This game will reward the patient.
Admittedly, I almost gave up on the game right then, but I did like the visuals so I decided to invest more time into it to try figure things out. It took some trial-and-error but after a while things just clicked.
The concept of the game is rather simple: you hire commanders (you start out with some, and the rest you convince after fighting them in battle) and fight using them. Each commands 29 troops, for a total of 30 per side per battle. Everything happens in a world map, where there are towns, castles, caves, just to name a few. Although that is the case, they are still only points on the map, and there are certain number of grids in between all points of interest, and characters can only travel 5 per turn, for example. When commanders of opposing forces meet up in the same grid space, a battle ensues. Also, there are random battles from time to time when traveling.
Battles happen in a separate screen, and I think it could be best described as RTS. You can give your commander and troops basic commands, and they pretty much do the job on their own. You can force them to move a certain spot or make your commander use a(n) special skill/item. It doesn't look too impressive, but it's very cute.
Even though I know the basics of the game, there are still aspects that I have yet to understand, and trying to figure them out is part of the fun. Also, the game is slow-paced, so if you don't have the patience, then this game is probably not for you. If you can overcome the steep learning curve, then you'll really come to like this underrated gem.