kids will break stuff when they play
I've watched this mod develop from its inception. Just as I did Lord of the Rings, Total War. But even more than LOTR TW, this mod has drawn a host of talented and passionate people to that purpose. Both in the artistic pits creating, and an extensive and ardent fan base.
To the modders.
You've created two things in the process -
1. A beautiful living world . A world sort of faithful to the Tolkien legacy and canon, so that people can take a wider walk through ME (much more so than Battle for ME). Here, they can experience some challenges and explore possibilities within the framwork of a great game. And thereby become more immersed into "the Work of JRR". In fact, it is that immersion, that attracts most people.
All in all, I really liked Lord of the Rings Total War, but I like Third Age better, because, visually, I find it more impressive, with better depth of skins, terrain, and more appropriate buildings. It adds to the “experience”.
2. The arena. But there are the other curious sorts who do not simply like to idly walk through the woods and hills of middle earth, and are more prone to actively seek all possible avenues of encounter and challenge within the framework of the game. "Can two trolls beat a Mamulak? Can Aragorn whip two companies of Uruks, etc?" These people are like my son. While I like the stroll to see the trees, he will see what he can break.
Recently, I built a tree house for my son and his friends. Rather … A huge one. A swiss family robinson affair, with suspended bridges and platforms in other trees. The main house itself had bunk beds and was twelve feet by fourteen feet in dimension. It had windows all around for light and view and took five months to construct.
I built it to get them out of the house more, and encourage them to climb. It worked, ... sort of.
The first thing they did was shoot the windows out little by little. The same windows which I had painstakinly crafted by hand. And ripped the door off. Then they stopped playing in the house, but rather loafed “on top” of the treehouse roof. When they did go inside they did it to defend the treehouse from attackers who now began using smoke grenades to smoke out the defenders, which stained the wood, of course.
All of which irritated me, particulary the destruction of thirteen windows, and cutting the rope bridges. But regardless, every other Saturday the boys still come over, run around in the woods, climb the treehouse, cut the ropes, shoot out the remaining bits of plastic in the frames, and all in all, .... have a ball.
So what I finallycame to realize through my thick head, is ... they are playing and climbing! They are not limited by MY imagination, or my work! They are having fun. And they're doing what I had hoped would happen, just not how I thought it would happen.
And you know what? I'll build new windows later, and bridges with 3/8 inch cable, and they'll probably try to wreck them too. But it'll be tougher next time, more challenging and so on.
It was the same when I bought them small soldiers and action figures. They painted 'em, cut 'em, modified 'em almost as soon as they got 'em in their hot little hands. And when they got older, some got blown up with firecrackers, and overall suffered ,... battle damage.
That's what's happening here, with this mod. People are playing! They're like little kids experimenting with this and that. Who can't wait to get their hands on the greatest toys they can think of. And that .... is the greatest tribute you can receive! That's the mindset that's at work in the Sub Forums, by an large.
IMO The mod forums should be broken up (sort of how it is now, but maybe more so) into the various factions:
'
a. A forum for those true to the mod developers original intentions. And changes should come only in line with that direction.
b. A forum for the purists who would like to further shape the project strictly toward Tolkien Canon of literary work
c. And possibly one clanted toward the movie version, whatever.
d. But certainlythere should be one forum should be for the "what if's". The cage fighting forum of experimentation. And actually I believe a lot of healthy artisitic and visionary spin offs would occur (are occurring, in spades actually).
The sub mods forum is doing this in general but it seems to be suffered with rather than heartily endorsed.
All in all, the designers are certainly "Naturally insulted" and agrieved by this innate desire "to change" with their various works of art - the units/the combat strengths-weakness's/etc. Changing them, and indeed breaking them. Some sub mods are weak at best.
But The units and game frame are are a kid's dream come true, particularly the dwarfs, and the Noldor. They're freakin works of art. But I still say this is the greatest tribute to the developers. That it inspires this much energy and involvement. Look at the number of posts. It's through the roof.
Anyway, those are my thoughts about creativity and outcomes. So shoot me. Better yet have a bunch of kids.
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Originally Posted by MDT
) and present the gift to your friend before you can do.
