The Hobbit

Which Thorin are we talking about? Book!Thorin treasured the Arkenstone, but refused to give out any treasure — even to the suffering people of Laketown — until the Arkenstone is held hostage. Is movie!Thorin all about the Arkenstone? Or are we just speculating either way?

In the movie he needs the Arkenstone to legitimate his claim.

It seems that the Arkenstone is more important here than it was in the book.

Just speculating.

We haven't any clear word on it, but apparently the Arkenstone will allow him to call the armies of Billy Connolly.

edited 7th Jan '14 8:19:12 PM by Whowho

He needs the Arkenstone to have the authority to command all seven Dwarven armies together at once because their lords swore upon the stone rather than the bloodline.

Wait, so were the dwarven armies theoretically sworn to Smaug during his possession of the Arkenstone? I wonder how that would work.

edited 7th Jan '14 8:23:05 PM by KesagakeBoy

It would work exactly the same way it normally works when someone everyone hates calls the banners they acquired through technicalities.

Damn, I wanted to see a dragon with a legion of dwarf soldiers.

If you can find a copy of Battle For Middle Earth 2 you can get a legion of spider riding goblins who are led by a dragon.

You will have to shovel out like a 150 bucks for a copy though seeing as how EA ended the production run and few people want to sell theirs.

I really wouldn't mind an Adventure strategy game where you play as Gandelf and you can decide which peoples would make the best allies against evil and how to sway them.

Crazy things like Smaug, High General of the Seven Armies need to be realised.

Yeah the The Battle For Middle Earth series is one of the closest and least bad you will find. As long as you are a fan of RTS's. I still mourn my lost copy of Rise Of The Witch King. That faction was the coolest example of Evil Is Cool since someone invented the concept of cool.◊

edited 7th Jan '14 8:37:57 PM by Canid117

Apparently you can get a used copy of Battle For Middle Earth II for as cheap as $35 on Amazon. I just might have to check that out one of these days.

That so?

Check the Xbox 360 copies.

Pshhhh Peasant!

But in all seriousness I refuse to play an RTS on consoles.

Now I'm asking myself what games I'd wish for in the Middle Earth setting. I wouldn't normally ask such a thing, but the Return Of The King game proved there exist developers that know how to capture the setting.

That actually was a really enjoyable game. Maybe something Mount and Blade-esque?

Hmm, I was thinking more Left 4 Dead ish, which is a very immersive team work trek. But you're in Middle Earth trying to get from A to B, but the Director can through Trolls or Spiders at you or decide Storm Giants are cannon.

There need to be more games like Left 4 Dead anyway, so I'm okay with your idea.

I wouldn't mind a Silmarillion RPG.

Over 8000 hours of gameplay!

Get on it Bethesda!

No, Platinum! Gandalf doing sick speechifying, mid-air peace pipe combos!

Uhmmm... does anyone else actually do Open World RP Gs?

The guys who made the Lemmings have a fairly successful Grand Theft Auto game.

Mount and Blade: By Fire and Sword style would be great for Middle-Earth. Maybe you can have different starting points, geographically and/or chronologically, and of course the choices possible depends on the character you make (or you use the "defaults").