Three Kingdoms: most anticipated warlord

[Alwyn]

Each warlord has a personality, play-style and initial dilemma. The warlords are introduced on the TWC Wiki, on Total War and on the Total War Academy. What attracts you to the warlord you prefer?

Cao Cao, the strategic mastermind

Gongsun Zan, the ironfist general

Kong Rong, the master scholar

Liu Bei, the virtuous idealist

Liu Biao, the gentleman of the Han

Ma Teng, the protector of the West

Yuan Shu, the ambitious powermonger

Yuan Shao, the Dragon of the Yuan

Zhang Yan, the King of Black Mountain

Zheng Jiang, the Bandit Queen

Sun Jian, the Tiger of Jiangdong

Dong Zhou, the Tyrant

[La♔De♔Da♔Brigadier Graham]

I voted Liu Biao, the gentleman of the Han, only for the fact he is "gentleman" nothing more fickle than that I'm afraid.

[Alwyn]

Good choice!

I voted for the underdog whose path hovers between nobility and banditry. He sounds a bit like Han Solo, to me - a fun character to play, I imagine.

[makanyane]

Voted: Dong Zhou, the Tyrant

I've not looked up many of the previewed in-game details yet, I just fancied being a Tyrant

[Gigantus]

Zheng Jiang - managing hot and dominant women is a weakness of mine.

[Flinn]

Zheng Jiang - managing hot and dominant women is a weakness of mine.

I'll join your team, Master

[Iskar]

Kong Rong it is. His description said something of logic, rules and reason, so I'm all game.

Needless to say, I'll be playing Records mode. Death to the silly undying heroes nonsense. The single most satisfying thing about legendary generals is that when you hit them with a cannon ball/catapult boulder/bolt to the face they die like the basest peasant.

[Abdülmecid I]

Dong Zhuo for the win. His portrayal as a tyrant is nothing but rebel propaganda, specifically designed to undermine the reputation of the only Chinese official absolutely determined to defend the legitimacy, sovereignty and unity of the Han Empire at all costs.

Kong Rong it is. His description said something of logic, rules and reason, so I'm all game.

Kong Rong is such an intellectual that Creativity Assembly illustrated him carrying three separate scrolls. Rumours claiming that Kong used to beat his enemies to death with the content of his library are rejected as utterly misleading.

[Alwyn]

I can see the attraction of Kong Rong, Iskar!

Having said that, I am surprised there aren't more fans of Zhang Yan, the bandit leader and soldier of fortune. As well as reminding me of Han Solo, he sounds like a Three Kingdoms version of Peter Quill (from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies) or James Holden (from The Expanse) - seen as a bandit by some, and a hero by others.

I see what you mean about Records mode, I imagine I'll prefer that too (when I get a computer good enough to play the game). In a CA broadcast, the presenters said that we can choose the brighter colours of Romance mode or the paler colours of Records mode, when playing in either mode. Brighter colours are less realistic when zooming in to look at individual soldiers, but generally I watch battles from a distance - brighter colours help me to see which units are mine. I might prefer to play in Records mode with the brighter Romance colours.

Dong Zhuo for the win. His portrayal as a tyrant is nothing but rebel propaganda, specifically designed to undermine the reputation of the only Chinese official absolutely determined to defend the legitimacy, sovereignty and unity of the Han Empire at all costs.

The Total War campaign which motivated me the most was the Road to Independence campaign in Empire Total War, with its stirring lines about standing up for independence and against tyranny. This makes me think that I'll really enjoy taking on a tyrant in Three Kingdoms. However, imaybe there's an argument that history treats Dong Zhuo unfairly? It looks like people are going to enjoy debating the merits of the different warlords!

Kong Rong is such an intellectual that Creativity Assembly illustrated him carrying three separate scrolls. Rumours claiming that Kong used to beat his enemies to death with the content of his library are rejected as utterly misleading.

Woah, a special Scroll Attack! His enemies didn't see that coming!

[Cope]

The Total War campaign which motivated me the most was the Road to Independence campaign in Empire Total War, with its stirring lines about standing up for independence and against tyranny. This makes me think that I'll really enjoy taking on a tyrant in Three Kingdoms. However, imaybe there's an argument that history treats Dong Zhuo unfairly? It looks like people are going to enjoy debating the merits of the different warlords!

Isn't that treason or something? xD

[Iskar]

It definitely is.

However, unlike in Empire, where I'd have rather burnt my entire personal tea supplies than play that colonial rebel campaign, I am sufficiently detached from Chinese history to find the yellow turban rebel factions interesting for their "for the common good" vibe.

It is in fact the general case here that unlike in the Europe centered titles my historic preferences (Rome I & II: Rome, Egypt, Seleucids; Medieval II: HRE, East Rome, Venice; Empire: Austria, UK; Attila: East Rome) do not limit me as much in which faction I would have fun playing. As such it is promising to be an interesting experience with different campaigns once I have finished my first choice Kong Rong.

[makanyane]

So who's actually playing as the Warlord they voted for now?


(I'm not yet - I'm still trying to work out what bits of the UI do )

[Alwyn]

Isn't that treason or something? xD

Definitely ... until you win, then it's a heroic war of independence!

However, unlike in Empire, where I'd have rather burnt my entire personal tea supplies than play that colonial rebel campaign, I am sufficiently detached from Chinese history to find the yellow turban rebel factions interesting for their "for the common good" vibe.

It is in fact the general case here that unlike in the Europe centered titles my historic preferences (Rome I & II: Rome, Egypt, Seleucids; Medieval II: HRE, East Rome, Venice; Empire: Austria, UK; Attila: East Rome) do not limit me as much in which faction I would have fun playing. As such it is promising to be an interesting experience with different campaigns once I have finished my first choice Kong Rong.

I know what you mean about having historical preferences. I wonder if playing Kong Rong is as you'd expected.

So who's actually playing as the Warlord they voted for now?

Not yet, I feel I'm missing out on a party! I'm really looking forward to playing as Zhang Yan (I'll get Three Kingdoms when I have a computer that can run it). In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the first Three Kingdoms AARs, so that I'll be able to get a glimpse of what I'm missing.

[makanyane]

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the first Three Kingdoms AARs, so that I'll be able to get a glimpse of what I'm missing.

ooh shiny new forum

I've added a link to that sub-forum on the wiki 3k portal, hopefully we'll soon be able to add links to individual AARs too

[Noble Savage]

I always play as a female when I start a new game but sheesh, I was spanked so hard.
The bandit queen is a lot of fun but as someone who struggled when playing the newer titles, this was a doozie.

I thought having read Guanzhong's epic numerous times would give me a tiny head start but I was so wrong. So very wrong. I was told to play as Cao Cao first but I can't. Cao Ren gives me the hump.

[Sir Adrian]

Ther only reason other warlords exist is because Cao Cao allows them to.

[Iskar]

I am playing as Kong Rong now. It is a tad more idealistic/philantropic than anticpated (the short exposé sounded more legalist with its emphasis on rules and reason) but I like that nonetheless. Playing the great benefactor of the people that raises the masses out of poverty and analphabetism is probably as close as can get to anything my republican heart could desire in late antiquity China.