Takeda 3 is the latest in the Takeda series of games, based on the life and times of famous 16th century Samurai Lord, Takeda Shingen. In Takeda 3, you take command of the powerful Daimyo (feudal lord) of one of 25 historical clans of feudal Japan; engaging in diplomacy, managing your castles and territory, and commanding your armies in combat.
Takeda 3 has two main modes. The first is the turn-based world mode, where diplomatic and strategic operations happen. From world mode, you can click on a castle to construct new facilities such as barracks, markets, and farms. You can also create armies and send them out to do battle. From the palace screen, you can propose and break alliances with the other clans of Sengoku Japan. You can also send your ninjas out on secret missions to disrupt or assassinate your enemies.
You will also need to take good care of your characters—the retainers who command your troops and run your castles. Each of them will gain in ability with experience, and has his or her own motivations and ambitions. You can reward them with medals, titles, or special items to ensure their loyalty and happiness.
The second mode is the real-time battle mode. Whenever two armies meet in world mode, you will have the option of playing out the encounter on a real-time, 3D battlefield, complete with terrain and weather effects, powerful army formations, and emotional effects like the morale and fatigue of your soldiers and the chain of command. Before going into the battle itself, you will use a tactical screen to set up your army formation, choose the time of attack, and set up detachments to make surprise attacks on your enemy’s headquarters. When the battle begins, you can select your divisions and send them into combat.
Be sure to use the advantages of each of the five soldier types: spearmen are good at stopping cavalry, swordsmen are good at defeating spearmen, and cavalry can trample swordsmen in brutal charges. You also have archers, who are effective in castle sieges and for supporting your other divisions, and teppo (riflemen), who are extremely effective against cavalry as well as the other unit types, but aren’t very good at close range.
With effective planning and tactics in world and battle mode, you can defend your territory, defeat your enemies, and eventually rise to the rank of Shogun—military protector of all Japan!
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