Improving the Arena Death Match event

General Tacticus · #1 January 23rd, 2004, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saxon:
There is one more reward factor that has not been discussed. If you win, you deny the prize to your opponents.

They do a fine job denying it to each other : after all, only one in 16 win it

Quote:

The value of this does depend on how you value the prize in the first place, but if you can stop one of your opponents getting an All Star and ensure you get it instead, it is value added.

Ah, but I can't !! Against impossible AIs, the only way I can see to win it would be to make a SC pretender of my own, spend a few turns decking him in good magic items, and anyway he won't get the special ability from the hall of fame, and he stands a good chance of losing...
Of course, in MP, the problem is different, since I am not up against rabid AIs recklessly sending their steroid-enhanced pretender

Quote:

Certain races are better suited to this than others. Jotun and Vanheim seem to make a mash out of me.

Yes, on the rare occasion when a pretender does not win, a prophet from Jotunheim, Vanheim or Man is usually the winner

Quote:

Does anyone know what happens if you use the bodyguard ring or if you have units on guard commander? It would be a bug if it allowed them in, but it might be worth checking.

It doesn't work...

NTJedi · #2 January 23rd, 2004, 07:33 PM

Yes the trident and experience are nice... but certainly not worth risking the life of a good commander.

Hopefully gems and/or gold and/or one of the other suggestions listed previously will be added to the reward of the arena.

Think of the long term events of attending 5 death match arenas. Even if you win 3 times... it means that you had 2 good commanders die! Having a good commander die is not worth the price of that trident... something more needs to be added to the arena prize.

mivayan · #3 January 23rd, 2004, 09:12 PM

I had fun in the arena with living ermor, a 3astral/2 death grand thaumaturg casting raise skeletins, later paralyze and soul slay as well. Won the arena a few times

I have no idea how well the arena works in multiplayer though.

Norfleet · #4 January 24th, 2004, 02:08 AM

Don't think of it as a deathmatch. Think of it as a free assassination attempt, where you can send any unit of your choice to attempt to assassinate a random enemy unit. You don't even need an assassin-capable unit, and your opponent doesn't get the benefit of any bodyguards. Against the AI, I don't see the deathmatch tournament as a place to get an unremovable trident or some experience and fame: I see it as a shot at assassinating some pretenders, prophets, and a few random nobodies.

Norfleet · #5 January 24th, 2004, 02:10 AM

I've been wondering....if both units in a deathmatch die, who wins? Does it end in a draw? Or does the next combatant fight the now-deceased "winner", winning by default when his opponent begins dead?

mivayan · #6 January 24th, 2004, 04:07 AM

Quote:

I've been wondering....if both units in a deathmatch die, who wins? Does it end in a draw? Or does the next combatant fight the now- deceased "winner", winning by default when his opponent begins dead?

In one of the first fights in the arena both ai combatants died, the second from poison or something similar. They were both dropped from the tournament.

Saxon · #7 January 24th, 2004, 10:14 AM

think one of the earlier people said it best. It depends on each game. I do not play impossible and I rarely play with more than four enemies. For me, it is not as hard to win and the chance that the winner will use it on me is very real. In a huge game at a high level, it is tough to win and is unlikely to bother you afterwards.

The game is played different ways by different people, so each part of it will have a different impact on each person. To judge a part based upon your own style may not give a balanced view of how it is viewed by all players. Your view is still valid, but it may not represent “the truth.”

My idea for a change would go the other way from many of the other suggestions. Instead of a huge prize to make it tempting, place a penalty on those who do not enter! “Gee Bilbo, I guess Gandolf isn’t as tough as we thought, he is afraid to take on the bad guys.” “Yes Sam, you are right. Why are we busting our butts to get the Ring to Mt. Doom when the big guy is slacking off? Let’s go back to the Prancing Pony and have a beer!”

Maybe a big jump in unrest for those who do not enter with smaller penalties for those who fight and lose. After all, everyone is bummed when your team is knocked out of the first round.