Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-26444332-20160122032017

Mae govannen, Mellon-nin. Le lathham he.

A standalone suggestion, memorial of the long series which came before. Before those who will say that this is a subfaction, let us not forget that this is one of the most important subfactions in all Middle-earth, if not the most important. Without them, Gondor would most certainly have have fallen, and therefore they should be very fleshed out. Plus, I've already cut out half of this. I won't cut it down further. The second part of the suggestion has great details about how to balance the first part. I hope the Evil-aligned players will like the additions!

Dôl Amroth: The White Havens of Gondor, Dôl Amroth is defended by the valiant Swan Knights and lesser orders of warriors in Belfalas. Their valiant warriors have long kept Gondor safe from the Umbaran corsairs, and in their veins flows the blood of the peoples of Nimrodel.

Biomes:

A Dor-en-Ernil Forest biome now spawns in and around the Edhellond FT point.

White Shores: The coast of Belfalas, laden with sparkling sands. It is similar to the normal beach biome, but Corsairs may invade here when added, and naturally spawning here are the Men of Dôl Amroth.

NPCs:

Dôl Amroth Man-at-arms: The principle warriors that the Men of Belfalas and the Sea-ward Tower field, these hardy soldiers go into combat wearing Gondor armor, but wielding the swords, spears, and daggers of Dôl Amroth. They spawn in Belfalas in great numbers.

Haven Guard: Brave men of the Tirith Aear that protect the wharfs and docks of Dôl Amroth, these valiant soldiers wear Haven armor and wield Haven swords in combat when to war they go. They are not the best warriors that Dor-en-Ernil has to offer, but they should not be scoffed at. They spawn in Dor-en-Ernil's beaches, relatively rarely.

Dôl Amroth Squire: Squires of the Swan Knights and the lesser Knights of Dôl Amroth, these mounted warriors do their best to serve their lords in both peace and war, riding with them into battle and caring for their steeds. They are light cavalry, wielding Dôl Amroth swords and Gondor armor.

Nimrodel Ranger: The crown jewel of Dôl Amroth and indeed Gondor's light archers, Nimrodel Rangers are the unseen hand of the Princes. When enemies enter into Belfalas, they are already being watched by these silent warriors. Hand-picked from among the bloodlines of the Half-elven, these Dúnedain of the South are excellent scouts and archers, and live up to their elven ancestors' skill. They wear Ranger armor, and wield Dôl Amroth swords and bows in combat.

White Knight: The Swan Knights do not take just anyone into their ranks. Candidates are put through a grueling training regime, and even then, they may not be chosen, as the Swan Knights are said to have only a certain number at any one time. Thus, the White Knights were founded. Made of any who could not join the Swan Knights, the White Knights have all of the skill, yet not the equipment, to match their royal brethren. They wear White Knight Armor and wield White Knight swords in combat. They have a special, unobtainable, shield that is white with the Swan symbol of Dôl Amroth upon it.

Structures:

Forest Haven: An abandoned pavilion of the Silvan Elves from when they still peopled Edhellond and Belfalas, Forest Havens are beginning to be overgrown as they lie forgotten in the woods of Dor-en-Ernil. They are built of Galadhrim brick, mostly cracked and mossy variants, and spawn in the forest biomes of Belfalas and Dor-en-Ernil.

Dôl Amroth Watchtower: Graceful posts keeping watch over Dor-en-Ernil and the domain of the Princes, Dôl Amroth watchtowers are built of Dôl Amroth brick. They are tall, and are almost Elvish in make. They are the most common structure in Belfalas, for the need to see any enemies approaching is great.

Jousting Field: A tourney field for Knights and squires alike to practice their skills and to show their strength, Jousting Fields are somewhat rare in the plains of Dôl Amroth, but well-defended by many warriors who would be only too happy to split the head of any Orc or corsair that comes by.

Items:

Dol Amroth Spear: The spears of Dôl Amroth are like their Gondorian counterparts, save that their grips are blue. They are crafted in the same manner as other spears, with iron and sticks.

Dôl Amroth Bow: A longbow, fashioned for soldiers, Rangers, and Knights alike, the bows of Dôl Amroth are nearly as strong as the Elvish bows they imitate. They are silver-white versions of Galadhrim(or possibly High Elven) bows, with dark blue grips. They are crafted with iron and string on a Dôl Amroth crafting table, and are slightly under Elven bows in terms of both power and speed.

Haven Armor: Of less strength than current Swan Knight armor, yet more than Gondorian plate, Haven armor is of Elvish style and yet Dúnedain make, to remember the times when Elves and Men plied the waves together. It is similar to Galadhrim armor, yet silver and blue, the colors of Dôl Amroth. It is crafted with Elven steel on a Dôl Amroth crafting bench.

Haven Sword: A silvery sword designed to inspire hope in the Men of Gondor and fear in Orcs and the Men of Darkness, Haven swords often see battle against the Corsairs and their ships. It is a long, thin blade, with a small stylized crossguard resembling outstretched swan wings. It is crafted with Elven steel and sticks on a Dôl Amroth crafting table.

White Knight Armor: Armor similar to the arms of the Swan Knights, White Knight plate has no wings and silver-white as opposed to the blue of Dôl Amroth, to show their status. It is crafted in the original Rohirric style with iron and silver on a Dôl Amroth crafting table.

White Knight Sword: A version of the Swan Knight sword, a little thinner and longer, and with a polished birch grip as opposed to the blue cords. It is crafted in the style of the Sword of Command, with bronze replaced with silver.

Swan Knight armor is now crafted out of silver and Elven steel in the Rohirric fashion, and a bit stronger. Only standard Gondorian armor would be made of iron in this case.

Blocks:

Carved Dôl Amroth Brick: A carved version of Dôl Amroth brick, with a white swan emblem embossed on it.

Trimmed Dôl Amroth Brick: A silver-trimmed version of normal Dôl Amroth brick.

Dôl Amroth Pillar: A Dôl Amroth version of the Gondor Pillar.

Misc:

Swan Knights spawn far more rarely, and now are the equivalent of a Black Uruk in terms of strength, to show that they are the pinnacle of the armies of the world of Men. They are also far more expensive in both alignment and money, and have a mounted banner bearer unit.

Achievements:

[Sentinel of the White Shore]: Equip a full set of Haven Guard armor.

[In Shining Armor]: Equip a full set of White Knight armor.

Part II:

Some balancing features, for some of you might cry that this will make Good overpowered(though it wouldn't).

Guards of the Orthanc: Uruk-hai that have been outfitted with superior armor and weapons, Guards of the Orthanc are the strongest unit Isengard possesses. They only spawn in Nan Curunír, and do not spawn in invasions. They typically wield Orthanc pikes, but can wield cruel Orthanc swords and spears. They wear Orthanc armor.

Orthanc Armor: Bare grey steel plate, with a mocking white hand upon the chestpiece and helm, this is strong armor given to Saruman's distasteful version of the royal guards of Rohan or Gondor. It is crafted with Orthanc Ingots on an Uruk-hai CT.

Orthanc Weapons: Come in Pike, spear, and sword variants. Crafted in the normal manner of their types on an Uruk-hai crafting bench with sticks and Orthanc Ingots.

Orthanc Ingot: A steely grey bar used in the manufacture of the White Wizard's arms and armor for his personal guard, this ingot is made by combining basic Uruk ingots with iron ingots(not ore) in an Orc Forge.

Uruk-hai Archer: Wielding large longbows, Uruk-hai Archers are the mainstay of Isengard's forces-at-range where crossbows are impractical. They wear helmless Uruk armor and wield Uruk Bows.

Uruk Bow: A large weapon resembling a black-grey wood-and-steel version of a Gondorian longbow, Uruk Bows are quite strong(nearly elven in terms of power), but slow to draw back, nearly as slow as the Bow of Harad. It is crafted in the normal bow style with Uruk Ingots and string.

Morannon Guard: Foul yrch skilled in the use of their weapons, the Morannon Guard spawn in Udûn in Mordor. They have slightly higher health than the standard maggot-folk of Mordor(Tolkien's words, not mine), and wield spears and warscythes. They are hireable for slightly more than an Orc bomber.

Dunlending Pikeman: Dunlending warriors who have taken up iron pikes. They do not have shields of Dunland equipped, and they are the principle forces in their attacks on Rohan. They are hireable for slightly more than normal Dunlending warriors.

Mirkwood Stalker: Weak tribal goblins, wearing mismatched pieces of armor and wielding weapons of Dôl Guldur. Mirkwood's equivalent of Gundabad orcs or Isengard snagae. They are dirt cheap and easy to get when fielding large armies.

Dôl Guldur Bow: A bow fashioned on a Dôl Guldur crafting bench, this weapon is Evil's mockery of the Bow of Mirkwood. It is nearly as fast as the Wood-elven bow(not quite) and good knockback, but has little damage. This bow is used by the archer version of Mirkwood Stalkers and the player; normal Orcs from Dôl Guldur still use the standard Orc Bow.

Dôl Guldur Warg: A smaller, less terrifying version of other Wargs, the wolves of Amon Lanc come in standard Warg colors, but are smaller, have less health, and less damage(due to the fact that Dôl Guldur already has spiders). They do have Warg rider variants.

Dôl Guldur Shadowguard: The terrors of Dôl Guldur made manifest, the Shadowguard of Amon Lanc are a special type of Orc, bred for war and conquest against the Kingdoms of Rhovanion and Dale, and to a lesser extent the Valesmen, Wood-men, Beornings, Wood-elves, and Galadhrim. They are the equivalent of a "Dôl Guldur Uruk", but unlike their cousins, they wear normal Dôl Guldur armor, opting to recognize themselves through ragged black cloaks(capes) and sheer brute strength, in addition to their limited but deadly arsenal.

Dôl Guldur Glaive: One of the two types of weapons used by the Shadowguard of the Hill of Sorcery, this glaive is a long weapon, equivalent to a halberd or some such. It is a polearm, and features a long and wickedly sharp axe blade on the end. It has a good reach and damage, but little knockback, high cooldown, and poor durability. It is crafted in the pike/warscythe/battlestaff style, if Dôl Guldur pikes are not already implemented by the time this suggestion is posted.

Dôl Guldur Claymore: The second type of weapon used by the denizens of Amon Lanc, these claymores are massive two-handed affairs, long and sharp, able to deal crushing blows. It deals excellent damage, but has a long cooldown(about the same as a battleaxe or warhammer) and has less durability than other weapons.

--

And now for some more balancing things in favor of Good, to help top off some of these, as the first part of the suggestion would not be enough to stave off all the new additions to Evil(the Guards of the Orthanc alone would make fearsome opponents for even small groups of one or two Good players).

Silvan Guard: The royal guard of the Elvenking, the Silvan Guard are the elite units of the Eryn Arthor, the Woodland Realm. They are garbed in silver-trimmed Wood-elven armor, and wield Bows of Mirkwood with a variety of special weapons that they and the player may use.

Silver-trimmed Wood-elven armor: A trimmed version of Wood-elven armor, with designs upon the armor, engraved in the silver which Elves so dearly love. It is crafted with a piece of Wood-elven armor surrounded by silver nuggets on the Wood-elven CT.

Silvan Broadaxe: The axes of the Eldar have long struck fear into the hearts of the Enemy's servants. Following the traditions of the Sindar of Doriath, the Silvan Guard can wield mighty broad-axes in combat, one-edged and crescent shaped. The handles of the weapons are a smooth dark wood, while the blades are bright silver and the grips and ties a dark green. It is crafted with a Wood-elven axe with a stick(below it) and silver nuggets surrounding it, taking the other seven slots on a Wood-elven CT.

Silvan Longspear: Following the traditions of the Nandor, and indeed all the Elves, the Silvan Guard can wield long spears to pierce their foes before their enemies can make reply. Though they are too unwieldy to be thrown, and long enough to be pikes, these weapons serve well in the hands of a good fighter. They appear as silver(for the blade), black(for the haft), and dark green(for grips and tracery) versions of Aeglos, the long spear of Gil-galad. They are crafted in the same manner as the aforementioned Silvan Broadaxe, replacing the Wood-elven axe with a Wood-elven Spear.

Two different variants of the above Longspear would exist for both High Elves and Galadhrim, with appropriate shifts in color and items used to craft it.

Armored Galadhrim Cloak: Worn specifically by the player, these cloaks conceal armor beneath them, enough to stop a few more enemy blows than normal. It is crafted by placing a piece of the Galadhrim cloak and a corresponding piece of Galadhrim armor on a Galadhrim CT. It is about halfway protective between Galadhrim armor and the cloak's natural protection. Visually, the Galadhrim cloak appears to be parted in front, revealing the Galadhrim armor beneath, and the Galadhrim helmet's crest is visible from the hood.

Currently, normal Galadhrim cloaks are practically useless and afford no form of advantage in a Player vs. Player environment, as the NPC sight masking abilities do nothing to protect the player from unfriendly living eyes. Therefore, I propose that the nametag and alignment of the player be concealed while wearing the entire cloak, much how the speed II effect is gained from Wood-elven scout armor. This will allow the player wearing the cloak to ambush and/or flee from foes too powerful to defeat, such as a player with enchanted armor. This will also allow players wearing the cloak to hide from other players when observing them without their knowledge, such as in Lóriën on certain RP servers. To counteract this, the new Armored Galadhrim Cloaks would not afford this ability, sacrificing stealth for protection. The sight range would also be lengthened for the armored cloak, allowing NPCs to spot the player at a higher distance and respond appropriately.

I hope you have enjoyed this suggestion. If I am able(and I am willing to try), I will attempt to texture what I have spoken of, to fulfill what a certain administrator once said about suggestions needing three vital parts to them(recipes, uses/spawning rates, and textures), and at most mine having only two. Until we next meet. Namárië! 