Should I start playing multiplayer?

[Yi Sun-sin]

Hello all!

I have been playing this game since April, and I have been lurking on the forums here since then too, and I ask myself whether or not I should start playing multiplayer.

I have played Starcraft years ago, and I was quite good at it, but now I have a family, a job, and many more duties so I hardly have time for gaming. I want to start playing another Strategy-game that doesn't need so much time like Starcraft, but at the same time I want to be good at it. However, I am really scared off by the many negative replies here, and the many people leaving. The most threads are about armor and attack, and I feel more like in a role-playing-game than in a strategy game. The ranking system seems also to be bugged, which means that if I would invest my time, it could all be in vain.

Short version: I have a family and only a few hours for gaming. I was good at Starcraft, and I like the single player in this game. If the ranking is bugged, then my skill won't be properly measured? Should I start playing Total War: Shogun 2 at all?

Greetings,
Yi

[bernhaland]

You should really start playing MP, it's much more fun than SP (IMO).

[Yi Sun-sin]

You should really start playing MP, it's much more fun than SP (IMO).

Yes, I think so. But I want a challenge, and not only fun. Will this game reward me if I am good at Strategy and Micro?

Greetings,
Yi

[Ginko]

you should!

and join gerudo, awesome clan!

http://clangerudo.net/

[Nigel_Loring]

But I want a challenge, and not only fun.

If you want to play seriously, it could be hard if you only have limited time to practice.
I am a fun-only player, so it does not bother me to have only time for 2 or 3 games per week.
But still I get more fun out of multiplayer than single player. So yes, you should go for it.

Will this game reward me if I am good at Strategy and Micro?

Not with the ladder as it is at the moment.
However, like Ginko says, join a clan or take part in one of the many community hosted tournaments or ladders. Those are much more rewarding and will give you something back for the hours you put in.

[Chase24]

But I want a challenge, and not only fun.

There's the keyword right there. challenge. yes, you'll be challenged for you'll be facing players with different strategies, mostly spammed units.

Will this game reward me if I am good at Strategy and Micro?

Im a starcraft 2 player also, im a diamond player. My micro skill that i gained from starcraft 2, HON, and DOTA. Helped me a lot in shogun 2, because micro skill is also a big factor in this game. For ex. micro your unit's skills (banzai, rally, etc..) while you command attack each unit and maneuver your cavalry to flank. Since you said that you're good in starcraft. I have a feeling you'll be good in shogun 2 multiplayer. HINT* if you use zerg, you know that when you spam zerglings? you would surround/flank a group of marines or any units to maximize the damage right?

I have a family and only a few hours for gaming.

then this is a negative. A single game in shogun 2 can take up to 10-30 minutes and sometimes an hour or more than, if you face a lame camper that is willing not to attack and hide in trees. In shogun 2 single player, you can pause while you do your chores, but in multiplayer you can also pause the game but ofcourse some of your opponent will just unpause it and attack you.

If the ranking is bugged, then my skill won't be properly measured?

Before the ladder was terrible, i was a rank 10 in 1v1 and dropped to 8000 for a known issue when you reset your general skills. But i didn't care because like you, i also like the challenge so i worked up my games again and now im back to rank 10+ 1v1. Now i haven't heard this issue, so it could be fixed already.

Also, it's not the bugged ranking that is to be blame for your skill won't be measured right. It's the issues of the game that some players will exploit, for them to raise their rank with high chances of winning.
These are the examples:
*Some lvl10 players can choose not to fight against the same lvl as theirs for they have high chance of winning against lowbies, so they would disconnect during the page where you choose units to deploy, and they won't have penalty for it.
*Some players will have their settings into small or medium sized units not because they don't have a good pc but because to exploit their missile units specially the matchlocks that shatters a unit that have small count.

Should I start playing Total War: Shogun 2 at all?

now ask yourself, can you handle all this? if yes, then welcome to shogun 2 multiplayer.

[Last Samurai]

I also think you should start playing MP, it's deffinitely more difficult and fun than singleplayer. Obviously your stats will not be properly measured in the ladder but if you want to play more serious, not only 4 fun you could join a tournament or sth like that, not rely on the game ladder that is broken, full of disconnections etc. But i joined and don't regret it, it's a good entertainment worth a little time u have when u want to relax by computer game.

[hyzhenhok]

The most complicated, varied, in-depth Total War battle experience awaits you, as long as you're willing to ignore the mountain of small glitches, problems and annoyances that are constantly being complained about here. Oh, and it's extremely fun, when everything's working and falls into place. That happens more often than you'd think reading this forum (though YMMV).

[Haru]

Play it. It's fun overall and as stated before MP > SP. Oh yeah, the most fun comes when you actually learn how to fight against an actual opponent rather than the ai. It will take you some time though.

[crzyrndm]

So long as you don't mind having your rear handed to you occasionally(ie. you actually do like a challenge) then Yes you should start playing MP even just for short periods of time each day.

Initially against decent players who have been playing for a while(7+ star avatars) you will be at a disadvantage in most respects but have a slight advantage in money because a 10* gen costs 1800 on its own to field(most people will use the trading post retainer to lower that by 5% but you will still have a large cash advantage). But most of us are just average players online for the fun of it, so things even out in the lower ladder rankings where you start(if you play matchmade). I know it's definetely possible to win against a 10* as a first timer even if he fields an all vet army(mainly because that's what I managed to pull off much to my opponents surprise).

Your first province will give you your only samurai unit that you can use at first, although all ashigaru are avalable for you to use. The 2 most advantageous starting positions (IMO) are in the Date home province which allows you to field katana samurai(amazingly helpful for giving your army some killing power), and the chosokabe island because you will have only one province that isn't avalable to conquer without fighting any sea battles(which are full of cannon bunes and matchlock ships, don't try until you get to cannon bunes). Until you get a few samurai you will need to rely upon bow ashigaru and light cav for your killing power(unless you get katana samurai off the bat, bow sam are too expensive and yari sam don't work as cost effectively as yari ashigaru, if you get yari cav you'll have to figure it out yourself but I always found lights to be more effective for thier cost).

Initially balanced army(to missile and light cav heavy) builds are key(you can fine tune later, I'm not saying balanced are underpowered later on just that a spam build from you will be underpowered now), and if you don't start with katana sam's get to a province that allows you to recruit them as fast as you possibly can. Highly vetted loan swords with stacked retainers and gen's skills can be more powerful but you don't have these advantages so your best bet is katana sams.

And if your micro is good, it should help, although some of the fights I've won have been by taking everything slow and considering each move(obviously my opponent wasn't making a hassle of himself). So don't rush just because you can because there may be a better way

Good Luck

EDIT

Disregard ladder rankings, unless you are going to get high up. They aren't really worth worrying about for the average player.

[Yi Sun-sin]

Thank you all for your kind responses!

I think this thread, and other current threads, confirmed my initial concerns regarding broken ladder, exploits, etc.

@Chase24:
Thank you for your detailed explanation. Advice from a fellow Starcraft (2) player is most appreciated! I also had a big concern that people will camp and battles can last long.
@Haru:
Yes I know that there is a difference between playing the AI and an actual player, I was highly ranked in several Starcraft leagues^^

I have been thinking about playing in tournaments, but they seem to progress only very slowly. I also heard it needs a lot of time to get to maximal level and to have good veterans. As I can read in the forum, several players from good clans stopped playing recently. I also remember a person who knew a lot about strategy, and was also a Starcraft player I think, and he stopped playing too.

So I think I won't start playing this game too.
But thank you all for your advice!
Greetings,
Yi

[RTK2Lional]

You are missing out a lot. It is a fun game and enjoyable at the core. Just ignore the competitive aspect (i.e. the ladder) and find a group of friends (clan) to play with. Also you can gain rank, experience, veterans by playing friendly (custom) games.

[Ionn]

Just play.

[AlfonsoVIII]

yes play, but dont lose hope when people crew you over, period.

[Nigel_Loring]

Indeed, going by the way you write and express your points in a well reasond way, you would be a good player to have in the MP community. It will be a pitty to loose you.

Just how your wish for competitive gaming and not investing a lot of time could ever go together I do not know.
And that is for any game and even if STW2 was perfectly developed and bug- and exploit free.

Maybe you just have to decide for the one or the other.

[Fuzzynut]

The matches in MP here are on par with the matches in SC2 length wise. They likely average in the 10 minute range from my browsing different commentator channels. That may be generous as they really seem like 6-7 minute matches with occasional 15-20 minutes and the very rare 30 minute campfest. So ya, if you aren't playing because of that then...

[Emperor Arcturus Mengsk]

Match length really depends on the armies on the field, for instance 2 missile heavy armies will battle considerably longer than 2 rush armies, or even whenever there is 1 rush army present on the field the match will end fast.

Also the map plays an important role in match lenght. So far my experience shows that rice fields is naturally a map that offers fast intense battle whereas other maps with more ridges, hills and forests promote more step by step movement and gameplay!

[GfmHellmann]

@OP Yes! Give the mp a try, its really outstanding and you won`t find anything compareable to this atm. Another important thing...don`t listen to the whiners on the forums too much. Just get in kick some a**** and have a lot of fun

[Fuzzynut]

@OP Yes! Give the mp a try, its really outstanding and you won`t find anything compareable to this atm. Another important thing...don`t listen to the whiners on the forums too much. Just get in kick some a**** and have a lot of fun

Ahh yes, the "whiners". You mean the people who criticize your "Super Bowl of MP", ohhhh sorry about that.

Yes, play MP if the only thing you care about is "having fun", like you know how someone else "has fun". Give me a break. Did you ever possibly think that not everyone "has fun" when the MP doesn't mean anything or works properly, or that some people actually like proper ladders and they "have fun" in climbing the ladder? Doubt it.

[GfmHellmann]

You need a ladder to get some fun out of gaming? What do you have to compensate?