Project Arda

Project Arda is my playground to explore recreating Middle-Earth with marketplace assets and visual interpretations from others who also admire and appreciate J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium.

It's also an opportunity for me to educate myself about Cartography and presenting GIS data, using procedural image and heightmap generation tools, and exploring all the amazing lore, magical myths and fascinating history of Arda to populate the world.

Here I will explore the sorcery that is the Unreal Engine, and my attempts to harness its diabolical power for XR, game development, real-time concept art, test projects and worldbuilding.

These mad, unhinged experiments within (and occasionally beyond) Arda include, but are not limited to...

- Gandalf riding Gwaihir above the clouds in the moonlight above Orthanc
- Gardening in the Shire
- Fishing at the Argonath
- Going over Rauros in a barrel
- Seeing 2 NPC armies go at it from a distance
- Cooking and campfire stuff, survivalist, etc
- Archery in the woods, namely Lothlorien, but also Thranduil's realm; target practice
- Blacksmithing in Dwarven strongholds
- Tavern behavior, drinking contests, serving, restaurant dynamics, etc
- Library reading at various centers like Rivendell, Minas Tirith, Shire
- Gandalf riding Shadowfax across the plains and roads and countryside
- Gandalf using his staff to shoot a ray of magic holy light to repel Nazgul
- Winemaking in Dorwinion, though also the Shire and probably a few other places
- Exploring some of the Nameless Thing tunnels
- Sledding on a shield down a snowy hill under Aurora Borealis in Forochel
- Skipping stones across the water of the Watcher in the Water, and dodging its occasional attacks, RPG turn-based style
- Smoke rings competition, using Niagara effects
- Mining in Moria and the Glittering Caves
- Sailing across the sea to Tol Erresea (interesting; game-within-a-game using some of the previous mechanics as a way to stave off boredom, such as the fishing template and the library template. I like the idea of a narrative unfolding as you read diary entries, lore, etc. Maybe new "scenarios" open up as a way to pass the time, and occasional breaks in that narrative will come with survivalist things like dealing with weather and waves, no wind, sea monsters, and possible pirates (fuck it). I do like the idea of a ramped-up difficulty and brutal real-time journey ala Penn and Teller's truck driving experience. I want the end to be hard-fought and won, and glorious and properly appreciated for what it is.)
- God of War-style boss battle between Earendil upon Vingilot and the Eagles of Manwe, and Ancalagon the Black and his army of lesser drakes and Nazgul mounts
- Play as one of the spirits from the Paths of the Dead, trying to scare the living shit out of the party, and especially Gimli
- Play as Orc guards, bored, playing various board games on top of the Tower of the Teeth (Dice, etc)
- Craft songs, poetry, recite, maybe get the mic involved; this stuff was very important to Tolkien, as it should be
- Riding an Oliphant
- Helping Uin tow Tol Erresea as one of the helper creatures
- Play as Shelob going after goblin-treats
- Play as lesser Nine avoiding Sauron and the Mouth in Barad-Dur, Metal Gear Solid-style
- Ride an Ent through Fangorn
- Have player explore in real-time and discover a procedurally-generated map that is different for everyone (?) or consistent across users (?) when going beyond the edges of the established map
- Taming wild animals with Radagast
- Courier in Morder
- Part of an orc raid on human settlements, including Beorn's group, which poses the Boss challenges
- Set up a shop in Dale and sell shit (probably toys)
- Get drunk and make unexpectedly good on a boast to slay a cold-drake dragon named Scatha (shades of Beowulf to me)
- Manhunt-style execution game with Helm Hammerhand crawling into the encampments during winter and beating people to death with his bare hands (and likely a few other occasional accoutrements)
- Just try to visualize what a song-battle between Sauron and Galadrial's brother is like...
- Scenario where you join in a battle with outmatched allies and turn the tide, Exile-style
- Arm-wrestling competition between orcs, losers are executed. Similar games/scenarios, like Squid Game for Orcs