LOTR to RTW

[Spart]

3 Questions

1.Is there anyway I can take a faction from LOTR TW (Noldor elves or Gondor or Mordor etc) and export that faction into a playable Rome Total War.

2. Can I add special functions to units, like flaming arrows to a group of archers that does not have that ability (like High Noldor Archers)

3. How can I improve the stats of units in RTW so that there is still a bit of a challenge in store for me?

[Aradan]

Yes, but it requires some serious work, as you have to take models, textures, 2d, text entries etc from the mod and insert them in the appropriate vanilla files.

Yes, as long as they are supported by the .exe. Giving fire arrows to a unit means assigning them a projectile type that has that 'ability'. Wles has probably assigned one to Elves that does not.

Open data/export_descr_unit.txt, there you can find the stats for all units. HERE you can find detail about what each thing does.

[Spart]

As much work as it may be I am willing to do it, I just need to know which files must be inserted where.

[Aradan]

Many files, if you intend a total porting of the faction. First of all, there is no free faction slot in vanilla RTW, which mens you'd have to replace one of the existing factions.

This means: new units (export_descr_unit, descr_model_battle, export_descr_buildings, export_units, UI cards, export_descr_sounds_unit_voices [maybe some otehr sound files]), new faction name (expanded_bi, strat, other files in the text/ folder, there's a guide by Epistolary Richard), new faction banners (lots of .tga files here and there, there's a guide by Monkwarrior on this), new buildings (export_desc_buildings)

Also, some aspects of the game are culture-specific (portraits, music, building cards, interface, etc) which means you'd have to insert a 7th culture in the game (several files, there's a guide on how to do that by Dol Guldur).

I suggest you strat with implementing a new culture first. Then assign this culture to the faction you're gonna replace (say Britons). Then rename the faction. Then start removing the units and putting in your own. And then continue wokring step by step, following the tutorials you can find here and at TWC.