When you hear about pvmp its usually about the balance or lack there off. This isn’t one of those times. As Galadriel so wisely mentioned “The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth.” What if that change would be the literal playing field of pvmp?
The (only used) map for pvmp is The Ettenmoors. For most of its existence the layout and terrain has been the same its entire life. Players know every nook and cranny of it. Pvmp has moved into a game of probability and chance. 4 beats 2 and 1 won’t do much against 3. This has in turn dictated where any battles will take place.
- a place for the losing team to retreat to (if under their control)
- a resurrection point nearby and a safe road to get back
- tactical options to outmaneuver the enemy
Where do you normall fight?
11 years of slowly honing these points has turned the Ettenmoors into desolate wasteland with few active places. Both medium keeps Luguzag and Tirith rhaw provide all 3 points and are the linchpin of an evening of pvmp. Graveyards and choke points near rivers are ok, but are static and don’t allow for many opportunities to turn the battles.
Yellow and orange are outliers for larger battles, but blue are points of interest where small skirmishes do occur. Red and black are areas where nearly nothing is found beside the occasional mob or quester.
Suggested map revamp
What if you’d squeeze the map?
Remove most of the black areas and move point of interest like questhubs inland. We’d shorten the distance between basecamps, medium capture points (TR/Lug) and the centre. Then squeeze the northeast and southwest passages inwards and add capture points with two different surroundings (isengard tunnel and grimwood forest) providing line of sight and chances for flanking.
Alternative Valley
Dynamic objectives
The raid bosses in Fror and the gifts of Carrock (flags) provide an unreliable center of battle due to the size of the current Ettenmoors.
The Delving of Fror (lotros underground pvmp) and Tol ascarnen could instead provide an extra layer for objective based pvp. Instead of a passive bonus if either side controls these places. Use these bastions for raid groups as a place for Capture the flag or king of the hill game play. Tol ascarnen is often ignored due to its size and has no impact on the battlefields themselves. With a leaner and focused battlefield these could provide a shifting tide and objective.
Shifting battlegrounds and an end
Opposite of moving players with objectives why not move the battlegrounds. Create an NPC army that would support the players at the beginning and overtime have these npcs become stronger and numerous. Use the objective and control points as buffs to either side. This would allow for smaller groups to support the NPC or raid by capturing and/or defending side-objectives. While the raid and organised groups assault the forces head on.
Fixed objectves with NPC push
This would however lead to a point in time where either side would have won the battle. Losing one of the core identities of the Ettenmoors. The ongoing battlefields that have never stopped. However that might be a false lull. The “battle gets killed” at some point when a graveyard gets flipped and both side spend time searching for the other side in the vast empty spaces between TR and Lug.
The Ettenmoors would reset or restart with each player receiving a reward or their side and contribution to effort (insert complicated formulae for renown and commendations here).
A lean and mean fighting machine
Each player entering Ettenmoors would have an objective and choice . Contribute to the main fight for a short while or will you go for the long haul. Organize your kin group; retake and flank the enemy by shear coordination and skill. Join the fray solo or duo with the protection of some NPC’s in the main battle and push them back.
In either of the two modes players on both side would face more opposition more often, with players having a reason and focal point on the map. Less time looking for a battle or running back across the map.
Addendums
A – Revamped map won’t do much without support by SSG or the players themselves. A fair and balanced creep and freep team is the basis on which pvmp can grow again. Update 23 might provide a creep baseline while the normal class balance providing a varied mix of freeps already.
B – While the Sunder of Osgiliath was a valiant effort to create a leaner pvmp experience it player number was too narrow. In a small group you could only capture a few flags and with too large a group the battle would blend into a homogenous mess on a bridge. The number of activities and keeps felt lackluster compared to the Ettenmoors.
C – Most of the “revamp” is my attempt to update the original experience with current game design. When Lotro launched MMO’s and it’s pvmp was different then what a new Lotro and pvp would most likely be. A new Ettenmoors would provide a quicker combat within the confines of what is possible within lotro. No new combat system, but more obstacles like rocks, trees and ruins that provide cover from ranged and inductions for melee classes.
D – Using either objectives or NPC reinforcements would provide the means for a wider groupsize, quicker call to action in a map style reminisced of Conquest (Battlefield 2), Alterac Valley (wow) or a Dota map. Using elements from these games could work within pvmp and lotro, but provide a fresh chance for pvmp on both sides.
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I think only minor tweaks are needed for the current map. If the map is reduced in size, it limits the overall strategy. There have been many nights, when out numbered, I had to keep moving my group around the map. When you are facing two different groups, you need to split them up. Once you engage one, the clock starts on how long the second shows up. A smaller map would take this cat and mouse aspect out of the game. I also feel, if there are strong NPC forts, factions would turtle in them only coming out to destroy someone when they had the advantage. This discourages grouping up, everyone clumps together solo. A group will use it’s stealth classes to find the enemy, finding them is not normally a problem. People not logging on because of balance is a much bigger issue. Best thing to do is to try and boost creeps and eliminate in combat use of the keep back doors.