The Road to Edain 4.0: Lake-town news

The Road to Edain 4.0: Lake-town

Greetings, companions of Edain!

Today, we would like to present you a new update you have certainly waiting for a long time. This update will show you our rework of the mini-faction Lake-town. The concept and design of our interpretation needed much time, because we tried to find a way of presenting something new and unique:

Lake-town

At the beginning, Lake-town caused us some problems, due to the implementation of the mini-faction of the dwarves. Basically we had a problem with the time: Dale existed long before the time in which the Edain Mod is placed. Also, Lake-town as we know it from The Desolation of Smaug, existed primary only at the time of the Hobbit. The rebuild town Dale during the War of the Ring, has not offered us an own design, so it can be assumed that it looks maybe similar to the version seen in An Unexpected Journey.
Therefore, we decided to use Lake-town as we know it from the movies for all dwarf realms in version 4.0. Even if this does not fit completly chronological , but regarding the game mechanics, and the design this was the only rational decission. Nonetheless, there is the possibility to do a further differencation in a later version.

After, choosing Lake-town as the support-faction for the dwarf, a usefull way to integrate it was needed, which should differ from the Dunedain at Imladris, as well as containing the elements shown in the movie. Also, it is a characteristic of Edain to have as unique concepts as possible. So, we choose a to use a variation of already existing elements, summing up to a new concept.

Town Hall

The player has the possibility, when playing dwarfs, to build besides the normal Dwarven Outpost the Town Hall of Lake-town. This Town Hall is a central building, which can be build up to a town, depending on the additional build houses. Overall, the player can build 4 different Lake-town buildings, consisting of one or more houses.
Overall buildable are the following buildings:

- Militia House: Constructs a Militia House, which can train troups from Lake-town and the Hero Bard.
- Housing Area: Constructs a Housing Area, consisting of three town houses, each of them generates taxes.
- Watchtower: Constructs a defensive tower firing arrows at nearby enemies.
- Well: Constructs a well, which heals nearby allies and provides leadership boni.

The House of the Master generates resources like all normal citadels. For each additional building except the Well, the Master collects tax money, thus the production of the building increases. Nonetheless, the town with all its expansions is one building-complex, so attacking and destroying the complex effects the whole town. Every expansion costs money and can be researched only once, increasing the size of the town.

This system is another kind of an Outpost. Indeed it is comparable, but it has a completey unique feeling.
The design is inspired by Lake-town seen in The Desolation of Smaug, because the buildings of EA Games were a good basic to begin with. Our Lake-town won't be placed in the middle of the water, because it would be neither possible nor look good, having a water system in the mountains or in a desert.
In the video below, you can see the exact function of the new system. There, you will see additionally to the mini-faction, the units of Lake-town and the hero Bard, which we will present in the following text:

Bard

Bard is the Hero of Lake-town and can be recruited when the Militia House has been constructed. We tried to give Bard a more interessting concept than before, a concept being based on different aspects of his character in The Desolation of Smaug. On one hand, Bard is a full ranged hero, especially his weaponswitch between short- and longbow, one the other hand, he has a unique ability, needing much tactic. And of course, we did not only rework his concept, but also his design, which was adjusted to the movie design:

The right side of the image shows Bard with his longbow on the left you can see his shortbow.

Bard's abilities:

- Level 1: Bard's Thrush – Bard's Thrush rises into the air, to scout the enemy territory.
This ability gives Bard the chance to scout the area in the early game. His thrush can be controlled and can be send into enemy territory, but it always returns to Bard.

- Level 3: Toggle Weapon - Bard toggles between Long- and Shortbow. His longbow has a higher range, but a slower attack speed. His Shortbow has a shorter range, but a higher attack speed.
As we have announced above, Bard has the possibility to choose between two different ranged weapons. Depending on the use of this ability, the player can maximize the profit of Bard.

- Level 5 (passive): Heir of Dale – Changing Leadership, Bard forms and inspirers the troups of Lake-town. Nearby allied units of Lake-town get +25% damage and +100% experience in a medium range
The effect of the ability changes on activation:
-Level 5 (passive): Heir of Dale – Changing Leadership, Bard forms and inspirers the troups of Lake-town. Nearby allied units of Lake-town get +25% damage in a high range
This unique ability offers the possibility to react to the ingame situation. In the video this is clearly presented, but you may notice that we generally reduced the range leaderships for balancing reasons.

- Level 7: Smuggler - Bard is able to hide his allies to smuggle them behind their enemies.
Indeed this is a quite standard ability, but it is an ability fitting perfectly for Bard's character. Also, there is no other hero having this ability in version 4.0.

- Level 10: Black Arrow - Bard fires his Black Arrow, dealing the target massive damage and doubled damage against Monsters. The Black Arrow will be dropped by the target and Bard has to collect it, before he can use again.
This is an ability, not been integrated till now. If Bard uses his arrow, it will be dropped at the target destination and has to be collected it by him. As long as Bard does not collect it, he can't use the ability again. This interpretation is base on this text from the Hobbit:
"Arrow! Black arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I had you from my father and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the Mountain, go now and speed well!"
We think it is an interessting mechanic, that Bard has to collect the Arrow again and again to use it again. So it depends on the taktic of the player if he likes to play aggressive and collect the arrow directly in enemy territory or if he plays defensive and waits until the area is free of enemies.
Of course, we know that Peter Jackson has created with the Ballistra another interpretation of the Black Arrow in the Hobbit movies, but it seemed quite strange, if Bard would construct everytime a Ballistra on the battlefield or would have to get back to the town. Nonetheless, this does not mean that Peter Jacksons is wrong, but we don't see any advantage in it for our characteristic.

Lake-town Soldiers

Finally, we would like to show you our redesign of the troups of Lake-town, based on the design of the movie. Here, it was very difficult to integrate the design, because we had neither material nor any sources at the moment. Also The Desolation of Smaug did not delifer much material, due to these soldiers appeared only rarely.

The shouder armor will only be shown if Heavy Armor has been researched, also soldiers will get an extra mail. For this render we wanted to show you the direct implementation of the movie design. On the right side you can see the General of the troups. In contrast to the dwarves, having banner-carriers, the men of Lake-town can get Generals, having the same functions as normal banner-carriers.
Lake-town will have the three standard Infantry types: Swordsmen, Pikemen and Archers.

We are quite content with this concept, and we hope that you enjoyed this preview and would like to read your opinion and feedback in the comment section!

Your Edain Team