NA:SoI: This or Ascension?

[Flameraiser]

As per title, I've been trying to figure out whether or not I should spend my 60€ on the "base" game or Ascension.

On one hand, the reviews here are mostly positive and I didn't notice any bugs getting much attention. On the other hand, from what I've gathered Ascension should be the same game with extra features... But the reviews are full of complaints about it crashing as well as some persistent bugs that aren't getting fixed.

I also saw some conflicting information on whether or not Ascension is missing some features compared to non-Ascension.

So, anyone mind illuminating me? Does Ascension lack any features from the original? Is Ascension buggy? If not, is there any reason to by non-Ascension version over Ascension?

[Jim]

This topic is getting back like boomerang.

If youre fan of sengoku jidai period youll probably end with both of them, if you ask me SOI is perfect game as a whole - the mechanic is simpler but fits game perfectly.

The Ascesion have diffrent mechanic a little deeper in few aspects but the mechanic itself feel broken and accents are put in the worst part of the engine itself. I had fun with SOI and i was dissapointed with Ascesion - on paper the diffrences are interesting but in reality it was broken (im not talking about bugs or poor ai).

Tactical level of both games is really a placeholder - you could survive it in SOI cause battles rarely last more than 3 minutes, in ascesion battles are longer they add storming castle feature and now the worst aspect of the game is way worse.

[Flameraiser]

Thank you.

[waTTe]

I´d say buy both - SOI now and ascension later.
I do the same way, cause the price is outraging and if you care for/have limited money you need to be patient. So I`ve only played ascension till now for a free weekend.

SOI is a fine startegy game where you are playing a whole samurai clan somewhat direct mainly through its daimyo (leader) and some vassals if they exist or you create them indirectly. But although there are many clans and starting times you have a limited choice who you play.

Thats the point Ascension kicks in (as I see it mainly for fans of the genre) cause it allows you to choose any of many hundreds? 1000? samurai or invent your own and make him rise through the ranks to power as you fullfill the tasks (war, city/castle-building, other) your master throws at you and if you whish split up and found a clan of your own. At which point the game becomes pretty much SOI again.
I enjoyed the time I had with the free weekend - no bugs noticed.

[曹操]

I disagree with most of waTTe's arguments but he is right on the conclusion: Sphere of Influence first. If you like it then you can try Ascension. Or don't, the point is, buy Sphere of Influence first.

[Daimyō]

I support Mengde on this. I have over 1k hours on both games. I play Ascension far more often, but Sphere of Influence is by far the better made game. The only reason I play Ascension often is because it makes challenges / what-ifs / in-game editing somewhat easier, and more productive. It's plagued by Engrish and half-implemented mechanics and an AI that's poorer than SOI's.

At the price point, I wouln't buy Ascension. It's easily not worth the money unless you're as sociopathic as I am, and can make the game enjoyable for so long. Which isn't a given.

[Flameraiser]

Thanks for the additional opinions :)