The Lands of Arda

Salith Grinn · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 336 Location: Baltimore

Its probably time to let this one slip out....at first I thought this would be our biggest surprise to our existing player community, but....perhaps it is better you all know and have a chance to digest this one....

Lands of Arda 2 is set in the 1st age!!!

Why?
2 reasons: First, to avoid the copyright issues that eventually lead to the closing of Arda on NWN1. While we were not asked to shut down, it was decided that there was a legitimate risk.
A 1st age setting avoids all the issues of copyright tied up with The Lord of the Rings and the movies, not to mention the online game set to debut shortly. A 1st age setting was deemed "safe".

Secondly, the team was very excited to make this change. It gives a chance to build the same world, but to avoid redoing everything exactly as it was. It will now be entirely fresh to everyone. Also, there is no shortage of descriptions, details, and stories that come along with the new setting. We will be able to provide a richer, more true to the source feeling (though we wont copy any text verbatim).

For those who are unaware, The Lands of Arda on NWN1 took place in the 3rd age of Middle Earth. It was around the time period presented in the movies and book "The Lord of the Rings". We will now be in the 1st age of the world, which is outlined in the Silmarillion. This new setting takes place thousands upon thousands of years before the 3rd age. Even the locations are different, as the Lands of Arda 2 will take place in the continent of Beleriand. Which, by the 3rd age, had long since been destroyed by the Gods, or Valar. It is a time of relentless war between the forces of Angband (Evil) and the Elves of the Valar and their allies(Good).

So, there will be no Rivendel, no Minas Tirith, no Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli and none of the other main characters from the movies....though I promise you will run into some other interesting NPCs, who lead even more epic lives.

I invite you all to post comments and ask questions. You wont be able to run around in Rivendel, but some day...if you can find it...You may be able to walk the streets of Gondolin itself.

Tagnar · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 28

Exavior · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 309

interesting view...no anduril then. Are we being able to wield weapons of old like Glamdring and orcrist, etc? or are we just having totally new weapons?

Sir Nathan Ayloud · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 22

Salith Grinn · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 336 Location: Baltimore

...in some form or another
who knows, you may even establish your own legends

Lanalon · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:48 am Post subject:

No Anduril Ex, but Narsil was forged by Telchar in the first age, so who knows...

Big V · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 53 Location: MI

I think having new changes that players won't expect brings some new excitement, and won't be the same old hat of hunting down "the usual suspects" as far as pieces of equipment and such. There will be a bit more mystery and surprise when players loot the corpses of monsters, minions, and bosses for the first several times.

It's also noted that things change over time, and as the world becomes more complete, the more "trinkets" and other artifacts will be introduced. All for purposes of flexibility, lore, and balance. I also think it's in the dev team's best interest to keep everyone on their toes, and always surpriseable.
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Vindel · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 24

Great idea Smile

Silmarillion is best of Tolkien's books imho... But what timeline exactly? There were 5 (as far as i remember) great battles between Noldor's and Morgoth and every one was very important...

Lanalon · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:23 pm Post subject:

For the purposes of including as much of the history as possible, it is very hard to choose a specific time. I believe that for the most part we will be set after the Nirnaith Arnediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Though things from before or after that time may be included. As much as old arda was an amalgamation of the entire third age, so new arda will be of the first.

Salith Grinn · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 336 Location: Baltimore

I think Lan put it right, as Arda was a mix of times, so will be Arda2. Basically we need to set up areas in a manner that will work best in terms of game play mechanics, so not every area can be destroyed and wiped out, and at the same time they cant all be strongholds of Elven might.

illuminus · Vala Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 382

Tagnar · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 28

Vindel · Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 24

Heh... I remember DM events in Arda Smile

It was real fun... Hope it'll be possible to make them in neew Arda Smile

But i dunno if NwN2 allows so much people and monsters in one place on "normal" PC without Nvidia 8800GTX in SLI configuration...

Salith Grinn · Vala Joined: 28 Jan 2007 Posts: 336 Location: Baltimore

I believe NWN2 does a better job of allowing more people and monsters at a time on screen. If you can get past the initial hardware hurdles..it should be fine.

However, spell effects may be a different matter