From the Mouth of Sauron
Date: 04-01-95
Issue: E-30
Note: all authors retain exclusive rights to their material. Reprinting
is allowed for non-commercial game use only.
The Mouth is edited by Brian Mason and Tom Walton. All correspondence can
be sent to them at:
Brian Mason - mason@chara.gsu.edu
Tom Walton - kazandar@aol.com, kazandar@delphi.com
First Word
==========
>From Brian Mason
First of all, some acknowledgements are in order.
Sam Freeman painstakingly overviewed the general info files and came
across a few corrections which have been made. Corrected versions of the
general info files are available via anonymous ftp at chara.gsu.edu. Sam's
corrections (and two others I found) are listed below for those of you who
want to correct your versions and not get a new file.
Another reader pointed out that two of the files in the ftp directory were
not readable, so I corrected the read/write permissions.
Any other corrections, modifications, additions, or deletions which should
be made to this, please don't hesitate to let one of us know.
Sam Freeman also suggested an analysis, Climate in Middle-earth, where we
are asking for your help. Details of that are listed below. Send all data
to mason@chara.gsu.edu.
Finally, what would an editorial be without an appeal for articles? Well,
a whole lot shorter, but we still and always need them. Tom and I do not
hold on to articles: there is no archiving. If you send us something, then
it will come out right away. So, after every issue of "From the Mouth of
Sauron" the queue is bone-dry. When do we need articles? All the time.
What kind of articles do we accept? Any kind. Who can write them?
Well, um, you.
Brian Mason
A Challenge from Phredd
=======================
Having organized a Dark Servant Grudge Match Team for MEPBM, I now face a
new challenge - waiting for a Free People team to step up to the plate to
oppose us.
As you may have seen in a recent Turn Report, there are three
DS grudge match teams waiting [I'm in one of 'em]. So, I'd
just like to urge anyone so inclined to put together a Freep
team.
90% of my team is on email. 4 of us are veterans of past games,
and I'm going to work very hard to keep us coordinated. If you're
interested, get a freep grudge team together and tell 'em phredd
sent ya!
phredd
Encounters
==========
>From Mark:
A character (in this case, a FP E42) has taken shelter from an
unseasonable storm in a small, hidden cave. In the cave is a block of
oblong stone which is engulfed in a transparent blue light, and on the
block is an object which attracts her attention. It appears to be an
artifact, but how to breach the protections present?
Attack PHYSICALLY to drive off any guardians.
Attack MAGICALLY to dispel any wards.
Creep forward silently and REMOVE the item form the stone block.
Leap forward and STEAL the item from the stone block.
WAIT and see if the shimmering light goes out.
Declare your ALLEGIANCE.
Say one word.
FLEE.
I have unconfirmed reports that a FP emmie announced his/her
ALLEGIANCE and got the artifact, and that a DS emmie WAITED and was
attacked and reduced to 1 health by Druidain (??!!). I also have a
confirmed report from a teammate that he had both Elrond and a C/A in the
hex, but only the C/A got the encounter: the C/A tried announcing his
ALLEGIANCE, and "the cave still seemed to be waiting". When Elrond tried
to respond, he got the message that he found nothing unusual to react to.
It may be that GSI has fixed the bug that allowed anyone in the hex to
respond to encounters that have been "triggered", and I suppose the
correct answer may be skill/class related (so that the C/A should have
tried to steal, etc). Failing any feedback, I'll try the ALLEGIANCE bit
again, and let you know.
>From Dennis DeYoung:
I am playing the Dwarves in 2950 G19. I moved Dain II to hex 2312 as a
lone character and got the following encounter. Note that there were no
options given, it just happened.
Encounter for Dain II at 2312
In the past few days he has camped on the shore of a large lake known as
Mirrormere. Some nights is seemed as if there were stange lights and
movements beneath the calm waters. It was during the third night that
strange things began to occur. Suddenly the hair on his body suddenly
stood erect as ghostly Spirits and vague and nebulous shapes entered his
camp. He began to ready himself for battle, but something soothing calmed
his nerves. Now that he thought about it, the Spirits were beckoning more
than threatening. He cautiously began to follow until a quagmire stopped
him. As the Spirits continued to prompt him, he fought down his fear and
began to dig. Soon he uncovered a small box which held precious jewels
and gems. As he retrieved the treasure, the Spirits seemed to smile and
to fade away. Later, the jewels and gems were appraised at 15000 gold
pieces. It was sent to the capital.
News from the Net
=================
Collected by Brian Mason
The following riddle information, in a digest format, is from the
newsgroup rec.games.pbm. I'm afraid I've misplaced all the original
posters addresses. The answers are from the net and are not mine.
Before the inland sea that now is there
There stood a place high in the air
And atop this northernly spire
The smithy's work vent forth it's fire
Illuin.
Mount Doom ? The sea is sea of Nurnen, though it's pretty far away ...
Don't know if the entrance to the center of Mount Doom was in the north.
Anyone who can confirm my answer, or explain that it's completely wrong?
Tenth by the first
And tenth by the second
Third by the third
Yet always thirty by all that reckon.
This is a bit of a stretch, but how about Elrond?
- He was in the tenth generation of the House of Edain
- He was also in the tenth generation of the House of Haladin
- He carried the third Elven Ring in the Third Age
- By choosing to cleave to his Elvish heritage, his appearance remained
that of a young man (i.e. thirty)
This is totally unconfirmed by actual gameplay. If you do get a
legitimate answer, please post.
As red he was known
But it was as guardian that the tales were sown.
And so the guardian did slay the hunters,
both man and beast.
Yet the good did devour,
Til death brought its own surcease.
A one or two word answer...
Carcharoth, the Red Maw, I think you'll find. You'll want to check the
spelling though.
Here is a general gaming question:
Do any of you experienced USA and UK players have any info on what is
required for successful sieging and threatening, and what the likely
morale loss/ fortification destruction is in the event of a successful
siege? There are three structures I am interested in..
camp/fort, major town/castle and major town/keep (gee, wonder which pop
centre that is :) The army involved has about 6000 good quality, well
armed and armored troops, perhaps a dozen or so war machines and a leader
of no more than 50.
Mike (mikep@biosci.uq.oz.au)
I don't have any information on sieging. For threatening, my feeling
based on some experience is that the quality of the commander is the most
important factor. I've had excellent results with 90+ commanders, even
with insufficient forces (ie. threatened a major town with only 1800
troops and a 90 commander). I've had and seen average to poor results
with commanders less than 60 (less than 50% success rate), even with 1000+
troops vs camps. These days, I don't even bother to threaten unless I've
got a 60+ commander, but if my commander is 80+, I'll give it a shot even
with 60% of the forces recommended in the book.
- Patrick McGehearty
patrick@convex.com
Corrections to the General Info Files
=====================================
Sam Freeman, Tom Walton, and Brian Mason
The population center list is missing two locations:
1. 2605 Waetan's Lodge Camp Hidden Woodmen
2. 3712 Kardavan Village/Tower Northmen
The nation listing has the following errors:
1. The Northmen village at 3712 is named Kardavan
2. The Eothraim character is named Thuidimer, not Thuldimer.
3. The Arthedain town is named Culwic, not Forwic.
4. The IK character is named Khathog, not Kathog. He's an M40(50),
not an E40. His challenge rank is 40(50) and he has artifact 20.
5. The LR cap, Tol Buruth, is at 4215, not 4125.
The following show some variation from setup to setup.
1. The Eothraim army at 3715 shows either 900 HC or 900 HC & 300 LC.
2. The Eothraim army at 3217 shows either 300 HC & 300 LC or 600HC &
600LC.
The listing for the Northmen navy is in error, but again, there appear
to be two variants.
1. The Northmen navy is M20 and has 600 HI and either 300 or 600 LI.
The 2950 Game - Commentary
==========================
>From Wes Fortin
First, a comment about Dave Holt's "Lessons" - AMEN!
Next, my thoughts on the 2950 Scenario.
Like most who have written on the subject of Mouth Issue 29, I too am very
disappointed with GSI's performance. The original MEPBM has some balance
problems as it is, and these are made worse in the new flavor of the game.
In the old game, the Freeps have a huge advantage (collectively) in
starting military and economies. Assuming competant play, most Dark
Servant teams fight a war of attrition until they can build agents and
recruit dragons to offset the Freep advantage. So, during the first 10-15
turns, the Servs typically fight a defensive war. Poor coordination will
allow the Freep military to overun Mordor quickly.
As the game progresses, those agents the servs built up (along with Curses
Companies) can overwhelm the Freeps if they (the Free) let the agent game
slide. Even then, most servs have a decent chance at Stealth which gives
the servs a definite edge in the agent game.
This is what GSI calls play balance. Free advantage in the early game,
potential Dark advantage in the mid game, theoretical parity in the long
game. We've all seen what a delicate balance that is and how either side
can get crushed quickly if the balance is not maintained.
Now, lets look at the new game.
First, all economies have been scaled back. However, Freep pop centers
tend to produce a wider variety of goods than those of the Servs. As a
result, the Freeps can offset some of the loss of tax-base by production
sells. The servs have no such advantage. Again, the Freeps start with
the upper hand in economics.
Second, all the militaries have also been scaled back. However, GSI has
really unbalanced the game - again, in favor of the Freeps. The Noldo and
Rangers face no credible military threat from any Serv. The Witch King is
out of Angmar, with the exception of a single town - Mt. Gram, and is now
extremely vulnerable in that he fights in Mirkwood AND Gondor. So, both
the Noldo and Rangers need only worry about Neutrals and are in a very
good position to build characters and economies and basically bankrole
thier team.
Furthemore, the WK and Dragon Lord, who had rough positions before, are
now sitting ducks. Mirkwood has more nations to bring resources to bear
against the diminished Dragon Lord, and the WK pop center of Mt. Gundabad.
With SEIGE, even the large Serv pop centers can fall quickly. The WK must
fight a three front war, or cede one or more fronts. The Dragon Lord
fights alone, again, against more nations.
Meanwhile much of West Mordor is tied up with the usual blood bath at
Osgiliath. With fewer dragons available to boost the military (a
"balance" factor I never really approved of - I'd prefer them to be random
encounters, not recruitable, or much smaller in effect), the servs are in
a world of hurt in the opening game - still.
Third, the character game (which was the original balancing factor for the
servs) is now more equitable. Good for the Freeps, really bad for the
servs. There are more Elves and a higher chance for stealth amongst the
Free. This numerical shift (in addition to the relative safety of both
the Rangers and Noldo) has offset the usual serv advantage in agents. In
addition, more high powered challengers are part of the Freep arsenal -
further degrading the edge the servs had in the character game. What's
worse, is that many of the servs start with lots of wimpy mages (I suppose
GSI felt that this was some farsical offset of the military and economic
advantage the freeps maintained), with the same random assignment of
spells. If GSI had, instead, insured decent spells on these mages, that's
fine. Otherwise, the servs have to spend $2K-$4K gold, per mage, in
addition to maintenance for the mage, to get some combat benefit. Let's
not forget what a 30-40 mage is likely to get as a casting percentage on
those spells. Frankly, the servs can't afford characters that take
forever to train, and provide a combat benefit that artifacts provide for
free.
Overall, the Servs are hosed in the new game. And, as Adam Waters pointed
out, Agents are much more valuable than before. They can eliminate
armies, bankrupt fragile economies, generate revenue, and are much less
expensive than armies. I see the new game as degenerating into Agent wars
as nations ditch unproductive and expensive characters for Agents. Since
the Freeps have a better chance of holding thier own now in the Agent
wars, and can maintain more characters early, it looks bad for the servs.
The only way the servs stand a chance is to work together (always
important), recruit neutrals, and capitalize on Freep mistakes. I am
getting into another 2950 game as the Silvan Elves. That will probably be
my last 2950 game.
A new player's perspective on the 2950 game
===========================================
By Mark Jaede, a.k.a. Game 22's Ecthelion II, Steward of Gondor,
Bulwark of the West, Scourge of Mordor, Flaming Brand in the Hand of
Manwe . . .
Several writers in the last issue of the Mouth leveled serious criticisms
at the 2950 game. Too little has changed from the 1650 game. Too many
characters, artifacts, and encounters are the same. The rules regarding
troop types have not been improved. Economies are too weak. Play balance
has slipped toward the Dark Servants. Agents are too powerful.
Bankruptcy strikes too easily. It's not enough like the trilogy and The
Hobbit.
Friends, I cannot make comparisons to the 1650 scenario, because I haven't
played it. As of Turn 5, I cannot yet evaluate play balance. In fact,
you long-time players may well believe that I have no standing to
challenge your wisdom in these matters.
But I do. You see, in my ignorance and naivete, I am aware of something
you all know, yet seem to have forgotten:
Even with its flaws, ME-PBM is a lot of fun.
Silly me, I'm having the time of my life with my tiny armies, weak
economy, inadequate agents, and overmatched alliance. Who knows? We
might even win. But even if we don't, I am sure I will want to play the
2950 scenario again.
I will want to try different positions, or different tactics in the same
position. I might try to organize a team among people I know. In short,
I will probably do just what you all have done with 1650.
Eventually, I want to play a 1650 game, but I may be disappointed. All
those troops! All those pop centers! Smashing, conquering, burning --
where is the delicate maneuvering, the subtlety of the 2950 game? I
suspect it just won't feel right to me, just as the 2950 game doesn't feel
right to those of you who started out in the earlier scenario.
Of course, I will also learn to carp with the rest of you about the
lameness of the troop types and the sameness of the encounters. I will
have a problem and blame GSI (though they've done right by me so far). I
will have suggestions for improvements and grumble when they are ignored.
But I will play the game.
Friends, forgive the 2950 scenario for being imperfect. It didn't solve
all the problems of ME-PBM. It isn't totally new. What is new may not,
in your opinion, be better.
It's still a good game.
Tactics for the New Game
========================
>From Wes Fortin
The war over what to do with enemy pop centers probably won't pop up in
the new game. For the most part, Tom's favorite (slash and burn) is the
best tactic. No one can afford standing armies to ensure the enemy
doesn't retake a pop center - so burn them and make sure.
Burning Camps and Villages is more important. In the new game, taxes are
likely to be high, and loyalties low. The loss of each pop center further
reduces loyalties and can start the spiral to pop center degradation and
evaporation.
Emmies are more important. Early creation of camps (hence sellable
produce) will be a critical factor in who can sustain troops and
characters early on.
Don't try to max out character builds. Build what you need/can afford.
Since most nations start with little produce, a high debt, and not much in
the way of stores, that agent assault on a town is real handy. It's
unlikely that any of the front line nations have enough produce to sell to
offset a huge debt. (see complaining about agents above). Economic
warfare in the new game is much more a reality than in the old!
Especially in the first 10 turns!
Well, I'm rambling again and it's time to get back to work. My boss isn't
in Zimbabwe.
Thoughts on Climate in Middle-Earth
===================================
By Sam Freeman
I just got a setup for a new 1650 game. The setup was run a few days
before the first day of Spring, so the season is listed as Winter and the
pop centers are mostly "cold". Of course, the production values for all
my pops are based on the cold climate. However, the first turn will
actually be run in Spring, and I will get Spring production, not Winter
production. This, of course, is also a problem during the course of every
game whenever we approach a season change.
Going into a warmer season, we get "expected" production values that are
too low. Going into a colder season, we get production values that are
too high.
I could imagine a situation where someone could go bankrupt because of
this if they didn't know any better. Let's say I was relying on food
sells to keep me afloat and all my climates are "mild" (90% production) in
Summer. Let's also say that it's currently the turn going into Fall. My
turn report says "Summer" and my food production is still high. I need to
sell all 9000 food I am producing to pay maintenance. If my climates drop
to "cold" (30% production) in the Fall, I will only be producing 3000 food
the next turn, even though my "Summer" turn is telling me that I will make
9000. If I didn't know that the production values listed in my turn
report were wrong, I'd be screwed! I'm just glad that the first game I
played in started in Winter and the first season change resulted in
greater production, and not the other way around.
GSI just instituted a new feature in their program to notify us that a
season change was imminent. They obviously have some feature to their
program that recognizes that the next turn will be run in the next season.
Given this, wouldn't it be possible for them to just calculate what your
real production values will be for the next season and tell you right on
your turn report? Maybe if enough of us write to them...
The other solution would be to add another data file to the data base --
a file that listed all the starting pops (which already exists) along with
their climate for each season. This would require some input from the
readership of the Mouth.
Database of Climates
====================
by Sam Freeman and Brian Mason
Sam kindly suggested a climate database, and between his results and mine
we have pulled together the following listing. Please fill them in where
you can and send data to mason@chara.gsu.edu
Hex Name Winter Spring Summer Fall Owner
0408 Forlond |mild |mild |mild | Noldo Elves
0508 Lanthir Lamath |mild | | | Noldo Elves
0605 Telenaug |severe|cold |cool |cold Dwarves
0606 Noegrod |severe|cold |cool |cold Dwarves
0611 Harlond |mild | | | Noldo Elves
0707 Culwic | | | |mild Arthedain
0708 Mithlond-West |mild |mild |mild | Noldo Elves
0710 Mithlond-East |mild | | | Noldo Elves
0807 Eruimar | | | |cool Arthedain
0808 Galenros |mild | | | Noldo Elves
0810 Elostirion |mild |mild |mild |mild Noldo Elves
0812 Zagragathol |cold |cool |mild |cool Dwarves
0907 Caras Celairnen| | | |cool Arthedain
1006 Caras Fornen | | | |cool Arthedain
1014 Annon Baran |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1015 Traith Chefudoc|mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1106 Baraketta | | | |cool Arthedain
1109 Tarmabar | | | |mild Arthedain
1113 Minas Girithlin|mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1211 Athrad Sarn | | | |mild Arthedain
1219 Suduri |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1307 Rood | | | |cool Arthedain
1317 Balost |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1406 Malborn High | | | |cool Arthedain
1407 Fornost Erain | | | |cool Arthedain
1409 Bree |mild |mild |mild |mild Arthedain
1420 Enedhir | | |mild | Dunland
1510 Minas Malloth |mild | | |mild Cardolan
1513 Metriath |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1514 Argond |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1614 Tharbad |mild |mild |mild |mild Cardolan
1715 Nin-in-Eilph | | |mild | Dunland
1720 Angren | | |mild | Dunland
1804 Carn Dum | | | |polar Witch-King
1806 Cargash | |cool |mild |cool Witch-King
1817 Larach-Duhnnan | | |mild | Dunland
1905 Angsul | | | |cold Witch-King
1906 Shedun |cold |cool |mild |cool Witch-King
1907 Eldanar |cold |cool |mild |cool Witch-King
1908 Nothva Rhaglaw |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
1910 Fennas Drunin |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
1916 Cillien | | |mild | Dunland
1917 Wularan | | |mild | Dunland
1918 Arailt | | |mild | Dunland
1922 Freawul | | |cool | Dunland
2004 Zarak-dum |polar |polar |polar |polar Dwarves
2005 Morkai | | | |cold Witch-King
2006 Mount Gram | | | |polar Witch-King
2007 Penmorva |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2008 Cameth Brin |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2009 Thuin Boid |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2010 Harnalda |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2017 Treforn | | |mild | Dunland
2039 Ardumir | | | |warm Corsairs
2109 Tirthon |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2119 Angrenost |mild |mild | |mild N Gondor
2121 Aglarond |severe|cold |cool |cold N Gondor
2135 Vamag | |warm | | Q Avenger
2136 Eradas | | | |warm Corsairs
2137 Caldur | | | |warm Corsairs
2208 Elnost |cold |cool |mild |cool Rhudaur
2209 Imladris |warm |warm | | Noldo Elves
2212 Khazad-dum |severe|cold |cool |cold Dwarves
2220 Dunlostir |mild | | |mild N Gondor
2223 Morthondost | | | |warm S Gondor
2225 Rendul | | | |warm S Gondor
2227 Dol Amroth | | | |warm S Gondor
2236 Isigir | | | |warm Corsairs
2305 Mount Gundabad | | | |polar Witch-King
2324 Glanhir | | | |warm S Gondor
2325 Edhellond |mild | | | Sinda Elves
2327 Cirith Dunrandi| | | |warm S Gondor
2328 Endil | | | |warm S Gondor
2337 Maros | | | |warm Corsairs
2339 Pellardur | | | |warm Corsairs
2405 Buhr Fram |severe| | | Woodmen
2409 Goblin-Gate |severe|cold | | Dragon Lord
2411 Eorcan |cold | | | Woodmen
2413 Cerin Amroth |warm | | | Sinda Elves
2421 Calmirie |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2424 Calembel | | | |warm S Gondor
2427 Sarlond | | | |warm S Gondor
2430 Caras Tolfalas | | | |warm Haradwaith
2437 Barazon | | | |warm Corsairs
2438 Havens of Umbar| | | |warm Corsairs
2508 Maethelburg |cold | |mild |cool Woodmen
2514 Carad Galadhon |warm | | | Sinda Elves
2520 Onodrith |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2527 Linhir | | | |warm S Gondor
2534 Kas Shafra | | | |warm Haradwaith
2535 Sukh Akhor | | | |warm Haradwaith
2605 Waetan's Lodge |cold | | | Woodmen
2608 Caras Amarth |cold | | | Sinda Elves
2609 Carrock |cold | | | Woodmen
2613 Sarn Lothduin |cold | | | Woodmen
2615 Vidus |cold | | | Woodmen
2617 Tir Limlight |cold |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2619 Tir Anduin |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2622 Imdorad |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2626 Minas Brethil | | | |warm S Gondor
2628 Fanuilond | | | |warm S Gondor
2630 Eithel Thurin | | | |warm Haradwaith
2631 Barad Harn | | | |warm Haradwaith
2632 Has Adri | | | |warm Haradwaith
2634 Sook Ada | | | |warm Haradwaith
2635 An Pharax | | | |warm Haradwaith
2703 Kala Durlakarth|polar |polar |polar |polar Witch-King
2709 Galadbrynd |cold | | | Sinda Elves
2711 Buhr Widufiras |cold | | | Woodmen
2712 Sairtheod |cold | | | Woodmen
2715 Dol Guldur | |mild |warm | Dragon Lord
2730 Methir | |warm |hot |warm Haradwaith
2732 Caras Mirilond | |warm |hot |warm Haradwaith
2734 Kas Shadoul | |warm |hot |warm Haradwaith
2809 Sarn Goriwing | |cold | | Dragon Lord
2833 Has Yayb | | | |warm Haradwaith
2835 An Zalim | | | |warm Haradwaith
2904 Zarak Dum |polar |polar |polar |polar Dwarves
2908 Aradhrynd |cold | | | Sinda Elves
2912 Buhr Widu |cold |cool |mild | Eothraim
2915 Ceber Fanuin |cold | | | Sinda Elves
2924 Minas Anor |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
2926 Minas Arthor |mild |warm |hot |warm N Gondor
2927 Pelargir |mild |warm |hot |warm N Gondor
3002 Celeb-Ost |polar |polar |polar |polar Dwarves
3012 Buhr Waldmarh |cold |cool |mild | Eothraim
3020 Tir Nindor |cold | | |mild N Gondor
3022 Lag-scara | | | |mild Ice King
3024 Osgiliath |mild |mild |warm |mild N Gondor
3026 Bar-en-Tinnen |mild |warm |hot |warm N Gondor
3028 Tir Ethraid |mild | |hot |warm N Gondor
3034 Lugarlar | |warm | | Q Avenger
3104 Lag-auris | |polar | | Dragon Lord
3105 Buhr Thurasig |severe| | | Northmen
3108 Dale |cold | | | Northmen
3109 Esgaroth |cold | | | Northmen
3110 Londaroth |cold | | | Northmen
3112 Buhr Ailgra |cold |cool |mild | Eothraim
3113 Buhr Waldaes |cold |cool |mild | Eothraim
3116 Romenost |cold | | |mild N Gondor
3120 Thuingwathost | |hot | | Dark Lts.
3121 Lag-konzi | |hot | | Dog Lord
3122 Durthang | | | |cool Ice King
3123 Barad Perras | | | |cool Ice King
3124 Minas Ithil |cold | | |cool N Gondor
3125 Lag-shemat | | | |cool Ice King
3126 Lag-majakul | | | |cool Ice King
3217 Buhr Anthar |cold |mild |warm | Eothraim
3220 Ashkiri |hot | | | Easterlings
3221 Morannon | |cool | | Dog Lord
3222 Carach Angren | |cool | | Cloud Lord
3223 Katund-akul | | | |cool Ice King
3224 Barad Ungol | |cool | | Fire King
3225 Lag-digtumarr | |cool | | Fire King
3230 Lag-malmabus | |cool | | Long Rider
3234 Wathduin | |warm | | Q Avenger
3316 Thorontir |cold | | |mild N Gondor
3319 Ursh Lanna |cold | | | Easterlings
3321 Lag-hundur | |cool | | Dog Lord
3322 Lag-ujakdagul | |cool | | Dog Lord
3323 Lag-lithlad | |hot | | Dark Lts.
3324 Lag-zajarzot | |hot | | Fire King
3325 Lag-flaksharbtu| |hot | | Fire King
3327 Lag-vrasfotak | |cool | | Fire King
3329 Olbamarl | |cool | | Long Rider
3335 Kul Dinbar | |hot | | Q Avenger
3416 Buhr Beorills |cold |mild |warm | Eothraim
3421 Lag-ulurikon | |cool | | Dog Lord
3422 Lag-fhauga | |cool | | Dark Lts.
3423 Barad-dur | |hot | | Dark Lts.
3426 Barad-wath | |cool | | Fire King
3428 Barduath | |hot | | Cloud Lord
3437 Tir Harn | |hot | | Q Avenger
3506 Nahald Kudan | |cold | | Dragon Lord
3528 Nurumurl | |hot | | Cloud Lord
3533 Jug Rijesha | |hot |hot |hot Q Avenger
3538 An Karagmir |hot | | | Easterlings
3605 Lar-Huz |severe| | | Easterlings
3607 Barak-shathur |severe|cold |cool |cold Dwarves
3612 Buhr Mahrling |cold |cool |mild | Eothraim
3621 Carvarad | |cool | | Dark Lts.
3622 Minas Durlith | |cool | | Dark Lts.
3624 Ostigurth | |cool | | Dog Lord
3626 Rul | |hot | | Cloud Lord
3627 Urlurtsu Nurn | |hot | | Blind Sorc.
3629 Kul Tarkorul | |hot | | Cloud Lord
3630 Kal Nargil | |cool | | Cloud Lord
3707 Azanulinbar-dum|severe|cold |cool |cold Dwarves
3713 Ilanin |cold | | | Easterlings
3712 Kardavan |cold | | | Northmen
3715 Buhr Gadraught |cold |mild |warm | Eothraim
3716 Warfinger |cold | | |mild N Gondor
3819 Buhr Padaruik |cold |mild |warm | Eothraim
3822 Lug Ghurzun | |cool | | Dragon Lord
3829 Virk Ulgath | |hot | | Blind Sorc.
3916 Kheled-nala |cold |mild |warm |mild Dwarves
3928 Zarok Ioriag | |hot | | Blind Sorc.
3929 Luglurak | |cool | | Blind Sorc.
4013 Shrel-Kain |cold | | | Northmen
4014 Riavod |cold | | | Easterlings
4015 Scari |cold | | | Northmen
4017 Lest |cold | | | Northmen
4025 Burch Nurn | |hot | | Blind Sorc.
4126 Orduga Aivaisa | |hot | | Blind Sorc.
4133 Sturlursta Khan|hot | | | Easterlings
4215 Tol Buruth | |cold | | Long Rider
4217 Dilgul |cold | | | Northmen
4228 Khand Amu |hot | | | Easterlings
4318 Mistrand |cold | | | Easterlings
4324 Neburcha | |hot | | Long Rider
4325 Buhr Ovaisa | |hot | | Long Rider
4335 Ovatharac |hot | | | Easterlings
4413 Rhubar |cold | | | Sinda Elves
4415 Elgaer |cold | | | Northmen
4425 Lagari Orath | |hot | | Long Rider
4430 Laorki |hot | | | Easterlings
The Bribe/Recruit Order: A Call to Arms!
========================================
By Brian Mason
There has been some discussion on rec.games.pbm about the bribe/recruit
offer. Specifically, someone (Thomas Meier (anfalas@doom.gun.de)) asked:
I wonder if anyone of you managed to figure out the chances for
bribing/recruiting a character (#505)? What's a reasonable gold
offer/emissary rank?
To this there were two responses:
From: Chelsea Wood (auril@delphi.com)
Depends on your emmy's level compared to the target's rank.
And figure on 100 gold per skill point for the target - let's
say Hoarmurath would cost you 10,000 gold if you've got a
emmy at least rank 50 or so. I've bought Urzahil with 20K
with a 77 point emissary. while geting Hoarmurath for 25K
with a (gasp) 40 point emissary. I had the money to burn,
though......
From: Jeff Holzhauer (holzhauer@delphi.com)
For what it's worth, I recently recruited a 100 point
character for 6,000 with a mid- fifties emmisary, on my
first try. I may have gotten lucky. C'est la vie.
BTW, if you fail to recruit, do you spend the gold anyway?
I'd like to make a call to all out there who have recruited or attempted
to recruit to pass along some data which I can tabulate and then pass
along the results. Specifically, I'd like to know the following things:
1. Rank (co+ag+em+ma) of target
2. Rank (em) of recruiter
3. Gold offer
4. successful?
5. if unsuccessful, did it cost you anyway?
The Die is Cast
===============
By Darin Fitzpatrick
The cry of a gull met the soft sound of oarlocks as a small boat glided
into a hidden cave. The oarsman shipped his oars, letting the craft's
momentum drive it onto the small, stony beach. A slight figure, clad in
a warm robe against the cool sea air, stepped ashore, calmly surveying the
dim cavern.
Goromil moved out of the shadow of the cave wall, his left hand holding an
object covered by a cloth, his right hand on the hilt of his dagger. He
peered into the face of the aged Easterling, then, seemingly satisfied,
released his weapon and drew back the cloth with a flourish. "Behold the
Deepwood Bracelet!" he whispered. "Held by Ents for half an age, it was
returned to the Steward of Gondor in this time of great need. For it is
an item of great power, harnessing the Essence of Arda for those with the
knowledge and skill to wield it."
Gorovod the Ancient bowed deeply. "Truly, you honor the people of Khand
with such a mighty gift. I am one such, and will strive to use this power
for the greater good." He paused, unwilling to reach for the wooden band,
fearing to offend the generous Dunadan. The sound of the Sea, beating
against cliffs outside, filled the cave for a moment.
Goromil broke the silence with a grunt. "Loath am I to part with this
item now, " he said, "for war rages even at the barricades of Osgiliath,
and the tide is rising against Gondor. The treacherous Corsairs, our
kinsmen of old, have once more betrayed us. Even now their raiders cross
the southern fiefs of Lebennin, filling the folk of Gondor with fear.
"Many of the Easterling people now serve the Nameless One, ensnared by his
Nazgul, or craving battle with their ancient enemies of Gondor. How then
can we know the faithfulness of Khand?"
Gorovod bowed again, seeking his next words carefully. "You know of the
leader of our people, Ovatha IV, whom many call the Great," he began. "He
has united many of the tribes that once warred throughout the desert,
bringing them together to serve a common purpose, seeking strength in
unity. He is a marvel among Men, a leader in war and a valiant swordsman.
Long has he pondered the fate of his nation, and long has searched the
souls of his people.
"Many great Men have arisen throughout the ages, attaining wealth and
might, and holding sway over vast empires. Some have succumbed to the
lure of Annatar, Bearer of Gifts, whom we now know as the Dark Lord.
These Fallen Kings, puppets of their fell master, have approached the
Great Ovatha, offering many gifts for his allegiance to Sauron."
"Speak not the name of our Enemy, even here, where all seems hidden!"
hissed Goromil. "His spies are everywhere, and his wrath is best not
provoked by such as ourselves."
"The wrath of the Eye will smite Khand soon enough," sighed Gorovod, "for
though his gifts were generous indeed, behind every one lay the stink of
corruption, the odor of slavery, and the sweet perfume of death. Ovatha
has spurned them, for he is wise. Ever he ponders the proper course for
his people, and ever his heart draws him to the noble cause of the Free.
Not for Khand are the slave camps of Adunaphel, not for us the service of
Uvatha, Wraith of Terror. The paths of Khamul, kinsmen of our Lord's
ancestor, and Akhorahil, mighty Sorcerer of the Haradrim, have shown the
folly of the Dark Lord's vassalage. Khand is fierce, Khand is proud, and
Khand will always be Free."
Goromil smiled, stirred by the passion in the old man's voice. "What then
will you do? Surely we occupy much of our Enemy's mind here in the West,
but will he not wish to punish you who defy him?"
"We will strike swiftly, and with a heavy hand," declared the ancient one.
"We will free our neighbors from the sway of the Nazgul. We will sweep
across the desert like holy fire, cleansing our land of corruption, and
tempering our souls in the knowledge that our cause is of the highest
good. Perhaps we shall perish, but we shall never submit."
"Take this artifact, then, and use its power well," said the Dunadan. "I
am gladdened by your spirit, and convinced of your sincerity. May the
Valar guide you in your conquests, and may we soon meet on the field of
battle to triumph over our enemies."
Gorovod accepted the bracelet with a final bow, then turned to the beach
and the small boat waiting there. The sea was growing wilder, and the
night colder. As he took his place and the oarsman began their return
journey, he closed his eyes, shivering at the risk he knew his people
faced, but warmed by the fire of his holy fervor, and the power so
generously provided by his new allies, the Kings of the Sea.
Game 115 and Team Play in Middle-Earth
======================================
By Tom Walton
Most team play articles have focused on teams of ten. This one
concentrates on a particular team of three that I play with in game 115 -
a team that started out as random individuals and coalesced into a winning
force out of necessity.
Game 115 has been one of my favorites so far, in part because the fight
was so desperate. I play the Cloud Lord (boy, is that a fun position!)
and started out the game thinking that I would do typical Cloud Lord
things - i.e., forget the armies and concentrate on planting daggers in
various Free backsides.
Such was not to be. On turn one, the Fire King, Blind Sorcerer, and
Witch-King all dropped, leaving the Morgul Pass and Mordor's back door
wide open, not to mention giving the enemy in Eriador free reign to do as
they pleased. The Ice King marched out to do his part and, finding no
Fire King, was slaughtered by Gondor; he has yet to recover from the
damage. To add insult to injury, the Dark Lieutenants turned out to be a
complete putz who wouldn't even sally out from Barad-dur, insisting that
he needed to train his army up to 100 before moving (!). The Dark
Lieutenants didn't do a single useful thing the whole game, and dropped
when I kidnapped both Urzahil and Gothmog after he tried to steal Minas
Ithil from me. The Long Rider was another player that piddled around and
later dropped after contributing nothing to the war effort.
We did poorly on the neutral front as well. The Easterlings dropped in
the first few turns, as did the Corsairs, meaning that no aid was
forthcoming from these two giants. While Harad did go evil, both him and
the Quiet Avenger concentrated on gobbling up the inactive neutrals rather
than intervening in Ithilien (they didn't fight a single battle in the
area). Dunland stayed neutral until about turn 25 - after the war was
essentially over - and Rhudaur dropped early.
The Free also had problems, though not nearly on the scale we did.
Northern Gondor was a new player and made some serious mistakes in the
first half-dozen turns, although he played respectably from that point on.
Southern Gondor was dropped on turn 2 and picked up again on turn 5, while
the Eothraim dropped early. The rest of the Free stayed in, and the Sinda
played a particularly aggressive game to make up for his loss of allies.
In all, it turned out to be the Dog Lord, Dragon Lord, and myself facing
off against the Gondors, Northmen, Dwarves, Sinda, Woodmen, Cardolan,
Arthedain, and the Noldo (remember, the QA and Harad were busy swallowing
up Umbar and Easterling territory). Not a very bright picture.
It appeared that we were complete toast, and so we should have been given
any sort of half-decent coordination on the Free side. I was thoroughly
discouraged by events and almost left the game as well, but was convinced
to stay in by the sheer enthusiasm of my Dog Lord teammate. Aside from
which, I'd never played in such a terribly unbalanced game and wanted to
see how long I could last.
For lack of any other options, we essentially divided up our
responsibilites based on the territory we could reach. I took up the
mantle of Guardian of Morgul Vale, while the Dog Lord stood firm at
Morannon. The Dragon Lord was charged simply with staying alive against
the half-dozen or so Free who wanted him dead. We dove into the game with
a fierce desperation that only the doomed can truly enjoy.
I won't go into the blow-by-blow details of the game, just a summary. In
the Ithilien I faced off with the Gondors and the Sinda (the elves sent
something like 5,000 troops to the area in total), both with armies and
agents. Though they kept amassing huge armies at Osgiliath for a drive
through the pass, through luck and a few good guesses I kept them
stalemated for close to twenty turns. In fact, my agents managed to
strike into the Gondors and destroy thousands of troops by kidnapping army
commanders at their recruiting bases (I especially did a number on Dol
Amroth, repeatedly hitting the capitol as often as I could). When Harad
and the QA finished up in the south and finally decided to land in
Southern Gondor, I'd already decimated his leadership so badly that he
couldn't stand against them. In short, I won in the Ithilien - as the
Cloud Lord, no less.
In the Rhovanion, the Dog Lord took on the Free and duked it out on the
plains. The fight there was also touch-and-go for quite some time, but in
the end he prevailed over his opponents and blew the enemy right out of
the water. As the Dog Lord had no real agent support (I needed everything
to fight my three enormous enemies) I came to appreciate his tactical
acumen and devious mind by watching him consistenly outmaneuver the Free.
The guy is very, very good with his cav.
Most impressive, though, was the Dragon Lord. As one who's played the
position, I can tell you that it sucks even under the best of
circumstances. Having to fight the Mirkwood AND Eriadorian powers alone,
the Dragon Lord literally held on by the skin of his teeth for the entire
game. There were many turns when it appeared that he would be destroyed,
or at the very least driven back to Mordor; but he too was an excellent
player (and lucky in the dragon recruitment department). He not only
survived, but conquered the Woodmen and the Sinda, pushing back invading
Eriadorian armies in the process.
Our threesome communicated in the most casual sense by email. Often we
sent only a turn report, asking for or offering aid as circumstances
warranted. There weren't any long phone calls or intense planning
sessions, just a "here's what's going down in my part of the world" sort
of correspondence. Yet we coordinated well where we could and just seemed
to 'mesh' as far as our styles and plans were concerned; there were never
any disagreements among the three of us about what to do, never any
reluctance to part with valuable resources to help out an ally. Even
though we didn't join as a team, we just kind of became one for lack of
any other alternatives - and we did better together than most teams
that're deliberately formed.
The Free, on the other hand, never did make a very good team. The Gondors
and the Sinda coordinated fairly closely in the Ithilien, but not at all
with the other Free. The Eriadorian powers were a good bunch, but they
didn't work things out with the Sinda or Dwarves and moved into the Anduin
in force too late. And the Dwarves and Northmen apparently never
communicated with the other two groups about events in the Rhovanion. So,
while the Free had us outgunned by a long shot, they formed small groups
and failed to concentrate their efforts on destroying us piecemeal.
Normally, this wouldn've been enough; after all, no Dark Servant is
capable of standing against two or three competently-run Free nations.
But then, while our enemies were decent it turned out that we three were
much more than decent (buff knuckles here). We used superior skill and
our willingness to lend each other a hand to stave off defeat in all three
theaters time and time again. And while we did that, we slowly picked
away at one of our enemies, destroying them a little at a time, until
suddenly, around turn 25, we went from certain defeat to possible victory.
It's now turn 38 and victory is more than possible, it's a surety. Only
the Noldo and Arthedain remain, though Arthedain is nearly gone and huge
armies are even now within reach of Noldo territory. As the Cloud Lord,
I own two pages (small print) of pop centers, including my new capitol -
Minas Anor - and am fielding close to 15,000 heavy troops and almost a
dozen 90-100 point agents. And even though those pesky Noldo just landed
a huge navy at Osgiliath - a move of desperation on their part - they
miscalculated by thinking that all of our forces are in Eriador. In fact,
Gaerdae will rue his landing site when he sees 7,000 heavy cav bearing
down on him next turn (I'm the Warden of the Fatherland). Not to mention
the fact that Ji Indur and friends are much closer than he thinks....
The point of this recount of game 115 is that a team - even a casual team
of three - can face and beat overwhelming odds when the enemy isn't well-
coordinated. Had we failed to work together, we would've gone down a long
time ago; had the Free managed to coordinate more closely across theaters,
they would've overrun Mordor in the first twelve or thirteen turns of the
game. Instead, the formerly doomed underdogs are going on to claim
victory from our opponents in one of the most lopsided games I've ever
seen. Communication and cooperation on our side - and the lack of it on
the Free side - were the keys to our win.
As echoed by previous writers, Middle-Earth is a team game unparalleled in
the industry. It's the only game I've ever played where teamwork means so
much, the only one that I know of that'll allow three well-coordinated
players to beat the kind of odds we faced. The lone wolf is often the
first skinned in Middle-Earth; or later skinned by the angry winners, if
he fails to participate in a meaningful way (much as we're doing to the
Duns right now).
If ever you get into a seemingly hopeless game but find a couple of
players on your side that're true gems, give it a shot - who knows, you
might end up overruning Imladris!
Revising the Middle-Earth Combat System
=======================================
By Tom Walton
As most long-time Middle-Earth players know, the combat system has some
serious flaws. I've often wished I could take keyboard in hand and
rewrite portions of the program to correct the errors, either in small
ways or sweeping ways.
Under the title of 'small changes', the two items I'd most like a crack at
are army troop strengths and the naval-land combat routine. As you know,
there's no difference between light and heavy troops in terms of strength
points per gold; it costs just as much to support 1 combat point of light
infantry as it does to support one combat point of heavy infantry. Worse,
it takes twice as many orders to raise the same strength of light infantry
as heavy infantry, twice as much food to feed a light army, and giving
them weapons or armor counts for only half as much.
So what's the point of raising light troops? There isn't any. Even if
you're short on gold and can't raise all the troops you like, it still
makes much more sense to raise half as many heavy troops as light troops -
if just to conserve on food consumption and spare yourself some command
orders. For armys designed to threaten, men-at-arms or archers are a much
better buy.
The changes I'd make are simple and designed to make light troops more
efficient to support than heavy troops. Instead of having light troops be
exactly 50% of the strength of heavy troops (at 50% of the maintenance
cost), instead increase the strength of light troops to 67%- 70% of their
heavy counterparts. Thus light infantry would be worth 7 points, not 5,
and light cavalry would count for 11 points, not 8 (also indirectly
correcting the misperception that heavy feudal infantry is somehow more
powerful than cavalry of any stripe).
What's the end result of this change? You get more bang for your buck
with light troops than with heavy troops, some compensation for the
increased cost in orders, food, and equipment to raise them up and use
them in the first place.
An example: let's say you can only support 4,000 gold worth of troops in
terms of maintenance because of budget constraints. Under the current
system you could hire 1,000 HI or 2,000 LI, both armies having the same
strength (10,000 combat points). By increasing the strength of the light
infantry, you now have the choice of raising up and maintaining 10,000
points worth of heavy infantry or 14,000 points of light infantry. You
get a stronger army in light infantry, at a price in orders, food, and
under-used equipment. But at least now there's an option worth
considering.
In practical terms this wouldn't mean much for powerhouse 1650 nations
like the Corsairs or the Gondors. They can afford to recruit heavy troops
full bore at a constant rate.
In practical terms this wouldn't mean much for powerhouse 1650 nations
like the Corsairs or the Gondors. They can afford to recruit heavy troops
full bore at a constant rate. But for many of the lesser nations,
including most of the Dark Servants, light troops now become a viable
option - especially so if you usually run your armies without food,
weapons, or armor anyway, or if you have alot of commanders but lack the
gold to have them all raise heavy troops. It's quite likely that you'd
see alot of Woodmen or Northmen light infantry, Dark Servant light orcish
soldiers, and Eothraim/Dog Lord light cav.
This is even more true in the 2950 game, where all economies are crippled.
Here, maintenance is key to keeping a nation afloat, and light troops
would be favored by just about everyone, especially in the early turns.
The 'more bang for your buck' option would be the only way to field armies
of size against an enemy without pushing yourself into bankruptcy.
The second major problem deals with naval/land combat. An army commander
can attack and move in the same turn; a naval commander cannot. If a
naval commander attacks, he automatically anchors ships, goes ashore, and
fights. Unfortunately, to get back on his ships and leave after the
battle, he has to issue TWO orders: Pick Up Ships and Move. That's three
orders in all. Which means that a naval commander can't fight and move
during the same turn, completely eliminating the movement advantage
received from having a navy in the first place (that is, unless he wants
to leave all of his warships behind).
The change I'd make here is a simple one: alter the movement routine so
that a commander which moves out to see automatically picks up all of his
warships and transports on the way out. This is already done with
transports, so why not with warships? Such a change would return
flexibility to navies and make them useful in shoreline raids again,
enlivening the otherwise stale sea game in Middle-Earth (e.g., the Corsair
attacks on the coastline of Gondor would once again become a possibility).
Given free reign I'd revamp many areas of the combat system. A few
examples:
(1) change combat weapons to boost army morale rather than do a set amount
of damage. Thus, the weapons wouldn't be worth much in small armies, but
could make quite a difference when used with a larger army. Anduril, for
example, might boost army morale in combat by as much as +25%.
(2) alter the creation of light/heavy troops to eliminate weapons and
armor. Light troops use no metal to create, while heavy troops would use
two bronze or one steel to create (in the same vein as making cavalry with
mounts and leather). The order would be 'Recruit Infantry/Cavalry', with
the type recruited depending on what the player specified be taken from
stores.
This makes more sense than the current system. Heavy troops are heavy
because they have much better arms and armor than light troops, which
would be true if you expended metal in making them in the first place.
And maintenance would still be higher, because you'd have to keep up all
those metal weapons and armor.
A side effect would be the elimination of weapons/armor from the
combat algorithm, making the other factors (morale/training/command
skill/tactics) all the more important.
(3) allow for additive command skills in armies. Say, for example, that
each character in the army with command skill gets to add 20% of his skill
to the army commander's rating. This compensates for having a useless
second or third commander in the army and provides a bonus to those
nations which have the commanders to spare. You'd also be able to
recreate certain historical battles, wherein the Dark Servants had lots of
troops but only one decent commander, while the Free had less troops but
many skilled leaders.
Example of how it works: army commander has a skill of 60,
subcommander 1 a skill of 50, subcommander 2 a skill of 40. The two
subcommanders add 20% of their rank to the army commander's for the combat
(in this case 18 points), boosting the effective rank of the army
commander to 78.
(4) Make it possible for an army to break and retreat rather than get
destroyed, and base it upon current morale. The higher the morale, the
more likely it is that the army will stick around. A small army with a
high morale could break a much larger army with a terrible morale, winning
the day when by all rights the bigger army should've crushed them. Does
that sound like the battle outside of Minas Tirith?
Food for thought, anway.
Last Word
=========
As I write this it looks like my other new 2950 game is about to fold
after five turns of play. The reasons are too complex to detail here, but
I find the situation especially ironic for two reasons: first, I finally
found a team that seems just about perfect to play with; and second, it
looks as if I'm actually going to place in the game (I've never placed
before) - and I didn't do a darn thing to deserve it. I haven't even
fought a battle yet.
Hell, I've never stuck around for the boring endgame part, I wonder if
I'll get any sort of special 'victory' message on my last turnsheet?
My inclination is to stay in two games at most now (rather than a half-
dozen), and since it looks as if 1650-115 is going to drag on and on and
oooooooon - and I'm already committed to joining another 1650 game - you
probably won't be getting any reports on the new scenario from me again
(unless I rejoin with this team). As you know, I'm not particularly fond
of it and can't see doing 2950 any time in the near future. That means:
readers, we need you to report on the interesting tidbits and changes you
run across in your adventures even more now.
For me, it's back to mega armies and laughing at enemy commanders feeble
enough to waste their time burning villages....
In other news, it looks as if pbem is finally starting to take off. The
short turnaround time, much lower prices, convenience, and reliability of
email delivery (the U.S. postal service prided itself on an 86% on-time
delivery rate this year) make pbem attractive to many of those with access
to a computer. GSI has stuck a foot into the waters by allowing players
to email their turns in, a concession which I heartily applaud - no more
mailing the turn out the day after I get it and praying the postman
decides to do his bloody job. All predictions are that pbem will explode
in growth, while regularly pbm will remain steady or even shrink in total
player base. Maybe GSI will take the next step and make eturns available?
Wouldn't that be something?
To would-be authors: if you could redo the Middle-Earth combat system,
what would you change? Articles in this vein would be very much
appreciated; I'm interested in hearing what you think.
And finally, I'm looking for ME-related software. Nothing in particular,
I just want to collect interesting and/or useful programs for our data
library. Do you have a turn checker? A computerized map? A combat
engine? I'd love to get a hold of anything and everything having to do
with Middle-Earth; just tell me where to call to download, or which
ftp/web site has the goodies.
That's all this time around,
Tom