⭕ Middle Earth 3rd Age - Official Thread

[TheDog]

This post updated 23 Feb 2026

INTRODUCTION
Alkexr has been very generous in granting me permission to use his current Battle for Arda map. He is working on a new version & map this will take months to complete.

Im taking his excellent work and doing my variant on it. May I present Middle Earth 3rd Age.

It is a Work in Progress.

v015 Download it from google drive here;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1skFR9HrcjWGKrx2bs7UBqh37-wSORGJY/view?usp=sharing

To Do

• Documentation
• Balance

.
It has Terrain Effects details on the status bar

.
Game Notes

Snapshot of the map

[TheDog]

Reserved

[TheDog]

Latest version 005 ready for download from 1st page 1st post

.
MAJOR CHANGES

• Unit Icon overlays now work, thanks to the Istari WC_Sumpton.
  Note this only works in 2.5, the Ent (top right) has Leader9, Fear5 and Mountaineer icons overlaid on the Ent icon.

.
In 2.6 nothing is displayed, I will raise this on GitHub.
In 2.6 the unit icon overlays also don't work for TWW.

.
Link to 1st post that has the download link
https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/3729/middle-earth-3rd-age-official-thread

[wc_sumpton]

@thedog

Add TWW saved game in 2.6 which shows this issue with German's improved anti-tank guns not showing icon. Also @beelee added regression and 2.6 tags.

Thanks @beelee! You da !

Cheers...

[TheDog]

asvitkine (Thanks!) on GitHub has just fixed this problem.

.
For 2.6 you will need a minimum version of 2.6.14646 for the Unit Icon overlays to work, just like in 2.5, get it here;
https://github.com/triplea-game/triplea/releases

TWW will also display Unit Icon overlays as intended in 2.6 now.

[ubernaut]

@thedog @wc_sumpton should save files made with 2.6.14526 be compatible with this version or should we finish our current game with the same version we started on?

[wc_sumpton]

@ubernaut

Save files should be backwards compatible to 2.5, so it should work. A 2.6 file will not work on 2.5.

Cheers...

[ubernaut]

@wc_sumpton tanks

[wc_sumpton]

@ubernaut

Yep, just tried with the old save file. Loaded just fine and the "Improved Anti-Tank Guns" had their Icons. Win!!

Cheers...

[ubernaut]

@wc_sumpton nice awesome! @Nothingtoseehere

[TheDog]

Copied the post here;

@shorogyth said in Middle Earth: Battle For Arda - Official Thread:

@thedog Hi there, thanks for the reply

I took a look at your version but it has upkeep as a mechanic and I think that is not "fun" to have in a game. Did not like it, when WarCraft3 did it and try to avoid it whenever possible.

Little feedback otherwise:

• The symbols (crown, skull, ...) should only be visible when I buy a unit. They look a bit ugly on the map. Imho. But the idea is good/helpful to learn the rules.

• I could not get the map to work at first. I had to unzip it first. This has not been the case for any other TripleA map (when I first downloaded TripleA eons ago I did unzip my maps but nowadays I don't)

• You might want to edit the "wrong" terrain for the caves north of Goblin Town. This was/is broken in Arda as well.

Other than that: I like what you did with the unit balance and I liked the simplification for the rule (I still like the Arda complexity but yours is a good version as well). All in all, the stuff I saw while testing it looked good. Not for me because of the upkeep but good variant!

Thanks for the feedback, its truly appreciated, as mapmakers need to be inspired to continue their work!

Shame you dont like upkeep, almost all my maps have it.

.

1. The symbols (crown, skull, ...) yes they are ugly, Im no graphics artists, so if anyone fancies doing better ones, please offer

2. TripleA 2.7+ unzips all your maps you have no choice. Unzipped maps get better error messages when things dont work for players & map makers.

3. Caves north of Goblin Town. Im with Alkexr they should be caves, from the books, the Misty Mountains were uncrossable at this point, so caves was the only way to move across them, that is through them.

Thanks again for taking the time to test and give feedback!

[TheDog]

@lawabidinwalrus said in Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring - Official Thread:

@thedog any reason it's not finding the map when I try to select the map in game? i downloaded the zip, copied it to the downloaded maps folder, and have tried keeping in both a zip format and unzipping it but when I go to select the map in TripleA it gives me this.

@LawAbidinWalrus
What version of TripleA are you using?
Does your folder look like this, especially the map.yml file?

If you dont solve it, please post an image like above.

[LawAbidinWalrus]

@thedog ![alt text]

is there any other info you need?

[TheDog]

@lawabidinwalrus
The map folder is at the wrong level.

Cut the contents of middle_earth_3rd_age to
middle_earth_3rd_age-005 folder

then check that middle_earth_3rd_age folder is empty then delete it

then rename middle_earth_3rd_age-005 folder to middle_earth_3rd_age

Run TripleA and enjoy!

[LawAbidinWalrus]

@thedog That did the trick thank you very much for all the help.

[Paolo Carrera]

@thedog said in Middle Earth 3rd Age - Official Thread:

middle_earth_3rd_age-005

I know this is a sort of draft map. I like upkeep system because it forces a more strategic play and sufficiently simulate a sort of logistics in war.
I've just downloaded the map and started first game with Dwarves at default HardAI.
Before my first turn, yet lost West&East Iron Hills (5PUs), isolated from Erebor. A single Pikemen+Raven in Halls of Gror.
In the second turn HoGror surrounded, overwhelmed and virtually useless.
I think Ruhn has too much units in the first turn and/or too much close to Dwarves and IronHills PUs. Ruhn can collect PUs too much quickly and vastly in first 2-3 turns without loosing a single unit.
I don't know if this is a sort of balancing for the early-mid game, but being overwhelmed from West (angmar) to East (Ruhn) plus PU units upkeep, Dwarves becomes quite irrilevant (playable?) since the beginning, in my opinion.
My halberdies can't move to mountains, despite they are mountaneers, is that a bug?

[EDIT]
Why chariots/wagons units have their full power also in hills regions here and in BoArda? In particular charge ability.
If we consider standard definition of hills (up to 5-600 metres above sea level) chariots become quite ineffective, unless we assume every battle takes place on some sort of road.
I don't remember Ancient Romans use chariots on hills in Italy nor Mecedonians in northern Greece. They used mounted units. Not only mountains but also hills slopes should make chariots quite ineffective, unless they have tracks.

[TheDog]

@paolo-carrera

Thanks for giving the map a go.

You need to defend Halls of Gror.

My halberdies can't move to mountains, despite they are mountaneers, is that a bug?
Yes thats a bug, thanks, I will fix it soon.

The Ancient Britain's when the Romans invaded Britain used lots of light chariots and England does have a lot of hills. That said yes a chariot is/was an ineffective weapon, the main reason for chariots was that horses were weak and could not be ridden into battle/long distance.

But for this game it is also to give the Rhun a unique unit. It could be argued that charioteers dismount to fight and have better equipment and being noble are better motivated.

For balance they are better than they should be

[TheDog]

@Paolo-Carrera

Below is end of turn 3. I think you need to get used to the map and learn its ways.

I lost Dain Halls but my allies retook for me, but the Halls of Gror are secure. Im about to go on the attach to the south.

Dwarves should buy a Wall most turns, especially where they are under attack.

[Paolo Carrera]

@thedog
np, ok for fix.
Respect for Britain hills! But here on the continent, here in Italy, where we have Alps, hills are up to 4-500-600 m above sea, as they are usually considered in Geography. Britain hills are usually considered part of the lower extreme of standard hills.
Between 400 and 600 m above the sea, use of chariots was de facto impossible and Romans never used chariots in italian or greek hills. JRR in WWI experienced hills on the continent.
Maybe setting at least charge not possible in hills terrain could be more correct.
Please, I don't want to start a dispute, my point was for a better realism and a more plausible gameplay.

Your setting is different vs BoA, where at north things are more balanced in my opinion.
Sure, I need to get used to the map. I've played BoA as Dwarves my first 5 games where taking back territories from Ruhn was not a rebus.
BoA and ME3A have different starting settings for Dwarves and Northmen in that area, I think BoA in this case is more balanced and playable for a Dwarven player.

-- image ME3A

-- image BoA

There is 1 more unit at Erebor and 1 more Northmen in Kingdom of Dale.
If I have (no choice) to defend, 1 more pikemen is better than a Raven at Gror.
There is 1 wall less at Gror, 1 Raven less at Erebor than BoA, 1 Northmen less at Kingdom of Dale, 1 less Northmen unit at Esgaroth and Dale.
Even -1 Dragon at north, defend-and-counterattack with Northmen aid is very challenging and not very playable in the very early stage of the game.
Mine are only suggestions for a more balanced and enjoyable game far any kind of users. Free to take in consideration!

[TheDog]

@paolo-carrera
Lets chat more after you have had a few more games, as it feels and play differently to BfA.

Thanks for the feedback, it is much appreciated.