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Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor |OT| One Title to rule them all

Tizoc

Member
whats the general tip for fighting hordes of ghouls.

i mean i never really died against them, but im near death all the time and the poison shooters are annoying.

I feel like im doing something wrong.

Just keep mashing Attack and roll away when you see the prompt that one of them is going to spit at you.
Use Ground ghost punch whenever it is up.
 

Sanctuary

Member
whats the general tip for fighting hordes of ghouls.

i mean i never really died against them, but im near death all the time and the poison shooters are annoying.

I feel like im doing something wrong.

Just throw daggers. At a distance. The Wraith Flash move is useful too as stated above, but if there are any matriarchs around, you'll want to be within range of the Flash being able to hit them too.
 
whats the general tip for fighting hordes of ghouls.

i mean i never really died against them, but im near death all the time and the poison shooters are annoying.

I feel like im doing something wrong.

Tackle them.

Not a strategy that will keep you from getting damaged, but it's way too fun to not do.
 

Corgi

Banned
Just throw daggers. At a distance. The Wraith Flash move is useful too as stated above, but if there are any matriarchs around, you'll want to be within range of the Flash being able to hit them too.

just realized, i've still never put any points into throwing daggers. they any useful?
 

Apt101

Member
Atop my very first caragor I rode right into an enemy camp and proceeded to quickly have it maul their captain to death as he tried to crawl away screaming. I was laughing really hard, so I may have misseen, but I am pretty sure the caragor was whipping him around like a dog with a toy.
 

Oublieux

Member
just realized, i've still never put any points into throwing daggers. they any useful?

Daggers are great for creating some breathing room. I find it useful, but only if you dedicate two points into it. The first ability point only allows one dagger throw at a time, but the second point allows for up to three. The latter is really great for forcing back three orcs and also adds to the combo meter--easy way to reach the hits needed for utilizing your special.
 

CaLe

Member
So far the game is quite easy, I killed 3 captains in the past hour without dying. I'm guessing things will heat up quickly, well... I'm hoping, at least.
 

komplanen

Member
Finished the game today. Did most of the extra crap outside a couple of hunts (didn't bother finding a dire caribbean or what-ever-the-fuck-they-were) and a couple of free-the-slaves missions.

Really good game though it seems like it's extremely fragmented. Sometimes I felt like I was missing a cut scene (
the braid-haired lady getting captured was a wtf moment
and overll the ending felt like it was designed and executed in one late crunch session so the game could be shipped.
 

Sanctuary

Member
just realized, i've still never put any points into throwing daggers. they any useful?

Not particularly outside of killing ghuls. You can kill 3-4 orcs "off screen" with them, but you could have simply melee killed them much faster. You can also build up your hot streak somewhat easily with them after unlocking triple dagger. It's not necessary at all, and mostly sat unused. When it was useful though, it was really useful.

They are kind of funny to toss at elites that are "immune vs ranged", because they will just dance back and forth, dodging every one of them.

So far the game is quite easy, I killed 3 captains in the past hour without dying. I'm guessing things will heat up quickly, well... I'm hoping, at least.

Nope, aside from maybe the eight Warchief fights, it's all downhill in difficulty as you unlock weapon upgrades and skills.
 

mstevens

Member
Fuck me. I've really played this game so wrong at times. You can bring Warchiefs and Captains with you to other fights? Howwwww?

Yeah I feel like there needs to be more tutorials.. I feel like I'm playing this game completely wrong. It is great, but kind of overwhelming.

Just killed my first warchief. Took awhile to burn 5 dudes to lure him out...
 

En-ou

Member
Just got to the second map. The graphics in this game is amazing. Well done Monolith, didn't think you guys had it in you even though it really is Arkham + AC in Middlearth.

Do you just get money for completing all side quests?
 
So far the game is quite easy, I killed 3 captains in the past hour without dying. I'm guessing things will heat up quickly, well... I'm hoping, at least.

Just wait until you get a true nemesis

Big Ass Pictures said:
middle-earth_shadowofm7dpu.jpg

middle-earth_shadowof2ee21.jpg
 

Sanctuary

Member
Yeah I feel like there needs to be more tutorials.. I feel like I'm playing this game completely wrong. It is great, but kind of overwhelming.

Just killed my first warchief. Took awhile to burn 5 dudes to lure him out...

Fuck me. I've really played this game so wrong at times. You can bring Warchiefs and Captains with you to other fights? Howwwww?

Unless I was just playing it wrong all the way through as well, you don't actually "bring them" with you to any fights. You just show up on missions that have them already in it, OR you force them to fight for you when they just so happen to be in an area that you were already doing something in anyway. Basically, when you give them a command, you can tell them to betray (if they are a bodyguard of your target) or to cause a riot (not a bodyguard, but you want them to attack your target). Then a new mission will pop up for you to visit and they will be there in that mission. Or you can simply brand a bodyguard and not do anything until you decide to fight a Warchief and then activate them like they are part of a sleeper cell when the Warchief + entourage show up.

I am enjoying the appendixes and snippets of audio lore with artifacts. I'm a huge fan of Middle Earth and this is scratching an itch.

Does one forge new weapons, or does one continue to augment gear with runes?

Just runes.

Just got to the second map. The graphics in this game is amazing. Well done Monolith, didn't think you guys had it in you even though it really is Arkham + AC in Middlearth.

Do you just get money for completing all side quests?

Yes, so after you already have all skills and upgrades, there's no point in them.
 

Apt101

Member
I am enjoying the appendixes and snippets of audio lore with artifacts. I'm a huge fan of Middle Earth and this is scratching an itch.

Does one forge new weapons, or does one continue to augment gear with runes?
 

Mentok

Banned
Forgive me if this has been answered, but I'm confused. Are there two ways to unlock rune slots on your weapons? I purchased slots through the "weapons and runes" tab, but when I go to my "upgrades" tab (where you can increase health/elf shot/focus as well) they're locked.... it's confusing.

EDIT: Hope that made sense, I'm half asleep.
 

Sanctuary

Member
Forgive me if this has been answered, but I'm confused. Are there two ways to unlock rune slots on your weapons? I purchased slots through the weapons tab, but when I go to my upgrades tab (where you can increase health/elf shot/focus as well) they're locked.... it's confusing.

Your weapon comes with 3-4 locked rune slots. When you purchase a slot, it unlocks one of them. I don't remember if you get a "free" unlock per weapon for doing 5/10 of the weapon missions, but the rest of them are unlocked one at a time as you buy the upgrade. Each weapon can have a total of 5 runes. The screen that shows your weapon upgrades is only locked by the amount of miriam you have I believe and nothing more. The first unlock and the last are also exactly the same. The difference is that as you go down the tier, each is progressively more expensive than the previous.
 

Mentok

Banned
Your weapon comes with 3-4 locked rune slots. When you purchase a slot, it unlocks one of them. I don't remember if you get a "free" unlock per weapon for doing 5/10 of the weapon missions, but the rest of them are unlocked one at a time as you buy the upgrade. Each weapon can have a total of 5 runes. The screen that shows your weapon upgrades is only locked by the amount of miriam you have I believe and nothing more.

But the weapons and runes tab lets you spend miriam to unlock rune slots, yet it still shows as locked in the upgrades...so I have to purchase the unlocks from the upgrade tab essentially.
 
I've played the game for about 12 hours now (just got to
the other map
), and it sure is a lot of fun. Running around, sneaking, climbing, stabbing orcs, slicing orcs, everything just works and none of the systems are frustrating which is rare for an open world game like this. I'll keep going at least until I'm done with the story, though this is one of the rare games that I might still go back to after that.

I just feel bad for killing one particular captain, <something> the Friendly, he seemed like such a nice fella. I killed him before even checking his name, and he hasn't come back like some of them :(
 

Nyx

Member
I'm having lots of problems killing the last 2 Warchiefs of the first batch. They both hide in strongholds and when I try to kill one of the bodyguards it takes just seconds before a 2nd or 3rd Captain joins the fight. Add 10-20 Uruk in the mix, some spear dudes...

Getting overwhelmed every damn time.
 

Sanctuary

Member
But the weapons and runes tab lets you spend miriam to unlock rune slots, yet it still shows as locked in the upgrades...so I have to purchase the unlocks from the upgrade tab essentially.

I really don't know what you're talking about. I only have one screen that allows me to actually unlock slots for miriam. Which is only in the upgrade tab that shows the weapon, focus and health tiers. When looking at your actual weapon, it just shows slots that are locked, but there's no option to unlock them from that screen. Or at least there wasn't on the PC version unless I completely missed it somehow.

Damn, yeah, but aren't those few and far between?

If you don't die, you will never have one. You'll just see the same enemies you've already killed constantly returning with altered looks and giving you a pretty cool (until it gets old) spiel about your previous encounters.

I'm having lots of problems killing the last 2 Warchiefs of the first batch. They both hide in strongholds and when I try to kill one of the bodyguards it takes just seconds before a 2nd or 3rd Captain joins the fight. Add 10-20 Uruk in the mix, some spear dudes...

Getting overwhelmed every damn time.

Campfires, grog barrels, insect hives and especially caragor bait (calls in 2-3 from outside of the stronghold). IIRC the first four Warchiefs don't really have much in the way of immunities. If you really have to, you can totally cheese them to death by stealth dropping on them, getting a few slashes in and then scaling up the wall to an area that gives you cover from projectiles that the enemy won't climb. After a short while, the alarm status resets and you can stab the Warchief again. Or just shoot him in the head until you are out of elf shot and then replenish them. It's also possible to lure them out with distraction to an area that has no other opposition around; for a few seconds anyway.
 
25 hours in I'm finding it hard to get through the Slave missions and to wrap up the last 11 achievements I need, might just hold off on finishing those for a few weeks, don't want to get so burnt out that I don't come back to it at all. I played 2 hours today of just messing around with captains and such and had a good time.
 

Sanctuary

Member
This game is so cool that even the only Gaffer who didn't like it cannot stop posting about it XD

Who me? I have nothing else to play right now and I never said I didn't like the game. I never actually finish games that I truly don't like. There's a lot I didn't like about it, and I also felt the Nemesis system is wholly overrated (or not) based on subjective experiences, (which seem to mostly rely on you repeatedly dying) and not the greatest thing since sliced bread or TLOU like many seem to think. I also said that I hope there's a sequel, because there's a lot that they can refine and flesh out more.

Then there's also a lot that I did enjoy about it. I'm just terribly picky, but that isn't going to prevent me from giving pointers.
 

Daingurse

Member
So glad I picked this up over the weekend. The game is gorgeous and extremely fun so far. The Nemesis System was better than I anticipated as-well. Far better.

"MAN FILTH!!!!"
 

Lonestar

I joined for Erin Brockovich discussion
Had a fantastic turn of events.

2nd area, got 4 of the chiefs branded, working on the last one.

Instead of choosing a flunky to be a new bodyguard, I go after this chiefs sole bodyguard.

Little did I know, he's some sort of legendary badass. Nothing effects him, not even sword hits. I'm talking immortality. He one hit kills any beast I use. Only chance could be explosives, but I never can get him near any.

I die 4 times to him.

I finally find something that works, I brand 6 orcs and use them to hurt him. I finally get him into the green, and he runs. Of course, he's also super fast. Barely manage to stop him and brand him.

So, off we go to kill the war chief. And we do.

The very next thing I do (accidently)?

I grabbed the newly branded legendary badass war chief, and threw him off a cliff to his death. Suck on it Gham Sawbones.

The only saving grace, was that his replacement was some other captain I branded that was in the area.
 
I am at the part in the story where I just
branded my first warchief. It now looks like I have to go brand the other 4 in the area.
I know there is an achievement/trophy for doing this. I remember seeing people make a big fuss about it on some achievement websites. Does this not just come through natural progression of the games story? Also looks like an easy way to obtain the one for
killing 5 warchiefs
 

Phear

Member
How do i get more captains to become a warchief's bodyguards?
I wanna do the 5 bodyguard trophy.

Branding/Dominating bodyguards is no problem, but every warchief has only one or two. If i try to get more - brand any random captain, dominate him and command him on a warchief, an "initiate mission" appears. If i help the branded/dominated captain with that mission, nothing happens. The army screen still says branded, but he doesn't become bodyguard. Even if i help him with more initiate missions. What am i doing wrong?
 

Pkaz01

Member
Just finished the game. Have a question about the ending.

Did Lithariel and Queen Merwen die? Did I miss something?
 

Lashley

Why does he wear the mask!?
How are people saying this is easy!?

One of the most challenging games I've played, as just one mistake can totally fuck you up, and death is an actual punishment and a reward thanks to the Nemesis System.
 

Nyx

Member
How are people saying this is easy!?

One of the most challenging games I've played, as just one mistake can totally fuck you up, and death is an actual punishment and a reward thanks to the Nemesis System.

I don't know either, maybe we just suck?

Nah, I guess GAF has it's hardcore gamers that find every game easy.
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
How are people saying this is easy!?

One of the most challenging games I've played, as just one mistake can totally fuck you up, and death is an actual punishment and a reward thanks to the Nemesis System.
I dont understand it either. Too many times i had to flee because during an encounter with a Captain and his horde another showed up with his guys and started shooting poisoned spears at me.
 

Dougald

Member
This game is pretty janky, unpolished, and frustrating until you finally figure out how you need to play

But man, is it great. I've had a lot of fun with it, weird bugs and all. The Nemesis system is awesome, and once you unlock the key skills you begin to realize the sheer variety of ways to play. Absolutely fantastic, one of my games of the year for sure
 

Sanctuary

Member
How are people saying this is easy!?

One of the most challenging games I've played, as just one mistake can totally fuck you up, and death is an actual punishment and a reward thanks to the Nemesis System.

If you've finished any of the following games:

1. Battletoads
2. Ghost 'n Goblins
3. Ghouls 'n Ghosts
4. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
5. Ninja Gaiden (*Xbox)
6. Devil May Cry 1,3,4
7. Arkham Asylum
8. Arkham City
9. The Witcher 2 - especially in 2011 prior to the patch that coincided with the 360 release later on.
10. Bayonetta
11. Vanquish
12. Metal Gear Rising (I'm assuming, but I never actually played that far into it)
13. Demon's Souls
14. Dark Souls
15. Dark Souls 2
16. God of War 1,2,3 - above normal difficulties.
17. Darksiders 1&2
18. Lords of Shadow 1&2

You wouldn't really find much challenge in this game.
 
Man that fucking chieftain...killed me like 5 times he shooted poison arrows really fast, and he as soon as i landed 2 hits he will always use some kind of counter attack that one shoted me every fucking time....i was lucky enough to make him retreat in my fifth try (granted i killed al his captains by that moment) then it was time for sweet vegeance
 

Lashley

Why does he wear the mask!?
If you've finished any of the following games:

1. Battletoads
2. Ghost 'n Goblins
3. Ghouls 'n Ghosts
4. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
5. Ninja Gaiden (*Xbox)
6. Devil May Cry 1,3,4
7. Arkham Asylum
8. Arkham City
9. The Witcher 2 - especially in 2011 prior to the patch that coincided with the 360 release later on.
10. Bayonetta
11. Vanquish
12. Metal Gear Rising (I'm assuming, but I never actually played that far into it)
13. Demon's Souls
14. Dark Souls
15. Dark Souls 2
16. God of War 1,2,3
17. Darksiders 1&2

You wouldn't really find much challenge in this game.
I have failed at life

:'(
 

Sanctuary

Member
I have failed at life

:'(

I think it's actually pretty cool that the game is giving many people so many problems sometimes. I think that maybe once they finish this game, they will start looking for more games of a similar vein...that can be slightly more difficult. One downside though for me at least is that the combat in the Batman games feel so very much "vanilla" now after playing this game.
 

Ramenman

Member
Killed my 4th warchief, probably approaching the 15 hours of gameplay by now, loving the game and taking all my time. It's a unique experience, thank you monolith <3

Damn, yeah, but aren't those few and far between?

And yet it's enough for people to think there are too much. I think it's just great to have this one guy come back from the dead several times once in a while, especially since for me the only Orcs that have come back to life are guys that I have either easily one-shot stealthed, or jumped on when all alone and kill super easily, so it never feels like the game un-does something I've had trouble doing for 2 hours or something. All the real hard enemies, or the ones that killed me die for good when they do (again, maybe I'm just lucky, but it makes sense).

So there's this kind of "you underestimated me and now I'm back" feel to it that is cool, plus the fact that their appearance is slightly altered due to the wounds is just great, sometimes you don't recognize the guy and you're like "oh shit unknown captain" and then swords clash and "OH SHHH ITS HIM".
Also it's not "artificial difficulty" or something because at least in my experience the strengths/weaknesses don't change so it's still this guy you know, you can still kill him in the same way.
Plus it also makes sure that you "enjoy" the nemesis system even if you don't repeatedly die, which can happen to good players OR players like me who are now really quick to fleeing/disappearing when things get too crowded :D
 

Kamina

Golden Boy
If you've finished any of the following games:

1. Battletoads
2. Ghost 'n Goblins
3. Ghouls 'n Ghosts
4. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
5. Ninja Gaiden (*Xbox)
6. Devil May Cry 1,3,4
7. Arkham Asylum
8. Arkham City
9. The Witcher 2 - especially in 2011 prior to the patch that coincided with the 360 release later on.
10. Bayonetta
11. Vanquish
12. Metal Gear Rising (I'm assuming, but I never actually played that far into it)
13. Demon's Souls
14. Dark Souls
15. Dark Souls 2
16. God of War 1,2,3 - above normal difficulties.
17. Darksiders 1&2
18. Lords of Shadow 1&2

You wouldn't really find much challenge in this game.
I've played all of the above except the Ghost and Ghoul's Games, but I still dont find SoM easy.
 

Sanctuary

Member
Plus it also makes sure that you "enjoy" the nemesis system even if you don't repeatedly die, which can happen to good players OR players like me who are now really quick to fleeing/disappearing when things get too crowded :D

The two aren't mutually exclusive. Being a "good player" doesn't necessarily mean standing around and trying to fend off unlimited, alarm spawned orcs while taking on an elite or two.

Fuck man.

Some of those projectiles that take off 95% of your health in one hit or drain it whatever are lame as hell.


I've been getting ass raped by one captain (not even a chief) who has a blood tipped one I think and it just completely destroys me no matter how well I do.

Doesn't help that I put a Death Challenge or whatever on him when he was ~9 power, but he's like 16-18 now. I can get his ass alone but can't seal the deal. Maybe some more tries tomorrow.

One of my three deaths was due to a crossbow Warchief that felt grossly overtuned. He wasn't even level 20. He did his ten seconds of babble and before I even had a chance to swing once, I was hit twice in a second, which took off 90% of my health and on top of that I was poisoned, which killed me. It just seemed like this freak outlier, because I never experienced anything else like that over the entire game. The second time I encountered him, I just stealth cheesed him then did a wraith stun flurry into double execute combo.

Death Threat also doesn't make them jump 9 levels. It's more like 3-4.

From that list I've played both Arkham games and I find SoM harder than anything in those. When you get two Captains ganging up on you in an encounter (and yes, this happens pretty often even when you aren't running around the map aggroing stuff) it's more difficult than what you have to face as Batman.

I really don't know what to say. As soon as you unlock a single tier 1 skill, you can literally stunlock every single elite that is not immune to melee attacks. It would seem like finding three together like that, let alone two would be super rare for most people. You guys are seriously making me want to replay it just to see if it was actually my own experience with the game that was just freakishly abnormal and that I somehow got super lucky with every encounter that I could prepare for. Near the early and middle sections of the game if I ended up getting jumped by more than a single additional elite, I'd just run away until they were seperated enough to take out quickly. No reason to try to fight 3+ at that point.
 
If you've finished any of the following games:

1. Battletoads
2. Ghost 'n Goblins
3. Ghouls 'n Ghosts
4. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
5. Ninja Gaiden (*Xbox)
6. Devil May Cry 1,3,4
7. Arkham Asylum
8. Arkham City
9. The Witcher 2 - especially in 2011 prior to the patch that coincided with the 360 release later on.
10. Bayonetta
11. Vanquish
12. Metal Gear Rising (I'm assuming, but I never actually played that far into it)
13. Demon's Souls
14. Dark Souls
15. Dark Souls 2
16. God of War 1,2,3 - above normal difficulties.
17. Darksiders 1&2
18. Lords of Shadow 1&2

You wouldn't really find much challenge in this game.

From that list I've played both Arkham games and I find SoM harder than anything in those. When you get two Captains ganging up on you in an encounter (and yes, this happens pretty often even when you aren't running around the map aggroing stuff) it's more difficult than what you have to face as Batman.
 
Fuck man.

Some of those projectiles that take off 95% of your health in one hit or drain it whatever are lame as hell.


I've been getting ass raped by one captain (not even a chief) who has a blood tipped one I think and it just completely destroys me no matter how well I do.

Doesn't help that I put a Death Challenge or whatever on him when he was ~9 power, but he's like 16-18 now. I can get his ass alone but can't seal the deal. Maybe some more tries tomorrow.
 

Nome

Member
How are people saying this is easy!?

One of the most challenging games I've played, as just one mistake can totally fuck you up, and death is an actual punishment and a reward thanks to the Nemesis System.
It becomes dreadfully easy once you unlock certain powers, and a lot of them synergize well together.
For example, one upgrade gives you 5 hits to charge a power instead of 8 hits.
Combine that with the AoE smash power... which charges you 3 hits on use. You're clearing out orcs with a few button presses.

Even before you have powers, most captains can be cheesed. The only ones that can't are the ones who are immune to stealth. Otherwise, the AI is too stupid to follow you onto buildings, so you can just stealth takedown, run, and repeat.
I also wouldn't call it challenging... it's more frustrating. It's annoying to deal with a captain, then have two more run in mid-combo. It's cool (and scary) the first time, but it just gets annoying later.
 

Skeyser

Member
Fuck man.

Some of those projectiles that take off 95% of your health in one hit or drain it whatever are lame as hell.


I've been getting ass raped by one captain (not even a chief) who has a blood tipped one I think and it just completely destroys me no matter how well I do.

Doesn't help that I put a Death Challenge or whatever on him when he was ~9 power, but he's like 16-18 now. I can get his ass alone but can't seal the deal. Maybe some more tries tomorrow.

Try spamming the jump/vault button while fighting, makes it real hard for the NPCs to hit you with projectiles I've found.
 
The brutality of the sword skills is what truly excels it beyond the Batman franchise for now in terms of combat.

I am just having so much fun. I also love the fact that the few remaining enemies give up once you killed around 15 of them.
 
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