Improving the Arena Death Match event

It is more than worth it in some circumstances, while not being worth it at all in others. Depends on what you consider an acceptable risk of loss for a unit.

The Death Match is like a pick and choose Assassination attempt. If you win you even get a prize.

Whether or not people think it's 'worth it' doesn't really matter, especially since there are so many different playstyles and perspectives about what is worth losing or their chance to win.

The best bet is to take it for what it is; and not for what you want it to be. Then gauge the results.

One thing I would like is the trident to make a unit Sacred if not otherwise. The Champion of the God in the Death Tournament would be sacred to a nation that won. He'd be a hero and revered across the land. Of course, Pretenders couldn't use that particular effect. Another good idea would be to change his "Title" to "the Champion" or "the Terminator!" or something similiar. Like how a prophet is changed.

[ January 21, 2004, 21:26: Message edited by: Zen ]

[SurvivalistMerc]

I like Zen's perspective. And that's pretty much what I do. I will 75% chance send someone. Because quickness is very valuable, even for a mage.

The arena will sometimes even tell you the magic picks of your opposing pretenders. Not a bad thing at all.

I'm starting to wonder what folks do in MP.

[Wauthan]

I'm starting to wonder how others play MP as well. Must be a hell of a close battle if you can't afford sending a mere warrior commander (no more than say 80 gp?) to the arena. If he dies then my opponent sent something even worse and lost use of that unit for one turn. If I win I get a better commander.

I don't think it's a big deal. Doesn't really have any impact on the game, save if people send their pretenders to duke it out. Perhaps I've got a bit of a carefree side. I usually don't play to win, just to have fun. Though I seem to win by endurance any way. This game takes quite a lot of time and people get bored quick when someone seems to get an unbreakable upper hand.

In some games we all sent out pretenders with top gear into the arena in a sort of pokemon olympics.

[NTJedi]

Sending someone to the arena... means that unit has to be equipped to win otherwise you're just marching a unit to his death.
No matter how well a unit has been equipped an opponent may have a unit or pretender which is more powerful and wins. (especially during MP)

Thus the amount of equipment spent on sending a unit into the arena is usually not worth the value of the prize.
(prize= trident and experience)

The arena event would be LOTS more tempting and interesting if the prize included gold and/or gems and/or something else. Hopefully the next patch will make the arena event more worthwhile to attend.

Originally posted by SurvivalistMerc:

The arena will sometimes even tell you the magic picks of your opposing pretenders. Not a bad thing at all.

Whether or not you send someone to the arena any player is able to watch the battles and view the stats of pretenders and other units in the arena. Hopefully the patch will make the arena event more worthwhile to attend.

[ January 22, 2004, 19:57: Message edited by: NTJedi ]

[Lord Hammer]

I agree that there must be a better reward for the risk involved. I almost always send my Pretender, or lately my Prophet, and may skip a match or two until i have good items. I always research construction first in every game no matter what race i'm playing and have only lost once . My suggestions are as follows...
1) A Blessed/Sacred Trident
2) A new level for Pretender or Prophet (priestly)
3) A giant shrubbery

[velk]

For a really easy to implement suggestion - how about the champion's trident gets an extra affect of having 1 gladiator melee unit show up per turn.

It makes sense from the point of view of them coming to learn from the greatest fighter in the world.

Alternatively have the trident give experience to troops in the province, or troops that are under command of it's owner...

[Saber Cherry]

I think you should get a pony...

And again, I think there should be a prelim round, where entrants have to beat a gladiator to enter the competition proper. Otherwise nasty people send one-shot booby-trapped assassins...