Oloruin 2 ReadMe Notes:

Oloruin 2 v1.0 was released 11/23/2000.

My goals in first creating Oloruin were threefold: to learn Fear and
Loathing, to attempt to bring the "unbalanced balance" of For Carnage
Apply Within to a two team map, and to do the largest Light vs. Dark
battle Myth had ever seen. The first goal I am happy to say I've
accomplished. The second is a step closer to completion with this new
version of Oloruin. And the third is impossible in the Myth 2 engine,
alas!

Far too many mapmakers attempt to balance things for two teams by making
the starts and center nearly identical. As a result gameplay innovation
has gone downhill on 3rd party two team maps since the re-release of
Creep on the Borderlands by Badlands nearly two years ago. The time has
come for "unbalanced balance". Oloruin is a map that is ASYMETRICAL.
That means that although on the "Light" mesh both teams start with the
same number of units, little else is "fair". For instance, the map is
sloped downward from the South to North. This means the North start is
at a significant height disadvantage to start with. However, the North
start also has easy access to the highest point on the map and the
easiest held point on the map. And things don't end there. But the
rest... well, you'll have to check it out yourself.

There are several items and units copied from other sources in this
plugin for which I must give credit, for they were superb. From Creation
I've borrowed the units Skrael and Forest Giant. I've nothing but high
praise for these units and am glad to be able to use them. I also
borrowed the projectile used in Coming of the Dark for the bow of fury.
From Badlands I've taken the converted myrmidon tags. Of course, some of
these tags are simply updates from TFL, but for the new stuff and the
work done in converting the tags to SB, thanks much!

Warlocks now take 1/2 damage from electricity. This is a play balance
issue that I figured I'd sneak in.

Fetch (2) Magi are worth 8 points. Their lightning attack now uses mana,
and they have cloudkill as a special ability.

Cloudkill was not used in the shipping version of Myth 2. This is likely
due to its unfinished state (ex. lack of play balance). I took some
liberties in changing damage values to certain units by gas (cloudkill)
that I hope will prevent some highly annoying bugs from appearing. Also,
the damage cloudkill does as shipped has been reduced and the duration
altered. Hopefully testing will show these changes to be effective and
worthwhile.

Myrk giants are never used on maps with pus in the shipping version of
Myth 2, SB. Thus this note to players that while they take very little
damage from pus (1/5th to be exact), pus should still stun them (ghasts
and soulless in the Division mesh case).

Airstike Bottles can't be distinguished from other unlit molotov
cocktails, and don't detonate unless uncorked and thrown. If you find
one, have your dwarven hero pick it up and toss it. My thanks to Ferrex
for helping me recreate Balin with his addition of the airstike bottle.

The Bow of Burning Breath shoots a fiery arrow that cannot be
extinguished by rain. It leaves in its trail a deadly swath of fire.

The Staff of Triple Fireball is simply an easier to see (larger) version
of the artifact found on level 23 (which Seanchaidh uses). It has
unlimited charges that cost just a little more mana than a regular
fireball to cast.

The Bow of Stoning was the easiest tag editing I've done. Stoned units
can be healed back to life, and each bow has 6 arrows.

The Magic Sword artifact gives a single berserk the strength of
soulblighter... literally. Levels can only load a couple types of
lightning so this using Alric's magic sword didn't work out with fetch
already on the mesh.

The Bow of Furious Incandescense is my best-possible recreation of the
artifact from Myth:TFL by that same name. It is deadly. It is bright.
Fear it.

Mandrake plants growing in these mountains are of a hardier strain that
those found along riverbeds in the South, though their roots still have
the same healing powers.

bre'Unor are a cool concept that just didn't get done quite right in
Myth 2. In an effort make them worth the 4 trading points that is
standard, I've finagled with their settings to make them more effective
at close range.

Players who have never played Myth: TFL should note that myrmidon are
undead, and will die if healed.

I borrowed the "fountain healing" concept from Badlands' map Lichen Unto
Death. Pretty much the same script, simply with different local
projectiles.

Lightning towers were a pain to script, as I've (until now) little
experience scripting in Loathing. I think they're cool though, so it was
worth the effort. Beware their blinding wrath.

The Deceiver has "Binding Dream" on the Division mesh. This will work on
many of the enemy's units, but not all.

I'm not really sure how the Deceiver's Binding Dream actually works. I
know it's a "charm" damaging attack, but can't quite figure out what the
amount of charm damage a unit takes has to do with it (other than to say
that those with 1.0 usually get their team changed). I could look into
it, but figure might as well just leave well enough alone. Some units
I've changed to take 1.0 damage from charm so that they can be turned to
the Light Side.

Scripting the World Knot was really fun. 'nuff said.

I beefed up the health on the poachers for Assassin on the Light mesh.
They're now as healthy as the Baron, even if they still look like his
underfed peasants.

On the 8 Team mesh the stampede unit will vary from start location to
start location. Pigs have lots of health, wolves are fast and can attack,
and deer can outrun even wolves.

The Summoner is able to teleport enemies away in the single player Tain
mesh. However, I wasn't interested in figuring out a safe and fun way to
do this, so he can only summon reinforcements and do his pretty, little
swirly attack. Oloruin 3 (yeah right) or another map maybe... for Myth
3?

Last item. I tested this pretty much exclusively by myself, as we all
the know number of people playing Myth 2 is dwindling. I feel it's safe
to say that although I may have missed one or two small things, only the
extremely observant will actually note it as a bug rather than "as
designed". Here's hoping. Please enjoy this plugin and use any of the
many ideas in it freely and frequently in future maps!






Oloruin 2 Design Documentation:

Reins via World Knot.
Reins on Heroic.
Artifacts on Legendary.
Lightning Towers must attack all units.
Note that Mandrake Plants count as units.

Light Mesh
-------------
Skrael                    6/8/4
Bowmen                    12/18/3
Dwarves                   4/8/6
Thrall                   24/30/1
Warriors                 18/24/2
Stygian Knights          12/16/3
Journeymen                2/4/6
Ghols                     6/18/2
Wights                    2/-/3

Stampede unit: Pigs      18/-/3
Assassin unit: Poachers   3/-/6

Artifacts: Bow of Burning Breath
Bow of Furious Incandescense
Bow of Stoning




Dark Mesh
-------------

Dwarven Heroes 4/6/8
Fetch 2        2/4/8
Warlocks       2/4/8
Trow           0/2/24
Myrmidon      24/30/2
Berserks      18/24/3
Maul          12/16/4
bre'Unor       6/12/4

Mahir (Heroic)  2/-/9

Stampede units: wolves                  15/-/3
Assassin Units: Balin and Seanchaidh    1/-/-

Artifacts:
Staff of Triple Fireball
Airstrike bottles
Magic Sword for Berserks




Division
-------------
Soulblighter                        1/-/24
Summoner (w/ myrk reins summon)     1/-/16       (heroic)


Myrk Giants          0/2/32

Fetch 2               4/6/8
Poison Soulless     12/24/3
Dwarven Mortars      6/8/8
Warlocks              3/6/8
Myrmidon            30/45/2
Stygian Knights     24/30/3
Myrkridia           18/24/4

Trow                 0/2/24


Deceiver (w/ change teams)          1/-/24
Phelot                              1/-/16       (heroic)

2 Mahir on Assassin

Stampede units:        Deer   15/-/3
Assassin units are the NPCs.

Artifacts:                                       (heroic)
Dispersal Dream (1)
Skulls for Summoner (2)




4 Way FFA (Heroes)
-------------

Forest Giants            1/2/24
Heron Heroes             2/4/8
Dwarven Mortar Heroes    2/4/8
Fetch 2                  2/4/8
Poison Soulless         12/18/3
Stygian Knights         16/24/3
Warriors                24/30/2
Spiders                 24/30/1

Mahir (Heroic)           2/-/9
Warlock Hero             1/-/16
Berserk Heroes           3/-/6

Assassin units:          Myrk Giant     1/-/32
Stampede units:             Skrael      10/-/4


no Reins or Artifacts




8 way FFA
-------------
Dwarven Mortars    1/2/8
Dwarven Heroes     1/2/8
Fetch 2            1/2/8
Warlocks           1/2/8
Bowmen             4/8/3
Poison Soulless    4/8/3
Heron Guards      8/12/3
Maul               6/8/4

Mahir (Heroic)     1/-/9

Stampede unit is Deer or Pigs or Wolves, depending on location.
Assassin unit is Balin.


Artifacts:
Bow of Stoning
Staff of Triple Fireball
Airstrike bottles

8 Stampede Flags

LMOTH is JMK

Journeymen 2/-/6
Thrall     24/-/1
Dwarves    6/-/6
Wights     4/-/3

Reins (Mass of Thrall) summoned by Dwarf Heroes, or by Sudden Death on LMOTH.






Oloruin 2 Credits:

THIS PLUGIN IS ©1998 IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY BUNGIE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
CORPORATION.

Created using Bungie's Fear & Loathing, Amber, Tag Extractor, Photoshop,
Graphic Converter, and Fireworks by Jason Beach (Stinger).