The Fourth Age: Total War

[Chasseur]

Jeg tror det. Men jeg er optisist.

 

siterer FAQen her:

 

"When will the mod be finished?" When it is finished.

[Cuneax]

Hehe. "When it is finished"

[-apocalypsis-]

Jeg kan garantere at vi vil komme med en release før M2TW kommer ut. Og hvem vet, kanskje det blir en FA2 også...

 

Noen Easterlings:

 

 

Apoc

[Gunfreak]

oh dere har gitt opp å lage mod og slager warhammer figurer i stede:D

[Gunfreak]

hvordan går det hær er det noe liv i moden

[-apocalypsis-]

The Coming Forth of the Fourth Age

 

PRESS RELEASE FEBRUARY 2006 - FOURTH AGE: TOTAL WAR ANNOUNCES MAJOR CHANGES

 

Decisions made by the Management of FA:TW in early December of last year saw changes to the Mod that have not until now been revealed.

 

The Modification will now be released as a series of "mini campaigns". This is good news for players as they will be able to roam Middle-earth all the sooner! The first mini campaign will take place in the lands of Gondor, Mordor, Khand, Harad and part of Rhûn and will include 3 factions: The Reunited Kingdom, Rhûn and Harad.

 

It is set in the 228th year of the Fourth Age and starts at the point of an invasion of Gondor's havens and Southern Fiefs by the Haradrim. All three factions will be playable and the release id set (tentatively) for April 2006.

 

The Development Team hope to publish 3-4 mini campaigns and include them in the final release with the full campaign so as to provide players with the option of playing provincial campaigns (as well as historical and custom battles of course). We feel this episodic approach a wise one for a number of reasons and trust our fanbase will concur. It will not, incidentally, slow down the final full-map release - indeed it may speed it up by virtue of focusing the Dev. team on one piece of the cake at a time (and we will have our cake and eat it!).

 

The number of factions has been reduced to 10 in the full campaign but the defunct factions will still be represented in-game as subcultures of the remaining factions. The complete list of factions is: The Reunited Kingdom, Rohan, Dale, Dunland, Harad, Rhûn, Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and a mysterious unnamed faction too closely associated with the Storyline to yet be divulged. Cutting down on the original number of factions will not only speed up the completion of the Mod but also allow for smoother and swifter gameplay.

 

The game will include some things not seen (to our knowledge at least) in any Mods before and we are confident that players will find the experience enjoyable. Although we aim to provide a quality product, we are also aware of the need to keep things small and simple enough so as to avoid sluggish load times, weird AI behaviour (as much as we can!) and CTDs. The balance is a difficult one but we believe we have it about right.

 

Here are Just Some of the New Features in FA:TW...

• City Development & Diversification. Large cities can now be developed along a path of your choosing, ultimately providing greater diversification for your faction. For example, if you are playing as Rhûn (aka the Easterlings) you might choose to develop a Thrall Stockade in order to have that settlement rely upon cheap slave labour for the construction of buildings, or you may opt to bolster your economy by developing a Cattle Trader, or perhaps you may wish to develop a Wain Workshop to allow your Settlers to use Wains so that they can move greater distances and thus increase population growth and spread.
   
   
  
• Wonder-capture. When you take a region with a Wonder you will not immediately gain all its effects. You will need to seize the Wonder, then secure it and then exploit it. Each of these phases will bring more of the Wonder's benefits to your faction. Wonders offer some faction-wide bonuses but such effects will vary by faction.
   
   
  
• Marvels. In addition to Wonders there will also be Marvels such as The White Tree of Gondor. These Marvels act much like Wonders except that they exist in or by a settlement rather than distant from it and as such they are considered captured when the settlement itself is taken. Guard these Marvels well as they can bring great blessings to your faction!
   
   
  
• Unique Cities. Minas Tirith, Thranduil's Halls and other well-known cities of Middle-earth will populate the landscape of the campaign map, each graphically designed and modelled to be unique and accurate.
   
   
  
• Landmark Features. Various features of Middle-earth that we all know and love will also be represented on the map - and some will even afford your faction with beneficial effects. These will include the Beacon-tower Hills of Gondor, the Carrock, the Sea-ward Tower of Dol Amroth and other less prominent features such as castle ruins and barrows.
   
   
  
• MEZoRS. The Middle-earth Zone of Recruitment System has been designed like no other. As you would expect with any good ZoR system, units are not immediately able to be recruited as soon as you capture a foreign region but certain local levies drawn from the conquered population may be; you will need to build your own recruitment buildings in order to start training and recruiting your own troops. MEZoRS discriminates between the Mannish, Elven, Orkish and Dwarven races. It establishes up to three types of region per faction (homelands, fiefdoms and outlands) taking into account old loyalties as well as old hatreds. It allows for the deepening of loyalty among local levies but also restricts the building of certain troops that might be available in your faction's homelands.
   
   
  
• Assimilation Units. If you take a chief city of another faction, or (where they exist) the chief city of a subculture of a faction, you may in process of time be able to recruit a unit assimilated from the conquered faction. For example, if Dale was to capture Edoras it would have Riders of the Mark available for recruitment once it had built up to the appropriate level of stables.
   
   
  
• Settlers & Population Dispersion. Peasants have been renamed to Settlers, downgraded in ability and cost, upgraded in unit size and given zero-time recruitment. Their chief purpose will be to move your population about between settlements. They should be guarded by your armies when on the move, for although they will be able to engage battle they are very likely to run away, unless they seriously outnumber a foe. They should no longer be considered military units. They will also be recruited in a more realistic manner according to the geographic spread of the population.
   
   
  
• Factional Fertility. A relatively simple yet slick system has been implemented to base population growth more directly upon race/faction rather than region alone. In Middle-earth, the Elves and the Dwarves had few children, whereas the Orcs multiplied like the proverbial rabbits (except not so cute!). This system allows us to represent such factors in the game regardless of which regions those races occupy.
   
   
  
• Seven Cultures. We will be incorporating the extra culture slot to provide you a full complement of cultures to populate Middle-earth, and some of these will even have subcultures. The cultures represented in the Mod will the Dúnedain, Northmen, Barbarian, Haradric, Elven, Dwarven and Orkish.
  

The New Shadow - the full campaign

 

Research on the campaign map concept design took months totalling literally hundreds of hours before even a pixel was created. Only official maps (from the novels and the History of Middle-earth series by Christopher Tolkien) were used in the creation of the map (and no animals were hurt during its making), along with the excellent (though not faultless) The Atlas of Tolkien's Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. The map is probably one of the most accurate gaming maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth to date. We have even added new textures to give it more of a distinct look appropriate for Middle-earth! The campaign map is shown below.

 

Nope, no key - you have to guess

 

Nobody's Answering...

 

The above image shows a WIP troll (not to scale) illustrating the ingenuity of the Mod in creating units capable of siege attack. This particular invention was a joint venture between the Fourth Age and The Lord of the Rings Mod.

 

Corsair Invasion - Mini Campaign #1

 

 

Dark Blue = Reunited Kingdom, Dark Red = Rhûn, Light Red = Harad.

 

The Corsair Invasion Mini-Campaign is basically the southern region of the campaign map. Harad, Rhûn, and the Reunited Kingdom are included. The hordes of Rhûn are positioned in the east. Rhûn has access to a variety of barbarian units including beserkers, warbands, wains (chariots).

 

 

The mighty Wain Riders of Rhûn!

 

The Haradrim occupy the southern regions. They bring all kinds of warriors to the table including the mighty mûmakil, infamous corsair warriors, and a diverse mix of desert infantry.

 

 

The deadly blades of the Corsairs.

 

The reunited kingdom lies in the north-western regions of the campaign map and boasts well armoured, disciplined infantry supported by longbowmen and the knights of Dol Amroth.

 

 

Gondorian Swordsmen (foreground) supported by Dol Amroth Men at Arms (in blue).

 

Haradrim Fleets embark from Umbar and the hordes of Rhûn march west. The reunited kingdom is about to be attacked from both land and sea on its eastern and southern borders. In this epic struggle no alliances are to be trusted. The fourth age has begun.

 

KEY MEMBERS OF THE FOURTH AGE: TOTAL WAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM

 

The Fourth Age Development Team has been in existence since late 2004. It was the Team that brought you...

• 
  
• The four-horse chariot
  
• The extra culture slot
  
• Mote control
   
  
   
  The four-horse chariot in action.
  

As well as other smaller discoveries such as:

• 
  
• Faction-specific building descriptions
  
• Multiple upgrades on buildings
  
• How to port R:TW win conditions into BI
  
• Disabling of building destructability
  
• Multiple bodyguard units for recruitable generals
  

The FA:TW team consists of members from many countries including the Netherlands, United States, Germany, Canada, and England. We thought you might like to meet some of its members:

 

 

fatsheep (American) - Founder (founded mid October 2004)

 

The oldest member of the team and yet I think the youngest in age Fatsheep was one of the Founders of the FA:TW mod, even before it was called that. He has acted as a forum moderator and helped out a lot with PR and relations with SCC (our forum and site host). A mature and easy-going guy, he has done much I am sure to nourish the ground from which this mod has sprung.

 

-apocalypsis- (Norwegian) - Faction Design Manager (joined November 2004)

 

Apocalypsis is one of our two Tolkien Consultants and holds the responsible position of Faction Design Manager. He has a good knowledge of the text of the books and has been a very valuable and committed member of the team almost from its inception. He also carries out a lot of the textual work for the mod such as gathering quotations, recording ancillary and trait ideas, writing battle speeches, and compiling character names. He is also spearheading the coding of traits and ancillaries. As FDM he works with the Art Director to aid and make decisions on the non-technical aspects of design, including making sure such work accords with both the spirit and known detail of Tolkien's world.

 

Tb0ne (Canadian) - Supporting Art Director

 

One of our professionals. Sadly, that profession has meant he has not been able to be as involved as he would like of late. TbOne was our Art Director until he and Prof teamed up to become the Joint Art Directors! He acts in more of an advisory role now.

 

Balbor (British) - Art Director

 

Balbor has single-handily modelled and skinned more units than everyone else combined. He has excellent texturing skills and much of your future visual enjoyment will be traceable to his work. He also has a good grasp of how the game engine works which gives him a great insight into how to balance factions. Although never formally accepting the position of a faction designer he has nevertheless also done a lot of the non-graphical design work, usually implementing it along with his virtual production line of units...he has recently stepped up to take on the role of Art Director.

 

Spraehbuer (German) - 2D Artist (joined January 2005)

 

Spraehbuer is a 2D artist though he does do some of the textures for the 3d models too. Event images, menu-related art, symbols, icons, cursors etc. are all within his range as well as loading screens and some work on interfaces. His work is much appreciated as without him the visual appearance of the Mod would look very Roman!

 

Tittils (Norwegian) - Map Manager & Assistant Coding Manager (joined February 2005)

 

This young man joined the mod about half way through the mod's life but has done a great job as Map Editor in coding and editing the files which compile to create our finely honed strategy map. He is also helping out with the coding of the text files associated with the campaign map. It is in part due to him that the campaign map is the most advanced area of the mod. He now acts as Campaign Map Manager and has just recently become Assistant Coding Manager. He now also is the main force behind the unit build for the Mod.

 

Astaldo (British) - Assistant Faction Design Manager & PR Manager (joined March 2005)

 

Astaldo joined a few months ago and has contributed a great deal in writing unit descriptions and various other design-related aspects of the mod as well as some PR work. He has recently been acting as our demo manager, though still new to the position. His enthusiasm and commitment, both to the mod and things Tolkien, are a great asset. He has been our liaison between the Staff and SCC to bring you what you are reading now.

 

Palantir (British) - Coding Manager (joined November 2004)

 

Palantir's role on the mod has gone from Tolkien Consultant to Map Manager to Coding Manager. His main contribution to the Mod in the early stages was in the researching of the geography of Middle-earth and design of the subsequent concept for the campaign map. He spends most of his time now trying to understand more about the code and inner workings of the game and has written a number of tutorials under his other names of MasterOfNone and Dol Guldur. His main area of work now is in the tech trees which he is trying to code both optimally and perfectly.

 

Professor420 (American) - former Art Director

 

Prof, as we call him, has been a rock in the development of the mod and though he has now left it would be remiss not to mention him here for his past effort. His skills lay in the technical side: 3D modelling, video, animation and also support in the audio and texturing/2D art areas of the mod. His commitment was always consistent, and his work productive as Art Director for the Mod. Some of you may have seen Prof's video tutorials on how to use 3ds Max on the modding forums.

 

UPDATED FAQ

 

The FAQ posted to the public forums at SCC many months ago were in need of an update. So without further ado, here they are...

 

Q. Why the Fourth Age?

 

A. The Rome: Total War system is just that - Total War. The setting in any other time, especially the War of the Ring, would mean that there are essentially two sides; you could make two giant factions, because there was little or no defection or diplomacy. Also, the War of the Ring happened in so short a period, that it would be impossible to reproduce it believably in a video game - or at least using the R:TW engine. Thirdly, the numbers are so skewed that it would be impossible to win as the "good" side (the only reason they were victorious was because of timely and often unknown reinforcements at constant battles. Even if the reinforcements were there from the beginning, victory would be almost impossible. It was the surprise and position factor that won it most of the time).

 

Q. How can there be total war in the Fourth Age when Tolkien has Men live on happily ever after?

 

A. When you play R:TW, you are not reliving history. You are playing out an alternate reality. The same is true for FA:TW. In "The New Shadow" Tolkien talks about a new, growing threat. The Mod Team has set up a history of what has happened in the Fourth Age so far (seeing as Tolkien never really explained it), and we continue on from a believable point. Our game starts at a crossroads of sorts; to make up a major war or fantastic event (like the forging of another ring, or the releasing of Morgoth) would be blasphemous... instead, we diverge from "history" where we believe it is quite harmonious with Tolkien's history (especially referenced and based on "The New Shadow"). As Balbor (our Art Director) put it: "Gaul never invaded Egypt."

 

Q. Why are allies - such as Rohan and Gondor - fighting against each other?

 

A. We have very good back-stories for all factions that we cannot discuss. Rest assured, they are more than believable.

 

Q. How can you include the Elves, since they all went over the Sea to the Undying Lands?

 

A. It is a misconception that "all" the Elves left Middle-earth in the Fourth Age. The Elves of Mirkwood did not, for the most part, leave. Elves never had the great numbers of Men or Orcs, and their numbers have admittedly decreased - but after our story diverges/begins, what is to stop them from building back up? Once the game begins the player has total control (although population increase will certainly not be as strong among Elves and Dwarves as it is among Men and Orcs). There is also the fact that the mod only starts about 230 years into the Fourth Age, and the Elves will not have had the time to decrease significantly. After all, what is 230 years to an Elf?

 

Q. When will the full mod be released?

 

A. Short answer: when it is done. Long answer: the people on the Mod Team all have real lives, with families, girlfriends, work, and school/university. As much as we'd like to work full time on the mod, that is just not possible. Remember that we want to play the mod just as much as you do, so we are working as hard and fast as we can, but we will not release it until it reaches our expectations. We still have many months of hard work before us.

 

Q. Will the Fourth Age: Total War be a full mod conversion?

 

A. Yes, every necessary aspect of the game will be modded - including units, campaign map, buildings, video, audio, music, interface, graphics and animations. However, we will make use of what we can - the total amount of images number in the thousands and it would be unrealistic not to take advantage of those that fit with some of our cultures.

 

Q. Is the mod based on the books or the movies?

 

A. This mod is based solely on the written works of J.R.R. Tolkien. We try to stay as true to the source material as is possible, and will not include anything even remotely associated with the movies.

 

Q. What is the starting date?

 

A. Exact date is not decided yet, but it will be around FO 220-30, about a hundred years after the death of Aragorn.

 

Q. What are the major factions?

 

A. The Reunited Kingdom, Dwarves, Rhûn (Easterlings), Elves, Harad, Orcs and Rohan but we're including Dunland, Dale and an as-of-yet-unnamed faction too.

 

Q. How big is the map and how many regions will there be?

 

A. The Middle-earth campaign map has around 100 regions and takes in the whole of the area of western Middle-earth as illustrated in the official maps in the back of the books.

 

Q. Will there be historical battles?

 

A. Yes. We will include as many historical battles as we can but our main focus is on the campaign.

 

Q. Will monsters and creatures be included?

 

A. Trolls and Wargs will be included, as will Mûmakil. Balrogs, Dragons, Eagles, Fell Beasts and Ents will not.

 

Q. Will there be navies?

 

A. Yes, but ships will play an overall much smaller part in the strategy than R:TW; the mod - as in Tolkien's tale itself - will be largely land-based in its focus.

 

Q. Will there be battle speeches, like Théoden's and Aragorn's in the movies?

 

A. Yes, we are writing new pre-battle speeches.

 

Q. Will there be new music?

 

A. Yes, there will be all new music.

 

Q. Will there be heroes?

 

A. No. Heroic traits for family members is a possibility though.

 

Q. Will there be Wizards and magic?

 

A. No, there will not be Wizards. Magic will be in the mod, but not as sorcerers spouting fire out of their fingers or throwing fireballs. It will be subtle, like the magic in the books - or even less prevalent than in the books, since magic has waned in the Fourth Age.

 

Q. Will there be guns and gunpowder?

 

A. No, absolutely not.

 

Q. Is there a website for the mod?

 

A. Yes. Go to: www.thefourthage.net

 

The Founding of FA:TW

 

Well, you were wrong if you thought it was King Elessar aka Aragorn II who founded the Fourth Age; it was in fact fatsheep. Here is his explanation of how it all began:

 

My memory is somewhat foggy of the beginning of the project but I'll attempt to recall what happened starting around October in 2004:

 

Rome: Total War was to be released shortly and there was a shortage of things to discuss on the message boards. We had already discussed and discussed all the screen shots, interviews, and other info Creative Assembly had released about their upcoming release. I was skimming through the topics on the boards when I came upon a thread about an idea. An idea that would turn from one discussion into one of the largest modifications in the Total War community. Being a fan of the books and Peter Jackson's movies I instantly took to the idea of modifying Rome into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style game. No other strategy game I have played has done J.R.R. Tolkien's writings justice.

 

With Rome, the massive scale of battles, the cities, the sieges, and tactics were already in place. We had the means to create something amazing. However, we knew that this would not be achieved without many hours of work. I shot some messages back and forth with the creator of the thread, Realm Lord, and decided that I should look around for others who shared our interest in making a LOTR modification for Rome. I didn't have to go far. I came to the SCC forums and immediately after posting a topic about our idea, Amirsan decided to host our mod. I had the luck of running into many talented modders. Spongebob created some of the first work ever done on the mod, including a variety of Orcs, Elves, and an awesome Mûmak. Another modder, Gutang, did some of our first work with the campaign map, a Ring-wraith unit, Riders of Rohan, and some very original Elves. TigerVX did an amazing job on the Easterling faction as well. WhiteWolf, who acted as the Art Director for some time, breathed new life into the project's graphics work. We lacked organization at the time and although we were getting loads work done, as a team we weren't going to be able to complete a total conversion mod the way we were going.

 

Our project was growing fast and filled with talented modders but we lacked the knowledge of Tolkien's works to make it a success. Then OncleJibi, a guy who possesses an amazing knowledge of Middle-earth, came into our mod. OncleJibi realized that the a game about the events that happened during the War of the Ring would not fit Total War's engine. The Ring could not be represented using the TW engine and we would have problems with overpowered factions such as Mordor and Isengard. We needed a setting with looser alliances, a free-for-all between all the countries of Middle-earth. From this idea came Fourth Age: Total War, a setting where no one country would be too much of a dominating factor. Mordor had been crushed, Isengard dismantled, and the strength of men had increased. However, new enemies would come in from the North, the East, and the South to make things interesting. In the Fourth Age, since Tolkien had written little about what transpired after the destruction of the Ring (the end of the Third Age), we were free to use some creativity.

 

Fortunately I've had the luck of running into many dedicated and gifted individuals that have helped greatly in not only keeping the project alive but turning it into something successful. We still have much work ahead, the cast has changed and will likely continue to in the future. However, as long as there is still interest in Tolkien's amazing world of Middle-earth and the great Total War series then there will be more success in this project's future.

 

-fatsheep

 

---------------------

 

The 1.0 version of the demo has been downloaded by over 6,000 fans!

 

We hope you enjoyed it. The demo was always intended as a mere teaser - one historical battle, The Battle of the Crossings of Poros, and some custom-battle units. It allows fans of the Mod to play around with some WIP (work-in-progress) units and get a flavour of things to come. It's pretty basic. We've provided no sprites and the audio is all WIP or incomplete. Unit balancing has certainly not been rigorously tested either. But we hope that more feedback on all these points will help us develop the real build of which the demo is but a shadow.

 

Having said that, the 1.1 version does contain some enhanced music, 2d art, a few more voices, and some texture upgrades for Gondor and Harad. Of course, the main addition that most people will be interested in are the mighty Mûmakil.

 

Here's what some people are saying about it...

 

I just had to tell you all how great the demo is. I love it. The models are just awesome.

- DiMi, SCC

 

Incredible work.

- Beleg, SCC

 

I installed it and...am amazed. Great Mod.

- Bello Gallicum, TWC

 

This looks AMAZING! Definately a must-have.

- Menander, TWC

 

The quality of this demo is outstanding.

- Nobunuga oda, TWC

 

Links You can download the latest demo and access the forums from the official site at thefourthage.net

 

Screenshots of Mini Campaign #1 - Corsair Invasion

 

 

Bird's eye view of a battle in the river.

 

 

Corsairs cutting through a unit of easterling peasants

 

 

Beserkers of Rhûn, in bloodlust and oblivous to the world.

 

 

Extra crispy...

 

 

Easterling Cavalry chase down fleeing Corsairs.

 

 

Charge!

 

 

Haradrim Archers prepare to fire.

 

 

Men of Far Harad. Notice the carpet of dead easterlings.

 

 

A mûmakil on a clear day.

 

 

Haradrim Spearmen.

[-apocalypsis-]

Screenshots of Demo 1.1 - "The Battle of the Crossings of Poros"

 

 

Haradrim spearmen get caught in a melee with a units of men at arms.

 

 

Look behind you!

 

 

Spearmen are hurled into the air by the charging beast.

 

 

Longbowmen unleash flaming arrows in the forest.

 

 

Swordsmen of Harad attack!

 

 

Heavily armoured Knights of Dol Amroth.

 

 

Haradrim Cavalry are chased from the field

 

 

The king's swordsmen being trampled.

 

 

Haradrim Archers firing.

 

 

Archers fire from the safety of the Mûmakil tower.

 

-Fourth Age: Total War Team

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

Var det noe sånt du tenkte deg, gunfreak

 

Apoc

[DurinVIII]

Vil ha denne modden NÅ! Dette ser jo kjempebra ut!

[Snorre]

 

Hva er det som skjer. Prøver du å drepe meg? Trodde nesten denne modifikasjonen var lagt på is, og så plutselig kommer det masse nytt. Slemming

 

Jeg er rett og slett imponert. Modellene og teksturene ser utmerkede ut. Teksturene er kanskje en smule uskarpe. Tenker da spesielt på noen av symbolene på diverse skjold. Men dette er ikke så utrolig farlig. En liten ting jeg legger merke til på screensene av gondormenn som blir kastet i luften av mümakil-er er at de er gjennomsiktige under, og at bena er relativt korte. De går altså ikke langt nok inn under brynjen.

 

Vet ikke om dette er noe dere selv har lagt merke til, men går utifra det. Dette er jo ikke noe viktig, bare flisespikkeri. Anngående mümakil-ene. Åssen i all verden skal man få drept de svære beistene. Det virker jo nesten som om de er ultimate krigere? Noen units some r spesielt sterke mot mümakil?

 

At dere modifiserer loadingscreens, musepekere og utsendet på spillet virker også bra. Man får jo ikke skillelig ringenes herre følelse hvis man ser på rome loading screens. Så det er veldig positivt. Ellers bra at dere har egen musikk og egne taler.

 

Gleder meg veldig til denne modifikasjonen kommer ut. for dette ser ekstremt lovende ut. Spiller generelt sett lite modifikasjoner til spill fordi de som regel ikke er så utrolig bra. Men dette ser ut som et av unntakene.

 

Snorre

[Portalol]

når jeg prøvde demoen, døde mûmakilene mine mot billige spydmenn

 

+ at de ikke klarte å trampe ihjel bueskyttere :s

[TSP]

Var det jeg var litt redd for når det gjaldt de mumakilene. Jeg håper dere gjør det mye vanskeligere for dem å bli drept av spyd. For eksempel syns jeg det var totalt urealistisk at de yubtseb elephants (jukseelefantene) døde bare de støtte på et bittelite spyd. Store ollifanter som det skal jo helt klart være mye mer motstandsdyktige.

[Portalol]

Det virket som om de bare klarte å trampe på dyre, vellutstyrte enheter.

 

Man kan jo pile ned de billige, og trampe på de dyre da

[-apocalypsis-]

Tenkte jeg skulle poste en liten "update":

 

As you all by now know, the first release will be featuring the Reunited Kingdom, Harad, and the barbarians of Rhûn. The next few updates will feature profiles of the most famous units from each faction.

 

The Guards of the Citadel

 

The Guards of the Citadel are some of the finest soldiers in all the lands of Middle-earth. They are tasked with protecting the Citadel of the City of Minas Tirith, and most especially the Court of the Fountain where the White Tree now stands. In the days of the Stewards they were the only men allowed to bear the livery of the kings: the White Tree for Gondor, surmounted by seven stars and a high crown for Elendil, first High King of Arnor and Gondor.

 

 

Even though they have ceremonial duties, the Guards should not be mistaken for ceremonial troops. Entrance into their ranks is something attempted by many but achieved by few, for only those who are valiant, hardy, and skilled in arms are admitted. A man of arms of the Guard of the Tower of Gondor is held worthy in the City, and such men have honour in the land. The Guards have fought in most of Gondor’s numerous wars, and those of the Reunited Kingdom since it was reforged by Elessar Telcontar. At the Battle of the Morannon men of the Guard stood by the Great King’s side, and they went with him to subjugate the wild peoples of the East.

 

 

The Guards of the Citadel are robed in black, and their helms are high-crowned, with long cheek-guards close-fitting to the face, and above the cheek-guards are set the white wings of sea-birds; but the helms gleam with a flame of silver, for they are indeed wrought of 'mithril', heirlooms from the glory of old days. Upon the black surcoats are embroidered in white a tree blossoming like snow beneath a silver crown and many-pointed stars.

 

 

Under their black surcoats the Guards wear hauberks, with rings forged of steel, black as jet, made by the master metal-workers of Gondor. They are armed with spears and swords, but prefer the former upon the field of battle. They also carry large shields, with which they, if the situation requires it, will form a 'thangail' (Sindarin: ‘shield-fence’) or shield-wall, a formidable formation that is a headache for any captain of men - even were it not the Guards of the Citadel behind the shields.

 

 

In battle, the unit will be one of the best defensive forces in the game; they were, after all, recruited with the aim of protecting the rulers of Gondor. That said, they are pulled from the finest soldiers in all Gondor and do not lack attacking prowess.

 

 

Should you wish to celebrate your respect and support of the Guards of the Citadel on our forums, we've prepared some signatures for you to use.

 

 

Equally, if you want to profess your love of all things Gondorian to your friends, family and colleagues then what better than a Fourth Age: Total War wallpaper?

 

 

 

- The Fourth Age Team.

Endret 17. april 2006 av -apocalypsis-

[Heilage]

Heilage.

 

 

Gleder meg.

[Portalol]

:-D~~

 

Ser bra ut!

[-apocalypsis-]

Continuing the signature unit theme, we bring you

 

The Wains of Rhûn

 

The Easterlings' chariots represent the two extremes of their army. The first wains are used by the chieftans and warlords (Noblemen would be pushing the definition somewhat) of Rhûn to carry them into battle in as imposing and impressive way as possible, the better to instill fear in the enemy and admiration in their own men. The second are used by the farmers and smiths of the land to carry them to new lands of prosperity and plenty, or so they hope. These wagons replace warriors for wives and axes for cooking pots and are far less of a spectacle on the battlefield.

 

 

The Chieftan's Wains go to battle decked in the shields of warriors from all areas of Rhûn, displaying to their followers that they have the best interests of the entire Easterling people in mind. The shields are also a warning to any foe from within or without- this leader has the support of all the Eastern lands. Not that foes facing down the Easterling chieftans need much by way of a warning. The rows of vicious spikes that line the front of the wain and the cruel scythed blades that grin from their wheel demonstrate clearly enough that these men have no mind for negotiations. Not, at least, until they've finished conquering and pillaging and you're in no position to refuse anything.

 

 

Every civilisation in The Fourth Age: Total War has a settler unit, which they use to populate newly conquered cities and territories. The Easterlings, however, have access to a unique kind of settler unit: horse-drawn wains. They lend the peasantry who use them many advantages over their footsore opposite numbers. Speed is the obvious upside - a horse-drawn wagon will allow for a much faster and easier journey, especially when a man is accompanied by his wife and children. They are also significantly better off should they be attacked, despite their reluctance to fight and inexperience of warfare. There are not many soldiers who would relish the chance of facing down a team of maddened horses dragging a half ton box and a man defending his family and his life...

 

In most cases, however, the settlers are no more willing to fight than their would-be opponents and find that their superior speed is of great convinience.

 

 

Again, those of you who are so enraptured by the Wainriders that you want to spread their joy can do so with these signatures.

 

 

 

...Or this wallpaper.

 

 

 

- The Fourth Age Team.

[edds]

Dette ser helt konge ut. Startet akkurat å spille Rome: Total Realism (super mod, forresten), og nå dette??

Fantastisk!

[DurinVIII]

Jeg kjenner at det kribler i magen sår jeg leser dette

[-apocalypsis-]

Vi holder på med in-house testing nå, så skal betaen ut til eksterne testere, og så vil det bli sluppet en åpen beta. Har forresten akkurat blitt ferdig med ancillaries- og traits-kodinga: forvent bortimot 200 nye ancillaries, og godt over hundre nye traits.

Endret 10. juni 2006 av -apocalypsis-

[-apocalypsis-]

As the third part of the famous units theme, we bring you one of Harad's most recognised contingents...

 

The Corsairs of Umbar

 

The Corsairs are a wild force on the battlefield, unpredictable for friend and foe alike. They go to war for glory and gold, respect and reward, stories and swag, alliteration and tautology. The Corsairs meet their enemies at full run, a storm of sea-borne steel, and an intimidating sight for an opponent. Their relationship with the Haradrian high command is based upon the "my enemy's enemy is my friend" principle, rather than on any great loyalty or trust, but the alliance has served both factions well.

 

 

The history of the Corsairs is closely interwoven with that of the nation of Harad, and it's records begin with Umbar's settling by Gondorian rebels;

 

When, at the end of Gondor's Kin-strife, the usurpers were defeated and fled south to the havens around Umbar, many took to the seas as Corsairs. They became the terror of Gondor's navy, destroying or capturing many ships and making devastating raids on costal settlements. They became strongly allied with (although never governed by) the Haradrim, and Umbar grew to be a stronghold for the enemies of Gondor.

 

During the long period of war that followed, Umbar was captured by King Hyarmendacil II, whose name means South-Victor, and was held for a brief time after his death, but his son was killed by a Haradrim army led by Angamaitë and Umbar was retaken and grew again as a bastion of anti-Gondor sentiment. It, and the rest of Harad, remained in the control of the Men of the South until after the War of the Ring in which many Haradrian soldiers were engaged.

 

 

Long before the breakout of the War of the Ring the Haradrim had been making inroads into Gondor, in some cases with the aid of the Dark Lord but in many they were driven solely by their own considerable ambition. They formed a coalition with the Wainriders, attacking in TA 1944 and again in TA 2285 where they were defeated (as documented in our demo) by the Gondorian and Rohirian alliance.

 

 

Over the course of a thousand years, the Corsairs had been growing in power and they now posed a significant threat to Gondor, as testified by their rampage along the coast as far as the River Isen in 2758 and the killing of the Prince of Dol Amroth in 2746. The danger they presented to Gondor was recognised by Aragorn II (under the guise of a Knight of the City named Thorongil) who launched an attack on the havens, burning many ships and defeating the Captain of the fleet. Aragorn met again the Corsairs during the War of the Ring, where the Oathbreakers spectral army defeated them and allowed their ships to carry reinforcements from the coast of Gondor to the Battle of the Pelennor.

 

Following the War of the Ring Aragorn made peace with the Haradrim and claimed Umbar as a Gondorian city. Those Haradrim still under the evil influence of Sauron were subdued by a force led by Aragorn and King Eomer of Rohan.

 

 

By popular demand (Wimpy) here is a signature:

 

 

The Fourth Age-dev. team

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

With this update, the Fourth Age Team would like to announce their new website. Its address is www.thefourthage.org (although the previous address, www.thefourthage.net, will still redirect to it) and it has a number of new features.

 

 

You'll notice that in the stylishly-crafted menu bar at the top there are nine links. The Home button takes you to the website's homepage. This is where the team will post updates on our progress or announcements about the Mod. The Factions and Features links explain a little about - you guessed it - the factions and features that FA:TW will contain. The Factions are introduced with a short paragraph about them and their faction icon, and the Features are described by Palantir.

 

The FAQ section is the updated Frequently Asked Questions from the February Press Release (with some very minor changes) which were originally crafted by Apocalypsis. The Downloads part of the website lists the Crossings of the Poros demo release and will soon have the first Provincial Campaign - Corsair Invasion! In the Media section you can download all the signatures, avatars, and wallpapers made by various members of the team. As well as this, there are links to past Updates and video-trailers downloads.

 

 

The members of the Fourth Age: Total War are listed in the Team section, along with a description of their roles. There are Links to websites FA:TW is associated with, or that we recommend: Tolkien-related, modding-related, and Total War-related.

 

 

Finally, you may have noticed the Forum button. This does not link to our forums at SCC, TWC, or RTR, but our own forums hosted at www.thefourthage.org/forums. We'd love to see the community here grow. We are moving our main forums from SCC to the ones at www.thefourthage.org/forums, and I hope to see you all posting soon!

 

 

The website and forum were both designed by Cronus over at fancony.com and coded by him and our own Arakorn-eir. Both have done a brilliant job getting it up and running. The domain is hosted by Apocalypsis' Middle-earth-modding-and-lore-hub website www.chamber-of-records.com, which also has an accompanying forum.

 

Astaldo and the Fourth Age Team.