PLASTICA-MAN
Member
Do we need to deeply delve in LOTR lore in order to play both games and understand their story?
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Middle-earth: Shadow of War |OT| Attempted Mordor
- Thread starter Skux
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semiconscious
Member
my answer is: mind-bogglingly easy to ignore. what'd be a challenge would be attempting to seriously pay any attention to it, whatsoever. because it's that awful
...Your nemesis was Jonah Hex?
ScherzoPrime
Member
my answer is: mind-bogglingly easy to ignore. what'd be a challenge would be attempting to seriously pay any attention to it, whatsoever. because it's that awful
I guess it's more, how much critical content is gated behind story content? Like abilities/regions and such. I've heard you need to get out of the prologue area quickly or else you'll get burnt out on its relatively meager version of the Nemesis System.
Not at all
semiconscious
Member
oh, afa that goes, yes, it's so gated that, after a number of hours, i still haven't gotten past it (tho i am, to an extent, dawdling a little). i'd suggest just going straight through it all if you want, which'll still take some time, tho that'll likely make it all a little more challenging, what with not leveling up as much. not sure what they were thinking by designing the game this way
...Had a badass encounter with a dude wearing the towers (the boss from the first game) armor and was going on about how he was his successor and whatnot.
One of those real struggle fights where they adapt to pretty much everything you do and you're sitting there just trying random bullshit to see if it works.
One of those real struggle fights where they adapt to pretty much everything you do and you're sitting there just trying random bullshit to see if it works.
You have to command your captains to attack an enemy orc to create a new mission between those two captains or you can tell him to attack an enemy captain that already has a mission set up and he will ambush them.
I think You can only deploy your captains to a region when you have space in your army. So after you kill an enemy captain or one of yours dies. Go to the army screen and highlight the dead body or empty circle where they used to be and you should see an option for market and then you can pick your captain and drop him into that region.
I believe you also need to be past act 1 to do all of the above as well
Only if you want to know how bad level of fan fiction the game story is.
Baldwin_the_First
Member
Im actually really suprised at the quality of the story. The Carnam
and Bruz stories in particular were pretty great. The 'main' quest is average at best, but yeah, the real star will always be the nemesis system and the dialogs that follows with it.
the balrog part was amazing
Hahahahahahahaha no.
Significantly gated. Best abilities (summoning a drake, Shadow Domination) are locked behind story missions.
Fortunately the Carnan missions aren't too bad. Eltariel ones are decent because of dueling with the Nazgul.
Watching the movies would be sufficient to catch some of the details but the first at least is more a fun game that uses Middle Earth as a setting/basis than something that really depends on the lore... or even meshes well with it as you'd just find contradictions if you DID dive deep.
I spoiled myself on the endings and some major story beats.
Probably about as good/fitting of an ending as the series could have gotten.
WheelHoss1
Member
Please mark spoilers!
I didnt know most of what you listed was in the game.
Man. Not cool ):
WaterAstro
Member
Holy shit... I think I just had the worst overlord that was generated. The dude was immune to arrows, he adapts quickly, he leeches life when hitting me, and gets enraged by everything.
After jumping over him three times, he adapts to that. I do the wraith stun, and he adapts to that. He adapts to all my skills, even execute, and I can't damage him anymore. Then he enrages for no reason. I stand there just running away, and he enrages. He does some constant magnetic attack that I have to be dodging all the time because he's adapted to all my counters.
The dude was literally immune. I had to turn on cheat engine just to beat him, and the dude barely took any damage when I was in unlimited wraith power mode.
After jumping over him three times, he adapts to that. I do the wraith stun, and he adapts to that. He adapts to all my skills, even execute, and I can't damage him anymore. Then he enrages for no reason. I stand there just running away, and he enrages. He does some constant magnetic attack that I have to be dodging all the time because he's adapted to all my counters.
The dude was literally immune. I had to turn on cheat engine just to beat him, and the dude barely took any damage when I was in unlimited wraith power mode.
I'm fairly spoiler sensitive but all that stuff is in the menu dude.
Like, literally all of it with the exception of the Nazgul stuff, which is an hour one reveal.
I've been careful to mark actual spoilers in my previous posts.
RadioactiveLobster
Member
Gonna guess you didn't watch any of the trailers then because I don't see a single thing mentioned that wasn't shown in one of the trailers or livestreams.
Do you have the Shadow Mount ability? Break one of the drakes and use it to blow up the explosives.
Okay, do you guys remember the
? I killed him the first twice with Morgul flies, the second time, he died from a headshot, and the third time, I stabbed him right through his head.
He just came back, uglier and angrier than ever and killed me swiftly by shoving a knife through my gut and the second knife through my skull. Due to his recent victory, he was just promoted to war chief.
This is one ugly mug, and I look forward to dominating him.
assassin you're supposed to kill in the second region
He just came back, uglier and angrier than ever and killed me swiftly by shoving a knife through my gut and the second knife through my skull. Due to his recent victory, he was just promoted to war chief.
This is one ugly mug, and I look forward to dominating him.
Treat the game as fan-fiction. There are very few things in both games that fit in the books, and the majority of the story-line is just made up.
Siege upgrades are stupid expensive, especially the defensive ones. The best wall in particular is like 7000 mirian and you have to get it five times if you're OCD like I am.
But yeah, loot boxes as well.
The story is bad but I'll be damned if it doesn't go some places. I really like everyone treating Celebrimbor like the shitheel he is.
Ok so my nemesis from the first game
has been dead for the whole game and im in deep act 4. Now i'm pretty sure that if someone has been dead for a while and you cant replace them they are going to cheat death somehow, but for whatever reason i can't get my old nemesis's cheat death to trigger. Has anyone been able to get their nemesis to cheat death and how?
(who shows up as the final boss in the arena act 1)
SargerusBR
I love Pokken!
Start playing few hours ago. I do like the game start straight in the action and the new Nemesis system is even better than before.
But man... Talion is a super-hero now, he can jump hundreds of feet, fall without any damage, double jump in the air, super speed. Monolith really did say Fuck You to the LOTR lore.
But man... Talion is a super-hero now, he can jump hundreds of feet, fall without any damage, double jump in the air, super speed. Monolith really did say Fuck You to the LOTR lore.
Krappadizzle
Member
And it's a better game for it. I almost feel like a Wraith quickly hopping over and around buildings and people.
PepperedHam
Member
Okay so I am not understanding something here or am just missing something completely: I'm trying to unlock the Eltariel quest "The Ritual" and it says I need to
. What the hell is that? Is that on the skill tree somewhere that I'm missing?
activate the Domination upgrade to begin this quest
semiconscious
Member
the good news: finally made it to chapter 2...
the bad news: damn! that took forever! longest 'intro' to a game this gen ...
the bad news: damn! that took forever! longest 'intro' to a game this gen
...
Yes, take a look at the bottom row skill row. The first skill "Drain" has the "Domination" rune.
PepperedHam
Member
Oh geez, I looked right over it. Thank you.
Act 3 spoilers ahead!
Well. Ok. That certainly took a turn. I want to reemphasize- I think the story is complete crap.
I also feel like Monolith did a great job addressing the whole "you're enslaving sentient beings" criticism of the first game by
. It's a shame that I heard that same criticism about this game from media outlets, notably Giant Bomb, who most likely did not get to Act 3 before speaking about that aspect of the game and thus unintentionally giving War some really bad PR.
Time for Shadow Wars.
Well. Ok. That certainly took a turn. I want to reemphasize- I think the story is complete crap.
But there's a certain sense of satisfaction to be had from releasing Isildur of all people from undeath, taking back Minas Morgul, and then watching as Celebrimbor and Sauron end up in a stalemate after Celebrimbor betrays you. It's stupid, stupid fanfiction and yet I enjoyed the hell out of it.
I also feel like Monolith did a great job addressing the whole "you're enslaving sentient beings" criticism of the first game by
making every character, even Talion to an extent, a complete shithead
Time for Shadow Wars.
Yep, I just finished the Act and found myself cracking up thinking about that line. For all of the game's faults, there's some really clever stuff like that in here.
Yeah I got the same one. Shame it is on a Epic for me. Going to have to get rid of it soon
For those who beat the game, how far am I/how much do I have left?:
I think I am still in Act 2. I have conquered Nurnen, Snowy Mountains and Cirith Ungol.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
I've encountered this fella a couple times, the first time I did that to him, the second time he killed me and I'm hoping I can keep him as a Nemesis for a while. I'm not sure how he's still talking but I want to see just how messed up he can get.
I really need to start moving the story stuff faster though.
I really need to start moving the story stuff faster though.
Still need to capture Gorgoroth. You also need to make sure you do all of the story quests before starting Act 3 if you want all of the abilities, as you can't go back to them. You can go back for everything else, including collectibles and Shadows of the Past.
You'll get a big honking point of no return notification so don't worry about unintentionally starting Act 3.
You'll get a big honking point of no return notification so don't worry about unintentionally starting Act 3.
Just beat the game, I'm really confused about where all the uproar about the loot box stuff in this game is coming from. I never found them very useful at any point in the game.
The differences between gear levels, which you get a ton of gear constantly, is relatively minor, so gear loot boxes are kind of useless.
Orc loot boxes are similar in that you are able to enslave so many captains that it's pretty much impossible to run out of them during the final act. With the amount of orcs they throw at you to enslave during those final missions that allow you to bolster your ranks even further, there was rarely a need to buy orc loot boxes.
I had heard that legendary orcs were in particular important during the final act, but I really don't understand where that comment could have come from? Unless I am missing some key critical component during the final act that I somehow avoided completely when going through it...
Save (or spend, anything spent at any castle throughout the games carries through) all your coins for siege upgrades if you're going to play the game all the way through to the credits.
Otherwise, spend it on whatever you want.
Including the last act? You have a lot left to do
The differences between gear levels, which you get a ton of gear constantly, is relatively minor, so gear loot boxes are kind of useless.
Orc loot boxes are similar in that you are able to enslave so many captains that it's pretty much impossible to run out of them during the final act. With the amount of orcs they throw at you to enslave during those final missions that allow you to bolster your ranks even further, there was rarely a need to buy orc loot boxes.
I had heard that legendary orcs were in particular important during the final act, but I really don't understand where that comment could have come from? Unless I am missing some key critical component during the final act that I somehow avoided completely when going through it...
Save (or spend, anything spent at any castle throughout the games carries through) all your coins for siege upgrades if you're going to play the game all the way through to the credits.
Otherwise, spend it on whatever you want.
Including the last act? You have a lot left to do
Heckler456
Banned
How long did you take? And did you get through Act 4 as well, to the true ending?
Conkerkid11
Member
The fight pits seem like a dumb idea. Why would I want to watch AI fight?
It's boring as hell. FFXV had this shit too. I don't get it.
I understand what they do, but what made them think this should be something that actually exists in the game? What's enjoyable about watching AI fight? Why can't we control the AI? Why not at least make it skippable?
It's boring as hell. FFXV had this shit too. I don't get it.
From what I believe, it's a decent way to level up followers, grab loot, and get the Citadel upgrade for your fortress.
Ordinaryundone
Member
Eh, I kind of enjoy it. It's fun getting hyped watching your guys win, and if they lose you get a new follower or immediate revenge!
Plus it's what really got me to notice all the different types of fighting animations the orcs have, including a bunch I'm pretty sure they only use on one another and unique ones for killing Olog captains. Neat stuff.
Coriolanus
Banned
Man, i've no idea why the game doesnt just start at Act 2. The NPC's are so much more interesting >___>
Story legit went from "oh gods, please spare me from another cutscene" to going all Thor Ragnarok YESSSSS when an old friend appeared.
Can also steal the winner if your guy loses and you're right quick about it. Win win, really.
Watching assassins fight is a PITA, tho. All that goddamn doding.
Story legit went from "oh gods, please spare me from another cutscene" to going all Thor Ragnarok YESSSSS when an old friend appeared.
Can also steal the winner if your guy loses and you're right quick about it. Win win, really.
Watching assassins fight is a PITA, tho. All that goddamn doding.
Conkerkid11
Member
The combat is ass when it comes to fighting things that are a higher level than you. Just unlocked two zones, and I guess I went to the wrong one. Never really had problems with dying before, but this bullshit where the shield guys can adapt and basically be invincible is dumb as hell. This dude regenerates health for some reason too, and is death defying. Fuck what the game developers call "difficulty". This isn't difficult, this is bad game design.