# Middle Earth (1.8)

![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot001.jpg)

## Summary

- Name: **Middle Earth**
- Author(s): **V&K**
- Version: **1.8**
- Year Released: **2001**
- Porter: **fearedbliss**
- Maintainer: **fearedbliss**
- Port hosted and verified internally by **fearedbliss**
- [**Download Now**](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/)

## Includes

- Cactus Platform (1.09b)
- Middle Earth (1.8)

## Installation

- Extract the platform into your **`Platforms`** Directory.
- Add an entry to Cactus called **`Middle Earth (1.8)`** that launches
  **`Game.exe`**, with the flags set to **`-direct -txt`**.

## Notes

- This mod was originally made for **1.09d** but I'm using **1.09b** as the
  base. There shouldn't be any issues since all of the the **1.09** versions
  are backwards/forward compatible (for characters). Let me know if you
  experience any weird crashes, I may need to rebase it back to **1.09d**.
  
- This mod has files for the **German** language, but I still need to see if I
  can easily activate them.

## Known Issues

- None

## Porting Fixes

- None

## References

- [Cactus Platform](https://codeberg.org/fearedbliss/Cactus)
- [Middle Earth - GameFront](https://www.gamefront.com/games/diablo-2-lord-of-destruction/file/middle-earth-mod-v1-8)

## Screenshots

![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot002.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot003.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot004.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot005.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot006.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot007.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot008.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot009.jpg)
![](https://themovingcaravan.com/diablo/platforms/platinum/Middle_Earth_1.8/screenshots/Screenshot010.jpg)

## Patch Notes

```
Changes in Version 1.8 (LoD):

Due to a rather awkward formula in item generation mid to highlevel baseitems
were prone to only feature lowlevel affixes (you find a Rohirric Lance and it
only has "of the Glutani" on it while sabres and daggers constantly have "Kings"
or "of Slaughter"). We bypassed that formula so that now all baseitems have the
same chance for any affixes. This will effectivly improve the quality of
itemdrops in nightmare drastically (hopefully :)

Hirelings should aquire levels easier now

Molten Boulder and Firestorm slightly enhanced

Enchant enhanced

Fanatiscm range inreased

Poison Nova damage increased

BoneWall/Prison HP increased

The cuberecipe that allowed more than one socket on a rare item is now fixed and
works

Some Runewords improved (see Cubes'n'Runes.rtf)

Runspeeds of monsters decreased slightly again

Running for longer times is now possible if you don't wear heavy armor.Very
heavy armor slows you down and drains much stamina. We have added a few affixes
that increase stamina and stamina recovery rate. So if you want to run around
all day it is possible but at a price.

Most class specific items now either have +skills or an effect (like resistance
for Dunadan shields) built in and not both. This is to counter +bow skills on
amazon spears and the likes.

Dragons now drop items like champions (no pun intended :)

Devourer monsters in act 4 no longer eat corpses

We added some 2 word runewords (see cubes'n'runes.rtf)

Some jewel and charm affixes have been improved (lower level mostly)

Normalizing magic gloves and boots recipes added (we forgot about them)

5 gems of any type but the same quality can now be cubed to one gem of any type
but a higher quality

Spikefiend type monsters and archer skeletons attackrate improved (was not in
accordance with other ranged fighters of like level)

+%AC effect of Diamonds slightly improved

Healing Potions improved. Were 50/75/120/200/350 and are now 50/80/150/275/480.
These are basevalues that are modified by characterclass and the correct amount
of gained health is also not shown on the screen if you hold the cursor on a
potion. This change is a dll change that is only active if you use our
D2game.dll

Throwing weapons use larger stacks and replenish slowly (built-in ability)

Poison Javelin, Plague Javelin and Lightning Fury cost less mana to use (to
counter their inability to leech mana) and are increased in damage.

Lightning fury increased damage but fixed at 4 bolts (can split into more by
piercing targets)

Lightning Bolt more damage

Two runes of the same type now create a runeword that adds some of the rune'
effect as bonus (about 50-75% of the rune's effect)

Three runes of the same type now create a runeword that adds most of the rune'
effect as bonus (about 75-100% of the rune's effect)
 
Throwing weapons can have sockets but for some reason the game will not allow
dropped throwing weapons to have sockets. Therefore you will have to either use
the cube recipes (perfect gems + normal weapon => socketed weapon) or a magic
throwing weapon with the socketing affix (jeweler's etc.). Throwing weapons can
have as many sockets as their graphics support which means a maximum of 4.
```