MIDDLE-EARTH: THE DUNGEONS OF MORIA
Contents
- Intro
- Unique Selling Points
- Feature Summary
- Feature Details
- RPG-System
- Weapons
- Enemies
- Balrog
- Levels
- Hub
- Monetization
- Outro
Intro
Well, let’s turn from analysis of Wolfenstein Youngblood to creation of a concept.
The Deep Rock Galactic game and The Lord of the Rings movie have inspired me for an idea: dungeons of Moria might be an ideal setting for a co-op shooter! Yeah, there is already a LotR Online with an expansion "Mines of Moria", but I will talk about a different experience than MMORPG, though the successful features could be borrowed from there as well. So, if we take caves of Deep Rock Galactic, chambers of Bullets Per Minute, stone tombs of WH40K: Mechanicus, grim-dark-fantasy of Vermintide2, the enemy system of Shadow of Mordor (Middle-Earth, btw!) and… Ok, let's have a little brainstorming.
So, the time of a game can be either between The Hobbit and the LotR, using the attempt of the dwarves to reconquer Moria; or after War of the Ring - and then it would be possible to use uruk-hai as enemies.
Unique Selling Points
Have you imagined being a dwarf? Not the Tyrion Lannister one, but the Hobbit one, especially in a way how they’ve been depicted in the Battle of Five Armies. Have you wondered what structures could the dwarves have built in the depth of mountains in generations? And what a culture was lost during their exodus from the corrupted Moria? It's time for a dwarves' revenge, to reclaim what’s been yours, side by side with your comrades! And nor hordes of goblins, nor even Balrog won’t stop you - you have your axe, and these fools will run! You shall pass!
Feature Summary
- Cooperative gameplay, involving, communicating and fun
- Flexible RPG system, allowing to create a fighter of your style
- Variation of enemies, forcing to use different tactics
- Nullification system, to make fun endless
- Procedurally generated levels, for always a new experience
- Hub, to trade, buff, entertain and fight against invaders using traps
- Character, Weapon, Hub unique visual identification, for monetization
Feature Details
RPG-System
Next, classes and races. In LotR, Moria had been visited by dwarves, humans, elves and hobbits, however all the non-dwarves can be left for DLCs. In The Hobbit, dwarves were having different specializations for sure. That means that specialization won’t be tied to races (like, elf archer, dwarf tank, human mediocre, hobbit support…), but there will be need in a race/specialization matrix with bonuses and side effects in a different combinations there.
RPG-system should be exp-based. But, as we have the Dwarves Kingdom ruins here, then I believe that some magic stones and excellent weapons with armor could be found there, and dwarves that accompany our expedition can help us in combining these for effect enhancement. And add some magic spells to it.
By the way, the magic of Middle-Earth is a quite tricky mechanics. While having magic creatures and magic structures, the usage of some kind magic spells is quite limited - magic flashlight, really? It seems that the magic is applied only against some objects, being the superior replacement of electricity and genetic modifications. Well, that’s the question for the fans.
Weapons
And that’s the question - but do we really need a co-op shooter with all this luxury? Maybe, the Diablo-like action-RPG genre would fit better, as we even have the Balrog somewhere down there?.. But if we stick to the plan, then all this luxury should be turned into skins not the different armament. Weapon choice should be dependent on the specialization, with permanent characteristics varying only in a certain range, with an accent to indirect damage by some side effects, and as well having some temporal, mission buffs by purchasable potions, battlepasses and so on.
Enemies
Enemies are various as well: all the Sauron gang, goblins, orcs, uruk-hai, spiders, trolls, wolves, wraths… Some can disable, some can hit hard, some are zerg-rushing. But there should be some traps, and the enemies that would force you to say to your dwarades - “...never have I been so wrong!”, where the first part of the phrase depends on their behavior. And if the enemies are developed in a style of Shadow of Mordor, then eventually a player would meet new bosses, the strongest of their kind!
Balrog
As well, the Balrog himself is required to remind kidwarves to get back to the Hub. I believe he should appear when the mission time goes over 20-40 minutes, and he should be somewhat of a Ghost Bulk Detonator from Deep Rock Galactic destroying everything on its way, including your enemies. But he won’t be invulnerable: more like one of the Dark Souls bosses, easy to die, hard to kill. And if a player will be trained enough, he would have a chance to kick Balrog so hard that the demon will flee to the lower creepier floors of Moria with even less pleasant creatures. And then a player would do this again, and again, until, in the deepest depths, Balrog is pissed off so much that he nullifies a powerful player instead of fleeing. So, a player will be returned to the Hub, he will have a kind of amnesia erasing all the skills earned, but instead he will have something magically precious, and fastened level-up - well, amnesia does not mean that the muscles have forgotten!..
Levels
The levels will consist of procedurally generated chambers, also to create a feeling of “we’ve been walking here already some time ago!”. The chambers will be ruined and not; single and ensembled; dwarven halls and closets; connected by caves from The Hobbit and epic staircases from LotR; containing traps, secret rooms with creaky doors and gnashing mechanisms that would proudly announce that a new owner is in da house of Moria. In general, everything for the raids, including search of artifacts, murder of bosses that try to rest after their own game of thrones, pogroms of houses with sleeping goblins and their kids, destruction of troll rare species through petrification, and so. And then - going back home, to the Hub!
Hub
And the Hub should have epic halls in the best traditions of dwarves, it should be a place for trade, forging, buffs, decorations and so on. And, as well, it should be a battlefield.
Since the goblins don't sleep well after your raids, they will also interfere with your sleep. To avoid this, a player will construct not only decorations, but all sorts of researchable traps, walls, holes - all in the best traditions of Orcs Must Die.
Of course, it’s a pity, but after nullification, while the player's character is “recovering”, all his clothes, except for what is left on him and with him, will be looted. And who will tell if these thugs were the revenging minions of evil or the allies simply have arranged your funeral a little bit too early?..
Monetization
The initial price should be about 30-40 euros, with a 75% discount in mind. As well, there will be new characters (like the movies dwarves set), weapons, mini-campaigns and cosmetic skin DLCs. Well, nothing new, similar to Killing Floor, Vermintide and Payday2 models.
Distribution on PC (Steam, EGS), PS5, XBox.
Outro
Well, I’ve drawn a pretty optimistic picture, and I can only guess that it will be successful in a realization. At least, like in the case of WH40K games, it’s a chance for the Middle-Earth realm to shine and be explored in another one game. And if the Monolith Productions would make such a game - especially as they have already released Middle-earth’s Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War - I’d love to try this game. Maybe, it could be named as Shadow of Moria to follow the series...
