ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV Maps & Locations Guide: Every Area Covered

Q: Is ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV in English?

Yes. The Steam release went live on 15 January 2020 with Japanese, Korean and Chinese support, and Koei Tecmo added English on 28 February 2020. The store page now lists English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

Q: How big is the map?

It covers 46 cities and roughly 340 regions across Han China, with more than 1,000 named officers carrying over 150 distinct traits between them.

Q: Do I need the Diplomacy and Strategy Expansion Pack?

Not to play, but it adds War Chronicles mode with five short scenarios: the Anti Dong Zhuo Coalition, the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Chibi, the Battle for Jing Province and the Battle for Wuzhang Plains. They are far shorter than a full campaign, which makes them good for learning the systems.

Q: Which scenario should a first time player pick?

One of the later scenarios where the map has already consolidated, such as the 227 Chu Shi Biao start. Fewer independent forces means fewer simultaneous borders to manage while you learn supply lines and formations.

Q: What actually decides a battle?

Formation, terrain, supply line integrity and officer tactics, roughly in that order. Troop numbers matter, but a supplied Ring formation on a pass regularly beats a larger force that marched in on a cut supply route.

Complete ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV maps and locations guide. Every area with difficulty, rewards, progression order, and what to do in each zone.

EarlyGuides Editorial Team

Researched and editorially reviewed. Updated August 12, 2026.

Koei Tecmo put the fourteenth entry on Steam on 15 January 2020 and added English language support on 28 February that year. The map covers 46 cities and roughly 340 regions of Han China, and territory is tracked by painting individual hexes in your faction colour, which is simultaneously how income, ownership and supply are calculated. More than 1,000 named officers carry over 150 different traits between them.

ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XIV features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.

Area Progression Order

Order	Location	Difficulty	Key Rewards	Recommended Build
1	Luoyang	Contested from the 184 Yellow Turban scenario onward	Central position, high income, and legitimacy for a ruler chasing higher court rank	Liu Bei
2	Chang'an	Key in the 190 anti Dong Zhuo period	A defensible capital and a staging point for campaigns into Liang and Yi Province	Liu Bei
3	Chengdu	Central from the 214 period through the 227 Chu Shi Biao scenario	Strong agricultural income, mountain defence, and a base for northern campaigns via Hanzhong	Cao Cao
4	Jianye	Central from the 208 Chibi period onward	Naval dominance on the Yangtze and a secure base for pushing west into Jing Province	Cao Cao
5	Xiangyang	Contested in every scenario from 200 onward	Access to Jing Province officers and a forward position against two neighbours at the same time	Cao Cao

Luoyang: Starting Area

The Han capital in Sili, sitting at the junction of the routes east to the plains and west to Chang'an. Whoever holds it controls the centre of the map and inherits every border problem that comes with it.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Contested from the 184 Yellow Turban scenario onward
Key Rewards	Central position, high income, and legitimacy for a ruler chasing higher court rank
Recommended Build	Liu Bei
Key Equipment	Crane Formation

What to Do Here

Learn the basics of Hex painting and region control. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
Clear all main content before moving to Chang'an.
If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.

Chang'an: Early Game

The western anchor of Sili, reached through defensible approaches that make it awkward to attack and awkward to leave. Dong Zhuo moved the court here, and factions holding the west treat it as their gateway east.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Key in the 190 anti Dong Zhuo period
Key Rewards	A defensible capital and a staging point for campaigns into Liang and Yi Province
Recommended Build	Liu Bei
Key Equipment	Crane Formation

What to Do Here

Focus on mastering Supply lines from the origin city. It's critical from this point on.
Farm for Crane Formation if you don't have it yet.
Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
Prepare for the difficulty spike in Chengdu.

Chengdu: Mid Game

The seat of Yi Province, ringed by mountains that funnel any invasion into a handful of passes. It is the safest capital on the map and the slowest one to expand out of.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Central from the 214 period through the 227 Chu Shi Biao scenario
Key Rewards	Strong agricultural income, mountain defence, and a base for northern campaigns via Hanzhong
Recommended Build	Cao Cao
Key Equipment	Crane Formation

What to Do Here

This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
Fish Formation becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
Master Thirteen formations and unit types for the boss encounters.
Check our boss guide if you get stuck.

Jianye: Late Game

The Wu capital on the lower Yangtze, defended by the river more than by its walls. Naval formations deployed from here can reach most of the southeast faster than a land army can march half that distance.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Central from the 208 Chibi period onward
Key Rewards	Naval dominance on the Yangtze and a secure base for pushing west into Jing Province
Recommended Build	Cao Cao
Key Equipment	Fish Formation

What to Do Here

Full build optimization is expected by this point.
Fish Formation should be your primary, fully upgraded.
Diplomacy, plots and submission mastery starts mattering here.
Farm resources for the push into Xiangyang.

Xiangyang: Endgame

The hinge of Jing Province, wanted by every one of the three major powers because it opens routes north, east and west at once. Expect it to change hands more often than any other city in a long campaign.

Attribute	Detail
Difficulty	Contested in every scenario from 200 onward
Key Rewards	Access to Jing Province officers and a forward position against two neighbours at the same time
Recommended Build	Cao Cao
Key Equipment	Fish Formation

What to Do Here

This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
Experiment with Yuan Shao for variety once you've mastered the meta.

Exploration Tips

Clear areas in order: Luoyang → Chang'an → Chengdu → Jianye → Xiangyang. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.

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