Quote Originally Posted by Skyblade View Post
I've been watching GameXplain's stream of the Japanese version of the game (no spoilers so far except for the already known basic plot info, unless you understand Japanese).

Their streamer is also a Dynasty Warriors veteran, though he apparently hasn't played the newer titles in the series. He did comment on needing greater tactical thought with regards to map control, and he did lose a battle due to the enemy capturing his main base while he was busy fighting elsewhere. So it does seem to be there to a degree, even on Normal Mode.

This also appears to be where some of the exploration comes in. The Gold Skulltulas appear to be designed a little less upon finding them (since you get a notice on the map to their general location when they appear), and a little more on forcing you to overextend or head to areas you might otherwise avoid, leaving areas that are under attack unprotected. Heart Pieces seem to be similar, as a couple were found by bypassing boss foes and capturing bases instead of proceeding with the most obvious path of action.

The game is looking to be a blast, though, and I am very much looking forward to playing it.
Perhaps the system will be more modeled on the Empires expansions of the Dynasty/Samurai Warriors games, which were more tactical and put more weight into base control rather than just "kill this general, then that general, then kill the commander and win the stage". That would be awesome.