Carp's Challenges for Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8, ver. 1.04 by Douglas Lee (douglaswlee-at-netscape-dot-net) -- 19 January 2004 These are some challenges for the game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8. It can work for either the PC or the PS2 version since both versions should have the scenarios needed for each challenge. It is particularly targetted for PS2 players since the PS2 version of RTK8 didn't come with some pre-set challenge-scenarios that were included in the PC version. I will continually add new challenges as I develop them, so check back here every now and then to see what is new! ************************************************************************ * * * Please note: I am not able to answer any emailed questions about RTK * * so please do not email me with your questions. Sorry. * * * ************************************************************************ Legal technicalities -------------------- "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" series is (c) 2002-2003 Koei Games (http://www.koeigames.com). No copyright infringement intended. This document should be found exclusively on GameFAQs.com. You may use and/or print this document for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You may NOT put this on your site or use it to make a profit. I am NOT interested in having this or any other FAQ of mine published at another website at this time. Do not distribute this document, or alter it in any shape or form. Thank you. This FAQ is copyright (c) 2003-2004 Douglas Lee. Version history --------------- v1.04 - Minor changes to spelling. v1.03 - No additions made - I am not accepting any email questions, re: RTK games. Sorry, I simply don't have the time to give personal attention to email questions about this topic, so please use the message board. v1.02 - Cleaned up some text and clarified some conditions for better readability v1.01 - Added Challenge H6 "The pretender Yuan Shu" v1.0 - Original draft The ground rules ---------------- There are some ground rules that apply to each challenge: 1. You must play as ONLY ONE CHARACTER--the character specified in each scenario. You may NOT control more than one character, or any other character than the one specified. 2. You must play in the HARD DIFFICULTY MODE. 3. You CANNOT USE ANY CHEAT CODES that allow you to have, for example, an infinite number of soldiers or infinite gold and food. You have to use the limited resources that are given to you during the course of the game. This is an integral part of the challenges. 4. Secondary objectives are NOT required to be completed unless you want to do so. Instead, they provide you with some additional goals that you may be interested in doing, if you have the time and resources to do them. Easy and hard challenges ------------------------ I have categorized the Challenges into two sets: easy and hard, based on my opinion of their level of difficulty. "Easy" challenges often have a lax time constraint or not as many primary objectives to achieve. "Hard" challenges have a more restricted time limit and/or have more primary objectives to meet. Onward! ========================= THE EASY CHALLENGES ========================== Challenge E1 - Liu Bei claims his heritage Difficulty rating: 7/10 (multiple conditions required for marriage, varied opposition) Description: Liu Bei thought himself as having a rightful member of the Imperial Han dynasty. Solidify his claim by getting him to marry Hu Ji, the Han emperor's sister. Start in any scenario before 210 AD and play as LIU BEI. This one's a bit tough since there are so many conditions that are required to be met before Emperor Xian will let you marry Hu Ji. See my general FAQ at GameFAQS.com for the conditions to meet. Your primary objective: -CAPTURE the city of where the HAN EMPEROR resides (this may be either CHANG'AN, LUOYANG, or XUCHANG, depending on which scenario you play in) -Choose to SUPPORT THE DYNASTY when asked -CONTROL at least 25 CITIES and ascend to the rank of PRINCE -MARRY HU JI (see the general FAQ at GameFAQS.com for the remaining conditions required to marry her) ** There is no time limit on this challenge. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge E2 - The rise of Cao Cao Difficulty rating: 8/10 (extreme time constraint, limited resources, decent opposition) Description: Cao Cao immediately saw Dong Zhuo as a tyrant, whose evil intentions would result in nothing but catastrophe for the country. You are to help Cao Cao begin his ambition by leaving Dong Zhuo and eradicate the tyrant. Set up: Start in 189 AD and play as CAO CAO (he's an officer under Dong Zhuo at this point). Resign quickly to become a ronin and move to the city of CHENLIU where you will declare yourself a chief and found your new faction. Your primary objective: Eradicate DONG ZHUO'S FACTION. ** You have 5 years to accomplish your primary objective. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge E3 - Gongsun Zan's "Rubicon" Difficulty rating: 7/10 (decent opposition, time constraint, limited resources) Description: In Ancient Rome, the famous military general Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River and entered the city of Rome with his army to forcibly oust the government he had once served. Similarly, you are to guide Gongsun Zan along a fierce march back to Luoyang and take the capital city. Set up: Start in 191 AD and play as GONGSUN ZAN. Your primary objectives: -Fight your way past the Yellow River and CAPTURE LUOYANG. (i.e. this is like Caesar crossing the Rubicon and entering Rome). The Yellow River is a natural border between Luoyang and the northern part of China, where you start. -You must CAPTURE BOHAI or YE, or both on the way (e.g. you can't go northwest along Ji-Jinyang-Shangdang-Luoyang or south along Pingyuan- Jinan-Puyang-Xuchang-Luoyang without capturing Bohai or Ye, or both). -You must not lose more than two cities during your campaign. ** You must complete the primary objectives within 10 years. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge E4 - Yan Baihu's ambition Difficulty rating: 7/10 (limited resources, time constraint) Description: From his lone city of Wu, Yan Baihu styled himself the "Prince of East Wu". Help him realize his ambition in pacifying the region of Jiangdong. Set up: Start in 194 AD and play as YAN BAIHU. Your primary objectives: -CONQUER the province of YANG (cities of MOLING, WU, HUIJI, CHAISANG, and POYANG) -CONQUER the province of HUAINAN (SHOUCHUN, LUJIANG, and GUANGLING) -ERADICATE YUAN SHU'S FACTION ** You have 10 years to complete the primary objectives. ** ========================= THE HARD CHALLENGES ========================== Challenge H1 - Ma Chao's revenge Difficulty rating: 9/10 (time constraint, limited resources, strong opposition) Description: After Ma Chao's father, Ma Teng, and brother, Ma Tie, were killed at the hands of Cao Cao, the fiesty warrior from the mountains declared an unquenchable thirst for revenge on Cao Cao. Help Ma Chao seek his vengeance on his family's killer. Set up: Start in 213 AD, and play as MA CHAO (he's a chief in Zhang Lu's city of Hanzhong). Either DEFEAT ZHANG LU and capture HANZHONG, or move to SHANGYONG or WUDU to begin your campaign. Your primary objectives are: -CAPTURE the provinces of LIANG (the cities of Xiping and Xiliang) and YONG (Tianshui and Chang'an), -CAPTURE the province of SILI (Hongnong and Luoyang) from CAO CAO -EXECUTE CAO CAO once he is captured Secondary objective: Execute ANY of the CAO or XIAHOU OFFICERS if you capture them--this means you can't let them go or try to recruit them. ** You must achieve your primary objectives within 10 years. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge H2 - Zhang Lu spreads to the West Difficulty rating: 8/10 (time constraint, limited resources, decent opposition, challenging layout of required cities) Description: After the demise of Ma Teng at the hands of Cao Cao, Zhang Lu sought control of the western lands. He styled himself "Prince of Hanzhong" and believed that he could easily take the province of Yi from Liu Zhang. Set up: Start in 212 AD and play as ZHANG LU. Your primary objective: -Conquer the provinces of YI, NANZHONG, LIANG, YONG, and NORTHERN JING Your secondary objectives: -In addition, conquer the province of SOUTHERN JING -In addition, control the cities of HONGNONG and LUOYANG ** You have 10 years to complete the primary objectives. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge H3 - The Rise of the Jin Difficulty rating: 10/10 (limited resources, increased probability of failure due to requirement of revolution, time constraints) Description: Wei Prime Minister Sima Zhao is on the cusp of seizing control over his emperor's empire. Help him establish the Jin empire. Set up: Start in 263 AD and play as SIMA ZHAO only. You may NOT play as Wei Emperor CAO HUAN. Your primary objectives: -Set yourself up as a NEW LIEGE; this must involve rebelling against Cao Huan (i.e. you can't simply resign and move to an unclaimed city) -Control the cities of LUOYANG, JINYANG, YE, XUCHANG, WAN, HONGNONG, CHENLIU, and SHANGDANG within 5 years of your revolt -You must control at least 20 OF THE ORIGINAL 27 WEI CITIES within 15 years of your revolt Your secondary objective: -You may, during the course of your new ambition, wage war with the Shu and/or Wu factions; if you choose to fight either of these two empires, you must capture their capital cities of CHENGDU and JIANYE ** You have no more than a total of 15 years to achieve your primary objectives. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge H4 - Lu Bu returns from exile Difficulty rating: 8/10 (initial limited resources, time constraint) Description: After killing the tyrant Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu and Wang Yun fell to the military and political machinations of Li Jue and Guo Si. Lu Bu led his band of ronin to the province of Yu. Help Lu Bu reclaim his "good name" and begin his ambition against those who failed to recognize his deeds and support him. Set up: Start in 193 AD and play as LU BU. Your primary objectives: -Set up yourself as a NEW LIEGE at the city of XUCHANG -ERADICATE the FACTIONS of LI JUE, CAO CAO, YUAN SHU, and YUAN SHAO -EXECUTE the LIEGES of these factions -CAPTURE LUOYANG Your secondary objective: -CAPTURE 25 CITIES so that you may ascend to the rank of PRINCE ** You have no more than 20 years to achieve your primary objectives. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge H5 - Yuan Tan's inheritance Difficulty rating: 9/10 (initial limited resources, time constraint) Description: When Yuan Shao died, he named his second son Yuan Shang to succeed him instead of his first son, Yuan Tan. Help Yuan Tan achieve his rightful inheritance of his father's empire. Set up: Start in 202 AD and play as YUAN TAN. Your primary objectives: -ERADICATE YUAN SHANG'S FACTION -EXECUTE YUAN SHANG -You must NOT lose any cities to CAO CAO, GONGSUN KANG, or SUN QUAN Your secondary objective: -CONQUER the city of JINAN from CAO CAO (to complete your control over the province of QING) ** You have 10 years to complete your primary objectives. ** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge H6 - The pretender Yuan Shu Difficulty rating: 10/10 (limited resources, strong opposition, time constraint) Description: Yuan Shu's ambitiousness has taken over his thoughts. With the Imperial Jade Seal in his possession, he has declared himself emperor. However, the town of Guangling is no place for an emperor--you are to guide Yuan Shu to a city worthy of an emperor. Set up: Start in 199 AD and play as YUAN SHU. Your primary objectives: -CONQUER the provinces of HUAINAN (cities of Guangling, Lujiang, and Shouchun), XU (Xiaopei and Xiapi), YAN (Chenliu and Puyang), YANG (Chaisang, Huiji, Moling, Poyang, and Wu) and YU (Runan, Qiao, and Xuchang) -DEPOSE the HAN EMPEROR at XUCHANG (you automatically do this once you capture this city) -ERADICATE LIU BEI's FACTION -EXECUTE SUN CE for betraying your trust -MOVE YUAN SHU to a city with at least 250,000 POPULATION (at the beginning of this scenario, the cities that qualify for this objective are Xuchang, Ye, Bohai, Chengdu, Changsha, Xiangyang, Jiangling, Moling, and Huiji) Your secondary objective: -ALLY yourself with YUAN SHAO -You may, if Yuan Shu dies, continue the game as YUAN YAO or YUAN YIN ** You have 20 years to complete the primary objectives. **