DCI: Last Alliance - Open Beta released, NEW: 10 October 2020 new patch released, contains Ents - Wolves - Spiders crashes fix! (and more)

[Grauman]

I want this mod so Badly !

Please Mod gods

[Ngugi]

Here's some eye candy from a documented campaign as Númenórean Kingdoms, for while you're waiting, Grauman



Númenórean lords assail Orc scum on the borders:



And defend Minas Ithil from falling back into the claws of Mordor.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

First rule in Cavalry school: when greeted by hungry Werewolves, get out of there!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Belfalas Roquen follow their noble prince into battle, outside the walls of Umbar, clashing with the valiant Barim Karib of Harad.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

To capture the strongholds of the Wild Men of Enedwaith is a pretty sight.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The dreaded Zigûrun Order is in the vanguard of Harad's northward intrusions.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The mighty members of the [Last] Alliance joins in a Tôl Acharn, against the Black Númenórean deviants.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sauron, your time is coming...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Tar-Falassion]

Stand your ground, Adûnai ! And crush those northern pretenders !
Death ! Death ! Death ! Ride for ruin and the world's ending !

TLDR : As grandiose as ever Ngugi, can't wait for full release !

[Ngugi]

Adûnâim dulgî kathuphazgâm!

(which, if I got the grammar right, would mean "Black Númenóreans [are/were] conquerors" in Adûnaic ^^ )

[Tar-Falassion]

I think the plural would rather be "Kathuphazgîn", but apart from that yeah, let the King's Men conquer all that is, for Middle-Earth is rightfully theirs ^^

[Ngugi]

Thought -in was plural form only for nouns, not verbs, but I'll leave that to the linguists to sort out haha ^^

The BNs anyhow were a royal pain in the ass and killed many of my heroic Dúnedain commanders - before I wiped them off the map

[H.Maverick]

Will we see the Swan Knights as they appear in Third age? or will they have a new look?

[Tar-Falassion]

Actually here "Kathuphazgân" is no verb but a noun, in this type of sentence structure the verb [are/were] is implied, and only [conquerors] as a noun is present.
Plus I believe it depends on whether the word has a "strong" or a "soft" inflexion, for instance batân (road) become batâni in plural because it has a strong inflexion but karab (horse) becomes karib because the word structure has a soft inflexion.
So I guess it would either be "Kathuphazgîn" or "Kathuphazgâni" , but I don't really like how the second one sounds, so ...

(Sorry it's all gone abit off-topic, it's just that for me Adûnaic is like Sindarin for most Tolkien fans, I love it )

And they definitely deserve to be the toughest sons of biches around, if only that damn script wasn't there to slow them down !!! Still having nightmares about it man (cries in Adûnaic )

But I'm also expecting alot from the Rhudaur hillmen faction, I hope that they can give an interesting campaign as well ^^

[Ngugi]

Will we see the Swan Knights as they appear in Third age? or will they have a new look?

The TATW Swan Knights are clad in platemail and are quite gothic. They are stunning in themselves and fitting their setting, but not what this game aims for. Our 'Swan Knights' are named Belfalas Roquen, you can see them in the third spoiler box above, as well as have been displayed in the Numenorean Kingdom's preview earlier (guess I should ask xHoly make a new one, of some better quality haha):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Mind you, while they are not look as heavy, in the fray they are beasts of war haha ^^


@Tar-Falasson
In you I trust, to me grammar and lingustics is a foreign science

LOL

I dare say they'll deliver just that

[Ngugi]

As it been of interest to people before, a screen shot here could be a good opportunity to post a comment on campaign balance




As is seen in this campaign as the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm on VH/VH, we're at turn 250. The arch nemisis Orcs of the Misty Mountains, and their allies the Hill-men of the North, have both been defeated and the war now focus on the east.
So, what is the conclusion of interest? That there is still great tension and a challenge!


With a vast kingdom, fueled by rich mines, we can field about 3-4 operative stacks on the offensive, of splendid but expensive Dwarven warriors. Our enemy, Rhûn Confederacy meet us with about 10 stacks in total - clearly not a matter of stack spamming, but still an advantage in numbers, in amounts of soldiers as well as in overall strategic flexibility.
Some of Rhûn's armies are bound up against the weakened Rhovanion. But since an Invasion just struck at the Elves of Eryn Galen ("Mirkwood") and Harad taken their capital, Eryn Galen made a cease fire with Rhûn, freeing up more forces to assult us.

Rhûn Confederacy is superior in ranged warefare and in cavalry (us having only limited, and much valued, mercenary cavalry), and deploy more siege weapons than the Dwarves currently field, so every battle spell great danger to the frontlines. Indeed, as Rhûn now field many of their special units such as Balchoth Sicas, Haerhûn Axemen and Khand Infantry, even close quarter combat offer a fierce trial.

Hope this shall be an appealing thought.
DCI: Last Alliance is and will be a hard TW experience, no doubt, but also one that should be able to offer you a contest still 250 turns into a campaign, without resigning to stack spamming.
Victories are important, defeats are dangerous - battles count!




(Note: some Rhûn unit cards are still placeholders)

[alreadyded]

Looks good for 250 turns in, already better gameplay than pretty much everything else for any TW game. Personally I would move that region southwest of Umbar to north of Rhun to make it a bit more interesting up there than just the one big region to take and hold, also it will help the CAI out in that area. Plus Harad looks like it could stand to be neutered a bit.

Edit; Maybe some random raids scripts for Harad's southern regions on the map border from Nomads and southern Tribesmen?

[IBSXYPNTS]

Looks good for 250 turns in, already better gameplay than pretty much everything else for any TW game. Personally I would move that region southwest of Umbar to north of Rhun to make it a bit more interesting up there than just the one big region to take and hold, also it will help the CAI out in that area. Plus Harad looks like it could stand to be neutered a bit.

Edit; Maybe some random raids scripts for Harad's southern regions on the map border from Nomads and southern Tribesmen?

While I think it seems Harad is powerful I think this is because the AI seems to have issues controlling two far apart and seperate areas as the same faction. They seem to be doing ok in north no doubt thanks to KDs excellent work on Hill men and OOTMM

[Ngugi]

Haha, now that's a praise appriciated, alreadyded
We do not have to move, as we're not maxed out on regions (hmm, unless the intent is to limit Harad further at the same time), but I follow your thought, will take it into account.

On Harad, it has been slightly tweaked since this screen shot was taken to restrict them some more, but it should also be noted that this screen shot is in the context of 250 turns.
In the camapign, around turn 50 Harad had managed to get behind Osgiliath and take Minas Anor ("Tirith"), something I seldom seen before hehe, crippling the southern Dúnedain defence capacity.
Still, it took Mordor and Harad another 100 turns, were they sometimes were seriously beaten back, before Numenórean Kingdom's lost all their 'Gondor' settlements. No shame on their behalf thus, and I do not find this unfair. I suspect Tolkien would concurred, haha;

But Isildur ... sailed from the mouths of Anduin seeking Elendil. Meanwhile Anárion held Osgiliath against the Enemy, and for that time drove him back to the mountains; but Sauron gathered his strength again, and Anárion knew that unless help should come his kingdom would not long stand.

Anárion did not get help soon enough ;P

[Withwnar]

Preview: Settlement Models - Part 3

Part 1 is here.
Part 2 is here.


~~~~ Orc Castles ~~~~

The Orcs of the Misty Mountains and Mordor get some new castles. Dark, grubby and evil, just how an Orc likes it, furnished with life's necessities: filthy tents, troll cages, dungeons, pits and spikes wherever is (or not) appropriate.

Motte & Bailey

With only two of these in the mod, these will be rarely seen. Captured by the Orcs some time in the past, they were originally built by some nameless tribes of Men in the Misty Mountains and much of their architecture remains. Years of Orcish squalor have made them a place to call home.

Wooden Castle

Castle

Fortress

Strat Map

~~~~ Credits ~~~~

Wooden palisade textures (M&B and Wooden Castle walls) kindly donated by the EBII team.
TATW of course, for the Orc tents, etc.

[Nelduin]

Very nice custom settlements, keep this up! +Rep

[bushmonster951]

Great work once again. I especially like the new fortress look.

[Skald]

Now this looks good.. ehem, i mean awful... you know what i mean...
Really great job!!!

[Deathshade]

This looks amazing ! Nice work gentlemen

[Lord Maedhros]

With any luck I'll be bored of Warhammer TW just as this is released haha

[TechnSVN]

Such beauty... Mirror on the wall tells me this will be one of best mod out there ^^