Following the recent release of a video showcasing the new spy mechanics in Total War: Three Kingdoms, Creative Assembly has released a new 23-minute Let’s Play. The video gives players an overview of the new Heroes and Guanxi systems. It also shows just how deep and complex characters will be in Three Kingdoms; covering everything from equipping items to building relationships, learning skills, and a whole lot more.
Guanxi and the New Hero Mechanics in Total War: Three Kingdoms
Creative Assembly first developed a character-driven hero system for Total War: Warhammer. However, it seems that Three Kingdoms’ new mechanics will dwarf those of previous games. The new Let’s Play is more than twenty minutes long, and yet it feels as though it barely skims the surface of the new system. In Total War: Three Kingdoms, every named character will have one of five classes, with varying scores in five different abilities; Expertise, Resolve, Cunning, Instinct, and Authority. Each of the five classes leans more towards one of these five attributes.
Characters will have personal traits, and an array of skills which they gain through ranking up. Moreover, every character has five different equipment slots, for their weapons, armour, mount, followers, and accessories. These slots allow characters to change the types of weapons they wield, with weapons ranging from basic swords and spears to unique and legendary blades, and also assemble a retinue of advisers.
The video also shows how characters take on governmental positions in the player’s faction, how their satisfaction works, and how characters can abandon you, only to join your enemies. It seems that keeping your characters happy will be a complex and difficult balancing act. Following a battle against Cao Cao near the end of the video, it also shows what will become of characters who are defeated in battle. Players can choose to execute captured characters, although this is considered dishonourable, or ransom them back to their faction. Players may even be able to recruit captured characters to their side!