Middle Earth: Battle For Arda - Official Thread

[alkexr]

Middle Earth: Battle for Arda

WATCH TRAILER
You can download the latest version from the game or from this link.

Development

Version 3.0 is in active development. Significant changes are planned, including changes to the map. Don't expect release anytime soon.

If you are interested in upcoming changes, you can watch these videos on YouTube.

In the meantime, if you want to keep playing version 2.0.7 on the latest (2.5) TripleA engine, you'll probably have to delete and re-download the map due to a compatibility issue.

Balance testing

If you have any savegames, just post them here! It will definitely help with balance to see the unique strategies that you found!

Games played for the purpose of balance testing:

• Evil vs @redrum - in this thread - finished (2.0.6)
• Good vs epinikion - PBEM - finished, kind of (2.0.7)

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This post is constantly updated. Except when it isn't for two years straight. Oh well.

[alkexr]

This is the official thread for Large Middle Earth - post your bug reports or ideas here. Ask any questions, leave any suggestions, I will read them (eventually).

Former discussion on this map:

• https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/465/large-middle-earth-strategies
• https://forums.triplea-game.org/topic/577/large-middle-earth-queries

[Hepps]

I think I have hit all the terrains in a manner that accentuates them while making them distinctly part of the back ground.

This first example is just of the new River terrain image. None of the other terrains are changed.

This is the River Terrain with all the other finished terrains included. You will see that I have also created a new Swamp Terrain.

I have omitted the Names, PU & UP icons as I am currently revisiting those as well.

[redrum]

@hepps Looks awesome. This might put your previous works to shame though...

[Hepps]

@redrum Well here is another spot with some of the work done.

Before...

Halfway to after...

You will notice that I have dramatically changed the Falls of Rouros.... since it looked EXTREMELY confusing in the current version. Might even justify a small image to indicate it is impassible.

[redrum]

@hepps I'd suggest adding a bit of texture to the falls so its less solid blue and has more white/gray to set it apart more.

[Hepps]

@redrum How about just this?

[Hepps]

@hepps Black Knight Security Services.... "We'll risk life and limb to make your wilderness secure"

[alkexr]

@hepps Rivers are really cool. They should not be visible behind the trees though (one tree in Elvenking's Halls and another one in Lower Forest River)

[Hepps]

@alkexr Lol!!!! I was waiting to how long it would take for that to come up.

Answer.... not very long.

[alkexr]

@hepps I'm unimpressed by the ability icons. They don't help with seeing what is what.

I don't think there is a shortcut to the steep learning curve here. You just have to learn all the units, or at least the important ones. Or use the tooltpis frequently.

[Hepps]

@alkexr All good. I already have them installed in my version. Truth be told it helps a great deal. You have so many different effects for almost every unit I find it unplayable without them.

I don't know how you produced that image but everything other than the back ground looked blurred. So not sure what you did.

[Hepps]

@alkexr The other thing that probably helped me is that I redid the placements to account for the larger overall unit image size. That way the added abilities icons aren't overlapping each other making a jumble of unit images and icons.

[alkexr]

@hepps Do you have them as unit icons? I see no reason not to include them as an optional feature if one out of five-ish people who have ever given feedback say it "helps a great deal" and I don't have to lift more than a finger. Maybe with better placements there will be less clutter.

I don't know why it looks blurred, I made it with windows snipping tool. Here is the same with map snapshot:

[Hepps]

@alkexr Looks much better the second time through.

I put them in the unit images since the feature did not exist when I did them. But certainly they'd be much better as icons that you could turn on at the start of the game for a real release.

[Cernel]

@alkexr said in Large Middle Earth - official thread:

I don't know why it looks blurred, I made it with windows snipping tool. Here is the same with map snapshot:

Are you using Windows with a general zoom different from 100%?

[Hepps]

So here is a view of how I am doing the fords and river crossings.

Before

After

[alkexr]

@cernel Windows 10, zoomed in as much as possible, TripleA 1.9.0.0.10351

[Cernel]

@alkexr Just wanted to suggest to try it at 100% if it comes out right. I got several cases myself Windows zoom and TripleA don't mix well. Myself I gave up; now I've it at 100% since a while.

[Hepps]

Although this is quite tedious... it is also immensely enjoyable. Almost all of Gondor is now done. But you do not get to gaze on Minas Tirith or Osgiliath just yet.

Here is a look at the coast with just the rivers and terrain layers so far.

IF this is anywhere near as fun to play as it has been to design the reliefs for it... then we are in for a treat!