Another Death Match Balancing Idea

[Fate]

All permanent effects gained while in the arena are removed at the end of the competition, and items are never picked up. This includes:

-curses
-horror marks
-wounds
-cursed items
-etc...

I'm not sure how easy this would be to implement, but it would probably address the most basic complaint that has been leveled at the competition.

[Teraswaerto]

I really don't see why this would be necessary. It is a tradition to curse, horror mark and disease the champions of your enemies. No risk, no gain.

[Shovah32]

Yea, theres no gain from cursing, horror marking, diseasing and forcefully equipping your enemies best commander with crappy equipment.

[Teraswaerto]

Really?

I guess there's also no risk or expence in spending mage-time and gems on making items for the sole purpose of sending them into the arena hoping it will hurt someone else.

Making the reward for winning the DM more widely useful would probably be good though.

[mathusalem]

Teraswaerto said:
[...]
Making the reward for winning the DM more widely useful would probably be good though.

Yes ! Why not different sort of reward ? Let the winner choose what he wants !
An artefact for fighter and another for mage will be great.

[Hullu]

I personally think the reward is crap. The weapon that is. I don't want to send any serious champ up there since he'll be cursed with that crappy trident and can't use any decent items afterwards.

[Agrajag]

Back in dom2, when playing AE/SG Ermor I'd send a Dusk Elder (when I had one to spare = late game), so he can use the trident's quickness to make twice as many skeletons turnly in battle (This is SP of course)
Nowadays quickness no longer effects casting, so that benefit is gone :\

[Twan]

Not considering the 100xp when you think about the reward value is a bad idea I think. The trident is just an above average weapon, but coupled with 100 xp (+100 for each new victory) can make a thug really excellent.
After 2 death matchs won my simple bane even with a limp affliction has att 22, def 21 (4 stars (+4) , heroic ability (+3) + quickness (+3)= +10 for attack ; xp (+4) and the trident (+9 !! quickness +3 and weapon +6) def = +13 for defense, and he had to do nothing but death matchs to achieve these stats.
Anyway, I think IW should have kept the original quickness effect for the trident (only), so the item would also interest mages a lot (in this game my bane had only to kill weak commanders and the prophet of an AI nation to win, as nobody see the interest of sending casters now).

[PvK]

The first time I won the Deathmatch was with a cursed indy priest. My intention was to use someone disposable to perhaps weaken Ashen Ermor a bit, since I was worried about their growth and thought a priest might get lucky and reduce their chances of winning. I also gave him a magic bottle that summoned water elementals, and he won, becoming a hero, so I gave him some items and he became one of my more interesting hero characters.

PvK

[PvK]

I think the main problem with the Deathmatch is that the AI sends his best units there, and then of course all but one of them dies, which is a general strategic mistake, especially when mages are involved. Barring mages from competition might solve that...