Ettenmoors Revamp
By Joe “JBarry” Barry

Aloha, and welcome back to The Ettenmoors!

The Ettenmoors is a unique place within the world of LOTRO; a corner of Middle-earth that allows players the ability to take up the banner of Sauron and openly battle against the forces of good. Over the course of LOTRO’s lifetime, the Ettenmoors has been updated several times.

This is not one of those times. This is a new beginning; this is a reincarnation.

We’ve taken a look over the entirety of the Ettenmoors on both the content and systems sides. Everything from the Keeps, the Outposts, and the Delving, to Creep skills and traits, to the overall combat balance, to commendation earns and costs; all of it has been fair game in our conversations and internal critiques. We’ve collected and read a tremendous amount of the Ettenmoors related feedback and forums related to all aspects of the region and PvMP. We’ve reflected on what the initial goals of the Ettenmoors were and how we thought the region would play, how things actually were played, how the changes over the years had adjusted those goals, and how the gameplay had responded and adjusted in time. We’ve been critical in our thoughts on what has worked and what’s fallen short of the mark.

From this we built a list of the things that need to be improved, updated, removed, added, changed and re-envisioned within the Ettenmoors in order to bring the gameplay and PvMP experience to the quality level expected.

Any change we make is going to shake the boat, we understand this. At this point, however, we feel the current state of The Ettenmoors dictates that we need to shake the boat. We don't think The Ettenmoors is anywhere near its potential as far as player count and usage. It's radically off from where we feel it can be and the usage is small enough that we feel comfortable really shaking it up and risk breaking what's there in order to hopefully achieve a much higher potential. We have a plan that is bold and will fundamentally shift things in The Ettenmmoors to be both what we want, and what we've gathered the playerbase wants.

Firstly, we’ve refined and updated the design goals of the Ettenmoors and PvMP within LOTRO. They are as follows:

• Ensure primary PvP advancement is through PvP activities.
• Augment PvP advancement rate with secondary PvE activities.
• Have multiple relevant worthwhile targets for each side at all times.
• Have each mechanic and strategic location have an overall value and use.
• Reduce the statistical and strategic imbalances between the two sides.
• Provide monster players with level cap character advancement.

For release alongside the Riders of Rohan, the Ettenmoors will step into the next phase of its lifecycle. The specific goal for this release is to place PvMP back onto a solid foundation and secure the quality and overall intent of the gameplay experience. The goal is not to try and fix everything that is wrong with the Ettenmoors. We are not trying to shoot the mystical silver bullet that magically makes everything in better. That's what we've tried doing in the past that has lead us to where we are today. That silver bullet doesn't exist and any attempts to try to find it are only going to lead us astray. The goal is to do this right. Balancing PvMP is a never-ending task and the pendulum will swing back and forth several times as we get things right, but we’re putting that pendulum into motion.

We decided upon three primary areas to initially focus on. First, we looked at the Keeps, Outposts, and Delving and revisited both their purpose and their intent. Second, we began a valuation on the existing Creep traits and skills for usefulness, potency, and acquisition costs. Third, new skills for each Creep class, along with an overall balance adjustment on Creep damage and healing to ensure they are commensurate with Freep values.

So, on to the details of the landscape changes…

Landscape Changes

Currently, the model is focused on rewarding players for taking and flipping a control point, but there is little to no incentive to continue to hold it. The goal is to shift the model to instead provide large benefits for having and keeping locations instead of just benefits for taking them. We want players to participate in a “domination” style of gameplay. What does that mean? At a high level it means the following things:

• In order to get your rewards someone has to die.
• Controlling Outposts makes you better at killing the enemy.
• Controlling Keeps and the Delving makes you earn more rewards from killing the enemy.
• Controlling your relic makes it harder for the enemy to kill you.

Outposts (ID, AE, River, CF, PGF)

The purpose of outposts is to make you better at defeating your adversary. This provides a direct PvMP benefit, gives outposts a significant purpose and value during battles, and allows them to supplement the main Keep fighting. Since outposts can be taken with fewer players than Keeps, small groups can utilize them to shift the dynamics of in-progress Keep battles.

Each outpost your side controls provide everyone on your side an Ettenmoors wide, stacking Physical/Tactical Mastery buff (~10% boost per outpost).

• Outpost quests no longer directly award commendations when they are flipped.
• The Plains of Gramsfoot outpost no longer exists, it has been deleted.
• The Coldfells outpost has been moved to a hill overlooking Hoarhallow, with a pair of bridges providing access.
• Arador’s End outpost has moved to the base of a cliff in between Grothum and the Isendeep.
• Outposts no longer gate access to the Delving.
• Outposts continue to fall back to neutral control after 6 hours.
• Outpost flip quest now completes if you’re there but dead.

Yes, the 10% per outpost is a large number that will affect balance. It needs to. It needs to be slightly unbalancing, to a point, because we want the outposts to be worth capturing. If it’s not worth having them, they’ll just go back to being ignored again. We will monitor the numbers and adjust if necessary.

Keeps (TA, TR, Lug, LC, IM)

The purpose of Keeps is to provide you greater rewards for defeating your enemy. The more Keeps you control, the greater the bonus you receive, but the more challenging it is to maintain all of your bonuses.

• Overall Updates
  • Each Keep your side controls provides everyone on your side an Ettenmoors wide, stacking, Infamy/Commendation earn buff (+20% boost per Keep).
  • The Keep flip quests no longer directly award commendations.
  • The Keep flip quest now completes if you’re at the Keep and dead.
  • The Keeps start with their full compliments of defenders and the reinforcement quests have been removed.
  • The Keep ‘synergy’ interactions (Lug providing TA bosses with more skills) have been removed. Each keep now stands on its own, unaffected by the state of the others.
  • Hope/Dread has been removed from all but Dar Gazag and Ost Ringdyr. In these locations they are now constant.
  • Keep bosses are now threat linked and fully reset if any of them leave the room. In order for the Keep to flip the bosses must all be dead at the same time.
  • A valuation has been done on the stats of Keep defenders and bosses to ensure they have adequately kept up with level cap increases and Audacity.
  • The capture the flag mechanics that start with the Orc/Elf camp and Hoarhallow/Grothum and link to TR, Lug and TA have been removed.

• TR/Lug
  • Flag rooms now house the quest givers for the Keep and are now always accessible by both sides from the boss room.
  • Flag Rooms have back entrances from the landscape.
    • Only the side that controls the Keep can use the waypoint to come up.
    • Both sides can use the waypoint to go back down.
  • The Flag and its CTF unlocked defenders have been removed.
    • When the three bosses of the Keep are defeated the Keep will flip.

• TA
  • A new room has been unlocked above the quest givers that houses the back entrance
    • Only the side that controls the Keep can use the waypoint to come up.
    • Both sides can use the waypoint to go back down.
  • The two bridges are now no longer separate control points from TA and their defenders now match whoever owns the Keep.
  • The lawn defenders have been removed.
  • The shoreline has been smoothed to allow an aquatic approach, and escape, from nearly any angle.
  • The water depth in places has been adjusted so all races either walk or swim.
  • The Murderholes have been moved to the side entrances.
  • The Horn quests have been removed.

Relics

The purpose of relics is to provide your side a defensive bonus that keeps you in the fight longer. Like Outposts, the bonus needs to be substantive and desirable to have, thus making it desirable to take away.

• The moment your relic is picked up your side loses the bonus it provides. Thus, an assault on a relic can be partially successful if you can get far enough to pick it up.
• You no longer get a bonus for having both relics, instead you are depriving the other side of having their bonus.
• DG and OR now start with their max boss counts, boss skills, hope/dread, and defenders. They are no longer influenced by the ownership state of the nearest 2 keeps.
• Relic ownership no longer provides a combat buff within the Keeps.
• Owning your relic provides your side an Ettenmoors wide Audacity boost equivalent to a piece of gear.

The Delving

The purpose of the Delving is two-fold. First, similar to Keeps, is that it will provide you greater rewards for defeating your enemies. The second is to act as a fast travel network connecting DG, OR, the 4 outposts, EC and OC.

• Access to the Delving is no longer gated by ownership of Outposts.
• Whoever last killed the Rogmul, Drake and Huorn receives an Ettenmoors wide, stacking, Infamy/Commendation earn buff.
  • Drake and Huorn are worth 30% a piece.
  • Rogmul is worth 40%.
• Similar to the outposts, this will return to neutral after 6 hours if not claimed by the other side.
• The other rooms are now mapped to a specific Outpost, EC, or OC.
• Each mapped room has a waypoint that will take you to the center of EC/OC or to a back door of the outpost.
• Each outpost, EC, and OC have a waypoint that will take you down in the corresponding room in the Delving.
  • These waypoints are useable by both sides and do not have combat restrictions.
• The rooms mapped to outposts change their defenders based on ownership of the corresponding Outpost.
• The rooms mapped to EC/OC are constantly in that sides control and have their forces as defenders.

Rangers/Trolls Session Plays

The session plays are meant to allow the losing side the ability to help turn the tide of battle back into their favor. Population imbalance is one way for a battle to become tilted, but so is skill, rank, etc.

• These are no longer unlocked by population imbalance.
• With the outposts and keeps there are 9 points of control. When the opposing side has 7, 8, and 9 points controlled your side unlocks ranger/troll 1, 2 and 3.

Elf Camp and Orc Camp

EC and OC were meant to be fallback points during a tilted battle within TA. One side could be pushed out and back, regroup in EC/OC, gather reinforcements and make a concerted push/counter-attack. They didn’t end up playing this way though. Instead, one side would get pushed back into EC/OC and then simply be surrounded and camped by the other side.

Now, EC and OC are meant to be forward command posts in enemy territory. They’ve had their locations moved to be central to the oppositions side of the map and been given permanent access to a correspondingly controlled room in the Delving. This should allow them to be a fallback position, a reinforcement position, and a mustering position to strike at targets in enemy territory.

• Elf Camp has been moved to where the Lug rez circle was.
  • This allows it viable access to TA, Lug, DG, HH, River Outpost, Coldfells Outpost.
  • The Lug rez circle has been moved south about 100 meters into a small stand of trees within site of the River outpost
• Orc Camp has been moved to where the TR rez circle wasThis allows it viable access to TA, TR, OR, AE Outpost, Isendeep Outpost, Grothum.
  • The TR rez circle is now about 100 meters north on a small hill (Candy Mountain).
    • This hill has had 3 ways up added to it in addition to a bridge connecting it to the Isendeep Outpost.
• Both camps have a permanent waypoint into the Delving.

Quests

The focus on quests was to ensure the majority of rewards came from PvP activities. Quests that supplemented your ability to take or hold a keep no longer award commendations directly. Their only benefit is to supplement your ability to take or hold a keep. Many quests that were extraneous have been removed. This is an ongoing process that will be constantly evaluated.

• Quests related to killing the bosses in Outposts and Keeps have had their commendations removed.
• The Reinforcement quests have been removed.
• The Quests to get NPC aid (bears, eagles, spiders, etc) in assaulting a keep, or defeating that character so he cannot, no longer reward commendations.
• Commendation rewards in from remaining quests have been halved.
• The Kill X players at Y location quests have been dropped to 10 and are immediately rebestowable upon completion
  • We are investigating tech to allow all players who receive infamy/commendations from a kill to receive quest advancement, not just the player who delivered the killing blow.

Systems Changes

Audacity

In this season of Monster Play, Audacity is being extended out to 14 ranks which can be purchased normally, as well as a 15^th rank that is only attainable via Relic control. The bonuses of Audacity are being redistributed such that ranks 1 through 6 now hold 1/3 of the maximum potency available, and ranks 7 through 14 hold the remaining 2/3.

Acquiring Audacity

For Freeps, the new gear grants 2 levels of Audacity instead of 1.

For Creeps, ranks 2 through 6 of Audacity cost a total of 1125 Commendations (all Creeps start off with rank 1). Ranks 7 through 14 cost 6000 Commendations each.

Commendation Revisions

Accrual Rates

The Commendation value for defeating a player has been effectively doubled, making each player defeat worth roughly 100 Commendations.

We are currently investigating other means of enhancing accrual rates including:

• Bonuses for defeating tougher opponents.
• Improving Commendation distribution in large groups.
• Providing additional methods of accruing Commendations to aide servers with less active PvMP.

Creep Skill & Trait Cost Updates

We’ve decided to reduce the Commendation costs of Creep skills, corruptions, and traits to ensure that Creeps have reasonable access to the tools necessary for PvMP combat. We will continue to watch Commendation accrual rates post launch.

Skill Commendation costs reduced from 2000 to 500.

Corruption Commendation costs reduced from 1000 to 500.

Trait Commendation costs reduced from 1500 to 1000.

Freeps

With the release of a new ‘season’ in the Ettenmoors, Freeps will be seeing a new suite of rewards which can be earned through PvMP.

With this update we focused on the following goals:

• Utilize player feedback in the creation of new armour sets (stats & set bonuses) to ensure they’re worth the Commendation investment.
• Introduce new Rank-based rewards that maintain their value in both PvE and PvMP.

Armour Sets

For this season of Monster Play, we’re releasing tweaked versions of the currently existing armour sets. The stats on each armour piece are receiving a boost, and we’ve given some love to the set bonuses we felt were lacking most. In addition to more class-specific changes, we also made a point of favoring tactical mitigation over physical mitigation for defensive bonuses, as Creeps tend to deal that type of damage more often than not, and we switched out bonuses which affected Power costs. With Audacity already providing a substantial bonus to Power consumption, these bonuses provided little value. Note that because we thought that many of the set bonuses were already in a good place, they’ve gone unchanged.

The new set bonuses are listed below, sorted by class and set name.

Of course, further tweaks may still be coming in the future, but expect the above listing to closely resemble the final product.

Trading Up

The new armour sets will have the following price structure:

Helm: 7500
Shoulders: 6000
Chest: 7500
Hands: 4000
Legs: 6000
Feet: 4000

Vendors in Glam Vraig are also offering a trade-in program! Each of the current pieces of armour can be traded in for a 10% commendation discount toward the upgraded version.

Legendary Weapons

New PvMP exclusive Legendary Weapons! These new Legendary Weapons come with appearances that are unique to PvMP and, as such, will be rank gated to ensure that only the truly courageous will be able to use them.

Rank Requirement : 10

Age: 2^nd Age

Weapon Types: Sword, Dagger, 2-Hand Sword, Bow, Staff, Mace, Orb, Spear

We will be trying to make the weapon types available to as many classes as possible, to ensure players can equip the weapon type of their choosing.

In a subsequent post I will include some screenshots of the weapons.

Creeps

With this update we focused on three primary goals:

• Expand the Creep skill set to provide more utility.
• Ensure class traits provide meaningful choices.
• Reduce the statistical disparities between Creeps and Freeps.
• With that in mind we decided to do the following:
• Reduce the Commendation cost of Creep skills and traits to ensure that Creeps can reasonably earn their tools.
• Introduce a new skill for each Creep class to help round out their rotations.
• Polish Skills, ‘Enhanced Skills’, & class traits to ensure they provide significant impact.
• Remove the concept of ‘Advanced Skill’ traits by splitting them into Skills & Enhanced Skill traits.
• Audit base damage and corruptions to level the playing field. 

Creep Damage & Corruption Revisions

One thing that’s become very apparent to us in our survey of the ‘moors is the disparity in damage and healing between Creeps and Freeps. Pound for pound, Creeps tend to get outgunned and outhealed compared to the kind of numbers Freeps can put out. We will be taking steps to bridge this gap this season. These steps might go too far, or not far enough. We will be monitoring and the pendulum will continue to swing as necessary.

We think that the Blackarrow and Warg Stalker are in a good place damage-wise, so the majority of our attention went to the Defiler, Weaver, Reaver, and Warleader. These classes have received a significant damage boost to their skills and damaging effects, making them more viable from a damage-dealing standpoint. We’ve also made more damage available via corruptions by increasing the potency of the Mastery corruptions.

When looking at Creep healing versus Freep healing, the thing that stood out to us the most was that Freep healing could be augmented by Incoming Healing Rating. This was something which Creeps didn’t have access to. In this season, we’ll be distributing a total of 40% Incoming Healing Rating across the ranks of Battlefield Promotion.

New Skills

Each Creep class is being given a new skill to help round out their rotations.

All skills unlock at Rank 9.

Reaver

Impale

The Reaver unleashes a savage attack on a bloodied target.

• Melee attack that does additional damage for each of the Reaver’s bleeds on the target.
• For each of the attacker’s bleeds on the target Impale does an additional 25% damage.

Blackarrow

Explosive Arrow

The Blackarrow launches an explosive tipped arrow, doing damage to the target and all nearby foes.

• Ranged attack that places a delayed explosive on the target. After 5s, the target explodes doing heavy damage to all enemies within 5m.

Weaver

Toxic Carapace

The Weaver secretes her venom over her carapace causing damage to all attackers.

• Buff that increases the Weaver’s mitigations and reflects 30% of all incoming damage back at the attacker.
• For each pip consumed on cast the duration and mitigation bonuses are increased.

Warleader

Shield Bash

The Warleader dazes his foe by smashing his shield into their face.

• Strong Melee attack that on crit stuns the target for 6s and resets the cooldown of Shield Bash.

Stalker

Piercing Claws

Your vicious claws allow you to tear through even the toughest armour.

• Melee attack that ignores 50% of your target’s mitigations and does 10% of the target’s max morale as damage.

Defiler

Constant Pain

The Defiler inflicts terrible pain upon a foe. Nearby allies find the enemy's suffering so joyous, they regain morale

• Channeled attack that damages the Defiler’s target while healing the Defiler’s fellowship.

Skill & Trait Revisions

Reaver

Enhanced Skill: Jagged Cut

• Application chance of bleed increased to 100%.

Extended Reach

• Max targets increased from 3 to 6.

Wrath

• Now restores 2% Max Health on skill hit.
• Now restores 3.5% Max Power on skill hit.

Blackarrow

Punctured Target

• Ignores 30% of the target’s mitigations.

Headshot

• Ignores 30% of the target’s mitigations.

Penetrating Arrows

• Bow attacks now ignore 10% of the target’s mitigations.

Enhanced Skill: Gash

• Stuns target on hit for 6s.
• Cooldown increased to 20s.

Enhanced Skill: Headshot

• 50% Knockdown chance on hit.
• 100% Knockdown chance on crit.

Weaver

Piercing Attack

• Ignores 10% of the target’s mitigations.

Enhanced Skill: Piercing Attack

• Ignores 15% of the target’s mitigations.

Latent Poison

• Countdown reduced by 10s.

Warleader

Banner of Horror/Terror

• Cooldowns reduced to 5 min.
• No longer share the same cooldown channel.

Quitters Never Win

• Cooldown reduced to 5 min.

Enhanced Skill: Quitters Never Win

• Reduces cooldown to 3 min.

Enhanced Skill: Quitters Never Win

• Cooldown reduction increased to 15s.

Stalker

Howl of Unnerving

• Fear proc chance increased from 25% to 50%.

Rabid Bite

• Power cost debuff increased to 40%.

Disappear/Topple

• Cooldown reduced to 5 min.

Sprint

• Cooldown reduced to 5 min.

Enhanced Skill: Rabid Bite

• Increases power cost debuff by 35%.

Enhanced Skill: Disappear

• Reduces cooldown by 2 min.

Enhanced Skill: Sprint

• Reduces cooldown by 2 min.

Defiler

Enhanced Skill: Plague Gourd

• Crit chance increased to 50%.

Fast Lob

• Reduces induction on all Gourd and Curse skills.

Advanced Skill Revision

With Riders of Rohan we will be removing the concept of ‘Advanced Skills’ by splitting them into skills and ‘Enhanced Skill’ traits. This will expand both the skill set and utility of each Creep class as well as providing more meaningful choices when selecting trait loadouts. In many cases the functionality of the old ‘Advanced Skill’ has been split between skill and the trait, thus requiring Creeps to invest to utilize the full potency.

The new Skill and ‘Enhanced Skill’ traits will unlock on the same rank as the old ‘Advanced Skills’ and can each be purchased by visiting your trainer. Players that have already purchased the ‘Advanced Skill’ trait will be granted the new skill & ‘Enhanced Skill’ trait automatically.

It’s important to note, that racial ‘Advanced Skills’ are not part of this revision. These traits have been renamed ‘Racial Skills’ and still require a trait to be slotted.

Reaver

Blade Toss

• Ranged attack that does more damage from behind.

Enhanced Skill: Blade Toss

• Slows targets.

Resilience

• Removes CC from the Reaver.

Enhanced Skill: Resilience

• Adds a temporary CC immunity.

Against the Odds

• Resets skill cooldowns.

Enhanced Skill: Against the Odds

• Add Health and Power restore.

Blackarrow

Set Trap

• Places a trap on the ground that roots the target.

Enhanced Skill: Set Trap

• Root is less likely to break on damage and trapped targets take more incoming damage.

Steadfast Barrage

• Channeled attack that cannot be Blocked, Parried, or Evaded. Not usable while moving.

Enhanced Skill: Steadfast Barrage

• Usable while moving, but speed is reduced.

Snare

• Drops three traps that slow enemies.

Enhanced Skill: Snare

• Adds a 10% movement speed buff to the Blackarrow.

Weaver

Clinging Webs

• Miss chance debuff.

Enhanced Skill: Clinging Webs

• Adds a Parry and Evade rating debuff.

Feast

• Skill reset and this skill restores power to the Weaver.

Enhanced Skill: Feast

• Power restore is now applied to the Weaver’s fellowship.

Warleader

Purge

• Removes CC from target.

Enhanced Skill Purge

• Adds temporary CC immunity.

Snap Out of It!

• Removes CC from Warleader and allies.

Enhanced Skill: Snap Out of It!

• Adds a Heal over Time to all targets.

Stalker

Rallying Howl

• On Defeat Event Heal over Time (now stacks up to 6 times).
  • Heal only applies to the Stalker’s fellowship.

Enhanced Skill: Rallying Howl

• Stacking Fellowship Damage Buff. Each Stalker’s howl adds to the stack (cap of 5).

Flayer

• Armour & Mitigation buff with Health bubble.
  • Values have been reduced from current ‘Advanced Skill’.

Enhanced Skill: Flayer

• Increases Armour & Mitigation buff.
  • Sets values to current ‘Advanced Skill’ totals.

Defiler

Blessing of Darkness

• Redirects damage from target to defiler. Heals defiler.

Enhanced Skill: Blessing of Darkness

• Heals target.

Fungal Spores

• Places Heal over Time on target.

Enhanced Skill: Fungal Spores

• Adds Incoming Heal Buff and an additional heal at the end of the Heal over Time.

Class Mechanic Revisions

Reaver

Relentless

• Reavers now gain bonus mitigation and damage based on their current health.
  • At full health, the Reaver has bonus mitigations. As his health is reduced his bonus mitigations are reduced but he starts gaining bonus damage.

Weaver

Venom

• Venom pips now increase the Weaver's damage and resistance penetration by 5/10/15/20/30%.