"As intriguing as the mechanics of the game are, Creative Assembly also acknowledge that the overall art design is probably more central to the success of this game than any other in the series. The art team has been inspired by all of the conventional icons of the land and the wide range of seasons and weather will help add variety to the battles. You may, for instance, find yourself fighting in the same province during the spring as cherry blossoms drift by, and then come back for a battle as layers of snow sit on the land in winter. The team is reintroducing nighttime battles to the game, and we saw a spectacular example of a castle assault during a thunderstorm at night. The way the lightning cracked in the distance and lit up the trees and soldiers as rain collected in puddles around them was phenomenal. The ranks of soldiers, all outfitted in distinctive primary colors and sporting battle flags on their backs, looked better than any we've seen in the franchise.
Battle animations are superb. The units in Shogun 2 have a total of 52 different bones, which is a nearly 25% increase over those in previous Total War games. This allows for much more natural and realistic animations, which incidentally, were captured using the British Kendo Association and actual bushido fighters. Samurai were known for their strong, flexible armor and for their mastery of multiple weapons like the katana and nodachi. During our demo, we saw two ranks of katana samurai battling with each other and it looked even better than the thrilling combat in Empire. Add in support for up to 56,000 units in a single battle, and it's clear to see just how ambitious Shogun 2 really is.
To further add to the authenticity, the team is also using all the original weapons on the original materials for the sound effects. They've even gone so far as to record the sounds of the historical footwear of each unit type walking and running on all the types of terrain represented in the game.
The game's AI is being programmed according to Sun Tzu's Art of War. As one of the core foundations for this kind of mix of melee and ranged warfare, Sun Tzu is an obvious starting point, but what was particularly revealing is how much Sun Tzu talks like a programmer. If, for example, you outnumber the enemy more than five-to-one, Sun Tzu recommends an enveloping move. If you outnumber the enemy two-to-one, he prefers a direct engagement."
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