Dominion of the North (recruitment patch)

[King of Dawn]

Removing Dale and only giving Dwarves their western settlements + Lunelaith en Nenuial might be a good solution.
Let's see what Gimli thinks about it and I hope Celival is okay with playing another faction

If Adanedhel wants to join, and we remove Dale, we are full.
If he doens't want to join, and noone else shows interest, I might remove Isengard or Dwarves too.

[Gimli]

Again, you have to look at the perspective. If you remove the Dwarves, Orc factions will generally become more dominant over the Elves + Men just by recruitment, and stronger AR stats. Whereas putting the Dwarves in counters that to a degree. You also have to think about who is in control of the factions, and what kind of diplomacy goes on. Without the Dwarves in the East, you are looking at Silvan + Orc conflict in which, the SE could get 2v1'd or even 3v1'd if Isengard gets involved. With the Dwarves in the West you run the risk of the HE simply over whelming them with Eriador, as the Dwarves wont have enough troops to defend all their provinces from a mass scale invasion and would just camp in the Blue Mountains. With that being said, without a Dwarvish presence in the West, it lets the High Elves/Eriador either fight each other or unite against the Orcs which solves any problem. Just by there position and the settlements there, the Dwarves just wouldn't be effective whereas in the east they can make more of an impact.

The problem that's always been with Third Age Free For All is that the map has been designed for each faction to be co-dependent on the other. Example, Eriador is surrounded by OOTMM, OoG, Isengard, and High Elves (excluding the Dwarves). and could literally by eradicated the first 10 turns if all the other factions simply decided to invade them.

Eriador is co-dependent on the High Elves to protect one of their flanks.
The Silvans are co dependent on the Dwarves to protect one of their flanks.
The Orcs are in the middle of the map, and thus cant fight each other at the risk of being invaded by others.
Isengard is pretty self sufficient and really has more than enough opportunities to thrive.

I'd suggest making this a 2v2 Hotseat instead. Eriador/HE vs OOTMM/OoG vs Dwarves/SE vs Isengard

Granted Isengard is by its-self but they don't need an ally and by giving them rebel settlements below the river, you are making them strong enough to be by themselves.

[Captain Melon]

Are any good factions still open?

[King of Dawn]

Okay, a dicision has to be made. The majority will decide, everyone has to vote

vote 1

option 1:
The hotseat will become a 2vs2vs2vs1 hotseat and the teams will be: Eriador/HE vs OOTMM/OoG vs Dwarves/SE vs Isengard.
Dale will be removed, Dwarves will only have control over their eastern settlements + Dale. The other Dalish + western Dwarven settlements will be out of bonds.
option 2: Remain a free diplomacy hotseat. Dale will be removed and the Dwarves will only have their western settlements + Lunelaith and Nenuial. Settlements of Dale and eastern Dwarven settlements will be out of bonds.
option 3: Remain a free diplomacy hotseat. Dale will be removed, Dwarves will control all their settlements. Settlements of Dale will be out of bonds.

vote 2

Option 1: Devide all rebel settlements
Option 2: Don't devide the rebel settlements.

When everyone has voted, I'll update the OP and start hunting for a seventh player, if I can't find one, I'll hunt for an admin and join myself.
If it should become a 2vs2 hotseat, and you want to change your preferable factions, pls mention it in your vote post

[ScotlandIsBest]

vote 1 : option 2
vote 2 : option 2

[LordPureLegacy]

I agree with option 2 also I really don't want a 2v2v2 whatever hotseat it just seems repetitive of what happens in the end and honestly I enjoy making deals in diplomacy and such. About the rebel settlements I agree with most of them being set but I would like to see some that in between closely of factions to remain rebels such as settlements that can have diplomacy settled over them. Last thing I strongly disagree with isengard being removed their a nice mix into the hotseat to deal with.

[joerock22]

Vote 1 = option 2
Vote 2 = option 1

I feel strongly that keeping the hotseat a FFA and removing Dale and eastern Dwarves is the best option. I don't feel so strongly about whether to keep rebels or not, but voted to divide them because it's something new. The more ideas we try out, the better.

To clarify, under option 2, when you said the Dwarves will have their "eastern" settlements and Neunial and Lunelaith, did you mean their western settlements (Thorin's Halls and the castle farther north)?

[Captainnorway]

i’m fine with any of the options

[Gimli]

Ok so i think you have it mixed up a bit. Dwarves can't be in the West but be allied to Silvans, it doesn't work. Also, like i said, only having the Dwarves in the West puts serious inbalances to that side and it is more or less likely that Eriador, OoG, and High Elves gang bang the Dwarves for fear of AR. They just dont have an economy in the West and would be irrelevant to have them there.

In any situation, ditch the idea of keeping the Dwarves in West, and rather focus on the East since historically most of the Dwarvish power is in fact in the East, and only a small colony remain in the West.

Whether it's FFA or 2v2v2v1 the Dwarves should be in the East, in control of Erebor, Iron Hills, Esagorath, Dale, Wormcove, and the Southern Dalish village. Everything south is out of bounds unless it is in Mirkwood or below Mirkwood.

~Dol Guldor should be in control of the Silvans, just for economic purposes. Beorns Halls should remain rebel as it could be a crucial to a Silvan/OOTMM war.

Also there really shouldn't be a vote at this point for rebel settlements being split up, its a new dynamic for Third Age, and it gives more directional confrontation like in Westeros where you don't waste the first 8 turns growing you're faction.

[ScotlandIsBest]

Doesn't this leave dwarves in advantageous position? They get the Eastern settlements which are better than Western, and they have no Dale to deal with , where will they be contested? They will just snowball from the beginning? You guys would know more than me , just wondering

[Gimli]

Eh Not really, not in compared to everyone else getting rebel settlements/having access to elite units. The exact same can be said to Isengard, High Elves, and OoG.

[LordPureLegacy]

I say let the Dwarves keep the west regardless its a FFA there is no telling if their gonna be allies with Silvan anyways. Not only that but if they keep west it forces them with more upkeep and more concentration on connecting their lands or whatever. No offence but all I hear is laziness for doing diplomacy in the west its no drag and no overpowered thing. Your only making possible scenarios and only some definite things.

[CelivalTheGreat]

I'd say remove Dale and we do the alliance..

[King of Dawn]

I did mix up east and west
But I think most of you interpretated it right.
Gimli, if the Dwarves should only have their western settlements, they will receive small buffs. And Dain will be moved so you get an extra good general. I honestly think that they will be relevant and interesting to play.

I will get the settlement list up ASAP. But I won't be able to touch my laptop for 36 hours

[joerock22]

Gimli, if the Dwarves should only have their western settlements, they will receive small buffs. And Dain will be moved so you get an extra good general. I honestly think that they will be relevant and interesting to play.

Agreed. Dwarves will be smaller in size than the High Elves, but with better AR. So perhaps approximately equivalent strength overall? In any case, the Dwarves won't be a super strong faction so I don't think there's a huge risk of the players ganging up on them. Gang up on the Dwarves, and you might just find that Orcs of Gundabad or even Eriador have expanded out of control...

[Gimli]

Eh, someone else can play the Western Dwarves - if they want. I've done it before, not into doing it again tbh. Wasn't that fun, i'll take any other faction.

[saleska2]

I am very much interested in this scenario, looks awesome to me, ill join if you allow me!

[King of Dawn]

Great! We're full, I skipped some lectures today. I'm now at my match, when I get home, I'll post the map, list of new settlements for every faction and a list of small changes that I made.

[Adanedhel]

I can be co-admin, then, if you want. Would have to see if my game is compatible with this, though.

[King of Dawn]

Conclusion of the voting: The hotseat will remain a free diplomacy hotseat, the Dwarves will only have their western settlements.
I updated the map, changes and factions in the OP

List of extra settlements for each faction:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

High Elves: Eryn Vorn, Allimir, Hoarwell, Ost-In-Edhil
Silvan Elves: Limlight Fort, Eryn Dolen, Ost-In-Gill, Emyn-nu-Fûin
Eriador: Barrow-Downs, Amun Sûl, Argond
Dwarves: Lunelaith, Nenuial
Isengard: Lond Angren, Talsir, South Tharbad, Fangorn
Orcs of the MM: Coldfells, Framsburg, Wrakyaburg
Orcs of Gundabad: Ruskea Vene, Pitkaranta
Remain rebel: North Tharbad, Lond Daer, Athilin, Beorn's Halls, Rhosgobel, Amon Gastal

The garrison has been replaced by 2-4 units of the factiob who now owns the settlement.

I'll post the starting turn in 24 hours,
If you want to swap faction, do it in the next 24 hours, if you can find someone that wants to swap.
If you have a proposition for an additional change, let me know!