Anyone play in a different time or alternate ME?

[sanecrip]

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[Dbohr]

Hi, first time posting here.

I'm finishing a long Éothéod campaign right now. We're in the year 1941 TA and should play the Battle of the Camp sometime soon.

In the old CODA system my first campaign was the Fall of Eregion, in the Second Age.

I've considered running an alternate timeline ME where Sauron gets the Ring back; or a Fourth Age game in the style of the "A New Shadow" fragment, but I've given up on both. I may some day get around to do a "Shadow Guard" game, where the players are the last Gondorian remnants watching over Mordor before the fall of Minas Ithil and maybe even a Kinstrife mega-campaign.

[Artaxastra]

I ran a First Age adventure for a couple of months. It was intense with all the Noldor, but very satisfying. We did the Fall of Doriath.

[Otaku-sempai]

I have not done this (not counting the time, years ago, when I tried to start a game of MERP only to have a TPK just running a sample combat--they thought it was too easy so I threw in one pair of Wargs). What I have done is worked out a possible timeline for Peter Jackson's version of Middle-earth: viewtopic.php?f=56&t=5430.

I will note that my intention at the time was to begin a campaign set in the early years of the Fourth Age.

[Turin]

In MERP I played in many different times, MERP gave you many options in each book for playing in multiple times.

With TOR I haven't played in anything but the default time frame, but once I start a campaign it always diverts from the normal schedule of events. I allow my players to alter their future based on their actions. My current campaign has altered a great number of things in the Wilderlands as the characters have expanded and progressed their holdings. That for me is the fun of it, seeing how ME changes based on the campaign I am running. I don't limit the players by anything other then the rules we play by.

[Otaku-sempai]

In MERP I played in many different times, MERP gave you many options in each book for playing in multiple times.

I would have to go back and look, but I don't remember how MERP handled the inclusion of cultures and sub-races that would not have existed yet as named people at the time of their default setting (T.A. 1640): Uruk-kai, Half-orcs, Olog-hai, Beornings, Dúnedain (as Rangers), Rohirrim--but oddly no Lake-men or Bardings/Men of Dale as player-heroes.

[Dbohr]

You could also run a straight-edge Third Age Middle-earth -- but in the far east.

The Company could be heroes from different Eastern cultures trying to resist Sauron's stranglehold on their homeland - maybe having the Blue Wizards as patrons and/or adversaries. There is room for Avari elves (that is, Elves who have refused or given up on the Great Journey Westwards and settled in); eastern Dwarven clans and maybe even a lost Hafling tribe.

It could be a very dark but very rewarding game!

[Otaku-sempai]

You could also run a straight-edge Third Age Middle-earth -- but in the far east.

The Company could be heroes from different Eastern cultures trying to resist Sauron's stranglehold on their homeland - maybe having the Blue Wizards as patrons and/or adversaries. There is room for Avari elves (that is, Elves who have refused or given up on the Great Journey Westwards and settled in); eastern Dwarven clans and maybe even a lost Hafling tribe.

It could be a very dark but very rewarding game!

I have created a settlement of Eastern Dwarves (of Blacklock stock) in the hills next to the Sea of Rhûn, and have East-elves (Avari) in the forest east of Dorwinion. The Dwarves colonized the Eymn Rhovanion (my name) after the Battle of Azanulbizar. I've hit a bit of a snag trying to make the East-elves stand apart from the Wood-elves that have already been introduced--especially where Virtues and Rewards are concerned. Some found under the Elves of Mirkwood do work for them, but they still need to be distinct.

[Tolwen]

I would have to go back and look, but I don't remember how MERP handled the inclusion of cultures and sub-races that would not have existed yet as named people at the time of their default setting (T.A. 1640): Uruk-kai, Half-orcs, Olog-hai, Beornings, Dúnedain (as Rangers), Rohirrim--but oddly no Lake-men or Bardings/Men of Dale as player-heroes.

IIRC, MERP's RAW was a mixup of peoples and cultures. It seems that even though its official focus was TA 1640 (where a number of cultures like Rohirrim, Bardings or Beornings didn't exist), they tried to get people on board by including these well-known cultures.
But even in that there was no clear line, as they introduced pseudo-Beornings under another name (but with otherwise identical stats).
IMO, overall it was a hodgepodge of cultures from various times mixed together without a recognizable system

Concerning the original question, I used to play in MERP's default time with my MERP (later RM2) group many years ago. My recently started two groups (one each online and live, both using my homebrew system) are set in the early 15th century Eriador and will (hopefully) see (and experience) the unfolding and progress of the Second Northern War with the defeat and breaking of Cardolan and the near-defeat of Arthedain.
If we play long enough, the group (probably with new characters) will be involved in Gondor's Kin-strife.

Best
Tolwen

[Otaku-sempai]

Yes, MERP's Beornings could be played as Beorn's original people (referred to in-game as Beijabar or Bajaegahar), though I don't think Tolkien ever suggested that they ever dwelt in the Vales of Anduin.