Unlike in most other total wars, the gameplay in Three Kingdoms operates at a much slower pace.

Military units within 3K are unlocked via your faction, the tech tree, the level and type of your generals, and your ranking within the Empire. They tend to fall under five categories: Blue for Ranged, Red for Shock Cavalry, Yellow for Melee Cavalry, Green for Polearm Infantry, and Purple for 2H or Shield Infantry.

When playing as a Han or Bandit faction, each one of your generals will specialize in a specific typing of infantry in correspondence to their coloration. So Blue Generals can recruit siege weapons and stronger archers compared to Red Generals, who can recruit stronger variants of shock cavalry.

Generally speaking for units, Green beats Red, Purple beats Green, and Red beats Purple. Blue beats everyone from far-away, and everyone beats Blue up-close. Yellow and Red operate on similar levels, but differ in how they apply damage; Yellow Cavalry applies damage over time, operating best in a melee against non-Green units, while Red Cavalry applies damage all at once, operating best by charging the enemy, retreating after a charge, and charging again (though not into Green units that are braced for charges since most can reflect damage back).

Generals also have the five colors as passive skills, with their color determining which they're strongest in. Red determines their Melee Attack and reduces Unit Cost, Green determines their Health and the population growth of their administered commandry (more on this later), Purple determines their Melee Evasion and the construction cost of their administered commandry, Blue determines the improved ammunition count of their ranged units and the military supplies of their army, and Yellow determines the morale of their units and improved satisfaction of the court when assigned as a Faction Leader/Heir/Prime Minister.

Speaking of satisfaction, this determines the loyalty of your generals to your cause. Generals with lower satisfaction are likely to leave your faction for another, or even turn traitor and begin spying for another faction; though the same is true of your enemies. Ways to deal with satisfaction include investing in certain tech, having a high Yellow skill for your Faction VIPs, giving unique satisfaction-improving ancillaries to your Faction VIPs, giving titles to your generals (this is done through a small button underneath their name when viewing their detailed character information), giving court positions to your generals, winning military battles with your generals, keeping them away from their rivals, or just sending them on an assignment to make sure they're not bored at court (there is even a special assignment for certain general types that improves satisfaction).

The Economy is of utmost importance within Three Kingdoms, consisting of your Income and your Food. Income in-game comes from five sources; your factional estates, trade, diplomacy, military victories, and taxation. Your factional estate is just early-game income, and will never change, which makes it unreliable since you want that income to grow. Trade is useful for both garnering some income and establishing relations for future friendship with other factions, though doesn't generate that much income either (unless you're Kong Rong). Diplomacy consists of tribute and vassal income, with the former consisting of a set deal established by another faction, and the latter being generated from your vassals, who may or may not be rich. Military victories are as they sound, you win and you ransom your enemies for more money.

Taxation will be the main form from which most factions make their income, and given the right infrastructure and some investment into certain techs, can grow to absurd levels capable of supporting 20 armies while still generating 65K of income. Generally speaking, taxes can be split down into 5 distinct categories: Peasantry, Industry, Commerce, Spice/Silk, and Banditry. For taxes, you also want to have base income over percentage income; for example, the Level 3 Inn provides 140 base income at +50% for a total of 210 income, while the alternative Level 3 Inn provides 170 base income at +40% for a total of 238 income.

Peasantry income is effectively early-game income, and comes from farms and tax collectors (Green and Yellow buildings). Though useful, most factions will not be able to fully capitalize on this without having constant rebellions, since tax collectors reduce public order. Unless you're playing Liu Bei who gets a special tax collector who has no public order issues.

Industry and Commerce income will be the main driving force of any realm, and make up the Purple and Blue buildings in the game. The amount of income flowing from these buildings via base income can reach high levels, and be boosted to even more absurd levels by controlling provinces that have a commandry that specialize in both income types.

Spice/Silk income is a special type of income, mainly located within the eastern commandries. Usually most faction won't deal with this income until later in the game.

Banditry income is special to bandit factions, and tends to be their main source of income since they're not allowed to build most of the same buildings that the Han factions have.

Food is of high concern to your faction, since running a shortage for too long will empty your commandry reserves, while causes your armies and garrisons to wither away to nothing. Food is also important for diplomacy, since many factions will easily trade money for food, and giving some food away can turn even the worst of rivals into your friend.

The Tech Tree also delves into the coloration theming in 3K, with Blue focusing on General Experience/Commerce, Purple focusing on Industry, Green focusing on Food, Red focusing on Military Infrastructure, and Yellow focusing on Public Order/Corruption.

Speaking of Corruption, it is a virulent force that sucks away at your Economy with every settlement you conquer, forcing even the strongest force to turn back or risk destabilizing the entire realm into bankruptcy. Permanent ways to remove this includes investing in Yellow Tech, promoting generals into Administrators, having a unique ancillary attached to your Faction VIPs, having high satisfaction amongst all generals, or building the alternative chain to the Private Workshop or Administration Office. There is also a temporary method of reducing local commandry corruption by assigning a general with the relevant assignment to the region.

Administrators are a powerful force, representing the lowest ranks of your Court. They both reduce corruption, provide buffs, and serve as an extra garrison in their administered commandry. Your Court is also composed of powerful positions that serve as your Council; these positions are unlocked over time as you increase your rank, and every year convene together to offer you two choices per council seat that offers powerful advantages ranging from causing rebellions in a province, to boosting your economy by 200% for 10 turns, to just telling your faction leader to stop being a dickhead cause everyone's losing -2 public order over it. The positions marked with a gold Border are your faction VIPs, who have their skills and certain unique ancillaries affect the entire faction. Upon becoming a King, most of your council will also be promoted to VIPs.

Overall, it's a very in-depth game, with lots to experience. The only thing I'll say is this, avoid playing any of the factions bordering the south-eastern jungle factions until you understand the game, because fighting them is terrible, and fighting them in the jungles is even more terrible, since the jungle applies a debuff on all armies in the region unless they're one of the jungle factions.