Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-33328512-20171014181948/@comment-26322120-20171128052820

Sir Lazuli wrote: Catfishperson wrote: I'm just going to move this to general mod discussion.

Assuming you accept evolution as an active phenomena in Middle Earth (which I know some people dispute), eyes would begin to become vestigial in cave trolls over the course of millennia, as having eyes would give the majority of cave trolls no advantage. Of course as a side effect, cave trolls' other senses (mainly hearing) would become extra receptive.

Edit: I seem to have somehow accidentally demoted myself while experimenting with editing rights. Gen, if you or someone else could re-promote me, that would be appreciated.

I dispute.

But whether or not there is evolution in Middle-earth, I actually agree. It doesn’t take evolution to make eyes useless, but adaptation. However the problem is that Gollum doesn’t lose his sight, but it gets sharper instead. I think this is linked to the magic of the ring, though, because it is over the course of one individual’s lifetime (his genes don’t change). I think it makes sense that cave trolls would have poor sight. I do believe spending too much time in a cave can damage an individual’s eyes also from strain. But keep this in mind. There are two scenarios:

1. Cave trolls have better sight in caves. This means they can see in the dark better. This means that bright light is painful, even probably the light of a starry night sky or moon. They have decreased agro range, except possibly in caves.

2. Cave trolls have worse sight in caves. They have decreased agro range.

So it ends up being pretty much the same, whichever scenario you believe. Cave-trolls should have decreased agro range.

Tbh evolution is nothing more than layers of adaptation, but no need to go down that rabbit hole here I guess. Anyway, I do like the idea of cave trolls being blinded when above the surface, but they should have great argo range underground, as their hearing should be very receptive.