Re: Single player question/
 

It's never good to send any commanders or mages into the death match unless the game only has 2 or 3 opponents. In a SP game with multiple nations most AI opponents can be expected to send its prophet or pretender where the final battle usually has two large AI pretenders fighting to the death. Currently the death match prize is just not worth sending anyone.
The death match should have a gem and/or gold prize increasing in value based on the number of nations attending and a cumulative increase based on the current game turn. This would make it worthwhile for human opponents to desire to win the death match challenge.

Re: Single player question/
 

Interesting idea. And it makes sense. Thats how such things usually go that there is a prize consistent to participants. However, that usually goes hand in hand with each contestant having to put into the pot.

Maybe it could be that each contestant has to put in one of..
A) 10 gems
B) 10 slaves
C) 100 gold

Re: Single player question/
 

A fee for entering would make it less likely for weak and struggling nations to attend especially in MP games. I'm sure the independent party running the arena will easily make a gold profit from the death match from all the typical citizens paying to watch the death match.
Improving the prize would definitely encourage human players to attend whether SP or MP... and this would make the AIs sending their pretenders not a stupid decision.