Improving the Arena Death Match event

[SurvivalistMerc]

I sometimes send a shaman with orders to just cast curse a few times in hopes of getting an AI SC.

A couple of times I've even had the shaman win.

I've had times that I sent a guy with an eye of aiming, but even though he was slain by a commander, the other commander didn't get the eye (empty misc. slots present).

[NTJedi]

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
Doesnt anyone else always keep cursed items and exploding amulets around just in case of an arena?

With only one unit walking away from this match the exploding amulet won't change much of the result. From what I've seen the winner usually wins from far away by casting 'animate dead' or 'soul slay' or some other powerful spell. Even if you explode and kill the other fella... there's a very very good chance that enemy wasn't going to win anyways.

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
I always send someone!

WHY !?!??

The chances of winning are very slim unless you're going to risk an important SC or prophet. The AI opponents are sending their pretenders, prophets and strong necromancers... you'd be lucky to get a proper burial. Secondly the prize isn't that great... which is the reason for this topic.

The prize needs to be improved so players will have a desire to try and win.

[Wauthan]

You get a decent magic item, permanent quickness enchantment is not to be ignored, and 100xp for the unit PLUS a chance to attack the AI pretenders with the commander of your choice. I always send someone to the arena with some simple magic equipment. So far I won a lot more matches than I lost and even taken out AI pretenders on a regular basis. If I use a vampire queen pretender I send her right in since she'll flatten anything except other undead.

I never send magic Users though. Just beefy fighters with good magic protection and armor.

That said I would very much like it if one would get a choice of rewards since the trident is not always the most interesting prize. Especially if your champion doesn't have any hands...

[ January 21, 2004, 20:29: Message edited by: Wauthan ]

[Karacan]

Originally posted by NTJedi:
WHY !?!??

Because you get someone into the Hall Of Fame, unless it is very very late game and everyone got all the spots clustered up with their gods.

I like heroic abilities.

[NTJedi]

Originally posted by Wauthan:
You get a decent magic item, permanent quickness enchantment is not to be ignored,

Not worth risking the LIFE of a good unit !

Originally posted by Wauthan:
PLUS a chance to attack the AI pretenders with the commander of your choice.

There's no guarantee you'll even fight a pretender... you could die in the first battle. Secondly there's a good chance the pretender will die anyways... no reason to risk a good unit.
AI opponents shouldn't be sending their pretenders into the arena... hopefully one of the patches will fix this.

Originally posted by Wauthan:

I always send someone to the arena with some simple magic equipment. So far I won a lot more matches than I lost and even taken out AI pretenders on a regular basis.

Try playing multiplayer

also... even if a player is able to win 75% of the time... it's still not worth risking the life of a commander and his magic items.
The prize is only one magic item and some experience.

[ January 21, 2004, 21:03: Message edited by: NTJedi ]

[NTJedi]

Originally posted by Karacan:

quote:

---

Originally posted by NTJedi:
WHY !?!??

Because you get someone into the Hall Of Fame, unless it is very very late game and everyone got all the spots clustered up with their gods.

I like heroic abilities.

---

Not worth risking the LIFE of a good unit.

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 ]