The Road to Edain 4.0: Mordor, Part 1
Long has it been since we released our last update, but one does not simply walk into Mordor. The journey is long and difficult and new terrors are waiting...
"Mordor. The one place in Middle-earth we don't want to see any closer,
and the one place we're trying to get to."
It is not surprising that Sam did not want to see the black land any closer. To be honest, Mordor has always been the ugliest faction of Battle for Middle-Earth. Of course, it was imaginable that the muddy orc-pits were a breeding place of the orcs, but what is the first thing you think of, when you hear „Mordor“? For sure, you won't think of these desolated barracks, but instead of a towering fortress of black stones and metal, a monument to the power of the greatest evil in Middle-Earth. And in Edain 4.0, this is what will be under your command as a Mordor player.
All buildings of Mordor have been completely redesigned and adjusted to the style of Sauron's dark fortress, Barad-Dûr. In the middle of the base, there will be your citadel with the symbol of the red eye at the top. In contrast to the citadel of Isengard, this one can't be upgraded, but it has four expansion slots for barricades, catapults and gate watcher statues. The orc-barracks replaces the old orc-pit but fulfills the same function. The siege-works and the troll-cage keep their basic layout, due to their animations, but they have also received new designs. The Tribute Post and the Arsenal are the new economy buildings for Mordor's base. Looking at the Tribute Camp, you can see supply caravans sent from Harad and Rhûn to prove their devotions for the dark ruler. According to Tolkien, such tribute played an important role in the upkeep of Mordor's war machinery, so it seemed a good idea to show this aspect of Mordor in Edain. The Tribute Camp reduces the cost of Mordor's heroes. In contrast, the Arsenal is one of the most versatile economy buildings in the game, because it reduces the cost of all of Mordor's upgrades – Fire Arrows, uncovering of the Nazgul and the Troll-weapons. This way, it supports a balanced strategy using all of Mordor's assets, while the Tribute Post and the other economy buildings on the settlements allow you to specialize more strongly.
Therefore, the player is able to build a Slave Farm on the settlements, where human slaves generate the food for Sauron's orc army under cruel supervision. This part of the economy is also based on the books. Sauron used many slaves on the fields of Nurn, the only arable part of Mordor. The farm reduces the cost of all orc units of Mordor. Of course, this has no effect for the free orcs, but it allows you to throw more archers, pikemen and overseers into the mix. In contrast to Mordor's base, the Slave Farm uses the old style of Mordor, consisting of seedy huts, being home for the miserable life of the slaves and orcs. The base should represent the headquarters of the dark lord, while the settlements remind the player that not all of Mordor consisted of imposant buildings. Sauron had other priorities than building comfortable homes for his servants. The alternative to the Slave Farm is the well know Slaughter House, reducing the cost of Trolls instead of orcs.
After long deliberation, we decided to make the three domains Cirith Ungol, Minas Morgul and Dol Guldur available on external build plots instead of in the base. For one, this simply looked better: The structures in the base all follow a new, unified style based on the Barad-Dûr, while every domain has its own design - a single Minas Morgul building would simply look out of place in the new base. Furthermore, the domains were always supposed to be supporting additions to the main faction, and in Edain 4.0 such supporting factions are generally placed on the settlements and outposts. Comparing the domains, we decided that not all of them are as good as the other. Therefore, Cirith Ungol, the weakest and most disliked of the three, is available on the settlements. It would never have won any competition against Minas Morgul or Dol Guldur offering some of the strongest heroes of Mordor. Besides the black Uruks, also the orc-hellebarders will be limited to 3, but won't cost any commandeurs points, therefore reinforcing Mordors army above the normal limit. Being an own unit, the hellebarders won't be just a variant of the Mordor's pikes, but having much stronger values.
On the outposts, Mordor can as nearly all other factions, build a citadel with three build plots. This is most effective options, if you want to create an enormous army, just build three orc-barracks and recruit endless amounts of orcs, or destroy your enemy with Mordors strong siege machines and trolls.
Alternativly, you can create the fortress of Dol Guldur or Minas Morgul. The design of Dol Guldur is completly based on the Hobbit movies, an abandoned, deadly ruin, with lots of dark secrets.
This fortress produces resources as well as troops, but none of them as fast as three single buildings on a normal outpost. Nonetheless, you get access to Khamûl, the Castellans and the spiders of Mirkwood, all being powerful additions to your army. Also you can train the improved orcs of Dol Guldur, having the same price as normal orcs, but dealing more damage due to poisoned weapons. Opposite to the current version, the orcs will be recruited directly at Dol Guldur, instead of improving the barracks with the influence of Dol Guldur. Our goal has always been that the player should not be able to build an army consisting only of domain orcs. But due to the new building system which has less build plots, all of Mordors barracks would be influenced by the domains quite soon, therefore standard orcs would disappear in the middle and late game. Being build-able directly in the fortress, the domain orcs will always stay a small part of Mordors army. Dol Guldur will have access to all the three kinds of standard orcs, which got all new designs from the movie. We know that the orcs look quite similar to Isngards Uruks, but that has been a similarity already existing in the movie. And we liked the new design far more than the old, outtimed models.
Minas Morgul works in a similar way. The player creates an enormous fortress on the outpost, giving access to all the three standard forms of Morgul orcs. Also, you can train the Morgul riders, which we upgraded to heroic units, so the single troop is much stronger, but they are limited to three. We really like this unit, because it adds a special flair to Mordors hordes, but Mordors army should consist basically of orcs, so an unlimited amount of Morgul riders should not be possible. Now, the Morgul riders are more rare, but also more dangerous. Symmetrically, we did the same with the castellans. They will be a limited heroic unit, too, which you will get in groups of three. So the one fortress gives access to elite infantry and the the other to elite cavalry.
Pardon, did I understand that right? If the domains are available on settlements and outposts, are they still depended on Sauron? No, we decided that it is difficult enough to capture and hold a settlement or even an outpost, so it would be far too much, if there were two requirements. But does that weaken Sauron's role in the faction, doesn't it? No again, Sauron's role for the whole faction will be even bigger. Nonetheless, we knew that Sauron needed a basic rework. At the moment, he forces the player to build many heroes, a strategy that was never intended by us. For 4.0, Sauron got a complete new and unique mechanic, which reinforces the varity of Mordor's playtime. But this is concept is big enough to get an own update. So, you will hear of us again, soon, when we present you Sauron in 4.0. And now we would like to read your opinion and feedback concerning the buildings and domains of Mordor.
Your Edain Team
one word, wonderful
Looks Awesome!
will there be a full translation in this build?
4.0 will have english text, but not full english audio.
i like the english audio
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Just a question: In the last version, Mordor becomes very overpowered when you find the ring and attach it to Sauron, I must admit that just describes Mordor's awesomeness, but if you attach the ring to ring heroes from other factions, it won't do as much as it does with Sauron. So, Did you power the other ring heroes to match Sauron (Best result in my opinion) ? Or did you just make Sauron weaker?
Disagree, Sauron was way to overpowered and mordor as a faction as well
So, did you even read his comment? If so FYI disagreeing with someone is the exact opposite of agreeing with someone...
My bad, ha
Then again, Sauron was the Master of the Ring, so he knew how to use it to his best potential + it took forever to level him up.
But still, that makes Mordor overpowered and almost impossible to defeat when Sauron has the ring. Which is very stupid if I might describe
But this is the way it is during the last alliance war isn't it ? Sauron has forged the one ring and is overpowered . Sauron HAS to be overpowered whean he as the one ring , because he is !
But that's why nobody wanted Sauron to have the ring in the LOTR stories. Because Sauron with the ring = Complete and total domination. So, this actually fits right in with Tolkein's stories.
Ok I am returning again to this discussion.
Really, it would be nice to play against overpowered bots in singleplayer, but in multiplayer...No, just No. People would just pick Mordor and send troops in the edges of the maps to find gollum and give the ring to Sauron and they become overpowered.
I really liked the new design for the orcs, but i do think you should remove their helmet and just keep their armor - just so we now that they are orcs and not evil men. I think this will be the solution of the uruk-look-a-like
The helmets were the thing in the movie, which defined the Dol Guldur orcs and made them unique.
And if we would remove the helmets, they would in my opinion look much more like the uruks.
Hmmm. Are these orcs the main orcs or are there other types of orcs?
The main orcs are the normal Mordor orcs from the base. The Minas Morgul and Dol Guldur orcs are just additional orcs, each one with a special bonus (heavy armor or poisoned weapons).
Finally some awsome orks that makes you fear them, instead of those ugly hunchback looking handicaps in the old game.
Anyway, i was looking forward to the mordor update and it didn't disappoint. However, i find the fortress of Dol Guldur to be incredibly Dull :P. I like that you guys went with the movie design, but some spirits, creepy fog or evil looking sprites here and there would really add to it's feeling of a faction structure. Atm there is absolutely no difference between this one and a random neutral ruin on the map.
Agree.
can you explain the new powers of the morgul riders you left that part out
I think there's something missing from the original german text :/
I appreciate you have gave Mordor buildings this new unified design! Though I´m somehow missing the orcish feels from it, the new buildings look more like from Angmar/Black Numenoreans... so I would like to suggest you some edits on the textures to give them more worn and evil appearance -like some rust, cracks, muddy spots etc.
Another great update, I always look forward to these!
ETA on release chaps?
I love this update! ANOTHER!
My hunger for Edains awesomeness is not sated yet.
"Please, don't feed the Badger..."
Perfect
Why is the main citadel not upgradeable?
For me, one of the main joys of playing BFME was to see your citadel changing and improving
You had no chance to give Mordor, Isengard and Rohan any improvements in Bfme. Gondor was the only faction with upgrades for the fortress.^^
Keep. I believe that improving cities - one of the few good innovations second BFME. It will be very sad if it is no more.
Keep up the AWESOME work! Thanks for all updates.
Thanks for the wonderful news. Loved the farm slaves. Great idea. Easterlings afraid that will be part of Mordor, but you seem quite removed them. So they will be a separate faction?
No, there will be no new factions in 4.0
Looks amazing, cannot wait for the 4.0 to come out !! :D
Awesome!! Just a note..The tower of cirith ungol could be better, you guys could do it more movie related.
But awesome work as always!! Minas Morgul is so well done!
We don'T want those buildings to be the objects of the movie - we want them to be buildings which ahve the same style, but are other objects, as we don#t want you to build cirith ungol, barad dur or other unique buildings. Those are just buildings, which give you the possibility to train the units of those areas and therefore they look similar to the movie buldings. ;)
Well explained, agreed! Keep up the awesome work!
Hmmmm yeah. =D
Yes, it is fantastic - so I assume there will be a better Minas Morgul map coming out from you? =D
will there be easterlings coming soon
WOOOOOW..
got no words to describe my joy after seeing this :D
Soon is about now, right? Second part of the update, please! :D
Also, since most races have been dealt with in your updates, have you guys more or less an idea when 4.0 will be finished?
Nope.
The team has said before they don't like giving deadlines because they do this as a hobby, and life often has other plans :-) However, based on what's been released so far and the rate of updates my personal guess is by the end of the year (This is my guess! Nothing to do with the team).
This is amazing! Once again you guys are doing some jawdropping work. It is really cool and everytime there is an update im so excited to read it.
One thing tho, there were nothing about heroes in this update at all. I mean, I see that you wrote that Sauron will get his own update. Just dont forget about my favorite king and his dark riders! :) Please let them be able to walk, ride horses & fly the wyverns. I've seen it work in other mods so at least its possible to make it work.
Anyway, best update for one of my favorite factions. Keep it up!
Btw, Its almost been 2 years since the last patch now. I really hope 4.0 will come soon so us fans can get our hands on something and so that the Edainteam can continue the work for 4.1/4.01 that can finetune and fix potential errors and then bring us some "War of The ring"-campaign working compatibility and so on.
Much love & respect to you!
Some of the nazgul can use the fell beasts - but not the nazgul batallion - you can't have a flying batallion and we don't want to have 9 single units - the problem si that in a normal game noone will have enough moeny to build all those heroes and there is not enough space in the hero list for so many heroes. (as we have also some other heroes)
Hi Edain team,
I have a general question, which I hope I can ask here. I would love to play this mod online with other players. I have installed Tunngle and created an account, and I am on one of the servers of the mod, but I have no idea what to do next. I have clicked on Tunngle - Online in the Multiplayer section of the game itself, but then a browser opens with the main site of EA...
So please help me! :-)
Thanks!
You just need to find players in the tunngle chat and then go to network games (ingame), because tunngle simulates a LAN- connection. If someone hosts a game you can join, otherwise you can host and others can join :)
I hope I could help you
I was playing the dear old BFME 1 these days (it's the only way to ease the waiting for version 4.0 xD) and playing with Mordor, I've noticed the Nazgul on the Fellbeasts work better than in BFME 2. For example, they don't hurt each other when they strike the same target, like it happens in BFME 2, and they can perform their screech while moving, attacking, and whatever else. So my question is: is it possible to restore the mechanics of BFME 1 for the Nazgul?
Hi!! Gandalf new skills and edain mod what time release ?
NO new G-man skills and NO release date.