After participating in a few dozen wars and invasions, it is pretty easy to see that the way forts and war camps are laid out in every territory result in very basic and similar strategies. My suggestion is to both mix up the look, layout, and strategy required for each territory by modifying various elements for wars and invasions. Having unique forts and other elements in every territory would make it so players would need to change up strategy when engaging in war or invasions. Personally, I like invasions a lot in this game, but I would definitely be up for different challenges for each territory.
I will include a few territory suggestions alongside a picture to represent them below.
To explain common parts of each image below:
- Red dots are the capture points during a war.
- Purple dots represent invasion portal spawnpoints.
- Red lines are gates on the territory fort.
- Black lines are gates on the war camp.
- Thick yellow lines are proposed layout changes of a structure.
Everfall
Everfall is one of the most profitable and desired territories across the many New World servers, but it still has the same strat for wars as the rest of the territories. The image below represents a few ideas I would have for the territory that would slightly favor the offense more.
To explain the unique parts of the image:
- The yellow line in the front represents the removal of the front-middle gate.
- An additional war camp housing half of the army is now by the back of the fort.
These edits would require a vastly different strategy on both the defense and offense in the war. On one hand, the offense would be split up initially, but the multiple war camps could be used as a strategy if points are unable to be captured. The defense would have to worry about more spread out capture points as well, requiring possibly more units focused on the walls of the fort.
I feel that on top of this making Everfall slightly easier to capture, it is a more simple layout for a territory that many players start in.
Invasions in this fort would also need to adapt to not having a middle-front, and probably have larger groups on B and C doors with a flex group going in-between. This would probably help a lot for kiting bosses away from doors, but ranged corrupt enemies would cause some issues.
First Light
My suggestions for first light mainly are environmental modifications.
To explain the unique parts of the image:
- Most of the rock surrounding the fort has been expanded.
- Added rock near the war camp to prevent far-out sniping.
- Proposed cutting down the back doors to a single door with wall defense options.
Adding a lot of extra rock near the war camp I feel would help make this fort feel a little more unique. Adding rock between the fort and war camp will also give some extra obstacles for both sides. The idea of cutting this fort down to four gates goes a little bit into another idea I have, but ultimately it simplifies the back gate situation during war where it is not too used.
Invasions would be very similar to how they are now, but require more effort from the back group as it is a straight path to the singular back door from the portal spawnpoints. This would also open the possibility of having a voidhead spawning in back.
Cutlass Keys
Keeping this one a little closer to it's current form while adding something for the offensive.
Ultimately this is laid out very similarly to Everfall while keeping the current layout of forts. Adds the extra war camp for the offense.
Invasions would be very similar to how they are now as the fort layout is the same.
Reekwater
Reekwater is a high-level zone and has a lot of character that is not really expressed around the fort. Personally, I find Reekwater to be filled with hazards and some parts are difficult to navigate when you deviate from the paths, which is where inspiration for this came from.
To explain the unique parts of the image:
- A river has been placed between the current war camp and the fort. Bridges are placed for crossing it.
- Rocks now litter the field between war camps and the fort.
- The back of the fort now has additional stairs to the back doors.
- Rocks create an incline near point B, making it more difficult to go from B to other points.
- Rocks now block off a pathway between C and the back, requiring you to go through the fort.
I feel that Reekwater really needs to add something unique to the battlefield, and adding these hazards and obstacles makes a basic war difficult for all parties. Both sides can take advantage of the additional water now (players caught in it are just sitting ducks), and the extra rocks and water prevent placing items in certain areas. This will make it difficult for the offensive as they basically have only a few pathways from the one war camp. It will also make it difficult for the defense as they cannot move from B to other points as easily.
Invasions will be a little different, as portal spawnpoints now have better paths to doors in the back. Having one large group in the back would not work here. Flex groups in the front would also require extra time going back to A and C if they need to assist at B due to the rocks. C gate would be cut off quickly assisting in the back as well.
Ebonscale Reach
Ebonscale has a vibrant and very unique setting, and the fort and war camp feel completely out of place with the rest of the territory aesthetic. This is the most unique suggestion I have for a fort/war camp setup.
To explain the unique parts of the image:
- Points A and C are moved to independent forts. Think of these like Outpost Rush.
- Redesigned the fort and war camp layout. Took inspiration with how the walls around the Ebonscale settlement look. Ideally, the fort, war camp, and side forts will look more like the aesthetic of buildings and structures in the territory (which is why they are more rectangular).
- Only one back gate, with it’s own wall defenses to mimic the front-middle gate layout.
My idea for Ebonscale is basically to have a OPR-style layout. This would result in siege weapons being a big part of war in this territory, and require very unique strategies that are completely different from every other territory.
During invasions, the back gate will require a lot more attention as it is a direct path from the portal spawn locations. Just like in First Light, voidheads could spawn in the back. Mini forts will go unused during invasions.