WitN - F.A.Q - Questions thread

[Arya]

Hi all!

So,I've been talking about F.A.Q that I'm going to make for sometime now,and last night me and Elvehaldir decided to create it. We have used F.A.Q of White Council in some points, as some of you may notice : >

NOTE: THIS IS ALSO TOPIC FOR LITTLE QUESTIONS. PLEASE POST THEM IN HERE AND HELP US COMPLETE THE F.A.Q , AND WE (COMMUNITY) TRY TO HELP YOU AS GOOD AS WE CAN. SMALL QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED HERE AS WELL AND WON'T NEED AN ENTIRELY NEW THREAD.

This is aimed for new users mainly, it's something what should clear out those burning questions what you have about the game when you first time arrive here. It will be updated always when we get new info, of course. This is still quite "rough" version,we are editing it all the time.

Answers are in the post below!
The questions always have a short "code" in front of them. If you're interested in one certain question, you can just press "Ctrl" + "F", type in the code (e.g. B06 if you want to know about the locations in the game) and press "search". You'll get right to the question you wanted that way.

But there you go:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


THE LORD OF THE RINGS - WAR IN THE NORTH, F.A.Q


OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.warinthenorth.com/

More important links and Info pack can be found from Witn - Info

The game


Introduction:- War in the north and Important members of Snowblind studios.

A01:- What is War in the North ?
A02:- What platforms will War in the North ship on?
A03:- When is the planned release date set for?
A04:- What other RPGs would you compare the game to?
A05:- What will make this game stand out from other RPGs?

Story/Included scenarios:

B01:- Can you give us any details about the plot?
B02:- How does the player character fit into story?
B03:- What races and professions will you be able to play as?
B04:- Will we see any characters that weren't in the films?
B05:- Will we see any characters that were in the films?
B06:- What locations have been confirmed?
B07:- Can you give us any details about the evil that we'll be fighting against?
B08:- How much say will the player have over their alignment to Good or Evil?
B09:- Will there be any epic battles?
B10:- Will there be more than one major storylines working at the same time?
B11:- Will the race I am using affect the storyline of the game?
B12:- Will we be able to find The One Ring?
B13:- Will there be mini-games?
B14:- Will there be legendary weapons in the game eg. Orcrist, Aeglas?
B15:- Will we fight alongside NPC’s which aren’t our companions?
B16:- What different types of quests are there to do?
B17:- Will the players character age over time?
B18:- What are Racial abilities?

Gameplay

C01:- What POV will War in the North use?
C02:- How will/does the combat system work?
C03:- Will we be able to customize armour?
C04:- Will there be any navy used in the game?
C05:- Will we be able to swim in War in the North?
C06:- What is magic going to be like in War in the North?
C07:- Will we be able to smith/craft weapons?
C08:- Will we be able to wield more than one weapon at a time?
C09:- Will we have there be taming of wild animals?
C10:- Will we be able to hire people to do jobs for us?
C11:- What is the crafting ability and how does it work?
C12:- Will we be able to give commands to NPC’s?

Forum issues

D01:-Where are updates posted?
D02:- When are updates posted?
D03:- Where should I post if I have an idea/question?
D04:- What should I do if a forum member is being abusive?

Game Production:

E01:- What Tolkien books is Snowblind using for reference?

[Arya]

* RELEASE DATE:
US/Canada/Mexico – November 1, 2011
Australia & NZ - TBD -
Africa - November 4, 2011
Middle East - November 4, 2011
Russia - November 4, 2011
Europe - November 4, 2011
UK - November 25, 2011
Asia - TBA
South America - TBA

* DEVELOPER: Snowblind Studios
* PUBLISHER: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
* ESRB RATING: M (17+)
* GENRE: Action RPG
* PLATFORMS: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
* PLAYERS: 1-2 splitscreen, online

PC REQUIREMENTS:

OS: Windows Vista/XP/7
Processor: Intel Core2 Duo 2.4GHz or AMD 64 X2 4400
Memory: 2 GB Ram / 10 GB free hard drive space
Video Card: 2006 or later GeForce 8600 or Radeon HD 2600

Also releasing with OnLive which is a full streaming solution. http://www.onlive.com/games/details/...&type=trailers


Some important Snowblind team members:

- Philib straub, art director

- Ian Scott, Producer

- Zach,Gameplay programmer

- Ruth Tomandl, Producer

-Inon Zur, Music composer


The game


A01:- What is War in the North

The Lord of the Rings - War in the North (WitN) is an Action RPG that focuses on cooperative gameplay. Inspired by events from the famous book trilogy, the game features stunning visuals, brutally realistic combat, a unique and compelling new story, and innovative cooperative gameplay that puts you and your friends against the dark forces of Middle-earth. In this game you will form your own fellowship and fight against Sauron's forces at the North.

A02:- What platforms will War in the North ship on?

Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. This game can also be streamed over Onlive.

A03:- When is the planned release date set for?

See top of this post.

A04:- What other RPGs would you compare the game to?

Snowblind has taken a lot from its older games, like Baldur's gate - Dark Alliance and Champions of Norrath - Realms of Everquest. War in the North will also include many same features as in good co-op games like Left 4 Dead.

A05:- What will make this game stand out from other RPGs?

The game has 3 player Co-op, a specialty of Snowblind, along with epic loot proportions and the first LOTR game labelled with and M-rating. This game is completely built around teamwork and tactics, if you don’t work together you will end up getting killed really fast.

Story/Included scenarios


B01:- Can you give us any details about the plot?

Well obviously game area will focus at the Northern parts of Middle-earth. Between Grey Mountains, Bree land and Mirkwood. Your mission will be to stop the Black Numenorean Agandaur from taking over the North by forming your own Fellowship.

B02:- How does the player character fit into story?

Well, in The Fellowship of the Ring after the Council of Elrond the good guys decide to send scouts to search the land to determine if it is safe for the Fellowship to depart. In the words of Gandalf:

"Some of the scouts have been sent out already, others will leave tomorrow. Elrond is sending Elves, and they will get in touch with the Rangers, and maybe with Thranduil's folk in Mirkwood.
And Aragorn has gone with Elrond's sons. We shall have to scout the lands all around for many long leagues before any move is made."

Players can expect to be part of this effort, and of course in such dangerous times they are certain to find this task an eventful one. The Ranger will be tasked for this mission by Aragorn himself. The Elf will be sent to aid the Rangers by Elrond, whereas the Dwarf will seek out the Rangers to help protect the Shire and fulfil the dwarven debt to Bilbo Baggins.


B03:- What races and professions will you be able to play as?

You will be able to play as Human (Dúnedain), Elf and Dwarf. You are going to play as already made characters,but with huge amount of Customization including your Weapons, Outlook and Skills.

Eradan is a Dunedain ranger and part of the Grey Company, and he's a master tracker, quick fighter, and an expert archer. One of his unique skills is evasion, which allows him to move undetected by enemies. This not only lets you flank enemy groups, but can also let you revive your fallen allies without being seen.

Andriel is an elf from Rivendell; she's an agent of Elrond, sent to investigate the armies gathering in the north. She has more crowd-control abilities than the other two, but she can be customized to be very effective in melee combat as well. She has the ability to create a shield that protects the whole fellowship from enemy ranged attacks that can also slow down, damage, or stun enemies, depending on what choices you make in her skill tree.

Farin the dwarf is from the Lonely Mountain, Erebor, and has come to help repay his people's debt to Bilbo Baggins. He's the best tank of the three and has abilities that let him draw aggro and increase his armour and stamina. He has some crowd-control and ranged abilities, but his strength is really wading into a battle and fighting in close quarters.


B04:- Will we see any characters that weren't in the films?

Yes, Snowblind is trying to bring in those Character's that were mentioned in books but never made it into films. Players will encounter lesser known characters such as Radagast the Brown, Halbarad the Ranger along with Elrohir and Elladan, the sons of Elrond.


B05:- Will we see any characters that were in the films?

Yes, we will. Fans will certainly encounter a lot of familiar faces in The Lord of the Rings: War in the North and they will have a chance to interact with them to varying degrees. The player can expect to see Aragorn and Elrond playing a large role in their adventures. Gandalf will be narrating and make an appearance in the game too.


B06:- What locations have been confirmed?

At the moment, Ettenmoors, Rivendell, Mirkwood, Bree (Plus surroundings), the Misty mountains and Fornost are confirmed. More may follow later on.


B07:- Can you give us any details about the evil that we'll be fighting against?

Pretty much all of the enemies in the films will make an appearance: plenty of orcs, for a start. Killing orcs is fun, so they don't want to skimp on that. There will also be some enemies that were in the books but not in the films (the giant spiders of Mirkwood, for example), and a few new characters that are based on information from the books. Agandaur's main army -- the one he's leading personally -- is a group that didn't appear in the films but figures prominently in the history of middle-earth. Of course there are also some "Boss" enemies, for example Wolfram who rides a Fellbeast, and of course Agandaur Himself.
New main enemies include Urgost, the Dragon, Saenathra, a daughter of Shelob, and Tharzog, the Orc Chieftain.

B08:- How much say will the player have over their alignment to Good or Evil?

The player will not be able to play as Evil. The player’s main task will be to fight the Evil in the North but will have different options in ways to do so. This feature might be added as a DLC later on, though.

B09:- Will there be any epic battles?

There will be several sieges included in the game. One of the is the Siege of Nordinbad, in which you help defend the besieged Dwarven mountain fort.

B10:- Will there be more than one major storylines working at the same time?

There will be a main story, along with dozens of sidequests. However it is currently unclear how much these will affect the storyline.

B11:- Will the race I am using affect the storyline of the game?

Each race is confirmed to have its own storyline and unique quests. However it is currently unknown whether this will result into alternate endings for each race. It has been confirmed that the player will make an important decision that will affect the game's ending at one point in the game. Next to that, there are several smaller decisions that influence the story in smaller proportions.

B12:- Will we be able to find The One Ring?

This feature is yet unconfirmed, though it is highly unlikely since the main story takes place during Frodo’s journey with the Ring.

B13:- Will there be mini-games?

This feature is yet unconfirmed.

B14:- Will there be legendary weapons in the game eg. Orcrist, Aeglas?

Legendary weapons will be available in this game, however it is currently unknown whether we’ll be able to find legendary weapons wielded by characters from the Lord of the Rings. You will be able to Customize your own weapons, as each character has crafting skill, so they can put little gems and items into them.

B15:- Will we fight alongside NPC’s which aren’t our companions?

You certainly will. Players will be able to join Aragorns scouting party,while Frodo recovers from his wound at Rivendell. Missions with Elladan and Elrohir,sons of Elrond,will also be included.

B16:- What different types of quests are there to do?

The quests will mainly be like in most other RPG’s and will vary from helping someone to retrieve an item to finding Radagast the Brown.

B17:- Will the players character age over time?

Not included in the game.

B18:- What are Racial abilities?

In War in the North,each race has it's own ability what no other race has. Human (Dúnedain), will have Crafting skill in order to Combine different items and create unique stuff which he can use, sell or give to other members of fellowship. Elf can see animal tracks,which will lead you to loot places and shortcuts: these are also good sign that there is trouble ahead. And Dwarf will have ability to notice Weaknesses at the walls and break them,in order to find secret caves with different loots,or if you are unlucky angry Cavetroll.

[Arya]

Gameplay

C01:- What POV will War in the North use?

War in the North will feature a 3rd person view. This means you’ll look over the shoulder of your character as you play through the game.

C02:- How will/does the combat system work?

The combat system will resemble the LOTR hack ‘n’ slash titles The Two Towers and Return of the King, with a slightly different approach. There will be free aim with a bow/crossbow.

C03:- Will we be able to customize armour?

This feature is yet unconfirmed. However there will be customization of weapons through Elfstones which add effects and abilities to your weapons.

C04:- Will there be any navy used in the game?

This feature is yet unconfirmed.

C05:- Will we be able to swim in War in the North?

This feature is yet unconfirmed.

C06:- What is magic going to be like in War in the North?

War in the North is trying a more subtle approach to magic than previous LOTR titles. There will be a mage in the game and there will be both active (fire, lightning and ice spells) as passive (morale bonuses, protective shields/wards) magic.

C07:- Will we be able to smith/craft weapons?

Crafting is currently a Mage-specific ability. Right now we only know of potion-crafting. Smithing is still unconfirmed.

C08:- Will we be able to wield more than one weapon at a time?

Dual wielding will be included in the game. The player will be able to carry two daggers or one-handed swords or axes at the same time. It will, however, require specific skill. The Elven Loremaster will be able to wield both a staff and a sword or other weapon at the same time too.

C09:- Will we have there be taming of wild animals?

This feature is yet unconfirmed.

C10:- Will we be able to hire people to do jobs for us?

This feature is yet unconfirmed.

C11:- What is the crafting ability and how does it work?

The Mage’s crafting ability allows you to turn herbs and other resources you found on your quest into useable items, such as potions. This ability is Mage-specific and only the Mage class will be able to see some of these herbs. You will select a herb or other material in the crafting screen and a recommended item will be suggested to make potions and others. You will also be able to experiment yourself.

C12:- Will we be able to give commands to NPC’s?

You will be able to give short commands to NPC. Which these are is currently unknown, but confirmed are: targeting an enemy and defending a location. The AI seems to work well.

C13:- What is Challenge mode and how does it work?

Special missions consist of defensive positioning and group raids for up to 3 players, built especially for co-op challenges and not tied to the story. At this point, two challenge maps have been confirmed: Lorien and Osgiliath. These were intended only for pre-orders, however Snowblind changed this after the massive attention it got from the community. More info on Challenge Mode can be found in the Challenge Maps Dev Blog.

[ElveHaldir]

Forum issues


D01:-Where are updates posted?

Updates will always be posted on the official site when available. (link in "War in the North" logo at the top)
Much of the news from other sites will likely pop up on the forums. Make sure to check the weekly "Week in the War" for an overview of official news.

D02:- When are updates posted?

Official updates are posted weekly, mostly on Fridays. This overview is called "Week in the War" and can be found at the news section of the main site. Other updates may be posted at Facebook and other social networks, but will most likely be posted at these forums as well.

D03:- Where should I post if I have an idea/question?

Just post the idea in a thread suited for whatever you’re posting about. Don’t create a new thread each time you have a question or an idea. You can find our suggestion thread from here

D04:- What should I do if a forum member is being abusive?

You can report the member in the light-gray bar at the bottom left of the user’s post.

Game production

E01:- What Tolkien books is Snowblind using for reference?

Snowblind has access to both Book and Movie rights, and one of their goals is to bring those characters and places, which weren't in the movies but were mentioned in the books, to life.

[Arya]

Reserved for future use

[Borothor]

Borothor approves this thread!

New Forum Users - Details and Features of War in the North! (Feel free to add)

* Choose to play as Elf, Man or Dwarf
* Dwarves have special bonusses when fighting underground – they can see “glowing rune-covered walls” that can be taken down, the room behind then offers special items to the players
* Classes “Mage”, “Scout” and “Warrior”
* RPG progression mechanics, learn new skills
* Thus, combat will be skill-based
* Mages will be more powerful, more offensive and stronger compared to mage class as featured in other RPG’s
* Classes will be mirrored, Evil characters will be one of the three aforementioned classes
* “Classic” RPG character creation options, with sliders for customisation
* Mentions of skills such as protective “bubbles” for Mages, “mending light” – a healing upgrade for the same class- , invisibility and sneak attacks for scouts, and the ability for warriors to turn attention away from their teammates and onto themselves
* “Ice-based” spells are mentioned
* Revival mechanism allows players to resurrect their fellows (probably similar to that in LotRO)
* Finishing moves for both good and evil characters
* Players can collect items
* Interaction with NPC’s is possible trough a “Mass-effect like wheel without the moral implications”
* Choices made in conversation with NPC’s will instead either progress the game, reveal details about the game world or open up side-quests
* Game world will not be totally open, mentions of “a tight path to travel” in Mirkwood

Graphics/Visual/Art (mostly our observations from screenshots in the article)

* Mirkwood looks dark and gloomy, with light filtering in trough the branches
* Skill effects are more reminiscent of ‘Lord of the Rings Online’ than Conquest
* Armour, weapons and environment are possibly the most detailed yet in a Lord of the Rings game
* Variations in enemy appearance are much greater than in Conquest
* Game is more mature then others, combat is more intense, monsters are scarier and blood galore. Mentions of a troll chewing on a head, spiders crawling over their victims and fist-fighting Dwarves

Co-op/Online

* Singleplayer with 2-AI players, or Co-op play in several combinations. A fellowship is always three characters, and any “gaps” will be filled by an AI player
* Drop-in/Drop-out co-op play is included – allows players to join a game at any time and leave again at any time
* “Scaling mechanism” to allow new players to match up with experienced players
* Item trade between players
* Other measures are being included to prevent “me-first” play

Story/Lore (Warning: SPOILERS!)

* Game takes place during the Fellowship’s journey to Mt. Doom
* Working with Saul Zaentz to preserve tolkien lore
* Mirkwood serves as an “anchor” – most prominent area in the game
* Underground locations will also be featured and a village in the mountains is hinted at.
* Players can meet up with characters from movies and books
* Game introduction starts of with a battle between a giant eagle named ‘Beleram’ and a fellbeast
o Beleram wins the battle and gives the player their first instructions
o Beleram tells the players they have to find a wizard
o Players soon face an assault of Wargs and Orcs

(Feel free to add what you like)

[Lungorthin]

Good work Arya and EveHaldir, it makes this forum less of a mess with all new the new members posting the same questions over and over again. This is really informative and easy to find! I do find it quite pathetic though that something like this has to be made by someone from the fanbase/community, instead of WB/Snowblind taking their responsiblity and make a proper FAQ by themselves. Anyways, again really I want to say it's really helpful that you guys did this.

[Beorn]

Good work, I'm working on a map of the regions and writing some lore and key events that may tie up into the game, should be done either tonight or tommorrow

[Berithil]

Wow, nice F.A.Q. That's exactly what newcomers need. Good job.

[Vajhoj]

Nice job to both of you, guess you want to make this thread sticky ?