Re: Arena fix
 

WOW Gandalf - thats a GREAT idea!

I've been wondering how to allow people to run their own code modules. And while I can wish that the code was open (perhaps they'll open the code before they abandon the game???)

you hit on a way to do it!

the key being in the preexec code...
so you could run a process that constantly modified game state.
Not limited to just arena changes:

The process code could run other code snippets. - So for example code (perhaps) that would change the arena item, or code that would change difficulty of research on turn40...

Re: Arena fix
 

Check out this (old) thread.
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showt...light=scenario

Re: Arena fix
 

I suggest Bog Beasts.

Re: Arena fix
 

If I can express my opinion, I agree with Omnirizon. Giving a good money prize and some gems (opportunity to diversify) to the winning nation would be IMHO the easiest and less unbalancing way to make the Arena match worthier.

Of course the ideas about random items and summons are interesting but maybe way more unbalancing - making the arena prize a powerful artifact seems unwise, some nations with natural early access to thugs (Fomoria? Niefel? Hinnom?) could win the first Arena Deathmatch and become even more powerful (Fomoria! Niefel! Hinnom!).
Also, forge bonuses and increase in magic paths seem to much more benefit magic users, which seems like a contradiction in terms for the Arena which should be the place for the best fighters of the nations to battle, regardless if they are mages, melee warriors, ranged fighters. (For that, I already see the trident like a quite weird thing, a crown or helmet would have been imho more appropriate, expecially for i.e. someone who wins with the Ethereal Crossbow and now can't win with that no more :o)

Re: Arena fix
 

One thing that is quite irritating is that the best way to win the arena battles early on is to spam something like swarm, skellyspam or elemental combat summons.

It's hardly very sporting is it? It would be nice if there was a magic user arena and a non magic user arena.

Re: Arena fix
 

The only problem with a magic-user arena and a non- arena is if you really wanted you could equip your non-magic user with magicy items like the green eye, nethgul, or a rod and it would basically be like fighting a magic user. Or do the opposite and gear out a magic user with thug/sc items to fight in the magic arena. It's a little difficult to draw a clear distinction.

Re: Arena fix
 

And after all, muscles vs brain is always an interesting challenge :cool:

Re: Arena fix
 

The problem with Money or Gems as a prize is that I cant think of a way that we can do that.

Re: Arena fix
 

Yeah that was why I said it the way I did it. You can mod a magic item - we can't really .. code.

Comments:
1. You could look for the winner of the arena in the turn file, and then have a non playing nation send money to the winner. Sounds hard to automate.

2. I agree with the comments that the prize has to be chosen carefully. However, if the prize is good enough you will see pretenders entering.

3. Not everyone has to agree on this - its just another modification that you can announce at the start of the game.

4. (Joke) Summon Dryads = ).

Re: Arena fix
 

Sorry to rain on people's parades but if you are looking for a fix to the arena that can be done with the tools at hand then the only thing available is item modding...

I still think that a ritual summons is the best way to go. One thing that really stands out about this method is that in order to get the full benefit out of the item, you would need to assign your commander to monthly summoning, which prevents him from researching or fighting, etc. Its an interesting balance point, since you will not want to send your ultimate SC to the arena, only to have him come home and sit in the lab till the next event doing rote summoning.

The question now tho is what should the trident summon? I was thinking that it might be fun if we modded up a special unit like a gladiator. Make it a *really* solid heavy infantry unit. And then make the spell summon a handful a turn - enough so that if you summoned from one arena event to another you would end up with like 20-30 of these guys. Additionally, if you summon in this fashion you time-delay the effect of the trident, since it would take a good amount of turns to build up a full squad of infantry.