WOAH! I've discovered only today this project... amazing! 18 NEW civs?! I wondered 4-5, at least 10 are all is need...

Well, I don't know exactly what civs you had realized, but in these days i was thinking about one LotR mod, and I'd an idea: different victory for each civ. Similar to the Rhye's and Fall of civilization.

For example, Humans can win with a cultural victory before the 4th age come.

Hobbit can win if they make the County with its "storical" frontiers and not lost cities when the 4th age come. Maybe it's interesting to gave them a great bonus for spying, so they can win without fighting often (in the book, they are only archers at least!).

Elven can wins by manage all the three silmarils, or maybe with a score victory when the 4th age come, and they all departed form the lands ov Valar. Over the 4th age, imho avery Elven civs must be deleted from the game.

Sauron and orcs can be win, obviously, with military conquest of the world =)

Dwarves could be win, when the 4th age come, if they are the civ more rich than all others.

I hope this can enjoy you ^_^ I also apologize if some ideas are already proposed, I had not yet read all posts.

Simòn

Well, I have something new (maybe). Religions. I think we need only 3 Religions: The Outer Darkness, Eru Iluvatar, and the Forgotten Religion.

My idea is this: Shadow civ must be to start with an initial tech like misticism, or similar, that found automatically, at first turn, the Outer Darkness religion. Shadow also can't change it.

Elves or Humans can discover the Eru Iluvatar religion, but elves can't change it, humans can.
In the third Age, the humans who follow this religion must be pass automatically to the Forgotten Religion, and all benefits from religion are lost. This idea born because in all The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, there is nothing about religion... it's has nothing influence over the story, except for the humans who pass to the Shadow, "the mens of south", black numenoreans, pirates etc.

Well, Dwarves have one Valar... uhh, what his name... Aule?, but I think this could be involved in the Eru Iluvatar religion. I think Hobbit, when appear, could start with the Forgotten Religion.

How sounds it?

About your proposed Victories, i'm not sure that that would be really balanced... (unless we give options for them to be turned off, retaining only the "traditional" victories...)

However, one we are planning on adding is a "ring victory." The Shadow has to create the ring of Power (maybe through an event?) and the other civs (not those following the darkness) must destroy it.

However, so that the Shadow chooses to build the ring, it must give them huge powers...

Your religious ideas are very close to those we have now. :)

thomas