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Middle-earth: Shadow of War: First Gameplay Video

S

Szadek

Member
jem0208 said:
Fuck the lore I guess.
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The name is just a marketing gimmick.
The games probably would be better if they made up thier on world, because it would give them more creative freedom

On the other hand, it would take much more effort and most likely wouldn't sell as well, so I can't blame them for doing it.
 
R

Roboculus

Member
I wasn't too interested in the first game but I like how they're expanding on the Nemesis system here. Definitely has my attention.
 
C

Corsick

Member
I'm the kind of person that loves AI battles like in Mount and Blade, so this is looking interesting. I know it's a very different game, but it seems to be focusing much more on the army management aspect as opposed to individual combat. Which obviously had its own concerns since the first game was a bit easy and shallow at times.
 
Ixion

Ixion

Member
I look forward to the third game in the series where we'll be able to explore more of Middle-Earth and recruit/fight all different kinds of races, instead of just Orcs vs Orcs. Something like that would be more in line with the appeal of Tolkien (even if it would fuck with the lore more).

But with that said, this game does look quite metal. And the focus on having friendly allies and bases should make for a less one-dimensional world than Shadow of Mordor. Also, the player's hard work building an army culminating in a fortress siege will likely be a very adrenaline pumping experience.
 
W

Wedzi

Banned
Sorry if this has been asked before but do we know what platform that gameplay was running on (XB1 or PC?) It's hard to till when there's no 60 fps option.
 
D

Dreavus

Member
This was a cool first look but like Jeff said on the Giantbomb unfinished viewing, I just need to see how all these systems are going to work in the actual game. It looked like a lot of cutscenes strung together without necessarily showing the connective tissue. This is fine to get a general impression but it's hard to know how it's going to play yet.

I hope the army stuff is nuanced though. I could see it just boiling down to a numbers/experience level game but I'm hoping there's a small strategy layer too.
 
L

Lord of Castamere

Member
Dreavus said:
This was a cool first look but like Jeff said on the Giantbomb unfinished viewing, I just need to see how all these systems are going to work in the actual game. It looked like a lot of cutscenes strung together without necessarily showing the connective tissue. This is fine to get a general impression but it's hard to know how it's going to play yet.

I hope the army stuff is nuanced though. I could see it just boiling down to a numbers/experience level game but I'm hoping there's a small strategy layer too.
Click to expand...

I agree. I hope you can train/build enough to the point that you could sit back and watch your army win. Actual siege equipment like rams, cats, and ladders. The ability to go to each place, without an army, to wreck havoc alone would be nice too.

My biggest issue wasn't with Nemesis, but in how scripted the siege looked. It seemed like there were triggers. Like destroying the gate. I hope there's variety in that.
 
D

Daeoc

Member
Loxley said:
Shadow of War: A Tribute to Az-Laar the Demolisher

RIP :(
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giphy.gif
 
VlaudTheImpaler

VlaudTheImpaler

tl;dr
scoobs said:
You kidding me? I'm positive he was slaying or puss all night long.
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I mean, traditionally I thought well trained soldiers would refrain from intercourse the night before, just like most athletes, since it supposedly lowers your testosterone levels and inhibits your ability to perform as beastly as you can. It's supposed to be the opposite for women however where they can go all day and night long afterwards. My wife and I are complete opposites on this though. She gets sleepy and I get a gigantic energy spike so maybe demolisher bro and I have that in common.
 
O

OrlanisWorks

Banned
Was not a fan of the first one. This one looks like it might be fun.

I don't think that gameplay was exactly sincere on how it would actually be experienced. God mode was for sure in great use.
 
G

Gravemind IV

Member
Gonna post a large info-dump from yesterday's stream. Lots of interesting tidbits in there.
If they are gonna owe up to everything they're promising then I am so fucking sold on this.

Also, seems like Az-laar could have been saved under normal circumstances. Allies bleed out and you can choose to save them or let them die, obviously if you let them die then they can survive and come after you later on. If we leave them behind or we lose the attack, then our allies can be captured and scheduled for execution.. where of course, if you leave them they can turn on you or something along those lines.

Infodump all in one post:
/u/Cryptid10 mentioned that:
There are over 100 skills in the skill tree.
Each fort has a area that is open world and all forts are bigger than first.
Celebrimbor has new weapons, including a spear for heavy attacks and caragor riding and a hammer presumably for executions.
Control during events. The example used was the return of Thrak Storm-Bringer after he cheated death. When attempting to kill Talion, the player would be given the option to react (likely through a Quick Time Event) rather than hope an ally will intervene.
Everything in trailer is in game. (Do they mean the reveal trailer or the gameplay walkthrough?)
There are characters from Lord of the Rings in addition to Gollum.
There are many bosses, including SPOILER DON'T READ IF YOU'D RATHER BE SURPRISED ABOUT THE PLOT the Nazgul and Sauron himself.
The game has new unique characters. The DLC will be centered around new unique characters not from the main game.
/u/infinitydev2020 mentioned:
Injured allies, such as Az-Laar the Demolisher in the walkthrough when he was lit on fire, can be saved. Normally the hp bar would be bleeding out player would be given the opportunity to save their ally. Monolith did not include show this off in the demo and instead opted to have Az-Laar insta killed by the fire.
/u/thirdedt mentioned that:
There are now multiple difficulties. Three were mentioned, those being easy, normal, and hard. Hard mode involves changing the aggression and the attacks of enemies.
/u/NCann0n mentioned that:
We will be able to use siege equipment such as the troll artillery when assaulting a fortress. Talion can personally take control of the siege equipment if the player wishes.
Additional info:
Necromancers can bring back dead enemies.
Adding on to what /u/Cryptid10 mentioned, necromancers don't just curse you, they also bring back dead orcs to fight you. Monolith is keeping under wraps whether or not captains and warchiefs can be brought back.
Shunning someone after dominating them is essentially releasing them from your control. Released units will become enemies.
Not all enemies can be branded. Enemies that are significantly higher level than Talion cannot be branded.
Shaming an enemy is essentially mind raping them after you dominate them. This lowers their level, but also runs the risk of wrecking their mental state, potentially turning them into psychos that just scream at you when they see you.
Failing missions can result in one of your allied captains being captured. If this happens, you will be given an optional mission to attempt their rescue. If you succeed, it cements their loyalty to you. If you fail or don't attempt to save them, they will either die or betray you. (I'm not sure if they can escape captivity. Can someone confirm this for me?)
As /u/Siuls249 Orcs that are friends, rivals, or blood brothers will remember each other. If they fight on different sides, the one on your side could potentially hate you for forcing them to fight old friends.
Orcs have different tribes each with their own culture. The regions that tribes control will reflect that culture. Additionally, the tribe and class of the overlord will significantly effect not just the fortress and the surrounding area, but the region as a whole as well. The example used is that marauders tend to have fortresses with gold aesthetics and a sunny environment, whereas necromancers will have fortresses with mystical aesthetics and a more wintery environment.
Allies that are loyal will look out for opportunities to save you, but some allies can be summoned to save you if you set them as your bodyguard
Just as allies that are loyal will look for opportunities to save you, allies that hate you will look for opportunities to betray you. They will do their best to time their betrayals for when it will harm you the most.
With the new dismemberment system, orcs that lose their limbs fighting you but return can have prosthetic limbs or weapons. The example used was a claw I believe. (I believe they also vaguely alluded to some enemies not replacing lost limbs, though I could have misinterpreted)
As /u/Cryptid10 mentioned, a fortress can be counterattacked after you have taken it. Losing a fortress that you failed to defend results in a change in the region's scenery and culture, just as it did when you took over the fortress. It will also open up the regular (varying by circumstances) amount of missions involved with capturing the fortress.
Assaulting a fortress that you have lost or previously assaulted and failed to capture will lead to taunting by enemies. They will taunt you based on the context.
The hellfire cannon (the one that the drake was trapped inside) is a weapon that the player can use as well when defending a fortress. (I'm not sure if you can use the hellfire cannon on the offensive, can anyone confirm?)
Drakes can not be immediately branded. Like most captains, you must first bring their health down until the indicator above their hp bar is green, at which point you can brand the drake and ride it.
Enemies now have advanced classes in addition to the regular classes. Advanced Classes mentioned so far (including the ones from the gameplay trailer) are Assassin, Trickster, Necromancer, Beastmaster, and Marauder. Presumably, Marksman, Destroyer, and Terror are either Classes or Advanced Classes.
Enemies will be made up of Uruk-hai (the regular soldiers encountered in SoM) and Olog-hai (a larger, more troll-like species). Examples of Olog-hai include Az-Laar the Demolisher and Ur-Hakon the Dragon.
Click to expand...
 
A

Ashtar

Member
Gravemind IV said:
Gonna post a large info-dump from yesterday's stream. Lots of interesting tidbits in there.
If they are gonna owe up to everything they're promising then I am so fucking sold on this.

Also, seems like Az-laar could have been saved under normal circumstances. Allies bleed out and you can choose to save them or let them die, obviously if you let them die then they can survive and come after you later on. If we leave them behind or we lose the attack, then our allies can be captured and scheduled for execution.. where of course, if you leave them they can turn on you or something along those lines.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Hard mode is in! Not a huge fan of qtes hopefully they're not annoying
Most of this sounds good, reclaiming bases, changes to scenario and getting captains captured
 
F

fireflame

Member
I wish there were alternate endings depending on the completion of side quests. It gives a feeling of achievment to get the best ending.
 
T

TheVoidDragon

Member
The gameplay looks awesome but one thing I've seen lots of people say is that it's non-canon. Where is the evidence for that, though? I know that it seems a few things don't fit in too well with the lore, but that doesn't necessarily mean it takes places in an alternate setting rather than they just got the lore wrong.
 
L

Lord of Castamere

Member
Gravemind IV said:
Gonna post a large info-dump from yesterday's stream. Lots of interesting tidbits in there.
If they are gonna owe up to everything they're promising then I am so fucking sold on this.

Also, seems like Az-laar could have been saved under normal circumstances. Allies bleed out and you can choose to save them or let them die, obviously if you let them die then they can survive and come after you later on. If we leave them behind or we lose the attack, then our allies can be captured and scheduled for execution.. where of course, if you leave them they can turn on you or something along those lines.
Click to expand...

Damn. They've been hard at work th last three years. Siege weps in is good. I hope there's actually a troop limit and you can help your soldiers take the entire fort before confronting the warboss. Also a mode dedicated to replayable Nemesis, without story, would be nice too.
 
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