New on it, give me few hints

[Kaiser Nonsense]

Oi mates, just finished installing it
So anyroad, give me a few hints about it, something you think it'd be important to know before starting, about lands, factions, I don't know.

And a question, is it possible to play as Sauron? haha

Edit: I'm in doubt which one I should play with, Mordor or Isengard.

[Macilrille]

You cannot play as Sauron, but you can get him as a special unit I believe. See the FaQ.

Mordor is easiest. I found Isengard pretty easy as well, but some has found it very hard- perhaps I just got lucky.

If you are new to TW you probably do not want to start on VH/VH, TATW is by far the hardest TW game and you will likely get slaughtered and frustrated.

In any case, there is an entire section with hints and tips here. You can also use the search function. I know we had a discussion on Isengard a few months back.

[Senaron]

You're in for some good fun Nemesis, challenging even on normal(as far as my aptitude for tw will allow) i'd actually recommend Gundabad, theyre the most fun ive had so far

[Gallus]

I'd pick Mordor if I were you. It's relatively easy and you get to fight in MANY custom settlements.

[Kaiser Nonsense]

Thanks everyone for the hasten answers, I'm deeply thankful!

You cannot play as Sauron, but you can get him as a special unit I believe. See the FaQ.

Mordor is easiest. I found Isengard pretty easy as well, but some has found it very hard- perhaps I just got lucky.

If you are new to TW you probably do not want to start on VH/VH, TATW is by far the hardest TW game and you will likely get slaughtered and frustrated.

In any case, there is an entire section with hints and tips here. You can also use the search function. I know we had a discussion on Isengard a few months back.

I chose Mordor, thank you for the help!! About being new, well, I should have stated that better, I'm new on this Third Age Mod, but on vanilla Medieval 2 I'm a veteran, I can crush any faction on VH/VH. But on this one I might not be so lucky haha, anyroad, this is also my first mod, I never played any mod, just vanilla, I have Stainless Steel as well, but I didn't even install it yet.

I'd pick Mordor if I were you. It's relatively easy and you get to fight in MANY custom settlements.

I did! Thanks!

You're in for some good fun Nemesis, challenging even on normal(as far as my patitude for tw will allow) i'd actually recommend Gundabad, theyre the most fun ive had so far

Thanks I might try it some time.

NOW TO BATTLE!!!!!!!!!!

[Macilrille]

I think you will find TATW on Easy/Easy harder than Vanilla on VH/VH, just FYI, I had sussed that you have played Vanilla.

That said, Mordor is not too hard.

[ThaDoews]

Be sure to read the faq before playing as there is a lot of answers there and things that are good to know before playing! ESPECIALLY concerning Eriador/Arnor!! And Harads mumakill. If you don't have any clue on how to defeat those, then a full stack army can or will be slaughtered by 1 unit of these mumakills!
Dont try to play it lorewise - i cannot happen

I will recommend MOS(Massive Overhaul Submod) as a good upgrade to TATW Especially with Expanded Map

[Kaiser Nonsense]

I think you will find TATW on Easy/Easy harder than Vanilla on VH/VH, just FYI, I had sussed that you have played Vanilla.

That said, Mordor is not too hard.

FYI? What is that?

By the way, I read the tutorial in-game about that Palantíri thingy but still I can't figure it out how to use it, I press F3 and nothing happens, also none of my generals, including the Witch King has the retinue Palantíri Authorisation.

Be sure to read the faq before playing as there is a lot of answers there and things that are good to know before playing! ESPECIALLY concerning Eriador/Arnor!! And Harads mumakill. If you don't have any clue on how to defeat those, then a full stack army can or will be slaughtered by 1 unit of these mumakills!
Dont try to play it lorewise - i cannot happen

I will recommend MOS(Massive Overhaul Submod) as a good upgrade to TATW Especially with Expanded Map

Good, and where could I find said FAQ?

[ThaDoews]

Good, and where could I find said FAQ?

Sry I forgot to link!

Here is the FAQ!

Concerning the economy, it is vital that you build roads, markets and townhalls before barracks etc and send out a diplomat to make trade relations to every faction that your are not in direct war with!!

Remember to build culture buildings in new cities or cities with low of your culture (having a medium to big stack in that city also gives a culture boost but is very expensive)

Also make good use over your free upkeep!
But still! Never end a turn with more than 49999 coins! Then your govenors will begin to get bad traits!

[Kaiser Nonsense]

I forgot to say, I'm playing on VH/VH, I was on H/VH but the scroll in the beginning of the campaign said it was meant to be played on VH/VH so I did.

[Dutch-Balrog]

If you're new to TATW, then vh/vh is not the way to go, unless you really feel lucky.
I'd say begin with one of the elven factions, they are the easiest with good units.
Isengard and Mordor can be some of the hardest factions if you are new to this mod, cuz you have no idea of how to play wisely with them.
The palantir is only for certain factions btw, not for Mordor. As far as i know Gondor, Isengard and maybe Eriador have one.
Anyways, good luck and have fun.

[muller227]

Oi mates, just finished installing it

So anyroad, give me a few hints about it, something you think it'd be important to know before starting, about lands, factions, I don't know.

And a question, is it possible to play as Sauron? haha

Edit: I'm in doubt which one I should play with, Mordor or Isengard.

If as Macilrille stated your experience is with vanilla total war, the biggest surprise will be battlefield behavior, and the effectiveness of archery. G5's battlescript is much better and archers are distinctly more powerful. For example if you play as Isengard against Rohan they flank much better than I ever saw in Vanilla.

[Lortano]

A small hint: Orcs of the Misty Mountains and The Orcs of Gundabad. If you want possibly the greatest challenge in the Total War Universe, then play them on VH/VH, with the Garrison script. If you don't want to die of frustration, then play something like the High Elves of Mordor.

Just helping

[Kaiser Nonsense]

Thank you all! I've just seen a "Servant of Sauron" which I'd say it's a priest, or rather, a dark priest, but I cannot control him, I mean, he is not mine and neither seems to belong to any other evil faction. Who is he? And why is he skulking about in my lands?

P.S: Oh, and he moves as an inquisitor. God preserve me, the spanish inquisition follows me wherever I go, even being a dark evilish priest hahaha

[Lortano]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Did you really expect the Spanish Inquisiton?

They are basically the Inquisitors for The Dark Lord of Mordor faction, which cannot be played as and is basically a reskinned and named Papal States, with Sauron as Pope.

And I might as well sign off with,

"NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISTION!"

[Kaiser Nonsense]

I see.

Damn, my first battle now, I remember one thing I truly complained about vanilla was that their night attacks were too bright to be night, now this one I can't complain, in fact it's TOO dark, I can't see a bloody wall in front of me.

[ElvenKind]

Increase brightness in Video Options

[Kaiser Nonsense]

Increase brightness in Video Options

Aye that I did, increased 5% only, so it still looks terrifying but I can at least see my men, I mean, my Orcs!

I'm loving this, I'm not much into LotR as I was some years ago, I personally like tales more realistic about middle ages you see, but just the fact that it's completely different from Medieval 2 vanilla, gives something else play, everything is new basically is amusing me a lot.

[Kaiser Nonsense]

What is wrong with Mordor's economy? It's rather impossible to produce anything! And you can't even change castles to cities!

I found a bug as well, I fought a battle in Night Attack, I tried 3 times the same battle to be sure, but it was daylight. It was in that city that doesn't look anything medieval, looks more like Venice in modern times or perhaps Berlin after WWII, since the buildings are destroyed like if it was bombed, there is also a river crossing the middle of the city, but what awes me is that it wasn't a siege, it was a field battle, between two cities, one mine, and one Gondor's, in fact it was supposed to be a bridge battle.

And what is with all the dust when the army moves? hahahahaha

Now I just besieged said city... And Faramir is goin' to die... MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Oh, and I forgot something. How come my men are so weak? Just now I went to battle with 4000 of mine against 500 of them, and I lost 800 men!!!!

[ppetrus]

Economy is the hardest part in TA, I believe, and it matters not if you play Mordor or any other faction (Rhun is slightly richer, though). You need to get used to it, use free upkeep and generally have smallest armies possible that you find to win.

Each of TATW custom settlement is special in its own way, having plenty of walls, not having a gate, or being split with a bridge and some of them may indeed look like a filed battle.

And no, no castle-city conversion in TATW.