Sphere BORING- don't buy. Stick with Iron Triangle.

[ninevince]

I bought this game a few months ago. I'm at 117 hours of play. I admire KOEI's signature data-style management games. My only other Nobunaga game I've played, and still like a lot is Iron Triangle. NAIT has some flaws. But NASOI is very lackluster. It's adjustable AI difficulty doesn't make much difference either.

I'm sorry to say that NASOA is boring. One of the stronger points of NAIT is clearer officer skill development, and tech trees. Remember why playing Dungeons and Dragons was so fun? It was because you can lovingly experience the clear growth of your character. There's none of that satisfaction in NASOI. Officers get traits for free as they age. You can read the vague meanings of so many bewildering traits, then ask yourself, "Oh ok. is that supposed to be fun?"

In NAIT, every day can matter, and each calandar quarter deadline has strategic and economic significance. In NASOI there is the monthly conference which is a passive summary of finances and status notes. Then you basically click your way through economic (must do), diplomatic (do some), and military commands. Then you unfreeze time, and the month flies by in 99% of the time you play this game. Then repeat. Then repeat again, and again.

Combat seems so meaningless and therefore boring. If you have greater numbers, then just attack. I want to say if you're outnumbered, you should go to the close up combat view, but sadly, that too doesn't make much of a difference.

Some aspects in NASOI is more expanded and viable than NAIT. For example, the process of enticing officers is more detailed and possible in NASOI. But in NASOI there are unwelcome restrictions also, such as each Officer can only have a totally arbitrary limit of 1 treasure item. In NAIT, there is no limit, and with the ability to raise or freeze stipend levels, we can strategically manipulate Officer loyalties in NAIT in a fun way.

NASOA has more cut scenes and historical narratives per clan than NAIT. If you're a Sengoku buff, you will like it a bit. NASOA has many Japanese manga stlye cut scenes (character sprites imposed over backgrounds), and some animation scenes for important events. These animation scenes dont match well in tone or form with the stiff cut scenes. If you played other NA games before, NASOA recycles a lot of their generic artwork.

Both games fall off a cliff in playability when you own a large number of provinces. NASOI gets boring and burdensome, and NAIT gets oppressive and painful.

Regarding learning curve: I recommend you buy (and enjoy) the older Nobunaga's Ambition Iron Triangle first. You will then understand NASOI easier. But I don't recommend buying NASOI in the first place.

Thanks to NASOI, I would be extremely cautious on my next NA franchise game. Its developers need to sit down and talk to real players and see what they think about the direction that NA is going.

[Delacourt '27]

Thanks for your wall of text. I see one problem, well several, but the MAIN problem is that you are on the wrong board. This is NASOI, not NASIOA, or as you put it NASOA.

I didn't play NAIT because NARTP ruined the NA on PS2 for me. It didn't allow me execute disloyal officers without penalty. NASOI allow me to execute to my content.

And another problem is there is not English version of anything earlier then NASIO on steam.

Oh, also if NAIT has officer play, then its even worse then NARTP for me, ROTK 10 ruined the KOEI RPG play for for me. NASOI is daimyo play.

[Gray Riders]

Originally posted by Delacourt '27:

Oh, also if NAIT has officer play, then its even worse then NARTP for me

It does not. Iron Triangle is Daimyo play.

[Delacourt '27]

Never mind then. I thought it was due to the op's description. But the rest of my response to the OP still applies.

Originally posted by ninevince:

Thanks to NASOA, I would be extremely cautious on my next NA franchise game. Its developers need to sit down and talk to real players and see what they think about the direction that NA is going.

Next one is already out, NA Taishi, it's even worse then NASOI, maybe even more then NASOIA. Check it out on steam or youtube for video.

[ninevince]

Yes, sorry. I meant NASOI. I corrected hopefully every instance of NASOA to NASOI.

I would also like to rate these games. I would give NAIT a 6/10. But I still play it to this day. NASOI I give a 3/10. However, when you compare NAIT to NASOA, and the relative fun factor within the NA franchise, I give NAIT a 7/10.