The link to the detailed description is here:
ELVES DWARVES MORDOR ISENGARD GOBLINS OVERALL CHANGES -Builder Battalion/Hordes - Builders are now battalions/hordes of five laborer units vice a single cart-pulling porter. Builder battalions can now also, in addition to build and put out fires, repair structures (for a small cost), fight (though they have a very weak attack) and can be upgraded with a new race specific Palantir Powers. Finally, for FoD, builder hordes also serve as lumber gatherers. Builder batts/hordes cost 500 and can be produced at Fortresses, lumber mills, and all resource producing buildings. -Elite Units – Each faction can now unlock an elite unit as a 15 PP ability; these units are limited to three per fortress that you own (so, if you have three fortresses, you can have 9 elite battalions), are very expensive, and very powerful. However, they are not meant to replace heroes or be able to win the game by themselves, as they can still be countered if you don’t have any supporting forces. Basically, they provide a mid-to-late game edge to your army when all sides are reaching their pop caps. -Sword Units – Currently, many sword units (Gondor Swordsmen, Lorion Warriors, Orc Warriors) etc. are not super useful, especially mid-to-late game, so I would make them the only type of non-siege unit that is very strong against buildings in order to make them more valuable. Pikes, archers, and to a lesser extent cavalry would become much less effective against buildings; this would also help the problem of how easily buildings die in the current game. Also, as you will notice below, I have added upgrades that improve the fighting abilities of many swordsmen type units. -Goblin Scavenger upgrades – A change, all Goblin units that can get armor/weapon upgrades (Goblins/Marauders) do so by picking up weapons left by dead enemy. Think of it like the GLA in CNC Generals driving over crates left by dead enemies. Goblins can do this once they research Scavenged Blades/Scavenged Armor at the Treasure Trove. The advantage is that they can get upgrades for no cost… the disadvantage is that they must win a battle first to do it. If goblins are already fully upgraded and they run over dead enemy’s gear, then they just gain some additional experience. Poison Blades and Poison Arrows are now upgrades that must be purchased. -Inns -Wells/Hearths/Mirrors of Galadriel – Wells would now cost 450. In addition to healing troops, placing one of these near Farm/Mine/Mallorn Tree, respectively, increases the rate at which that resource building gains veterancy by 50%, thus causing them to level up faster and get their max production ability sooner. This is to compensate for FoL lack of something equivalent to FoD’s Lumber Mills, which can produce resources regardless of terrain/proximity to other buildings. Mirrors of Galadrial would be slightly better and cost 500, but heal units faster and increase rate of Mallorn Tree veterancy by 75%. Finally, Wells/Hearths/Mirrors would reduce cost of cavalry 3% each, just like statues reduce cost of infantry (after 10 wells no additional cost reduction). So 10 Wells max would reduce cavalry costs 30%. -Walls -Buildings Cost/HPs/Damage - As mentioned above, regular buildings would take 75% less damage from archers and pikes and 50% less damage from cavalry than they do in the current game. Fortresses would take 75% less damage from archers, pikes, and cavalry and 25% less damage from swordsmen than they do in the current game. Buildings would have also have 20% more base hps than they do in the current game. Finally, all stable-type buildings would cost 50% more to slow down cavalry rushing. -Building Veterancy – Buildings will automatically upgrade themselves if they c=gain enough experience by producing enough units… however, if you want to speed up the process, you can use resources to upgrade buildings. Upgrading to Level 2 buildings costs 500 and Level 2 buildings gain 100% more hps and produce units 25% faster. Upgrading to Level 3 buildings cost 1000 and Level 3 buildings gain 200% hps, a defensive arrow tower, and produce units 50% faster. This is to make leveling up unit-producing buildings more worthwhile and to give an actual incentive to upgrade buildings to level 3. -Unit Veterancy/Banner Carriers – All units/heroes (including Ents, Treebeard, and siege now) except for Eagles and Fire Drakes (which start level 10) and, of course, Explosive Mines, would be able to gain veterancy now. Finally, instead of purchasing an upgrade for Banner Carriers, now all level 3 buildings automatically produce units with banners/level 2 units. This is the only way to get units to level 2 besides having them gain that rank through combat. -Fortesses – All Fortresses now provide 25% attack/armor bonus to nearby allies (See section on leadership at the bottom). Fortress Armor (including Expansions) now takes 75% less damage from archers, pikes, and cavalry and 25% less damage from swordsmen (Siege damage is unchanged). Finally, all Fortress Expansion towers have range equal to that of mobile siege units, meaning that they will beat the mobile siege in a 1v1 fight since they have better armor; this means you have to “outgun” the fortress with more mobile siege weapons and (hopefully) would make actual Sieges a much more relevant part of the game than they are now. LEADERSHIP I am giving this an entire section to itself because it is one of the big “game-altering” concepts: I would make it so all types of leadership are the same (i.e. no difference between spells, hero aura, buffs, etc.) Leadership would be available at four different levels Leadership CAN stack, but only up to Level 4/100%.... anything beyond that does not stack. So, for example, say you have Theoden and Eomer, each giving Level 2 (50%) Leadership… all the units around them would get Level 4 (100%) Leadership…. However, if you got, say, Aragorn with his Level 4 (100%) Leadership and added Rallying Call (50%), you would only get 100% effect on your troops. Debuffs like Cave Batts and Nazgul Fear attacks are not changed from current game, so I am only addressing “positive” Leadership here. Here is an itemized list of all Leadership sources and what Leadership Level they provide by themselves: MOTW ELVES DWARVES MORDER ISENGARD GOBLINS [This message has been edited by bellitordei (edited 03-17-2006 @ 10:50 AM).]
SUMMARY OF NEW UNITS/BUILDINGS
MOTW
-Knights of Dol Amroth (ELITE; requires PP to unlock)
-Foot Captain – Leadership for infantry only
-Rohan Archer (bows only)
-Rohirrim (spears only)
-Knights of Gondor (eliminated)
-Tower Guard (improved)
-Rangers (Longbow upgrade required for Longshot ability)
-Worker Battalion (5 Peasents who can have attack upgraded with Draft PP)
-MANY Hero changes
*Ranger Outpost (cloaked building; recruit Ithilien Rangers here)
-Lorion Guards (ELITE; requires PP to unlock)
-Pathfinder (single elf recon unit)
-Beornings (heavy single melee unit; like Elven version of Troll)
-Lorion Warriors (new upgrade available)
-Rivendell Lancers (new upgrades available)
-Worker Battalion (5 Elven workers can be upgraded with Healer PP ability)
-MANY Hero changes
*Mirkwood Camp (recruit Beornings/Mirkwood Archers here)
-Royal Guardians (ELITE; require PP to unlock)
-King Brand (new Hero; require PP to unlock)
-Guardians (require Dwarven Courage upgrade for Charge ability)
-Axe Throwers (can be upgraded with Bearded Axes now)
-Siege Engineers (can build superior defensive structures)
-Worker Battalion (can be upgrade with Miner PP ability to improve economy)
*Dwarve Workshop (recruit Siege Engineers/Siege Weapons/Battlewagons here)
-Mumakils (ELITE; require PP to unlock)
-Rhun Chariots (new light cavalry)
-Drummer Troll (armor upgrade available)
-Worker Horde (can be upgrade with Slave Drivers PP ability)
-Corsairs from Inn only now
-Catapults/Rams (can be upgraded with Slave Trolls now)
-Several Hero changes
*Great Foundry (upgrades and siege purchased here)
-Uruk Hunters (ELITE; require PP to unlock)
-Wargs (require Savagery upgrade for Howl ability)
-Wildmen (recruitable besides Inn now)
-Ballistas (Engines of Saruman upgrade available)
-Worker Horde (can be upgraded with Forged Axes PP ability)
-Several Hero changes
*Wildmen Camp (recruit/upgrade Wildmen here)
-Marauder Brutes (ELITE; require PP to unlock)
-Black Wargs (New heavy cavalry unit; can be upgrade with Predators ability)
-Cave Trolls (can be upgraded with Wild Strength)
-Goblin Thief (New unit that can scout/steal from enemy)
-Goblin Warriors/Archers (require upgrades to get Poison Blades/Poisen Arrows)
*Warg Den (recruit Black Wargs)
* All FoL factions would be able to recruit Dunedaine Rangers, a Dunedaine Hero Halbarad, and/or Create-a-Heros from Inns (no Hobbits/Men of Dale now). Dunedaine Rangers cost 800, candetect stealth, can switch between foot and mounted, and have Ranger Fury ability, which increases attack rate by 100% for short time. Halbarad costs 2400 and has ability to use sword or bow, mount horse, Leadership, summon Hawk ability (hawk increases LOS and reduces enemy armor to 75%), and Grey Company, which summons several Dunedaine Battalions.
*All FoD recruit Corsairs (no Wildmen now), a Corsair hero Bloodbeard, and/or Create-a-Heros from Inns. Corsairs cost 500 and are very powerful against buildings with their melee attack. Fire Bomb is now a special ability that must recharge after each use, but does very high fire damage. Blood Beard costs 1800 and has War Shout (temporary leadership), Great Fire Bomb, Black Fury (increases his armor and attack 80%) and Enforce Discipline (grant experience to allies) abilities.
*Walls would cost 50% of current costs but would take twice as long to build; also, would only take damage from siege units (this includes Siege Hammered Guardians). Another change, walls, like all buildings, could be repaired quickly by workers for a small cost; if you don’t do this and they are left alone, then just like in current game they would start healing themselves after a while for no charge. *MOTW/Elves/Darves/Isengard get access to these “regular walls.” MOTW and Dwarves can further upgrade these wall segments to become stronger “walkable” walls like those from BFME2 for the same price as walls are currently (so, regular walls cost 50% of current game walls and fully upgraded “walkable walls” cost 150% of current walls). Troops can obviously be placed on walkable walls for defense (wall hups also serve as stairways for friendly troops). Additionally, walkable walls have increased hps and are the only walls that can be upgraded with defensive structures (i.e. catapults, towers, postern gates etc.). “Regular walls” can only be upgraded with normal Gates.
Level 1 – Adds 25% armor/attack
Level 2 – Adds 50% armor/attack
Level 3 – Adds 75% armor/attack
Level 4 – Adds 100% armor/attack
All Fortresses – Level 1
All Statues – Level 2
Warchant/Rallying Call – Level 2
Tainted Lands/Elven Wood – Removes enemy Leadership and grants friendly Level 2
Halbarad – Level 2
War Shout (Bloodbeard) – Level 3
Aragorn – Level 4
Theoden – Level 2
Eomer – Level 2 (Cavalry only)
Eowyn – Level 1 (Workers only)
Boromir – Level 3
Faramir – Level 2
Gandalf – Level 4
Foot Captain – Level 1 (Infantry only)
Elrond – Level 4
Arwen – Level 1
Treebeard – Level 1 (Ents only)
Haldir – Level 2
Glorfindil – Level 3
Eagle Lord – Level 2
King Daine – Level 4 (Mighty Rage is Level 2)
King Brand – Level 2 (Men of Dale only)
Guardian Charge – Level 1
Witchking – Level 4
Drummer Troll – Level 2
Saruman – Level 4
Lurtz – Level 2
Sharku – Level 2 (Wargs only)
Gorkil – Level 4