Battlefield Play

Battlefield Play

Battlefield Play

Unlike the campaign map, the battlefield is a real-time environment. Here you command an army or navy of up to twenty units against an opposing force (generally) controlled by the game's artificial intelligence. There are two distinct phases of a battle: the deployment phase and the conflict phase.

The Deployment Phase

The deployment phase is the period of time between arriving on a battlefield or seascape and the start of the battle itself, where you can arrange your units into the formation of your choice. When complete, press the gong button to begin fighting.

Deployment Zones

During deployment you can secretly arrange your units or ships inside your deployment zone before battle commences. The enemy general will deploy his men within the opposite area. The attacker always deploys first. When you are ready to fight click on the gong button in the centre of the screen.

Click here to view a video tutorial about this subject.

Pre-battle Speeches

The general will give a rousing speech to his troops during the deployment phase before a battle. The contents are designed to prepare the men for combat with the particular foe they are about to face, and also reflect the general's experience, skills and character traits.

Weather

Weather conditions should be considered when fighting a battle. They are displayed on the battlefield at the point of deployment along with a summary of their effects, so you can make an informed choice about fighting in certain conditions before joining battle. Wet conditions will affect the usefulness of gunpowder and other missile weapons only when playing in single player mode. This means that fire arrows will not work (and therefore cannot be used by either side) and any units that use gunpowder weapons will have increased loading times. Fatigued units also recover more slowly in the wet or snow. It is also much more difficult to set a building or ship alight in the rain, and by the same token anything on fire will be extinguished more quickly due to the downpour. Those ships with sails can be blown-off course if the prevailing winds are strong. Naturally, this does not affect the majority of available vessels as they are powered by oars. Mists and fog may occur close to ground level or the surface of water, affecting the range and accuracy of missiles. Enemy units (not ships) will be concealed if they are 600 metres away or further.

Using Abilities During Deployment

There are a number of helpful abilities that can only be utilised during the deployment phase of a battle, specifically: the construction of bamboo walls, the setting up of screens to protect archers and the laying of mines prior to a naval battle. All other unit abilities are activated during battle.