Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI - part 2

Twenty hours into my course of reunifying China, I realize how difficult this game has become. In RTK 11, the computer is prone to fighting. I started my scenario at 190 and I'm currently holding one third of the map with Sun Jian at 201 A.D. I can easily say that the last three years have been plagued with wars, not a dull moment to see. 

I fell into the same problem as I have in before, I picked the "fictional" setting with Dong Zhou in the picture. With this option, he doesn't get defeated with the ruse from Wang Yun and Diao Chan, meaning he holds one of the super powers in China at that time. Ten years into the game I see Cao Cao and Lui Bei be destroyed under his massive army. Naturally I stayed alive because my cities are in the south. In the mist of the mayhem I forged my empire. 

One thing you notice as you try to recruit vassals is that there are a lot of ladies present. Yes, they artificially incorporated women into RTK. I know that there are many things in the books, but it's a very masculine-dominated 1000 pages. Characters like Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are now officers that can lead troops and build cities for you. I like it. 

Now one of the things that I am turned off for in the game is the monotonous background music. It never really sways from the three tracks. Even RTK3 has the decency to switch up the music after you acquire more cities. I don't think this one ever will change. I am planning to make my own music to put in the background while I'm playing this. 

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As the 45th hour began end ended, I took my positions in the north east. It becomes a steamtrain to roll over my last foe, Gungsun Zan. After conquering Dong Zhou in the south west, I had defeated all but one warlord left. Notice the mini-map on the bottom right corner of this picture. 

The final battle wasn't much a fight at all. As I collected the land's greatest warriors, I had all five of Lui Bei's Tiger Generals and most of the greatest thinkers under my realm. As my legions horsemen routed the last few companies of men from the enemy I brought my war machines in. These rolling flame throwers were new to the game, and pretty much artificial in my understanding of Chinese history, but boy were they effective.

In the end I defeated them and ended my turn. The results is the ending credits. So my game played at BEGINNER and FICTIONAL setting took about 45 hours (official timer stopped at 44:47:20). Under Sun Jian, it took about twenty gametime years: from January of 190 to April of 212 A.D. 

Completion: Beginner / Fictional 
Hours Spent: 45 Hrs