LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth - DVDfile.com forum for DVD, Blu-Ray, and HD-DVD

tic-tac · 09-10-2004, 06:03 PM

While I used to dabble with Myth for the Mac a long time ago and even had a brief and satisfying run with Diablo II back in the day when I used to download cracked games off Hotline, I have never been one for the RTS.

That's about to change. Holy crap -- this looks cool.

click

If you've got the time and the bandwidth, download the E3 movie. It looks like the designers at EA have really hit this one out of the park.

Any other takers?

Scottish Punk · 09-10-2004, 06:17 PM

I am a Real-Time Strategy fan and a huge Tolkien fan. So, yeah I am going to get this.

sub780lime · 09-11-2004, 06:56 PM

hopefully a big improvment over war of the ring

Vonner · 11-29-2004, 09:11 PM

This comes out December 6th, anyone else going to get it?

tic-tac · 11-30-2004, 04:50 AM

I pre-ordered it at Best Buy, so I've fooled with the little "interactive map" of Middle Earth that they give you. Can't wait til the 6th...

BTW, how does one fulfill a preorder at BB? Do they have a record of it or something?

***Wirehed*** · 12-02-2004, 02:36 AM

I almost exclusively play RTS games, so I'll be watching this one. If it gets good reviews I'm all over it.

cherno · 12-07-2004, 04:51 AM

Anyone know if this will be coming out on any of the consoles?

Ruined · 12-07-2004, 06:43 AM

word is this game supports sm3.0, specifically geometry instancing. hope so, because that means there will be able to be tons more guys on screen without slowdown if your card supports it.

Vonner · 12-09-2004, 02:59 PM

Anyone got this yet? What's it like. I have it on my Christmas list so I couldn't pick it up.

tic-tac · 12-09-2004, 04:36 PM

Vonner, I'm gonna get it today or tomorrow. I sort of want to wait until I watch the EE of ROTK next Tuesday before I play, but I doubt that I'll be able to wait that long...

In the meantime, check this gameplay footage out:

http://www.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_lotr_bfme_gp.mov

Scottish Punk · 12-27-2004, 04:21 PM

Anybody play this yet? Reviews?

Ruined · 12-27-2004, 08:54 PM

turns out the game was a big letdown (how surprising for ea!

). Didn't have any of the features it originally advertised graphically, and the gameplay is simple and gets boring fast.

Go for Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War instead.

Scottish Punk · 02-07-2005, 03:06 PM

I bought this with a gift card this weekend. Initial thoughts:

Multiplayer - Very simplistic RTS. You don't build peasants/grunts to gather resources, all you need is a building. There isn't any tech levels or building upgrades. The resources focus on upgrading a small army rather than "pumpin out the troops". Hardcore RTS people will be disappointed in the lack of build options. Not that many troop options for each of the four cultures. I can't comment on the Mordor (haven't played them yet), Isengard focuses on swarming, while the good guys (gondor and rohan) focus on small beefy armies with heroes.

Singleplayer - I have been gonig through the good campaign and can't comment on the evil yet. The singleplayer is great. You start off with the fellowship going through Moria. All of the heroes gain levels and extra spells/abilities (although you don't place points anywhere). The single player also has some great movie clips and voice overs woven into the game.

Gameplay - So far it seems the good people are much stronger than evil due to the amount of hereos you get. Isengard culture only has Saruman and Lurtz as available heroes, while Rohan and Gondor both have like six choices. Archery is very powerful, but you do need some meatshields in front of them.

There is also something called "gifts of the evenstar" where you basically get points for killing a bunch of the enemy and you can place this points in a skill tree full of extra events and global abilities. The last one being summong the army of the dead to fight for you.

Overall, the layout of the game is great. The single player has a great storyline feel to it. Playing with the fellowship and rohan guys is wicked fun. I would like to have it been a little more complicated, there definetly is a lack of options when building and upgrading. I haven't even worried about resource management yet in the good campaign. This is a great start to a game. An expansion with more features and units is a must to really round out the experience. I would only recommend it for RTS beginners and LOTR nuts.

Mr. Furious · 02-23-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruined

turns out the game was a big letdown (how surprising for ea!

). Didn't have any of the features it originally advertised graphically, and the gameplay is simple and gets boring fast.

Go for Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War instead.

Agreed. The last missions are just a pain in the ass. They're all the same and your strategy never changes. It's pretty much a waste of time towards the end of the game.

09-10-2004, 06:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
tic-tac toe Join Date: Oct 2002	LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth While I used to dabble with Myth for the Mac a long time ago and even had a brief and satisfying run with Diablo II back in the day when I used to download cracked games off Hotline, I have never been one for the RTS. That's about to change. Holy crap -- this looks cool. click If you've got the time and the bandwidth, download the E3 movie. It looks like the designers at EA have really hit this one out of the park. Any other takers?

09-11-2004, 06:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
sub780lime Can't Spell Bilbo Join Date: May 2002 Location: A Galaxy Far Far Away	hopefully a big improvment over war of the ring __________________ love comes and goes, but an avatar . . . that's forever. - Pirate

12-02-2004, 02:36 AM	#6 (permalink)
*Wirehed* Producer/Admin NSFW Off 'the list' Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Sacto, Ca --Near Galt, home of LeVar Burton	I almost exclusively play RTS games, so I'll be watching this one. If it gets good reviews I'm all over it. __________________ The Order of the Zombie. The world's greatest zombie culture website. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wagn'nagl dominos" In his house in R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits for the pizza delivery guy.

12-07-2004, 04:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
cherno Actor Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Emporia, Kansas	Anyone know if this will be coming out on any of the consoles? __________________ "Principles only mean something if you stick by them when they are inconvenient" My DVDs My Home Theater Oh no! I broke history - Hiro Nakamura

12-07-2004, 06:43 AM	#8 (permalink)
Ruined It's Good to Play Together Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: NJ, USA	word is this game supports sm3.0, specifically geometry instancing. hope so, because that means there will be able to be tons more guys on screen without slowdown if your card supports it. __________________ For every shadow, no matter how deep, is threatened by morning light.

09-10-2004, 06:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Scottish Punk Actor Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan	I am a Real-Time Strategy fan and a huge Tolkien fan. So, yeah I am going to get this.

11-29-2004, 09:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
Vonner Previously, on '24'... Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Minnesota	This comes out December 6th, anyone else going to get it?

11-30-2004, 04:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
tic-tac toe Join Date: Oct 2002	I pre-ordered it at Best Buy, so I've fooled with the little "interactive map" of Middle Earth that they give you. Can't wait til the 6th... BTW, how does one fulfill a preorder at BB? Do they have a record of it or something?

12-09-2004, 02:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
Vonner Previously, on '24'... Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Minnesota	Anyone got this yet? What's it like. I have it on my Christmas list so I couldn't pick it up.

12-09-2004, 04:36 PM	#10 (permalink)
tic-tac toe Join Date: Oct 2002	Vonner, I'm gonna get it today or tomorrow. I sort of want to wait until I watch the EE of ROTK next Tuesday before I play, but I doubt that I'll be able to wait that long... In the meantime, check this gameplay footage out: http://www.gametrailers.com/gt_vault/t_lotr_bfme_gp.mov

12-27-2004, 04:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
Scottish Punk Actor Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan	Anybody play this yet? Reviews?

12-27-2004, 08:54 PM	#12 (permalink)
Ruined It's Good to Play Together Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: NJ, USA	turns out the game was a big letdown (how surprising for ea! ). Didn't have any of the features it originally advertised graphically, and the gameplay is simple and gets boring fast. Go for Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War instead. __________________ For every shadow, no matter how deep, is threatened by morning light. Last edited by Ruined : 12-27-2004 at 09:07 PM.

02-07-2005, 03:06 PM	#13 (permalink)
Scottish Punk Actor Join Date: May 2002 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan	I bought this with a gift card this weekend. Initial thoughts: Multiplayer - Very simplistic RTS. You don't build peasants/grunts to gather resources, all you need is a building. There isn't any tech levels or building upgrades. The resources focus on upgrading a small army rather than "pumpin out the troops". Hardcore RTS people will be disappointed in the lack of build options. Not that many troop options for each of the four cultures. I can't comment on the Mordor (haven't played them yet), Isengard focuses on swarming, while the good guys (gondor and rohan) focus on small beefy armies with heroes. Singleplayer - I have been gonig through the good campaign and can't comment on the evil yet. The singleplayer is great. You start off with the fellowship going through Moria. All of the heroes gain levels and extra spells/abilities (although you don't place points anywhere). The single player also has some great movie clips and voice overs woven into the game. Gameplay - So far it seems the good people are much stronger than evil due to the amount of hereos you get. Isengard culture only has Saruman and Lurtz as available heroes, while Rohan and Gondor both have like six choices. Archery is very powerful, but you do need some meatshields in front of them. There is also something called "gifts of the evenstar" where you basically get points for killing a bunch of the enemy and you can place this points in a skill tree full of extra events and global abilities. The last one being summong the army of the dead to fight for you. Overall, the layout of the game is great. The single player has a great storyline feel to it. Playing with the fellowship and rohan guys is wicked fun. I would like to have it been a little more complicated, there definetly is a lack of options when building and upgrading. I haven't even worried about resource management yet in the good campaign. This is a great start to a game. An expansion with more features and units is a must to really round out the experience. I would only recommend it for RTS beginners and LOTR nuts.

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