I think this map needs an overhal. It was made in 2013. It was later revised and edited in October 2015 with some flag changes before EW shut down and then it was re-added to EW v2 in April 2017 with very few small build/visual updates.
After 6 years, it still has nearly the same layout, which is pretty inaccurate to the film and has some flaws. In parts it looks outdated, especially the cave terrain which is obvious world edit and not up to the rest of the servers standards.
Problems:
* Layout not like movies (specifically the 2 stairs rooms and first flag)
* Size/scaling is off (Bridge of khazad dum is way too huge, stairs, pillars are too big in hall rooms)
* Details (new building techniques can be used, much better than what people did in 2013-2015)
* New blocks can be used now
* Map lacks unique gameplay additions (like heros saying things in chat on tirith/helms)
* Map is really big, maybe if built more to scale it would also be more proportionate to our playerbase.
The only major battles that took place here that we know of are: Balrog attack. This is not a siege. Balin's Group trying to reclaim Moria. This is also not a siege. That leaves the BATTLE OF AZANULBIZAR. In the lore, Dwarves fight to reclaim Moria from the Orcs that have overrun it, but end up losing too many Dwarves to pursue the attack after defeating the Orc defense at the gate. This leaves Moria still under the control of the Balrog. BUT, like the Edoras map, this could be a fictional battle where the Dwarves instead keep pushing to attack and claim Moria. BUT, for the sake of the suggestion, I will keep it with Dwarves controlling the whole map and Orcs Attacking. The main reason is if Dwarves are pushing inwards, then this gets rid of the Balin's Tomb fight with bashable gate, a key gameplay element of the original.
[rule]
Moria
The Battle of Moria
The Dwarves must fight to defend heir city from awakened Orcs in the caverns of Moria all the way to the eastern Dimrill Gate, where the Fellowship of the Ring would later escape from in their journey. There are older and much fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world...
Total Length: 45 Minutes (20 minutes at first flag and later added times from flags)
Team Ratio: 4 Dwarves:5 Orcs (Dwarves have stronger classes in general and have defensive advantage)
Gates: Balin's Tomb
Trolls: Yes (To counter Dwarf Hammerer + Dwarf Longbeard)
Multiple Spawns: No (Map is linear, no recaps, so spawn is always at the front flags)
Flags: (Last flag at top, possible alternate flag names are in parenthesis)
Valley of Azanulbizar (Dimrill Dale)
1st Hall (East Gate) (Dimrill Gate) [OPTIONAL FLAG, but the real Moria has a hall between gate & bridge)
Bridge of Khazad-Dum
2nd Hall [if there is no 1st hall this flag would make less sense being called 2nd hall...]
The Great Stairs
22nd Hall [made up name by me, in the movies it's just a hall after the 21st hall]
Chamber of Mazarbul (Balin's Tomb)
21st Hall
Mithril Mines [place by the 3 doors where gandalf sits]
Caverns [between moria entrance/mines]
West Gate Hall [orc starting place, it would be very destroyed, bloody, skulls everywhere, caverns/tunnels made by orcs. the orc spawns would be coming from holes in the walls/ground/ceiling and the caverns flag would be in the start of the cave part, see diagram]
[rule]
Classes: Same as current.
Maybe a new class for Dwarves would be cool. Iron Guard (slow, pike, avg armor) Guard of Khazad-Dum (gold/blue armor, low armor, high dmg). Nothing polished but just name ideas.
Bring back balrog for testing, staff only for now?
Diagram:
In turms of layout, yes like Conwy's Moria (because it's based on the MOVIE. It's not copying CONWY...)
BUT, I think some new twists can be made based off Tolkien's lore. It's not all about the movies. The caverns/mines part I think could be more unique. The hallways, tomb, bridge/great stairs, and east gate should 100% be based off movie because they are iconic and look great.
CONCLUSION:
DEAR EQ, I think you really should consider updating Moria and Tobber consider to use this thread as a starting point for updating the map, over the next 3-4 months if anything is decided. Instead of doing more "edhelonds" and unheard of places in the actual books & movies, it would be better to update the iconic and important LOTR locations. I think Moria needs to be addressed. Tirith has, Helm's has, Erebor has.
After 6 years, it still has nearly the same layout, which is pretty inaccurate to the film and has some flaws. In parts it looks outdated, especially the cave terrain which is obvious world edit and not up to the rest of the servers standards.
Problems:
* Layout not like movies (specifically the 2 stairs rooms and first flag)
* Size/scaling is off (Bridge of khazad dum is way too huge, stairs, pillars are too big in hall rooms)
* Details (new building techniques can be used, much better than what people did in 2013-2015)
* New blocks can be used now
* Map lacks unique gameplay additions (like heros saying things in chat on tirith/helms)
* Map is really big, maybe if built more to scale it would also be more proportionate to our playerbase.
The only major battles that took place here that we know of are: Balrog attack. This is not a siege. Balin's Group trying to reclaim Moria. This is also not a siege. That leaves the BATTLE OF AZANULBIZAR. In the lore, Dwarves fight to reclaim Moria from the Orcs that have overrun it, but end up losing too many Dwarves to pursue the attack after defeating the Orc defense at the gate. This leaves Moria still under the control of the Balrog. BUT, like the Edoras map, this could be a fictional battle where the Dwarves instead keep pushing to attack and claim Moria. BUT, for the sake of the suggestion, I will keep it with Dwarves controlling the whole map and Orcs Attacking. The main reason is if Dwarves are pushing inwards, then this gets rid of the Balin's Tomb fight with bashable gate, a key gameplay element of the original.
[rule]
Moria
The Battle of Moria
The Dwarves must fight to defend heir city from awakened Orcs in the caverns of Moria all the way to the eastern Dimrill Gate, where the Fellowship of the Ring would later escape from in their journey. There are older and much fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world...
Total Length: 45 Minutes (20 minutes at first flag and later added times from flags)
Team Ratio: 4 Dwarves:5 Orcs (Dwarves have stronger classes in general and have defensive advantage)
Gates: Balin's Tomb
Trolls: Yes (To counter Dwarf Hammerer + Dwarf Longbeard)
Multiple Spawns: No (Map is linear, no recaps, so spawn is always at the front flags)
Flags: (Last flag at top, possible alternate flag names are in parenthesis)
Valley of Azanulbizar (Dimrill Dale)
1st Hall (East Gate) (Dimrill Gate) [OPTIONAL FLAG, but the real Moria has a hall between gate & bridge)
Bridge of Khazad-Dum
2nd Hall [if there is no 1st hall this flag would make less sense being called 2nd hall...]
The Great Stairs
22nd Hall [made up name by me, in the movies it's just a hall after the 21st hall]
Chamber of Mazarbul (Balin's Tomb)
21st Hall
Mithril Mines [place by the 3 doors where gandalf sits]
Caverns [between moria entrance/mines]
West Gate Hall [orc starting place, it would be very destroyed, bloody, skulls everywhere, caverns/tunnels made by orcs. the orc spawns would be coming from holes in the walls/ground/ceiling and the caverns flag would be in the start of the cave part, see diagram]
[rule]
Classes: Same as current.
Maybe a new class for Dwarves would be cool. Iron Guard (slow, pike, avg armor) Guard of Khazad-Dum (gold/blue armor, low armor, high dmg). Nothing polished but just name ideas.
Bring back balrog for testing, staff only for now?
Diagram:
In turms of layout, yes like Conwy's Moria (because it's based on the MOVIE. It's not copying CONWY...)
BUT, I think some new twists can be made based off Tolkien's lore. It's not all about the movies. The caverns/mines part I think could be more unique. The hallways, tomb, bridge/great stairs, and east gate should 100% be based off movie because they are iconic and look great.
CONCLUSION:
DEAR EQ, I think you really should consider updating Moria and Tobber consider to use this thread as a starting point for updating the map, over the next 3-4 months if anything is decided. Instead of doing more "edhelonds" and unheard of places in the actual books & movies, it would be better to update the iconic and important LOTR locations. I think Moria needs to be addressed. Tirith has, Helm's has, Erebor has.
