formations from say... two rows to five. Finally, you can group units together but using them as groups requires a fair bit of work that seems unnecessary.