I was wondering if there is another location for the PDF, I would like to look over the changes. The link on this site is broken.
I’ve fixed the link that I have in the MEPBM Game Variants thread, so I hope that’s the only one.
The current location of my copy is http://www.mepbm.com/info/files/WOTRVAR.PDF. Of course, this also assumes that my copy is still correct.
Note at present we’re only offering this as a 12v12 (or 10v10 with 5 Neutrals) due to the slow nature of 2950 games filling (ie they take too long to fill a normal game, the variant games take longer and by that time we’ve found that a lot of players have dropped out).
One interesting option might be a Gunboat variant of this - now that sounds fun!!!
Clint
Would have thought there’d be some interest in this format. (Sharing a duo with a team-mate would be fun I think). Very tempted myself… 
Clint
I’d be interested, but I have to wait for some current games to end.
Is this still the same as the variant we were testing in old game 220?
GB variant might be fun although as far as I remember the NW got really quiet and was in the end practically a recruiting area. Everywhere else was ‘hot’ though.
Is this still the same as the variant we were testing in old game 220?
Pretty much - I think it would be interesting though.
Clint
Speaking of WotR, I would like to see the food anomaly fixed. Under the current setup regimen, DS armies that get additional troops do not get any additional food; so instead of the standard 4.4 turns worth, they might have, say, 1.4 (in the case of the DoL army) or even less than one (in the case of the WK army). Upon my first reading of the WOTRVAR.pdf file, I assumed food would be added in proportion to the troops added; not so.
Drew
If anyone signs up then we would…
Clint
In 2950, the free lose pop centers but gain better characters overall and a third elf nation, most of these changes make the free much stronger, did this have the effect of making the free overpowered in the variant?
Just wondering, looks like a really fun variant.
What would the split of nations be for gunboat? Do you drop the Rhun or the Khand? With how quick the WW goes down in 2950 gunboat as it is (kind of the rhudaur of the game) and he is increased the least of the nations does he need some help?
A second thought (coming a bit from the LOTR Battle for middleearth II video game) though it would be really cool if the “Northern war” discussed in the appendices was more intensily realized and the NW was then a bit more interesting.
See ya,
Ken
Are any of the 290 listings on the Frontsheet for this? Is the 2950 GB a WotR GB?
Yes on the FS - but note so far there’s been no interest in a Wotr Variant for GB.
We do have 7 signed up for the normal 2950 GB at present.
Clint
I’d favour the GB WotR rather than 2950. Maybe the slow build up is appealing to most. What you guys out there think? 2950 with a more 1650 aligned startup, more troops and pops. Almost instant conflict, some find 2950 too slow on build up.
On the contrary, in play it balances very well. At one point the “GM team” announced that it was unbalanced in favour of the DS. A statement which at the time annoyed me greatly and damaged the take up of new WotR games. If you ask other WotR players what they thought of it, you will usually get a positive response, to the extent that there are some real enthusiasts for it now. Enough games have been played to demonstate that either side can win.
Richard Devereux did most of the work on the original, I chipped in a bit. WotR is in need of a rework - a WotR v2, because it isn’t different enough - after the first six or seven turns you forget you’re playing a variant, and it “feels” just like normal 2950. The characters need more work (the idea was to make them more logical in terms of skills, a project which was never completed when the first WotR game went live) and, as Drew points out, the food issue was overlooked.
As for playing it as Gunboat… ruddy awful idea. WotR was designed to improve the play of the team game and more accurately reflect the balance of powers in Middle Earth at the time of the War of the Ring as Tolkien described it. The FP were acting in concert, the DS under the direct control of Sauron.
I have no time for Gunboat, but it strikes me that if you want to play like that, why pervert the WotR idea, when you could quite simply write a variant specifically designed to explore whatever it is you like about playing with yourselves in silence?
Gunboat is a wonderful variant which gives people a chance to experience the game when they have less time for corridination or simply would like to try new things teammates would normally balk at.
The variant could be fun as gunboat because it has the size of the 1650 game, the characters of the 2950 game, and the somewhat new and different feel of the 1000 game.