#The fourth age total war mod

One last note about the Fourth Age: You're quite right that the focus is more on the Mannish conflicts. It may take some adjustment if you're used to the new games, but I believe if you give them a shot you'll find something to love. So my recommendation for anyone who has the slightest interest in Tolkien is to try out the mods.

#The fourth age total war mod

I haven't played Third Age, but I understand that mod (or 'mods', since there seem to be quite a few submods out there) has different uses for M2's crusade/jihad mechanic, and does a lot with settlement design, script-triggered events, and more. There are entirely reworked trait systems, custom-designed settlements (so sieges look different when you're assaulting a town in Gondor vs a Dwarf-hold), a supply mechanic, an Authority stat for your faction leader which affects the loyalty and effectiveness of his vassals, a 'zone of recruitment' system which means you won't be to train, say, Gondor's native swordsmen in Haradrian regions (but you will be able to train local levies that differ from province to province), a city specialization mechanic that allows you to focus on the military, financial, or administrative aspects of your towns. So if you're remembering vanilla RTW, keep in mind that the gameplay of Fourth Age is extremely different. The other thing to remember is that these mods differ quite a bit from the vanilla experience. So for example, in RTW and M2 it's possible to train as many armies as you want, to trade or purchase settlements from other factions, and to develop your settlements however you wish. On the other hand, I understand that the newer titles introduce some restrictions that were not present in the older games. (I've never been much of a graphics hound, and I have yet to play Rome 2 or any newer TW games.)

If you're talking graphics, then yes, I'm sure you will find some differences between the newer games and the older titles of RTW and M2.

It is, of course, subjective in some ways. Full dislosure - I'm on the dev team for Fourth Age: Total War.