Which modes to play?

[MikeSugs]

I haven't played this game since DW3 and it seems like there's a crazy amount of content now. I've gone through the Wei campaign on normal so far and I was wondering which mode should I move on to.

Any tips?

[Jeffer'son Airship]

It really depends on what you want to do. I find Ambition Mode the best for levelling up characters and getting gear early on.

[Everybody do the flop]

I'm laying through the Story Modes first. Then I'll get the 5th weapons and maybe get the unique and 6th weapons, then do Ambition Mode.

[RiO]

Originally posted by Dolt Moki:

It really depends on what you want to do. I find Ambition Mode the best for levelling up characters and getting gear early on.

The best for leveling up characters early on is the story mode, played on normal difficulty.
Gets more or less everyone a big boost in levels when story mode auto-levels characters for you.

[Clever Cloaks]

You can really play them in any order, or just alternate between modes whenever you like.
My preferred route is Story Mode>Ambition Mode>Free Mode, but I'll just go over your options.

You know what Story Mode is already, but be sure to unlock the Hypothetical routes through fulfilling the Star Requirements. They constitute a whole third of the Storylines.

Free Mode is basically what it always was: play through Story Mode stages with any character, animal, or bodyguard. In addition, now you can play stages from the opposing perspective. For example, Wei's story does not feature the Battle of Hefei Castle, but you can play that battle from their perspective once you've beaten Wu's side. You could even play Chengdu with Liu Zhang's forces. This is valid for most stages. Also, Free Mode is where you play DLC stages.

Ambition Mode is pretty much the whole other half of the game. You pretty much start out with a character of choice in your base, which you have to build using materials you will have found in battle. Some aspects of it are pretty critical, like the Blacksmith which allows you to forge your own weapons (petty much to create overpowered ones, so you could play through Ultimate mode). Ambition Mode also allows you to recruit bodyguards (who have their own skills, such as fire attacks and ambushes) for use in itself and in Free Mode.

Challenge Mode is just a series of, well... challenges. Like, beating as many peons as possible before time runs out, defeat as many officers before dying... etc etc.

[Everybody do the flop]

So the DLC stages have the battles you unlock through story mode which aren't in story mode for a certain faction? Or do you get it right away when you buy the stages DLC?

[Clever Cloaks]

Originally posted by Everybody do the flop:

So the DLC stages have the battles you unlock through story mode which aren't in story mode for a certain faction? Or do you get it right away when you buy the stages DLC?

Whoops. Sorry, the wasn't worded perfectly. No, the DLC stages have no relation to extra "opposite perspective" stages you unlock in story mode.

[Jeffer'son Airship]

The DLC stages are played seperately and only in free mode.

[Everybody do the flop]

How do you get the opposite perspective stages and where are they? Do they have their own timeline?

[Clever Cloaks]

Originally posted by Everybody do the flop:

How do you get the opposite perspective stages and where are they? Do they have their own timeline?

While selecting stages:
-If you sort them by Kingdom names, when you pick the stage on the timeline, you'll be given the option to choose which side you're on (i.e. If you pick the Battle of Xiangyang, it'll offer you the choice between Sun Jian's Forces and Liu Biao's)
-If you sort them by Battlefield names, they'll be on the latter portion of the list.

These stages (at least the XL ones) also count towards the appropriate achievements.

[Lazy Lizardman]

Like some said before Story mode is best played first since this will automaticly level up other officers so when you go on other modes many will be at least level 20 or more. As for which to do in order I would suggest...

Shu -> Wu/Wei -> Jin -> Lu Bu -> Others

Reason for Shu first for me is they start off with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which has always been the stapled first stages in past DW games, and also most of thier beginning levels timeline start before the others.

Next either Wu or Wei are good though best with Wu since they were allied with Shu more, but both kind of are even on timeline.

Jin should be last since that story takes place after the other three, so a bit from the other stories will be spoiled.

Lu Bu is technically a expansion campaign even though his timeline is around Shu's beginning. But he was always considered a bad guy so it's mostly a "other-side" story. And course Others are mini stories and What Ifs.


Ambition and Free modes really go hand in hand as well but you will be spending most of your time after Story, but after you beat Story and gotten all stars and paths, many characters will be ready.

[str00dle]

What I did was Wei campaign, Ambition mode (100%) and then the rest of the campaigns on a higher difficulty.

[Smokey]

Start with Story mode to easy & fast level up your characters and get weapons
then after you can play Ambition mode or Free mode

ps. If this is your first playthrough then i recommend you play on beginner or easy, since you have no weapons or skills & probaly need to learn how the game plays

[MikeSugs]

Meh, thanks for your help. I'm getting kind of bored already. All the modes are essentially the same, just with varying lengths of battles.

[iie-kyo]

Ambition Mode is probably the most fun. The endgame things you unlock in Ambition Mode will help you quickly level up characters to skip past the "boring" parts (so you can level your characters up to where they can use all musous and ex attacks immediately) and it'll also let you get the Weapon Fusion option (similar to the Weapon Fusion from Warriors Orochi).

[str00dle]

Originally posted by MikeSugs:

Meh, thanks for your help. I'm getting kind of bored already. All the modes are essentially the same, just with varying lengths of battles.

Yeah, the game defo' ain't for everyone. Glad you asked people on the discussions, though, it seems like you tried to get into it unlike some people who trash the game before even trying it.