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It’s easy to send a spy off to an enemy faction, use them to gain visibility on the strategic map, and then… totally forget they exist. That allows you to bring them into the fold - for the right price. Some of the best generals in Three Kingdoms are likely to quit their faction or become leaderless when that faction is destroyed. Check on the list of applicants often, as you may get a chance to hire a legendary warrior or strategist you don’t want to pass up. Otherwise just check the “Candidates” section of the government screen. You can find a list of them every time you try to recruit a new army. Unlike other Total War games, Three Kingdoms is constantly full of unaligned officers looking for a lord to serve. I usually do so each winter, which is when my armies are the least active and I can take stock of the situation. But, as that can get a bit tedious, once a year is a good middle ground. If you want to be really diligent, it’s in your interest to check this menu for new opportunities every turn. That’s great for discovering nonviolent avenues to advance your realm you may not have discovered otherwise. The Diplomacy screen offers you a way to see all of the potential deals you could make with all of the factions you’ve met. One of the drama llamas will likely leave your service entirely, if you continue to make them fight alongside someone they hate.Ĭheck the Quick Deal Menu Early and Often Even if your officers get along now, events throughout the campaign make friends closer and rivals more bitter. But if their personality traits contrast, there will be trouble eventually. It might seem easiest to just pair officers with complementary skills together in the same army, or create a dream team of your strongest fighters to blitz across China. Read carefully, and you’ll learn many considerations and relationships between systems you may have been completely oblivious to otherwise. Before you even move your armies on turn one, you should probably go through all the menus with the F1 overlay enabled.
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This is probably the best learning tool ever included in a Total War game. The in-game adviser will tip you off to the usefulness of the F1 button, but it’s worth repeating.
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