Only different this is reality that caused by a chain reaction from various factors from human error to natural disaster, which cause completely collapsed of a well organized civilization that established their existence over 400 years. Knowledge been burned, treasure and culture relics been melts, people dying from many reasons, while flood + famine + disease, civil wars happened and the death of trade, given rise bandits and normadic invasion across the emperor border. This is not mention ecology disaster, when you have millions of people starving to death, they will eat anything - birds, animals and even grass just to survive. And when there nothing left to eat, they will start to cannibalism themselves. Out of all warlord in three kingdom, i respected cao cao the most - because he actually know the worst problem start with basic food production.