Updated Sengoku vs Medieval Dynasty (Need Opinions)

[Schwift Master]

I haven't played either of them yet, but have been following a while.

Looking to hear from someone who has played both recently..

-After this new update, would you say Sengoku is on par with Medieval Dynasty?

-What are the main differences between the two?

-As someone who enjoys more of the simulation and building side of things (villagers having autonomy), is one better than the other in this aspect? (as of Kintsugi update)

-Did these games give you a good single player experience? (I may never have anyone to do coop with)

-Is one more grindy than the other? (Having to mine/harvest tons of things by hand)

I have played millions of Medieval games, so the setting of Sengoku looks fresher and more appealing. However due to different development times, one will be more fleshed out than the other.

If MD is vastly superior feature wise and with things to do and build and better NPC AI, then that may be the choice. However depending on similarities and differences aren't too drastic.. Sengoku may be a better bet (for me).

I would love to hear anyones input.. based of the games in their current state, as of 3/15/24.

Edit: Are the map sizes similar?
Does Sengoku have AI villages like MD?
Are NPCs able to work in mines?

[Winter's Embers]

Basic response: The two games follow the same general idea but have significantly different gameplay aspects that get them there.
MD is complete. It receives QOL updates and expansions but what's there is pretty much what's there.
SD in still in progress. Player input has helped shaped the game significantly. The team has radically altered their own game in order to meet the needs of the players. While this is similar to MD, MD's core gameplay is done. SD's is far from it.
Simulation and building are the key to the game right now. There is little in the way of combat and there's a setting in the game (unlimited HP) that renders combat to someone else's problem. However, as the game is incomplete, you can only get so far with population before things begin to break down. The balance and production for pops 1-40 works extremely well (as long as you don't adjust the Needs slider). The content needed for population greater than 40 isn't in the game yet so you will really struggle (and ultimately fail) as you get bigger.
Production itself in MD is real-time and based on ticks. Production in SD is turn-based. Every day at 1800 (easily marked on your seasonal compass marker), production occurs. You have all day to get things in order. Because certain aspects of the game are still under construction or suffering bugs, you WILL have to do a lot of manual work in storages, tool production, etc to supplement NPC production but that NPC production is extremely well balanced not only to meet your needs but to make full automation of all Needs very much possible. You just have to learn the systems, the recipes, etc. If you're good at in-depth simulation, you'll probably do well.
MD has more to do, more to build, true, but SD is still waiting for player input to help shape the rest of Early Access. Our opinions do matter and I could make a long list of things in the game that changed because of the thoughtful and in-depth suggestions and feedback done by players. MD will likely not change it's core gameplay ever again. It's set. Small changes will come but here, in SD, changes can come that are absolutely game-changing. For instance, production was based on a season-by-season approach. Players complained (especially MD players playing SD) that it wasn't fast enough. So, now the production is daily. Caught a lot of people by surprise and a lot of those same complainers are now complaining they can't keep up! :)
It is GOING to be a Dynasty-genre game. It isn't there yet but there's enough to do, enough replayability even with an incomplete game, that I just surpassed 700 hours of game time.

Map size is slightly smaller but there's more to the map that hasn't been added. From the early days of testing, there's a whole lot more map out there. It, like much of the end-game content, will come.
Sengoku has 3 current NPC villages and a Monastery filled with NPCs. There aren't many quests yet (1 per village) but there are a total 13 vendors with various goods.
Mine work is.... a bit different here. There are none. Right now, the only way to mine iron is to use a mining station building and assign workers there. There is a special project that will enhance this considerably if you build within its radius. It's been a rough go getting it to work though. Iron has limited uses right now and the only other 'mining' resources are stone, clay, and ice. Consider mining to be "in progress."

I despised MD for it's reliance on coin-based technology. I played it a few hours and tossed it aside as a grind fest of tedium that bored me to tears. Sadly, SD has adopted a similar style but I'm still dedicated to ending that practice (and I think I'm making progress but don't tell JC!) I believe SD is superior not because it's better than MD. Because it's different from MD, it has its own game play, it's own style, and, most importantly, it's own identity. There's so much left for the game to introduce and being here, helping influence those decisions as a player, is the primary reason I stay.

TL:DR MD is complete but stuck in the mire of grinding. SD is growing and, right now, isn't stuck in grinding nearly as bad. I can fully automate a village with 5 people and get enough materials to expand with a minimum of effort on my part.
I recommend SD for the growth it still has coming and the gameplay that already exists.

[xerxes0]

I like Sengoku more so it has more production chains and interplay of items being made to satisfy the several citizens needs more so than MD has done.

[Anachronica]

I loved playing MD for a long time and SD is pretty easy to start, because the gameplay is pretty equal.
Both have a great world to explore, it is just different continents and culture, wjhat makes it worth playing both. Winter's Embers has told a lot of facts, so i just wanna leave one thing: both are great fun and with this update, SD became better now.
As a solo player I enjoy them both a lot.

[MudSnow]

Why do people ask question like this? They are different. Get both of them.

[Winter's Embers]

Originally posted by MudSnow:

Why do people ask question like this? They are different. Get both of them.

Because some people sit on the fence about MD because it is an over-used trope. Asking people's opinions helps people see more than just the advertising crap that is rarely, if ever, an accurate depiction of gameplay. They also want to make a more informed decision rather than just act on a whim, do it, and end up pissed off with buyer's remorse. This type of question is common among those who think for themselves and value their money, time, and commitment.

[Mathazzar]

I will say, I like the tech progression of Sengoku more. Paying 500 coins for a fence design is a little outrageous in Medieval.

[MudSnow]

Originally posted by Winter's Embers:

Originally posted by MudSnow:

Why do people ask question like this? They are different. Get both of them.

They also want to make a more informed decision rather than just act on a whim, do it, and end up pissed off with buyer's remorse. This type of question is common among those who think for themselves and value their money, time, and commitment.

LOL, you make it sound like buying a car or a house. The price of the game is practically nothing, most people wasted more time and money this week on junk food and television.
Just buy it. Try it. If you don't like it, move on.

[landersbleam]

I've played single player extensively, beginning in early access, in both Medieval Dynasty (thousands of hours) and Sengoku Dynasty (over 500 hours), continue to run active games in both, and find them equally engaging. Each game has its own set of extremely responsible and responsive (within reason) developers who continue to address problems and expand game potential (well beyond what I've come to expect from early access games), and each offers custom game options that allow players to focus on their own particular game styles and interests. As noted, Medieval Dynasty is a much more mature game and, as such, has more to offer now in terms of refined game mechanics, maps (Valley and Oxbow, both of which can be played solo), quests, and dynasty goals, although the Oxbow version is still something of a work-in-progress. Sengoku Dynasty, also as noted, is at a much earlier stage of development and thus is still actively and frequently evolving in terms of mechanics, maps, and quests (with all the pros and cons that entails), and offers a lot of future potential. As of now, SD has good building, production and management systems, a unique cultural setting, and absolutely beautiful graphics. On the other hand, each game has its own potential for grinding, NPC pathing and simulation quirks, and opportunities to be annoyed or downright frustrated at how things work. If you haven't already done so, I would recommend finding some recent YouTube videos for both games (those that focus on village building and management, as opposed to "listen to me talk and watch me run around"), before making a decision. Each game has a lot to offer, depending on what you're looking for at the moment.

[Schwift Master]

Wow 👌 I appreciate all these responses so much. Thank you everyone for the input.

[Shintai]

Sengoku will be much better. It already is in a few ways. Medieval seems to be stuck with barely any movement now and lacking a lot of things.

[The River Acis]

Originally posted by MudSnow:

LOL, you make it sound like buying a car or a house. The price of the game is practically nothing, most people wasted more time and money this week on junk food and television.
Just buy it. Try it. If you don't like it, move on.

While you're not entirely wrong, many, such as myself, try to balance their budget some and don't have the finances to spend willy-nilly.
I don't buy junk food for the same reason. That price adds up. Especially these days. Money's already tight as is, so spending 10$ on one bag of candy doesn't make sense.

When it comes to games, I tend to give myself a budget for each month, roughly at 50$.
So I try to be a little frugal with what I get. There's a lot of games out there, after all. With a game like this that are both similar to one another, it makes more sense to get one.
Which is why I swing by here, to find out people's recommendations.

Huge thanks to Winter for that, by the way. The detailed breakdown is much appreciated.

[Winter's Embers]

Originally posted by The River Acis:

Originally posted by MudSnow:

LOL, you make it sound like buying a car or a house. The price of the game is practically nothing, most people wasted more time and money this week on junk food and television.
Just buy it. Try it. If you don't like it, move on.

While you're not entirely wrong, many, such as myself, try to balance their budget some and don't have the finances to spend willy-nilly.
I don't buy junk food for the same reason. That price adds up. Especially these days. Money's already tight as is, so spending 10$ on one bag of candy doesn't make sense.

When it comes to games, I tend to give myself a budget for each month, roughly at 50$.
So I try to be a little frugal with what I get. There's a lot of games out there, after all. With a game like this that are both similar to one another, it makes more sense to get one.
Which is why I swing by here, to find out people's recommendations.

Huge thanks to Winter for that, by the way. The detailed breakdown is much appreciated.

The scary part is, since that posting, the game radically changed again, rendering some of what I said obsolete!!! There is so much more to the Needs system now, a lot less need to grind as your villagers are now more productive then ever.
Combat changed as well but only thatthere's a lot more bandits to poke with a Yari.
There are 3 new fast travel locations to make moving around even easier.
Balance has been improved immensely and the coin-based stuff has been re-thought out to be a little less grindy (told you I was wearing them down!!!)
Sure, the game isn't complete but for someone looking to purchase it right now, there's still so much in the game to keep you busy.
And it's only getting better!

[Kidnoff]

Originally posted by MudSnow:

Originally posted by Winter's Embers:

They also want to make a more informed decision rather than just act on a whim, do it, and end up pissed off with buyer's remorse. This type of question is common among those who think for themselves and value their money, time, and commitment.

LOL, you make it sound like buying a car or a house. The price of the game is practically nothing, most people wasted more time and money this week on junk food and television.
Just buy it. Try it. If you don't like it, move on.

Why everyone talk about money all the time? It's not the problem at all. What matter is TIME. I already have MD and like it. But I don't want to play 20 hours SD to know it was a complete copy/paste to Japan culture. Reading some players experience help a lot.

If your fine to buying everything blind, without reading anything, your clearly the kind of person to post bad reviews all the time because you just don't know what you buy. I can buy everything I want, I even can buy a house every damn year. But i'm limited in time. I can't play everything, so I get infos to buy and play what I really want for my taste.

IMO, judging people like you did is one of the worst aspect of humanity...