Sequel Middle Earth: Shadow of War Confirmed

Shadow of War PC Patch Notes v1.08
DECEMBER 12 - MONOLITHANDY
Free Content Updates and Features (Included in the patch)
Gravewalker Difficulty: A new, higher difficulty level even more challenging than Nemesis, including:
By default, the player gets no Last Chances.
Enemies are more perceptive and able to spot a stealthy player from farther away. They are no longer surprised when they spot a player, and remember a vanished player for longer.
Orcs gain more levels when they kill the player.
Orcs gain more levels when a Death Threat is sent.
Orcs gain more levels when they become Maniacs.
More Orc Captains are present roaming the world.
Nemesis Missions have shorter durations, necessitating decisions to rescue or get vengeance.
Worms are less frequent, have much better senses, and can defend themselves as they flee.
Enemies deal more damage, particularly grunts and monsters.
Players deal less damage to Captains.
Environmental hazards deal more damage to the player and slightly less to enemies. Expect some grunts to survive a barrel explosion.
Enemies adapt slightly more quickly to player attacks.
Enemies attack slightly more quickly, and are more likely to coordinate attacks.
Enraged Orcs are harder to disrupt.
Retreating enemies adapt to stealth attacks.
Siege Beasts take less damage from their ammo packs exploding.
Followers bleed out quicker.
Shortened duration of ‘Dazed’ state triggered by fear and weaknesses.
Poisoning a barrel from ranged or using distract costs Focus.
Slightly increased drain time for critters, grunts, and Captains.
Please note, Gravewalker Difficulty was previously known as Brutal Difficulty.
Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion DLC (Now available)
The following content and features will be added to your game upon purchase of the Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion DLC. Please note, if you currently own the Expansion Pass, this content is included with your pass.
Outlaw Tribe
The Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion brings the rebellious and defiant Outlaw tribe to Mordor with their own unique weapons, fighting style, added missions, fierce battles, a new fortress theme and more.
New Outlaw Tribe Missions
Outlaw Showdowns: New missions allowing players to face down Captains from the Outlaw tribe, with each showdown bringing unique challenges to complete.
Outlaw War Bands: Aid your ally and defeat your nemesis when facing off in new Outlaw War Bands quests, as Captains from the Outlaw tribe bring their own forces to clash in battle.
New Fortress Theme: Fortresses can now be commanded by and embody the characteristics of the contemptuous Outlaw tribe, including themed monuments, outposts and Overlord throne room.
Legendary Gear Set: Hunt down Legendary Outlaw tribe Orcs for a new Legendary gear set with additional upgrade challenges, including the new bola weapon that Outlaw Orcs can use to trap their enemies.
Purge: Captains from the Outlaw tribe prowl around Mordor in groups, launching deadly ambushes in an attempt to cleanse their land of outsiders. Defend these attacks to keep the Outlaw Orcs in check.
Additional Fixes
General Stability:
Fixed an issue where some dead Orcs in the Army screen do not get cleared and replaced.
Fixed an issue when interacting with the Best Defense Mission, where new Captains could be generated in Núrnen and inadvertently overwrite some of the Orcs in a player’s hierarchy.
Fixed an issue where a captured Overlord from Endless Siege could be instantly killed instead of being placed in a Rescue Mission.
Fixed an issue where some of the alarms in Minas Ithil could be triggered by Orcs, even after you have successfully disabled their outposts.
Fixed an issue where mounted Orcs could choose not to battle when in a Fight Pit.
Fixed an issue that resulted in corrupted, bright white FX with certain explosions, flames or impacts.
Fixed a softlock that could occur during an Online Fit Pit loss when the only remaining follower is a prisoner.
Fixed an issue where enemy Slaughter tribe Orcs would not choose Siege upgrades.
Fixed many environment and movement issues, particularly with Slaughter tribe assets.
Fixed a bug where followers would sometimes disappear from the player’s hierarchy after they successfully completed a Fight Pit.
Fixed a bug where Slaughter and Outlaw Captains would sometimes fail to enter the player’s hierarchy after playing their tribal missions.
Fixed a bug that caused a bright square FX to display on screen.
Fixed some possible softlocks that could occur when accessing an Online Fight Pit.
General stability improvements and crash fixes.
User Interface (UI):
Fixed an issue where the “Track Challenge” toggle did not function correctly on first input.
Fixed an issue where the Nemesis Missions tab in the Quest Log could get stuck at 97%.
Added Speaker Test functionality to the Sound menu in Options.
Tribal Invasion Missions no longer appear as main story missions on the World Map.
The Expansions tab in the Quest Log now correctly indicates when tribe DLC is owned but not yet unlocked in your campaign.
Fixed a bug where the Outlaw Tribe Nemesis Expansion would not display as owned in the Quest Log.
Fixed various error message bugs that could manifest when the game is not connected online.
Balance:
Made it easier for Orcs to shed Iron Will upon being shamed. Reduced the likelihood that Iron Will would be given to Orcs in various situations.
Shaming an Orc no longer removes strengths if he is at least level 60.
Captains who are retreating (but not terrified) can now adapt to stealth attacks while in flight.
Nearby Orcs will now hear and react to mines that have been detonated.
Increased green gem life steal in weapons and increased Mirian drop from white gems in weapons based on weapon type.
Fixed an issue where Overlords would inappropriately gain incorrect levels when winning a friendly Online Pit Fight match.
Fixed a bug where victorious Overlords could still be killed by damage-over-time effects during Online Fight Pits.
Improved rewards for Online Fight Pit chests.
Other:
Added functionality identifying when a new game patch is available. When a new game patch is available, users will be prompted to update. Until the user updates to the latest patch, online functionality will not be accessible.
 
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™
FULL STORIES HEADLINES

capsule_184x69.jpg

8:58am
Middle-earth: Shadow of War Patch Notes v1.15
Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ - Monolith_Mark

Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion Now Available
  • Open a new front in the war for Mordor as Baranor, Captain of the fallen city of Minas Ithil. Travel to the Eastern Deserts of Lithlad and raise a new army of human mercenaries.
  • As a mortal man, and lacking a Ring of Power or a wraith, Baranor can neither cheat death nor dominate Orcs. Ally with the Dwarven hunter Torvin, master ancient technologies and command loyal allies to stay alive and conquer this new land.
  • The following content and features will be added to your game upon purchase of the Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion. Please note, if you currently own the Expansion Pass, this content is included with your pass.
Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion includes the following content:
  • Play as Baranor, the Captain of Minas Ithil and survivor of the cityís demise, in a new story expansion where players can command the forces of Man against a new Orc threat to the East.
  • Unite with Torvin, the Dwarven Hunter, to craft powerful new combat gear, including the shield, gauntlet, grapple and kite.
  • Fight to survive in Mordor as a human without the power of a Ring or a wraith to cheat death in a new rogue-like campaign mode.
  • Fight alongside new friends and allies in the form of human Mercenaries with new Command options.
  • Complete a host of new outpost missions and overthrow the imposing Marauder fortress of Shindr‚m.
  • Face new enemies, including the mythical Were-wyrms.
  • Play as Talion in the new region of Lithlad, expanding your main story campaign to experience all new Shadows of the Past missions as well as Conquests, Sieges, and Vendettas.
  • Unlockable Baranor character skin for the main story campaign.
Free content updates available today for all Middle-earth: Shadow of War owners, including:
  • Nemesis System Enhancements ñ Overlords can now have Bodyguards, which function the same as Warchief Bodyguards, including the ability to deploy spies.
  • Online Fight Pits & Online Conquests Update ñ Added the ability to search by player name when engaging in Friendly Online Pit Fights and Friendly Online Conquests.
  • Photo Mode Upgrades ñ New stickers, styles and filters inspired by the Desolation of Mordor Story Expansion.
  • New Player Skin ñ You can now choose to appear as Baranor.
  • Brutal Difficulty ñ Added a new ìBrutal Difficultyî setting, meant to be difficult but unique in its feel. Enemies are as fast and lethal as on Gravewalker difficulty, but your damage is increased greatly, and your Might and Wrath meters fill faster to allow you to use more special moves.
  • Player Stats Page Updates ñ Added additional entries to the Player Stats page.
Market Update:
The ability to purchase Gold within the Market will be permanently removed. Players will still be able to spend Gold and receive Gold via in-game challenges up until the Market closes permanently on July 17. For more information, please refer to our recent community update and FAQ.

Additional Fixes:
General Stability:
  • Fixed various crashes
  • Achievements:
    1. Fixed an issue where the ìForged by Warî achievement would not unlock if you met the final requirement while replaying a mission.
    2. Fixed an issue where the ìEverything is Permittedî achievement would not unlock if you deranged a Warchief assassin during his Confrontation Mission.
    3. Fixed an issue where ìThe Operativeî achievement may not unlock when betrayal conditions are met.
  • Skills/Player Actions:
    1. Fixed an issue that sometimes caused Talionís ìRingwraithî ability to be too stealthy.
    2. Fixed an issue where pairing the ìChain of Soulsî and ìDominationî upgrades could prevent you from dominating multiple enemies at once.
    3. Fixed an issue where the ìChain of Soulsî skill would not contribute progress towards gear challenges.
    4. Fixed an issue where a mounted drake could become unresponsive after releasing prey from its claws.
    5. Fixed an issue where a dive attack from a drake could grab the wrong target.
    6. Fixed an issue where mounting a dying Siege Beast could cause the player to become trapped.
    7. Fixed various movement issues.
  • Fixed an issue where the mission ìThe Fallî could go missing and block player progression.
  • Fixed various issues with the Player Stats menu tracking events properly.
  • Fixed an issue where an Overlordís first win in the Online Arena might not register in the win streak.
  • Fixed an issue where a follower who wins three Online Pit Fights sometimes fails to receive an Epic Trait.
  • Fixed an issue where winning a Friendly Online Fight Pit could incorrectly grant levels.
  • Fixed an issue where Beasts in cages could become invisible after using Photo Mode.
  • Fixed an issue where an enemy fortís poison mines could appear blue, as if they were allied traps.
  • Fixed an issue where the vendetta cloak could not be earned by performing the requirements, which includes being mounted on a graug or drake.
  • UWP: Fixed a soft lock that could occur when changing texture quality and disconnecting from the live service.
  • Fixed an issue with one building in N˙rnen where loot from slain Captains could become unreachable.
  • Fixed an issue during the ìInvasion Nemesis Missionî where it could fail to resolve if a trickster made a tricky escape.
  • Fixed an issue where dropping Morgai Fly Nests could inflict poison.
  • Fixed an issue where the wall explosion VFX could fail to appear when a spy Warchief is successful in a fort assault.
  • Fixed an issue where an ambushing Captain would sometimes not give a presentation correctly, leaving the player stuck in place for a short while.
  • Fixed an issue where an Outlaw Captainís bolas could be invisible during his showdown.
  • Fixed an issue where retreating Followers would not present to the player if forced to betray.
  • Fixed an issue where a gift giver Captain would not correctly face the player during his presentation.
  • Fixed an issue where running towards the camera could cause ground textures to appear stretched.
  • Fixed an issue where the fortress gate in Gorgoroth could end up permanently closed after playing a ìShadows of the Past Mission.î
  • Fixed an issue where the game could become stuck on the skin selection screen if the game was only partially installed.
  • Fixed an issue where gameplay progression could become blocked when reaching or completing the ìThe Etten Mission.î

  • Blade of Galardiel Story Expansion:
    1. Fixed an issue where Followers from the Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion could be imported into the main campaign at the incorrect level. They will now always be at least level 15.
    2. Fixed an issue where some story dialog could fail to play in the Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion.
    3. Fixed an issue where Eltarielís Ranged mode would temporarily become stuck during the ìPoisoned Ground Missionî, due to poison mist.
    4. Fixed an issue where the Light infused by the Blaze skill would disappear if any other Light-based attack was then used.
    5. Fixed an issue where Eltarielís hand could animate poorly after being hit.
    6. Corrected the color of Eltarielís ìGround Blazeî effect.
    7. Fixed an issue where killing a blinded enemy with a Light Bolt could cause a Glaive to inappropriately appear in Eltarielís hand.

User Interface (UI):
  • Photo Mode:
    1. Fixed an issue with the Photo Mode tutorial that sometimes incorrectly showed pink boxes.
    2. Fixed an issue where the Photo Mode option depth of field didnít function properly at times.
    3. Fixed an issue where the Photo Mode style ìNouveauî could sometimes result in incorrect layering.
  • The Last Chance PIPs beneath the mini-map now display on Easy Difficulty.
  • Fixed a persistent error message that could occur if the controller was disconnected during the initial loading of a new game.
  • Fixed an issue on UWP using GameDVR recording tool that caused the cursor to stay on screen.
  • Fixed an issue for the "unpack next" feature not operating correctly when highlighting commerce boost items.
  • Fixed an issue where the Experience Boost percentage indicator could become hidden after a store purchase.
  • Fixed an issue after Online Fight Pits that sometimes incorrectly displayed a message ìNetwork Error, Unable to record results.î
  • Clarified the error message that is displayed when trying to assign a Training Order to a Follower who is currently on a mission.
  • Fixed an issue with ranked Conquests where the Orc preview window would not display the correct character.
  • Fixed an issue with Online Vendettas where the target Orc info could fail to load properly in the UI.
  • Fixed an issue where completing a community challenge could sometimes result in incorrect information being displayed in the tracking UI.
  • Fixed an issue where, if deploying a Follower to the Army menu would result in the Follower dueling another Follower, the player might not get a warning.
  • Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion
    1. Fixed an issue where the ìContinue/Start New Gameî prompt would be briefly absent with no functionality in Start Menu when highlighting "Blade of Galadriel."
    2. Fixed an issue where the incorrect characterís abilities could be displayed when viewed in the Options menu.
    3. Fixed the ìBlazeî skill guide entry to not display until the ability has been unlocked.
    4. Fixed an issue where the ìBrokenî UI text could remain on screen after a Nazg˚l is banished by being blinded.
    5. Fixed an issue in the Blade of Galadriel Story Expansion where the screen prompt for ìSummon Bodyguardî incorrectly shows after The Enchanted is killed.

Nemesis System:
  • Adjusted the rules for camera presentations during Fortress Assaults and Fortress Defenses:
    1. Reduced presentation frequency of nearby Orc deaths.
    2. Fixed an issue where initial meetings do not trigger, except for Warchiefs and enemies the player has met in the past, and then they only triggered on a sword clash.
    3. Presentations do not trigger for Hate, Terror or Retreat.
    4. Walk-out presentations do not trigger for second-stage Warchiefs (at an inner courtyard).
  • Followers can now set a trap to betray you during rescue missions.
  • Orc Beastmaster can now sometimes earn the new ìCaragor Tamerî trait, which enables them to convert opposing caragors to their side.
  • Added white lines in the Army menu to visually indicate Orcs who are Blood Brothers.
  • Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented a retreating Trickster from leading the player to an ambush.
  • Globally sped up the length of enemy death presentations.
  • Fixed an issue which sometimes disallowed players from sending reinforcements to support Followers in a single-Captain nemesis mission.
  • Fixed an issue where a Follower prisoner could be removed from the hierarchy if his captor was defeated by a deployed Captain from the garrison.
  • Fixed an issue where a Follower could be assigned as a bodyguard to both Talion and a Warchief at the same time.
  • Fixed an issue where Undead Followers could level-up when sent to-and-from the garrison.
  • Increased the likelihood of Gift Givers in Minas Morgul and Cirith Ungol.

Balance:
  • Increased the variability of levels of Orc Captains in late game. Now, more Captains could appear lower than the playerís level, particularly on high difficulty settings.
  • Significantly increased the damage grunt Orcs deal to Captains, making them a greater threat.
  • Tuned Gravewalker difficulty
    1. Tuned player damage against Orcs of vastly higher level. They will go down faster.
    2. Reduced rate of Orc power growth in late game.
    3. Reduced animation speed of certain defender spear attacks.
    4. Reduced damage of multi-hit attacks on Gravewalker difficulty.
  • Reduced life steal on certain Berserker special attacks.
  • Reduced damage of certain Orc special attacks against other Captains.
  • Moderately decreased damage of Orc Captains against other Orc Captains at high levels, giving the player more time to intervene.
  • Corrected too-high Wrath recovery values on certain sword gear properties.
  • The Frost explosion triggered by the Legendary Bright Lord ranged weapons no longer affects allies.
  • Fixed an issue in Gravewalker difficulty where Orcs could sometimes allow stealth attacks after spotting the player.
 
That's pretty cool. Been meaning to buy this game at some point since they removed the cash shop.
 
That's pretty cool. Been meaning to buy this game at some point since they removed the cash shop.

There are some concepts that have shown up in this series (Nemesis system, gameplay, etc.) that I hope show up in other games and game types.
 
Maybe I am an idiot. Good chance of it. I never could figure this game out though. Seemed like I could kill the entire planet and not progress. Eventually, waves of enemies would overwhelm me. It was like fighting the ocean. Is it that each section has a specific goal you must achieve to shut the enemy faucet off or what?
 
Yeah if you get stuck killing leaders, and occasionally die, the game is gonna be brutal for you.

I used to pick a handful off and then go straight for the main quest. Then repeat. Otherwise you're risking building the captains up too much.
 
So looks like the clouds are static, they don't move? Since it rains in the game it's bound to get windy. And if the clouds don't move at all then it doesn't fit in with the atmosphere of a rainstorm or even smaller rain showers, just imo.

I'll get the game anyway. In some videos of gameplay the clouds don't move as far as I can tell so I thought I'd ask about it to anyone who's played it.
 
I think I've put like 75+ hours in between the two games, don't think I've ever looked at the clouds. lol
 
Does the game have a seamless open world? Are the main quests, side quests & gear worth it?
 
Does the game have a seamless open world?

Not exactly. You go into fairly large areas and when it's time to move on you hit a map, click on the next area, and go in. It's fast and the areas are quite generous in size, scope, and variety.

Are the main quests, side quests & gear worth it?

Yes. I've gotten a lot out of this game, all told.

I'm eager to see where Monolith goes after this with some of their ideas like the brilliant Nemesis system and some of the combat and gameplay concepts.
 
The patch removing microtransactions was released yesterday.
https://community.wbgames.com/t5/Of...dow-of-War-Patch-14-July-17-2018/td-p/1882311

Market Removed:
  • The Market is removed from the game, replaced with an updated Garrison menu that allows access to your Garrison Orcs, Chests, Training Orders and Boosts.
  • The Spoils of War Rewards and Community Challenge Reward Chests no longer contain Orcs. Instead, they now focus on Training Orders.
  • You can now purchase Training Orders directly with Mirian.
  • Captains recruited during Online Vendettas and Ranked Conquests can now be found in your Garrison when you return to your world.
  • Captains killed during Online Vendettas and Ranked Conquests now drop gear, the same as Captains killed in your world. You still receive a Gear Chest at the end of the mission, in addition to any gear dropped by Orcs.
  • With the removal of the Market, any unspent Gold currency has been converted into Gold Loot Chests.
Improvements to Epilogue (Shadow Wars):
  • Reduced the number of stages and missions required for 100% completion of the Shadow Wars.
  • Completing the Shadow Wars now earns you the pieces of gear listed below. Players who have already completed Shadow Wars will receive this gear when they begin playing.
    • Servant’s Blackened Armor: Allied grunt Orcs have a chance to resurrect when they die. This includes allied Undead grunts.
    • Mask of the General: Consume and Drain kills create a Curse explosion.
    • Mask of the Undying: Waters of Lórien and Spectral Dash cost no Focus. Melee and Stealth damage increase for five seconds after use.
    • Mask of the Fell Rider: Graug Call summons an Elemental Graug.
    • Mask of the High King: Raise Dead summons Gondorian Wights.
    • Mask of an Empress: Wraith Execution, Wraith Chain, and Chain of Shadows each deal more damage with each successive Wraith.
  • Additional narrative elements:
    • Additional dialogue from Orcs, Shelob, Dark Talion, and the Witch-king.
Progression Improvements:
  • You can now reach level 80. Continuing to earn XP after reaching level 80 earns you additional skill points.
  • Enemy Orcs can now reach level 85.
  • New Prestige Skills, accessible after Act III, allow you to customize your character build. Each Prestige Skill can be purchased multiple times.
  • You can now spend Mirian to raise the level of a piece of gear to match Talion’s current level. You must complete any upgrade challenges on the gear before you can raise its level.
  • You can now spend perfect gems to re-roll secondary traits on gear. You must complete any upgrade challenges on the gear before you can re-roll.
New Player Skins:
  • You can now choose to appear as Celebrimbor and Dark Eltariel.
Additional Fixes

General Stability:
  • Fixed an issue where defeated Captains could leave an empty slot in the Army menu which could fail to refill with new enemies.
  • Fixed an issue where deploying a Captain from the Garrison into any empty slot could result in lost Orcs.
  • Fixed an issue where the Wages of War mission could become blocked if the player is killed while fighting the two Captains.
  • Fixed an issue where Shadow Dominating in the Damaged mission could sometimes block progression.
  • Fixed an issue where the The Conquest of Shindrâm mission could become blocked if the player entered the throne room after triggering the Adrenaline augment.
  • Fixed an issue where unplugging the controller during Captain deployment could block progress until the game is rebooted.
  • Fixed an issue where an Overlord’s Unfinished Business mission could disappear when trying to infiltrate him with a spy.
  • Fixed an issue where deploying a Captain could replace an enemy who is holding a Follower as a hostage, which would result in the hostage disappearing from the Army menu.
  • Fixed an issue where a Follower could sometimes appear dead in the Army menu after being rescued.
  • Fixed an issue where new unknown Captains could take Warchief slots in Minas Morgul.
  • Fixed an issue where the Rune of Vengeance challenge would sometimes fail to unlock.
  • Fixed an issue where using the fire breath attack on a mounted drake would sometimes not inflict damage against opposing drakes.
  • Fixed an issue where using Waters of Lorien or Spectral Dash would recover Focus instead of consuming it.
  • Fixed an issue where the Cloak of Beasts would not be visible when equipped with the Baranor skin.
  • Armor affixes Might Gain Per Kill and Wrath Gain Per Kill now accept any enemy kill.
  • Fixed an issue where using Raise Dead could result in having infinite Might.
  • Fixed an issue where Ologs without the Seismic Strike trait could still perform the attack.
  • Fixed an issue where the Battle Weary trait would sometimes fail to trigger when it’s supposed to.
  • Fixed an issue where Decoys who become Captains could sometimes render invisible.
  • Fixed an issue where striking an enraged Olog Captain could cause the Olog’s elemental weapon effect to apply to the player.
  • Fixed an issue where Shadow Mounting an enemy beast would fail to restore health.
  • Fixed an issue where resurrecting dead War Banner carriers could result in them planting hostile banners.
  • Fixed an issue where replaying the Best Defense mission could sometimes spawn the player at the incorrect location.
  • Fixed an issue where the player’s Bodyguard could end up trapped and bleeding outside the throne room while the player went inside to confront the Overlord. Bodyguards will now exit bleed-out if left outside.
  • Fixed an issue where Bodyguards of Assault Leaders could get duplicated when summoned inside the throne room.
  • Fixed an issue where Captains could stop fighting appropriately and get stuck in a loop of taunting instead.
  • Various movement and out-of-environment fixes.
  • Fixed various memory crashes.
  • Blade of Galadriel
    • Fixed an issue where the first affix of the Fire Chaser’s Bow would not work against Talion.
    • Fixed an issue where the first set bonus for the Light Bringer armor did not take effect against Talion.
    • Fixed an issue where the game could become blocked during the Last Chance mini-game versus a mounted enemy.
    • Fixed an issue where triggering the Beast Hunter’s Cloak second affix could instantly kill the targeted enemy, regardless of how much health was remaining.
    • Fixed an issue where traps could disappear when Eltariel jumps near one.
    • Fixed an issue where damage-over-time effects were not applying correctly to blinded enemies.
User Interface (UI):
  • Enraged By banners will now display in the HUD when watching Pit Fights.
  • Added mission start points in Minas Morgul (The Blade of Galadriel) and Lithlad (The Desolation of Mordor) that facilitate switching between Shadow of War campaigns.
  • Dynamic Resolution Scaling is now turned off by default.
  • Fixed an issue where Photo Mode would not properly pause the game animation if you were decapitating a drake.
  • Fixed an issue where rewards were displayed as earned when failing a Pit Fight.
  • Photo Mode: Fixed an issue where the Flat backdrop option would change the color of Orc blood to the selected hue.
  • Fixed an issue where Ithildin Door Puzzle words would sometimes not change correctly when moving in the poem.
  • Fixed an issue where quitting an Online Pit Fight could result in Online Vendetta information being inappropriately present in other mission resolution messaging.
  • Fixed an edge case where the player would not be warned if deploying a Captain would result in a duel with another Follower.
  • Desolation of Mordor: Fixed an issue where the number of turns remaining on an unprotected Outpost’s timer could be incorrect.
Nemesis System:
  • You can now apply a Training Order to a Follower, even if they are currently on a mission. Prisoners are still ineligible.
  • Necromancers may now occasionally raise themselves from the dead before your eyes.
  • Added a toggle in the Options menu to disable Saviors.
  • The Slaughter and Outlaw Invasion missions will now unlock sequentially, instead of all at once.
  • Your Followers can now surprise you and deliver a gift Worm to i
Balance:
  • Increased the overall spawn rates for Legendary Orcs.
  • Rebalanced XP rewards and costs above level 30.
    • Nemesis Missions and Captain kills now give much more XP.
    • Online Fort Assault missions now award XP.
    • Reduced XP reward on missions much higher level than the player, reducing the likelihood that a high-level fortress siege/defense will grant more than three levels of experience.
  • Shortened the duration of rage if the Enrage Allies ability is used without Wrath.
  • Slightly increased chance for Orcs to cheat death in late game.
  • Improved gang-fighting behavior in Fight Pits. Gangs should now be more useful to their masters.
  • Updated a variety of Orc attacks to charge through Defender shields. This helps balance Defenders better against Warriors, Savages, and Ologs.
  • Added a tighter cooldown to the Berserker’s whirlwind attack.
  • Added a brief delay at the beginning of an Orc’s Quick Shot attack, so the player has more time to react.
  • Reduced the frequency of the Beast Slayer trait in late game.
  • Slightly reduced the frequency of the Highly Adaptable trait.
  • Greatly increased attack and defense values of Beasts (Caragors, Graugs, Drakes) against high-level Captains.
  • Added Caragor stealth attacks as an acceptable unlock criteria for the Dagger of Vengeance.
  • Increased attack and defense power of Caragors when mounted by Orc Captains.
  • Reduced weakness of Orc traits Vulnerable to Fire and Vulnerable to Poison on Normal and Nemesis difficulties.
  • Shaming an Orc once will not immediately reduce their traits. However, multiple shamings will still cause this to occur.
  • Resurrecting dead Followers as Revenants will no longer cause them to lose any levels. They are still barred from ever leveling up again.
  • Increased the chance that an Orc will ambush when his Blood Brother is under attack.
  • Decreased the chance of a Blood Brother betrayal if the player accidentally hits their own Follower.
  • Increased the time between an Orc’s death and his Blood Brother’s vengeful ambush.
  • When playing siege/defense missions after completing Shadow Wars:
    • Assault waves should now include bodyguards (two per Assault Leader).
    • Legendary Orcs are now guaranteed to appear.
  • Blade of Galadriel: Enraged Captains are Blinded for a shorter period
 
There are some ideas that showed up throughout the course of this series and this game that I hope show up in future projects. (Either from these devs or from others.) Nemesis system and certain gameplay elements for starters.
 
What's the difference between the base, silver and gold editions of this game with all the microtransactions stripped out? Is there actually worthwhile content which justifies the more expensive versions?
 
What's the difference between the base, silver and gold editions of this game with all the microtransactions stripped out? Is there actually worthwhile content which justifies the more expensive versions?

. None of the core features of the versions have to do with the microtransactions (except the higher editions used to have a few "War Chests"); these were all basically on top of whatever version you picked, which made it particularly egregious. I'm very pleased to see that its gone now and it seems from those patch notes to have more improvements made to the game's systems overall.

The Silver edition contains 2 Nemesis Expansions, which add new Orc tribes, armor, areas and other related content. Many people feel that this should have really been in the game from the beginning, but it does expand on the game's nemesis system significantly as well as the fortresses. As the game blurb puts it " Each Nemesis Expansion include a new Orc Tribe featuring new enemies, followers, missions, abilities, weapons, Fortress and wilderness updates, and a Mythic Gear Set. "

The Gold edition not only has the 2 Nemesis Expansions but also adds 2 Story Expansions. These are traditional "expansions" with new playable characters, dynamics, and other stuff to do and you only get them with Gold. The official blurb says " Each Story Expansion introduces a new campaign, playable character & abilities, side missions, enemies, allies & more "

Personally, I think Gold is the only worthwhile edition to buy at this point, given it provides all the expansion content and perhaps more importantly is often on significant sale. For instance, as I write this the Gold Edition is 60% off for a total of $40 at GreenManGaming! Now you could buy the base game now also on sale for $20 after a 66% discount on GMG, but the "Season Pass/Expansion Pass" to get all the stuff you missed is only discounted 20% and thus at $31 in and of itself. I think $40 is a record low for the Gold edition and i you like this type of game, getting your money's worth out of it now that it has been improved and microtransactions removed seems likely.

Furthermore, it encourages the developers and industry as a whole to not only continue to support their games with updates and content (as described in the patch), but to remove microtransaction nonsense, if they see lots of new players buying the game after the removal thereof!

Hope this helps!
 
Just letting everyone know that the Gold Edition is on sale on Steam directly (at least for US users, as a weekend sale) for $34! GMG also seems to have it down to $32 - not sure if thats promotional or otherwise. Enjoy!
 
For only $20 for the base version i'm enjoying this game quite a bit.
 
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I bought Gold for $36 (used gift cards) from the MS Store recently (crazy in many ways, I know!). Started it up & enjoyed it a bit for the first area with towers (the city under siege). Looking forward to building skills, stats & gear up after the new patch.
 
Thread necro.

I was really in the mood to revisit this. It's been the beneficiary of update since my first playthrough including the total elimination of the microtransaction angle which I still contend along with others was a non-issue in the way it was handled but still.

This game actually has built in HDR. You have to flip the switch on in Win10 display settings and it's just "there." This game in 4K with HDR on and G-sync is friggin' insane. It's fluid, fun, and gorgeous to boot.

Regardless of whatever system you are on:

I think a lot of people need to either look into and/or revisit. Yes, get the full version for peanuts wherever you want. It's worth it. An insane amount of FUN value. Don't miss it.
 
Thread necro.

I was really in the mood to revisit this. It's been the beneficiary of update since my first playthrough including the total elimination of the microtransaction angle which I still contend along with others was a non-issue in the way it was handled but still.

This game actually has built in HDR. You have to flip the switch on in Win10 display settings and it's just "there." This game in 4K with HDR on and G-sync is friggin' insane. It's fluid, fun, and gorgeous to boot.

Regardless of whatever system you are on:

I think a lot of people need to either look into and/or revisit. Yes, get the full version for peanuts wherever you want. It's worth it. An insane amount of FUN value. Don't miss it.
HDR and FreeSync works well in this game on AMD GPUs also. Game runs great in the limited playtime that I have invested into it. Didn't quite make it out of the prologue before a buddy asked me to play something multiplayer with them. :)
 
I'll have to give it a try with G-Sync. I'm currently playing the game, so it's been building my enjoyment as I progress with the skills. When I first started it, I was very disappointed for having to start over from Shadow of Mordor since I maxed everything out by the end of it.
 
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I'll have to give it a try with G-Sync. I'm currently playing the game, so it's been building my enjoyment as I progress with the skills. When I first started it, I was very disappointed for having to start over from Shadow of Mordor since I maxed everything out by the end of it.

With this game all my orcs and work from my first playthrough were in the garrison. So it's halfway to New Game+ but not exactly. You still have to level up, get the gems, get weapons, unlock skills but.. I'm ok with it because I'm having a lot of fun with it. I almost feel like I'm playing 2.5.

The first time I played I was on my 8 year old 1920X1200 monitor with my previous machine so 4K HDR G-sync high refresh setup with this plus the benefits of all the updates and patches since the game came out (when I first played it) is really nice.
 
Been stuck on this screen for almost an hour now. 100% unsolvable with my setup, doesn't like my mouse I guess.
Do I have to go grab my xbox controller, or...?

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I played the game on a controller. That being said, I vaguely recall having issues with that on my controller as well. I ended up monkey fucking my xbox controller and it decided to work. It was about the only thing in the game I recall being buggy/poorly designed.
 
I played the game on a controller. That being said, I vaguely recall having issues with that on my controller as well. I ended up monkey fucking my xbox controller and it decided to work. It was about the only thing in the game I recall being buggy/poorly designed.
I had to go dig my xbox controller out of storage, shut down all my torrent clients so I could unplug one of my external HDDs, had to use a way-too-short 3 foot cable with my arms stretched over my PC. But hey, it took all of 3 seconds to solve the puzzle. Warner Bros & Monolith can eat a bag of dicks for this.

Funny enough I played this game at launch and had no problem. idk why it's broken now. Without the controller I wouldn't be able to progress.
 
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