1. Mob support. Particularly up north, mob support has always been designed around the idea that DS is mostly fighting outnumbered and outgunned. As a result, it's much easier to fight outnumbered and outgunned on, say, a trolloc abser than on a human abser. LS mob support swings between smob-like patties and super weak mobs, without much in between. There have been some recent improvements (Kajin n exit, commy moving 1d, perma load and scannable rooms at Ragan), and some poor changes (sarges no longer loading on west part of dusty, which really hurts low numbers PK.) LS also has to consider factors like no-rides, which can create real difficulties with using zones like Lockshear, or when the blands patty ends up outside the no-ride rooms in blands. Additionally, most of LS has to think about horse-targetting, which inhibits the ability to stick around low even when grouped when others - or you're gimping yourself by dismounting. Stedding is probably the best model for a LS defensive zone currently, but even that comes at the cost of nerfing your own side if you have channies.
My suggestion: more mid-range LS mob support across the map, remove horse targetting, return sarges to west part of Kajin zone for small numbers PK.
2. The recent changes have removed the need for trollocs to manage moves as a real resource. Combine this with the fact that DS has more and better options for mob support, and you're looking at a lot more situations where you have to chase much farther on LS to finish kills, and DS always gets to pick its ideal mob support. That means large sections of the map just get bypassed, even when mob support is available. It used to be the case that trolloc mvs were stronger from full (or when quaffing), but were weaker the more PK stayed in motion. Now there's no point when horses feel stronger, except when you have ideal horse-hopping. Combine that with the fact that there's always the possibility of losing your horse, and trolloc moves are just easier. I do think a buff was in order, but that it's over-tuned to the extent that moves are no longer a resource to be managed. That's both for trollocs and horses. The only times over the last few months that I've felt harried from moves was when I completely overextended while chasing dismount through Blight.
Also, I believe that hunger/thirst don't affect the new survival mvs, which seems like a bug.
My suggestion: I can see a number of possibilites:
- remove flat 1 mv / survival level
a higher bar for less regen (it's very easy to stay above hagg)
less regen when bleeding (this might just incentivize running at higher hps, which would not be productive)
Whatever the changes, I think they should return to something like the previous state where horses are going to feel better than trolloc moves over a long distance, though not to the same extreme as before. It just feels silly when trolls can run from Braem to blands without having to expend any resources or have to think about mob support in between.
3. LS has always gutted itself from the inside: factions that can't group with each other; pedantic warranting rules; darkfriends (known and unknown) working to help the enemy side; justice clans with no bonuses; no long-term end-game. There have been some positive changes in this regard, like some of the nerfs to darkfriends (scalp awards are probably too brutal).
My suggestions: focus on bonuses, improvements, or possibly new skills for justice clans - for instance, something like a 10% damage bonus against wanteds. In addition, I would remove all warranting rules besides breaking houseguest rules for griefing. Give clans autonomy to come up with their own warranting rules. If someone (Adael) wants to RP a corrupt and petty little lord, they can be dealt with by their own clan or through violence. If someone (Adael) is griefing by warranting all of player's alts without them actually doing anything, they can be dealt with harshly. As long as justice clans come with no bonuses and a bunch of annoying bullshit, they're going to be a hard sell outside of whatever periodic comradery bubbles up.
4. LS has to deal with more random annoyances in PK, like fear and poison, which can be reacted to but can't be played around in any real way. LS also has to deal with way more problems with track, including from trollocs exploiting the sneak bug. The increase in snow has not helped that. My understanding is that staff don't currently have access to track coding, but that would be one of the things at the top of my list for addressing.
5. 21 Str warriors with a high OB weapon don't have to do much more than spam. Combine that with how easy it already is to be a trolloc and you're going to end up with what we have.
6. Shadoweyes are mega overloaded right now. It's good for players to be able to find each other, but it creates a lot of asymmetry and more danger for LS just moving around the map.
7. I'm sure this will be unpopular, but it might a consideration lowering DS scalp awards.