Brief Mordor Suggestions

[d0m0a]

I would suggest to reduce the orcs' cost when recruiting them. The Orcs can stay be free, bu the Orc Pikemen could cost only 100 resources and the Orc Archers cost 200 resources. After all, the Mordor game style is spam a huge army of weak units at low cost. Making Orc Pikemen and Arches cost the same or more as other faction units defeats the reason Mordor's strategy of recruit troops with few resources.

The Orcs recruited in Minas Morgul/Dol Guldir/Cirith Ungol barrack can maintain the price, after all, they're updated orcs and are stronger than the basic recruited orcs.

Also you could rise the price for recruit Siege Weapons and Trolls balance the faction after of reduce the orc's prices.

[Saeros]

So, apart from gameplay-based and conceptual aspects, if there is not an alternative animation that could be used, the technical implication mentioned above clearly indicates that this possibility has very low chances to find a way in the game due to pragmatic modding problematics too. Not to mention that the Edain Team's current priority is anything but coming up with a new animation just for a sole ability.

So the actual problem here is the lack of a decent animation? Or I just didn't understand what you said..?

Because a competent player will have pikes close to his archers, and when a Mumakil appears and decides to charge into them, the pikes can intercept its charge

So the other competent player will not charge those pikes...
I agree to the rest, but in order to make the mumakil as effective as it can be the charge attack is a pretty good option. The pikes can't protect all those you said at the same time, so if used properly at the perfect time it can turn the tide of a battle!

All in all the mumakil is good but its nerf made it less potent..

[Odysseus]

Yes it was a nerf, but the Mumakil is as good as it gets. You don't pay any resources for the damn thing.

[Hamanathnath]

I don't think the nerf makes the Mumakil too weak, considering the Mumakil can still trample without the Charge attack. 

[Walküre]

So the actual problem here is the lack of a decent animation? Or I just didn't understand what you said..?

I don't think there are plenty of animations available, specifically designed for that unique ability of that unique unit.

As I said, if there are not many alternatives, there is little that can be done. Creating a new animation for units of this kind is something complicated and really demanding. The priorities are others now.

[Garlodur]

I do get the feeling that the Mûmakil efficiency is decreased, although maybe just slightly, without this ability. I myself used it quite often even though it was clunky: it was some kind of 'suicide' attack when the Mûmak had little health left and I had the opportunity to make it go throuh big clumps of enemies.

I suggest the ability is revamped to do exactly this: high damage output to units for a short duration with a long cooldown. Alternatively it could be one high damage attack à la wizard blast with some stunning effect.

This shouldnt be too hard to even balance out if you realise that the Charge ability had a very uneven effect in the sense that sometimes you could do a lot of damage whereas other times you barely hit one unit.

[lordoflinks]

Would it be possible to allow Sauron with the Ring to transform into his other forms and vice versa?

[Gnomi]

We forbid him to change forms, because of the lore - on the one hand we wanted different forms, on the other hand it was written that Sauron wasn't able to change forms after he made the one ring.
That's why we still gave him the different forms, but forbid him to change as soon as he got the ring.

[Der Dunkle König]

We forbid him to change forms, because of the lore - [...] it was written that Sauron wasn't able to change forms after he made the one ring.

As far as I know, Sauron just wasn't longer able to take a shape which seemed nice to the eyes of men after this 'nice' body was destroyed during the Akallabêth. He still should have been able to change to the form of a vampire, wolf and so on after that - but, for example, not to Annatar. Or am I wrong?

But Suaron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which he had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, [...]

[Walküre]

As far as I know, Sauron just wasn't longer able to take a shape which seemed nice to the eyes of men after this 'nice' body was destroyed during the Akallabêth. He still should have been able to change to the form of a vampire, wolf and so on after that - but, for example, not to Annatar. Or am I wrong?

Good question. As far as I always understood, not only was Sauron deprived of the possibility to disguise himself in a fair form, but he also lost his capability of shape-shifting (which is the most iconic and recognisable property of the Ainur). The lore expressly tells us that, if the Valar or the Maiar face physical death (that is, the physical loss/destruction of their body), they are very likely to be subjected to a heavy spiritual damage too, that exactly results in them having their powers diminished or even halved.

I don't have at hand specific quotations about Sauron though; this is what my lore instinct suggested me, basing mainly on speculations 

[Julio229]

Can Ring Hero Sauron be made selectable with the 'Q' hotkey? I find it slightly strange that I have to individually select him after I've given my full army an order to move/attack.

[kmogon]

I come up with a little idea - every one is complaing about the range of saurons shadow teleporting and as I know this skill was mainly used to escape from fight or to got close to base with influence. I realy have no idea if it's possible but maybe good option is to change this - it would telepor Sauron to nearest base ( or even outpost ). In that way it would be more lore accurate as if I understand well skill is based on his escapeing form dol guldur to mordor. Additionally this change wouldn't destroy ring mechanic. Another similar option is to allow Sauro to teleport only to base's territory - that would allow him to go from one base to another.
Waiting for feedback

[The_Necromancer0]

I support the above suggestion at 100%, this would definitely fix his speed problem and stay within the lore. The best would be of course for the skill to be able to do both, but I doubt that's possible 

[Ealendril der Dunkle]

Not possible.

[Julio229]

I'm not really sure if this is possible, but could the Sauron's Influence Sentry Tower be applied on smaller towers when using the power? I mean, being able to use the power on smaller towers instead of on the big ones. They affect both, if I remember correctly, but the power is only activatable on the big towers.