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Misty Mountains Speculations and Questions
AulëTheSmith:
Hello Guys xD
In this period i have definely more time to concentrate myself on projects, so that i have completed one of the unfinished one, regarding Smaug The Terrible.
Several months ago i have published a very raw version, and i always want to complete it. Consider, before reading, that i've leave aside the evergreen issue of how Smaug should look like in Edain, because it is a very subjective idea looking at the discussions here in the forum. Personally i would like to see him more or less like this:
But let us not consider the design for now, so here's my work:
SMAUG THE GOLDEN
Hi guys, here is my "ideal" concept of Smaug, as i would always had liked it.
Beside the very concept there are also some ideas about a possible central spell for MM, and how it is conneceted to Smaug, dragons and the other main creaturs of the faction.
I decided to focus the attention to the three fundamental aspect of the mighty dragon :
- He’s a very powerful weapon
- He’s greedy
- He’s very smart
The core of my concept.
Initially the Greatest Calamity of Middle Earth will have a weakness against arrows while flying, but with an increasing of the armor at level five. Following the lore and films Smaug has an impenetrable armor, it is practically impossible to fear him with normal weapons. Since this interpretation would be unbalance in game, it is impossible to implementi it as it is.
Anyhow, the player must have (at least) more chances to survive against rains of arrows. Therefore i decided for that increasing of armor at level five.
The dragon will have two different animation in flight and on the ground like in 3.8.1 (Drogoth+Summoned dragon).
As for the fire related abilities: i don’t think fireball and fireflies fits very well with a dragon. These type of attack are more related to wizard, which are able to create such particular form of fire attack using magic. In particular we have these two abilities just implemented via Gandalf (Dwarves) and Saruman . I will explain better all the details below in the skill-set.
SMAUG GAME IMPLEMENTATION
At the beginning of the game Smaug will be available in the Dragon Lair, with the following summoning system, depending on the level of the structure:
Level 1: "Small Treasure": at the cost of 500 resources you can temporary summon Smaug for 2 minutes.
Level 2: "Great Treasure": at the cost of 1000 resources you can temporary summon Smaug for 4 minutes.
Level 3: "Immense Treasure": at the cost of 1500 resources you can temporary summon Smaug for 6 minutes.
If the Dragon Lair is destroyed during the summoning time, it will drop on the ground the corresponding offer you paid for Smaug.
In both the three versions Smaug will be temporary available at level 5 with a limited skill-set of three abilities. With this implementation the player can exploit the power (at least a part of it) at the beginning of the game. With this temporary version you can pick up the ring making Smaug a permantent and powerful hero. I didn't think about the ring-version yet.
You can use how many times you want the three offer, with a proportional in time cool-down once they are used.
The values and time-interval involved can change of course.
The full version of Smaug will be available only buying the spell described below. I'm not 100% sure it worth more than 7 points (in this case it would be placed in the third row), this issue has to be discussed more deeply. As always i want your opinion :). Take in consideration that my version is inevitably linked with the removing
of the Dragon Strike spell, since the animation it is just present in Smaug's skill-set presented below. For this reason the spell i have conceived could be alternatively placed in the last row as a long-term 10 points power, with the right balance adjustments, in contrast to the quick and terrible summon of the Balrog of the right side.
"Treasure Of The Golden One"
This spell fills a Dragon Lair with the treasure of the Golden One (in game the treasure will be graphically visible around the Lair), Smaug is now recruitable at the cost of 3000 resources.
All the greedy dragons are inevitably attracted by such a big amount of Gold: non-flying fire-Drakes are recruited faster, and a new special elitè unit of dragon is recruitable at level 3, at the cost of 2000-2500 resources (limited to three, i'm still thinking about the characteristic of such unit).
If the dragon Lair is destroyed, a big amount of resources are left on the ground. For that reason it's very importan to protect it in a proper way. This last drawback also resable well the atmosphere of the movies, in which every race is actracted by the treasure and try to possess it.
As for the temporary version, smaug can pick up the ring.
The permanent version of Smaug will have the following abilites:
Possible initial statistic values :
- recriutment cost : 3000.
- Initial HP : 12000.
- Population cost: 30 (like other heroes).
- Initial melee attack value: 350.
- Type of melee attack: AOE.
Basic attack like fellbeast and eagles.
Smaug skill-set in flight
Rank 1 : "Landing" – as usual.
Rank 1: “Incinerate” – the power is no more at level 10 and so nerfed, it will be something more effective against unit, as a first mass-slayer area of effect ability, like for example is wizard blast for Gandalf and Saruman. The animation of course will remain the same of Drogoth. Personally i think Smaug deserves some more devasting power for the last level.
Rank 3: “Roar of the Beast” – the fearsome roar of the Golden one makes the enemy flee in terror.
Rank 5: “Impenetrable amour (passive)” – quoting Tolkien, “my armor is like tenfold shields”. Smaug permanently gains +50% armour against arrows.
Rank 7: “Wings like an hurricane” – Smaug uses his massive wings to create an air blast that knock back units in a wide radius dealing also medium damage.
Rank 10: “I’m fire, I’m death” – like we seen in the scenes of BOTFA during the attack of Lake Town, Smaug sets fire on the ground while flying, burning everything in a hell of fire. The crucial point of this last ability is the animation. The most fitting to resamble what we have seen in the movie, is the Dragon Strike attack. Supposing the power will be removed of the spellbook of MM of course. Just imagine this beautiful animation given to Smaug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTynrCcWYS0
Smaug skill-set on the ground
Now the basic melee attack of Smaug is fire as in 3.8.1. Being on the ground, he will be weaker to revenge-damage of the pikes and hero-killers.
Rank 1 : “Flying “– as usual.
Rank 1: "Dragon Breath": a fire attack very effective against gates. Smaug’s Firebreath opens Gates and even burns garrisoned units. I simply copied the one presented so far by the team but i make it active and not passive. Same animation of the basic fire attack. Also the flames of Firedrakes from vanilla game are very good but probably is difficut to adapt such animation to a bigger model like the one of Smaug.
Rank 3: “Roar of the Beast” – same as in flight.
Rank 5: “Dragon Sickness (passive)” – The desire of gold and treasures makes Smaug very greedy. ALL the productive buildings (both enemies and allies) in a wide area around Smaug get -30% of production.
Rank 7: “My Claws are Spears” – Smaug uses his legs and claws to smash the enemy units. For 30 seconds he can trample the masses swatting all on his path (just think about the amazing scenes in which he enters into Erebor). It affects also cavalry-type units.
Rank 10: “Hypnotic Gaze” – also this ability is something presented by the ET years ago. I don’t know what exactly means this ability (there’s no description). My interpretation is something related to the evil face of Smaug and his serpentine and powerful voice: the effect of his gaze and voice immobilizes enemy heroes and weaken them. (the particular scene in which his words penetrate the mind of Bilbo that takes off the ring ). This last ability if rewoked well (mine is very raw) could capture his character as evil,smart and speaking dragon.
I need to know what do you think xD. I would like to see my concept inserted in a more specific thread when the time of MM will come, in order to discuss it more properly without interfere with other topics. I therefore trust the many-skilled Walküre for this task xD
Bowshot 999:
I Realy like your Conzept.
the awesome pictures and the Powers are amazing.
I hope i see it in the Game as like you made it
Fredius:
I can only say one word: I agree! (wait, those are two words). I love this whole concept of him, and I especially like the "Dragon Sickness" power a lot, showing that he did not agree to be an ally for nothing.
As for some critique; I feel like there will be a slight problem with the resources that are spawned when the Dragon Lair gets destroyed: if it gives a huge amount of resources, the player would just build the lair and then manually destroy it, take the money, and rebuild it again. So if this system were be able to be implemented, then I would just have it spawn the same amount of resources as a creep Dragon Lair.
Also I honestly am not a fan of the spellbook power that unlocks Smaug. It feels kinda weird to have to spend a whole spellbook power on him, and THEN still have to buy him for 3000 resources. I would personally just have him be a permanent hero through the Ring, that would make his Ring mechanic even more unique.
All in all, great proposal xD!
AulëTheSmith:
Thank you guys, i'm glad you like the general ideas of the concept xD
--- Zitat ---As for some critique; I feel like there will be a slight problem with the resources that are spawned when the Dragon Lair gets destroyed: if it gives a huge amount of resources, the player would just build the lair and then manually destroy it, take the money, and rebuild it again. So if this system were be able to be implemented, then I would just have it spawn the same amount of resources as a creep Dragon Lair.
--- Ende Zitat ---
That could be a problem. The best would be that the opponent who destroy the building directly gains the resurces, without the leaving of some treasure chest or similar object.
Don't know if it is possible to create a proper code for such system [ugly]. Anyhow i found the general idea of a real treasure very fitting, because ti resable the spirt of BOTFA as i wrote.
--- Zitat ---Also I honestly am not a fan of the spellbook power that unlocks Smaug. It feels kinda weird to have to spend a whole spellbook power on him, and THEN still have to buy him for 3000 resources. I would personally just have him be a permanent hero through the Ring, that would make his Ring mechanic even more unique
--- Ende Zitat ---
As i read in the old articles, the team want to make Smaug recruitable without the necessity of the One Ring. Smaug with the ring would be only a more improved version of it, both speaking about powers and drawbacks (greedy for example).
I think is reasonable to make him more ring-independent, because as i know in multiplayer matches usually the ring-heroes are not used. Would be a pity if the player cannot exploit the full-power of Smaug in multiplayer matches. That's why i insert the spellbook possibility. if it worth an entire spell i cannot say. I also thought about a possible central spell of MM with a 5-6 of cost, that generally improves caves (dragon,trolls,etc) with some upgrades. In this perspective, the unlocking of Smaug could be included in such spell (without any other influence on the dragons), avoiding the waste of a total spell only for him. A central spell that is the gathering of the complete power of the horrid beasts, which are the very soul of the faction :)
The fact that the player need to also unlock some spell to have access to smaug, goes towards balance, since he will be over the average with respect to other heroes.
I'm open to other suggestion that are an alternative to my via-spellbook option :). For now i deem it a balanced and fitting idea.
Feel free to propose :)
Walküre:
Many thanks to you, gentle Aulë. Seldom do I not behold and sense your ever-burning passion whenever I go through your thoughtful concepts. And, speaking about those bonds you mentioned on ModDB and the great care one pours into it, your proposals simply exemplify your noble endeavour for what you deem valuable in the game. Accept these words of praise of mine and to my response hearken: I am more than happy to give you consent (as if you need it) for the opening of a new thread, which is to be guided by nothing else but your personal judgement. I thus entrust to you the task; were you to doubt, don't hesitate to ask for counsel. I shall leave my comment at a later time :)
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