79% | Mostly Positive
79% of the 1211 user reviews on Steam are positive.
We are the poor and the oppressed. We are the common-folk; the farmers and the soldiers; the Han Dynasty’s forgotten multitude. Oh Emperor, we are your people.
And yet you languish in the imperial palace, eunuchs and nobles whispering falsehoods in your ear. You do their bidding. You are their puppet. Even as we starve, you tax us ever harder, that they may continue to live in luxury.
When we rose in opposition, you slaughtered us in our millions. Many more were slain by your agents on suspicion alone. It is clear to us now: you have lost the Mandate of Heaven.
We are the poor and the oppressed. But we are also the many. We are the very backbone of China. We wear the yellow turban with pride. And we bring great change.
The Blue Sky is dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise.
In the year of Jiazi, there will be prosperity under Heaven!
The Yellow Turbans were a rebel movement of the common people, founded on spiritual beliefs. Tired of oppression, starvation and injustice at the hands of the Han Dynasty, they rose up against the corrupt nobility. Prior to the start of this campaign, a massive Yellow Turban rebellion had swept through China led by the Zhang brothers, who used Taoist divination to predict the fall of the Han dynasty. However, this initial rebellion was ruthlessly crushed and millions of civilians suspected of being sympathisers were slaughtered without mercy. As the campaign begins, the Zhang brothers are already dead, and only three significant enclaves of Yellow Turbans remain. Playing as one of these factions, you can change history, rekindling the movement and uniting China under a rightful, virtuous and just Emperor.
The Yellow Turbans’ beliefs blend Taoism and shamanistic principles, and these spiritual aspects are a recurring theme throughout their faction gameplay. Many of their features relate to the three Taoist domains of Land, People and Heaven, or the Three Treasures (or virtues) of Taoism: Frugality, Compassion, and Humility.
Reflecting these concepts, the playable Yellow Turban factions are led by the characters He Yi (People), Gong Du (Land) and Huang Shao (Heaven). Each has their own playstyle and unique bonuses.
Yellow Turban factions construct a mix of adapted Han buildings and their own unique structures. Their technology tree is divided into three scrolls from the Book of Great Peace, each of which references the three Taoist domains and contains verses of Taoist scripture. It is structurally and mechanically very different from the default tech trees used by other factions.
Playable Yellow Turban factions improve their Faction Rank as their campaigns progress. These represent the journey to enlightenment, the achievement of The Great Peace, regaining the Mandate of Heaven, and appointing a just Emperor. Progression requires the player to study the verses in the Book of Great Peace, construct religious building in their settlements and improve the virtuous characteristics of the characters under their control.
The Yellow Turbans have three playable heroes representing their factions. Each has their own playstyle, unique building chain and faction bonuses:
Representing the domain of People, He Yi espouses Compassion. He fields veteran Yellow Turban warriors and strong berserkers in battle, and has access to the Healer’s Lodge unique building chain, a multifunctional building boosting population growth and replenishment and generating a small income from the sale of medicine.
Representing the domain of Land, Gong Du espouses frugality. He fields former soldiers, guardsmen and converted nobles in battle and can build the unique Hidden Fort building chain that helps supply the Yellow Turban armies and increases the amount of spoils they can carry off after a battle.
Representing the domain of Heaven, Huang Shao espouses Humility. He fields religious fanatics, spiritual martial artists and scholars in battle, and can build the Gardens unique building, a tranquil place that helps keep both the people and the characters under Huang Shao’s control happy.
Windows
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