Let Wood Elves Expand Forests

ZeroOne#7805

The Wood Elves need an overhaul. The current Wood Elves are a unique and nuanced faction, I am aware they have many advantages to counterbalance their inability to grow settlements outside of their forest, but these abilities don't really make a lot of sense and the idea of Wood Elves LEAVING THEIR FOREST to take over the world is preposterous, it just doesn't fit the lore. However, you can't have a faction in Total War that can't compete for global domination in the main campaign. I think the solution here is give the Wood Elves the ability to expand the forest in a way very similar to the Vampires spreading corruption--or Chaos or Skaven, you get the point. Some reasons for doing this:

It fits the lore a little better. The Wood Elves probably wouldn't try to conquer the world, but if the did they would want to heal the forest, not occupy barren landscapes--to them everything but forest is barren. They would be the protectors of all nature, not just foreign 'liberators' from a strange distant land.

It gives a little more depth and consistency to the faction without compromising the unique aspects of the Wood Elves. Most of the current abilities the Wood Elves have can stay and be utilized during the long period a settlement is less than fully forest--attrition immunity needs to go. It should take longer to grow the forest than to turn the land to undeath, and settlements would naturally be limited during this process, so the hard work CA to get the Wood Elves to where they are now would not go to waste. I'm advocating building onto the existing design, maintaining the nuance--even adding to it--while creating a compelling late-game gameplay that the faction currently lacks.

If fits the existing mechanics for other races. There is already a mechanic in place to handle corruption...this would be almost exactly the same thing. Other factions already change the landscape of a province to better suit their needs. While adding trees might be a little more work graphically, Wood Elves would not be the only factions that changes the actual appearance of a province.

Now, I'll throw out my ideas for some of the SPECIFICS.
Make this conversion take longer than spreading corruption. Limit the settlements' main building chain to the conversion(eg when the province is 20% converted allow the settlement main building to be upgraded to tier 2, at 40% tier 3, etc). Limit the maximum conversion to forest by base biome type. Example: 100% for jungle and forest areas, 80% for plains(so tier 4 max here), 60% for mountains, 40% for swamps, 20% for frozen north. The Wood Elves can use magic to make trees grow, but they can't banish the snows.
The Wood Elves are a 'good-aligned' team, so they wouldn't expand the forest into neutral territory, require them to be at war.
Give the wood elf heroes and lords a bonus to climate change skill, an active ability to at least one of the heroes to 'sing to the trees' to make them grow faster, a bonus from any wood elf settlement main building to change the biome to forest, an additional perk to one of the existing buildings to do the same, and an influence on growth from a nearby forest that is say 60% or higher converted.

Obviously, other factions need a way to undo the conversion. I suggest that they get a hero skill 'woodcutters' that reduces the conversion to forest, and a main settlement chain attribute that reduces it as well. They should get a modest lumber per turn as a trade resource as well as a flat gold income both of which are related to how great the rate of conversion from forest back into the original was. The original Athel Loren provinces should be immune to this.

These changes make the Wood Elves an even more unique race, and more consistent and more balanced than they currently are. The changes work well with all existing mechanics including the penalties all races suffer from occupying biomes they aren't fit to live in. The changes give Wood Elves a story for competing in the grand campaign that Warhammer fans can get behind. Most importantly, the changes give Wood Elves a richer and more compelling gameplay.

Let me know what you guys think...and if you like the idea give it a bump so we can see this done.

FrostPaw#5051

Launched, paid for and enjoyed. The only changes happening now would be balance changes to ensure the global gameplay isn't damaged.

Beast_of_Guanyin#8747

You don't have to leave the forest as the WE, you can choose to stay inside it, form alliances and go out and launch vengeance as you please.

The last thing we need is another faction with corruption.

Wyvax#7456

I love the idea, I think that as it increases it grants bonuses, but it should only cause attrition when it gets like 80-90% or higher though.

daelin4#9896

Wood Elfs doing nothing but sit around is more fitting to the lore. THere is no need for "Forest Corruption".

I also don't see how this "heals the forest". You're thinking best defense is world conquest.

And I don't understand your reasoning: it is merely "it fits the lore" and "gives more depth". Yeah, not good enough reason to make such huge changes to the game. It is not like Wood Elfs being Untainted violates the lore more than this idea.

The bigger problem is Amber mechanic which is definitely the reason you have to go and conquer or ally with factions. The main objective in the Wood Elf campaign is upgrade the Oak of Ages, which means you need lots of amber expended on the tree alone, plus much more on tech. I don't think amber itself was ever mentioned in any army books I've read.

ZeroOne#7805

@daelin4
No player of total war is going to sit around and do nothing...so as long as Wood Elves are a playable race they have to have the ability to conquer the world. I agree in lore the Wood Elves aren't interested in world conquest, but Total War players are, and if they paid for the Wood Elf DLC, then they want to conquer the world as the Wood Elves. I'm just suggesting some changes to improve their gameplay. I don't think these changes are actually that expansive or that difficult to implement. Besides adding a few skills and effects, it's just adding a corruption type to the existing corruption system--at least it could be. The most time consuming part is designing the graphics for the various stages of growth in different provinces...but the code is already there for this too, because the existing corruption factions do change the appearance of provinces incrementally. So it is some work, but less than creating a faction from scratch like the upcoming DLC.

I could have more accurately said the Wood Elves would want to "heal the land," in other words, undo the habitat destruction that other societies commit. They are literal tree-huggers. In fact, Argwylon is a faction of trees. Their 'corruption' is natural growth accelerated. To achieve the completion of this 'corruption' in a province is to have restored the land to how it would be without the destructive influence of the sentient species. Doubtless, all this destruction and mistreatment of nature infuriates them...it is the reason they are so isolationist, and it shouldn't take much to convince them they should ride out and restore the order of nature across the world. Perhaps they could add a new Wood Elf faction with a vengeful spirit legendary lord who wants to defend all nature, not just Athel Loren, they could give this faction an interesting starting quest similar to the Angrund dwarves having to retake Karak Eight Peaks. They could add all these changes, making every Wood Elf faction more enjoyable package it together and sell it as a DLC.

TheGuardianOfMetal#3661

The WE actually DON'T WANT THE FOREST TO EXPAND, because it would make it even more difficult to control, and even more wild and dangerous... even to them most likely.

The Wood elves placed the waystones TO KEEP THE FOREST FROME EXPANDING

Pocman#6295

FrostPaw said:

Launched, paid for and enjoyed. The only changes happening now would be balance changes to ensure the global gameplay isn't damaged.

This: i seriously want an revision of game 1 races, including adding missing units, rites and some improvements to their mechanics... but lets be real, any change will be small, not a complete overhaul of the faction.

Minor improvements such as ritual or minor changes to some mechanics? Might happen.

DLCs adding missing units and LLs? Sure, may happen.

Complete reworking of the game 1 races? It's not gonna happen.


And WE are fun as they are. They only need some changes to their early game, which is slow as hell.

IzzyStradlin#2842

The problem with the Wood Elves is the Amber System and their Outposts, not the size of the forest.

lucibuis#6195

I proposed this a long time ago, something similar to the archdruid of age of wonders 3. Drycha could be the one with this objective

Arthas_Menethil#3421

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

lucibuis#6195

Arthasmenethril said:

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

We are talking about wood elves here not empire

Sir_Godspeed#8395

Technically, they DO expand the forests, look at the campaign map when you settle a new area. Trees pop up.

Orontes#2247

There is a mod done by Kelstr that adds a forest mist to all Wood Elf controlled territories that grows and expands as they do: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=821171778&searchtext=kelstr Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated to Warhammer II yet. I had it with Warhammer I. I really like it's effects and look forward to when it becomes part of TWWH 2.

Arthas_Menethil#3421

Sir_Godspeed said:

Technically, they DO expand the forests, look at the campaign map when you settle a new area. Trees pop up.

The trees change that is all like if the Empire takes a Bretonnian place and the reverse as the Empire, Bretonnians and the Wood Elves all have different tree types for when they take over a place.

lucibuis said:

Arthasmenethril said:

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

We are talking about wood elves here not empire

It's an example.

daelin4#9896

Prometheus22 said:

No player of total war is going to sit around and do nothing...so as long as Wood Elves are a playable race they have to have the ability to conquer the world.
I agree in lore the Wood Elves aren't interested in world conquest, but Total War players are, and if they paid for the Wood Elf DLC, then they want to conquer the world as the Wood Elves. I'm just suggesting some changes to improve their gameplay.

I know, but we also need to discuss the AI since every other time you play this game, the AI is playing the Wood Elfs.

Prometheus22 said:

I don't think these changes are actually that expansive or that difficult to implement. Besides adding a few skills and effects, it's just adding a corruption type to the existing corruption system--at least it could be. The most time consuming part is designing the graphics for the various stages of growth in different provinces...but the code is already there for this too, because the existing corruption factions do change the appearance of provinces incrementally. So it is some work, but less than creating a faction from scratch like the upcoming DLC.

I'd say the work you're describing is actually harder, or time-consuming, then it looks. making it isn't even the longest part, it's making sure the whole thing isn't a crash fest afterward. The same thing is the reason why Norsca is not going to e available until May- the stuff is largely done, but the port over is taking forever. Having the stuff on hand isn't the biggest bottleneck.

Prometheus22 said:

I could have more accurately said the Wood Elves would want to "heal the land," in other words, undo the habitat destruction that other societies commit. They are literal tree-huggers. In fact, Argwylon is a faction of trees. Their 'corruption' is natural growth accelerated. To achieve the completion of this 'corruption' in a province is to have restored the land to how it would be without the destructive influence of the sentient species. Doubtless, all this destruction and mistreatment of nature infuriates them...it is the reason they are so isolationist, and it shouldn't take much to convince them they should ride out and restore the order of nature across the world. Perhaps they could add a new Wood Elf faction with a vengeful spirit legendary lord who wants to defend all nature, not just Athel Loren, they could give this faction an interesting starting quest similar to the Angrund dwarves having to retake Karak Eight Peaks. They could add all these changes, making every Wood Elf faction more enjoyable package it together and sell it as a DLC.

Not according to the 7th edition book on Wood Elfs I have on hand, which state that they are secretive and isolationist, doing battle only to defend their forest home. CA's design is spot on with this narrative, they do not have true settlements outside of Athel Loren, and all objectives involve Athel Loren itself rather than going out and conquer things.
Your idea of "they do not leave the forest" yet opt to "heal it" by letting it grow is contradictory to the lore. The Wood Elfs are isolationists, not irredentists.

Beast_of_Guanyin#8747

Corruption is a thing that works for some factions, but only some. As I see it every faction with corruption lessens the uniqueness of corruption hence it should be only reserved for factions where it's appropriate.

Given that Wood Elves are isolationist in nature and actively against corruption they shouldn't have it.

konokono

I actually think you *can* make fun objectives that don't involve taking over the world. It's just that the Wood Elves don't actually do that, because to get amber you have to occupy settlements.

I would actually suggest that Wood Elves don't even get to occupy settlements. Instead, they will operate on war/peace cycles (seasons), where they get bonuses to either battle or economy, respectively. During times of war, they will receive objectives such as raid this region / sack this settlement, the completion of which gives amber. Their main objective is still to grow the Oak of Ages, this just changes the way in which that happens, from focusing more on occupation/diplomacy, to focusing just on fighting.

ZeroOne#7805

Vanilla_Gorilla said:

Corruption is a thing that works for some factions, but only some. As I see it every faction with corruption lessens the uniqueness of corruption hence it should be only reserved for factions where it's appropriate.

Given that Wood Elves are isolationist in nature and actively against corruption they shouldn't have it.

It isn't actually corruption, it is 'biome alteration,' but it would work in a way somewhat similar to corruption, so we're just calling it that for the sake of ease. And think of it this way. If an enemy was successful enough during an invasion to deforest part of Athel Loren, would the WEs not at least permit the forest to regrow?

ZeroOne#7805

daelin4 said:

Prometheus22 said:

No player of total war is going to sit around and do nothing...so as long as Wood Elves are a playable race they have to have the ability to conquer the world.
I agree in lore the Wood Elves aren't interested in world conquest, but Total War players are, and if they paid for the Wood Elf DLC, then they want to conquer the world as the Wood Elves. I'm just suggesting some changes to improve their gameplay.

I know, but we also need to discuss the AI since every other time you play this game, the AI is playing the Wood Elfs.

Prometheus22 said:

I don't think these changes are actually that expansive or that difficult to implement. Besides adding a few skills and effects, it's just adding a corruption type to the existing corruption system--at least it could be. The most time consuming part is designing the graphics for the various stages of growth in different provinces...but the code is already there for this too, because the existing corruption factions do change the appearance of provinces incrementally. So it is some work, but less than creating a faction from scratch like the upcoming DLC.

I'd say the work you're describing is actually harder, or time-consuming, then it looks. making it isn't even the longest part, it's making sure the whole thing isn't a crash fest afterward. The same thing is the reason why Norsca is not going to e available until May- the stuff is largely done, but the port over is taking forever. Having the stuff on hand isn't the biggest bottleneck.

Prometheus22 said:

I could have more accurately said the Wood Elves would want to "heal the land," in other words, undo the habitat destruction that other societies commit. They are literal tree-huggers. In fact, Argwylon is a faction of trees. Their 'corruption' is natural growth accelerated. To achieve the completion of this 'corruption' in a province is to have restored the land to how it would be without the destructive influence of the sentient species. Doubtless, all this destruction and mistreatment of nature infuriates them...it is the reason they are so isolationist, and it shouldn't take much to convince them they should ride out and restore the order of nature across the world. Perhaps they could add a new Wood Elf faction with a vengeful spirit legendary lord who wants to defend all nature, not just Athel Loren, they could give this faction an interesting starting quest similar to the Angrund dwarves having to retake Karak Eight Peaks. They could add all these changes, making every Wood Elf faction more enjoyable package it together and sell it as a DLC.

Not according to the 7th edition book on Wood Elfs I have on hand, which state that they are secretive and isolationist, doing battle only to defend their forest home. CA's design is spot on with this narrative, they do not have true settlements outside of Athel Loren, and all objectives involve Athel Loren itself rather than going out and conquer things.
Your idea of "they do not leave the forest" yet opt to "heal it" by letting it grow is contradictory to the lore. The Wood Elfs are isolationists, not irredentists.

Your last statement is true, but CA has to pander to the desires of the gamers. They can't have a playable faction that isn't capable of winning a long campaign in the Grand Campaign mode. I just think this solution is better than the current functionality. It provides better gameplay, and it is no more contradictory to the lore than WEs occupying settlements outside Athel Loren without also growing the forest, in my opinion. There is also room for an interesting new WE faction led by a new legendary hero on a starting quest to bring down the stones containing Athel Loren and wreak nature's wrath upon all those that would corrupt and destroy the land. You have to admit that sounds cool.

ZeroOne#7805

Arthasmenethril said:

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

It isn't corruption, it would just function in a similar way. WE would heal the damage down to the world by Skaven, Vampires, and Chaos...and also by the industrialized Dwarves and Empire...and basically every race that uses axes to cut down trees for firewood or building.

Canuovea#6291

The Wood Elves are as they are, they've been made that way for a reason. Now, yes, some tweaks could be made (and need to be made as they are particularly meh in the Mortal Empires campaign at the moment I feel), but we aren't getting a huge overhaul.

Beast_of_Guanyin#8747

Prometheus22 said:

Vanilla_Gorilla said:

Corruption is a thing that works for some factions, but only some. As I see it every faction with corruption lessens the uniqueness of corruption hence it should be only reserved for factions where it's appropriate.

Given that Wood Elves are isolationist in nature and actively against corruption they shouldn't have it.

It isn't actually corruption, it is 'biome alteration,' but it would work in a way somewhat similar to corruption, so we're just calling it that for the sake of ease. And think of it this way. If an enemy was successful enough during an invasion to deforest part of Athel Loren, would the WEs not at least permit the forest to regrow?

I know little of WE lore so I respectfully decline to answer.

Not every faction has to be dedicated to conquest. You can do so as the WE or you can stay in the forest, form alliances and go out only to destroy armies of your enemies.

I see why people wouldn't like the current WE campaign but it is appropriate to the faction, it fits. Giving them corruption would be as fitting as giving them walls; it would actively go against the lore.

konokono

Vanilla_Gorilla said:

Prometheus22 said:

Vanilla_Gorilla said:

Corruption is a thing that works for some factions, but only some. As I see it every faction with corruption lessens the uniqueness of corruption hence it should be only reserved for factions where it's appropriate.

Given that Wood Elves are isolationist in nature and actively against corruption they shouldn't have it.

It isn't actually corruption, it is 'biome alteration,' but it would work in a way somewhat similar to corruption, so we're just calling it that for the sake of ease. And think of it this way. If an enemy was successful enough during an invasion to deforest part of Athel Loren, would the WEs not at least permit the forest to regrow?

I know little of WE lore so I respectfully decline to answer.

Not every faction has to be dedicated to conquest. You can do so as the WE or you can stay in the forest, form alliances and go out only to destroy armies of your enemies.

I see why people wouldn't like the current WE campaign but it is appropriate to the faction, it fits. Giving them corruption would be as fitting as giving them walls; it would actively go against the lore.

But it doesn't really fit right now either because the Amber mechanic requires either conquest or alliances, neither of which make much sense for wood elves

Canuovea#6291

Wood Elves placed waystones to prevent the forest from spreading.

They don't want it spreading as that would be difficult to control.

Arthas_Menethil#3421

Prometheus22 said:

Arthasmenethril said:

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

It isn't corruption, it would just function in a similar way. WE would heal the damage down to the world by Skaven, Vampires, and Chaos...and also by the industrialized Dwarves and Empire...and basically every race that uses axes to cut down trees for firewood or building.

Except that is not the Wood Elves of Warhammer they are pretty much a race that yells get off my lawn/Forest.

"Meanwhile, the Wood Elves utilize waystones differently. The forest of Athel Loren is a mystical place whose shadow lies far across the Old World, its outer bounds marked with waystones, placed there by the first Elven settlers to contain the wild lands within, the branches of great trees ever straining to escape the magical barrier thus created."
Warhammer Armies: Wood Elves (8th Edition) Page 9

TheGuardianOfMetal#3661

Arthasmenethril said:

Prometheus22 said:

Arthasmenethril said:

Wood Elves won't get any corruption type because they don't DAMAGE the world unlike Skaven, Vampires and Chaos.

CA clearly have the idea for WE Campaigns to be about Outposts and a few proper settlements.

Any Major change would have happened by now and it hasn't especially for factions that actually need better Campaign mechanics i.e the EMPIRE.

It isn't corruption, it would just function in a similar way. WE would heal the damage down to the world by Skaven, Vampires, and Chaos...and also by the industrialized Dwarves and Empire...and basically every race that uses axes to cut down trees for firewood or building.

Except that is not the Wood Elves of Warhammer they are pretty much a race that yells get off my lawn/Forest.

"Meanwhile, the Wood Elves utilize waystones differently. The forest of Athel Loren is a mystical place whose shadow lies far across the Old World, its outer bounds marked with waystones, placed there by the first Elven settlers to contain the wild lands within, the branches of great trees ever straining to escape the magical barrier thus created."
Warhammer Armies: Wood Elves (8th Edition) Page 9

Exactly... if the forest expands, the Wood Elves won't have a happy time

mkaluza

Prometheus22 said:

The Wood Elves need an overhaul. The current Wood Elves are a unique and nuanced faction, I am aware they have many advantages to counterbalance their inability to grow settlements outside of their forest, but these abilities don't really make a lot of sense and the idea of Wood Elves LEAVING THEIR FOREST to take over the world is preposterous, it just doesn't fit the lore. However, you can't have a faction in Total War that can't compete for global domination in the main campaign. I think the solution here is give the Wood Elves the ability to expand .....

Let me know what you guys think...and if you like the idea give it a bump so we can see this done.

I think the main Problem is not the restriction the Races have. The Problem are the Campaign Goals. It should be easier to ally with Factions that are not your enemys, being allied(while still being different factions) should be count the same as conquered. Helping an ally should be stronger rewarded.

The Main Goal for the Order/Neutral Faction should not be to conquer the World but instead to Wipe their sworn enemys of the map and than starting Fighting Chaos together.

I would like to have the order Factions more static/defending/allying an not so much Aggressive towards each other.

daelin4#9896

Prometheus22 said:

It isn't actually corruption, it is 'biome alteration,' but it would work in a way somewhat similar to corruption, so we're just calling it that for the sake of ease. And think of it this way. If an enemy was successful enough during an invasion to deforest part of Athel Loren, would the WEs not at least permit the forest to regrow?

It isn't corruption, it would just function in a similar way. WE would heal the damage down to the world by Skaven, Vampires, and Chaos...and also by the industrialized Dwarves and Empire...and basically every race that uses axes to cut down trees for firewood or building.

So it's just corruption mechanic just like every other.

Prometheus22 said:

Your last statement is true, but CA has to pander to the desires of the gamers. They can't have a playable faction that isn't capable of winning a long campaign in the Grand Campaign mode. I just think this solution is better than the current functionality. It provides better gameplay, and it is no more contradictory to the lore than WEs occupying settlements outside Athel Loren without also growing the forest, in my opinion. There is also room for an interesting new WE faction led by a new legendary hero on a starting quest to bring down the stones containing Athel Loren and wreak nature's wrath upon all those that would corrupt and destroy the land. You have to admit that sounds cool.

CA has already pandered to gamers. So far I've not seen repeated threads decrying Wood Elfs having boring gameplay, only frustrating things like amber restrictions.
More people have stated this doesn't result in better gameplay than otherwise, as well as citing lore from army books to support their argument.
If you want an unlorelike Wood ELf faction that wants to take down the waystones, you'd actually want a Slaanesh faction, as there's a section of the forest that is darker and avoided even by Wood Elfs and treemen. Unfortunately that section of Athel Loren would be such a tiny region in the campaign map. In their DLC campaign, that section has no unique features, just a copy paste faction.

I don't think it sounds cool, given the way Wood Elfs are designed and how your idea actually, by lore, fits better with a Chaos faction.

BTW in the lore, it was High Elf settlers that decided to place waystones to mark the boundaries of Athel Loren, to keep both intruders out and the forest in. No one, not even Beastmen, has any interest in removing the waystones. People either want it contained and preserved, or corrupted and destroyed.

Basically what you suggest is entirely outside of lore.

And like Vanilla Gorilla says, a FOURTH corruption wouldn't make it unique or interesting at all. Outposts already provide global bonuses to things like trade and replenishment.

TalosX

Canuovea said:

Wood Elves placed waystones to prevent the forest from spreading.

They don't want it spreading as that would be difficult to control.

Canuovea is correct. The waystones that outline Athel Loren's border actually prevent the forest from expanding. The Wood Elves are the ones that created and placed the waystones to begin with. In the 1000+ years of the Wood Elves history, they've never once considered removing the waystones that limit the forest. So the OPs idea completely contradicts WE lore and themes.

From a gameplay perspective, WE are already fully implemented. I've played, beaten, and enjoyed several playthroughs in TWW1 and ME. Nothing about their playstyle is broken. If anything, they currently enjoy one of the most unique campaign playstyles available! I'm opposed to altering any factions gameplay without a solid reason why, and one hasn't currently been stated in this thread.

Arcani_4_Ever#4489

The problem of all of this is that CA did not implement forest regions for the game.

Forest regions couldve been a very interesting mechanic in the game. Like minor regions inside a region.

And they couldve been spread around the map.

Like the Drakwald Forest in Middenland, the Laurelorn Forest in Norland, The Shadow Forest in Ostland and of course the Great Forest in Talabecland.

These regions would be where most of the Beastmen Herds are, and just like the Wood Elves can build outposts outside forest, Beastmen can raise Herdstones in these regions spreading Chaos Corruption, forcing you to enter the forest region to clear it of corruption.

Also the Wood Elves would be able to settle this regions like Athel Loren settlements, giving them new bases of operations in the map and actually forming a forest empire.

And Greenskins would get some additional love, letting them conquer this places so that we can get a few AI Forest Goblin factions like the Black Pit or the Creeping Death.

Would've been very interesting.