Pretty soon we're going to have more of these games than The Land Before Time movies.

THAT is a feat.

Maggie, seeing someone--anyone--who isn't my parents or myself be versed in Chinese literature is utterly terrifying to me, let alone someone who presumably isn't Chinese. What exactly do you do, anyway?

I'm still playing RotK8. There's a XI now? Man, where have I been?

Hey, for $20, that's a sweet deal! I remember driving 30 miles to the Best Buy that actually had RotTK 8 in stock.... =D

Thanks for letting us know, Maggie!! ^_^

@Gunhaver: Check this link out-- [www.threekingdoms.com]

It's a wonderful read. During this era of Ancient China (AD 150 - AD 250) some brilliant and capable men and women came forth.

I imagine that after reading this, you'll appreciate Chinese period films more ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" to name one). I know I did. ;)

Personally, I'd strongly recommend RotkX over RotKXI. 11 felt like a huge step down from 10. 10 had an amazing art style and good combat system, and they kinda ruined those things in 11. Eww 3D.

I'll have to check out this Records of the Grand Historian now.

@Gunhaver: I'm getting my PhD in modern Chinese history, but I have an affinity for literature (started out my academic career as a classicist with a specialty in 1st century BC Roman lyric poetry). My research project next year is going to be on poetry in the late Qing/Republican period. Part of the fun of having to learn a bunch of Asiatic languages is being able to read the good stuff in the originals. :)

@Furious_Liver: The Records .../史記 is one of my favorites. Has a lot of great (and famous) stories in it. I don't have a copy in English, so sadly cannot recommend a translation to check out.

Sure beats that half-arsed translation patch.

After the Nuclear Winter there will only be 3 things left standing:

Cockroaches

Cher

and KOEI

Oh hell yes! I didn't pick up the ps2 version because I was disappointed with RTK 10 but I played RTK 11 at a friends house and loved it. Its a good thing I waited though - $20 for the superior version - **** yea! Well I am assuming it comes with the PC extras. I don't see why it wouldn't.

Maybe I'll check this Records text a few years into my Chinese Studies degree :P Or during my year in China that starts in August, if I'm feeling brave

Pity the Chinese ignore Mac gaming, I quite liked the old versions of Rot3K I played back in the day.

@Gunhaver: I had the notion that she was raised in Korea?.

Sam Gook Jee is the only strategy game that Koreans play and absolutely love. I for one, could not get into the game.

Then again, I am the only Korean that shuns Starcraft.

@Fyren: I was born in Seoul (my father was stationed in Chuncheon), but we came back to the US before I was old enough to appreciate it, but I will hopefully be doing a Korea-related topic for my dissertation. I really wanted to go into Korean history instead, but it's very hard to do in the US - not many programs or support unless you land at the right place as an undergrad (which I did not).

@Pombar: Many texts include a baihua translation and/or notes. I have the ones that have notes in the margins so you aren't just wading through guwen with no guide. I can't fathom a classical Chinese class that didn't use passages from the 史記.

All I can say is..."Sigh." Is this game different from Dynasty Warriors? This game is like DB games for Atari.

It's the same story and characters over and over again.

Has anything actually changed in the series since RotTK 2?

@Lainface: What. Dynasty Warriors is hack and slash, ROTTK is strategy.

I loved the first one on NES playing it for hours on end one day. Then I missed II-X. I should try this one if it isn't horribly complicated by now.

Cool. Can't wait. The last ROTK I played was, I think, IV on the SNES.

Yesss

@cantbeatmegaman: Haha, me too.

I will definitely pick this one up... if I remember.

Arg, same day as SCIV!

Sold. I've been struggling with the Japanese PC version forever. I never thought this would see a western release. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

@SPENCERG: In Chinese, we've got a saying that goes 班门弄斧--selling axes to Lu Ban (legendary carpenter who supposedly invented the saw). Ponder that for a while.

And for the record: a rough estimate puts more than 60% of RotK in the realm of fiction (total bullshit), including most of the sensational stories like Zhao Yun singlehandedly slaughtering Wei troops at Changban, or just about all the stories involving Zhuge Liang (except for the wooden ox cart and the Cho ko Nu, designs for which survive to this day).

(Zhao Yun is my favorite character.)

@Gunhaver: Oops! I misread your original post! ^^;; For some reason I read it saying something like "seeing someone--anyone--be versed in Chinese literature is utterly terrifying to me..." and totally flew by that part where you said that you and your parents were well versed in Chinese literature...

Sorry mate!

@SPENCERG: WARNING: The book, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is in fact the longest book ever written. FACT.

href="#c5397572">Narsil:
It is long, but there are longer books. Also, keep in mind that it's hard to judge what the longest book is due to differing languages and character sets.

For $20, I think this is a good deal. I've always wanted to try out a RotTK game.

@Narsil: Mmm, no. Dream of the Red Chamber is generally accepted as being 'one of the longest,' and Romance of the Three Kingdoms doesn't even come close. There's a 19th century novel that's over four times the length of Romance.

English translations are certainly lengthy, but wenyan is frequently very compact. Takes a lot more English words to convey the meaning of the characters ....

@Maggie Greene: Apparently my "idea" wasn't so original after all...Harsh reality sets in.

[kotaku.com]

Yes!

wow, $20 is a bargain compare to the $50 price tag one would pay for the Chinese import version.