I and a friend from ESO have been thinking about whether it would be possible for ES to create a second expansion pack, after The Titans. There were people who were not really satisfied with the fourth culture being the Atlanteans, for they hoped for an other culture. Why wouldn’t that be possible? Well… the following is – in fact – our wish list: a new culture which is, like the Atlanteans, not real, but made up. Very well made up, however, and probably very suitable for a mythological game. I am talking about the world Tolkien created. The Lord of the Rings provides a perfect base for the regular units – Elves, Men, Dwarves, Hobbits – and the Valaquenta and the Silmarillion provide the necessary mythological background: the Valar can be used as gods.
As some people might notice, this topic is almost an exact copy of the topic I had posted in the X-pack discussion forum a while ago (before The Titans was released) For that forum doesn’t exist anymore, and we’re all becoming pretty much used to The Titans, I thought it was a good time to post it again: most of the reactions were very good and besides the discussion of whether this culture could be a possible addition to AoM – which is an interesting one -, there were many constructive thoughts on how to improve this idea. Let’s hope it will be the same this time!

Let’s start with the regular units for the whole culture – like for example the Egyptians have spearmen and the Norse have ulfsarks:

Archaic Age:

Hobbit: costs: food. A civilian unit, probably good at food gathering (especially farms?? This would benefit both ‘gameplay and realism’ I think, for an advantage on food would be a big bonus in Archaic, unless Hobbits would cost more food than normal villagers)
Goblin: costs: wood, gold. A strong civilian unit which only gathers gold (without needing drop-off points but with quite a weak gather rate) and wood (at normal speed or even higher)
Fishing Ship: No need for explanation
Wizard: costs: food, gold. Wizards are the heroes. They are very strong – especially against Myth Units of course – and expensive. Their number is limited by 5. They do pierce damage to Myth Units with their staffs, and hack damage to all kind of units with their swords. The Grey Wizards can be upgraded to White Wizards in Heroic Age, which are – of course – more powerful. They are also the way of favour gathering for this culture: they gather favor slowly when they’re not fighting.
Gollum: costs: food, favor. He can only be created once. He can carry relics. He may be invisible when he's not walking. He can kill villagers and some infantry units, and has an attack bonus against heroes. Perhaps every time he kills someone, a small amount of gold is added to the players' resources.

Classical Age:

Ohtar: costs: food, gold. The ‘normal’ infantry – probably a counter to cavalry, like the Hoplite, Spearman and Ulfsark. This would be a human soldier I think (not an elf or dwarf)
Elven Archer: costs: wood, gold. An archer, as the name says. Archers normally counter infantry so I think the Elven Archer would do the same.
Rider: costs: gold, food. Cavalry. Counters archers. No further explanation.
Transport Ship and Arrow Ship: the regular classical dock units. I don’t know what the name of the Arrow Ship should be. Perhaps ‘Cirya’ which just means ‘ship’

Heroic Age:

Dwarf: costs: gold, food. Infantry, good against other infantry. Dwarves fight with their axes.
Dúnadan: costs: food, gold. Elite infantry. Probably even good against Myth Units (like Jarls, but a bit less) Not easily massable, like the Ohtar.
Mûmak: costs: food, gold. the giant elephant-like creatures on which the Easterlings ride in The Lord of the Rings. They could be like the Egyptian Elephants.
'Suicide Uruk': costs: wood, gold. Siege Weapon. These Uruk-Hai blow themselves up and deal great damage to buildings and less damage to normal units.
Heroic Age Ships and Caravan: No explanation needed. The caravan will probably have a horse where the Greeks have a donkey, the Egyptians a camel, the Norse an ox and the Atlanteans a llama.

Mythic Age:

Troll: costs: gold, wood. Melee siege unit.

These are the regular units. Of course, we won’t forget the Major Gods, Minor Gods, Myth Units and God Powers:

Major Gods: Manwë, Varda and Melkor

Manwë:
God Power: Storm. Enemies can’t pass through a certain area for a certain while, for they’re blown away. Friendly units can still pass.
Benefits: Scouting.
Myth Tech: Palantíri. Reveals all Settlements on the map and a small area around them.
This might be a problem: revealing Settlements is Oranos’ special and therefore, other suggestions are welcome.
- can create eagles (the scout with which this culture starts) in his temple
- units slowly heal when they're near a Town Center
- cavalry have more Pierce Armour

Varda:
God Power: Sense of Evil. This reveals all enemy buildings for a very short time.
Benefits: Economy,
Myth Tech: Oiolossë. Provides more LOS to buildings.
- Buildings are cheaper
- Archers have more HP
- Buildings are built faster

Melkor:
God Power: Destruction. Destroy one single military building.
This one should be changed I think.. it’s too much like Deconstruction and much less strong.
Benefits: Orcs. They are his Unique Units. He can build them in the Classical Age.
Myth Tech: Darkness of Utumno. Gives more HP and attack to Orcs.
- Villagers have more HP
- Infantry are cheaper

Classical Age Minor Gods: Tulkas, Oromë and Vána

Tulkas:
God Power: Agility. Temporary speed increase for all units.
Benefits: Infantry.
Myth Unit: Astaldo. costs: food, favor. Tough soldier (size of a Cyclops?) fighting without weapons.
Myth Tech: Spirit of Nessa. Increases infantry speed.
Myth Tech: Lala-nyë. Increases attack of all soldiers by a small amount.
Myth Tech: Mellon. Increases Astaldo’s HP and (crush) attack.

Oromë:
God Power: Aldaron. Places a big tree which provides wood faster than normal trees, and provides alot of wood.
Perhaps this is too much like Gaia’s Forest GP??
Benefits: Cavalry.
Myth Unit: Nahar. costs: food, favor. Cavalry Unit that can pass through trees.
Myth Tech: Blood of the Mearas. Improves Riders’ HP, speed and pierce armour.
Myth Tech: Lauréva Lassio. Hobbits have 2x wood carry capacity.
Myth Tech: Horn of Oromë. Increases the LOS and range of archers.

Vána:
God Power: Seeds of Earth: When invoked on a granary, this God Power automatically places 5 free farms around it.
Benefits: Economy.
Myth Unit: Aiwë. costs: gold, favor. A bird that focuses the sunlight like a Petsuchos.
Myth Tech: Alda. Increases gathering speed for wood.
Myth Tech: Soron. Increases Aiwë’s range and attack.
Myth Tech: Nehtë. Increases Othar attack.

Heroic Age Minor Gods: Ulmo, Aulë and Yavanna

Ulmo:
God Power: Falma: when invoked, a small lake (not much bigger than a Healing Spring) appears from which up to 8 villagers can fish, with the speed of fishing ships.
Benefits: Water units.
Myth Unit: Watcher in the Water: Water Myth Unit. The creature that attacks the Fellowship at the gates of Moria in The Lord of the Rings. It could be too much like the Kraken and therefore, other suggestions are very welcome.
Myth Unit: Olog-Hai: costs: gold, favor. Land Myth Unit. Good against buildings.
Myth Tech: Voice of Ulmo. Increases the hack armour of human soldiers.
Myth Tech: Music of the Ulumúri. Increases the HP of ships.
Myth Tech: Ulundë. Greatly improves the speed and carry capacity of fishing ships.

Aulë:
God Power: Hammer of Aulë: a giant hammer smashes the ground and damages all units and buildings in the area.
Benefits: Gold gathering and Armory.
Myth Unit: Child of Aulë. costs: gold, favor. Strong Dwarf.
Myth Tech: Blaedus. Increases the attack of Dwarves and Children of Aulë.
Myth Tech: Khazad-Dûm. Increases the mining speed of Hobbits.
Myth Tech: Mithril. Increases infantry pierce armour.
Myth Tech: Macil. Improves the attack of Dúnedain.

Yavanna:
God Power: Lassë. At the place where it is invoked, flowers will grow that attack all enemies near them.
Benefits: Economy and Archers
Myth Unit: Stag. costs: wood, favor. A stag with the size of a battle boar.
Myth Tech: Anar. Increases the attack of archers.
Myth Tech: Harma. Caravans bring more gold.
Myth Tech: Kementári. Improves farming speed.

Mythic Age Minor Gods: Sauron, Saruman and Gandalf.
Though neither of them are Valar, they all have much power and play an important part in the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age. Therefore we thought it would be a good idea to give them a big role in the game as well.

Sauron:
God Power: Orodruin. A large volcano appears at the place where it is invoked, which will deal a lot of damage to the units near it. It is timed so it will disappear after a while.
Benefits: Orcs.
Myth Unit: Nazgûl: costs: gold, favor. Ringwraith on a horse.
Myth Unit: Nazgûl: costs: gold, favor. Ringwraith on a flying creature.
Myth Tech: Nine Rings of Power. Improves Nazgûl.
Myth Tech: Ash Nazg Durbatulûk. Increases the attack and HP’s of all regular units.
Myth Tech: The Uruk-Hai. Upgrades Orcs to Uruk-Hai.
Myth Tech: Black Wizard. Upgrades White Wizards to Black Wizards, who are stronger.

Saruman:
God Power: Orthanc. When invoked on a fortress or TC, a large tower is placed which fires lightning (like Son of Osiris)
Benefits: Infantry, Siege
Myth Unit: Warg Rider. costs: food, favor. Cavalry unit.
Myth Tech: Craft of Orthanc. Improves HP and crush armour for buildings.
Myth Tech: Spirit of Isengard. Improves the speed and HP of infantry.
Myth Tech: Fires of Industry. Increases Siege Weapon attack and lowers costs.

Gandalf:
God Power: Ray of Hope. makes the entire map lighter, giving a great morale boost to friendly units and slowing down enemy units while slowly damaging them. The effect is the biggest in the Ray of Hope at the place where you invoke it. It lasts 20 seconds.
Benefits: Cavalry, economy
Myth Unit: Ent. costs: wood, favor. Big and very tough tree-like unit.
Myth Tech: Narya. Increase the attack and Favor Gathering rate of Wizards.
Myth Tech: The Rohirrim. Increase riders attack and armour.
Myth Tech: The Holbytlan. Increase the speed and gather rates of Hobbits.

The Minor Gods each Major God can get are:

Manwë:
Classical: Tulkas/Vána
Heroic: Ulmo/Yavanna
Mythic: Gandalf/Saruman

Varda:
Classical: Vána/Oromë
Heroic: Yavanna/Aulë
Mythic: Gandalf/Saruman

Melkor:
Classical: Oromë/Tulkas
Heroic: Aulë/Ulmo
Mythic: Sauron/Saruman

Buildings:

Town Center(Archaic Age): Creates Hobbits and Goblins (and Gollum? Or is he a Temple Unit?).
Temple(Archaic Age): Creates Wizards and Myth Units.
Training Camp(Classical Age): Creates Ohtar, Elven Archers, Riders, Dwarves
Castle(Heroic Age): Creates Dúnedain, Mûmakil, Suicide Uruks and Trolls.

Other special things for this civilization not yet mentioned:

- Infantry can build Trebuchets in Heroic and Mythic Age. These Siege Weapons have very long range and are built quickly, but are destroyed easily by units doing hack attack.
- The civilization starts with two hobbits, a goblin and an eagle (scout unit)
- The civilization can - unlike the already existing civilizations - choose two different walls. The first option is a palisade wall (like in AoK) This is a very cheap (1 wood?) and quickly built structure, but it has low HP. The second option is an expensive but relatively strong fortification.
- The Titan for this civilization is the Balrog.

Well, that was it. We intentionally used as few numbers as possible here, for we cannot decide ourselves what the exact values for technology costs and effects and unit costs and stats should be. Nevertheless, we think Tolkien’s world provides a perfect base for another culture in Age of Mythology. This is how we see it and we would like to hear some serious comments on it. Thanks!