RotK - Siege of Gondor Pictures and Ideas

I started working on this map well before the movie came out, but I kind of gave up on it. After watching the new Return of the King movie, however, I decided to start up on it again.

The idea is a combined Battle for Minas Tirith and Battle on the Pelennor Fields, instead of just fighting on the fields or in the city. Here are a few pictures from its early development, and I'd like a little feedback if possible :)

So far, I'll just post the eagle eye view of the whole map. I had to take quite a few liberties with the structure of Minas Tirith because of the WC3 engine, and the Rhammas Echor placement isn't perfect, but I think it looks pretty good. The cross-shapped buildings to the southeast are the docks (the square structure at the very southeastern most corner is just a place to choose your hero if I decide to let you choose). The final touch I tried to take from the books was the big trench the Orcs dug, which I might make an event to fill with fire or something.

As for hero placement, the only character to start within the city is Gandalf, who starts in the courtyard in front of the gate, and has access to all of the Gondorian Soldier units to buy. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, start towards the south in the docks, where they have the option to buy from the Rohan soldiers, Gondor militiamen, and Shadow Host warriors (the dead). Eomer starts at the northern gate and can buy from the same choice of untis as the three fighters.

The Orcs start at various gates in the Rhammas Echor (the outer wall), amd choose from (so far) nine different units, including Trolls, Siege Towers, Siege Engines, Mumakil, and various Orc soldiers. I'm probably going to end up doing something along the lines of the if you bring a siege tower to the wall of the city, you can use it to bring soldiers onto the wall, but I'm definately not going to use the system in the other maps where you bring the tower to the grey circle and it becomes invincible. I want the towers to be able to be cast down.

I know there are a lot of these types of maps around, and I'm doing all I can to distance myself from them. I haven't decided what the victory or defeat conditions will be, but it won't be just to destroy a building or wait for a time limit. So, here's the eagle eye picture, and maybe I'll put up a few more in a bit.

*EDIT* Here we go.

Throw a few more screens our way and I might think this map won't suck *** like 90% of LOTR based maps. Nice resolution for the circle Minas Tirith problem.

I can't help with mapping, but I can help you with ideas, design and technical stuff.

-jd

This should be in Maps in Development.

MOVED

I was working on somthing like this ages back when I started mapping, my main new concept was that every single unit would be a hero, simulating a veteran type system where the surviving soldiers of each battle get stronger and eventually change into veterans or commanders. I think its an interesting concept, I would like to see how it plays...
Btw theres a siege of gondor type map out there already with some pretty good terrain, and its unprotected (fool!). I could attach if you want.

Hello This is just a suggestion i think you should't beable to buy Soldiers it would make it un realistic my suggestion is you should get reinforments of 4 every 5 minutes Also you should only command 1 hero unless it's b.net also what i mean by 1 character i mean you can switch thru chars example: I choose ''Gandalf as my hero'' then if i want to change i press ESC and it brings up a list ''Aragon Legolas And Gimli then after you choose the comp gets you hero (the allied comp if there is one) but i dont know if thats possible its just my 2 cents -Signed AA

Thanks for your suggestions guys, I do think I'* going to use some sort of reinforcements idea instead of buying units.

And here are a few new pics...nothing special, but whatever.

This is just a shot from the fifth level of the city to give a scale of the height.



This is the first level, with the gate to the city in the middle and Gandalf waiting behind it.



And this is just a generic shot of the entrance to the docks, with a bit of the Pelennor and Rhammas Echor in the background. I've since used the height feature to raise that structure up though, makes it look a lot better.



Now I just need to finish the skills for some of the Orc heroes, Legolas, and Gimli. And do the triggers. And maybe make the terrain look a little better.

sounds pretty cool GL with it

o btw, u might wanna get that aragorn skin from the downloads section.

GL!:foot: :D

that vetern system is cool. I think though that you should make a trigger that only allows the normal soilders unit types to level up 3 times. Though each level takes a long while to attain, and the added dmg bonuses are something along the line of +4 strengths +5 agil. And give no intel so no mana.

Thanks for useing my ideas =) i will post some more later