The Two Towers - COMPLETED (Isengard Wins)

[joerock22]

The Two Towers - Hotseat Campaign
Leader: joerock22
Admin: knight of meh

Description: This hotseat is designed as a fast-paced game for players who want to play Third Age: Total War more often. The only factions are Gondor, Rohan, Mordor and Isengard.

The Map






Factions

Gondor: Cheiftain Khuzaymah
Rohan: PandaChef
Mordor: Matto16
Isengard: joerock22


Rules

Administrative:

• Long campaign
• Manage all settlements
• M/M Difficulty
• Password
• Map Updates: every 10 turns or player preference

General

• You may reload your turn as many times as you want
• Turns must be taken within 24 hours. If you cannot play your turn, please make arrangements for subbing. Please send your ally your password so he can sub you in case of unexpected absence
• Please PM or VM the next player in line

Gameplay

• Good vs. Evil
• No Invasions
• No gifting settlements in danger of being captured
• Battles against other players must be auto-resolved. Battles against the AI can be fought
• Post screenshots of all battles against other players: deployment screen and results screen. I think this makes following a hotseat much more interesting. Note – you do not need to post screenshots for lopsided battles, i.e. 1,000 vs. 100, but please mention the battle in your post
• No assassinations or sabotage. This game should be about battles; agents should have a smaller role
• No surrounding armies with smaller stacks to deny a retreat. You are allowed to block bridges or river crossings
• Mercenary transport ships cannot attack other ships
• Units defeated by a player coming after you in the turn order may not move or attack on your subsequent turn
• Bribing is allowed
• Ships cannot enter or leave a blockaded port until the blockaded fleet withdraws
• Sallying from a city under siege is not allowed solely to deny the attacker the choice to sack or exterminate, or to lure him into a trap
  - Players are only allowed to cross the Anduin at three points: 1) Osgiliath, 2) Cair Andros, and 3) Falls of Rauros. Players may also cross by ship at any point. The crossings at Pelargir and Barad Harn may not be used
  - Players may not lure an ambushing army a tile further in order to bring the ambushing army in range of more of that player’s forces

- no heroic victories

Buildings

• No destroying any buildings if the city is at risk of capture
• No restrictions on exterminating cities: this is total war!
• On the turn you capture an enemy city, you are only allowed to destroy inns and cultural buildings

Spies

• Whether a spy may open the gates of a city depends on the size of the city garrison. If a city is defended by 900+ men, or 1500+ orcs, then spies may NOT open the gates. If a city is defended by fewer than this number, then spies may open the gates without restriction
• The purpose of this rule is to allow players to defend their cities without fear of losing their garrison due to spies. Its justification is that cities with more defenders have better surveillance and it would be harder for spies to operate. I also want to keep the rule simple, which is the reason for the hard limit. So basically if you defend a city with 6 full units worth of troops, you are safe from spies
• Spies may open the gates against the Rebels (AI) without restriction

[joerock22]

So I guess we have four players for this hotseat: myself, Cheiftain, Panda, and Matto/Knight. I will contact Knight to see if he wants to play or is willing to act as admin again. The rules are the same as Big Four. Please check the map above. I have it so Isengard can capture South Tharbad but not North Tharbad. Is this agreeable to everyone?

Also, let’s decide if we want a lottery to determine factions or if we can all just choose one. I would pick Isengard if I had a choice, but I don’t really care too much.

[knight of meh]

sorry i wouldn't want to commit to a fast paced hotseat right now but i don't mind being admin

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

I agree

Hmmm, I don't care too much how we assign factions. I like the lottery idea, but I could be assigned to isengard, that would be the third isengard i play in the 6 hotseats I participate(d) in so far I think I would prefer, if we were to chose, either Gondor or Mordor. It would be nice if we could balance this game a bit, not in a sense of factions , but in a sense of players. I do not know too much about Matto or Panda, but I have high expectations of Joe once again

I think this hotseat is already somewhat in advantage of the evil side. ( as Nice' equations of balance also suggest )

Is Matto willing and capable of committing to a fast pace hotseat?

[joerock22]

Matto’s last post in Big Four seemed to indicate that he was interested in a fast-paced game. Chieftain and I seem to end up fighting with or against each other a lot. I suppose it would be nice to be enemies, but on the opposite side of the campaign (like Isengard vs. Gondor).

And the balance I think is pretty close. Gondor can focus solely on Mordor without even keeping any garrisons to guard against Harad. Rohan vs. Isengard is pretty even I think. This game can definitely swing either way depending on how things play out.

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

Yes I wanted to scratch that. I read this one before our old Big Four

Yes we do lol , Arrow's ( sadly ending for me ) , Shadow, old Big Four, Powers of Arda and probably knicolas too once that hotseat will advance haha

So I would agree to Gondor in that case. I am curious who will pick Rohan and who will pick Mordor. Does Matto have any wishes? Or does Panda wants revenge as Mordor or against Joe​

[Matto16]

I will definitely join as all other hotseats I am in are very slow so I have enough time. I would prefer to play as Gondor but if you already pick them Chieftain I will be also satisfy with either Mordor or Isengard. Just not Rohan again.

Rules seems pretty clear to me so I don't have any objection with that.

[joerock22]

Maybe Cheiftain could take Mordor, as he wanted Gondor or Mordor? Let's see what Panda wants and then see if we need a lottery. It seems like everyone has one faction they absolutely do not want, and we can definitely accomodate that.

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

Well I was Rohan in last big four, and I would have to fight joe again like in all other hotseats so far. (except big four) And I also have 2 hotseats where I play Isengard, however one ending. Hence I have preference to not be Rohan or Isengard. Gondor or Mordor is what I prefer, if Matto wishes to take Gondor then I will take Mordor, that is, if Joe and Panda can live with this

[Matto16]

No problem Chieftain, Mordor also sounds fine for me and it is more fair that you keep Gondor as you choose them first. Then only Panda needs to say if he will be satisfied with Rohan and we can probably begin.

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

Allright, I'm fine with either one of them. Let's still hear out what Panda would like to take. If he has serious objections taking Rohan we will have to figure out something else.

Btw, ships are allowed here, am I correct? It is probably the borders of the map, restricting to land only, that confuse me.

[knight of meh]

the borders are the settlements you can take . so ships will be allowed i think but they will be of little use really.also Matto do you still have the edited descr_strat for this campaign or do i need to remake it?

[Matto16]

I am afraid that I don't have edited descr_strat anymore so you will have to remake it. Ships can be only good for Gondor to cross Anduin but otherwise they don't have any important role here.

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

Just want to know if I can use them

Knight, you don't need edited file. If you just use cheat console you can delete other factions
i'm on a no-third age pc right now so I can't check which factions are what precisely, I will try to memorize....

surrender_regions followed by faction name. Like "surrender_regions hre" (removes OotMM)
england = mordor
sicily = gondor ( i think )
and I have a feeling that france and mongols are rohan and isengard, not necessarily in that order.
you can for sure delete these : papal_states (dark lord)
moors
scotland
turks
spain
hre
egypt
milan
portugal
venice

not entirely sure about the last 2, but give it a try

[knight of meh]

rohan is Milan

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

I know you'll figure it out I only provided the tools for the admin to have some toggle_fow surrender_regions fun

[PandaChef]

I dont mind what faction I am, although I agree with Chieftain, teams need to be balanced. I am the worst player so we should balance accordingly.

[knight of meh]

so..

chieftain - Gondor
Matto - Mordor
Joe- Isengard
panda - Rohan

also on the team balance i see it as three people roughly with the similar skill sets and then Joe in a league of his own .. so i don't see how i can balance that

Also i do have to change the descr_strat Dul Guldur and all that do i move the Nazgul and troops just north of the black gate for Matto or what?

[Chieftain Khuzaymah]

Of course not :/ Mordor is already slightly in the advantage, so don't give him extra troops and a 3rd 10 star commander ( or 8+, easily 10 star potential nazgul )

Considering players and factions, bets should be on evil side, but I am up for it. I like a good challenge and I'm curious to what extend we can surprise as good side. An hour may come when the courage of men fails, but it is not this day! This day we fight!

[joerock22]

also on the team balance i see it as three people roughly with the similar skill sets and then Joe in a league of his own .. so i don't see how i can balance that

Hey now, I’m trying to keep my head from getting too big here. From my limited experience with Rohan vs. Isengard, Rohan has a real chance to do well right at the beginning before Isengard can build up too much. My advice to Panda in the Young Bloods II hotseat was to rush Isengard immediately with everything Rohan had. So he’s had some practice as Rohan against another player, and I expect to see evidence of that in how he plays this. I’ll be ready for a fight right from the start! Should be fun.

I also agree with not giving Mordor any units from Dol Goldur, including Khamul.

Regarding ships, I left them as allowed in the rules because that is a nice advantage for Gondor in fighting against Mordor. The Mordor player must be careful of any quick Gondor strikes across the river (as we saw in Big Four). I’m fine with letting the good side have that advantage.