Finished Path of the Fellowship

[Fireinferno13]

Introduction
As many of you are aware, the current footsteps that mark out the path following the breaking of the fellowship are somewhat difficult to follow, ending in a confusing mismatch of directions at Isengard. The goal of this project is to both clear up the path as well as expand it into Gondor. After discussing this with @Finrod_Amandil , we have decided that the best solution for now would be to only mark out the paths of Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli and Frodo/Sam. Adding the paths of Merry/Pippin/Gandalf at the moment just adds to the clutter and difficulty of tracking. We are open to solutions and would love to hear your thoughts, but will be placing that aspect on hold for now.

Project Planning

Frodo and Sam (yellow)

1. Amon Hen - breaking of the fellowship
2. Emyn Muil - lost, find valley to climb down, capture gollum
3. Dead Marshes - cross firm path led by gollum
4. Noman Lands - climb slopes, hide in hollow to see black gate
5. Ithilien - head south, find faramir
6. Henneth Annun - sleep in the back of the cave, head directly south
7. Cross roads - careful to avoid road, see statue

1. Minas Morgul
2. Endless stairwell
3. Shelobs layer
4. Cirith Ungol
5. Durthang
6. Mordor
7. Mt Doom

Merry and Pippin (green)

1. Amon Hen - captured, breaking of the fellowship
2. Entwash - pippin drops leaf
3. Fangorn - escape captors, meet Treebeard
4. Wellinghall
5. Isengard - march with ents to isengard

Aragorn Legolas and Gimli (blue)

1. Amon Hen - breaking of the fellowship
2. Entwash - track hobbits east, meet Eomer
3. Fangorn - enter the forest in pursuit
4. Treebeards Hill - find Gandalf who ensures everything is ok, leads directly south
5. Edoras - Gandalf heals Theoden
6. Helms Deep - forces retreat, all night battle, victory
7. Isengard - small company led to confront Saruman

1. Dunharrow - Aragorn et al break off with Dunedain
2. Paths of the Dead - Aragorn summons the oathbreakers (no path here)
3. Morthond Vale - ride to the Hill of Erech
4. Pelargir - help defend from Corsairs of Umbar, take ships up river
5. Minas Tirith - arrive for battle

1. Osgiliath - cross the river to the cross roads, head north
2. Henneth Annun - ambushed, forced to go off road the remainder of the way
3. Black Gate - battle!

Gandalf (white)

1. Joins Aragorn and company in Fangorn
2. Isengard - confront saruman
3. Minas Tirith - races with Pippin to warn, battle
4. Rejoins Aragorn and company after

 

[Smaug_Niphredil]

If we were to have all of them, we could have different coloured footsteps for each group.

 

[Eriol_Eandur]

In my opinion in the map above only two paths are missing for now:

• Merry and Pippin with Treebeard from eastern Fangorn to Isengard.
  
• Pippin and Gandalf from Ford of Isen to Minas Tirith.

Also missing is the path of Merry with King Theoden from Helms Deep to Dunharg. But that path isn't built yet (at last I think so).

I don't think people who are tracking the paths would be confused too much if we would add these.
Also we could set up some Guidebook areas at the parting of the paths with information for trackers.

 

[ryttyr]

I think all the perspectives we see in the books should be marked by footprints exept for instances where those paths takes the same route as one another. So for instance don't have two paths for Aragorn co. and the hobbits up until Aragorn co. stops following them (the hobbits).

 

[Fireinferno13]

NEW POLL: Should we mark a route through the Paths of the Dead??

Aragorn's path from the Morthond Vale to the ambush just east of Henneth Annun is now done. Will wait for the Noman Lands to be completed before continuing northward. Would appreciate if someone could check my work (@Gary_Baggins ?)

Will be working on the section in Rohan next.

 

[Gary_Baggins]

On it boss.

 

[Fireinferno13]

Redid footsteps between Edoras and Isengard. Increased the frequency and separated the directions into "lanes" in order for easy following.

In my opinion in the map above only two paths are missing for now:

• Merry and Pippin with Treebeard from eastern Fangorn to Isengard.
  
• Pippin and Gandalf from Ford of Isen to Minas Tirith.

Also missing is the path of Merry with King Theoden from Helms Deep to Dunharg. But that path isn't built yet (at last I think so).

I don't think people who are tracking the paths would be confused too much if we would add these.
Also we could set up some Guidebook areas at the parting of the paths with information for trackers.

Easy to add. Added

 

[Fireinferno13]

Progress:

Frodo and Sam (yellow) - on hold until Dead Marshes/Noman Lands are complete

Merry and Pippin - working on this. the terrain and path will need to be adjusted slightly in order to improve tracking

Aragorn Legolas and Gimli - done! redid the paths between edoras and isengard, added the paths through gondor with the help of @Robz . Vote on whether you'd like to see a path through the paths of the dead!

Gandalf - done! added a path from isengard to minas tirith​

 

[ryttyr]

Should the route through the Paths of the Dead me marked?

Me marked an error in your poll title.

 

[Deleted member 10888]

maybe different coloured foot prints would make it easier to follow?!?

 

[Fireinferno13]

Redid the Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli and Merry/Pippin path between Amon Hen and Treebeard's Hill in Fangorn. The path itself still needs to be placed but I think its fine to call this project done for all intensive purposes, as I will run the remaining section as a short job this weekend.

I may still mark a path through the Paths of the Dead, though the votes are currently tied, as I think depriving players who don't have a guide of one of our more astounding builds is somewhat silly... That being said I will need a guide to help me with this step lol...

Frodo and Sam's path will be added separately once the Dead Marshes and No-man Lands are complete.

 

[ryttyr]

Redid the Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli and Merry/Pippin path between Amon Hen and Treebeard's Hill in Fangorn. The path itself still needs to be placed but I think its fine to call this project done for all intensive purposes, as I will run the remaining section as a short job this weekend.

I may still mark a path through the Paths of the Dead, though the votes are currently tied, as I think depriving players who don't have a guide of one of our more astounding builds is somewhat silly... That being said I will need a guide to help me with this step lol...

Frodo and Sam's path will be added separately once the Dead Marshes and No-man Lands are complete.

But how are we to test players in the Paths Challenge if there's an laid out path to follow?

 

[QuantaCube]

I think there should be a map of the paths of the dead instead of footprints.

 

[thomasd18]

Why not make them very rare almost like a checkpoint system

 

[ryttyr]

Why not make them very rare almost like a checkpoint system

We already have the skulls for that.

 

[barteldvn]

There are some weird footprints in Rohan, there seem way too many and some are floating, all along this road, maybe in more places aswel.

 

[Fireinferno13]

There are some weird footprints in Rohan, there seem way too many and some are floating, all along this road, maybe in more places aswel.

I am aware of this, the pack needs to be updated to include the footprint textures from Gondor2. Please bear with it until then. @Finrod_Amandil we need to make sure @Eriol_Eandur ’s eight sided footprints are added to all RPs

 

[thomasd18]

We already have the skulls for that.

Replace the skulls though

 

[Fireinferno13]

There are some weird footprints in Rohan, there seem way too many and some are floating, all along this road, maybe in more places aswel.

Also do you think there are too many? One of the main critiques of the previous path iteration was that they were difficult to follow, especially in Rohan. I tried to remedy that by slightly increasing the frequency.

Why not make them very rare almost like a checkpoint system

I actually really like this idea. I think it is a good compromise. I could even avoid placing them at every turn and fork in the road to force some trial and error.

 

[ryttyr]

Replace the skulls though

No. I like the skulls. They are easy to remember where they are and not as obvious as footprints