The Campaigns Addon (for LotRTW v3.0+)

[CapnDan]

Actually, yea all pretty good ideas. And may indeed be worth incorporating in future.

The main reason I went the way I did was because I've conquered Morder a hundred times over in the classic LotR-TW mod and then a hundred more in building up and testing the Campaigns Addon, and, as much as it's never EXACTLY the same, it does tend to be a pretty similar slog ever time. I wanted to try and avoid that in the new campaigns as much as possible, and especially for Gondor and Rohan. So that's why the Dunedain mission just ends the threat all on its own (unless Sauron finds the ring, then you've gotta deal with him all by yourself and will quite possibly be hooped). This is done so that you can mop up and move on with what's mainly intended to be a relatively quick campaign.

Basically my thinking for the Gondor and Rohan campaigns is that, if you've managed to survive to turn 45 with the minimum required number of provinces, you've probably gotten everything sorted out enough that an eventual victory is basically guaranteed given enough time.


I suppose maybe a happy medium could be a scripted ragtag army of dunedain and others (under player control) basically appearing right out of the mist up at Sauron's doorstep? Or maybe another more elegant player controlled solution? But really really, I don't want to have to go through the entire process of step-by-step conquering morder, yet again. The Numenor faction already gets to do that in this Campaign.

[Halvar von Flake]

Wow, you conquered Mordor many hundred times!!! Unbelievable, but now I understand your turn 45 Dunedain solution much better! I think I conquered Mordor never! Okay, I killed Sauron a couple of times by the destruction of the one ring or accidentally with a plague infected spy but whenever I made it close to Baradur the next addon was released...!
Maybe this time I manage to kill Sauron with brute weapon force...! But my VH/VH-Numenor-campaign with Gondor is still on the egde and the plague is devastating Minas Tirith and Pelargir and Gondor's allies are almost defeated! Only Dain Ironfoot with his 9 experience points oldguards celebrates one heroic victory after the other as a single unit leaving multiple battle marks on the strat map north of Mirkwood and Eomer is still defending Helm's Deep...unfortunately, Rivendell and Fornost were captured by Dunlending hordes...

[CapnDan]

Wow, you conquered Mordor many hundred times!!! Unbelievable, but now I understand your turn 45 Dunedain solution much better! I think I conquered Mordor never! Okay, I killed Sauron a couple of times by the destruction of the one ring or accidentally with a plague infected spy but whenever I made it close to Baradur the next addon was released...!
Maybe this time I manage to kill Sauron with brute weapon force...! But my VH/VH-Numenor-campaign with Gondor is still on the egde and the plague is devastating Minas Tirith and Pelargir and Gondor's allies are almost defeated! Only Dain Ironfoot with his 9 experience points oldguards celebrates one heroic victory after the other as a single unit leaving multiple battle marks on the strat map north of Mirkwood and Eomer is still defending Helm's Deep...unfortunately, Rivendell and Fornost were captured by Dunlending hordes...

Yup, if you play Gondor or Rohan in the Numenor campaign the thing really is designed to basically be up by turn 45 (or thereabouts). Either you've held out long enough with the required number of provinces and Sauron's been defeated by the mysterious machinations of the rangers, or something's gone horribly wrong and defeat is basically inevitable (theoretically even for the skilled human player which could make for a fun and fairly unique situation all in of itself I think). BTW, I was actually beaten soundly by the AI (maybe partly because I wasn't totally paying attention) in a Gondor campaign while testing this version. It really was something of a RTW highlight for me.

As for brute force conquests of Mordor, maaaaybe it's not exactly hundreds.. but there's definitely been quite a few. I seem to remember Bardo saying at one point way back when that he'd played the main campaign so many times that he could consistently beat Mordor on VH/VH in a handful of turns. But either way, if you've not had the pleasure of assaulting Barad-Dur in force yet, with Sauron charging out through the gates and a huge orc reinforcement army charging down at your flanks, I totally recommend it (if you can actually manage to get to assaulting before Sauron almost inevitably tries to sally). It really does tend to be a truly epic battle and the settlement design I'd say is truly one of Seth's best, it actually gets more epic the more you look at it.

[Sussudio]

Please help me, when I try launch the mod (after install this submod) the game crash in to startup.

[CapnDan]

Please help me, when I try launch the mod (after install this submod) the game crash in to startup.

Well first off did you follow all the directions (clean RTW install - LotR-TW patched up to V3.02 - Then install submod, and only this submod because the various submods don't play nicely together)?

Launching the game via shortcut with " -show_err " enabled in the target line?

[Blastoise Groudon]

This is a really great mod. Thanks for the add on!

[Sussudio]

Its possible add Balrog for Trash and eagles for Noldor?

[CapnDan]

This is a really great mod. Thanks for the add on!

Thanks you Blastoise, you know comments like these are always appreciated.

Its possible add Balrog for Trash and eagles for Noldor?

Theoretically it is possible, there may even have been an actual Battle map Balrog in the game some versions ago. However, it is very difficult to:
a) make them, get them working, and get them looking good and
b) figure out how to code them in gameplay wise so that they make sense

Also I have very limited skills and softwares for texturing and 3d modeling AND I'm getting to the point of feeling the game/mod is pretty well complete as is.
How's that for a complete answer!

[Halvar von Flake]

Yes, it is always great fun when the AI manages to beat you! It could happen more often if the AI attacked cities directly with trolls, catapults or mumakils, especially Mordor. It is kind of a nuisance when you repell almost any siege army with a few archer units by one or two sallies. This would be a great improvement if the AI attacked directly or at least in the following round! I have to march for Barad-Dur now...although I think I killed Sauron in battle once a couple of years ago...hmm...

[Halvar von Flake]

CapnDan, is it possible to transfer the TATW-Balrog model into LotR-TW? We could ask King Kong...and maybe for spider models...

[Flinn]

CapnDan, is it possible to transfer the TATW-Balrog model into LotR-TW? We could ask King Kong...and maybe for spider models...

I really doubt you'll be able to contact KK, as he has been away since ages now Anyhow, I'm not sure who made the model of the Balrog actually, so maybe it's worth asking in the TATW fora.

[Halvar von Flake]

Hello again, I hope you feel well!

The balrog model...hmm...Arda total war has one...maybe we will have one in the future, too...

[CapnDan]

Hello again, I hope you feel well!

The balrog model...hmm...Arda total war has one...maybe we will have one in the future, too...

Interesting, how's it look? (could you share pics?
Also, my old question of "b) figure out how to code them in gameplay wise so that they make sense" still remains, how would you do it?

[Halvar von Flake]

Interesting, how's it look? (could you share pics?
Also, my old question of "b) figure out how to code them in gameplay wise so that they make sense" still remains, how would you do it?

Arrrgh, you got me! I guess I was just saying "hello"...but...I read in the thread "ARDA: total war released" the following:

21 factions
440 units
balrog and ather maiars

I am playing a freaking awesome CapnDan2.6-WaroftheRing-FreePeoples-Campaign and when I reached Moria I was thinking of a real battle between Gandalf and the Balrog at the Brigde of Khazadum...but you are probably right as most of the time at least for my beloved free peoples faction...Gandalf is a diplomat at this point and the fellowship should bypass Moria...hmm...maybe a video popping up showing the fight... ...for other factions there could be a stationary balrog with a fire whip item showing -200% movement...I don't know if it is possible to integrate Gandalf the Grey as a fire ball unit like Saruman and coding that after the battle regardless of its result the fellowship of the ring is landing east of Moria and Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog being dead...hmm...difficult... ...but on the other hand you need the diplomat to fullfill the quest with V2.6 aggressive AI behaviour to free Gandalf the White at Fangorn...if you dont make peace with Isengard until this point Uruks will attack Gandalf the White waiting in the forest in most of the cases...hmm...but! it would be great fun to have Gandalf the White as fireball unit anyway…I don’t like the grey company unit very much…in my opinion Riders of Rohan for Gandalf would be the best solution for this unit…

I noticed in my current free peoples campaign that the samwise unit does not have the “hide_anywhere” trait making it impossible for Frodo and Sam to go a single step without being killed after Amon Hen and the split at Rauros…I changed that by myself…I am short after Henneth Annun in my current campaign and I had a funny fight between Frodo, Sam and the Gollum unit near the Pass of Cirith Ungol and Gollum fled…this unit has only little description which is a pity I think…it has a trait showing “Smeagol – no effects”…

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here the wikia quote
http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Gollum
"My precious!"
—Gollum referring to the Ring
Gollum, originally known as Sméagol (or Trahald), was at first aStoor, one of the three early Hobbit-types. The name Gollum was derived from the sound of his disgusting gurgling, choking cough. His birth can be estimated to have happened in the year TA 2430. His death date is given asMarch 25, 3019. His life was extended far beyond its natural limits by the effects of possessing the One Ring. At the time of his death, Sméagol was about 589 years old, a remarkable age for a creature that was once aHobbit, but he had been deformed and twisted in both body and mind by the corruption of the Ring. His chief desire was to possess the Ring that had enslaved him, and he pursued it for many years after Bilbo Baggins found it while walking in the Misty Mountains in the book The Hobbit. In the movies, he was a deuteragonist-turned-secondary antagonist.

I was thinking that it would be nice to hire the rogue bandits bowmen and light spearmen riders as mercenary unit or as common unit for free peoples….the one handed axemen would better fit as infantry…moreover, I noticed that some units still have the light axemen captain and not the improved model…maybe you remember that I was thinking that a ranger captain would be the ideal model… …by the way I disabled the -200%movement trait of Vilya and Elrond stays in Rivendell most of the time…so thanks a lot for your wonderful addon project!

EDIT: Hmm...what would be the best company for Gandalf as a rider...

EDIT: I read some of our old dialogues and I guess I have to try a hopeless Numenor campaign after my current campaign during the next weeks...there should be some time left...

[CapnDan]

Whoa that was a crowded post just there, haha.

I am playing a freaking awesome CapnDan2.6-WaroftheRing-FreePeoples-Campaign and when I reached Moria I was thinking of a real battle between Gandalf and the Balrog at the Brigde of Khazadum...but you are probably right as most of the time at least for my beloved free peoples faction...Gandalf is a diplomat at this point and the fellowship should bypass Moria...hmm...maybe a video popping up showing the fight... ...for other factions there could be a stationary balrog with a fire whip item showing -200% movement...I don't know if it is possible to integrate Gandalf the Grey as a fire ball unit like Saruman and coding that after the battle regardless of its result the fellowship of the ring is landing east of Moria and Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog being dead...hmm...difficult... ...but on the other hand you need the diplomat to fullfill the quest with V2.6 aggressive AI behaviour to free Gandalf the White at Fangorn...if you dont make peace with Isengard until this point Uruks will attack Gandalf the White waiting in the forest in most of the cases...hmm...but! it would be great fun to have Gandalf the White as fireball unit anyway…I don’t like the grey company unit very much…in my opinion Riders of Rohan for Gandalf would be the best solution for this unit…

-Video popup - would certainly be cool but too much work for too little gain for me anyway
-Fireball Gandalf is there in the game code, I believe you can even get him in skirmish matches for FP (you may need to make him available in EDU)
-Riders of Rohan Gandalf unit, I believe, is what you'll get if you play the Rohan Campaign

I noticed in my current free peoples campaign that the samwise unit does not have the “hide_anywhere” trait making it impossible for Frodo and Sam to go a single step without being killed after Amon Hen and the split at Rauros…I changed that by myself…I am short after Henneth Annun in my current campaign and I had a funny fight between Frodo, Sam and the Gollum unit near the Pass of Cirith Ungol and Gollum fled…this unit has only little description which is a pity I think…it has a trait showing “Smeagol – no effects”…

-Could all be bugs too, I didn't put too much work into the Free People's Main Campaign - just minimal stuff really, I've never been able to play a full one without running into some sort of issues

-Yes, the old standard captains for Free Peoples still remain, I kind of like them and they fit with the lore, Rangers were kind of famously never really 'men of the people' anyway right?

-'Return of Numenor' Campaigns plenty fun I think, hope you'll enjoy.

[CapnDan]

So, it looks like I might actually do a Campaigns Addon V2.7 - which will most likely be the definitive final version of the addon I hope.

It's mostly just cumulative casual tweaking from the last little while and finally getting around to a couple of last wishlist items.

While I'm at it though, I thought I'd ask if there are any other minor bugs, requests, suggestions, or whatever else that anybody still looking at the forum might have seen and could share.

Also, if anybody knows if anybody still has admin rights to the ModDB page, I'd be keen to know as I'd like to post this up there for sake of easier sharing and for safekeeping.

Thanks all.
-Dan

[Bardo]

So, it looks like I might actually do a Campaigns Addon V2.7 - which will most likely be the definitive final version of the addon I hope.

It's mostly just cumulative casual tweaking from the last little while and finally getting around to a couple of last wishlist items.

While I'm at it though, I thought I'd ask if there are any other minor bugs, requests, suggestions, or whatever else that anybody still looking at the forum might have seen and could share.

Also, if anybody knows if anybody still has admin rights to the ModDB page, I'd be keen to know as I'd like to post this up there for sake of easier sharing and for safekeeping.

Thanks all.
-Dan

CapnDan, I'm glad you kept working on your addon to fix bugs and to improve the balance of the campaign. It is something I'd have liked to be able to do myself.
Let me know if you have some question where I can help you.

Wulfburk was the admin of moddb page, and he seems active in this forums. I'll try to contact Wulfburk later (thanks and reagards if you read it ).

[CapnDan]

Let me know if you have some question where I can help you..

Finally got around to looking at the ModDB page (thanks Bardo!) and ended up thinking I'll probably wait until Campaigns V2.7 is ready, just for simplicity sake and making sure I've re-done the readme and all to make it as easy as possible.


I did also look through my old notes and, in addition to the list of remaining unfixed bugs, found two random questions that possibly the Mighty Bardo might know answers to:

1. The Umbar custom settlement was not implemented in the campaign. Was it due to a hard code limit?
2. I do remember seeing a Balrog model at some point, and I thought it might have been in an older version of this mod, was this ever a thing?

[Greece]

My list of suggestions:

-make elite Numenorean units available in all three starting regions;

-reduce recruiting time of elite Numenorean units to 3 turns;

-make that units to have 60 mens in campaign;

-replace the peasant units with sellsword units.

I hope this can help you.

[CapnDan]

It's great to hear from you Bardo! Hope all's well over on your end!

In terms of questions, I've pretty well picked through most of the coding in the mod a handful of times - so I do already know many of your secrets.

And excellent work btw, it was a real pleasure actually reading through it all and seeing some of those creative uses of scripting; not to mention all the collective work and assets from the rest of the team.

If you still have a RTW/LotRTW install floating around somewhere I'd certainly be interested in your feedback and thoughts - both in general and for the 'Return of Numenor' provincial campaign in particular (Numenor faction especially -it really does introduce a fairly new feel to the game I think). I could share the updated version within a couple of days if you'd be interested.