Edain Mod: General Feedback

[Elendils Cousin 3. Grades]

As always, we're eager to hear what you think of the version, which parts you like especially and which parts could use improvement. There are special threads for certain occasions like the return of the freebuild gamemode, but if you are looking for a place to share your opinion, this is it. We are looking forward to your feedback!

[Watcher]

Fantastic release as usual. I haven't gotten to trying everything out, but I've thoroughly enjoyed what I have tried so far.

Naturally I played as Arnor first. The small changes to the spellbook powers are great. The Firework Ballista added to "Detachment from the Shire" make the spell far more worthy of its tier, and "Army of Gondor" now functioning like Gondor's equivalent was a really cool change.

The new building, unit and hero designs are fantastic as well, and the new Outpost floors were a pleasant surprise.

I admit that I was hoping Arnor's "Palantir Guards" would get an improvement similar to the "Fountain Court Guards" of Gondor, though I suppose that'll be for another update?

I'm also curious about the "New Sound sets". I haven't encountered any yet in the expected (to me at least) Faction of Angmar. In which Faction will I expect to find them, if you don't mind me asking?

I have also started the "Rise of Angmar" Campaign. So far it has turned out to be quite fun with no crashes or bugs. I'll also get around to trying out the other BfME 2 campaigns again.

Kind Regards from the waters

[Elendils Cousin 3. Grades]

Most of the new voices are german, but you can give Mollok a spin - Radagast wrote a script in Mordor's Black Speech for him, so when he's not grunting or roaring, he's speaking the language of Mordor!

The Palantir Guards will be improved in a future patch, yes. We had some cool ideas that didn't pan out due to technical limitations, so we postponed that for now.

Glad you like it!

[Le Sournois]

Even if there was less changes in terms new content than 4.6, I must say in terms of quality, this update is very good.

What I like is that when I read the new changelog, all the balance changes were in my opinion very appropriate.

Cavalry was maybe too much queen in 4.6 but in 4.7, heroic swordsmen has been buffed to be more competitive with them. Also, things like the ambush ability for Caras galadhon guards is a few thing but it improves the gameplay a lot.

Favor of the Witch King made Angmar pass from my least wanted faction to one of my favorite after few skimrishes.

Even if I am more interested in gameplay than graphism, I must say I find myself enjoying those changes also very much.

I hadn't tested Misty Mountains yet, I guess they are more balanced but the changes I read don't convince me, for example, Smaug still has an incredible amout of HP and even archers cannot do a lot against him while he is so dangerous !

keep it up guys, all your 3 last great updates, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 are of great quality !

[Elendils Cousin 3. Grades]

Balancing flying units is always difficult, even more so with Smaug. He has to feel powerful, so he can't just be shot down by two basic units of archers as that would ruin immersion; but he also has to be vulnerable enough (while in the air) that factions without elite archers can dish out enough damage, because nothing else can hurt him. Generally speaking, archer heroes are very useful as they'll also level up nicely against Misty Mountains, but it depends on what faction you're playing as. Also keep in mind that when he's on the ground, he becomes quite resistant to archers and instead is much more vulnerable to pikes.

[Le Sournois]

A special thanks for the new mission maps especially the Amhirost map that is a pleasure to do in multiplayer.

It's a very good offensive Siege map, I really like the concept of this flows of defensive units coming from their barrack as soon as we arrive. That force us to try and destroy the buildings really quickly, it works really well, and it's challenging, it's fun, it's perfect.

[alexbarsspe]

Hello Edain team. The mod is very good. I really like your approach. Gondor has received new buildings and units.
The Orcs of the Misty Mountains have a very cool design. I have already tested 4.7 very much. I want to share my impressions. And I'll start with the cons:
This is a lot of flaws in the characters
About heroes

Celeborn - When using the level 10 ability "Might of the Silver One", the "Heavy Gales" ability drops enemy heroes, does not cause damage.

Bolg - His attacks against a hero or a building, a monster, are too fast. In one swing of the weapon deals 2 blows. When reaching 10 while in the squad, Bolg deals permanent splash damage.

Tom, Bill, Bert - The ability 'Cook some jelly' calls the bowler on the field, but it does not restore health points to the troll itself. A troll Tom, Bill, Bert in close combat has a low radius of destruction of enemy units.

Grimma Wormtongue - Grima when using the "Sabotage" ability does not have any effect on the enemy hero. The enemy hero continues to attack the Makeup causing damage.
 
The Hunter - too little armor. Having level 10, even a squad of orcs can kill him.

Boromir is the weakest defender in the game, Hama has a cheaper stage, but he is stronger against the heroes.After Boromir is reborn, he gives a permanent debuff.

Dwalin - when you hover the cursor over this hero, it is indicated in the description as hero support. The ability "Earth Hummer' - What is the meaning of this ability?

Murin - is not mass slaying. Has little armor. When Drar is on the battlefield, Murin does not knock down enemies with blows.

When I remember something else, I will write. Thank you Edain tim for your hard work.

[Le Sournois]

Thank you the Edain team for the new version !

I really much applause the change done for Settler's Tools.
Minstrels look amazing also !
About the half castle maybe it's quite a trivial remark but it seems unbalanced as it does not reproduce the advantage of buildplots for certain factions (Gondor and Dwarves have 6 in  half castle when Gondor normally has 9 and Dwarves 7). But maybe who cares as it concerns few maps only and is designed to be fun more than balanced I guess.

[The_Necromancer0]

Half castles are designed to have the same number of plots as the camps for that faction

[Le Sournois]

Isengard AI in the new update is slightly too difficult. It was already a good opponent in the precedent versions, now this AI is just too ridiculous.
The worse thing are the code which make them send 3 mines in the walls everytime. Those explosive mines are sometimes very hard to see and they may even be invisible and stuck in the wall so that we have to blindly move the cursos inside the wall to see when its come to red and that's bullshit because the Berserkers always enlight them easily.

Would it be possible only to reduce the number of these mines to 2 instead of 3 ? And if possible make them drop the mine before the hit the wall ?

[The_Necromancer0]

I had a look at the script but I'm not sure what improvements can be done. The script tell the unit to move to the nearest enemy structure and then drop their mines. The mines being dropped into the walls is sadly just the pathfinding being buggy.

Besides the mines, what specifically do you find harder? I've always found Isengard to be on the weaker side of the AIs which is why they got additional tweaks this patch.

[Le Sournois]

Oh, I think as soon as the Brutes were introduced, Isengard AI was quite good, and even before I always had some difficulty against them more than in recent time Misty Mountains and Angmar because of their already good ressources.

My comment is not such a big deal though, because if we recruit units that can attack the mines at distance (axe throwers and spear throwers), it is not that bad as trying to destroy them in melee, I would prefer personnally only 2 mines in the script because it would be less unfair if we try indeed to destroy them in melee, while still posing a great threat whatever, but that's OK if it stays the same.

[Le Sournois]

I'm looking forward here to some bit of fun, making a ranking of which are my favourite factions, from the best to the lest best :

-1st : Misty Mountains

The last faction developped is my favourite faction. I love flying units first of all and I have all the fun I want with this faction, especially with Drums and the spell "Drums in The Deep" spell which make dragons go with full speed, that's so satisfying.
I love tunnels also, outnumber suddenly an ennemy in a small space by exiting a tunnel is one of the hardest and the funniest strategy to do and there is plenty of way to do that with this faction, with the Wyrm, the tunnel spell, citadels and tunnel-diggers with a nice freedom.

The way the faction is organized with Gundabad and Goblin-Town and the cost rising make this faction so interesting, its economy so fun to manage and well balanced after all those patches with also the 3 Trolls lair which gives other opportunity than Slave Holes.
There are other things also, such as broodmothers or The Great Goblin cart which are rare but so fun, the only thing I dislike but I understand why it is done that way are Moria Troll that can't move after attacking. This faction is so rich in gameplay, that's quite something.


2nd : Dwarves

I would not have believed this some years ago it would be now my second favourite faction because I had always difficulties to like this faction since the beggining fo BFME2, but its state now in Edain is awesome.
I have a very good feeling with some units especially Ironbreakers but also Dragonslayer, Dale melee units, Ered Luin Guardians. But what make this faction so good now is all those interactions between all subfactions. I can get the units I like and find powerful through the Travel camp, and there are however some choice with the Travel camp that are better according to the situations, that's amazing.
Heroes and Ring Heroes offer other interaction opportunities sometimes without Travel camp.
Last but not least, there are still tunnel mechanics, and with stronger units than Misty Moutains, which make it even more powerful even though there is less freedom in its mechanism.


3rd : Lothlórien :

Ambush of the Wood Elves is great. Those interactions between Ambush of the Wood Elves in one hand, and the Heart Tree and the minstrels in the other hand are very nice. I like defending a Lorien castle, it's like using the mist in the castle to trigger the ambush at the right time and afterwards if needed, use a level 5 minstrels to make it last longer, or use a Heart tree in the right position also. Having access to Galadriel powers is also really enjoyable.
I still find her very weak with the Ring even after those last patches but the faction is amazing. It's a faction which is maybe the hardest faction to master against the AI, and does not tolerate any mistake because of their lack of armor in a general standpoint, but it's all the more satisfying to make progress with it.

4th : Angmar

Since the Witch King rework, Angmar is a great faction to play. There is a real strategical interrogation with this faction, we have those interrogations with other faction, like Dwarves with their subfaction, but Angmar it's even more interesting : the choice is made in middle game.

All the choice of favours are good in my opinion, there is no a favour that isn't worth studying. The state of the game when the Witch King is recruited, which buildings are upgraded in level 3, which heroes have been recruited already, of course the match up are such data to take into account when making the choice of the favour, that's great.

Some units I like a lot : Wights that gives Angmar one the best beginning of all the factions and help them maintaining map control they need even against a brutal AI, Werewolves even if they are hard to master, Shadow Guards with beast favours...

5th : Gondor

I like Gondor epecially because of their spellbook which can save them from devestation at any moment with spell like eagles or army of the Dead. The units are very fun especially Fountain Court Guards and the use and change of formations with all those units are great. They are not that much powerful because you need sometimes also to use the spellbook to save the situation, and with some experience, Gondor armies end to be very good.

6th : Rohan

Use of formations with Rohan is as fun as with Gondor but with the interest of having to use them at full speed. And that's hard and fun to do, I like especially The Axe Rohirrim of the Eastfold.
The Military camp at the end make it even more fun to manage the cavalry with different control group for each type, and the need to quickly use them in their best manner each.

7th : Isengard

The update of Isengard was very good. Especially Orthanc Guards. Saruman use in the tower and in the field and the interest to go from one to another is one of the most interesting mechanic of the game. Mine Berserkers are also very fun, blow your ennemy without him noticing.

8th : Mordor

Even if it is in the 8rd place, Mordor is perfect as it is. I like flying units so I like the Nazgûl. Gorthaur who has all the best stats in the game, that's very cool also, the task to make him level 10 to make Tol-in-Gauroth wit its insane leadership, all is great.

9th : Imladris

Imladris is very nice with the concept of the Library, there are a lot of interesting strategies with it. The fact I put it in the last position is maybe because it's feel so powerful that wins seems normal with that faction, but it needs very good understanding of it in reality. Loremasters especially can be a key to win and there are quite complex.
Small batallions with 5 units are also since the beginning a smart idea, Age of the Ring Rivendell faction seems boring with its 10 units batallions.

[Elendils Cousin 3. Grades]

That's a detailed list, very fun to read! Not a lot of people have Misty Mountains as their favourite faction, so that was a very nice surprise, glad you like it