The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth): Difference between revisions
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File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Minas Tirith 5 (TLD Scene Pack).jpg|[[Minas Tirith]] | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Minas Tirith 5 (TLD Scene Pack).jpg|[[Minas Tirith]] | ||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dol Amroth 1 (TLD Scene Pack).jpg|[[Dol Amroth]] | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dol Amroth 1 (TLD Scene Pack).jpg|[[Dol Amroth]] | ||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Edhellond promo 1.jpg|[[Edhellond]] | |||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Edoras promo 2.jpg|[[Edoras]] | |||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Edoras promo 3.jpg|[[Meduseld]] in Edoras | |||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Edoras and Meduseld (exterior) promo.png|Bird's eye view of Meduseld and Edoras | |||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Elves fighting trolls promo.jpg|Elves fighting trolls | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Elves fighting trolls promo.jpg|Elves fighting trolls | ||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Esgaroth 1.jpg|[[Esgaroth]] | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Esgaroth 1.jpg|[[Esgaroth]] | ||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale 1.jpg | ||
|The city of [[Dale]] | |||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale 3.jpg|The streets of [[Dale]] | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale 3.jpg|The streets of [[Dale]] | ||
File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale 5.jpg|The streets of [[Dale]] | File:The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) - Dale 5.jpg|The streets of [[Dale]] |
Revision as of 11:36, 4 July 2022
This article or section is in the early stages of construction and should not be viewed as complete, or even close to being finished. |
The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) | |
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Video game | |
Developer | The Last Days Team |
Publisher | N/A (freeware mod) |
Platform | Microsoft Windows |
Release date | October 16, 2011 |
Genre | Action RPG / Adventure / Strategy |
The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) (abbrev. TLD) is a fan-made (freeware, non-commercial) total conversion mod for the computer games Mount & Blade and Mount & Blade: Warband. [1] [2] [3] This expansive mod, covering the events of the War of the Ring, was first released in October 2011 for Mount & Blade and the Mount & Blade: Warband edition of the game. [4] [5]
"TLD" follows the basic game mechanics of the Mount & Blade game series, while also altering many of the mechanics to better immerse the player in Tolkien's Middle-earth (primarily Rhovanion, Rohan, Gondor and the lands to the east) during the War of the Ring.
The total conversion was in development for several years, from 2007 and 2008 until 2011 and 2013. It has since received continuous updating and addons. The most recent release of The Last Days is version 3.6 (released July 2020), for both Mount & Blade and Mount & Blade: Warband. [6] [7] The mod, specifically elements of it (graphics, music, source code), are licensed on an OSP (open-source project) basis since December 2012. [8].
Gameplay
The mod depicts the War of the Ring from the perspective of an ordinary soldier on either the side of the Free Peoples or those that side with Sauron. Playable races include Men, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Goblins, for either of the two sides. The mod is played primarily as an action RPG and medieval combat simulation hybrid, from a first and third person perspective, focusing on horseback combat, infantry combat and siege combat at various locations affected by the war. Over time, the player character creates a party of followers and later a company of soldiers and takes part in the War of the Ring under the leadership of commanders from various factions.
Unlike in the base Mount & Blade games, it is possible for a fortress or settlement to be permanently destroyed by the enemy side, necessitating greater care from players in order to hold and defend territory, while attempting to conquer the territory of the adversary. Another factor new to the strategy and tactics in the game is the player character's standing with the different factions, including his or her allies. It is not calculated globally, instead, the standing develops based strictly on what favours the player had carried out for a particular allied faction. (E.g. It is possible to be a celebrated friend of the Kingdom of Dale, but viewed ambivalently by fellow allies in Lothlórien.)
As in the Mount & Blade base game, the player can recruit certain unique companions to become members of their party. The recruitable companions are available to either the good or evil side, but none of them are available to both. [9] [10]
The player can meet various characters from the time of the War of the Ring, including the leaders and notable noblemen of the factions, as well as cameo appearances of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring, as non-player characters.
Playable factions
- The Free Peoples (Good campaign: The Dawn of a New Age)
Gondor is notable for having several further subfactions, meant to represent the different regions and provinces of the kingdom and their varying military traditions and specialties. These have their own unique troop development trees. (Dol Amroth has unique knights and heavy cavalry, Pinnath Gelin spearmen and archers, Blackroot Vale bowmen, Lossarnach axemen and Pelargir marines.) The Rangers of the North are a subfaction of the host of Rivendell (also with their own separate troop development tree to that of the Imladris elves) and the Beornings and Woodmen form a shared faction (with both groups having their unique troop development trees).
- The Forces of Sauron (Evil campaign: The Twilight of Man)
The Dunledings are the weakest of the antagonistic factions.
Music
The total conversion has an extensive soundtrack of original music, composed for the mod by Australian freelance composer Vladan Zivanovic. [11]
Gallery
Images from this total conversion.
Screenshots
Screenshots are currently undergoing selection and the ones used in the gallery might occassionally change in the future.
Meduseld in Edoras
The streets of Dale
The streets of Dale
The Gate of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
Concept art
Concept art and illustrations created during the pre-production of The Last Days, mainly by Jan "Merlkir" Pospíšil.
Videos
- Teaser trailer
- Release trailer (also here)
- Introductory video
- Video review of the mod by Last Level Press (23 August 2013)
- Playthrough by Mithrandir
Sub-mods and further addons
The total conversion's original development team or other Mount & Blade modding teams have also created several sub-mods and addon packs since the release of the total conversion. These are largelly cosmetic or serve to alter some aspects of the game mechanics or scenery. All of these are only available for the Mount & Blade: Warband version of the mod.
- TLD Scene Pack (reworked location scenery pack, released 2016-2018, largelly incorporated directly into newer releases of TLD)
- TLD Reforged (released 2016, on development hiatus since 2017)
- TLD Overhaul (esthetics overhaul in the style of the film trilogies, released 2017)
- TLD Film Edition (esthetics-swap addon pack in the style of the film trilogy, developed 2017-2019, concluded)
External links
- The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) main overview at ModDB.com (regular news and updates)
- English-language manual for The Last Days (up to date for version 3.3 and above)
- Main thread for the The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) total conversion (for Mount & Blade 1.011) at the TaleWorlds Entertainment official forums, "Released Mods"
- Development and troubleshooting forum for The Last Days (archive)
References
<references>
- ↑ Mount & Blade launch trailer, 2008, TaleWorlds Entertainment
- ↑ Mount & Blade: Warband launch trailer, 2010, TaleWorlds Entertainment and Paradox Interactive
- ↑ Tolkien-inspired Mount & Blade mods at ModDB.com
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod 3.1, for Mount & Blade 1.011 (not for Warband), TaleWorlds Entertainment official forums, "Released Mods", 16 October 2011
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod 3.3, for Mount & Blade 1.011 and Mount & Blade: Warband), ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 31 October 2011
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod, version 3.6, for Mount & Blade 1.011, ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 24 July 2020
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod, version 3.6, for Mount & Blade: Warband, ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 24 July 2020
- ↑ The Last Days OSP conditions / TLD goes Open Source. Thread by Jan "Merlkir" Pospíšil, developer for The Last Days, MBX.StreetOfEyes.com mod development forum. 24 December 2012.
- ↑ (Spoiler) Hint video: Where to find the companions for a Free Peoples player character, video by "Kerendips", YouTube, 22 May 2019
- ↑ (Spoiler) Hint video: Where to find the companions for an evil side player character, video by "Kerendips", YouTube, 17 October 2020
- ↑ About the soundtrack. Thread by Vladan Zivanovic, composer for The Last Days, MBX.StreetOfEyes.com mod development forum. 22 January 2012.