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[Amroth]

The Fourth Age: Total War FAQ

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 - 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 has not 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 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 can not 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/Greenwood 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. 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 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 have many months of hard work before us.
The Team follows a "modular expansion" policy, where we release the mod in independent modules, each one expanding on the previous one, improving and adding things, while itself being fully playable and of top quality. We do this so that fans can enjoy the parts of the mod that are ready, at the same time we work on the yet unfinished parts, and also to be able to keep in every module the same standards of quality that our fans expect from 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.

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. The starting date is set in FO 238, a bit more than a hundred years after the death of Aragorn.

Q. What are the major factions?

A. Reunited Kingdom, Rohan, Harad, Adunabar, Dunland,Easterlings are the campaign factions of the latest release, but we're aiming for 3 more factions for the full map: Elves, Dwarves and Dale.

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

A. The latest release of the map has 72 regions and takes in the area from the western borders of Dunland to the east-most expanses of Far Harad. The full Middle-earth campaign map we're aiming for has around 120 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 currently have 6 of them in the latest release, some taking place during the 3rd Age and some during the 4th (obviously before the mod's starting date), but we'll try to add more to the mod with each new installment.

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 be.

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 want to include new pre-battle speeches, but good voice-actors are rare and speeches are not at the top of our priority list.

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.org

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Apoc