Expanded Map Mod 3.5 for Vanilla 3.2 (Updated Aug 6th)

[Il Ducce]

Do you have separate mod folders? The only thing I can think of is that you installed it in the wrong folder, but I don't think that's likely. Could you send me your log in a pm? I'll take a look.

[Everto]

I have to agree with comments concerning Rhun having more settlements in the south behind Mordor, as well as one more developed one by the lake by Dorwinion (so they have another recruiting station close to the front lines)... they are severely outmatched by Dale and the Dwarves, and are incapable of fighting a coherent and strong war against these adversaries, especially when they are both fighting Rhun simultaneously...in which case Rhun gets steam rolled.

Also, the Orcs of Gundabad would do well with an extra settlement, as they need to have some sort of a strong starting position to make up for their pointlessness and rabble lol. No but seriously, their units are absolute cannon fodder and so the only way for them to be of any challenge is if there are more of them lol. And since the Dwarves of Ered Luin and Eriador are both facing of against this enemy together, two very strong rosters I may add, they need to outnumber them to be challenging...

But again...Rhun is the key issue here. They need two more settlements...minimum

[airborne guy]

Do you have separate mod folders? The only thing I can think of is that you installed it in the wrong folder, but I don't think that's likely. Could you send me your log in a pm? I'll take a look.

I got it working mate, its just that I had to copy and paste the text and the world folders, thats all. Thanks

[Il Ducce]

I have to agree with comments concerning Rhun having more settlements in the south behind Mordor, as well as one more developed one by the lake by Dorwinion (so they have another recruiting station close to the front lines)... they are severely outmatched by Dale and the Dwarves, and are incapable of fighting a coherent and strong war against these adversaries, especially when they are both fighting Rhun simultaneously...in which case Rhun gets steam rolled.

Also, the Orcs of Gundabad would do well with an extra settlement, as they need to have some sort of a strong starting position to make up for their pointlessness and rabble lol. No but seriously, their units are absolute cannon fodder and so the only way for them to be of any challenge is if there are more of them lol. And since the Dwarves of Ered Luin and Eriador are both facing of against this enemy together, two very strong rosters I may add, they need to outnumber them to be challenging...

But again...Rhun is the key issue here. They need two more settlements...minimum

In the vanilla version, each campaign I have played has resulted in the OoG steamrolling Eriador before turn 60 because the AI gobbles up all the rebel settlements close by. The same is true for Rhun: it tends to stymie every advance Dale makes so Dale doesn't expand beyond its original borders. Then again, I haven't tested the FRoME version for balance yet.

However, what I'm hearing is the following for the FRoME version:

Harad needs two settlements
Rhun needs two settlements (one developed)
Orcs of Gundabad might need one settlement.

Any others?

[Jackie Treehorn]

I play FROME with your Map Mod and I play with Dunland very devensive.
Ered Luin, Gondor, Erebor performe the best.
Rohan would also performe very strong if I would not fighting them.

Isengard is weak, Harad is weak, Rhun is weak.

Mirkwood and Dale performe Ok

High Elves, Silvans and OoG are destroyed.

High Elves because Ered Luin was fighting them (most likely also OoMM)
I guess Silvans were destroyed by OoMM and Mordor

Gondor is the strongest Faction, is deep in Harad and only Minas Morgul (Garrison Script) stopped them from entering Mordor.

Mordor expanded towards Silvan Elves.

Eriador holds their starting positions against OoMM.

I think it's fine that High Elves and Silvans were out. Since the bad factions performing weak. Even when I played Dunland and surpressed Rohan.

So, my conclution is more settlements for Mordor, OoG, Rhun and Harrad. Maybe Isengard would need help as well.

So, my advice.

Isengard: divide if possible Isengard Town and Orthanc (same like Moria).
OoG: Should have 2 settlements more. One Fortress against Erebor and one economical important town in their heart land. Maybe an additional fortress against Ered Luin as well.
Harad: An additional Fortress at mouth of Anduin and 2 or 3 rebel settlements for later expansion in the south east of the map (the black countries).
Rhun: Two additional settlements behind Mordor for economie reason and a fortress towards Erebor.
Mordor one settlement close to Rhun, for economical reasons (Trade). Maybe Mordor should be able to have harbours at their lake (3 harbors) for trade reason.

[Hero of the West]

not neccesarely true.. i always observe one thing

i play GOOD .. Evil dominates 90% of the time
i play EVIL .. Good dominates 90% of the time

so the fact that you think evil needs help can be explained by that fact in my eyes..

[Jackie Treehorn]

Good Argument Hero of the West.

But, you gave Gondor 4-5 new settlements. So, Harad should have as well some more settlemets.
I don't know the situation in Dale, Erebor, Mirkwood. But, it seems Rohan got not too much new settlements, right?
Since I played mostly Gondor, Arnor or Dale, I would be glad if the Evial Faction would have some more settlemts. So, I would get harder counterparts.

[Il Ducce]

Please note that Mordor also got 5 additional settlements, Harad got two, Isengard got two, Orcs of Gundabad got two, Orcs of the Misty Mountains got 3 and Rhun got 1. In contrast Dale got only 1, Dwarves got two (Vanilla), Rohan got two, Eriador got two, High Elves got 1, and Silvan Elves got 1. Gondor was really the only good faction that made out like a bandit (because I am, admittedly, biased).

[Gharbad the Weak]

I really like the idea of more settlements... But wouldn't it have made more sense to add villages to the regions we know where densely populated, like they did in rusichi total war?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Il Ducce]

I really like the idea of more settlements... But wouldn't it have made more sense to add villages to the regions we know where densely populated, like they did in rusichi total war?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Perhaps that would have made more sense thematically, but I was going for epic. I can't speak for everyone, but I hate spending half the game just building up a village to the point where I can recruit anything worthwhile or make any reasonable money from it.

[alreadyded]

I really like the idea of more settlements... But wouldn't it have made more sense to add villages to the regions we know where densely populated, like they did in rusichi total war?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spread out regions are better for gameplay purposes I think. Plus the campaign AI has a very difficult time when you put regions inside of other regions.

Take my expanded map for example...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

... I added both and the AI does a far better job with the spread out regions. So gameplay wise I think this is the best way to go. If it was all according to Lore it wouldn't be as fun or challenging.

Excellent work Ducce, + rep.

[Hero of the West]

i agree that gameplaywise this is the way to go.. i never saw that other style before btw.. i did not know that was possible

[Gharbad the Weak]

I liked it in Rusichi, you can't upgrade the villages in that mod btw, so you don't spend much time building them up. Also some of them do have walls but can't recruit anything (monasteries) But farming incomes from all those villages make up a large portion of your income, so you have to defend them. That way you have less siege battles in front of huge walls that always end up in the enemy piling the gate.

I'm just putting the idea out there, I also do like what you did though. More settlements make for more epic campaigns!

[Il Ducce]

I liked it in Rusichi, you can't upgrade the villages in that mod btw, so you don't spend much time building them up. Also some of them do have walls but can't recruit anything (monasteries) But farming incomes from all those villages make up a large portion of your income, so you have to defend them. That way you have less siege battles in front of huge walls that always end up in the enemy piling the gate.

I'm just putting the idea out there, I also do like what you did though. More settlements make for more epic campaigns!

Okay, I understand that a little better now, but that just makes me more leery of implementing something like that in this submod. I would have to start messing with the buildings, the population requirements for upgrading settlements, the base farming levels of all regions, and that would just create a huge number of potential problems for both this submod and for anyone trying to integrate it with other sub-mods. The rule I tried to stay with was "keep it simple, stupid", so there were less chances for things to be screwed up.

[Hero of the West]

Perhaps i want to start a new mod which focuses on the britannia campaign then those small villages could be a nice addition but not in tatw i think..

if you want to expend some stuff i do have an suggestion focus on different aspects of the campaign map you can add

- the small projects event video mod with 2 new wonders (my mod haha)

[Makrell]

You can focus on combining FROME and VOA ina single mod with adidtional settlements

[airborne guy]

Perhaps i want to start a new mod which focuses on the britannia campaign then those small villages could be a nice addition but not in tatw i think..

if you want to expend some stuff i do have an suggestion focus on different aspects of the campaign map you can add

- the small projects event video mod with 2 new wonders (my mod haha)

lol

[Il Ducce]

Update: as soon as I get back from work today I will be (finally) testing Odenathus' Baron's version, and posting that, as well as updating the current map to version 1.2 where I will be adding 8 new settlements: 2 to Rhun, 2 to Harad, 2 in the Mordor hinterland between Harad and Rhun for the rebels, 1 for Dale and 1 for Isengard, unless anyone has other suggestions or ideas.

Hero: if you want I can download the new MOS and add these in directly to save you the hassle of re-integrating it.

[Jackie Treehorn]

Very good. Just a pity that it's not same game compatible. I will need to restart my Duneland game. But, maybe I will start for the first time a Mordor campagne.
A suggestion would be, to give OoG one or two settlements as well. One maybe on the north of the mountain range, between Gundabad and Carn Dum. Name could be Angbar.
The other settlement could be west of carn Dum at the way to Pitkaeranta (or how is it spelled)?

Also, on this small isle west of ered luin, could be a rebel settlement, but this could be only useful for a play of Ered Luin. Since the AI is most likely not able to handle this city isle.

I do not really know the situation on the upper vale of anduin, but if there were no new settlement, a few rebel settlements could help Mirkwood, Silvans, OoG or Dol Guldur Mordor.

[alreadyded]

You should consider adding some new AOR rebels in with all these regions to spice it up a bit. There are some units in, for example, Broken Crescent which could look nice in Middle-Earth without editing. I created a lot of new ones, but I haven't released them yet. When I do you can use any you like.