View Full Version : LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth II
So what does everyone think of it?
I'm working my way through the good campaign atm, not bad so far.
Dabbled a bit with the hero creator as well but to be honest there aren't too many options.
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-01-2006, 03:57 PM
im loving it , skirmish battles are GREAT heres some screen shots for everyone :)
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotr.JPG
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotr1.JPG
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotr2.JPG
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotr3.JPG
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotr4.JPG
spyder what lvl are your shadows at?
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-01-2006, 05:20 PM
http://www.northportpcrepair.com/lotrsettings.JPG
somethin look wrong with the shadows?
No nothing wrong just wondering what setting it was. Thanks.
kcthebrewer
03-01-2006, 05:28 PM
They are pixelated ?? 4th picture shows incredibly bad shadow pixelation (were you running a lower quality when you took that pic?).
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-01-2006, 05:32 PM
nope settings haven't changed , all ultra high ... i had the same problem with the demo ... i think its something to do with geforce series cards...
Hmm I think thats normal, this is what I get with max shadows on my X850:
http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/18/bfme2shot10il.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
If you have them medium the building shadows are very crisp but the unit ones are pretty much circular blobs.
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-01-2006, 05:48 PM
looks to be so ... odd
LynxFX
03-01-2006, 05:51 PM
If I wasn't so busy with work this week I'd pick up a copy asap, but will have to wait until the weekend.
Anyone know of any good deals going on for it? Lowest I could find locally was $55 at CC for the DVD edition. Hoping that maybe in the Sunday circulars someone will have it for $10 off or so.
Lazy_Moron
03-01-2006, 07:03 PM
So how good is this game. Im really addicted to Empire at War right now. What would you recommend, Battle for Middle Earth or Empire at War?
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-01-2006, 07:28 PM
i have both , imo Battle For Middle Earth 2 gets my time more... :)
Lazy_Moron
03-01-2006, 07:32 PM
Interesting, might have to pick this up this weekend then.
I'd have to say they are equally flawed but its worth getting both because BFME2 has enhanced ground RTS play whereas in EaW you can fight in space.
bboynitrous
03-02-2006, 03:47 AM
Damn it, I have to pick this up tomorrow. I played the demo as the Dwarves and didn't get into too much but it was damn fun. I cant' wait to get it.
I constantly play BFME 1 skirmish against the computers because it's just that much fun. Thanks for the screens!
The one thing its missing is the ability to put units on the walls like you could in the first game. Which is a shame.
hity645
03-02-2006, 06:35 AM
Its very fun, I customized a couple heros already. Does anyone know if they work in multiplayer and skirmish? Im doing the good campaign right now and haven't tried either of the other two to see if they work.
jbrukardt
03-02-2006, 06:43 AM
There's defininately something wrong with the shadows. What you see above is even more pronounced on my system, it goes beyond ugly. They arent blending right it would seem ro something. Hopefully this will be fixed in a patch
arr4ws
03-02-2006, 09:01 AM
its a problem with the active shadows or something like that... you need to go in your card configuration .
so far the game is far more enjoyable than the first... thanks to free building!
yay!
I did think it to be strange, especialyl after comparing the medium building shadows to the high ones. The mediums were so sharp.
Could this be some kind of soft shadow implementation? Is this a known issue?
Json23
03-02-2006, 09:43 AM
How is Multiplayer?
Firebomb
03-02-2006, 11:21 AM
multiplayer is fine... and finnaly u can build anywhere.. there is no need for the first game anymore.
revenant
03-02-2006, 11:52 AM
So can you have some of the characters from the LOTR story in your party? or is it just fleets of types of warriors against other opposing fleets?
(sorry if this was already covered - didn't see it though)
/me needs to read a review ;)
Anyone experiencing a crash to desktop on the mission where you have to kill the dragon in the good campaign. Its happened to me twice now each time after destroying all the drake lairs.
Firebomb
03-02-2006, 12:06 PM
yeah u can have all of them from the movie. and u can make ur own hero.. plus who ever gets the ring becomes more powerfull
Mayhs
03-02-2006, 01:06 PM
orr what settings do you play at?
If you mean graphical then everything on the left hand side max and on the right hand side everything max apart from water detail and shader detail, both second from max.
Oh and also I have set the res manually to 1280x1024.
CubicleGeek
03-02-2006, 02:02 PM
I managed to play it for about an hour yesterday (I also bought Galactic Civilizations II at the same time and have been playing that more), so I don't have too much input about the game, save one negative observation. I find the unit animation a little clunky. I can't quite put my finger on it, but compared to say Dawn of War, the animation for the characters seem like they are floating on the surface rather than walking on it. It's as though their strides don't correlate with how much distance they travel across the surface. Anyone else find this?
What really excites me about this game is the concept of defining your heroes and being able to develop them. I'm a huge Spellforce fan.
I have the same problem with the shadows as earlier posts. They seem ultra pixelated even with all settings maxed. Since I'm on the topic of graphics, does any one know if there are any tricks to force the game to run in a widescreen resolution?
Mayhs
03-02-2006, 02:11 PM
If you mean graphical then everything on the left hand side max and on the right hand side everything max apart from water detail and shader detail, both second from max.
Oh and also I have set the res manually to 1280x1024.
what fps do you get?
what fps do you get?
Next time I run it I'll check but it seems smooth.
Although in the last mission I played where you have to defend against the Corsairs attacks the game rebooted on me again. No high temp warnings.
About 30fps on average. I believe like the first game its capped at 30. Does drop sometimes during intense battle scenes but not often.
http://img334.imageshack.us/img334/7412/bfme2fullmordorfortress1nl.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Another shot, this time a fully upgraded Mordor Fortress.
Mayhs
03-02-2006, 05:02 PM
how would u compare it to other rts's? and what would u give it out 100?
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-02-2006, 07:11 PM
i'd give it bout a 90% out of 100% , the only other RTS's i played heavly as this one is Command & Conquer Series....but i love it maybe cause its so alike , an prob made by the same creators :)
Circuitbreaker8
03-02-2006, 07:45 PM
I could never get into these games :( The only type of game I liked like this was Ground Control 2 lol
xappie
03-02-2006, 08:39 PM
The one thing its missing is the ability to put units on the walls like you could in the first game. Which is a shame.
I agree. I don't know why, but this ability was one of my favourite parts of the first game. I really miss it.
:(
I agree. I don't know why, but this ability was one of my favourite parts of the first game. I really miss it.
:(
It made it unique and made for some interesting defensive encounters.
solideliquid
03-03-2006, 02:53 AM
How is the SP?
Mayhs
03-03-2006, 10:36 AM
It made it unique and made for some interesting defensive encounters.
what would u give out of 100 orr?
Probably about 85/100 mainly because they took out things like being able to place your troops on walls.
Mayhs
03-03-2006, 11:57 AM
Probably about 85/100 mainly because they took out things like being able to place your troops on walls.
what would u give aoe3?
AOE3? Hmm, graphically I would give it something like 90/100 but because of all the bugs and the fact the gameplay was the same old AOE i'd give it about a 70-80.
One thing I did like about AOE3 were the effects of canon balls hitting buildings.
Mayhs
03-03-2006, 01:34 PM
AOE3? Hmm, graphically I would give it something like 90/100 but because of all the bugs and the fact the gameplay was the same old AOE i'd give it about a 70-80.
One thing I did like about AOE3 were the effects of canon balls hitting buildings.
so youd rate bfme2 better for gameplay and graphics?
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-03-2006, 02:03 PM
id rate LoTr better gameplay & graphics (EXCEPT shadows) than AoE 3 ... , i like it better than Empire at war aswell ;)
Json23
03-03-2006, 02:08 PM
id rate LoTr better gameplay & graphics (EXCEPT shadows) than AoE 3 ... , i like it better than Empire at war aswell ;)
What is up with the Shadows? That has to be a bug in the game. They couldn't ahve meant for it to look like that.
so youd rate bfme2 better for gameplay and graphics?
I think so but thats just my opinion. I still like AOE3 but it was just so rough for such a hyped game. Lol especially when playing one of the earlier levels and not being able to complete the mission due to a bug and having wave upon wave of enemies attacking from no where.
Well the shadows do seem a bit off dont they. They only way I can see that that were meant to be that way would be if they were intended to be similar to soft shadows but do seem too pixelated, especially compared to the previous shadow setting.
Mayhs
03-03-2006, 03:40 PM
ois the game worth buying? i used to love rts's n now i wanna get back into them...should i buy it or is there a better one?
CrAzYsPyDeR
03-03-2006, 04:05 PM
Buy it! , yea shadows seems to be a bug with the game waitin on the patch it don't bother me that bad
Circuitbreaker8
03-03-2006, 04:59 PM
Same shadows with Empire at War...for me atleast :(
EarlMcFish
03-03-2006, 09:53 PM
Is there a way to set the resolution higher than 1360 x 1024? Great game by the way...
Well it seems the shadows are supposed to be like that. I have read in a few other places that they are dynamic shadows that will change with movements rather than being static like the setting below it.
Still, they look far too pixelated.
The Donut
03-04-2006, 06:50 AM
You can use any resolution. And it automatically adjusts the FOV to be correct.
Simply add the following to your shortcut.
-xres 1920 -yres 1200
Obviously, change the values to your desired.
Schmave
03-04-2006, 01:49 PM
I picked up the game yesterday and so far I really like it. My roommate also got a copy, so we played a few multiplayer games. The only gripe I have is with the AI. When you are playing a multiplayer skirmish, and there is more than one computer opponent, the computer seems to only attack one player. So one guy is getting his ass kicked while nothing happens to the other guy. The other guy just has to come to his teammate's rescue the whole time. It's kinda weird.
But, I really like the game other than that. It is cool how all of the races are really different and play a lot differently. The graphics are pretty good too, except for the shadow pixelation. Although when you are battling, you don't really notice the pixelation much. Good game.
http://www.hardfolding.com/ftag1.php/mem/530.png (http://www.hardfolding.com?go=38&id=530&tm=33)
Blakestr
03-04-2006, 09:42 PM
Anyone figure out how you level up your profile in skirmish mode? I take on say, a medium level opponent and they are marked down as level 4. Also, when you create your own hero (cool as shit by the way), do you have to select all your powers then or can you select them when you level up...(like WC3 )
Seriously go out and buy this game. I played AOE3, Empire Earth II, CIV 4 (not exactly rts but what the hell), WC3...this game beats them all in my opinion...so many races to choose from, so many styles to play. Not to mention how badass is is to watch cavarly run over swarms of goblins or orcs like in the movie...
Lazy_Moron
03-04-2006, 10:00 PM
Just picked it up played it for about an hour and OMG this game is very very sweet. Way better than Empire at War and that game had me addicted until I brought this game. Highly recommend it!!!
I also get the pixalated shadow problem.
This game is fairly hard though. Im getting my ass beat on easy lol. Im so used of playing a game like Command and Conquer and you can buy away and still be fine. So im buying away, bunch of structures and run out of money and cant support my army. Need to think better.
fireburster
03-04-2006, 10:49 PM
To level in skirmish, you just keep playing as the same team to level that team. I am 2nd level dwarves now. I just keep using them against other teams. I just made a hero and he hasnt made it past level one yet.
Dark Assassin
03-05-2006, 01:53 AM
I was dying to play the game simply for the elves and I haven't been disappointed. I'm hard pressed to see how they can be beaten, especially given the fact that I created my own elf player.
I don't think the game is fantastic, but it certainly is fun to play and it slightly gets you into the universe. The create-a-hero part is really depressing though. So few options, it's almost appalling.
Dark Assassin
Rofl-Mic-Lofl
03-05-2006, 02:16 AM
Unless I'm missing something, you cannot kill your own units or dispose of them somehow, which takes off quite a few points from me. I've had to restart missions because I went over the cap trying to make some fun overkill scenes, but it said "create 2 x" So it wouldn't let me continue. I'm probably missing the option somewhere, but I looked for a minute or two and didn't see it :(
Unless I'm missing something, you cannot kill your own units or dispose of them somehow, which takes off quite a few points from me. I've had to restart missions because I went over the cap trying to make some fun overkill scenes, but it said "create 2 x" So it wouldn't let me continue. I'm probably missing the option somewhere, but I looked for a minute or two and didn't see it :(
I think the option your looking for is under the rules tab at the skirmish screen.
Lazy_Moron
03-05-2006, 08:12 PM
I think I discovered a glitch in the game. I was playing the Men and was playing against Mordor. Well they sent a elephant to my base. I had a wall around it. The elephant stopped at the wall for about 5 secs then walked right through it. It didnt break the wall, just walked through it. Wall was still in perfect condition. Can the elephant jump over the wall since there so big? Asking a honest questions here also. Or is this a glitch?
For the most part I like this game much much more than Empire at War.
chaikovski2002
03-05-2006, 08:37 PM
Does gandalf pwn in this one like he did in the 1st one? "there is still hope"! LOL, that all he evar said.
Dark Assassin
03-05-2006, 08:47 PM
Thank GOD that Gandalf isn't nearly so powerful as he was in the first game. He starts at a level 1, just like every other hero, so he can't rape your most powerful units right off the bat.
The mumakil through the wall certainly sounds like a bad glitch to me. I personally think that many elements need to be address, especially the AI for the units.
The orcs of Mordor are definitely my #2 race right now. Attack trolls couples with catapults and a few Haradrim archers makes for a VERY powerful onslaught.
Dark Assassin
Rofl-Mic-Lofl
03-05-2006, 09:17 PM
I love the call for reinforcements maxed out, nothing liek when you're about to lose a battle.. and you spawn 5x battalions out of your ass to come save the day.
TheCowOfNow
03-05-2006, 11:09 PM
The one thing its missing is the ability to put units on the walls like you could in the first game. Which is a shame.
WHAT?!?!
No units on the walls? Thats terrible, that was like the coolest thing ever that hardly any games had....bah. I mean, what the hell is Helms Deep wothout units on the fucking wall! My i'm uspet by this. :mad:
WHAT?!?!
No units on the walls? Thats terrible, that was like the coolest thing ever that hardly any games had....bah. I mean, what the hell is Helms Deep wothout units on the fucking wall! My i'm uspet by this. :mad:
On the Minas Tirith and Helms Deep skirmish maps you can still have units on the walls. It's just the self built walls that don;t support units.
About the Mumakil jumping the wall. I think it is a glitch since sometimes the enemy infantry units will run towards a wall get stuck at it for a few seconds then get through.
hity645
03-06-2006, 05:04 AM
I've experienced a couple game glitches, nothing major though.
The last mission for the Good campaign there was a troll that would not die, only needed one hit to kill it...and I guess 4 groups of archers plus the heros attacking it wouldnt do the trick. It never attacked until I beat the level and the camera rotated around... Even then it still didn't die.
I've played only a few RTS' before this, because the frantic pace of having to keep everyone busy in real time irks me and I end up quiting before I get into the game all that much.
But, I really like this game, because it's LOTR.
Does anyone know if there is a way to play this game semi-RT?
As in, I can pause whenever I want, to issue orders to units (in or out of battle)?
I usually have so many things going on all over the map, and it's irritating that I have to choose what/what not to watch unfold.
Blakestr
03-08-2006, 09:54 AM
The best way to accomplish that I believe would be to learn all the hotkeys and make groups (select and bind control+1) then you just hit 1 or corresponding number to access that group. Learning all the hotkeys will enable you to jump around the map instantly without having to scroll and can make a big difference in your overall efficiency.
Thanks for the suggestion Blakestr.
I guess what I want, is not possible.
How hard would it be to put in a pause function?
I guess that'd make the game a different genre - PTS (part time strategy)
or STS (selectible time strategy)
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