War of the Ring, original game cover.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring, created in 2003 by Liquid Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment, is a real time PC strategy game, set in Tolkien's world of Middle Earth. Unlike many other of The Lord of the Rings video games, War of the Ring is stylised in a manner that befits the original novel, and as such, none of the characters within, which include The Fellowship of the Ring, The Nazgul, Theoden, Saruman, Gollum and various others, are based on the versions seen in the films, a concept that was later used in The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth. The game features a horde of different warriors that can be employed by one of the two available faction, Free Peoples and Forces of Sauron, refered to as Good and Evil in the game. Enviroments range from The Mouths of Entwash to the barren stretches of Mordor, and each contain numerous settings, incluing ruins, elvish castles, and Dwarven mines. Despite its mystical appearance, and fairly diverse three dimensional enviroments and buildings, the game has been the subject of some criticism, due to the fact that its style of play is highly similar to that of Warcraft III. Its production being recieved by fans as mediocre, The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, which was considered a major hit, followed closely in its footsteps.
Campaign maps are devided into levels, shown as location on Middle Earth.
Gameplay
The entire game is devided into several playable categories. Players have the power to chose from playing a single skirmish game as either Good or Evil, a campaign game as either Good or Evil, or an online game with other players as Good or Evil. In addition to these the player may also take the tutorial, a preset game that explains the way to move, attack, and order aroung yoyr troops. Playing the skirmish game is the simplest of the three main options, as no storyline is involved, and thus the player can utilise the full array of soldiers, spells and building available. Playing a campaign game is very different, as a storyline is involved, and the player must follow that predetermined storyline in order to advance to the next stage of the campaign. Online play is the same as the skirmish, with the exception that you play against another player rather than a computer.
Whilst playing, you will order a variety of troops around using the mouse, these troops will vary depending on your faction, and use them to fulfill the predetermined victory condition, usually the destruction of your enemy faction. Occasionally, troops you control will come into contact with enemies, and battle will be optional. During battle, troops health will be reduced with each blow from the enemy, although this can be altered with healing or protecting spells. When a units health is fully reduced, it dies, or in the case of heroes, vanishes in a beam of light. Heroes that have been killed may be regenerated at the camp, though losing one in a campaign may be a losing condition. At the camp, troops are created from a number of buildings, provided there are sufficient resourses with which to do so, which range from barracks to stables, and, as with troops, are destroyed when under prolonged attack from enemies. Spells and sorceries also come into play, and can boost the effieciency of your troops, or cause damage to enemies.
Elvish warriors stand their ground against the advancing orc hordes.
Spells can only be cast once sufficient Fate has been gathered, and depending on the strength of the spell, the amount of Fate required increases. Fate is gathered by performing acts of great damage on ememies, and the destruction of something such as an enemy camp will provide a fair deal of it.
Available Units
Units from both factions vary, some possesing powers that help troops around them, or themselves, and fit into a number of different categories, infantry, archers, cavalry and monsters.
Listed below are the available units for the game and their respective powers and abilities.
Free Peoples (good)
Elvish archers attack Warg Riders, and are in turn attacked by arrows from towers.
The Fellowship of the Ring (Sam, Merry and Pippin are campaign-only.)
Faramir
Théoden (campaign-only)
Erkenbrand
Worker — during campaign mode, the race of worker units vary from mission to missions depending on the location (For example, dwarves in the Iron Hills, and humans in Osgiliath)
Gondor Swordsman
Ranger – detects invisible units
Rider of Rohan
Rohan Archer (campaign-only)
Beorning – can heal as a human and fight in bear form
Elven Archer – can move invisibly when upgraded
Elven Lightbearer – spellcaster wielding the Light of Eärendil
Elf-warden (Elven spearmen – campaign-only)
Dwarf Axethrower – can throw flaming axes when upgraded
Dwarf Shieldbreaker – temporarily decreases armor of units it is fighting
Huorn – can root into the ground to hurl rocks
Ent — summonable by a Fate Power
Minions of Sauron (evil)
The Nazgul Lord, with goblin archers and Warg riders.
Saruman
Grishnákh
Saleme
Gollum
Witch-king of Angmar
Eight Other Nazgûl (summoned by the Witch-king)
Goblin Worker
Goblin Slavemaster – increases population cap, like Zerg Overlords in StarCraft
Goblin Spearman
Orc Slasher
Orc Bowman – can shoot flaming arrows when upgraded
Warg Rider
Troll Bonecleaver
Troll Stonethrower
Haradrim Slayer – can move invisibly when upgraded
Uruk-hai – shoots arrows that knock back enemies except for mounted units and heroes
Giant Spider – immobilizes with webs and with poison
Wraith – detects invisible units
Barrow-wight (campaign-only)
Balrog — summonable by a Fate Power
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