The way that Tolkien described the process implied that transforming into an orc happens over several generations. Adar would be an early generation breeder, presumably. 

Also many in Japan said it more accurately depicts 13th century Japan than most other games before it.

Before I get into my specific gripes about Ghost, I feel compelled to note that some people have responded to the announcement of Red by commenting about how we supposedly have too many open-world games set in Japan. Can I just talk about how weird this reaction to Red is? Just because Sucker Punch did it first,…

Yeah, I had the basic idea of what it was about since as a Tolkien fan I recognise many of the shapes, but ultimately my feelings about it were just “that’s cool”. I feel that this show could have benefited from a more narrative opening that actually conveys some information to the audience with maps, statues and the…

Flashbacks are always a potential thing.

I got the impression the kid was a regular informant of Otto’s, like Varys will later have.

Yeah, I kept thinking, “Dude, run for your life.” If anybody finds out, the Wall is his best outcome.

2-3,000 years, that is correct.

You misunderstand what I’m saying. All the events concerning Sauron’s return and the Rings of Power have been transposed forward in time to coincide with the Downfall of Númenor and the end of the Second Age. The Second Age is still thousands of years long, we’re shown that Númenor has an ancient history to prove…

Bakumatsu ended 1867. The first railroad, from Tokyo to Yokohama, was built in 1872.

Excuse me? The first railroads and telegrams were built during the Bakumatsu period, while the Shogun still nominally ruled at Edo. More advanced weapons were flowing to Japan from abroad. Samurai armour had been obsolete for nearly the whole Edo period, only used for ceremonial purposes and left out almost entirely…

If there were ever an instance where Numenoreans would have cared enough about the fate of other humans to defend them from orcs, that time would’ve long since passed.

Bakumatsu is the period of instability/civil war that led to the Meiji Restoration. A lot of assassination took place in that time period. If there’s a period appropriate for Assassin’s Creed in Japan, I can’t think of a better option than the Bakumatsu. 

Precisely. Japan is outside the cultural framework in which the Templars and Assassins have been established to operate in. And quite frankly, I think that the Sengoku Period is overused in media, Bakumatsu would be a much more novel experience. 

I’ve never been especially interested in seeing an AC game set in Japan, it just doesn’t work too well, thematically. I hope that it at least takes place during the Bakumatsu conflict or thereabouts, so the international connections can play a role. 

It’s the other way around: Sauron’s return and the creation of the Rings has been moved forward in time by over a millennium. Isildur and co. are exactly where they’re supposed to be in terms of the timeline. 

Sauron is probably the guy in the Southlands at the end, if anything.

As I understand, the deal was not to feature events of the Third Age. The War of the Last Alliance would be the natural conclusion to the series, and it would be strange to be left out. But we’ll see I guess. 

There’s a few hints that they still exist in The Silmarillion. For instance, Eonwë’s words to one of the kings: “And were you so to voyage that escaping all deceits and snares you came indeed to Aman, the Blessed Realm, little would it profit you.”

Sure, except the rings haven’t been forged yet (and the world is already round, which raises some questions about how the show intends to dispense with Numenor). The Isildur timing can make sense if that’s all you’re looking at, but it doesn’t fit with the rest of the world at all.