Lord of the Rings Based Demo: Arda Mod!

[Tabris]

Thanks woodelf. We are hoping that sometime in the near future you may decide to help us out in this project in some way.

Tabris, it is based on Tolkien's work, so the answer is the books and the movies (the movie's come from the books, no?). However, this is not just the third age, like most mainstream LotR fans know about, but all 3 ages.

It's not totally true, the movies made some modifications, i'm not been hardline here and i like the movies, but they have a "hollywoodian" perspective of the story, what i'm asking is: It will be based in the movies or you guys are going to make the mod based in the original descriptions, using the movie only when they don't contradice the books?

Actually in a civ mod must things are no problem, but there's the same problem we have with arthurian legend, movies depict every body in plates and etx, like it's in the high middle ages but the arthurian myth takes it's place in low middle age.

Tolkien stated in his letters that he didn't like Arthuriana but he stated more than one time that he liked the low middle-ages, it's reflected in his works, where we don't see any plate mail (very common in the movie) and etc.

Other "error" i remember is that in the book the Eye of Sauron is a metaphoric name for his ability to see throught flesh, stone and etc. The Eye of Sauron in hte book is not a flaming eye fliying over barad-dur.

 

[Shqype]

You'de have to speak with Names are Useless about this because he is the original founder of this Mod and one of the main "brains." I just code everything. But I completely understand what you mean about the "Hollywoodian" perspective of the story. The team is trying as much as possible to make this Mod as accurate to Tolkien's original works. If we wanted something mainstream and took the Hollywood approach, the mod would be made in only the 3rd Age, not the first 2 as well.

Regarding the 'Eye of Sauron,' we have to take some "license" because it is a good representation for Angband, and how else could we represent the eye?

 

[NamesAreUseless]

It's not totally true, the movies made some modifications, i'm not been hardline here and i like the movies, but they have a "hollywoodian" perspective of the story, what i'm asking is: It will be based in the movies or you guys are going to make the mod based in the original descriptions, using the movie only when they don't contradice the books?

Actually in a civ mod must things are no problem, but there's the same problem we have with arthurian legend, movies depict every body in plates and etx, like it's in the high middle ages but the arthurian myth takes it's place in low middle age.

Tolkien stated in his letters that he didn't like Arthuriana but he stated more than one time that he liked the low middle-ages, it's reflected in his works, where we don't see any plate mail (very common in the movie) and etc.

Other "error" i remember is that in the book the Eye of Sauron is a metaphoric name for his ability to see throught flesh, stone and etc. The Eye of Sauron in hte book is not a flaming eye fliying over barad-dur.

I could say that some of the concepts in the movie weren't spot on to the books, the Easterlings hit me big time, since they sounded more like primitive barbarians with axes, and in the movie they're a well-trained army, but for the most part it doesn't bother me too much. Tolkien never did state that it wasn't plate armor that they mostly wore anyways, so its not going against the book in any sense.

You know not all the gear in the movies is plate armor anyways. Not only that, but the concepts from the movies mean less concepts needed made for units for the mod and for movie fans to get a nice taste of the movie sides of LOTR in our mod. I'm quite sure we'll stick with movie concepts as much as possible, and the areas without mention in the movies we'll use solely based on the books, remembering that it may lead to or from a concept design from the movies.

As for the Eye of Sauron: I know how you feel, as I realize as well that it was only a metaphor. We have Sauron in his leader image as he looked at the opening of the Fellowship of the Ring movie anyways, so its not a problem

 

[Tabris]

I'm almost sure i have posted this before but Tolkien never described any plate but he did described many chain mails, i remember that in the Siege of Minas Tirith there was a Gondorian Captain using a chain mail. If a captain of the knights of gondor don't use a plate who uses it?

About the eye, it's true, there's not another way to show Sauron in Third Age as he was totally uncorporal (showing the ring would not be a good idea in my opinion, maybe a suit of armor/clothes flying as some invisible thing was wearing it like some nazgul pictures, but it's not quiet right too).

 

[NamesAreUseless]

I'm almost sure i have posted this before but Tolkien never described any plate but he did described many chain mails, i remember that in the Siege of Minas Tirith there was a Gondorian Captain using a chain mail. If a captain of the knights of gondor don't use a plate who uses it?

About the eye, it's true, there's not another way to show Sauron in Third Age as he was totally uncorporal (showing the ring would not be a good idea in my opinion, maybe a suit of armor/clothes flying as some invisible thing was wearing it like some nazgul pictures, but it's not quiet right too).

Well captains might not always wear all the armor they want into battles. It could even be that he could wear plate armor, but he just decided not to wear it. Though I highly doubt it

Anyways, screenshots from the mod are up in the second post of this thread, if you haven't noticed already

 

[Shqype]

Thanks for the screenshots. I see we need to work on better graphics. Perhaps some other users can give us their opinions and let us know what they think.