Faqir, the Sage of Annúminas, is gifted with sight beyond mortal man. Each day he gazes deep into the waters of Lake Evendim, and each evening he retires to leaf through the dusty tomes of the library of the ancient kings of Arthedain. There he interprets his visions to unearth secret knowledge of what has been and foresight of what shall be.
At times, he deigns to answer questions posed by travelers who come to him, seeking counsel. These are some of his answers.
I. Middle-earth, the First Steps
What is Middle-earth?
Middle-earth is the world created by Professor J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other works. Sierra On-line is creating a living, breathing interpretation of this world as a massively multi-player Internet game, where thousands of players will be able to enjoy the beauty and danger of Tolkien's creation.
When can I play the game?
We hope to begin beta testing Middle-earth in mid-2000. We will ensure that there is at least a six month Beta test period, leading us to hope that Middle-earth will be available towards the end of the year 2000.
We will not ship Middle-earth's final release until it is ready.
How many players will be in the game at one time?
We plan to support 10,000 players simultaneously in one world. Please note that a single world is supported by a network of servers, not a single computer.
Will it be one world, or several?
An additional instance of the world will exist for each 10,000 simultaneous players we support.
We anticipate launching with two worlds and expanding from there.
Will there be worlds in Europe, Asia or other territories?
We hope to launch Middle-earth worlds in other territories soon after the initial release, but the precise arrangements have yet to be determined. We also hope that players outside continental America will be able to play on the US servers without significantly compromising gameplay.
Will there be a single player version of the game?
No. Middle-earth has been designed as a massively multi-player Internet game only.
Sierra will produce other single-player and 'small group' multi-player games based on the works of Professor Tolkien.
The first of these, Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient, an action-strategy game, is in production at Berkeley Systems. You can read more at the Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient website.
Is Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient connected with or a part of Middle-earth?
Middle-earth and Orcs: Revenge of the Ancient are separate products. The Orcs project is being developed by a team at Berkeley Systems, separate from Middle-earth's team in Washington. Both are being published by Sierra Studios.
We are collaborating by sharing some concept art and discussing story elements. The two games are however quite distinct. Furthermore, Orcs is scheduled to ship considerably ahead of Middle-earth.
How far into development are you?
Middle-earth's fundamental engineering is rapidly shaping up, with our client and server engines operational. We are progressing into the detail of gameplay implementation. Artwork is moving along.
How many beta testers are you going to have? Is it a public or closed beta?
We haven't decided just yet, but we expect to start with a small number of testers and gradually ramp up.
Contrary to some rumors, no decisions have been reached on who will be offered beta testing and the phases in which testing will occur. Please remain calm on this issue.
How will Middle-earth compete with other online fantasy games? What makes it better?
Middle-earth takes a unique approach to massively multi-player gaming, both in the features we include and the rendering of Professor Tolkien's evocative world. We believe we will be very competitive with other games. You, the player, will of course decide.
II. System Requirements and So Forth
What type of computer will I need for Middle-earth?
Our expected minimum requirements are a 300 MHz Pentium-class processor with a Direct3D compliant graphics accelerator, 32 MB of RAM, and 500 MB free hard drive space. Be aware that these specifications are expected to change.
Will I need a 3D video card?
Yes. A contemporary Direct3D compliant graphics accelerator should provide acceptable gameplay.
Is the game played over the Internet?
Yes. You will require an Internet connection to play.
Will I need a 56k modem, or Cable Modem, or ADSL?
No. Middle-earth will use a very small amount of bandwidth during gameplay (though patch download will obviously be quicker with higher bandwidth).
The game should play fine on a 28.8 modem.
Latency is an issue for any Internet game, but we are designing Middle-earth to be very latency tolerant.
What will it cost to play the game?
We haven't decided quite yet. We are evaluating pricing plans to see what is financially viable.
How many characters can I play with one account?
We are likely to allow multiple characters per account, but we have yet to decided on the precise number.
We will most probably place some kind of restrictions on switching between characters in the same world, in order to prevent 'mule' characters being used.
III. Middle-earth's Game Engine
What is the perspective - 1st person or 3rd person?
The game perspective is from a 3rd person overhead view.
What parts of the game are 3D? Which parts are 2D?
The game engine is an entirely real-time 3D polygon engine. All terrain and characters are constructed of polygons with shading and 3D lighting effects.
The user interface is (mostly) 2D!
How does the Camera work?
By default the Middle-earth camera will center on the player and view the action from an 'top down' or isometric point of view. The player can chose to rotate the camera on the horizontal and vertical planes in order to ensure a good point of view at all times. It is also possible to zoom out to see more of the environment.
Why is the camera overhead, rather than first-person or free-floating?
The Middle-earth camera will remain overhead, rather than allowing first-person perspective, in order to optimize performance.
By avoiding a horizon view we are able to use higher polygon count models and have crowded areas - for example a dense forest - without having to use extensive fogging.
We also feel a 3rd person perspective is more useful for social gaming.
Will Middle-earth support 3DNow and Pentium III (Katmai) technology?
Yes. It remains to be determined how much of a performance improvement these enhancements deliver.
When can we see some real screenshots?
We are holding back screenshots of Middle-earth until we feel entirely happy that the images reflect the quality of the final game.
What about these French screenshots?
The screenshots printed in the French magazine Joystick and subsequently posted on several websites were not game screenshots, but mock-ups created by the art team using prototype sprite artwork (a sprite is an animated 2D element). We've since discarded this approach in favour of completely real-time 3D polygon characters and environment, so the entire look will be quite different.
Why isn't there a Mac port planned?
Unfortunately, because of the cost and added complexity involved in developing and continuing to develop, upgrade and support multiple client platforms, we are unable to commit to delivering the Middle-earth client on platforms other than Windows.
This decision is not based on any partisan opinion of the merits of a particular operating system, platform or company. It is simply a practical necessity; creating Middle-earth for one platform is a Herculean task in itself. Cross-platform development of the constantly evolving client software would complicate this task to the extent of jeopardizing our efforts.
Once Middle-earth has launched and the client is stable a port becomes more practical, particularly if a credible developer were to make an approach.
How big will Middle-earth be?
Middle-earth will be a huge, continuous land surface. We are including all the lands depicted in Professor Tolkien's maps as reprinted in popular editions of his works.
The total surface area of Middle-earth will be enormous, many times larger than comparable online games.
In addition there are many large underground areas.
What about '20,000 rooms'?
The room-based design was discarded some time ago in favour of the continuous landscape approach.
How will travel be implemented?
You will be able to travel by horseback or on foot. There will not be any teleportation or 'recall' spells available, as these would be inconsistent with Professor Tolkien's works.
How long will it take to get from the Shire to Rivendell by foot?
Approximately a half-hour, if you were travelling in a straight line and you weren't interrupted. To get from one side of the continent to the other would take considerably more than an hour.
Is the Middle-earth world to scale?
No, it would be impractical to create a Middle-earth game to 'real' scale; we do not consider it feasible or entertaining to make players spend weeks of real time walking across the map.
Middle-earth has been designed to be a very large game, but not so big as to be dull or desolate.
Will I be able to own property?
Every character will begin with a house in a settlement, the choice of which is dependant on the race of the character. You will be able to relocate to a new settlement. These houses will be 'virtual' homes that are not physically placed on the map. Some will have multiple rooms, gardens and so on.
Houses and other social groups will be able to rent specific buildings that feature prominently on the map. We have yet to announce other property features.
Can I decorate my house?
Yes. You will be able to place and move furniture in your house. There will also be upgrades available for your house to add rooms and so forth.
When I step indoors, will I move to a separate map or still see outside?
In most cases when you move inside the roof to the building in question will fade out, allowing you to see the interior and the immediate surroundings. Other buildings' roofs will not disappear.
Some buildings will move you to a separate environment, off the main map, particularly those underground or of unusual size and construction.
Is harvesting raw materials part of the game?
Yes, certainly insofar as collecting the appropriate ingredients for actions such as preparing foods, spell-casting, alchemy and healing.
Will I be able to own animals?
Yes. You may keep a house pet (a cat or a dog for example) and tame wild beasts, if you have the skill.
Will there be weather?
Yes. Expect rain, snow, and fog to impede your travels.
How will dungeons be created, and what about Moria?
Major underground areas like Moria, Mount Gundabad and so forth will be real physical locations like any other. The major dungeon areas will be huge and persistent. There may be some smaller sub-areas that are spawned, but this is subject to change.
We have special plans for the great Dwarf-mansions of Khazad-dûm that we are, for now, reluctant to reveal in detail. Certain perceptive folk have already made excellent guesses in this regard.
Tell me about the environment sound effects in Middle-earth?
We have a full time sound engineer, Tim Larkin (Riven), who is dedicated to creating the most beautiful ambient sounds, fostering an immersive and exciting atmosphere. Support for Aureal A3D's system allows us to position audio sources in three dimensional space.
V. The Fourth Age of Middle-earth
What can you tell us about the story?
Our Middle-earth is set many generations into the Fourth Age, after the War of the Ring. The world of Middle-earth has largely been at peace since the fall of The Lord of Rings, but as Gandalf reminded the captains of the west, 'Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary.'
Rumours come to the free peoples of forces gathering against them. Orcs are seen abroad. But, with these new threats also comes the aid of the wise, who have not wholly forsaken Middle-earth.
Thus the players of Middle-earth will find themselves in a place of adventure and peril, at least when they step beyond the carefully cultivated borders of their comfortable homelands.
Why the Fourth Age?
We have chosen to set Middle-earth in the 4th age so players can enjoy an exciting, open-ended story whilst remaining consistent with the original works of Tolkien.
Which characters from the works will be present in Middle-earth?
Whilst many characters have departed Middle-earth at the Havens or passed away, others remain - for example Lord Celeborn, now of Rivendell, and Thranduil, the Elvenking of the Wood of Greenleaves. In addition there will obviously be new characters in the place of old, for example Elessar's heir is King of the Reunited Kingdom.
Will these characters be NPCs?
Most of the famed characters of Middle-earth will be played by a real human.
Many of the more 'general' inhabitants of the world, for example shop-keepers and guards, will be non-player characters.
What will NPC's do?
NPCs in Middle-earth will act with some intelligence in their interaction with players. They will occupy roles in the game that are useful to the players.
NPCs will range from local figures, who add character or might provide you with useful information, to disgraceful rogues that loiter in the countryside looking for easy prey.
You will be able to hire and lead NPCs. Some NPCs will be mercenary, but most will have to be convinced of your good intentions and high reputation in order to follow you.
How can you hope to ensure that Elves are played consistently?
Some controversy exists over the possibility of great numbers of 'evil' and player-killer Elves terrorizing Middle-earth in a manner inconsistent with the works of Tolkien.
Although we cannot reveal much information on this subject, rest assured that we are working on methods to contain the Elven population within reasonable bounds of size and conduct. You should know that, although Elves are a fully playable race, not everyone will be able to create an Elven character when they start playing Middle-earth.
Also, be aware that misanthropic deeds on the part of Elves are not unheard of in Tolkien's works.
Magic in Professor Tolkien's works is used sparingly. How will this work in Middle-earth?
As it is made clear in Tolkien's works, magic is rarely used prominently in Middle-earth. Our game will reflect this.
Temper your vision of Middle-earth and your interpretation of this FAQ with your understanding of Tolkien's world and our commitment to preserving its character; magic is limited in its availability and subtle in its effects. We will release more details on the magic system in due course.
VI. Middle-earth Player Characters and their Culture
How much can I customise my characters?
You will be able to customise your characters to the highest degree. You will be able to create your character's face from a huge array of heads, eyes, noses, chins, ears, lips, and hairstyles. There is also a grand selection of clothing, weapon, and armor types to choose from when dressing your character. Additionally, clothing options can be dyed to any color and shade.
What are Houses?
Houses are Middle-earth's groups of like-minded players. A House can be organized around a particular profession, skills set, quest or moral philosophy. Houses act in a similar way to 'guilds' in many online games. We prefer the moniker House as it better suits the world of Professor Tolkien.
There will be Major and Minor Houses in Middle-earth. Major houses will occupy a physical property on the map, have a more permanent place in the world and may be eligible for special abilities or quests. Minor Houses can be formed more easily, have lower upkeep and therefore can survive with much smaller memberships. Both types of House will have certain name restrictions; Major Houses in particular will have to adopt names suitable to Middle-earth.
What about Family?
Middle-earth will have provision for players to form their own families, both by marriage and by 'adoption'. The family forms a small, compact unit and allows for your inheritance in the event of your permanent death. Family members can be members of different Houses.
Families share reputation, so poor or excellent behaviour on the part of immediate relatives can significantly effect the entire family's status.
Will I be able to run my own town or become King of Minas Anor?
Initially the governments of established places will be controlled by Sierra. Over time players are likely to rise in political power, and some will doubtless establish their own realms. Usurping the line of King Elessar the heir of Isildur is, fortunately for Gondor, unlikely!
VII. Communication between Characters
How will I communicate with other players?
You will be able to speak with other players in your immediate vicinity by typing messages, which will appear either or both above your character and in a separate window. You may tell directly to a friend over long distances.
In addition Middle-earth will have a full chat system integrated with the game.
Why are you having a Global Chat system? How will it work?
Middle-earth will include a chat system allowing players to communicate with one another over distance. We believe that this is a useful addition to the game and a requirement to avoid the proliferation of third party add-on programs.
The 'global' chat channels will be geographically restricted, so 'The Shire' will have a channel, not the entirety of Middle-earth. Groups of players, friends and Houses will be able to set up private channels that allow communication across the entire world.
The chat system will be optional; the use may choose to activate it or ignore it. We appreciate that chat is not everyone's cup of tea, but we prefer to provide such functionality within the game rather than give an advantage to those who use third-party programs, such as ICQ or IRC.
What happens when your character is killed?
They die, permanently. The character ceases to exist. This will be a rare occasion, however - when a character is bested in combat he will be 'knocked out', stripped of his possessions, and left for dead - at least by most monsters. Players will have the option of permanently killing other players, but the penalties for such a hideous act will be dire.
How can you implement permanent death? You must be mad!
Whilst many of us will rue the death of a favourite character, we feel that mortality will add a weight and importance to your choices in Middle-earth that is appropriate to the ethics of Professor Tolkien's world.
It will not be easy to die; most creatures and other players will refrain from delivering the killing blow, as the advantages of murder are limited. However, those who risk great battles against terrible evils will have to accept the severe consequences of failure.
In addition, we have a duty to try to uphold the authenticity of Tolkien's world, in which resurrection is artificial and undesirable.
When a character is "knocked-out" do they die if unaided for a long time or do the eventually wake up over time?
It is possible to bleed to death if you are unaided for a fairly long period of time. You will wake up, however, and be able to search for help before death ensues.
Can you die by falling from a great height?
You will not be permitted to fall from great heights.
Can you drown and die permanently thereof?
If you stay underwater too long, your character will be forced to the surface. There is no way to force your character to stay under water until dead.
Can you be killed by poison?
Yes, poison will be quite deadly. You will have time to search for the antidote of any particularly deadly brews before death ensues.
In what other ways can you die?
Incessant lack of food and water, prolonged severe element exposure, untreated wounds, being eaten by a spider and having your throat cut are some of the many possible champions of permanent death.
Character death is a preventable occurrence. Be prepared and you are unlikely to die.
When can I kill another player, without being branded a murderer and hunted down?
If a player is a murderer you can attack and kill them without ramifications. This is, of course, assuming that you are in a geographic area where the player is branded a killer.
If a player attacks you, you can slay them in self defense without ramifications - whether they are a murderer or not.
You can only take the life of an unconscious body that is not guarded. The combat system will allow you to guard both conscious and unconscious people. If someone is guarding an unconscious person then there is a pretty good chance that you can not kill that person. But it is still possible, as you can only guard against so many players, making it quite possible to be overrun by superior numbers.
IX. Middle-earth Gameplay and the Role-playing System
Will there be user-defined shortcuts (macros)?
There will be a specific in-game macro system that will allow you to assign shortcut keys to often-repeated tasks. The game will not allow macros to be used for tasks that could be repeated to gain experience or improve skills.
Can you play Evil characters?
Yes, it will be possible to play evil or morally ambiguous characters. Middle-earth will encourage such nefarious fellows to play roles within the context of the game, rather than just using their morality as an excuse for indiscriminate aggression.
What about the Role-playing System and Skills?
The design for the role-playing system is being detailed as we speak. We feel it is more auspicious not to reveal any of these details at the present time.
Be aware, however, that previous information on class titles, the nature of skill progression and so forth may no longer be applicable.
What about Quests?
As above, Middle-earth's adventuring aspects are in the maelstrom of design and we do not feel able to reveal details at this time.
Thank you for your patience in this regard.
How will Combat work?
Middle-earth will employ a 'directed' combat interface whereby you instruct your character to perform actions, rather than directly execute them 'twitch style'. This allows extremely latency-resilient gaming.
In the event of major lag the combat will freeze, allowing the laggy client to catch-up. If you drop connection during combat your character will be controlled by AI.
Will you have to kill to progress in Middle-earth?
No. It will be possible to play Middle-earth entirely as a trade-skill character, without a need to go forth and slay wicked beasts. We are determined to ensure that a non-adventuring lifestyle provides viable and enjoyable gameplay. Of course, you will be welcome to ignore such options and pursue a life of ribald adventure.
Can Middle-earth be played solo, or do you have to group?
Middle-earth is an online game, and we encourage social gameplay. However, there will be nothing fundamental to prevent you from pursuing the hermetic life of a loner, if you so choose.
X. The Middle-earth.com Website
What is Middle-earth.com?
Middle-earth.com is intended as an atlas, or a reflection of the world of Middle-earth that we are creating.
Just as we are approaching the creation of Middle-earth as a careful interpretation of the great works of Professor Tolkien, we intend that this place should reflect the beauty and rich history of Middle-earth.
To accomplish this, we have approached our site as we would provide a guide for a traveler to another land. Each area, or place in the site reflects a place in Middle-earth. Though we begin with only a couple of places, every so often a new area will emerge on the site - will appear on the road - with more information for eager explorers.
Thus, when you can finally come to Middle-earth and explore its beauty for yourself, you will find this site a guide and mirror of that place; ever-changing with the dynamic world it reflects.
Can I contribute to Middle-earth.com?
Yes, though we are not accepting contributions yet, there are plans to allow players to submit suggestions and even major contributions to the site. This is likely when the game moves into testing and launch, when we hope citizens of the cities and towns on Middle-earth.com will use the site as a forum for their growing communities.
Can we have more maps?
Yes, all in good time.
Why should I register?
Registered visitors get our email news, letting them know when the site's been changed and giving them advance notice of exciting things. In the future registered users may again have the chance to earn prizes of items from The Mathom-house.
Can I link to you?
Of course. Please use our official link box.
Can I make copies of your images or text for my website?
We have to say no, aside from those specifically granted, such as the link box. Please link to us instead. As good web citizens we would discourage the duplication of bits.
What's this artwork on the website? Is this how the game will look?
The website is presently decorated with concept art and paintings that do not reflect of the final look of the game, particularly when you consider that the game will employ real-time 3D graphics and lighting.
Over time we will publish more game artwork, including characters and locations rendered from our real-time and high detail models. Right now we're keeping this material under wraps.
Why hasn't the site been updated for so long?
As you may be aware, Middle-earth's development was recently moved from Yosemite Entertainment, a Sierra division that was based on California, to be under Sierra Studios in Bellevue, Washington. The changes and disruption inherent to the move have delayed major updates to the website. For this we apologise.
XI. Professor Tolkien and Middle-earth, his Creation
Who was Professor Tolkien?
Please take the time to read our potted biography.
Where can I find out more about the history of Middle-earth?
Middle-earth is directly based on the world of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic novels The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. These works were strongly influenced by his greater mythology, exposed in the Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth series.
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