[BTS] Middle-earth Mod 0.3.0.1

Download
Download with the BUG Mod



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The Middle-earth Mod allows you to play as a leader of the greatest civilizations and empires in Middle-earth, holding the fate of Arda in your hands.

Features:
*18 different civilizations, from Arnor to Mordor, Dale to Harad
*Unique unit art for 17 of the 18 civilizations
*A completely revamped tech tree
*Over 35 new wonders
*Many new buildings and civics
*A highly detailed map of Middle-earth

I hope you enjoy playing in Middle-earth, and I'll be back to expand the mod even more.

This is an alpha version of the mod. It currently has many things missing, and is not balanced. You can still build your empire and tweak the mod as you see fit, though!

If you want to help with the mod, please read the "How can I help?" post.

Images:

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Main screen

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Map Images

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Mordor

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Technologies

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Units

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Buildings

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Wonders

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Wulf

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Eorl

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Brand

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Civics

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Tech Tree

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Doors of Durin

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Orthanc

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Stone of Erech

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The Rohirrim army.

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Mithril!

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17 Civilizations:

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Sauron:

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Changelog (v. 0.3):

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Change Log:

v0.3- 12/21/18 (CURRENT)
- Added Umbar
- Added Many New Technologies and Rebalanced Costs
- Added 7 new values + 7 "missionary" units
- Added Treasury, Messenger Hall, and Feast Hall
- Added 10 new wonders
- Added 6 new promotions
- Added 11 new civics
- Minor Bug Fixes

CHANGED XML FILES:
Civ4UnitInfos
AudioDefines
Audio2DScripts
Civ4LeaderHeadInfos
CIV4ArtDefines_Civilization
CIV4ArtDefines_LeaderHead
CIV4ArtDefines_Building
CIV4ArtDefines_Unit
CIV4ArtDefines_Bonus
CIV4GameText_AccentCorrection
CIV4CivilizationInfos
CIV4BuildingInfos
CIV4GameText_ME_NamesMisc
CIV4GameText_ME_StrategyCivilopedia
Civ4TechInfos
CIV4GameText_TechNames
CIV4GameSpeedInfo
CIV4EraInfos
Civ4ProcessInfo
CIV4BuildInfos
CIV4ImprovementInfos
GlobalDefines
CIV4GameTextInfo_Values
CIV4HandicapInfo
CIV4ReligionInfo
CIV4CorporationInfo
Civ4UnitClassInfos
Civ4ArtDefines_Misc
Civ4BonusInfos
CIV4CivicOptionInfos
CIV4CivicInfos
CIV4BuildingClassInfos
CIV4PromotionInfos

CHANGED OTHER FILES:
Sounds
Art\Interface\Flags
Art\Interface\Buttons
Art\Leaderheads\Castimir
Art\Units\Umbar
Art\Structures
Art\Terrain\Resources
Art\Units\Values
Credits
Res\Fonts\GameFont
Res\Fonts\GameFont_75
Resource
Assets\Python\Screens\PyCivicsScreen

NEW SOUNDTRACKS:
The Other Side of the Door (NEXT UPDATE)
Rynos Theme (NEXT UPDATE)

v0.2.5 - 07/07/18
- Added Honey, Mushrooms, Apples, and Camels'
- Added/Edited Game Text
- Removed incorrect UnitCombat Popups from building a worker or settler
- Replaced Lions with Wargs
- Map edited
- Added new River Crossing
- Added "No Settlers" Game Option for Custom Scenarios

v0.2.4 - 6/21/18
- Edited civics
- Edited some of the traits
- Added and Edited Game Text
- Added option to download Middle-earth BUG
- Map edited, slightly more balanced.

v0.2.3 - 5/8/18
- Added Dwarven Unit Art
- Added Soundtrack
- Added Civic Text
- Added Building Text

v0.2.2 - 06/21/17
- Added Angmar unit art
- Added Wonder Art: Chamber of Mazarbul, Rath Dinen, Dol Guldur, Durthang
- Updated city lists
- Added a new main menu with music.
- Added Civilopedia and Strategy texts to Units

v0.2.1 - 01/14/17
*Added Easterling unit art.
*Changed Select/Order sounds. Not Middle-earth voices, but much better than before.
*Changed Diplomacy Music. Enjoy!
*Updated Game Text (Civics)
*Updated the Traits for every leader

v0.2 - 7/11/15
*New map! Enjoy "Middle-earth Revised" as any of the 17 civs.
*Massive tech tree balancing: Cost, placement, and effects have all been improved.
*Civic/Building/Wonder/Units all balanced.
*Brand new Haradrim Ethnic unit art. Enjoy the desert raiders and Mumakil!

v0.1.1 - 8/22/14
*Patched the Mod - Many thanks to Isenchine
*Edited the map. Hope fully more balanced, but probably not. I will continue to work further on it
*Edited the Dwarven trait. It now provides +1 Food and +1 Hammer on Peaks.
*Added a new UnitClass for every civ: Heavy Axeman. The Dwarven UU is now named Battle Axeman, and replaces the Heavy Axeman.
*Weakened the Pikeman. It no longer receives a bonus versus Longswordsmen.
*Updated the Pikeman and Longswordsmen Tech requirements. They are now distinctly Third Age units.
*Hopefully fixed the AI obsession with Battering Rams - They no longer think they are as good as catapults!

v0.1
Uploaded Mod
*17 Civilizations Added.
*Unit art for (some) of the civilizations. [More to come]
*Completely revamped the tech tree.
*Added over 25 new wonders.
*Added many new buildings and civics.
*Added a map of Middle-earth by Manni.

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Current Project(s):
>Game Text
>Balance
>War of the Ring Scenario
>Mordor Unit Art
>Artifacts*

*I have to learn DLL Modding for this...

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Beta Announcement
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Overview
The Middle-earth Mod has now gone through many years of development, even though I have had to put development off multiple times. However, after many years of hard work, I am now pleased to announce that the Middle-earth Mod will soon be entering the Beta phase of development.

What does it mean that the Middle-earth Mod is entering Beta?

Unlike in Alpha (the current stage of development), Beta means the M-E Mod will begin receiving more promotion - I will now post a release thread in the Modpacks sub-forum, which will be the "main gameplay thread" for discussing gameplay, etc.

Beta also means the mod will need more input from players. This doesn't mean I will instantly accept any idea put forth - but what it does mean is I will be attempting to receive more ideas and keep the good ones, so that the mod can continue to follow my vision of Civ4, Middle-earth style. Modmods will allow people who have a different idea that I do not want in the main mod to create their own ideas.

Because we are entering Beta soon, I will be looking for more people to help with the Middle-earth mod's subprojects, such as art and coding. Also, I will definitely like to see scenarios made and even new civilizations created.

Finally, Beta means the development of better features. I will be working hard at learning Civ4 C++ skills and how to make special mod components so that the Middle-earth Mod can achieve what I want to see here. So more immersive features will be developed, all with the goal of still feeling like Civilization 4. The tech tree will be expanded, the mod will be further balanced, the wonders will receive 3D art, and new features like Unique Victory Conditions and Regions will be added. None of this will be instant, because I still have a job and one more year of college to complete, but ultimately the Middle-earth Mod will be better.

When will this happen?

I expect to release a few more updates in Alpha, but I hope to officially enter Beta by January 31st, 2019.

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FAQ

Q: Are you finished? If not, when will you finish?
A: Yes, you may download the alpha version of the mod here.

Q: Can I help with something?
A: Sure! I'm looking for building/unit art. Go ahead and suggest something. If you know how to code or make 3D leaderheads, you've got yourself a project!

Q: Will this mod have any special features?
A: Yep, lots in the end. But the alpha version will simply have everything XML related. The One Ring and other stuff (you'll see ) will be in later releases.

Q: So, what is this mod based on? The movies or the books?
A: More the books than the movies.

Q: Is this based on FFH?
A: Nope. Though a lot of my ideas are from the abandoned Arda mod.

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Features that will be added by release 1.0 (The alpha will not have many of these features!) Grey features have not yet been added.

Features List:

• Artifacts: These special one-time promotions will be very powerful. Examples include Narsil, The Rings of Power, and other such items. Each Artifact is able to be forged by only certain civilizations: Mordor, for example, is the only civilization capable of producing the One Ring, which will have it's own special rules. Artifacts can be stolen by defeating the bearer in battle.
• The One Ring: This very special artifact will be forged only by Mordor at Mt. Doom. It will grant the bearer "power according to his stature", and (if he is not evil) it will eventually corrupt any bearer if he has it for too long. Thankfully, it also will grant him partial invisibility (i.e. a chance of being invisible to units). More details to come.
• Unique Victory Conditions: Each civilization will be able to achieve victory by Culture, Conquest, or Domination, but there is also the option of winning your civilization's "UVC". These work like UHV's in Rhye's and Fall.
• Regions: The map will divided up into regions, such as the Misty Mountains, Erebor, Ithilien, Mordor, The Shire, etc. These will be used for UHV and Wonder purposes.
• Unique Unit Art: Many civilizations will have different unit art. (Though common ones, such as Arnor & Gondor, or the elven civilizations, will have similar/identical art.)
• Reworked Gameplay: There are just over 90 technologies (including vanilla ones such as Fishing), with new buildings, wonders, some new units types; basically, everything required for an accurate gameplay of Middle-earth!
• That's not all, but I hope it gets you excited about the mod!

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Got a suggestion? Comment? Go ahead, post away!

 

Topsecret,

Here's a cut 'n paste from al old spreadsheet (Sorry for the CAPS, but I simply cut and Paste) I had used to mod my still incomplete mod.
I have been busy and have a few more things that may or may not be useful, but will send if you are interested.

BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS CIV UNIQUE BUILDINGS NOTED
BLACKSMITH =*Requires IRON
TAVERN =*Requires BREWERY
INN
BREWERY =* Requires FERMENTATION TECH & BARLEY RESOURCE
LOREKEEPER =SCHOOL
HERBALIST
INFIRMARY (ie. HOSPITAL)
CONSTABLE / SHIRE SHERIFF
TOWN WATCH
TREASURY
WEAVER / DYER
STONECUTTER / MASON = * Requires STONEWORKING TECH
ROYAL LIBRARY
CARAVAN HOUSE
SILVERSMITH
ORCPIT = MORDOR / ISENGARD AND OTHER DARK CIVS
SLAUGHTERHOUSE = MORDOR / ISENGARD AND OTHER DARK CIVS
SHIRE MARKET = ERIADOR AND/OR ARNOR
ARCHERY RANGE
SIEGEWORKS = * Available with ADV ARCHITECTURE
HIGH WALLS
TRADE / BARTER POST =ROHIRRIM TRADE POST
SHIPSWRIGHT
GRAND SHIPYARD = (Effect like current FACTORY)
ARMORER
OBSERVATORY
BAZAAR HARAD & UMBAR CIVS
WHEELWRIGHT *Requires CARPENTER
BUTCHER
SMOKEHOUSE= * Requires BUTCHER
CHANDLER =*Requires APIARY & BUTCHER
KILN =*Requires CLAY RESOURCE
POTTER =*Requires CLAY RESOURCE & KILN BUILDING
BLASTING SHOP= ISENGARD
STOREHOUSE
JEWELER
RIVER PORT (from FFH2 Mod)
CARPENTER =*Requires SAWMILL / LUMBER MILLS
BOWYER
HUNTING LODGE
COBBLER
SCULPTORS STUDIO
PEDDLER
SCRIOTORIUM / SCRIBE
ALCHEMIST
WELL
SLAVE MARKET
DIPLOMATS HALL
EMBASSY
NAVAL BASE
BAKERY -- * Requires WHEAT RESOURCE
TANNER -- *Requires BUTCHER & SMOKEHOUSE
GATEHOUSE
PALLISADE


BUILDINGS & WONDERS (RENAMED) NOTE
VERSAILES (SUMMER PALACE) = *Convenient for a united Gondor
CELTIC DUN = DUNLAND HILLFORT
SPANISH CITADEL = ANGMAR CITADEL (UB #2)
ZULU_IKHANDA = RHUN BARRACKS
MONGOL_GER =VARIAG STABLE (RHUN)
OTTOMAN_HAMMAM = HADARIM BAZAAR
KHMER_BARAY = KHAND WATERWORKS
VIKING_TRADING_POST = DALE / NORTHMEN - LAKETOWN
CARTHAGE_COTHON = NOLDOR (HIGH ELVES) HARBOR
CUSTOM_HOUSE = GONDORAN PORT
MALI_MINT = UMBARAN TREASURY
ARABIAN_MADRASSA = LIBRARY OF SARUMAN
GROCER = MERCHANT EXCHANGE
JAIL = DUNGEON
NATIONAL_PARK = MALLORN GROVE (ELVES)
OXFORD_UNIVERSITY = ROYAL UNIVERSITY
IRON_WORKS = MINES OF MORIA (DWARVES) *Requires DEEP DELVING TECH
BLAST FURNACE = BLACK FORGE (MORDOR)
WEST_POINT
SCOTLAND_YARD = RANGERS ACADEMY
CHINESE_PAVILLION = RHUNIC

MOOT_HILL = DUNLAND


IMPROVEMENTS (ADD TO EXISTING)

BARROW
SPIDER DEN
APIARY *Requires HONEY Resource
ORCHARD
MITHRIL MINE *Use
DRAGON LAIR
TROLL CAVE
EAGLES NEST

 

How Can I Help?​

If you want to help with the Middle-earth Mod, I would love your assistance! The following is a list of ideas where you can help. If you think something else would help, let me know. Just post anything you create in this thread so that I can see it. If I think it fits with the mod's general purpose, I will include it and put you in the credits.

General/Gameplay/Ideas

Just play the mod to help me out here!

• Data

I always need data so I can balance the mod. Not 300 pages of statistics , but if you notice something like one unit is overpowered or one civ can't compete, let me know.

• Ideas

I can use any and all ideas you may have about things that can be included. I won't include everything, because I am shaping the mod to a specific purpose, but every idea will at least be considered.

XML

Anyone with XML experience can help out the Middle-earth Mod. Some issues are:

• Game Text

The game needs lots of strategy and civilopedia entries. Feel free to write up some entries to help me out.

• Diplomacy Text

Each of the leaders needs some more diplomacy text unique to them.

• Great People Names

The Great People need accurate, Middle-earth names, rather than Earth ones.

Art

If you have graphics skills, I would greatly appreciate your help!

• Leaderheads

The Middle-earth Mod still needs 3D leaders for the following leaders: Cirdan, Celebrimbor, Elrond, Galadriel, Thranduil, Khamul, and the Witch-King.

• Units

I currently lack unique art for Mordor. I can make decent looking units, but feel free to make some yourself! I also would like some hobbits, more variety of elves, and eventually re-do Isengard and Dunland units.

• Wonders

There's still lots of wonders that need 3D models. Download the mod to take a peek.

Python/DLL

If you have coding skills, you can help in some BIG ways. I am going to learn to code, but I have to get time to do it. With college, that's not so easy. I would be very appreciative if you helped in any of these areas. Please contact me, and I will give your more ideas on how I wanted to implement these systems.

• Artifacts

Example: " These special one-time promotions will be very powerful. Examples include Narsil, The Rings of Power, and other such items. Each Artifact is able to be forged by only certain civilizations: Mordor, for example, is the only civilization capable of producing the One Ring, which will have it's own special rules. Artifacts can be stolen by defeating the bearer in battle."

• Unique Victory Conditions

I would love to program a system in DLL where you could use XML to create unique victory conditions for each civilization.

• Regions

This is an idea I had to divide the map into regions, almost like continents, that would grant bonuses. I wanted to assign the region area in Worldbuilder. XML would determine what regions exist, what it takes to control them, and what bonuses they give. See example posts here and here.


Again, any and all help is greatly appreciated!

 

Good suggestion. I will use the spoiler.

I have a great deal of things I was mulling over and even worked on events, project ideas, techs, etc.

 

Say, have you ever looked into the Lord of the Rings mod for Civilization III Conquests? I think you could take a lot of things from there.

 

I only have the vanilla version of Civ3... but I'll see what I can find. Thanks.

 

I donwloaded it and went through the files awhile back. Did the same for the German Mittelerde Mod (http://www.civforum.de/showthread.php?53415-BtS-Mittelerde-Mod-Entwicklertagebuch) and even translated a fair portion into English. Chrome will translate the page if you don't read German.

I also have these buildings I forgot to list last week:
Dravidian Barrack
Elostirion (Wonder)
Pontus Merchant Port
Dravidian Harbor
Glassworks
Brick Forge
Halych Stronghold
and I used the Lebrakolonie (Leper Colony) for a Dunland barracks the Clan Barracks as I called it.

 

Added a (planned) features list. Also, I've completed flavor unit art for 9/17 civs!

 

Sneak Peek
Here's an almost finished version of the Warg Archers! (Credits to Chuggi and Rabbit, White for the parts.)

I keep getting tempted to start up as Saruman and shoot down Rohan with my Wargs.

Spoiler :

 

If you think I gave up on the mod, you're (thankfully) wrong.
In fact, here's some Gondor units I've been making. (Except for the worker and the warrior, somone else made those.) Soon I'll upload them for everyone to download.

 

Nice

Is there a downloadable/playable version?

 

Nope, not yet.

However. you can download the units. They're in my signature. Or just search for "topsecret" in the download database.

Hopefully I'll have an alpha by May.

 

I'm interested in this. How is it going?

 

Pretty good. Right now I'm working on two things: Unit Art for the civilizations, and building design (I.E. choosing buildings, and etc.)

Here's a screenshot of the Second Age Elves I'm making:


Also, to everyone, sorry about not updating. I get caught up making units and forget to post pictures.

I've added a new list that tells what I'm currently working on.

 

Interesting, very nice. What's your ideas for religions, btw?

 

So far, based on some ideas euskingc gave me, I've decided that there should be only two religions: Theme of Ilúvatar and Worship of the Shadow.

Theme of Ilúvatar will not have any temples or such, as the only places I can remember where Ilúvatar was worshipped was on Meneltarma in Númenor and The Hill of Awe in between Rohan and Gondor. Both of those places were locations, as opposed to temples.

Worship of the Shadow, on the other hand, will definitely have a temple, considering the only known temple I can think of in Arda was Sauron's Temple to Morgoth.

 

TopSecret,

I have thought about a mod like this a lot, as Tolkien is nearly a sacred work to my mind; I cherish his mere use of language. The units you're creating look fantastic, and far exceed my skill to create or edit. I think I will limit myself to a few general observations, if I may be so bold as to impose a foreign thought or two upon you.

I would encourage you to permit the return of the creator of the Ring (presumably only Sauron, but I don't know how you're constructing that aspect) if he is defeated without destroying the Ring. If there were some mechanism where he lingered somewhere as that "shadow of malice", only to re-emerge on a frontier or taking over an NPC state upon some random or event-driven stroke (the destruction of a power, or city, or large army perhaps), it would add remarkably to the game's long-term playability.

I have not met you, & so do not know your end-game intentions or philosophies, but I would also encourage you to limit the "blasting fire" (gun powder) of Saruman's invention to some type of siege miners and not be tempted to add any other form of gunpowder weapon to the end of the tech tree. Bombards or Musketry would only shatter the experience of enjoying 10 hours of restoring Gondor to the pinnacle of its power.

A game of Civ is quite random, in that your neighbors may decide for war or peace with you. It was part of Sauron's intent to divide the Free Peoples, but I believe there should ideally be some type of intervention possible, an "Istari Event" if you will, whereby a Great Person can be used to powerfully sway an NPC state towards friendship with you. Something like a Great Spy, only an Istari (an appearance of Gandalf, or perhaps one of the other wizards) could be sent to the foreign power's capitol and 'spent' to add political points.

I could brainstorm on this topic for hours, but I'll limit myself to these first simple points until I might learn that further exchange of conceptuals would be welcome. I wish you the best of luck Top, and look forward to enjoying the fruits of your labor, or any other assistance I might meaningfully provide.

g

 

Of course! I always appreciate comments, or even constructive criticism.

Only Sauron can create the Ring, and then only at Mt. Doom, and only with the right technology.
I have decided that Sauron can return over and over as long as the Ring has not been destroyed. Of course, it will not be instant, and it would only occur for the AI, not when the human player is playing Sauron. I have considered that perhaps after so many turns (say 50) Sauron would take over Mordor again. It might have to be shorter, to ensure urgency on the quest to find and destroy the One Ring.

Do not worry for one minute. When I first encountered Lord of the Rings through the movies, I thought, "There's no way whoever wrote this put gunpowder in the books; it's just for the movie." I now know that Tolkien did put gunpowder in the books, but even so, it was at the end of the Third Age, and only Saruman had it. So, I will probably only add some sort of UU or item for Isengard that allows them to besiege cities with it; there will be no muskets or cannons.

Eventually I may consider that, but think of the Last Alliance of Men and Elves; I don't think there was a wizard there. So there could be multiple ways to influence other civilizations to side with you. I haven't thought about a Great Person before, but I'll definitely think about this more as the mod develops!

Thank you very much! Also, you might want to be interested to know that the first release of the mod will not have special features such as the Ring or such in it; I have to get the Tech tree and everything else balanced before I throw in the Rings of Power!

 

Its good to hear something of your discovery story for LotR. I think Peter Jackson did a unsurpassable job with the movies in a visual sense, though I could quibble with the screenplay quite a bit. Yet its safe to say that there will never need to be another production of LotR, unless someone attempts a massively long (and financially unviable) un-abridged project.

I hope you've taken the opportunity to see the DVD extras of the movies, since your first exposure was through cinema. The cast and crew provide enormous background on what was important to Tolkien, and having someone like Christopher Lee on the cast (a life-long Tolkien scholar) aided their cause tremendously. I have to admit, I watch the "extras" far more often than the movies these days. There is also a Tolkien Library at Wheaton College here in Illinois, just a few miles from me. There is an amazing quantity of material that has been written about the works. Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle-Earth (a 12 volume set, included a voluminous quantity of his father's unpublished writings) is an invaluable source.

I'm very curious about your project scope and projections. Something this ambitious could quite easily lose steam if it is guided by inspiration and zeal alone. If my broad and general knowledge of both Civ IV & Tolkien (less general & more in-depth with Tolkien actually) could be of any use to you, I would be delighted to help.

Cheers!

 

Announcement:I've released the Elf units here. I'm going to take a break from units, and go back to work on the building XML for a while...



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Yes, I have seen the extras, though only part of them. I own them, so it's just a matter of getting down to watching them. And I have read whatever History of Middle-Earth, Unfinished Tales, and any other Tolkien book I could get my hands on at the library. It's very good they have most of them, because I'm not exactly rich enough to buy them!

I actually have a quite extensive list of goals, but I've been keeping them a secret so the mod will be more of a surprise. However, fire away on any and all ideas; After all, I'll take every idea I can get, and you can always mod my mod if I don't do things just right!