Middle Earth [8.0] is submitted for review.

[Jeremy]

New map: Middle Earth [8.0] by Jeremy.
Map editor link: Middle Earth [8.0]

[Jeremy]

Fixed mistake of no dock at the Ford of Isen, between Saruman and Rohan.

Incorporated many play-balance suggestions from LPhillips, Hatchfactory and KGB. Thanks!

[Jeremy]

As always, please make this latest version the Official Version -- tweaking for play balance is an ongoing job.

[LPhillips]

Let's play it!

Edit: Let us know when it's the official version; I can't tell.

[Jeremy]

Whatever has the highest number is always the most recent.

Although I really want to make the map available for FFA as well, which I'm having problems doing.

Are we supposed to be able to make Scenario maps FFA, or do I need to convert it to a Standard map?

Also, I wish I could change the name of the map -- it's grayed out. Would be nice to change it to 'Middle Earth FFA', as appropriate.

[KGB]

Looking quickly at this I see:

1) You replaced Spiders with Demons in Minus Morgul. I think that just makes things that much better for Mordor. Demons at 3 turns are much stronger in Beta5 that in Beta4. I would not have made this change. The Nazgul can technically be represented by Ghosts (they were incorporeal Spectres) in Minus Morgul/Barad Dur with the initial Demon in the capitol being the Witch King leader of the Nazgul.
2) From a thematic stand point why not put the One Ring in the Shire capitol for the Shire player on turn 1? Isildur's ring (+2 command) makes a perfect One Ring. You could also potentially add rings to Rivendell/LothLorien to represent the Elven rings (minor ones like Kaleidoscope view +3) and another in Mordor for the Witch King (in which case I'd change Demon to Ghost for balance reasons).
3) By the actual time of the War of the Ring, the Dwarven capitol had moved from the Iron Hills to the Lonely Mountain (where the Arkenstone was buried with Thorin). So technically that should be the Dwarf Capitol. That would help the Dwarf player actually reach those cities to the south of Laketown which otherwise likely never get reached. Incidentally the Goblins are in much better shape than the Dwarves. The get some nice Giant cities and access to Eagles really quickly to let them get that Red Dragon city (a huge bonus and the Eagles/Red Dragon should be the primary expansion).
4) Still think the Elephant should be switched to the Mammoth. Those Oliphants were war beasts meant to be in battle (so the 3 hits and +2 move would be better approximations than +10 stack in the Open).


While I know you would like this map to work in FFA, the truth is that it can't. Simply because Rohan/Gondor start so close that they can reach each other on turn 2. Unless those 2 players agree to a truce on turn 1 it's not feasible to play this map in an FFA mode because those 2 sides will be forced to use half their initial armies on defense while the other sides can fully expand. There is nothing wrong with a scenario only map. I like the challenge of defending in Gondor until help arrives (Shire/Dwarves) or I am over run. It's a different type of challenge than expanding and conquering in an FFA game. You need actual team work in terms of coordinating attacks, sharing gold/city defense etc.

KGB

[KGB]

I also recall you were wondering about replacing the Wizard that the Shire/Isengard starts with.

Technically, Gandalf and Saruman were Archons, not Wizards in terms of what we consider Wizards in AD&D/mortal men terms. So replacing the Shire Wizard with a Grand Archon and the Isengard Wizard with a Lesser Archon (to represent Sarumans fall from grace) would fit just as well thematically. Also Sauron was technically a Demon Prince so the starting Demon in Barad Dur could easily represent Sauron and the Ghosts the Nazgul which as I mentioned above were incorporeal wraiths.

KGB

[sn0wball]

Starting with the Dwarves is really slow. Cities far and few between, distances vast and units so slow.