Re: Improved Arena
 

Wow, thanks for the praise guys. There's a link to the Mark of the Champion mod in my signature.

While it would be nice to get the arena improved in the vanilla game, it's been suggested many times before and the developers don't want to. They don't want it to become important, because human nations can't expect to win it if there are giants or starspawn or such in the game. If it gave something like 1000 gp and random gems (gold and gems are often suggested as prices useful for everyone) to the winning nation, it would be an unfair advantage for those non-human races.

Re: Improved Arena
 

Maybe there could be tiers? Dependant on size or something? :)

Re: Improved Arena
 

Then it wouldn't be fun to RP, and you'd never get your prophet accidentally killing a Jotun. Also, too complicated to balance. If it's easier to ignore than to implement, it probably won't get in. :p

Re: Improved Arena
 

I refuse to believe there's no way to make the arena interesting and useful :(

How about this then: Keep the open arena as it is, but add a 'closed' arena as well where you get presented with a number of thugs which you can then place a bet on, and depending on the odds you get rewarded if that thug wins.

Re: Improved Arena
 

The Arena is a chance to send your champion up against the champions of the other nations. I'll min-max my site searching, but I'll never squander an opportunity to visit the Arena, even if it does cost me 40 gold for the commander! (He's probably a little sick too, but hey, at least my nation gets represented.) :)

Re: Improved Arena
 

I personally prefer to send 20 gold scouts. I find them less vulnerable to armour destruction spells.

Re: Improved Arena
 

I refuse to believe there's no way to make the arena interesting and useful

We agree, and it's been proven
--> you must have missed all mine and several other replies in this thread.. there is a mod that changes it, more than a mod you will NOT get that has been made clear. So try to mod and test it and you'll see.

Re: Improved Arena
 

My proposals for the arena fight would be :
1) instead of commanders let normal units fight there ... the unit who wins will be awarded to a commander, get upgraded stats and earns a hall of fame hero status ( thus needs to get at least as much experience points as the last one there has)

2) commander fights ... wining one gets a limited wish ... you can wish for an item (perhaps lvl 4-6) ... some gems (perhaps 10 in all categories), or upgraded stats for your commander ... commander will get hero status as mentioned above

Re: Improved Arena
 

I still think the most thematic reward for winning the Arena Death Match would be Immortality until the next Death Match. I don't know if it would be good for the *game*, but fame is immortality, right? And it makes (mostly) certain that he will be around for the next Death Match.

-Max

Re: Improved Arena
 

That's a nice idea but we return to the problem that Giant nations would probably get an early immortal SC :(

Maybe if there were more Arena Death Matches, an increase in the reward would be viable. As it is you maybe get one match in what, 4 years? more? In this way Niefel or someone else gets the reward and bye-bye, if it was gold or gems it would be much more unbalancing.

If there were 1 every year i.e., and possibly rewards increasing in value over time, we would see more interest around it, and maybe the balance of it shift from the giant nations which have early thugs, to other nations which become able to send specialized summons :)

The Arena has a lot of potential and for as the lands of Dominions work, I think it should become an important appointment not to miss, and to properly prepare for :cool: