Umm. My bad: I think you’re right. Playing too many variants. And dammit: Curses should be banned in those too.
Anyway, just makes my list easier to implement 
Rob
In 4th age I’m pretty sure only weakness is available. You can’t learn sickness or curses.
I also really like this scenario. I think that one of the problems with is has been region selection, which has left some players with ONLY vulnerable regions. The region selection was done by having each player put in preferences for each super-region.
So instead of that, I propose using pre-created trios of regions, as in the map below. I created this in consultation with Ernie and we think it would make for an exciting game, with no one really having an advantage due to region location. In particular, both previous games were rather spoiled because Khand was in a different super-region from Eastern Mordor so the same player got both, making it too powerful.
I would also add that in the current game ongoing, the presence of agents is only starting to be felt on turn 25 and they are not dominating as yet, and I think this is because no one could afford not to focus on them to the exclusion of the military characters. That said, I think I’d like to see each trio restricted to one total agent SNA between them, either double-scout, A40, or whatever. But I would rather rustle up 7 other players than worry about that.
Here is the map:
The trios are marked by similar patterns, and you may have to stare at it before you can see it. So here they are.
Dark Servants:
- Forlinden, Northern Mordor, Harondor
- Eriador, Northern Mirkwood, Khand
- Dunland, Rhovannion, Near Harad
Free Peoples:
- Harlinden, Southern Mirkwood, Southern Mordor
- Rhudaur, Rhun, Umbar
- Enedwaith, Lorien, Far Harad
Neutrals:
- North Kingdom, Northern Wastes, Rohan
- South Kingdom, Angmar, Eastern Mordor
Of course in this setup, neutrals would be allowed to set up in the mountains.
Can I find 7 other players for this?
Jeremy
P.S. It really isn’t fun to lose one of your nations, or worse two, or worse still be knocked out of the game entirely. It seems especially painful in FA gunboat for some reason, so I’ve found! . So please only join if you are ready for mayhem and the possibility of being knocked on your ***!
If we can get a game underway, that is 7 other interested players, then before regions are assigned I will invite conversation about how each region might optimally set up, to give people ideas and a wider sense of what might happen. For example, what is the optimum setup for Rhun in this map? He is far from allies but close to enemies, perhaps an island capital and hidden major town in the forest is best, with a port and ships at the major town, and be an agent nation for the most part. Or possibly start on the road north of the lake, too far away to worry about Eastern Mordor coming after you, with boats and conjure mounts, and figure to go after Rhovannion.
Jeremy
Im in:-)
Good work on the map. Think it will be quite balanced.
Martin
I think I would try to make peace with the nearby neutral at least for the first bunch of turns.
How would you do that in gunboat when you can’t communication across allegiances? Most you could do is not attack him and hope for the best
Clearly I am in too - but I’d like to see some movement on my suggestions - particularly extra varied SNAs.
Yes, but extra varied SNA’s require programming. We all want that, but they haven’t been able to get to it with their limited resources. But it would be great,no question!!
Do I understand that any or all of Charnwood, Artarkis, and/or mveels are interested in playing?
Jeremy
Sorry yes Mveels and Charnwood both said they are in.
Artarkis, did you have interest?
Jeremy
So with 3, we need 5 more. Any ideas?
I would guess there will soon be 8 players for this one:-)
I would prefer the following house rules:
No +20 kill/asass SNA
No dublettes of SNAs in the trio
At least 2 human nations per trio
Kingdom humans
Human nations cant set up PCs larger than camps in mountains (Kingdoms are not influenced by this last rule)
Martin
Your preferred scenario includes kingdoms. I think for maximum balance kingdoms should be excluded - all allegiances should start equal (ie: 8 nations of each) at pseudo random locations as per whatever regional set up plan is settled on. However this does raise player number issues - 2x3 nation positions and 1x2 nation on each side. Or 4x2 nations each. So 9/12 players required.
I am interested but I can’t really afford another nation let alone three
I hear that! – Jeremy
OK, in conversation with Trodzo on Discord, I came up with an interesting idea for the North Kingdom in this setup. The idea is, abandon your homeland to create a vacuum so that instead of everyone picking apart your kingdom and THEN fighting each other, they have nothing to do but fight each other. Of course you can’t in GB coordinate setups so although ideally Angmar would set up in the east, but even if the Sk sets up Angmar in the west, they won’t be central to the fight the way the North Kingdom is.
The idea is to launch your starting forces plus more HC ASAP against say Forlinden or Rhudaur, and then count on the others to wait a few turns in fear of you and to build up before they attack you, while you get set up in 2119, 2212 and 2121.
In this setup, I have taken a hidden town, but you could instead go with 20% buy sell, A40, M40, E40 or C40, or a boatload of war machines for trying to take out Forlinden (or Rhudaur). I think Forlinden because otherwise the DS may dominate.
The image doesn’t show, but the prince would get +10 command to make him a C40
You have mages cast Return True to get to 2212 and 2121, spend 10k gold hiring armies with 40 morale, and immediately split to recruit at 2121. Use your human bonus to boost the loyalty of your hidden town and 2119 at least, so they can easily be improved to major towns.
Since you are running the Rohan nation, if you set up on the road, you have concentrated forces, and enough conjuring so that if you get your leather production up, you can recruit nearly 800 HC per turn!
Jeremy
Of course you can take HC if you prefer, but thanks to Scott Baltes who pointed out to me that after a few battles, HC is more vulnerable to being overrun than LC. Also it gives you unusual choices for tactics instead of the obvious.
Jeremy
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Or make it an SNA since its already coded in the program.
Looks like a fun variant. I would say I’d be in but I usually play with Charnwood in a triple, so don’t count me as a separate player.
I like most of the suggested rules variants, but I wouldn’t want to restrict racial choices too much. We’ve just started beefing up the choices in game and I think its more fun having variety. How about 1 nation in the triple needs to be human instead?
I’ve been working with Clint to code the new racials in the setup spreadsheet and do some other fun things like give you the ability to see where the mountain, coastal, and road hexes are in a region.
Gavin