Adding Complexity To The Scourge And Allowing Lich King To Assume Control Of Smaller Members

[usfshihy]

Hello! This is a part of a longer suggestion I posted since Zumbak asked me to narrow it down. While I know the work on the CK2 version has stopped, this could offer some useful suggestions for the upcoming CK3 one. Now I just finished a nearly 30 year playthrough of the Goldrinn of Shadowfang Keep. My goal was to establish a rival human/Worgen resistance to the Scourge and one that looks at Garithos with suspicion and as someone who can form an important piece in our resistance rather than we form an irrelevant piece in his.

The mod has a real problem when it comes with alliances, whether we are talking about Horde, Alliance or the Scourge. Any 5-10 year playthrough would result in a world mainly split between those powers and the eradication of most small/medium sized states. For example, Garithos can always win the civil war by just calling all the Alliance armies, and the Scourge won't stop winning since it can put in it's 100k army wherever it pleases always beating the Forsaken in a few years. That's why, gameplay wise, Pandaria is by far the most fun continent to play in as it's the one with the least obvious power projectors, it's filled with small powers making for an amazing interregnum like experience for a CK game where anything can happen (It's the same reason why Elder Kings, another great mod focuses most on it Interregnum start date as it is by far the most popular). I rarely play in Lorderaon as I'll always find myself squished between those great powers so I tried to make my playthrough more fun by first controlling Thrall and Varian and making them break up the Horde and the Alliance and then giving independence to all the smaller Scourge vassals to add more singularity and personality to the world rather than 3 big blobs.

And so it began! With the great powers broken up, so much more fun scenarios began to brew up. An Ironforge-Shadowforge war (which wouldn't have started if Ironforge had 50k soldiers behind it) blew up, putting central Azeroth at risk. The Dragonmaw began seizing territories in the highlands and made 5 failed invasions on Grim Batol. Eventually forming an alliance with the Rend Blackhand who rebelled from Nefarien and slaughtered him giving a rise to a true "Dark Horde". The Newly split Scourge power of Tranquillien ruled by the traitor Dar'Khan Drathir began a major offensive against Quel'thalas, losing in the process and quickly falling back in both power and land giving sway to a reunited Quel'thalas (Again, wouldn't have happened if he had the 100k Lich King behind him). The Scarlet Crusade began to advance and capture parts of Northern Trisfal and eventually made an attempt to take Strathholme, taking control of the Burning City for 5 years and appearing as the renewed bastion of Humanity in Lorderaon before collapsing in a three way civil war with one side led by Saidan Dathrohan holding the lands around the Capital City and the Monastery, another controlling parts in the plaguelands and the last holding Tarren Mill(If the Scourge was united, the Scarlet Crusade usually dies off in 2 years and that's that). In the south, a rising alliance between the Atal'ai and the Gurubashi began to threaten Stormwind making considerable raid incursions deep in Azeroth's territory. The two sides fought each other in 4 wars with no side showing any signs of stopping (They usually get curb stomped if the Alliance is there with full power). In Andorhal, Araj the Summoner began an attack against Scholomance trying to enlarge his territory giving way to a more complex Scourge than the one usually exists. The Forsaken made several major offensives against Dalaran eventually taking control of the great city (Forsaken usually get humiliated by the Scourge in 2-3 years). And finally, perhaps my most favorite development, a scarlet light uprising took place in Stromgarde forcing Galen Trollbane to flee to the newly captured Durholde Keep (A very unique development that wouldn't have happened since Stromgarde usually dies from Horde in the first 10 years along with the death of Scarlet light religion as it also falls apart in 2 years).

For the Scourge, I had an idea in my mind for a while and I really think it will make both playing as the Scourge or one of it's members and playing as one of the many resistance groups in Lorderaon a whole lot more fun. For starters a similar system like the one I suggested for the alliance and the horde can be implemented for the Scourge where smaller Scourge groups representing the various members and areas of control of the Lich king(ie. Araj in Andorhal, Kel'thuzad in Stratholme) act more like independant nations rather than vassals. For every member, a retinue force is stationed at their capital to represent the Scourge's defense force for this group. That retinue should be appropriate to the size of the faction member ie. A kingdom should have 5k while a Barony 1k. The retinue should also replace the ability of a faction member to call for their suzerain's aid as that aid is always present in the form of the retinue force, this will also fix the worst problem currently in the game which is the blob power. Now here's what I think the difference could be, if the player is controlling the Lich king, he/she can choose every 5-8 years or so to take control of one the members, where for example Kel'thuzad will step down as leader of Stratholme temporarily and instead taking the role of Regent while the Lich King takes direct control of that faction member. This is similar to how the Lich King went to the Plaguelands to lead the fight against the Scarlet Crusade in WOTLK. A considerable 10-20k retinue should appear representing the Lich King's personal army. This will allow the Lich king to assume control over locations that appear to be a busy front or facing heavy fighting and also allow him to fight personally in the battles with that insane combat ability he possesses. Now to balance that, the Lich king should only be able to assume control every 5-8 years or so which makes the choice not just important but also risky, as leaving Icecrown, the capital of the Scourge, might put it at risk from foes like the Scarlet Dawn who attempt to make use of the Lich King's preoccupation in a different front, where the Icecrown regent (Anub'arak for example) will step up as leader of Icecrown till the Lich king's return, other than the obvious danger of the Lich King being in the frontlines. Just like with the Horde and the alliance this will allow the Scourge to be a more dynamic threat where it can make BOTH losses and advances at the same time as most of the Scourge is now more or less independent, while still making the more important locations held by the Scourge like Stratholme far harder to take as the Lich King himself might just step down there to make you pay for every inch. It will also allow for some interesting infighting as some members might try and expand themselves at the expense of weaker members in the Scourge, which they see as unworthy. Lastly, this will give the smaller Lorderaon states a chance as they are no longer fighting the entirety of the Scourge (The forsaken always falls apart after a few years since no one can take on a 100k army) but instead one of their many fronts making so much more use of the greater province count you guys have made. And I do believe more is better in this regard, in which a greater separation of states is better than just a couple to ensure the "feel" of an interregnum ensuing in Lorderaon is accurate with countless smaller states and groups all vying for control for small swaths of land. This will allow for so many unique playthroughs like small Scarlet Crusade pockets, small Bandit camps or tiny Argent Dawn groups fighting for survival where the player can take a minor quest character in WoW and greatly change his fate.