The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
File:Bfme.PNG
Developer(s)	EA Los Angeles
Publisher(s)	EA Games
Engine	SAGE
Platform(s)	PC Windows
Release	December 6, 2004
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth (aka 'tLotR:tBfME') is a real-time strategy (RTS) game for the PC developed by EALA. It was inspired and licensed from Peter Jackson's recent adaptations of the famous books by J. R. R. Tolkien and also features a number of the voice actors, including all the hobbits and wizards. It uses the Sage engine from Command & Conquer: Generals and was released on December 6, 2004. The sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, was released on March 2, 2006.

While there have been numerous other games based on The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and its film adaptations, Battle for Middle-earth is unique in the fact that the developers intended to bring the feel of a "living" Middle-earth to the PC through impressive graphics and special effects, as well as to push the genre beyond the RTS niche market by introducing a more intuitive system. Though lauded for its graphics, it did not make a major impact with critics. The game was still well-received by many, including Peter Jackson, and also Lord of the Rings and RTS fans (though also lambasted by other fans). It allows players to control units from 4 major "factions" of Middle-earth: Gondor, Rohan, Isengard, and Mordor, as well as members of the Fellowship. However, some people were disappointed by EA's promotional videos promoting the game as a Rome: Total War-style game, commanding thousands of troops at once, while the actual in game unit count and variety are actually quite low relative to other RTS titles. This game plays very similar to Command & Conquer: Generals even down to the power point system which allows players to earn special powers as you destroy more enemies. The powers that can be earned range from summoning elven allies, calling Eagles, all the way to bringing out the Army of the Dead or the Balrog.

Gameplay

The game functions much like other RTS games; the player must manage an army taking control of economy and unit production. How BFME differs from other RTS titles is that buildings can only be built on set points, called plots; sites for building structures already exist and are scattered around the map. These range from settlements (1 resource collector), outposts (citadel, three building points), camps (citadel, 6 building points, small wall segments (Rohan and Gondor only) and 7 defensive build plots (Gondor camps have 4 defensive plots and a wall segment encompassing the entire camp), to a full fledged castle (citadel, 8 build plots (Rohan gets 7, Gondor gets 9) and about a dozen defensive plots). In line with the trend in recent RTS games, units train in battalions/hordes, except for powerful troops (e.g. Mordor trolls, Rohan Ents, Isengard berserkers) which are brought into play individually.

Economy is managed generally by building farms (Good side) also Gondor can build blacksmiths to both upgrade troops and accumulate resources; slaughterhouses, lumber mills and furnaces (Evil side) on the predefined slots to gain resources. There are also upgrades and special powers to increase the speed of obtaining resources (Gondor can build a marketplace to receive money faster from its resource collectors, Isengard and Mordor can purchase abilities with their powerpoints). Each production building reduces the cost of either upgrades or the production of certain troops (Gondor blacksmith-cheaper upgrades; Gondor/Rohan farm-cheaper cavalry; Isengard/Mordor slaughterhouse-cheaper Isengard wargs, cheaper Mordor trolls and mûmakil; Isengard/Mordor Furnace-Cheaper upgrades and siege weapons; also note Gondor/Rohan statues reduce cost of Heroes, and Gondor/Rohan healing wells reduce cost of units).

Catapults firing on the walls of Minas Tirith

Each map throughout the campaign is named after well-known and lesser-known regions of Middle-earth such as the Westfold, Eastern Rohan, Mirkwood and even to the far-eastern locales of Rhûn and Harad. While the game authentically follows the story in proper order with special events like the Battle of Helm's Deep, Isengard, Moria and Minas Tirith, the in-between gameplay rests, as said, upon the regions of Middle-earth, encompassing in the West from Pelargir to Mirkwood, eastmost to Rhûn and all the way south to Mordor and the far reaches of Near Harad.

In the campaign's world map, players can view famous locations like the Shire, Rivendell, Barad-dûr and Mount Doom, among others. When players scroll over locations and armies, depending on the context, a short video clip will play on the lower left hand corner of the screen, showing the actions of the armies or the locations as seen in Peter Jackson's movie trilogy.

BFME also features a somewhat unique repair system. Buildings cannot self-repair if they are under attack (with the exception of the Gondor faction). Also, heroes self-heal and groups repopulate only when they are no longer under attack (The battalion will only regenerate units by itself if it is rank 2 or higher. Wells can be used to heal and regenerate units, and under-attack-units will not regenerate (not heal) when next to a well. Narrations in the game are done by Ian McKellen (Good side, as Gandalf) and Christopher Lee (Evil side, as Saruman). The Battle for Middle-earth is also moddable. Some mods add units, heroes and factions, to give a better in-game play.

Factions

Gondor

Gondor is recommended for beginning players because of their defenses. They have a great hero group, and can make upgrades the fastest. Being a Good faction they receive drastic powers, but they can only build units at a rate of five units per battalion at the most. They get a game high 9 building plots (unless they build another castle, camp, or outpost) and the best castle. They can upgrade Fire Arrows, Forged Blades, Heavy Armor, Knight Shields, and Banner Carriers.

• Buildings - Gondor receives 9 building plots and can upgrade their walls, gates, and battle towers. They have 9 defensive plots on their walls and can build Trebuchets, Battle towers and postern gates.
  • Buildable projects include: Farm, Barracks, Archery Range, Stables, Workshop, Battle tower, Well, Heroic statue, Blacksmith, Marketplace, Stoneworker

• Units - Gondor Soldier (5), Gondor Tower Guard (5), Gondor Archer (5), Gondor Knight (5), Ithilien Ranger (5), Trebuchet (1).

• Heroes - Faramir (medium cost (1200); can switch between sword and bow, can mount; receives Wounding Arrow, Leadership, Train allies), Boromir (medium cost (1600); receives Horn of Gondor, Leadership, Train allies), Pippin (very cheap (100); can switch between sword and throwing rocks; receives Cloak), Gandalf (very expensive (6000), but most likely the best hero in the game; can mount; gains Wizard Blast, Lightning Sword, Leadership, Word of Power, Istari Light)

Rohan

Rohan is easy for beginners to use, but advanced players will find it lacking dimension. Rohan has an amazing hero group, if not the best in the game. Being a Good faction they receive drastic powers, but they can only build units at a rate of five units per battalion at the most. They rely heavily on other counties units and can call upon ents and elves. They can upgrade Fire Arrows, Forged Blades, Heavy Armor, Horse Shields, and Banner Carriers.

• Buildings - Rohan receives 7 building plots, they have 8 defensive plots on their wall and can build Banners, Postern gates and Battle towers on them.
  • Buildable projects include: Farm, Stable, Archery Range, Well, Heroic Statue, Armory.

• Units - Peasant (5), Yeoman Archer (5), Rohirrim (5), Rohirrim Archer (5), Elf (5), Ent (1)

• Heroes - Merry (very cheap (100); can switch between sword and throwing rocks; receives Cloak), Éowyn (medium cost (1200); can mount; receives Smite, Disguise, Shield Maiden), Éomer (medium cost (1400); can mount; receives Spear Throw, Outlaw Leadership, Leadership), Théoden (medium cost (1200); can mount; receives Leadership, Glorious Charge, Train allies), Gimli (expensive (2500); receives Axe Throw, Slayer, Leap Attack), Legolas (expensive (3000); receives Train Archers, Knife Fighter, Hawk Strike, Arrow Wind), Aragorn (expensive (3500); receives Athelas, Blademaster, Elendil, Leadership, Summon Army of the Dead)

Isengard

Isengard is good for players who are intermediate-good. They consist of the some of the best heroes in the game because of their abilities (Lurtz's Crippling Strike can pin any hero for a good amount of time, but it can dry-fire or miss a target if the hero gets out of Lurtz's range). Being an Evil faction they receive less drastic powers, but they gain ten Uruk archers, Uruk warriors, and Uruk pikemen in every group of these troops. They can upgrade Forged Blades, Flaming Arrows, and Heavy Armor. Although Isengard has no hero leadership in the early game, it does have "chant", (a power that gives targeted units +50% armor and +50% damage) which is very useful.

• Buildings - Isengard receives 8 building plots, without walls.
  • Buildable projects include: Uruk Pit, Furnace, Slaughter House, Armory, Warg Cage, Lookout Tower, Lumber Mill, Siege Works

• Units - Uruk Warrior (10), Uruk Archers (10), Uruk Pikemen (10), Warg Riders (5), Berserkers (1), Siege ladder (1), Explosive Mine (1), Ballista (1), Battering ram (1)

• Heroes - Lurtz (medium cost (1200); can switch between sword and bow; receives Leadership, Crippling Strike, Pillage, Rage), Saruman (very expensive (5000); receives Wizard blast, Fire ball, Train allies, Convert enemies)

Mordor

Mordor is good for beginners as well as experts because of its capable of highly strategic play. They largely focus on numbers, with cheap units, fast production, and few upgrades. They also display a wide range of units, effectively countering every faction and strategy. Being an Evil faction they receive less drastic powers. Their hero group is small but destructive when used carefully. They can upgrade Banner Carrier and Fire Arrows.

• Buildings - Mordor receives 8 building plots, but no walls.
  • Buildable projects include: Orc Pit, Slaughter House, Furnace, Lumber Mill, Troll Cage, Haradrim Palace, Mûmakil Pen, Great Siege Works

• Units - Orc Laborer, Orc Warrior, Orc Archer, Haradrim Lancer, Soldiers of Rhûn, Mûmakil, Mountain Trolls, Drummer Troll, Siege Tower, Catapult, battering ram

• Heroes - (2)Nazgûl on Fellbeast (very expensive (5000); flying; receives Screech), Witch-king (very expensive (8000); flying; receives Screech, Leadership), Gollum (very cheap (150); receives no abilities)

Campaign

This RTS features an Evil and Good campaign set in the War of the Ring-timeline as directed in the trilogy by Peter Jackson with a few game adaptations. Like many other RTS-games, this features two opposite endings dependent on which side the player joins. The Free Peoples (Gondor and Rohan) focus on their numerous heroes, like Gandalf, Aragorn, Théoden, Éomer, etc. On the other hand, the Forces of Darkness (Mordor & Isengard) depend mainly on their hordes of Orcs, Uruk-hai, Evil Men, and monsters such as trolls and mûmakil.

The Good Campaign starts in Moria where the player must guide the Fellowship through the mines and kill the Balrog in a one-on-one match with Gandalf the Grey. This battle is one of a few stand-alone missions with the Fellowship—the others include the fight to save Boromir, Merry and Pippin at Amon Hen, the Ents' conquest of Isengard and Sam's search for Frodo in Shelob's Lair. Rohan and Gondor have their own respective campaigns, including famous battles at Helm's Deep, Minas Tirith and a final battle at the Black Gates.

The Evil Campaign begins in Rohan, with Saruman's conquest of the region signified by the fall of Helm's Deep and the deaths of heroes such as Théoden, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn. It then switches to Mordor's assault on Gondor; which concludes with the successful destruction of Minas Tirith and total victory for Sauron.

Reception

Some have criticized the game for recycling old concepts such as heroes (found in Warcraft III, Age Of Empires, and Battle Realms) and special powers (The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring and EA's own Command & Conquer: Generals), a special resource used to buy powers (yin and yang in Battle Realms, fate in War of the Ring and General's Points in Command & Conquer: Generals), making the player field small armies (limited by Command Points) and being too simple compared to other real-time strategy games, among other things.

However, the fielding of smaller armies can be explained by the fact that doing so will allow players with older computers to play smoothly in multiplayer. (Official maps support up to a total of eight players.)

Also, considerable liberties were taken with Tolkien's works for the sake of gameplay. For example, Gandalf can survive the journey through Moria if you defeat the Balrog (in fact the mission will fail if Gandalf perishes) and Éowyn does not fight in each and every battle. The Good Campaign also has an alternate fate of Boromir where, if the player manages to save him at Amon Hen before he is killed by Lurtz, Boromir goes with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli through Rohan, fighting at Helm's Deep. However, even if Boromir does perish and you succeed the level, he will appear on the next level. He later travels with Pippin and Gandalf to Minas Tirith and helps fight the battle, and afterwards fights at the Black Gate. It is unknown what happens to him after this. Most likely he went back home to Minas Tirth to serve Aragorn alongside his brother Faramir.

Another interesting thing is that Faramir, who does not participate in the battle of Minas Tirith in the movie, fights alongside his brother Boromir in the game. He later fights alongside his brother and the Fellowship at the Black Gate, to buy Frodo time to destroy the Ring. Successful in the end, he goes back home with his brother to serve under Aragorn as the new King of Gondor.

Théoden, who dies at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in the movie, survives the battle in the game, and participates in the fight at the Black Gate. Afterwards, he goes back to Rohan to continue leading his people as King of Rohan.

Though unique, the game was also criticized for having a "building circle", in which you cannot choose where your buildings go, taking away from the strategy aspect of the game.

Critic scores

The critical response to BFME was fairly positive. The video-game review aggregator Game Rankings displays an average critic score of 82.5%, with about two-thirds of the reviews in the 80%s. IGN praised the game for its visual flair and impressive audio, but pointed out its lack of depth in gameplay, giving out a score of 8.3 to the "decent, if not spectacular, game." Gamespot, with a score of 8.4, also commented on the visuals and sound effects as well as its focus on large-scale battles that "befits the source material;" however, mediocre AI and the simple gameplay relying on long battles of attrition were criticized. Gamespy gave 4 stars out of 5, calling the game "a perfect example of a license enhancing the final product."

Awards

Battle for Middle-earth won three notable awards: the E3 2004 Game Critics Awards: Best Strategy Game, the 2005 GIGA Games Award (German): Best Strategy Game, and the GameSpy Best of E3 2004 Editors Choice.

External links

• Official Website