Hey guys, seeing as the next update will be focusing on new textures, I thought I'd take this as a chance to put forward a couple new textures for mithril equipment. The main reason behind the retexture is the fact that mithril is the best equipment in the mod, however some weapons (notably the battleaxes and hammers) look rather unimpressive compared to many faction equivalents, mostly due to their small size.
First up is a slightly tweaked sword, with a differently shaped hilt to the normal Vanilla swords.
Next is the battleaxe. Now with a large texture, it looks a whole lot more impressive.
Finally, the warhammer. The 16px version is not included here, as I felt no need to change it.
Trolls: an amazing and important creature of Evil added in game, to bring ruin and destruction upon its foes... But unforunately underpowered and overlooked.
After experimenting a bit today with the various types of Trolls in-game, I have come to the conclusion that such a large and fearsome beast, is really rather easy to take down, even when multiple armies of mobs are fighting, alongside players, or even just NPC vs NPC.
With the mob being so large in combat it is an easy target; but I also realized, that when using the most commonly used bow by all players (Good or Evil) on all servers due to range and damage, the High Elven, or some other form of Elven bow can take down a hill troll (Formerly known as a Mountain Troll) in an average of 7-8 Shots, in under 10 seconds with the regular Vanilla Minecraft bow, taking about 12 shots to kill in under 20 seconds)
In combat, this is generally the main target that a player will attempt to focus down before other mobs, due to their speed, reach, knockback, and somewhat higher health than other mobs. However, it is still too simple to take down. Even without armour, the trolls had thick hide, and were hard to take down as described multiple times throughout the books. Giving all trolls area damage as well would be an important feature to match their lumbering swing of ther arms.
I understand that the Elven bows are powerful, and have good range, but in a realistic manner (Excluding head shots) a towering, beastly Hill Troll should take a much longer time to take down, and should have higher health, as well as an area effect of damage, that Olog-Hai have.
Here are the stats i've come up with, excluding trolls with multiple heads:
Common Angmar Troll: 7 shots average to kill
Hill Troll: 7-8 shots average to kill.
Snow Troll: 5 shots average to kill
Mirkwood Troll: 10 shots average to kill (Due to Armour)
Olog-Hai: 14-16 shots average (Due to Heavy armour)
I feel that each troll should take atleast 6-8 more shots of the High Elven bow to kill; however, in order to balance their power they would spawn much less frequently. Still a Hireable unit - but cost more coins.
I also feel that some of the Trolls could use some redesigned armour.
The Mirkwood Troll is the first one that comes to mind; I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say or joke about the "Pokéball" on it's chest. We know it's a spider, but perhaps a more crooked armour or similar armour design to the Dol Guldur Orc would be more appropriate? Perhaps even adding a horn or some sort of design onto it's helmet would look great.
ie: Not the biggest fan of the Hobbit Movies, but perhaps a similar helmet or armour design?
Mordor Olog-Hai, Their armour looks great, but maybe adding some sort of horns or unique design on their helmet?
Hill Trolls/Common Angmar Trolls:
One of the trolls that I feel need more health and an area affect when winging their clubs. However, their lack of armour still makes them weaker, but perhaps adding a helmet on some or maybe some have a chest plate, even if it's leather padding - Considering there are 3-4 different clothing types for these trolls, you could add armour to some as they spawn with variable looks already.
Snow Troll:
Despite their small size, and "Yeti" like appearance, they need more health, and maybe some random bits of armour on them (Or maybe those that spawn in Utumno or certain parts of Angmar?). Although little is know about them, as they're only mentioned once or twice in the books, A new colour re-texture and possibly some form of armour on some, not all, would look nice and make them more of a worthwile hireable unit.
Upcoming:
Cave Trolls: A much wanted and desired unit for those players who are in the Gundabad faction, and more is known about them, described as having "a dark skin of greenish scales". The foot is "flat and toeless". and The creature's blood is black.
Possible jagged armour as seen on the Goblins of Moria, in the movies, might be appropriate as it would be a main power-unit for Gundabad to fight among it's ranks of Orcs, Uruks, and other fighting beasts. Helmet could possibly look like the Uruk-Hai Berserker's helmet, with no crest?
Troll Men***:
The Troll Men of Pertorogwaith also should be mentioned in this suggestion forum as they are significantly underpowered. Considering their size, and brute strength, they should be at least as powerful as an Isengard Uruk Berserker, if not more so. Currently, A Dwarf Warrior can take down one and a half Troll-Men warriors, and something about that just doesnt seem right, considering what an incredible faction the Troll-Men are. This would increase their significance in Middle Earth, and also make their units truly worthwhile to hire!
Trolls will always be cool, and are an important unit on the battlefield that deserve more love and a revamp: Looking forward to the next update, and possible an update on these fantastic beasts.
Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas! This is just a simple suggestion from me today, concerning an issue that has been prevalent in this mod regarding certain npcs, including:
- Corsairs of Umbar
- Rohirrim Warriors
- Moredain Warriors
- Rangers
- Elven Warriors
- Gondorian Soldiers
Lore-wise, these npcs are known to utilize light armor, including chainmail and a mix of leather and iron or furs, which are shown in the mod through their lower armor ratings and sometimes cheaper armor recipes. However, this causes them to be less able to cope with their heavily-armored counterparts. This is especially evident in the case of the rohirrim(unmounted version), as when they are pitted against their uruk foes, are weaker in every way, including weaker armor (supposedly for more mobility), weaker weapons (also lighter to allow for more mobility) and low health, although they have the same hiring stats and alignment yield when killed as uruks, in spite of the power difference. To make them more balanced and also a feasible unit choice, I suggest a revamping of the mechanics of such npcs to make them more competent lightly-armored warriors.
As such, I suggest that all npcs with a base armor rating of 15 or below, receive these changes to their behaviour:
1. Slightly faster movement speed
2. About 1.5-2x faster attack speed. An alternative would be to nerf the attack speed of heavily-armored npcs to half that of these npcs.
This will even out the npc's dps, allowing them to hit faster when they are unable to hit hard, giving these npcs a fighting chance against their beter-protected enemies.
However, I do feel that there should be some exceptions to this, including:
1. Orc warriors
Orc armor, while of poor quality, is supposed to be cheap and mass-produced, which compromises their quality. As such, though this armor provides minimal protection, is more an issue with its craftsmanship than with it's weight.
2. Npcs that use bronze armor
Depending on realism, bronze is supposed to be very heavy, more so than iron, so unless it makes these units very weak, they should be excluded from the list of 'lightly-armored' npcs
If you are still reading this, thank you for bearing with me and I apologize if my phrasing is awkward or if there are any errors in spelling, as this was typed on a phone. Feedback and criticism is always welcome, and happy holidays to all!
A solid while ago, I put out a series of suggestions focusing on Mordor; however, I believe that the time has come to revisit them. In this suggestion you will find all of my ideas for Mordor and the regions under its control (aside from Ithilien, which will get its own smaller suggestion.)
Mordor, in the mod, is one of the most underdeveloped factions relative to what it was in lore. The last major update it got was when it received new subfactions (by which, of course, I mean banners) and Morgul-Draught back in the fiefdoms update, and the last major addition it got was even earlier. As a result, Mordor has not aged well, and pales in comparison to nearly every other faction of comparable importance. This suggestion is intended to provide ideas to amend this.
While I see no need to divide up Mordor like Gondor and Near Harad, subfactions still should be present alongside the main faction of Mordor. Currently, we have Minas Morgul, the Black Uruks, and Nan Ungol, though none with much content; these would all remain, with improvement, and would have their own invasions, as would Mordor Wargs. No new subfactions would be added.
This suggestion is *very* long, and before you begin I suggest you find a nice chair to sit and read in. Please do not balk at the length of this suggestion - there are many ideas in here, and they range from the would-be-nice (like many new structures) to the glaringly missing (like roads that were mapped out by Tolkien that are absent in the mod.) Enjoy.
Biomes
Mordor is currently composed of ten biomes, which do a decent job overall of conveying a sense of the lands they represent. However, many of the existing biomes could use some changes, and some other biomes could probably be added as well.
Currently, all the mountains in and around Mordor are represented by the Mountains of Mordor biome, which takes the surface composition of the average Mordor biome and makes massive mountains out of it. But most people here would remember that Mordor had, in fact, two separate and rather different ranges of mountains, and due to this and more localized factors I suggest the Mordor Mountains be ultimately split into four biomes. The northern strip of the Mordor Mountains would become the Ash Mountains: a range of incredibly tall, near-impassable mountains with grey skies, mist, and countless pockets of ash, a new sand-like block that would be found here and in a few other places. The spur of the Ash Mountains that splits Mordor in half, however, would become the Mordor Spur, a more passable version of the Ash Mountains with lower peaks, skies more akin to the rest of Mordor, and less ash. Towards the west, the strip of Mordor Mountains that represents the Morgai would also get their own biome, which would have lower and much more craggy peaks, along with more vegetation. The rest of the Mordor Mountains would remain the same (aside from spawning - but that comes later), but would be renamed to the Mountains of Shadow.
Udûn has a few key differences from the normal Mordor biome: it is lower, flatter, and has far more structures than normal (and has a different sky color.) This is pretty accurate: Udûn was a wide, flat, low-lying desolate plain that has essentially been turned into one massive mustering camp. However, the low ground level creates a problem: lakes, rivers, and lava ravines are *very* common here, and they really have no reason to be that way. Considering that Udûn was likely the result of volcanic activity and translates to “Hell”, it would be justifiable to fix the first two issues by treating Udûn like the Great Desert, and remove natural water sources from it entirely. The lava problem would be harder to fix, but if the frequency of ravines in Udûn can be decreased, it probably should be.
Gorgoroth, on the other hand, is merely higher than the surrounding land and almost perfectly flat, with a redder sky and no shelter from the limitless numbers of Mordor units that spawn here. This isn’t really accurate, however: Gorgoroth was a volcanic plateau and not inhabited. Gorgoroth would be split into two biomes: the Plateau of Gorgoroth, and Inner Gorgoroth. The Plateau of Gorgoroth would be similar to current Gorgoroth, but with a decrease in the frequency of NPCs and structures, an increase in boulders, and the addition of a Mordor version of the volcanic crater found in the Far Harad Volcano biome (which would be rare here). The Plateau would become more of a guarded wasteland, covered in castoff from Mount Doom and dotted with a few forges of Sauron. Inner Gorgoroth, on the other hand, would be hell. This would generate in a fairly small circular radius around Mount Doom (maybe up to three-quarters of the way to Barad-dûr), and would be nigh-deserted. It would pretty much be a sea of boulders (including unique boulders with twisted shapes), with the space between being filled with volcanic craters. Inner Gorgoroth would represent the core of the power of Sauron on earth, and as a result anyone with less than +500 Mordor alignment would receive slowness, hunger, and weakness effects simply for daring to set foot here, which would also apply to all non-Mordor NPCs. In both biomes, water would be completely absent (as in the Great Desert) except in cisterns that would generate every so often along the roads (for detail more than anything), and ash would be even more common than it would be in the Ash Mountains.
All of the Mordor biome south of the mountain spurs (around Núrn and whatnot) would be replaced by a new “Lithlad” biome. Lithlad would be much less populated than the rest of Mordor - structure and NPC spawns would be decreased for everything, and in some cases eliminated. The terrain would be primarily composed of Mordor Rock, Dirt, and Ash in equal measure, and would have a greater abundance of charred trees, as well as a charred forest sub-biome. A similar charred forest biome (but with occasional instances of fifty-meter-high spikes of black rock, which would vaguely represent Fell-Beast eyries) would replace the Vale of the Fell Beasts, and would be virtually uninhabited for now. Another biome, called Northern Lithlad, would replace part of the northeast Mordor biome, and some of the northeasternmost part of Núrn. Here, Mordor Wargs would exclusively be able to spawn unridden, and Warg Pits would be common.
Between the Morgai and the Mountains of Shadow, the current strip of Mordor would be replaced with a new biome: the Morgai Vale. This would be similar to Mordor, but more fertile. Mordor dirt, boulders, and all types of Mordor vegetation (except charred trees) would be common here, and water springs would generate occasionally here as well.
A final new biome, which I neglected to think of in my old Mordor suggestion series, I shall now add here: Mordor Heartland. This would represent those stretches of Mordor that were effectively converted into massive camps, the great population centers of greater Gorgoroth. Biome-wise, they would be similar to the normal Mordor biome, but they would be slightly flatter (for the purpose of structure spawning), and would be mostly without water, boulders, or dead trees. In effect, they’d be completely cleared, and would have an extremely high rate of structure generation and NPC spawning, a deathtrap for any good player and a haven for any evil player. Pockets of this biome about the size of Imloth Melui would generate along the roads in Mordor where they enter the plateau of Gorgoroth, and it would also generate in a long strip along the eastern edge of the Morgai, stretching between the two huge camps marked on the map in ROTK. A modified version (Gorgoroth Heartland) would be present at Barad-dûr, the same except modified to better fit the Gorgoroth environment and with an increase only in spawns, not structures.
Some other biomes only really need small changes. Morgul Vale is perfectly fine, though the roads in it should be Gulduril Gondor brick (or just Gondor brick.) The only change I would make to Núrn would be the addition of a plantation variant, similar to current orchards but slave-worked and with rows of wheat (which, if you steal it and have less than +250 Mordor align, would cause nearby Mordor NPCs to attack you). The Mordor biome, as it currently is, serves as a buffer zone between the devoted sub-biomes of Mordor, and it serves that purpose quite well. Biome-wise, no changes to it are really necessary, and the same applies to Nan Ungol and the Eastern Desolation (aside from spawning), which some may have noticed weren’t mentioned above.
I should also mention that the roads in Mordor are inaccurate to the lore. The ones in place are fine, but a few key roads are absent - including one that an entire chapter of the books was set on! This, naturally, is a problem. The roads missing linked Durthang to Carach Angren in a loop around the mountains (easily done, as I understand it), linked Carach Angren to Sauron’s Road through the Mordor Heartland (a new waypoint at the crossroads might be necessary), and went through the Morgai Vale between Cirith Ungol and Durthang (Cirith Ungol also connected to the Morgul-Road, but that would also require another waypoint I believe.)
Outside of Mordor, I see fit only to make a few brief notes. Dagorlad should generate a higher amount of boulders, and occasionally pits that would be filled with waste. Tol Brandir, that patch of the Emyn Muil that generates in Nen Hithoel, should have a naturally-generated mountain on it, very steep and pretty much unscalable. The western half of the Emyn Muil should be made a new biome, the East Wall, which would be devoid of Orcs. The stretch of Vales of Anduin that surround the lake should be replaced with a new biome - Parth Galen. Biome-wise, it would be effectively the same, but it would be a forest-type biome by default, it would generate Gondorian ruins, and it would also spawn Mordor and Dol Guldur Orcs instead of Gundabad Orcs.
Crafting
The following blocks/items would be added.
Ash - A grey, sand-like block that generates in patches in Lithlad, the Ash Mountains, and the various Gorgoroth biomes. Like sand, it would be affected by gravity; it would also give off particles, like Mordor Rock, and players would sink into it a bit, like waste.
Crafting Tables - The current Morgul Crafting table would be renamed to become the Mordor Crafting Table, and would otherwise not change. The Morgul Crafting Table would be a new crafting table, used to craft Morgul-items. It would be similar to the Gondor crafting table, but with charred wood, cracked bricks, and it would give off green particles, like the Dol Guldur table. Bricks and other non-equipment items from the Mordor Crafting table would be craftable here as well.
Chains - Crafted by mixing rope and two orc steel ingots on the Mordor/Morgul crafting table. These chains would serve the same purpose as rope, but would have a spikier appearance, and the spikes on them would stab players with negative Mordor alignment who try to climb up them.
Mordor Cobblebrick - Crafted with two Mordor Rock and two cobblestone (yields four), this would be a Mordor version of Gondor cobblebrick. It would have the same block variants (stairs, slabs, walls, etc) as regular Mordor brick, and would be quite useful to evil builders.
Gulduril Bricks - These exist, but the lag that they create truly is a problem for anyone wanting to build Minas Morgul. I have no clue how to fix this - add new textures that would appear instead of the gulduril effect when a certain config option is enabled? Make the effect part of the texture? I don’t know, but it really is a problem that should be considered a bit more.
Defaced Gondor Brick - Replacing carved Gondor brick with carved Mordor brick in captured Gondor structures creates a really jarring contrast of black against white. This block would be crafted by combining carved Gondor brick with either an ink sack or charcoal dust. Vandalized Gondor brick would look like Carved Gondor Brick, but the white tree on it would have the Eye of Sauron crudely drawn over it in black. There would be versions of it for Gondor Brick and Númenorean Brick.
Morgul Gate - Crafted in the same manner as a Gondor gate on the Morgul crafting table. The Morgul gate is similar to the Gondor gate, but appears old and worn-out, with gaps hastily patched with charred wood.
Orc-Fire - In ROTK, there is a passage that states “orcs were digging [trenches]... and as the trenches were made each was filled with fire, though how it was kindled or fed, by art or devilry, none could see.” This would be represented by Orc Fire, a lava-like liquid (think hot oil) that would have the same effects on players as lava while spreading like water. It would be craftable by surrounding a bucket of lava with Naurite on the Mordor crafting table, and would be usable as a fuel that causes items to smelt twice as fast. (It would last as long as lava.)
Mordor Uruk Spear - A short, broad-headed spear used by Mordor Uruks, which does the same damage as the Black Uruk spear, but with the range and recharge time of an Elven battlestaff. It would be crafted by replacing the central stick with an Orc Steel ingot in the usual Mordor Spear recipe.
Morgul Orc Armor - Crafted with Orc steel on the Morgul crafting table, with the same protection as Mordor Armor, but with greater durability. Morgul Orc armor (aside from the helmet) would bear similarities to that of Angmar, but darker and with spikes on the shoulder armor. Helmets would be more similar to Galvorn helmets, though spikier.
Morgul Knight Equipment and Armor - Crafted with Black Uruk steel on the Morgul table, the equipment set would consist only of a lance and a sword. The sword would be a Black Númenorean take on the Dol Amroth sword, and the lance would be similar to Gondor’s. The armor would be Black Númenorean armor, which would look like this. Both would have stats equivalent to Black Uruk gear, and be crafted of BU steel.
Núrn Whip - Crafted in a diagonal S-pattern with one stick and three leather, whips would be used to increase productivity in slaves. It would charge like a Balrog whip, and would produce a loud crack when used. When used, a target slave will receive speed II and haste II, while nearby slaves would get speed I and haste I, all for fairly short amounts of time. Alternatively, left-clicking with a whip will deal three damage. In addition to these, whips can be used to enslave enemy civilians. For players with over 500 Mordor alignment, cornered Gondorian civilian NPCs can be repeatedly whipped until they are pressed into submission (this takes a number of tries). This will create Slaves of Núrn, hired automatically to you. Be warned, however - captured slaves will try to escape at the first chance they get for a full Minecraft week after their capture.
Spiked Núrn Whip - Made with a Núrn Whip and four orc steel. These function similarly to normal whips, but can be used as weapons that deal six damage. In addition, when charged and used on slaves, the target slave will receive three damage as well as effects.
Mordor Orc Captain Helmet - This would be crafted with a Mordor helmet, one skull, and one Orc Steel in a stack on the Mordor Crafting Table. It would have the same stats as the Mordor helmet, but with different textures, some of which would look like this. It would be worn by Mordor Orc Captains.
Black Uruk Captain Helmet - Crafted on the Mordor table by placing two BU steel ingots diagonally above a BU helmet. The resultant helm would have a crown of spikes, and would be worn by Black Uruk Captains.
Morgul Orc Captain Helmet - Spiky, Morgul-y versions of the Mordor Captain Helmet, crafted the same way on a different table.
Morgul Knight Lieutenant Helmet - Helmets crafted on the Morgul table and worn by Morgul Knight Lieutenants. They would be taller than normal helms, and have two small bat-wings on the sides. It would be crafted by placing a BU steel ingot on either side of the Morgul Knight helmet.
Morgul-Knife - Morgul Blades are currently both inaccurate and underpowered for what they are: sorcerous weapons of the Nazgul. The current Morgul-Blades would become Morgul-Knives, which are crafted the same way, do 8 damage, and give the wither effect for 30 seconds; however, they only have one durability point. This is the weapon that wounded Boromir I at Osgiliath, and is wielded by Morgul-Warriors.
Morgul-Blade - Morgul-Blades would be wielded by no NPC and would be much more powerful. They would be crafted with a Morgul-Knife and eight Gulduril blocks. When used on an NPC, the NPC would die immediately regardless of health and armor, the blade would break, and a Wraith mob would spawn. Wraiths would be identical to the mobs they once were - same equipment, same health, and same armor - but would have the gulduril overlay and would serve as hired units for the player. (This would only work on Men.) When used on players, the Blades would reduce the player to half their current health regardless of armor, break, and would give them a full 30 seconds of wither.
NPCs
The following mobs would be added or modified.
Mordor Snagae - Mordor Snagae would be a new NPC, similar to Mordor Orcs but only as tall as Dwarves. They would be the closest Mordor comes to civilians, and by civilians I of course mean that they’re effectively slaves. They would have 12 health and would be incredibly cheap to hire. They would wear whatever they can find - a mix of fur, leather, and Mordor Orc equipment, with no helmet. There would be two versions of the Snaga present: the Mordor Snaga, which would use a Mordor dagger (poisoned or not), and the Mordor Snaga Archer, which would use an Orc Bow. Snagae would be the cannon fodder of Mordor, and within the walls of the Black Land, they would spawn in Udûn, Mordor, Morgul Vale, Mordor Heartlands, Morgai Vale, the Plateau of Gorgoroth, and Lithlad commonly, and in the Mountains, Núrn, Nan Ungol, and the Vale of the Fell-Beasts uncommonly. For all their ubiquity in Mordor, however, snagae would be rare outside its walls, where they would only appear in invasions.
Mordor Orcs - Mordor Orcs (including the Mordor Orc, Mordor Orc Archer, and the Mordor Orc Bombardier) would retain their current role as the face of Mordor unchanged, save in spawning. With the addition of Snagae, their spawnrates would be very slightly decreased across Mordor, though they would still be common in Udûn, Mordor Heartlands, and Núrn, uncommon in the Plateau of Gorgoroth, the Morgai Vale, and Nan Ungol, and rare in the Mountains and the Vale of the Fell-Beasts. Outside of Mordor, their spawning would not be altered, as they are still the primary soldiers of Sauron.
”Mordor Uruks” - These would replace Black Uruks across most of Mordor, and would serve as the elite of Mordor’s rank-and-file armies. “Mordor Uruks” wouldn’t be more than a classification - they’d represent the strongest of the soldiers-orcs, and in the mod would be represented by two new units: the Mordor Champion and the Mordor Siege Archer. Both units would have 22 health, would wear Mordor armor, and would be slightly taller than normal Orcs. Champions would use Mordor Uruk spears and Black Uruk cleavers, while Siege Archers would use Black Uruk Bows. They would spawn commonly in Udûn and the Mordor Heartland, uncommonly in Núrn and Lithlad, and rarely in Gorgoroth and the Morgai Vale. They would only spawn in invasions outside of Mordor.
Black Uruks - Black Uruks would now be exceedingly rare, which is fitting considering their status as the elite soldiers of Barad-dûr. They wouldn’t be altered aside from spawning and hiring, which should help to counteract their OP-ness. They would only spawn rarely henceforth, and only in Udûn and the Mordor Heartland (and one or two per Mordor invasion), and would be hireable only from their special chieftains, who we’ll get to later.
Olog-hai - Olog-hai are (wrongly) considered the most OP mob in the game by many players, and while their incredible weaknesses are glaring, there should be a bit of change for the sake of accuracy. They should be *slightly* slower - though they were described as charging at high speed in the books - and should have a longer cooldown between attacks (about the cooldown time of a warhammer). To avoid drawn-out battles where Ologs end up knocking their foes back several kilometers, their knockback would be partly decreased, though the AoE would remain. On the other hand, they should also be able to tear down trees - this would eliminate a weakness that makes them all but useless in many environments, in exchange for nerfing them elsewhere. They should also have changes in spawning - they would now spawn at current rates only in the Ash Mountains, and would spawn less commonly in Udûn, Mordor Heartland, and Mordor, and rarely in the Mountains of Shadow.
Mordor Wargs - Mordor Wargs themselves would be unchanged as mobs, but their spawning would be altered significantly. As I mentioned in my earlier general suggestion on Orcs, I suggest taming and hiring, as well as the mob classification of Warg-Riders, should be altered; I am not going to re-suggest those changes here. Warg-Riders would become much rarer, and would spawn only in Lithlad - northeast Lithlad, not Outer Lithlad - commonly, in Udûn and Mordor Heartlands uncommonly, and in Mordor and the Plateau of Gorgoroth rarely (they would not spawn outside of Mordor save as part of invasions, at the same rate as Black Uruks.) Wild Mordor Wargs would only spawn in Warg Pits outside of Lithlad, and would not spawn in invasions. They would be uncommon in Lithlad, but they *would* spawn there. (Also, why are Warg Bombardiers still a thing?)
Mordor Trackers - Special units from among the Snagae of the Morgai. Mordor Trackers would be like Snagae, but with large noses, and special abilities as a result. They would have 16 health, wear full fur armor, and would switch between Mordor Daggers and Orc Bows depending on target range. They would have the ability to see through Ranger camouflage, and would have the same sight range as Wargs due to their noses. Trackers would spawn uncommonly in the Morgai, the Morgai Vale, the Mordor Heartlands, and Udûn, and would also appear at night in Ithilien to sniff out those nasty Tarks. One or two would spawn per Mordor invasion.
Banner-Bearers - The current banner-bearers are mostly fine, but Morgul Banner Bearers would become Morgul Orcs, Nan Ungol Banner Bearers would ride spiders, and Black Uruk Banner Bearers would be Black Uruks.
Mordor Orc Traders - Mordor Orc Traders, with the addition of two new trader units, would have an altered selection of wares, and would become focused more towards selling odds and ends (Orc Draught, materials, bombs, the occasional dagger) instead of primarily equipment.
Mordor Orc Miners - Orc Traders that would spawn in the mining tunnels around Mordor Mining Pits. They would be slightly larger Snagae, would be armorless, and would hold a Mordor pickaxe and a coin. They would sell ores and raw materials, and would purchase pickaxes, torches, and food from you.
Mordor Orc Blacksmiths - Orc Traders that would spawn in Mordor Smithies. They would use the same model and skin set as Mordor Champions, and would have the same health. They would hold blacksmith hammers and a coin, and would sell you equipment and armor in exchange for raw materials.
Mordor Orc Captains - Mordor Orc Commanders would be renamed to Mordor Orc Captains, which is the canon rank for Orcs of their status. They would be made the same size as Champions, and would wear Mordor Orc Captain Helmets. They would no longer allow you to hire wild Wargs, non-Mordor Banner Bearers, Black Uruks, or Olog-hai, though they would be able to allow you to hire all other Mordor Orc-related units.
Black Uruk Captains - Extremely rare traders that would spawn in Black Uruk Towers. They would have the same model as Black Uruks and would wear Black Uruk Armor with a Black Uruk captain helmet and skull staff. They would allow you to hire Black Uruks, Black Uruk Archers, and Black Uruk Banner-Bearers.
Olog-Hai Tamers - Orc Traders that would spawn in Olog Dens. These Orcs will allow you to hire Olog-hai, and would have the same stats and gear as Mordor Orc Captains, albeit with a Black Uruk helmet to differentiate the two.
Morgul Orc - The Orcs of Minas Morgul are similar to Mordor Orcs, with the same health and equipment, but with Morgul Orc Armor. They would spawn commonly in Morgul Vale and uncommonly at night in Ithilien. There would be a normal Morgul Orc NPC and a Morgul Orc Archer NPC, though there would be no bombardiers or Warg Riders.
Morgul Warrior - Similar to the old Angmar Warriors, these Orcs would be larger Morgul Orcs, with 22 health. They would wear Morgul armor with a Morgul Orc helmet, and would use Morgul-Knives in battle. Each Warrior has one knife, and once it has been spent they would switch to Black Uruk cleavers. They would be incredibly expensive and rare, and would be found only in Morgul Vale. Hired Warriors can be re-equipped with knives in the same manner as bombardiers, and non-hired knifeless warriors would have a chance to give players a quest to get them a new one. (And yes, they do have a basis in canon! See Boromir I and the Battle of Osgiliath.)
Morgul Knight - Another expensive elite unit, Morgul Knights would be the Black Númenoreans of Minas Morgul, the elite cavalry of the Nazgûl. They would essentially be anti-Swan Knights; they would have 30 health, and use Morgul Knight armor and weapons. They could be mounted or unmounted; the horses for mounted knights would use Morgul Horse Armor. They would rarely spawn in Morgul Vale, and would have their own invasions.
Morgul Trader - Versions of the Mordor Trader that spawn in camps in Morgul Vale. They’re the same as their Mordor equivalent, but their trades would be more like the original Mordor Trader, and geared toward selling equipment.
Morgul Orc Captain - Minas Morgul versions of the Mordor Orc Captain. They would spawn in Morgul Vale structures, and would be identical to their Mordor counterparts save in available units and armor. They would wear Morgul Orc armor with the Morgul Orc Captain helmet, and would allow you to hire Morgul Orcs, Morgul Warriors, Mordor Snagae, and Minas Morgul Banner-Bearers.
Morgul Knight Lieutenant - The leaders of the Morgul Knights. They would be found in Morgul Stables, and would be the same as Morgul Knights except they would have Morgul Knight Lieutenant Helmets, and would have Morgul-knives instead of swords or lances. They would allow you to hire mounted and unmounted Morgul Knights.
Núrn Slave - Núrn slaves would now be capable of revolting. There would be a 1 in 60 chance that a slave outside a 20-block range from a Núrn Slaver would revolt, and attempt to run away. They would avoid any Mordor NPCs, and if they last for five minutes without getting beaten below half-health by pursuing slavers, they would become Núrn Bandits.
Núrn Bandit - Escaped Núrn slaves that have come to realize the bitter truth: there is no escape from the Land of Shadow. They would act as normal bandits, but only to Mordor-aligned players, and would rarely spawn and attempt to rob any that they happen upon. They use mixes of leather and fur armor, and use Mordor daggers. Good players that encounter Núrn Bandits - probably those that appear as a result of slave revolts - would be able to hire them with quests.
Núrn Slavedriver - 22-health Mordor NPCs, which would be like Mordor Champions but with whips. They would spawn uncommonly across Núrn (very commonly in the Núrn plantation variant); in addition, they can be hired from Núrn Slaver-Captains, and one spawns in each Núrn farm. They would whip their slaves every-so-often.
Núrn Quartermaster - Orc Traders that would spawn in Núrn Castles. They would be like Mordor Orc Traders, but would have a whip instead of a dagger, and would trade food items for materials and equipment.
Núrn Slaver - Núrn Slavers would be the same (aside from selling Slavedrivers as well), but would now wear Mordor Captain helmets and use spiked whips.
Mordor Warrior - These Men have the same stats as Men of Rhúdel, Gondorian renegades, or Southrons, but wear Mordor armor (minus the helmet) and use Mordor equipment. They spawn uncommonly in Lithlad, and cannot be hired (though they can easily be created from normal Rhúdel soldiers). These were likely Men kidnapped at an early age in raids or through tribute, and have been raised in worship of the Great Eye.
Mordor Gnat - Similar to midges, Mordor Gnats would be clouds of gnats, which would have small red dots on their backs to represent the Great Eye. They would spawn in the Morgai Vale and Núrn, and while they would do no real damage, they would be loud and annoying, and would swarm around players with negative Mordor alignment.
Mordor Viper - Small-ish mobs that spawn rarely in the Eastern Desolation. Snakes by no means would be exclusive to here: other types should spawn across Harad, but those will be addressed in future suggestions. Mordor Vipers would be black with glowing red eyes, and would have the Eye of Sauron textured on their heads, like Mordor Gnats. Vipers have ten health. They attack any players they see, and deal 4 based damage with an effect per bite. As opposed to the poison effect most snakebites would give, however, Mordor Vipers would deal a wither effect for eight seconds.
Structures
The following structures would generate in Mordor.
Mordor Orc Camp - Camps of all sorts need MAJOR improvement, especially those of Mordor, which are the closest Mordor will come to villages. Mordor now would have three sizes of camp: minor camls, which would be the current ones and would generate where Mordor camps currently generate; major camps, which would be four minor camps with additional structures that would generate in Udûn, Mordor Heartland, normal Mordor, and Lithlad; and town camps, which would only generate in Udûn and Mordor Heartland and would be four major camps with extra structures. Minor camps would remain the same, but with trader stalls and a small fire instead of a crafting table. Major camps would have up to 16 tents (up to four of which are forge tents), a fire-pit, a trader stall, four farms, and a mess tent. Town camps would have up to 64 tents or huts (up to 16 of which can be forge tents), sixteen farms, two trader stalls, a bonfire, a mess tent, and a command tent. Town camps will generate with a normal Mordor Tower, a Warg Pit, Stables, or a Mining Pit, and those with huts would be more orderly, with streets of sorts and less random generation of structures.
Tent - Normal tents should at least have 1-2 orc beds in them. Forge Tents should now contain the Mordor Crafting table as well as the Orc Forge, as it makes more sense.
Hut - Simple round stone huts, used by Orcs. They have identical contents to an Orc tent, and would replace Orc tents in one in five Town Camps.
Trader Stall - Instead of being free-roaming, Mordor Orc Traders would spawn in these. These would be little charred wood shacks, with a loot chest, a barrel of orc draught, an armor stand, and a sword rack. Traders can also rarely be found randomly wandering Udûn.
Fire-pit - There would be a different size fire depending on the size of the camp. Minor camps would have one-block fires, essentially the current crafting table housing but with fire where the CT would be. Major tents would have 3x3 campfires, complete with cut logs for benches, a chest, and a logpile. Town camps would have bonfires, which would be 5x5 and otherwise the same as the 3x3.
Mess-tent - Large tents supported by four full wood beams, and containing a table with seats and food/drink for orcs. There would be barrels, furnaces, and chests along the walls.
Command Tent - Large tents that, in Town-camps, house a Mordor Orc Captain. Aside from the captain, these tents contain a bed, loot chests, armor stands, weapon racks, skulls, a cauldron, crafting tables, barrels, and a table of command in the center.
Mordor Tower - Mordor Towers need some serious redesigning. The exterior could use some sophistication, but that’s fairly straightforward, so I will focus on the interior. Instead of being empty, Mordor towers would now have an entry level with armor stands and weapon racks, a barracks level with orc beds, a storage level with bombs, barrels, and chests, a captain’s room with a command table, bed, and some consumables, and of course the roof. (Taller towers would just have more barracks levels.) Spawning for the towers would be the same, and they would generate in the Ash Mountains, Mountains of Shadow, Mordor Spur, Morgai, Udûn, Mordor Heartland, Mordor, and Lithlad. There would also be a new variant of the tower - the Black Uruk Tower, which would be the same except it would have a Black Uruk Captain and Black Uruk banners. These would replace one in ten Mordor Towers in Udûn and the Mordor Heartlands, and would be the only place you could find Black Uruk Captains.
Mordor Warg Pit - Warg Pits would feature major changes, the most prominent being the replacement of the current ladder-and-fence-gate system with a ramp (made of stairs) and a real gate that Wargs can actually go through. In addition, there’d be a lot more charred wood (especially beams) involved in the structure as support beams and picket spikes along the inside rim of the structure. Skulls would be mounted on these beams, and the chest in the pit would be replaced with two to make up for the redesign. Perhaps most importantly, spawning would also be severely altered. They would be found only in Lithlad.
Mordor Stables - Though few in number, Mordor does have horsemen. Similar in structure to Easterling Stables but with a charred wood build scheme, Mordor stables are rest stops for the couriers and messengers of the Dark Tower. Mordor Warriors would spawn here as a guard force, possibly alongside a messenger unit in the future. Evil traveling through the Black Land could pick up mounts here. They would rarely generate in Udûn or Mordor Heartland, as well as in town-camps.
Olog-hai Dens - Cave-like structures that would spawn only in the Ash Mountains. They’d look almost like natural pits in the valleys between the mountains, with 4-8 Olog-hai naturally spawning, 2-4 stone chests full of loot, and a few piles of treasure, like Troll Hoards. Unlike Troll Hoards, however, Olog Dens would also have a Mordor Banner and an Olog-hai Tamer. They’d be fairly hard to find, making Ologs harder to get.
Mordor Mining Pit - Large open-air pits dug haphazardly into the ground to strip ores from beneath Mordor. These structures would go down sixty blocks, accessed by a rickety charred wood staircase and guarded by a cheap stockade at the top. At the bottom is a sort of hub cavern, like the hubs in Dwarven Mines, with chests and orc forges, and three mineshaft entrances. These mineshafts would more or less function like dwarven mines, but more uneven, dark, and haphazard. Mordor Orc Miners would spawn occasionally down here. They would be found primarily in the Mordor Spur, and would rarely appear in Udûn, the Plateau of Gorgoroth, and the Mordor Heartlands as well.
Morgul Camp - Variants of the Mordor Camp, but for Minas Morgul. These camps would only come in the minor and major sizes, with all the accompanying structures, and would structurally be the same, except they would spawn Morgul Orcs, and their trader stalls would have Morgul Orc Traders. They would be exclusive to Morgul Vale.
Morgul Altar - Similar to the Dol Guldur Altar, these structures would be made of Mordor and Gulduril Mordor Brick (the only structure to contain the latter). They would contain a Morgul Crafting Table, and other than that would have no purpose aside from looking spooky. They would be exclusive to Morgul Vale.
Morgul Tower - Vaguely reminiscent of the Mordor Tower, these towers would be found in Morgul Vale, and would be Gondorian ruins occupied by the Orcs of Minas Morgul. These towers would be built Gondorian-style, with Gondor and Númenorean bricks, but have been modified by the Orcs with steel bars, Orc Gates, and a crown of Mordor Brick spikes at the top. Internally, they would be like Gondorian versions of Mordor Towers, the purposes of each floor having been altered long ago. They would contain Morgul Orcs and a Morgul Orc Captain. These would be plentiful sources of Minas Morgul Banners.
Morgul Mansion - Large, ruined estates in the lands of the Morgul Vale. These ornate mansions are Gondorian in origin, made with Gondor and Númenorean bricks. They have long since been abandoned however, and it shows: Most of the interior has been ransacked, many of the bricks are mossy or cracked, and carved Gondor brick is defaced. The mansion would have several parts: exterior gardens in the front and back, both overgrown and full of Morgul-flowers; a ground floor with a foyer, kitchen, dining room, library, and stairwell; an upper level with a stairwell and four bedrooms; and an attic, with odds and ends scattered about. There would be plenty of loot to be found in here. 1 in 5 Morgul Mansions would have been reconfigured to serve as barracks, and a result have had most of the interior cleared in favor of orc beds.
Morgul Stables - Similar in design and function to Dol Amroth stables, Morgul Stables are build out of a mix of Númenorean and Mordor brick. The interior layout is the same: a long corridor with six stable stalls and a large back room, this time with a Morgul Knight Lieutenant. The structure, however, would have a different aesthetic, one much more distinctly evil, if still Númenorean. Morgul Knights would spawn here, and these would uncommonly be found across Morgul Vale.
Mordor Orc-Hold - Medium-sized structures that would generate along hills in the Morgai Vale, the Mordor Heartland, and the Mordor Spur. Orc-holds would consist of a low outer wall around a small courtyard, all made of Mordor Brick and Cobblebrick. The walls would have one gate (plus gatehouse). Inside, there would be clusters of Orc Huts, centered around a small cave with a command room (with a Captain) and an underground dungeon. The hold would be patrolled by Mordor Orcs, Snagae, and Trackers.
Mordor Smithy - Mordor Brick structures that can be found in the Plateau of Gorgoroth, Mordor, Mordor Heartlands, and Udun. These would be round and medium-sized structures, with smokestacks on top. Inside, there would be a number of forges, chests, crafting tables, anvils, and cauldrons, as well as armor stands and weapon racks. In the back of the structure would be a large and somewhat complex lava forge. A Mordor Blacksmith would spawn here.
Cistern - Minor structures that would generate along the roads in Gorgoroth. They would be large wells, about eight blocks deep, with water inside. They would appear infrequently at regular intervals along the roads.
Núrn Slaver Tower - Slaver Towers would be altered slightly. The basic structure and spawning would remain the same, but the structure would be upgraded - currently, they still are built with charred logs instead of the not-so-new beams.
Núrn Farm - These would now have Mordor Slave-Drivers spawn in them as well.
Núrn Castle - Uncommon structures that serve as a Núrn replacement for Mordor Towers. Castles would be similar to Gondor Fortresses, but slightly larger and more complex. Castles would have an outer wall with four watchtowers and a gatehouse, stalls for Mordor Orc Traders and Núrn Quartermasters inside, and a main keep with a Mordor Orc Commander. Núrn Castle Keeps would contain loot chests, crafting tables, banners, barrels, beds, tables of command, and just about everything you would expect in a fortress. The primary material of the build would be Mordor brick.
Núrn Town - Rare structures that would be found only in Núrn. These would be smaller than your average mod town, but they’d still be quite large. A square wall of Mordor Brick and charred wood would surround the town, with watchtowers in each corner. There would be a gate at the center of each wall, and from each four roads lead to a courtyard in the center of the town, where a Núrn Castle lies. A Slaver Tower would spawn in each corner of the town, bordered by three farms each. Along the roads would generate Slave Barracks, long, low, cramped wooden shacks with far too many beds and only one chest.
Nan Ungol Spider Pit - Spider Pits would undergo the same revamping as Warg Pits, except with a ring of wooden stairs facing inward on the rim to prevent the spiders from scaling the walls.
Achievements
These are sorted roughly, for the sake of sanity.
Biomes
Ered Lithui - Enter the Ash Mountains
Ephel Dúath - Enter the Mountains of Shadow
The Inner Fence - Enter the Morgai
The Hordes of Sauron - Enter Udûn
The Dead City - Enter the Morgul Vale
Plateau of Terror - Enter the Plateau of Gorgoroth
Doom’s Wrath - Enter Inner Gorgoroth
The Ash Plain - Enter Lithlad
Eyries Beneath the Moon - Enter the Vale of the Fell Beasts
A Watchful Desert - Enter the Eastern Desolation
Kill
Orcs of the Vale - Kill a Morgul Orc.
The Bane of Men - Kill a Morgul Warrior.
Cursed Cavalry - Kill a Morgul Knight.
Pests of Shadow - Kill Mordor Gnats.
The Dark Hunters - Kill a Mordor Tracker.
The Bandits of Mordor - Kill a Núrn Bandit.
There Is No Escape - Kill a fleeing slave before it escapes.
Cruel Taskmasters - Kill a Núrn Slave-Driver.
Beholden to the Eye - Kill a Mordor Warrior.
Serpents of the Black Land - Kill a Mordor Viper.
Other
Sickly Steel - Equip a full set of Morgul Orc Armor.
Riders of the Dead City - Equip a full set of Morgul Knight Armor.
Slave-Master - Whip 20+ Gondorians into submission.
Whip Warrior - Kill an enemy with a Spiked Whip.
Corporal Punishment - Use a whip.
Workers in the Dark - Trade with a Mordor Orc Miner.
The Guard of the Dark Tower - Hire a unit from a Black Uruk Chieftain.
Captain of the Dead City - Hire units from a Morgul Orc Captain.
The Nazgûl’s Knights - Hire units from a Morgul Knight Lieutenant.
Shadowy Smithwork - Trade with a Mordor Orc Blacksmith.
Titles
The following titles would be made available.
[Udûn] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Durthang] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Carach Angren] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Morgul Orc] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Morgul Warrior] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Morgul Knight] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Lithlad] - Get +100 Mordor alignment.
[Wraithmaster] - Create a Wraith with a Morgul-Blade.
Invasions
Just to clear things up, I’ve made a total list of Mordor invasions, what they would contain, and where they would happen.
Mordor - These would be common in Dagorlad and Ithilien, uncommon in the Brown Lands, Harondor, Wilderland, and Gondor, and rare in Dale, the Dead Marshes, Dorwinion, the Emyn Muil, and Nindalf. They would be 40% Snagae of various types, 24% Orcs, 8% Champions or Siege Archers, 4% Black Uruks, 4% Trackers, 8% Warg Riders, and 4% Ologs, roughly.
Mordor Wargs - These would no longer occur.
Minas Morgul - These would be uncommon in Ithilien, and rare in Gondor. They would be 44% Snagae, 40% Morgul Orcs, 4% Warriors, 8% Knights, and 4% Black Uruks.
Morgul Knights - These would only occur through Horns of Command, and would just contain Morgul Knights.
Black Uruks - These would only occur through Horns of Command from now on, and would just contain Black Uruks.
Nan Ungol - These would only occur, very rarely, in Harondor.
Closing
Congratulations! You made it to the end! Thank you for taking the time to read this monstrosity. This was primarily my work, but was thoroughly scoured by High King Ithilion, our resident loremaster, who suggested many things in here and edited this suggestion. The map of Mordor featured at the beginning was made by Dylanhugh.
I’m not quite done yet. A separate suggestion, concerning Ithilien, is coming soon.
Simply put, the compass and map location of all players who have negative alignment with these factions will disappear within their lands; along with all access to waypoints. Meaning, they cannot use, create, or see waypoints within any of these biomes.
(Edit: This does not mean you cannot use waypoints that are not in one of these biomes. So if you are in Lorien, you can still FT to somewhere else. Just no creating or using waypoints within Lorien.)
Here is the list of these biomes with the reasoning behind their inclusion on this list:
1. Lothlorien: Home of the lady Galadrial and the elvish ring of power Nenya, Lothlorien is one of the last strongholds of elvendom on earth. It is said that so great was the power within this realm, it would never fall save Sauron himself came against them.
2. Rivendell: Home of the Lord Elrond Half-elven, and the greatest of the elvish rings of power, Vilya. Known as the last homely house east of the sea, Rivendell is one of the most heavily defended realms in middle earth.
3. Mordor: Does this even need an introduction? The Land of Shadow, the Black Land, the Dark Country. This is the center of Sauron's power on earth, and The Great Eye, is ever watchful. This is a meme for pity's sake. This does not include Minas Morgul, as it is outside of the Ash Mountains and the Mountains of Ephel Duath.
I've recently finished building a village in Far Harad, occupied by Vanilla villagers I relocated from the overworld using Elven Portals, and during that time, I had to deal with crocodiles quite frequently. It was then that I realised these mobs need an update.
First of all, crocodiles have 20 hitpoints, the same as a normal human NPC, in addition to possessing no armour points. This, of course, is far too low for a heavily scaled reptile several times the mass of a human. I propose that crocodiles be upgraded to have either 35 health and moderate (leather strength) armour points, or have 50 hitpoints with no armour (personally, I prefer the first option)
Then, there's their attack strength. Crocodiles, with one of the strongest bites of any extant animal, only deal a mere two hears of damage! This should be updated to at least five hearts, possibly more. At the moment, crocodiles are nothing more than a nuisance, if that.
Finally, there's the matter of their spawning. I propose that their spawning be adjusted to only sand blocks near water. That (if I'm correct in assuming sand doesn't generate underground) should stop them from spawning in caves, as well as infesting farms.
That's it for this suggestion. Let me know what you think!
Greetings!
This is only a visual change, no practical effect!
I was thinking, we have swords, spears, battleaxes, pikes, halberds, poleaxes, warhammers and many more weapons. But regardless of their length and type, they are always held in one hand and you whack people with them. (The latter point can be a suggestion for future)
Maybe it would not be too hard to implement a feature, where the mod checks if weapon type has 2-handed flag as true, and if so, the character would hold the weapon differently.
When player would be holding 2-handed weapon, they would hold it with both hands. This would also cause any shield the player is wearing, to move to their back as if they were not holding a weapon.
I made a few examples, in first one, hands are simply moved together to hold the weapon
I consider this one the most likely, if this would ever be done, because this is just a basic model with hands moved very simply towards each other.
Then in the second option, we could have both hands on different parts of the weapon shaft, which is closer to how it really is, but might look weird in some cases, like when wearing armor or something? Not sure.
Then the third one is easily the least likely, here the character would be standing a bit sideways, holding the weapon from clearly different parts of the shaft. This is how it would really go, because the shaft can't just randomly go through your body and you're okay with it. (I added the stick there, because without it, it would have looked weird)
Then maybe, just maybe, multiple holding positions could be added, so that really long weapons like polearms and halberds, and thrusting weapons like spears and pikes, would have the position number 3, and then heavy weapons like warhammers and battleaxes would have the position number 2. (I know in reality most warhammers and battleaxes were one-handed, but the mod ones don't exactly look like you can hold them with one hand)
Also before someone says something about it, no, holding dagger downwards shouldn't be a thing, instead they should be held similar to swords.
I know this is unlikely suggestion, but... Maybe? Or what issues would it cause? Anyways...
Thank you for your time reading this, I'll be back!
-Shinare
For an orc firebomb to be crafted, you'd need a bucket filled with lava, which, Mordor is a great place for lava, but they can't exactly create firebombs without iron, which they only have Orc Steel. There would be two ways to solve this situation: 1. Make the "Bucket" recipe craftable from both Iron ingots and Orc Steel 2. Add the "Orc Steel Bucket", which can be crafted on the Dol Guldur, Angmar, and Morgul crafting tables. Yes yes, the suggestion may sound stupid, but Mordor really needs a way to get buckets to withdraw lava, craft a firebomb, or drain the Sea of Nurnen, without having to exit Mordor or it's sub-biomes.
I think we can all agree that NPC archers are not quite as impressive in their performance as you'd expect from one of the most lethal weapons in the course of human history. The range is low, the damage is pathetic and they can only aim straight at the target.
I have noticed that spear-throwing units can throw their spears as far as the player. If you put their render distance higher (with a spawner), they will throw the spear on sight. Quite a funny thing to see if you have large numbers of high-render-distance units with spears in a battle, seeing the projectiles fly around on large distances.
So, I have a possible solution for the poor archer contribution in the mod. If the entire system of an archer could be changed from a skeleton-like short distance shooting with low damage to something like the original Gondor tower-guard having infinite javelins, making a new projectile for the NPC archers to simulate arrows with more damage (possibly thrice as more damage as they do now, varying per unit, making elves significantly better than orcs, etc.) and a much higher range, it would greatly improve the archers. Next to that, their render distance could possible be upped a little bit to make sure that the player cant just stay a bit outside of their range and hunt them like sitting ducks.
Aside from this, I understand that archers often only have a ranged weapon, making sure that they dont just run in battles most of the time, but rather sit back and fire. The archers should have a larger range at which point they start walking away from their target to make them more effective in battles (especially for horse archers, relying on mobile and swift skirmishes). Aside from this, it is a bit strange that archers only have a ranged weapon, so the introduction of a melee weapon would improve things. This would be hard to balance, since minecraft does not allow us to edit "skill levels" of an NPC, and they would just do as much damage in melee as infantry. This could be solved with the possible introduction of lighter archer armour, or limiting them to smaller and less damage inflicting weapons.
For archers shooting into friendly units all of the time, making them ineffective in blobs, I do not have a solution.
Some of you might say that this would make archers way too strong, which is perhaps true. But history shows us that archers ARE very vital. Right now it is just annoying to face one because he keeps you a bit at a distance with the arrows, but it is not life treathening in most situations.
I do want to make clear that the most important thing about this suggestion is the way they fire their projectiles. Even though I dont agree with the lacking of a melee weapon and the rather low damage infliction, I can live with it being unchanged. But honestly, the range is terrible.
Please, do share your thoughts with the rest of us in the comments below, it will only change this suggestion for the better. Thank you for reading.
Greetings,
The main points of this suggestion are the changes to the Dwarven door, listed immedietely below, and the Community chest, everything else is just extra thoughts.
Dwarven doors, the ones that are only revealed by moonlight, need some changes.
1. You should be able to set a password to the door, and thus it should otherwise be locked, or have the ability to be.
2. They should not open unless illumined. (Edit: only for the ithildin variant, so players can still have hidden doors inside mountains, etc)
3. They shouldignore claimed territory, that is, be able to be opened by those not on/under banner protection, but not destroyed.
Community Chest
A chest that completely ignores banner protection.
It could be made by putting gold nugget(s) with a chest, and could have a gold leaf(or something) on it's top.
Reasons for these items:
Let's say you wanted to have a pass through your mountain, that you didn't mind others knowing about (Moria, duh). Maybe you want it for roleplaying features. Maybe you want it for hiding treasures, for others to find, but you don't want them simply mining around, or building dirt paths over obstacles/puzzles, and they get to the chest...and it can't open under banner protection, unless it's a chest that ignores banner protection.
Allowing faction leaders to put out weaponry, food, armor, etc in their keep, or any protected place, and not have to worry about the walls being lifted.
Allow faction members to drop off mined blocks for the faction.
Allowing faction members to have a workable room in the keep/hall/fortress, and not have to worry about a green-horn,disgruntled member,etc going on a griefing spree. It would also need a way of setting the chest so that only 1 person can open it (that is,for this particular point.)
Other items that could be useful to make banner-defying variants :
Forge(Elven,dwarven, normal,etc)
Normal Door
Anvil
Crafting tables (maybe this one is already independent, can't remember, if it isn't i don't see why it would need a variant, just make them independent)
Millstone
As always, sorry if this has been suggested before.
Thank you very much
P.S I hope this rearranging of the post is more satifactory
Camps set up in the innermost areas of the East Bight and surrounding the secluded areas of Dol Guldur, these serve as temporary areas of residence for the Easterling auxiliaries recruited by Khamul.
Here the trees are felled, and small farms and auxiliary structures can be found.
Guldur Fortifications
Identical to current Dol Guldur, save for that trees in general are slightly more common, and the overall area is made larger.
Dol Guldur
Made much darker, with a constant low fog. No trees can be found here, and any evidence of high elven ruins are completely destroyed. The area should be terrifying, with footsteps and wind howling playing sometimes completely randomly, making one have a feeling of being watched.
Items
Dol Guldur Equipment
Would be remade to have non-bone handles, as they don't really make sense.
Dol Guldur Scythes would be added with the same stats as a bardiche and would be poisonable.
Dol Guldur Scythe
A new addition to the Dol Guldur equipment, it has 68% swing speed, 150% reach and 6 damage, but, due to its lower damage strength, can be poisoned. Crafted in a bardiche-fashion on a DG Crafting Table
Dol Guldur Hood
A hood made out of leather with coal powder I a DG Crafting Table. Worn by humans under employment of Dol Guldur because of the difference in conscription size. Provides 1 protection, but reduces potion effects by 30% duration
Dol Guldur Vial
Crafted by placing orc ingots in bottle fashion on a DG Crafting Table.
Can be filled by any liquid, but has the added capacity of being able to hold potions / elixirs.
Can be thrown by right clicking
Dol Guldur Cauldron
A blackened cauldron, used by sorcerers to brew evil potions. Crafted by placing orc ingots in a cauldron fashion on a DG Crafting Table.
Use is explained below.
Cooking Spoon
Crafted by placing 1 stick and 1 plank on any crafting table. Deals 2 damage, but has it's main use in stirring cauldrons. Rarely wielded by female villagers of any faction.
Corrupted Elven Brick
Crafted by placing any Elven brick in any Orcish crafting table.
Any spawned high-elven structure in Dol Guldur would be built out of this.
Auxiliary Horn of Conquest
Summons an Dol Guldur Auxiliary invasion. Requires 1500+ DG and a minimum of 500+ Easterling alignment
NPCS
Orcish Roster
Dol Guldur Runt
Gundabad orcs 'employed' by Dol Guldur to work the land and do the dirty work. They have 16 HP due to malnutrition and wield Dol Guldur tools. They cannot be hired, and spawn almost everywhere
Dol Guldur Orc
Orcs spawned in Dol Guldur who are under complete service to Sauron and his underling Khamul. They have 18 HP, wear full Dol Guldur armor and don't really change much
Dol Guldur Archer
Self-explanatory
Dol Guldur Banner-bearer
Self-explanatory
Dol Guldur Stalker
A Dol Guldur orc specialised in hunting down ranged units. They wear full black leather armor with the exception of a hood, wield poisoned daggers, and have 18 HP. They turn invisible during the night or in a light level of lower than 3.
Mirkwood Spider
No changes, only spider-riders would be removed.
Mirk-troll
No changes, save that they receive a small, swipe-like AOE attack, and can poison various enemies.
Dol Guldur Commander
Self-explanatory.
Easterling Roster
Dol Guldur Auxiliary Foot-soldier
Easterlings (and some rebel Northmen) employed by Dol Guldur to fight on the elven front. They have 20 HP, Dol Guldur armor, save for the helmet, which is replaced by a hood (due to wrong sizes for conscripted equipment).
They wield an assortment of DG and Easterling weapons
Dol Guldur Auxiliary Archer
Self-explanatory, save for that they use Rhunic Bows instead of Orc Bows.
Dol Guldur Auxiliary Cavalry
Self-explanatory, and are a replacement for the lack of mounted units.
Dol Guldur Seargent
An Easterling from which one can hire auxiliary units (which notably, are more expensive than regular Easterlings).
Dol Guldur Warlock
Easterlings who have learnt and practiced the teachings of Sauron, and mastered an extent of brewing and spell casting. They sell various poisons, vials, and gulduril and buy herbs and meat. They can be found at altars.
They can be hired (requiring a very high alignment cost, due to their snobby nature) to fight in battle, which they throw damaging potions at enemies, and melee with scythes.
Structures
Orc Hut
A small, randomly generated hut which includes about 1-2 orcs.
Orc Dungeon
Now made more elaborate, with multiple rooms and areas, and also spawns with a Dol Guldur variant within the surrounding areas.
Dol Guldur Barricade
A small palisade-like structure of Mirkwood, with a secret trapdoor leading to a cramped bedroom and a bunch of equipment.
Auxiliary Camp
A variant of the Dol Guldur camp which spawns instead only with Easterling / Auxiliary units and it's respective captain.
Auxiliary Barrack
A small house, built with wood and thatch, that houses 4-5 auxiliaries. It includes a bunch of loot and equipment.
Auxiliary Stable
A fence stable where horses are kept.
Auxiliary Mess-tent
A large, long tent, where food and drink can be found
Auxiliary Settlement
A mass of camps and tents, where stables, mess tents and rarely a barrack can be found.
Auxiliary Fortification
A moderate rigid wooden fortress, surrounded by a wall with multiple sleeping areas. Inside an Auxiliary Seargent can be found, alongside some Dol Guldur runts and Auxiliary units. It is typically surrounded by many tents and mess tents.
Brewing
A very simple addition.
Now, with a Dol Guldur Cauldron, one can brew malignant potions by throwing various herbs or poisons in over an open fire.
To start, one must build a cauldron, and place it over a flame or furnace.
Then, water is be added, and one can drop in the ingredients.
Each ingredient would provide or enhance a different status effect (and would increase marginally with every addition of the same ingredient, but would lower by 50% in effect efficiency until it basically makes no difference.)
These effects can be combined, but would lower the overall strength of the potion.
The potion, throughout brewing, could be tasted by right clicking the cauldron, which would give you a 1 second status effect of the potion.
Once right clicked with a wooden spoon, the cauldron would be finalized and could not be changed, but can finally be accessed with vials or glass bottles.
Titles & Achievements
Achievements
[Private Army] Hire an Auxiliary
[Mystic Follower] Wear a Dol Guldur Hood
[Alchemy!] Brew an Elixir
[The One Who Shall Not Be Named] Hire a Dol Guldur Warlock
Titles
[Grunt] Gain 50+ DG / MOR / ISN / GND Alignment
[Dol Guldur Cultist] Gain 100+ DG Alignment
[Dol Guldur Auxiliary] Gain 100+ DG Alignment
[Dol Guldur Seargant] Gain 500+ DG + 500 RHN Alignment
So i was recalling all the orcs that I had the pleasure of meeting, when I remembered that I had seen three Shagbegs in two days of wandering across Mordor. Oh, and I also saw another orc named Marlin, (died in a skirmish, rip) and I was very interested as to how an orc attained the name of Marlin. I looked at all the prefixes and suffixes of an orc name, and found out it was possible. So I made a random orc name generator to stop Marlins, Botpits, Ufufs, and all other sorts of names from happening.
How it works
There are two parts to an orcs name, a prefix and a suffix. The prefix will be known as P, and the suffix will be known as S.
Prefixes
Prefixes have two patterns, and each pattern has different components. Pattern one is CVN, where C is a capital letter from a list that is below, V is a vowel also from the list below, and N is a ending sound for an prefix (can be multiple consonants stringed together, like -rz or -sh) which is also shown in the list below. Pattern two is AN, where A is a capital vowel from a list below, and N is the same as above.
Suffixes have 4 patterns, three of which are extremely similar. The first is -za, the second is -sha, and the third is -ga. The fourth pattern is BVD, where B is pulled from a list below, and is the beginning of the suffix of an Orc's name, V is the same as above, and D is the ending of the suffix of an Orc's name, but is different from N (stated above) because I couldn't have an Mighty Black Uruk called Uflaf. That sounds like the name of a bunny.
of course i had to keep this prime example; Gutrash
I mean they work
The amount of names that I can make totals to 802230 (EDIT: probably more because I added some stuff)(EDIT: 7332990 words now), so you won't be seeing any duplicates. I also ran 1000 names on my generator, and I only got 2 duplicates, so it must be pretty good, right?
ok thanks for reading
Edit: Orc Names by Race (Suggested by Hobbityhop)
So we all know there are the mighty Uruk of The Eye, The Mountains, and The Hand, and then the Orcs of Angmar, Dol Guldur, and Mordor. Then there are the Scum of Uruk-kind, the Snaga, and Gundabad-rats. Each of these races will have different lists for C,V,N,A,B and D, although they will be mostly the same.
Gundabad: See Snagae in the Doc.
Mordor: The above list is the Mordor one.
Angmar, Dol Guldur, Snagae, and all Uruks will be shown on this doc.
A few days ago, I found an old 3-month old(in real time) glass of white wine in my old pouch in Harad. I wondered to myself, Why not make a suggestion about making wine age?
And so I'm here with this tiny suggestion. Note that this is purely for aesthetics and aging wont serve any purpose other than showing off or something more meaningless.
A wine barrel will have its amount of real-time hours existing right beneath where its potency level is.
I apologize if this suggestion is superfluous, but I honestly haven't seen one already inclusive of it.
Here it is: with the addition of mithril mail, almost all mithril armour now uses mithril mail in the recipe which is more cost effective, with the exception of horse armour. Perhaps could the recipe for horse armour also be updated to use mithril mail instead of ingots? It is right now worth 14 mithril mail (7 ingots), and I think it would be great if it was more matched to other armour and use 7 mail instead. Thanks!
Old Title: Achieving enough alignment that they will let you choose where to build faction structures
Thoughts on, when reaching high enough alignment with a faction that you have the ability to purchase / trade materials for a Build item, ie 'Build Gondor Watchtower 4367:407' allowing you to effectively choose where they build their next tower? Could be restricted to zones that match the faction.
Orc dungeons have been in the mod since Public Beta 11. Crazy, isn't it? In my opinion, they're long overdue for an update.
Let's run down the list of improvements.
General Improvements
First off, the current design is just kind of bland. A stone brick box with chests and pillars.
Dungeons be changed to a larger, slightly cavernous room, lit with a hearth fire in the center. The best loot would spawn in four chests arranged around the fire, but this is where the Orcs and their chieftain would spawn.
Branching off of the main room would be several (two to four) small tunnels, each with a single chest. These branches can be empty except for the chest, may contain an Orc bed, or can be blocked off by Orc bars with a skull behind them.
A crafting table of the owning faction has an unlikely chance to spawn in one of the branches.
Dungeon Types
All Orc factions would get their own dungeon, because who doesn't like a little bit of variety? Most faction variations would have patches of their faction's brick on the walls of the main room, with the exception of the more organized ones. For example...
Gundabad
Would have patches of default stone brick (More uncommonly can spawn as Dwarven brick) along the walls. Waste blocks and skulls would spawn scattered around the dungeon, and there would be a chance for no fire to spawn in the center. Loot would be a mix of Orc equipment, bones, skulls, rotten flesh, but would also have more gems and treasure, like gold, silver, etc. Mithril would have a very, very slightly better chance to spawn.
Angmar
Very ruined, with patches of stone brick mixing with what remains of Angmar brick, some of it Gulduril-ed. The hearth blocks in the center can have a chance to be unlit, but Gulduril torches can spawn along the walls. Loot would include low durability Angmar equipment, the usual treasure, and other miscellaneous drops.
Dol Guldur
Patches of Dol Guldur brick cover the walls, again with some of it in the Gulduril state. The hearth in the center would be slightly more sophisticated than the previously mentioned ones, surrounded by Dol Guldur brick, spiked at the corners. Webs would be common, with some of the branching tunnels blocked off with them. Spiders would spawn along with Orcs here, and loot would include Dol Guldur equipment, along with some loot taken from Dwarven and Elven prisoners.
Isengard
These would look much less cavernous than the others. Rather than Uruk brick simply appearing in patches through the stone, it would line the walls, although the ceiling would still be domed with rock. Orc torches would line the tunnels, although hallways would be a better word, and the iron bar-variant of branch wouldn't spawn. Orc forges would spawn in the main room, and chest loot would include Uruk equipment, meat, and bones, but the only ores/ingots be Iron and Uruk steel.
Mordor
Similar to the Isengard Dungeon, this is much less cave-like than the others. The hallways would only consist of the jail and normal chest variants, so no Orc beds can be found in these. Like the Dol Guldur Dungeon, the hearth is spiked, and cannot spawn unlit. Orc torches are found on pillars and the hallways are lit with blocks of Durnaur under Orc bars. Wherever tunnels do not spawn, an Orc forge spawns instead. Chest loot consists of all the normal items, but also Mordor equipment.
And that's the suggestion. I hope to get pictures to shorten down the currently very long and confusing descriptions of each variant, and please leave any comments or constructive criticism you have down in the comments.
I am sure everyone has had this problem. Personally, every single time I get off my steed, by the time I get out of my tent the pig has made a run for it and is halfway to Rhun already. It literally turns into a high speed chace across the Great Desert!
To fix this, I try to keep a lead on me, and rope up the piggy/camel and go about my way. However, 87% of the time, I turn around, and, guess what? THE PIG IS GONE AGAIN. The lead is on the floor, the pig is already in Rhun. Too late now!
Another picture: I'm riding my horse around, getting home after a long day of terrorizing gondor, carrying two donkeys on leads behind me, with chests on their backs full of loot and gondorian drops. EVERY TIME, I ride forty blocks, I have to turn around and make sure my donkeys are still there. And almost every time, one, if not both of them, are off the lead and guess what? OFF TO RHUN TO PARTY WITH THE PIG.
Sorry for the overly-long intro, but I just need to stress this point. Would it be possible to make a stronger lead or rope? Because I believe it would be VERY useful, as the normal lead is very laggy and breaks all the time. We have normal rope and elven rope.... would it be possible for them to serve the same function as the lead? And if possible, be stronger?
Hope you guys understand where this is coming from! Kudos much appreciated, write your stories about how your 20 heart, full speed horse of rohan broke off from the lead and went to rhun.
Okay, we have a serious problem with mithril gates. Mithril is VERY rare, and extremely useful. I have wanted to make mithril gates before, but SERIOUSLY? EIGHT mithril ingots for 4 gates? Wow... that is a LOT a lot. My suggestion is very simple.
Instead of eight mithril surrounding the one gate gear, I suggest have it be four mithril and four iron, since in the books, the gates were wrought of mithril and STEEL. So, since we dont have steel yet, we can use iron. Yes? I would say four mithril ingots for four gates is a lot more fair. And besides, mithril was said in the books to be all lost or hoarded by the trolls and orcs long gone. Where did the dwarves get enough to make such a big gate basically PURELY OF MITHRIL? Makes no sense.
Also: Mithril would bend but not break, and stand firm against any attack once it cooled and made ino the actual armor/plates/whatever needed. I believe that mithril gates should be "special" in order to actually make them USEFUL, because it is true. Hobbit gates are just as useful and strong as mithril gates.
So, bombs and explosives will NOT damage mithril gates. Everything around it may break, but the mithril gate will NOT.
Second, it will take just as long to break mithril gates as it takes to break obsidean. (its mithril, lore-wisely, its supposed to be invincible, but... you see the problem with that.
In the "Middle-earth Shields" menu screen, I think it would be great if there was a button to show you what each shield would look like with the current armour that you are wearing. This button would have two options - Hide Armour and Show Armour. By default armour would be hidden ( - the button would say "Show Armour")
Normally I would spend a bit more time writing these, but since this is simple I am just going to one draft it.
Simply put, elves have a stupid habit of changing from melee to range when their target gets just out of reach. This is especially problematic with faster enemies and those with knockback. The elves get stuck in a loop of melee/bow/melee/bow doing little to no damage until they die. I have two suggestions as to how this can be rectified.
1. The simplest solution: change the distance that elves will change from bow to melee so there is less chance of the elves being knock silly with a knockback stick and changing to their bows.
2. Give elves the ability to be ranged or melee Warriors in their gui. Perhaps even a horn of command especially for elves telling them to change weapons so as to more precisely control when they change their weapons.
That is all folks. If you disagree with my logic hire one elf and one Orc and equip the Orc with a knockback weapon. Then watch as the elf is mutilated while he/she fumbles with their weapons.
(Edited by moderator)
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