[3] In 2001, the game had multiple variants including ones set in the year 1650 or 2950 "War of the Ring, or the Fourth Age".
[3] Simply put, to win this game, you work together with your teammates to take control of the lands of Middle-earth.
There is no one way to achieve this aim; instead, victory is gained through a combination of martial strength, magical prowess, and economic power.
Gameplay includes factors such as "character development, nation management, economics, diplomacy, and warfare".
[3] There are several scenarios with smaller maps, including The Battle of Five Armies - based on The Hobbit, The Untold War based on the battles from The Lord of the Rings not focused on in the novels, focusing on Dol Guldur and Lothlórien which are only covered in the appendices, and variations on the main game, including Kin-strife and Gunboat variations.