Omar Bennett
In the strategy game Shogun 2, agents are individuals that aid their clans in various ways. Agents can be used to negotiate and maintain relations between rival clans, and to construct deals with other clans to facilitate increased trade, military alliances, and access through enemy territory. However, some players have criticized the diplomacy in Shogun 2 as being too fragile and arbitrary, with alliances being almost meaningless as clans can suddenly send agents to destroy your cities or attack your vassals and allies. This has led some players to question whether using agents hurts diplomacy in the game.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Difficulty of maintaining alliances | Alliances are fragile and can be broken easily, even before the "realm divide" |
| Impact of agent use | Agents can be sent to destroy cities or attack vassals and allies, but very friendly clans will not do this |
| Nature of diplomacy | Negotiation to maintain relations between rival clans, leading to increased trade, military alliances, peace treaties, etc. |
| Factors influencing diplomatic relations | Conduct of the clan, military situations, espionage |
| Trade | More likely to occur when larger and richer, but depends on how one attained that position |
| Impact of difficulty level | Higher difficulty incurs a diplomacy penalty, making it harder to secure alliances and trade |
| Types of agents | Ninjas, Geisha, Metsuke, Monks, and Generals |
| Agent functions | Assassination, sabotage, espionage, increasing army capabilities, improving tax income, etc. |
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What You'll Learn
Agents are a gameplay mechanic in Shogun 2
There are several types of agents in Shogun 2, each with unique abilities:
- Ninjas: Recruited from Sake Dens, ninjas can assassinate other agents, sabotage buildings and armies, increase the line of sight and movement speed of their assigned armies, detect enemies, and improve province surveillance.
- Geisha: Recruited from Infamous Mizu Shobai Districts, geisha are highly skilled assassins.
- Metsuke: Trained in markets, Metsuke can bribe armies to join their clan, detect enemy ninjas, oversee armies and towns (increasing loyalty and reducing corruption), and capture enemy agents.
- Monks: Monks are trained in Buddhist temples by Buddhist factions. They boost the happiness of castle towns, convert or confuse other agents, spread Buddhism among the local population, demoralize enemy armies, and incite regions.
- Generals: Generals are units that can gain both battle experience and agent experience. They lead armies and navies and can be killed in battle.
In Shogun 2, agents play a crucial role in diplomacy, which is the art of negotiation between rival clans. Diplomacy allows clans to form alliances, increase trade, secure peace treaties, and manage relations to delay the descent into hostilities. However, as players progress and gain more power, diplomacy becomes more challenging, and other clans may become hostile or betray alliances.
Some players have expressed frustration with the diplomacy system in Shogun 2, finding it arbitrary and unpredictable. The use of agents can further complicate diplomacy, as even friendly clans may send agents to sabotage your efforts. As a result, some players choose to disable agents or minimize their use to streamline the gameplay and reduce the complexity introduced by agent management.
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Agents can be used to establish trade agreements
In Total War: Shogun 2, agents are a gameplay mechanic where individuals aid their clans in various ways. Agents can be recruited from different places and have different abilities. For example, ninjas can be recruited from Sake Dens to assassinate other agents, sabotage buildings, and armies, and detect enemy agents. Metsuke, on the other hand, can be trained from markets to detect enemy ninja, oversee armies, and increase tax income by reducing corruption.
While agents can be used for various purposes, their impact on diplomacy and trade agreements is a common concern among players. Some players argue that the AI is designed to eventually turn against the player, leading to broken trade agreements and strained diplomatic relations. This can be frustrating, as players might invest resources into establishing these agreements only to have them broken shortly after.
However, agents themselves may not be the primary cause of these issues. The fragile and ruthless nature of diplomacy in Shogun 2 suggests that alliances are meant to lead towards a breaking point. Players have observed that even clans that like them may send agents to destroy their cities or attack their vassals and allies. This inherent instability in relationships means that players must be cautious and strategic in their use of agents and diplomacy.
Despite the challenges, agents can still play a role in establishing and maintaining trade agreements. Metsuke agents, for instance, can help boost tax revenue and improve diplomatic relations. Additionally, players can use agents to establish spy networks, gather information, and influence other clans. By leveraging the skills of different agents, players can navigate the complex diplomatic landscape and work towards securing favourable trade agreements.
Overall, while agents may not be the sole factor influencing diplomacy and trade in Shogun 2, they remain a valuable tool for players to negotiate and maintain advantageous relationships with other clans.
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Agents can be sent to destroy cities
In Total War: Shogun 2, agents are individuals that aid their clans in various ways. They can be sent to destroy cities, but this can have negative consequences for diplomacy. While agents can be powerful tools, they can also be a source of frustration for players, as they can easily disrupt alliances and lead to betrayals.
There are several types of agents in Shogun 2, each with unique abilities and roles. For example, the Ninja can be recruited from Sake Dens and can assassinate other agents, sabotage buildings and armies, increase the line of sight and movement speed of their armies, and detect enemy agents and armies. Geisha, recruited from Infamous Mizu Shobai Districts, are highly skilled assassins. Metsuke, trained in markets, can act as secret policemen, ensuring loyalty and obedience from friendly generals, detecting and apprehending enemy agents, and reducing the success rate of Ninja actions. Monks, trained in Buddhist temples, can raise the happiness of castle towns, convert or perplex other agents, convert the local population to Buddhism, and demoralize enemy armies.
Agents gain experience and level up by performing actions, and they can use skill points gained from levelling up to improve their chances of success. They can also be embedded into armies and castle towns to provide various benefits, although their effectiveness diminishes with each additional agent.
While agents can be powerful tools for disrupting enemy forces and gaining an advantage, they can also be a nuisance, especially when used by the AI. Players may find themselves having to deal with multiple enemy agents burning buildings and killing generals, leading to frustration and a desire to remove agents from the game entirely. However, others argue that learning to use agents effectively is key, and recruiting agents early and gaining experience can give players an edge against enemy clans.
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Agents can be used to increase tax income
In Total War: Shogun 2, agents are a gameplay mechanic where individuals aid their clans in various ways. One of the agent types, Metsuke, can be used to increase tax income. Metsuke are trained in markets and can oversee towns to increase their tax income by reducing corruption.
While Metsuke can help increase tax income, it is important to note that raising taxes in Shogun 2 can have negative consequences. Increasing taxes can lead to lower public order and cause unhappiness among the populace. An unhappy city may rebel after two turns of increased taxes, as mentioned by players. This can lead to negative economic growth and even a shrinking city economy. Therefore, players need to carefully consider the potential drawbacks when utilizing Metsuke to increase tax income.
To avoid the negative consequences of high taxes, some players suggest a strategy of raising taxes for one turn and then lowering them in the next turn to prevent revolt. This approach balances the need for increased tax income with maintaining public order and avoiding rebellions. However, some players consider this strategy "gamey" and prefer to find alternative solutions when facing financial difficulties.
In addition to Metsuke, other agents in Shogun 2 can also impact a clan's economic situation. For example, Geisha, recruited from Infamous Mizu Shobai Districts, can be used for assassination. They can help eliminate potential threats to economic stability within the clan. Overall, while agents like Metsuke can be used to increase tax income, players must also consider the potential drawbacks of high taxes and explore alternative strategies to maintain a thriving economy.
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Agents can be used to oversee armies
In the Total War strategy game Shogun 2, agents are a gameplay mechanic that can be used to aid clans in various ways. Agents move around the world map like armies and gain experience by performing actions, levelling up after gaining sufficient experience.
Metsuke agents, trained in markets, can oversee armies they are attached to, raising general loyalty and reducing the risk of the army being bribed. They can also bribe other armies to join the player's clan, detect enemy ninja, oversee towns, and apprehend enemy agents.
Ninja agents, recruited from sake dens, can also be used to oversee armies. They can increase the line of sight and movement speed of armies, detect enemy agents and armies, and prevent army demoralisation.
Monks, trained in Buddhist temples, can be used to demoralize enemy armies.
Shogun 2 also features generals as agents who lead armies and gain battle experience.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, using agents can hurt diplomacy in Shogun 2. Diplomacy in Shogun 2 is a fragile and ruthless system, and while friendly clans rarely send agents to destroy your cities, using agents can lead to retaliation and a breakdown of alliances.
If your diplomatic relations are characterised as "unfriendly" or "hostile", your agent may be hurting your diplomacy. Additionally, if your trade agreements are constantly being rejected, it could be a sign that your agents are having a negative impact.
To improve diplomacy in Shogun 2 without relying on agents, it is recommended to play on Medium or Hard difficulty settings. Higher difficulty settings incur a diplomacy penalty, making it harder to form alliances and secure trade agreements. Additionally, focus on managing your economy well and maintaining positive relationships with other clans to avoid becoming an "enemy of the state".
