Middle-Earth: Lord of the Mods (cont)

[Celeborn]

LotR Thread I:
LotR Modders UNITE!!!
LotR Thread II (latest):
Middle-Earth: Lord of the Mods

We started working on this MOD as a ‘gathering’ of Modders, who had an acute interest in Lord of the Rings. This is a continuation of two thread created, as seen at the Links above. We made some significant progress in actually working together to make a collaboration of ideas, to please everyone.

What is going to be in the MOD? When will it span? What are the Civs? Has work started yet?
-When will it span?
Well, we decided that the Mod should start slightly before the coming of man. Like this:
Era#1First Age (middle-late first age, with the arrival of man)
Era#2Time of the Rings (Elven supremacy and Saurons Power)
Era#3Time of the Númenóreans (Supremacy of Man, Numenor and it's later subdivisions\Last Alliance)
Era#4Third Age(Best known, time of the peace, yet weakened state, time of the fellowship)

This way it won’t be strange to have all civs in existence, and yet it still has the remarkable, mythological ‘old middle-earth’ in tact.

-What are the Civs?
We haven’t been able to agree on Civs at this point, we have all the important ones, but have some minor squabbles, such as: is Arnor, Gondor, and Numenorë really necessary? Should Umbar and the Southrons be one civ? Should there be two Dwarf Civs? We aren’t sure, but would love your input.
The Important Civs we have made lists for can be located here:
The Shire
Gondor
The Dwarves

-What is going to be in the MOD?
We plan on four versions of the Mod, most important first.
Mod Types
Random Map Mod (regular)

Middle Earth- Map of Middle Earth, with specific placed things (like dragons)

Lord Of the Rings quest- (You can only choose out of 3 Civs, though the rest make an appearance, but depending on the Civ you choose, you have a specific Victory cond.)

Older version- This will have modified ages, and different civs, such as the Vanyar, and unique buildings\wonders.

-Has Work Started on the .bix yet?
Yes, Celeborn has just started working on the bix, so your ideas and opinions are more needed than ever.

We decided to break the game up into ‘culture groups’ that now go beyond city graphic and terms of likeness, it goes into unit lines. Each culture group will have it’s own line, and each civs it’s own UU (s) for the cultures standard line. We have the Men, ‘Evil’(Mordor\Isengard), and Elves finished, they are lower in the post.

The idea we have so far, if to make Elven units better, let them only get slightly better, in the last age, and go up in Shield Cost Substantially, after all, they weren’t weaker then men, just fewer.

For Mordor, the idea was to make their Offensive line weaker, half or a third as cheap as the Mens. And going further, they get stronger behemoth units, that cost much more than the Mens'. Giving them something to look forward to.

Men, they act sort of like a standard. Everything is weaker, or more powerful compared to their units, they are the default.

Hobbits, passive Civ, We may make only the Space Race Victory available to them, only it will be different, and called something like ‘Journey to Mt. Doom’. All their units are Def. oriented.

The Dwarves are dwellers of the mountains, they will get a slew of unique bonuses, such as certain resources unique to them, and the ability to travel through mountains easier than most Civs.

Bombard- We gave all the archer units a Bombard ability, they will not be able to attack the ground, but when a group of 2 archers are attacked, the first archer will fire at the attacker (depending on the Bombard Strength) they should wound the offender accordingly. We haven’t decided on Lethal Bombardment yet.

Hit point table.
Conscript 3 HP
Regular 4 HP
Veteran 6 HP
Elite 7 HP

Stat Key.
Attack\Defense\Movement
Bombard Range=BR
Bombard Strength(attack)= BA
Bombard rate of Fire= ROF
HPB = Hit Point Bonus, will the unit get more Hit points than Default, or less.

Men
Defender Line-
1a. European Spearmen (utahjazz7) Name: Edain militia -
1\3\1 +1HPB
1b.Germanic Spearmen (Kinboat) Name: Spearman -
2\4\1 +1HPB
1c. Halberdier- (JimmyH) Name: Pikeman (?) -
3\5\1 +2HPB
1d. Pikemen (Civ3)? Name: Armored Pikemen -
3\6\1 +2HPB

Offensive Line-
2a.Tribal Warrior (Yaniv) -
2\1\1 0HPB
2b. Swordsman (Civ3) Beserker -
4\3\1 0HPB
2c. European Swordsman (utahjazz7) Name: Swordsman -
5\4\1 0HPB
2d. Scottish Warrior (Kindred) Name: Long Swordsman -
7\5\1 0HPB

Missle Line-
3a. Skirmisher (JH) Name: Skirmisher(?) -
2\2\1 -1HPB . BR0 . BA2 . ROF2
3b. Bab. Bowman (Civ3). Name: Bowman -
3\3\1 -1HPB . BR0 . BA4 . ROF2
3c. Robin Hood (Kinboat) Name: Archer -
4\4\1 -1HPB . BR0 .BA5 .ROF2
3d.Longbowman (Civ3) Name: Longbowman -
5\5\1 0HPB . BR0 .BA6 .ROF3

Cavalry Line-
1a-b. Horseman (civ3) Name: Horseman-
2\2\2 0HPB *blitz
1c.Cavalry (Jimmyh)?? Name: Cavalry -
3\2\2 0HPB *blitz
1d. Knight? (Civ3?) Name: Knight -
5\4\2 +2HPB *blitz

Mordor
Units will be cheaper, the Shield Cost won’t be determined until all unit lines are finished.

Defensive Infantry line-
1a-b.Goblin Spearman1 (embryodead) Name: Goblin Spearman-
1\3\1 0HPB .BR0 .BA1 .ROF1
1c.Goblin Spearman2 (Kindred) Name: Orc Spearman -
2\4\1 +1HPB .BR0 .BA2 .ROF1
1d. Cave Troll (Kindred) Name: Cave Troll -
4\6\1 +3HPB .BR0 . BA0 . ROF0

Offensive Line-
2a. Orc Warrior color conversion (embryodead) Name: Orc Warrior-
2\1\1 0HPB
2b. Orc Warrior (embryodead) Name: Orc Swordsman-
3\2\1 0HPB
2c. Black Orc (embryodead) Name: Orc Axeman-
5\3\1 0HPB
2d. Uruk Hai Berserker (Kinboat) Name: Uruk Hai-
6\4\1 0HPB . BR0 . BA4 . ROF1

Archer line-
3a. Black Orc Archer (embryodead) Name: Goblin Bowman-
2\2\1 -1HPB . BR0 . BA2 . ROF2
3b. Orc Archer [color] (embryodead) Name: Orc Bowman-
3\2\1 -1HPB . BR0 . BA4 . ROF2
3c-d. Goblin Archer (embryodead) Name: Orc Archer-
5\3\1 - 0HPB . BR0 . BA6 . ROF3

Cavalry Line-
4a-b. Wolf Rider (embryodead) Name: Wolf rider-
2\2\2 0HPB *blitz
4c-d. Warg Rider (embryodead) Name: Warg rider-
4\3\2 +1HPB *blitz

Elves
Elven Defensive Line-
1a-b. Phalangite(kryten)or Elven Spearman(embryodead)Name:Elven Infantry-
2\4\1 +2HPB
1c-d. Elven Spearman(Kinboat) Name: High Elven Infantry-
4\5\1 +2HPB

Offensive Infantry Line-
2a-c. European Swordsman?(embryodead)(Name:Elven Soldier-
4\3\1 +1HPB
2c-d. Elven Swordsman(Kinboat) Name: Elven Longblade-
6/4/1 0HPB

Archer Line-
3a-c.(Japanese Unit Pack)Name: Elven Archer-
3\3\1 0HPB . BR0 . BA5 . ROF3
3c-d. Elven Longbowman (Kinboat)-
5\5\1 0HPB . BR0 .BA7 .ROF3

Cavalry Line-
5a-b.Horse archer(Kryten)Name: Elven Rider-
4\3\2 0HPB BR0 . BA5 . ROF3 *blitz
5c-d.(Japanese Unit Pack)Name: Elven Cavalry
4\4\2 +1HPB . BR0 .BA6 .ROF3 *blitz

Dwarves
Dwarven unit line. This one is complex, mainly for the race’s lack of archers\cav. So, they should clearly have the best infantry around, to compensate for it.

Main Defenders.
1a-b. Dwarven High Guard v1 (Kindred72) Name: Dwarven guard (name???)
2\3\1 +2HPB
1c-d. Dwarven High Guard v2 (Kindred72) Name: Khazâd guard (name?)
4\5\1 +3HPB

Main Offense. (Weaker defense but more HP)
3a-b. Dwarven Ironbreaker v1 (Kindred72) Name: Dwarven Cleaver (name?)
4\1\1 +2HPB
3c-d. Dwarven Ironbreaker v2 (Kindred72) Name: Khazâd cleaver (name?)
6\2\1 +3HPB

‘Cav’ replacement.
2a-b. Dwarven Warrior v1 (Kindred72) Name: Dwarven Warrior
3\2\2 +1HPB *unwheeled *ignores mountain terrain movement cost
2c-d. Dwarven Warrior v2 (Kindred72) Name: Khazâd Warrior
5\3\2 +1HPB *unwheeled *ignores mountain terrain movement cost

Hobbits
Main Defenders.
1a-b. Medieval Resistor (Kinboat) Name: Hobbit Warrior
2\3\2 (-1)HPB *Draft *Ignore movement on hills
1c-d. Belgian resistor Kinboat) Name: Hobbit Militia
1\6\1 +1HPB *Ignore movement on hills

Offense1. This should be double the shield cost of the last defender.
3b-d. Hobbit (Kindred72) Name: Bounder (Shirriff Bounder?)
5\1\3 +2HPB *ignores forest movement cost

Archer Line.
2a-b. Bab. Bowman(Civ3, shrunk) Name: Shire Reeve3\3\1 -1HPB . BR0 . BA4 . ROF1
2c-d. Robin Hood (Kinboat [shrunk]) Name: Shirriff
5\5\1 0HPB . BR0 .BA8 .ROF1 *unwheeled *ignores Hill movement cost *Draft

Also, we should shrink the Worker and Settler down a bit. All non-small units will be shrunk.

Mrtn I have started the bix but progress is kinda slow at the moment...

 

[Celeborn]

I decided to have a go at making my own leaderhead and thought sauron will be the perfect subject...

heres a work in prgress shot... Im still making the helmet...

 

[aaminion00]

didn't Sween32 already create a Sauron leaderhead?

 

[mrtn]

About the bix: Yes, that's a slow job. The thing is that we should have the tech tree finished before the 'real' work start on the bix. This is so that the units and buildings can be added with the right prerequisites. Otherwise it's just gonna be too confusing I think. This at least is my experience from the Lone Wolf mod.
About the head: You do know that Sween32 made a beautiful Sauron head already, don't you? Maybe you could make some other needed Leader Head? A Hobbit (Frodo?) or Theoden (if he will be the Rohan king) comes to mind.
He looks good , it's just that it seems strange to make a leader head that's already been made.

 

[Celeborn]

Yeah I know sween made one... i actually have th leader head as well, but soemthing someone said about it made me decide to make my own version...

 

[Celeborn]

Animated preview of the leader head...

Sauron the Dark Lord

 

[Drift]

Originally posted by Celeborn
Animated preview of the leader head...

I would cover his face more, especially the mouth. Other than that, it looks good.

 

[embryodead]

I definitely prefer sween's sauron...
Can't think of anything wrong with it.

 

[Celeborn]

hmmm...

I like sweens leaderhead as well...

But i just felt like messing around and Sauron seemed like the best test subject

 

[Grandraem]

Sween doesn't seem to be finishing his elf leaderhead. Why not mess around with that?

 

[Ossric]

sweens sauron seems a bit to dark. I'm also not that keen on the batwings on the helmet. All in all, i feel that Sauron should be a bit more scarier then that..

 

[embryodead]

hah but the batwings rule.

 

[PCHighway]

Just posting here so I can get lodged in (and Notified by E-Mails). Did you start with that .bix yet or what Celeborn ! If you rather wouldn't, we could make it a communal thing, I.E. someone starts on the BIX and then e-mails it to someone else to work on it further. We really need to start on it now that we have 300+ posts on the subject under our belt.

 

[PCHighway]

Now I'm starting to worry about you Celeborn .
I Like the LH by the way, but still think the bix should be worked on sometimes next week.

 

[Celeborn]

Im still here...

just have thing in RL i need to get sorted out but I am/will be working on the bix...

But next up for discussion (and this would help the progress of the bix considrably) is the tech tree...

Now it has been said that we are starting in the First Age of the Sun so what are the basic (ie. first) techs for the age going to be?

 

[mrtn]

I think we should try to decide something about the buildings first. If we have an idea about which strategic resources, units and buildings we have we can construct the tech tree around that.
But I agree that the tech tree is important for the bix, and should be made early in the bix.

 

[embryodead]

start from the tree unless you want total mess...
so far this turned out to be the best for me:
civs -> techs -> buildings -> units
also don't add any untis until you've got full list, unless you don't care about the order in the building queue. also the arrows in the tech tree should also be made at the end, because tech tree appearance changes too much when new buildings/units are added :/

 

[mrtn]

embryodead, that's the best order to add things in the bix, but not the best order to invent things. I think that is civs=>units=>buildings=>techs. When you know what buildings and units you'll have, it's easier to make up a tech tree.

 

[PCHighway]

Good points on both sides. It's sort of hard to say, as we don't actually need to have graphics for the Buildings, it might be easier to do those first. Then just think of techs corresponding them as mrtn says.

 

[mrtn]

Of course we need graphics for the buildings. We don't need animated graphics (as the units does), if that's what you mean, but we need something.