-- Preview of Rohan --

[Jean=A=Luc]

didn't all rohan riders have bows anyway? so rather than making new horse archers give the existing combat archers a secondary bow weapon?

IMBAAAAA!!1

[SigniferOne]

Cherryfunk is a tough critic

[DjAci]

+rep - 2 units of infantry spearmen are too many? I think the rosters is nice balanced and the cavalry to infantry ratio are perfect - even though Rohan is a cavalry-faction, 10 different units of cavalry and 2 infantry units would just be

??? There are 4 units of infantry spearmen.

Playing Rohan should mean having 80% of your army cavalry. Imo there should be 2 spear units, 1 light infantry, 1 heavy infantry, one medium archers. All of them no better than average. Their purpose would be defeating tons of powerful cavalry (spearmen) that outnumber yours. Attacking in siege and defeating pikemen/spearmen (infantry). City defense and long range support (archers).

All other units would be cavalry. In an open field you should have an almost all cavalry army. To be able to fight like that effectively they need a diversity of cavalry they currently lack. Light lancers, heavy lancers, light melee cavalry, heavy melee cavalry, skirmishers with javelins, horse archers, elite heavy cavalry for a direct charge and bodyguards.

[Devils_Advocate]

Wow, very impressive, Dragut! Great style, great units!
A few minor things I would complain about, but already mentioned, therefore I won´t repeat them again.

[Lucivatar]

Impressive!!!Really very nice work!Concerning the addition of an other unit (horse archer etc) it would be nice.The wood part of the axes could have been a little shorter but generally I believe that even if nothing is changed till release,Rohan will still look awesome

Gratz!

[cherryfunk]

Cherryfunk is a tough critic

Just keepin' it real, Signifer...

Playing Rohan should mean having 80% of your army cavalry. Imo there should be 2 spear units, 1 light infantry, 1 heavy infantry, one medium archers. All of them no better than average. Their purpose would be defeating tons of powerful cavalry (spearmen) that outnumber yours. Attacking in siege and defeating pikemen/spearmen (infantry). City defense and long range support (archers).

All other units would be cavalry. In an open field you should have an almost all cavalry army. To be able to fight like that effectively they need a diversity of cavalry they currently lack. Light lancers, heavy lancers, light melee cavalry, heavy melee cavalry, skirmishers with javelins, horse archers, elite heavy cavalry for a direct charge and bodyguards.

Agreed, although I'd add a foot skirmisher unit and maybe a very expensive heavy foot to represent dismounted nobles?

[SigniferOne]

Let me post the reply I had intended for the now closed thread:

The over-and-above highest problem for all modders, the big shadow looming on the horizon, is the specter of ETW and what it will wreak for M2TW modding. A lot of modders (me included) have been considerably worried about what this means for the mods they've been working on and invested years into. I suspect part of KK's intention has been to just release TATW before ETW manages to grab a good stronghold in the minds of TW players, which I admit is not a bad plan. On the other hand I've seen indications that ETW will be a nightmare to mod, which I'm quite happy about to be honest with you

[Varjon]

Actually he has to move doing some other things so he doesn't have as much time for modding for a while. But it's partly that, too.

[DjAci]

Concerning swords over axes that so many people want. Rohan was technologicaly less advanced than Gondor and Dale. They had less metal and therefore good armor (plate) and expensive weapons (swords) were rare. Spears and axes are Rohans bread and butter + chain and scale armor.

However I wouldn't mind having their elite units (infantry and cavalry) wielding swords. Swords were always a symbol of high status. And the best of Rohan could afford them. Maybe the spear armed Royal gurad could be sword armed.

A sword armed heavy melee cavalry would't hurt as well.

[Old Hobbits Die Hard]

Hmm...I don't think that thread should have been shut. It wasn't the best of responses to a very real concern.

[DjAci]

Just keepin' it real, Signifer...


Agreed, although I'd add a foot skirmisher unit and maybe a very expensive heavy foot to represent dismounted nobles?

The just mentioned sword armed Royal guard would do the trick. Foot skirmisher makes sense.

[Varjon]

Hmm...I don't think that thread should have been shut. It wasn't the best of responses to a very real concern.

You can request for re-opening if you have good reasons.

[cherryfunk]

Let me post the reply I had intended for the now closed thread:

The over-and-above highest problem for all modders, the big shadow looming on the horizon, is the specter of ETW and what it will wreak for M2TW modding. A lot of modders (me included) have been considerably worried about what this means for the mods they've been working on and invested years into. I suspect part of KK's intention has been to just release TATW before ETW manages to grab a good stronghold in the minds of TW players, which I admit is not a bad plan. On the other hand I've seen indications that ETW will be a nightmare to mod, which I'm quite happy about to be honest with you

I submit to you that releasing a half finished mod will do far more damage than releasing a mod after ETW comes out. As far as I know, ETW does not include a single Middle Earth campaign in it, so TA will maintain its monopoly on chocolately Middle Earthian goodness for several years yet.

[Varjon]

Actually he has to move doing some other things so he doesn't have as much time for modding for a while. But it's partly that, too.

This is the reason why we release first version now.

[SigniferOne]

I submit to you that releasing a half finished mod will do far more damage than releasing a mod after ETW comes out. As far as I know, ETW does not include a single Middle Earth campaign in it, so TA will maintain its monopoly on chocolately Middle Earthian goodness for several years yet.

As a veteran modder you should know that having 150 players in your forum for a time beats having 7 players forever.

How many players does FATW have? Go ahead, take a look, and let me know. And it's a fantastic mod, crafted with real care and featured on the front pages of gaming magazines. As far as I know M2TW did not include a single Middle Earth campaign in it either.

You mistake your own devotion to a mod, or a project, with that of most players who are maximally unstable and fickle creatures.

[Old Hobbits Die Hard]

You can request for re-opening if you have good reasons.

It's not my axe to grind. But as long as a debate doesn't descend into personal insults and unconstructive criticism I think it should be permitted. I think almost everyone on here has a huge appreciation for what the team has done/is doing - some people are just worried about where this project is going, as we've all now invested a lot of time and interest in it. I understand that the team have other commitments, but comments like "KK wants to get this done, because he has other things to do" are obviously worrying. It would be a shame to let down years of work, by trying to get this out before it's ready. Still, I have all faith in you guys and I think Rohan looks sweet. Just keep it up!

[Varjon]

If KK doesn't release this now, he can't really work on it for few months and that will delay first release more an more. And it hasn't been worked for years, one year only.

[Smaug]

??? There are 4 units of infantry spearmen.

Playing Rohan should mean having 80% of your army cavalry. Imo there should be 2 spear units, 1 light infantry, 1 heavy infantry, one medium archers. All of them no better than average. Their purpose would be defeating tons of powerful cavalry (spearmen) that outnumber yours. Attacking in siege and defeating pikemen/spearmen (infantry). City defense and long range support (archers).

All other units would be cavalry. In an open field you should have an almost all cavalry army. To be able to fight like that effectively they need a diversity of cavalry they currently lack. Light lancers, heavy lancers, light melee cavalry, heavy melee cavalry, skirmishers with javelins, horse archers, elite heavy cavalry for a direct charge and bodyguards.

100% agreed with you about the roster. If that happens with the current modelling and texturing skill of Rohan, we can see a proper, appropriate and well-balanced Rohirrim attacking those Uruk-Hai

+rep for DjAci for such a well-thought suggestion!

[cherryfunk]

As a veteran modder you should know that having 150 players in your forum for a time beats having 7 players forever.

How many players does FATW have? Go ahead, take a look, and let me know. And it's a fantastic mod, crafted with real care and featured on the front pages of gaming magazines. As far as I know M2TW did not include a single Middle Earth campaign in it either. You mistake your own devotion to a mod, or a project, with that of most players who are unstable and fickle creatures.

Not to turn this into a discussion of FATW, but I'd suggest that the reason it didn't maintain its popularity is because it didn't fulfill on the promise of Middle Earth -- as in, no elves or dwarves and a general lack of fantastic elements (and to be honest the cramped map didn't help). There are still plenty of people playing RTW mods, so you can't solely blame the M2 release.

The M2 engine will hold up well for a long time to come, and ETW will be disappointing (as all CA's initial releases are) and people will quickly grow tired of it and come looking for M2 mods to play. Maybe KK's plan is just to get something out the door fast and then gradually improve it, but that doesn't explain the lack of vision in some of these faction rosters. You and I could do better in an hour's worth of brainstorming.

[wupwup]

awsome. deffinatly playing first.