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Scenarios » Quest of Earendil version 2.0 for Arda Mod
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Quest of Earendil version 2.0 for Arda Mod
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Author |
File Description |
Galahad_2nd |
Posted on 08/27/04 @ 07:06 PM (updated 01/24/05)
File Details |
Ruleset: |
AoW: SM - TS Standard Rules |
Map Size: |
L |
Levels: |
2 |
Single Player?: |
Yes |
Co-Op vs. AI?: |
No |
PBEM/Hotseat?: |
No |
Multiplayer Online?: |
No |
# of Wizards: |
4 |
# of players: |
1 |
Skill Level: |
Advanced |
Password Protected: |
No |
REQUIRES SHADOW MAGIC 1.3 PATCHES OR HIGHER PLUS BEREN'S ARDA MAPSET (See Modpacks download section.)
Version 2.0 of "Quest of Earendil" (formerly known as "Middle-Earth in the First Age: Quest of Earendil") is changed to benefit from Beren's Arda Mapset. Now it has more Balrogs and Great Eagles that are more faithful to Tolkien's world, and many other improvements as well. See the Designer Notes for more details.
Tolkien's masterpiece THE SIMARILLION is faithfully brought to life in this single-player game, featuring an accurate map of Beleriand, most of the characters in this part of the story, and many event messages directly quoted from Tolkien. At the same time, it is an exciting and challenging, character RPG-style map, with tons of scripts and special events and puzzles to solve. It is a short and sweet, relatively small map which you can play to completion in a few hours. But it is designed to be a challenge, which will be very hard to win on your first try. If you liked my previous map MIDDLE-EARTH IN THE SECOND AGE, you will appreciate the Tolkien authenticity of this one as well. Players who have seen the LotR movies but haven't read THE SIMARILLION will be able to learn something about it from this map. If you like strong RPG-style maps, you will like the puzzles and challenge of this one as well even if you don't usually like Middle-Earth maps. Give it a try!
The story starts with you in command of the city of Gondolin, under siege by the forces of Morgoth. Somehow you must escape and survive, and, although Morgoth's conquest of Middle Earth is nearly complete, find allies and find a path to victory.
SETTINGS: Classic Turns, Allied Victory On, Build Outposts Enabled |
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » | Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 09/05/04 @ 08:42 PM
Sorry, I found a few bugs with my map. I will post an update to this map around Sept. 10 or so. I think it's a good map but you might want to wait a couple of days for the new version. Thanks. |
Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 09/09/04 @ 08:19 AM
I'm posting Version 1.1 today; this has the bugs fixed. Also, the ending for Allied Victory is changed a little bit. Later (a month or two?) I plan to make a version 1.2 to incorporate comments and suggestions that I receive from players (Please give me some!), and also include a few more details that I didn't have time to do in version 1.1: having the isle of Numenor rise from the sea at the end, and Elwing's visits to the Teleri. In the meantime, Beren's Arda Modpack looks very promising -- it would be nice to have better Balrogs and Eagles than I can do with the standard game units. But his mod pack is only a beta version right now. Anyway a major change like that will require re-doing all the playtesting for play balance of this map, to be sure that it is neither too easy nor impossibly difficult. That will be version 2.0, later on sometime after he posts a new version of his mod.
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Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 09/21/04 @ 06:58 PM
Comments/suggestions, anybody? |
The_Stranger |
Posted on 10/14/04 @ 01:13 AM
This is a well orchestrated, relatively challenging scenario, that is true to Tolkien and yet creative as well. Regardless of whether they read Tolkien or not, I encourage players to try this unique and well conceived map.
The map features heaps of scripted events, most of which go off without a hitch. And, despite the many events, the player is mainly in control of the game: it is his/her choices and actions that decide whether he is sucessfull or not. (Note to the author: the Valar do still break the peace with Cirdan, although in my lastest game they never attacked him. On a similar note, the dragons spawned for Morgoth actually began to stop attacking my settlement (built just north of the cabin, below the bridge) and attacked Cirdan instead. In fact, several turns of dragons killed him (and ended my game...until I loaded auto save and garrisoned his city with nearly all my heroes). I eventually found it fairly easy to defend my settlement (6 longbowmen with mighty meek did the trick), and apprently the ai wanted to take its chances with Cirdan.)
Initially, game play can be difficult, and I would encourage players to take a full stack of 8 when fleeing the city. Having said this, though, I find the intial turns to be the most compelling part of the map, as I had to struggle and strategize to get my units to relative safety.
I enjoyed the opportunity to build my own city, in a location of my choice, and defend it against the malignant hordes. It adds a mythic element to the gameplay, which many scenarios strive after but fail to achieve. Enjoyable too is the opportunity to have different outcomes--that is, the player is given choices, which enhances replayability and makes the scenario more interesting.
The story line relied heavily on Tolkien, but I thought passages were well chosen, and the gameplay instructions were clear and helpful.
The one area I would encourage the author to develop further is map design--not in the entire lay out, but in adding those details that make a map come alive: forest, stone formations, sacred places filled with holy woods and still wells. There is simply a lot of grassland, which detracts from the mythic "feel" of the scenario, although the gameplay is excellent and compelling.
Thank you to the author for this present version, and I hope to see more of your work (perhaps a version using Beren's mod pack) in the future.
Regards,
bj |
Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 11/06/04 @ 02:29 PM
Version 1.2 will be posted around Nov. 15 or so. I've incorporated many suggestions from The Stranger and others, plus new ideas of my own. The map is more detailed, gameplay is more open and variable, story details are added, and problems are fixed. |
Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 11/15/04 @ 09:31 AM
Version 1.2 is posted today. Here is a summary of the changes:
1. Add much more map detail
2. Replaced Fire Elementals with Shadow Demon Lords to represent Balrogs and adjusted all forces to compensate the play balance
3. Increased the stats of some heroes
4. Added Thorondor and the scripts for his coming and going, both early in the game and at the end.
5. Eliminated the Scripted death of Glorfindel; he can live as long as the game lasts
6. Added the Rise of Numenor at the end
7. Changed some Rivers: a crossing of the Sirion by Nan Tathren: River Narog is not navigable to the sea; easier to reach Doriath from the south; easier to reach Ossiriand.
8. Represented the Sons of Feanor as independent Dark Elf units if the main storyline is followed
9. Added more places and terrain outside of the main storyline; adjustment of Nargothrond and Menegroth ruins; events for their reconstructions; visits to the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, etc.
10. Changed the triggers and conditions for Elwing to join or not join
11. Added an alternate storyline with Elwing being captured by Morgoth if not found by Earendil by turn 12, eventually followed by some help from the Sons of Feanor and some events if Earendil assualts Thangorodrim without help from the Valar. It will be a Major victory if the player can defeat Morgoth without help from the Valar -- but it is very difficult and perhaps impossible. I haven't been able to beat my own map this way, maybe some really good player can.
12. Did re-writing of most messages which were not direct quotes from Tolkien
13. Added Events for Morgoth to destroy Gondolin again if the Elves rebuild it.
14. Changed Dragons vs Balar -- now it is only a minor event which happens once
14. Changed the conditions for a Cirdan alliance. Also, it is no longer a defeat if Cirdan is destroyed.
15. Added a Lose game event if Elwing joins but the Silmaril is captured.
Thanks to suggestions and comments from The_Stranger, Frall, and others! Please continue your suggestions and comments; I plan to do a version 2.0 after the next version of Beren's Arda mod is out. |
Magog |
Posted on 11/28/04 @ 11:54 AM
Warning, possible spoilers below.
This is a well made map with a lots of events and a great story. You start out with a big battle which actually is very important later on, as you need to lose as few units as possible. I think balance is excellent here, you have just enough power to kill the enemies and save a few units. After the battle you run away, chased by cleverly spawned wolf riders that wont let you rest for a minute! I was surprised that the AI would actually chase me halfway across the map, as it usually goes of in another direction, looking for some farm or tower to capture... As the story moves on, it gets harder and harder, and you really wish you had saved some more units from that first battle.
The only problem is the graphics. The elevation tool hasn't been used at all, and the scenery is not detailed enough. That is kind of unfortunate, since this map is so great in all other aspects. I hope you fix this Galahad! :)[Edited on 11/28/04 @ 12:08 PM]
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Frall |
Posted on 11/30/04 @ 03:13 AM
I Downloaded your map again and played the 1.2 version. I enjoyed it more than the previous version, I'm glad you implemented some of my suggestions. Only the scenario design could be improved.
There is still a problem with the 2 stacks of Morgoth attacking Gondolin simultaneausly in the first turn. Sometimes they attacked together, making it almost impossible to win. But if I moved my own units to the other side of the city than 1 stack attacks first and after that the other stack, making it much more manageable. What were your intentions about this? Maybe you should change the starting locations of the stacks to prevent this.
You should change the text that it is impossible to win without the help from the Valar because it is possible, although difficult. Trying to kill Morgoth yourself is much more fun I think. You have to bould up from an outpost while the enemy has several stacks with lvl 3 and 4 units. |
Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 12/18/04 @ 11:47 AM
Today I am posting version 1.3, the final version for Shadow Magic with no mods.
Thanks Frall and Magog for your helpful suggestions and encouragement.
Now the first battle is a little easier, so hopefully players can fight both stacks and win without having to do the trick of defending Gondolin from an adjacent hex. Frall, I had intended for both of Morgoth's stacks to attack at the same time and for this to be a very challenging test of the player's tactics. I myself could always win that battle without serious losses, having played it a bazillion times, but maybe it was a little too hard. Now, one of the Balrogs is replaced with an Orc swordsman.
Magog, you and others have commented that the map has too much plain grassland. I had a lot of improvements between version 1.1 and 1.2; I'm not sure which one you were playing. Now, there are more improvement. I know how to use the Elevation tool, but unfortunately I can't do too much with it because it messes up the Change Terrain event.
Version 1.3 has a few other improvements also. The Edain (Tuor and a few units late in the game) are now Archons, not Humans.
Version 2.0 for Beren's Arda mapset is pretty much finished, but I'm waiting for Beren to post a new version which has a bug fixed. In 0.2, the Maiar cities build a unit which builds Edain cities, which really messes this map up, but I think that Beren can fix that bug easily. In the meantime, here is version 1.3 which has some of the 2.0 improvements but is still for Shadow Magic with no mods. |
Galahad_2nd
File Author |
Posted on 01/26/05 @ 07:34 PM
Now version 2.0 using Beren's Arda mod is posted at this location, and the older version 1.3 is a separate download site in case you don't like to use Mods. Version 2.0 is better though. |
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.6 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 4.8 | Creativity | 4.8 | Map Design | 3.2 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 2,168 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 504.76 KB |
Added: | 08/27/04 |
Updated: | 01/24/05 |
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