Romance of The Three Kingdoms XIV’s map showcases the territory captured and the thrill of expansion using a simplified color system – paying homage to the original Romance of The Three Kingdoms XIV, released on PC back in 1985. Everything from war to diplomatic affairs will be geared toward managing and gathering land as players attempt to spread their strategies at will across the vast China map.

In addition, RTK14 will adopt the ruler-based system from RTK9 and RTK11 in order to help return classic gameplay to the series. This means that all actions – from domestic, to political, to battle – will now take place on a single map. Greater individuality among characters will also be on display; with officers from the Three Kingdoms, like Liu Bei and Guan Yu, asserting themselves at various situations in order to fully immerse players into the game’s rich history.

But that’s not all, as a new Evolved Artificial Intelligence system is also being implemented to challenge players across repeated playthroughs. With organizations now determined through each ruler’s ideals, different game experiences are now possible via different rulers. Even within the same faction; different policies now bring with them different strategies for expansion, making the wise use of various officers a cornerstone of advanced gameplay.

The Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack is loaded with new possibilities, including trade with great Eurasian empires -- including Rome and India -- allowing for even broader strategies to unfold on a path to unify China. But that’s not all, as the expansion pack also introduces cities of foreign forces onto the map. Apart from conflicts in the central area, armies will now need to deal with intensified border clashes, upping the stakes in every skirmish.

In addition, new geographical advantages will be assigned to each province, so the strategies gamers will be able to choose from will vary dramatically depending on which provinces are conquered. For example: Conquering Qing Province expands the area you conquer, while conquering Yo Province allows you to open up trade with the nomadic tribe of the region, making the order of which province you conquer first now vitally important. 

New officer characteristics and special tactics have also been added, along with new buildings for specific topography, a calendar that enables you to reflect on previous activities in the game, and an all-new campaign entitled “War Chronicles Mode.”

Koei Tecmo and famed developer Kou Shibusawa revealed all new gameplay details – including four new Scenarios and an Event Editor – to Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV: Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack.

Some of The Three Kingdoms most epic moments are being added to the historic simulation franchise thanks to four new Scenarios, enabling gamers to play as unique warlords who were active during several stages of the time period, and depending on the forces chosen, players will be presented with completely different paths in their attempts to unify China. The four new Scenarios include “The Intentions of Two Yuans” (October 191), a story that depicts how the ambition of warlords clash after the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition collapses; “The Battle of Chibi” (October 208), the biggest turning point for Romance of the Three Kingdoms; the “Anti-Guan Yu Coalition” (July 219), where Wei and Wu join forces to prevent Guan Yu from advancing north; and “The Conquest of Liaodong” (January 238), portraying the subjugation of Gongsun Yuan, the King of Yan, by Sima Yi. And while the game portrays classic events like Sun Jian’s sudden death and Zhou Yu’s scheme to sow dissension, players will also be able to create their own striking moments with the new Event Editor. Here, players can combine backgrounds, speakers, BGM, messages, and officer images into a historic recreation all their own.

In addition, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV: Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack features all-new Officer Characteristics to help make each officer play and feel more unique. Abilities highlighted include: “Plunderer”, enabling an officer to obtain gold and supplies when enemy units are defeated; “Adamant”, which will greatly decrease attack damage from buildings; “Guard” ensures that prisoners affiliated with a base where the “Guard” officer is governor will not escape; while “Ministrant” officers are more likely to added to a coordinated attack, regardless of relationships. 

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV: Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack also features a variety of early purchase bonus items that will be available to freely download within the first two weeks from launch. The bonus scenario ‘The Fall of Shu Han’ will be available for players on all platforms, while the ‘Battle of Yiling’ scenario, originally a bonus for the release of Romance of The Three Kingdoms XIV, will be available exclusively to Switch players. Additionally, the ‘Legends of Galactic Heroes’ collaboration scenario ‘In the Middle of an Endless Dream’ and all characters of ‘Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ collaboration DLC #1 through #5 will be available as a Switch exclusive bonus. Characters excluding Reinhard and Yang will be available for two weeks after launch.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV: Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack also features a variety of early purchase bonus items that will be available to freely download within the first two weeks from launch. The bonus scenario ‘The Fall of Shu Han’ will be available for players on all platforms, while the ‘Battle of Yiling’ scenario, originally a bonus for the release of Romance of The Three Kingdoms XIV, will be available exclusively to Switch players.

The Romance of The Three Kingdoms XIV: Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack is scheduled to release for PS4, PC (Steam), and making its series debut on Nintendo Switch on February 11, 2021.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV is currently available for PS4 and PC.