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Map Key
A, B, C, D, E, F, G - Frontier Keep. These keeps control
a strategic point and serves as a focus point for Realm vs. Realm Conflict.
a, b, c, d, e, f, g - Tower. These tower locations control chokepoints,
passes, and approaches to the Frontier Keeps.
1 - Coastal Island keep. The bridges to the keep provide quick access
in and out. The area directly to the sides of each bridge is impassable (in
order to force groups to commit to taking a bridge or water route). The rest
of the coastline around that keep is flat beach to allow for clear visibility
when assaulting the island.
2 - Southwestern Coast. The coast has a fairly steep hill with a lip
that attackers must climb up before they enter into the plains immediately on
the other side. The idea is to force attackers who take this route to move up
the slope blindly, without knowing if there are enemies waiting for them on
the other side. The coast is dotted with steep non-climbable areas.
3 - Southeastern Coast. The beach head immediately in front of each
keep is flat, allowing for a safe landing with good visibility (and
consequently, into guard aggro). The area away from the keeps has the hill
with the lip that prevents visibility until you're all the way up top. The
coast is dotted with steep non-climbable areas.
4 - Canyon Pass. This area presents the quickest and most direct method
to center of the frontier (and the center keep/river). The canyon is very
tight, with steep non-climbable walls. All four portions of Canyon Pass are
plateaus. A ramp leads up to the top of the north mountain allowing defenders
easy access to the rope bridges leading to the three other plateaus. This
allows defenders to take positions on the plateau and attack down at any
attackers unfortunate enough to be trying to run through at the time. This
pass provides lots of good defensive ability; for instance, it would be
possible to coordinate forces on the top with those in the canyon passes
setting various traps and other defensive objects.
5 - Dark Woods. This patch of woods has been overrun with lots of
thickly settled and angry creatures. This serves as a disincentive for armies
moving through the area. (The idea is that a single person, and perhaps even a
careful group, can slowly snake their way through the woods to the other side,
but any significant force would avoid this area like the plague as they'd be
bogged down indefinitely fighting all the mobs that aggroed on them.)
6 - Supply Trail. The center of the Dark Woods is the Supply Trail. The
trail is a fairly safe road though the woods, ending in a one-way slope that
faces the keep. The intention here is to allow the defenders to move quickly
to the keep to defend it, but not to offer attackers any easy means through
the forest if they happen to capture the keep. Terrain on either side of the
one-way portion of the road will block people from moving south to north,
without moving a significant distance into Dark Woods.
7 - Ruins. The former site of a once glorious fortress city, of which
all that remains are ruins. With lots of 90 degree intersections that offer
opportunities for sudden and unexpected encounters between opposing forces,
it'll take nerves of steel (or a lack of common sense) to move through the
ruins at a high rate of speed.
8 - River Walls. Most of the river is surrounded by steep non-climbable
banks, forcing anyone traveling down there to commit to that course of
movement for a specific time. At various intervals there are areas where they
can climb up and get onto main land.
9 - River's Edge. Except where otherwise noted, the river's edge has an
area above the river walls where people can move without limitations.
10 - Western Coast. The beach head immediately in front of the keep is
flat, allowing for a safe landing with good visibility. The area away from the
keep has the hill with the lip that prevents visibility until you're all the
way up top. The coast is dotted with steep non-climbable areas.
11 - Mountain Ridge. This impassable mountain ridge spans almost the
full length of the zone. This creates a divide that forces an attacking force
to deal with the center area (15) or to go through the western zone line (12).
12 - Ridge Pass. This is the opening of mountain ridge. This will be
the scene of many battles as it is one of three entrance points from the outer
frontier to the middle frontier.
13 - Center Island Keep. This keep has three bridges providing fast
access leading to it. Directly on both sides of the bridges are impassable
areas. The rest of the coast line west of the two bridges (the direction the
keep faces) is flat beach to allow for clear visibility when assaulting the
island. The rest of the island has the hill with the lip that prevents
visibility until you're all the way to the top.
14 - Slush Pond. This area is a marshy, swampy or slushy area that
sporadically slows movement. This is to act as a disincentive to movement
through the area.
15 - Center Keep Valley. This mountain to the southeast of this area
extends almost to the river to limit access to the middle frontier. This makes
up one of three entrances into the middle frontier, along with (12) and (16).
This will be one of the major choke points of combat.
16 - Boulder Pass. This is the third entrance into the middle frontier.
It leads directly into the water, requiring attacking forces using this pass
to enter the water before continuing on to the back frontier.
17 - Watcher's Hill. This is a nice hill that provides an excellent
view of the area southwest of Center Island Keep. This is a spot players will
likely use as rally points for attacks or defenses.
18 – Impassable Mountains. These are impassable mountains/hills that
block travel.
19 - Woods. These areas are normal woods filled with a mix of aggressive
creatures and quest related encounters. While not as unforgiving as Dark
Woods, these areas provide spots for small raiding parties to flee into while
still proving enough aggro to cause confusion for any large armies trying to
chase them inside. These areas will be a great disincentive to large armies
who plan on getting to their destination anytime soon.
20 - Relic Rapids. These areas provide river access through the
defensive walls that protect each relic keep. The idea is to allow optional
water access to the relic keep without requiring that a force fight through
the gates (see 21).
21 - Relic Gates. These gates protect the relic keeps. Much like the
existing mile gates, these will have a single door that serves as a
bottleneck. The area between and on each side of the gates is an impassable
wall, forcing people to move through the gates. (Currently, during relic
raids, there are generally two battles. One battle that happens at the keep
itself, and then a second battle that happens at the mile gates as all three
realms battle in a last ditch attempt to stop the relic from escaping. This
new design forces those two battles to happen closer together. It also lets
defenders, who were not able to get inside the keep to defend, set up a
defense at the gates.)
22, 23 - Border Keeps. The border keeps are where people zone into the
frontier from their homeland. These keeps are designed to allow access across
a wide area, both outside and inside the relic defense wall. This forces relic
raiders to blockade two areas to stop reinforcements during a relic raid.
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- Merchant Town. This area located in the relative safety behind the
relic gate walls is the Albion frontier town. The demand for supplies and
services for those fighting in Frontiers has allowed the town to prosper
greatly and become a full service town that provides just about anything your
heart could desire. Trainers, merchants, crafting tables; you name it, it's
here. However, the merchants in this town must be protected, and if the town
is ransacked by enemy forces, it may take a while before the townspeople work
up the nerve to return to their duties.
Legend Definitions
Relic Gates. These gates protect the relic keeps. Much
like the existing mile gates, these will have a single door that serves as a
bottleneck. The area between and on each side of the gates is an impassable
wall forcing people to move through the gates. Currently during relic raids,
there are generally two battles. One battle that happens at the keep itself,
and then a second battle that happens at the mile gates as all three realms
battle in a last ditch attempt to stop the relic from escaping. This design
forces those two battles to happen closer together and lets defenders who are
not able to get inside the keep to defend, set up a defense at the gates.
Keeps and Guard Towers. Each keep has four primary guard towers. In
addition to adding NPC guards to help the defender/attacker, and serving as an
early warning system of upcoming attacks, the guard towers are placed at
strategic points to attack or defend their associated keep. A smart keep siege
leader will do well to instruct her troops to take out one or more guard
towers before attacking a keep. Of course, a smart defense leader may have
some of her troops counterattack to reclaim the towers.
Mile gates. There are two mile gates guarding each of the relic keeps.
Relic Keeps. These keeps house the relics of the realm. |
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