The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth)
The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) | |
---|---|
Video game | |
Developer | The Last Days Team |
Publisher | N/A (freeware mod) |
Platform | Microsoft Windows |
Release date | October 16, 2011 |
Genre | Action RPG / Adventure / Strategy |
The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) (abbrev. TLD) is a fan-made (freeware, non-commercial) total conversion mod for the computer games Mount & Blade and Mount & Blade: Warband. [1] [2] [3] This expansive mod, covering the events of the War of the Ring, was first released in October 2011 for Mount & Blade and the Mount & Blade: Warband edition of the game. [4] [5]
"TLD" follows the basic game mechanics of the Mount & Blade game series, while also altering many of the mechanics to better immerse the player in Tolkien's Middle-earth (primarily Rhovanion, Rohan, Gondor and the lands to the east) during the War of the Ring.
The total conversion was in development for several years, from 2007 and 2008 until 2011 and 2013. It has since received continuous updating and addons. The most recent release of The Last Days is version 3.6 (released July 2020), for both Mount & Blade and Mount & Blade: Warband. [6] [7] The mod, specifically elements of it (graphics, music, source code), are licensed on an OSP (open-source project) basis since December 2012. [8]
Gameplay[edit | edit source]
The mod depicts the War of the Ring from the perspective of an ordinary soldier on either the side of the Free Peoples or those that side with Sauron. Playable races include Men, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Uruks, for either of the two sides. The mod is played primarily as an action RPG and medieval combat simulation hybrid, from a first and third person perspective, focusing on horseback combat, infantry combat and siege combat at various locations affected by the war. Over time, the player character creates a party of followers and later a company of soldiers and takes part in the War of the Ring under the leadership of commanders from various factions.
Unlike in the base Mount & Blade games, it is possible for a fortress or settlement to be permanently destroyed by the enemy side, necessitating greater care from players in order to hold and defend territory, while attempting to conquer the territory of the adversary. Another factor new to the strategy and tactics in the game is the player character's standing with the different factions, including his or her allies. It is not calculated globally, instead, the standing develops based strictly on what favours the player had carried out for a particular allied faction. (E.g. It is possible to be a celebrated friend of the Kingdom of Dale, but viewed ambivalently by fellow allies in Lothlórien.)
As in the Mount & Blade base game, the player can recruit certain unique companions to become members of their party. The recruitable companions are available to either the good or evil side, but none of them are available to both. [9] [10]
The player can meet various characters from the time of the War of the Ring, including the leaders and notable noblemen of the factions, as well as cameo appearances of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring, as non-player characters.
Playable factions[edit | edit source]
The factions appearing in the total conversion that the player character can join, cooperate with and fight for. It is not possible to serve both a "Good" or "Evil" faction at the same time. A member of the Free Peoples will be unable to serve Sauron and a follower or ally of Sauron will be unable to cooperate with the Free Peoples.
The Free Peoples[edit | edit source]
The "Good" campaign: The Dawn of a New Age
- Gondor
- Rohan (Rohirrim)
- Elves of Imladris (Rivendell)
- Elves of Lothlórien
- Wood Elves (Woodland Realm)
- Dwarves (Kingdom under the Mountain and the Iron Hills)
- Kingdom of Dale (Bardings of Dale and Esgaroth)
- Beornings and Woodmen
Gondor is notable for having several further subfactions, meant to represent the different regions and provinces of the kingdom and their varying military traditions and specialties. These have their own unique troop development trees. (Dol Amroth has unique Swan knights, Pinnath Gelin spearmen and archers, Blackroot Vale bowmen, Lossarnach axemen and Pelargir marines.) The Rangers of the North are a subfaction of the host of Rivendell (also with their own separate troop development tree to that of the Imladris elves) and the Beornings and Woodmen form a shared faction (with both groups having their unique troop development trees).
The Forces of Sauron[edit | edit source]
The "Evil" campaign: The Twilight of Man
- Mordor
- Dol Guldur
- Men of Rhûn
- Easterlings (Variags of Khand)
- Haradrim
- Corsairs of Umbar (Black Númenóreans)
- Isengard
- Orcs of Moria
- Gundabad orcs
- Dunlendings
The Dunlendings are the weakest and smallest of the antagonistic factions.
Music[edit | edit source]
The total conversion has an extensive soundtrack of original music, composed for the mod by Australian freelance composer Vladan Zivanovic. No music from other adaptations of Tolkien's work was used. The entire soundtrack of The Last Days is roughly 150 minutes long. The composer's main emphasis while creating the soundtrack was creating a compelling musical ambience for each environment visited by the player character. [11]
The music utilises the Mount & Blade engine's capability to play music tracks based on the context of the player's location on the map, on the particular time of the day (daytime, night time), on the player's affiliation to a particular faction (both the two major campaign factions and their individual factions), and even on the type of enemy or enemy faction encountered and fought in the game world. There is an abundance of leitmotifs and themes.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Images from this total conversion.
Screenshots[edit | edit source]
Peregrin Took at Minas Tirith
The Pelennor Fields and countryside outside of Minas Tirith
Minas Tirith besieged by Mordor
Fighting in Ithilien
The Hornburg in Helm's Deep
Helm's Deep with the Deeping Wall and the Hornburg
Meduseld in Edoras
Meduseld (Golden Hall) interior
Meriadoc Brandybuck in Meduseld
Camp of the Host of Imladris and the Dúnedain Rangers
Esgaroth (Lake-town)
The city of Dale
The streets of Dale
The streets of Dale
The Gate of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
The halls of Erebor
(Additional images from the mod can be found here.)
Concept art[edit | edit source]
Concept art and illustrations created during the pre-production of The Last Days, mainly by Jan "Merlkir" Pospíšil.
Videos[edit | edit source]
- Teaser trailer
- Release trailer (also here)
- Introductory video
- Video review of the mod by Last Level Press (23 August 2013)
- Playthrough by Mithrandir
Sub-mods and further addons[edit | edit source]
The total conversion's original development team or other Mount & Blade modding teams have also created several sub-mods and addon packs since the release of the total conversion. These are largelly cosmetic or serve to alter some aspects of the game mechanics or scenery. All of these are only available for the Mount & Blade: Warband version of the mod.
- TLD Scene Pack (reworked location scenery pack, released 2016-2018, largelly incorporated directly into newer releases of TLD)
- TLD Reforged (released 2016, on development hiatus since 2017)
- TLD Overhaul (esthetics overhaul in the style of the film trilogies, released 2017)
- TLD Film Edition (esthetics-swap addon pack in the style of the film trilogy, developed 2017-2019, concluded)
References
- ↑ Mount & Blade launch trailer, 2008, TaleWorlds Entertainment
- ↑ Mount & Blade: Warband launch trailer, 2010, TaleWorlds Entertainment and Paradox Interactive
- ↑ Tolkien-inspired Mount & Blade mods at ModDB.com
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod 3.1, for Mount & Blade 1.011 (not for Warband), TaleWorlds Entertainment official forums, "Released Mods", 16 October 2011
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod 3.3, for Mount & Blade 1.011 and Mount & Blade: Warband), ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 31 October 2011
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod, version 3.6, for Mount & Blade 1.011, ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 24 July 2020
- ↑ The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle-earth mod, version 3.6, for Mount & Blade: Warband, ModDB.com, official overview of The Last Days mod, 24 July 2020
- ↑ The Last Days OSP conditions / TLD goes Open Source. Thread by Jan "Merlkir" Pospíšil, developer for The Last Days, MBX.StreetOfEyes.com mod development forum. 24 December 2012.
- ↑ (Spoiler) Hint video: Where to find the companions for a Free Peoples player character, video by "Kerendips", YouTube, 22 May 2019
- ↑ (Spoiler) Hint video: Where to find the companions for an evil side player character, video by "Kerendips", YouTube, 17 October 2020
- ↑ About the soundtrack. Thread by Vladan Zivanovic, composer for The Last Days, MBX.StreetOfEyes.com mod development forum. 22 January 2012.
External links[edit | edit source]
- The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) main overview at ModDB.com (regular news and updates)
- English-language manual for The Last Days (up to date for version 3.3 and above)
- Main thread for the The Last Days (of the Third Age of Middle-earth) total conversion (for Mount & Blade 1.011) at the TaleWorlds Entertainment official forums, "Released Mods"
- Development and troubleshooting forum for The Last Days (archive)