The Arena was once the heart of the games one on one combat, but in the time since it's addition years ago, brawling/scorpion pit fights and more have been added, and all of them have been displayed a lot better than the Arena, despite the Arena being a huge centre piece. This has always bothered me but I've never had the chance to do anything about it and so have been saving a list of ideas and suggestions for the Arena for a while. I ended up here by mistake as I was working on some Arena bugs and got so deep in I figured... well, I'm here now, might as well overhaul it.
There are tons of different features and additions in this update and it's taken a lot of work, but I'm very happy to be able to finally show it, I hope you guys enjoy! :)
Also for any interested here's a video I've made breaking down the update and showing off the features!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBOSh6cV-C4
THE ARENA REMASTERED (53 features)
I went through the Arenas entire system and rewrote a lot of it, there are now 100s of new fight moves, scores of new sound effects and events, and a lot more randomisation and chaos.
* Added new improved move by move fight system for the Arena
* Made the move by move fight system the default option (no more entire fight at once)
* Added the ability to enable the old Arena all at once system
* Added display of HP for Arena fighters
* Added coloured changes to HP for health getting lower
* Added notification display of HP loss
* Added new system with sound effect for Overkill (if death is -15 hp or more)
* Added new system with sound effect for Extreme Overkill (if death is -100 hp or more)
* Added new dynamic system with 30 different tweaks to the old arena HP system to allow for more variation
* Added system to make it 5x more likely for much weaker units to win fights they ordinarily would not (Example Soldier vs Peasant previously would be 99 wins for soldier, 1 for peasant, it's now 95 for soldier, 5 for peasant via my tests)
* Added new system for Pacifist units in the Arena (they will no longer fight)
* Added 8 moves for pacifist fighters
* Added 10 new sound effects for light stabs/slashes
* Added 30 new sound effects for hard/normal stabs/slashes
* Added 4 new sound effects for blocking
* Added 3 new sound effects for blocking and then returning with a stab
* Added 5 new sound effects for Arena crowd
* Added 6 new sound effects for parrying
* Added 3 new sound effects for for kicking
* Added 3 new sound effects for kicking and knocking opponent to floor
* Added 2 new sound effects for Arena spike pit
* Added 3 new sound effects for Double stab
* Added 5 new sound effects for body falling over
* Added 6 new sound effects for Arena Interfearance (Bottles/Arrows/Fire)
* Added 20 new moves for Blind fighters in the Arena
* Added 16 new moves for Good strikes
* Added 16 new moves for Blocking and Hitting
* Added 16 new moves for Light Hit
* Added 16 new moves for Very Light Hit
* Added 16 new moves for Missing Wide
* Added 16 new moves for Missing close
* Added 16 new moves for Head Hit
* Added 16 new moves for Kicking
* Added 16 new moves for Hard Strike
* Added 16 new moves for Parry/Parry and Hit
* Added 5 new moves for Arena Interfearance variants
* Added new 'Gnome throw' event where a gnome is thrown at one of the fighters (with sfx)
* Added 32 new kill move encounters
* Added 16 new moves for Stabbing
* Added 16 new moves for Double Strike
* Added 10 generic non fight events
* Added 15 crowd cheering events
* Added 3 special blind fighter crowd cheering events
* Added new random insult system with 70 insults Arena fighters may shout at eachother
* Added 10 new trip and fall events
* Added new critical hit system (1 in 40 chance a move will be a crit)
* Added fighters with 'Lucky' in their name get double odds of crit
* Added critical hit (5x normal move damage)
* Added super critical (15x rarer) (10x normal move damage)
* Added new screen for post fight
* Added 15 new texts to display in post fight screen for defeated fighter
* Added 5 new texts to display in post fight screen for victorious fighter
* Added 5 new texts to display in post fight for victious fighter if it's a champion challenge
A critical hit in action
A funny insult
A blind fighter
SLAVE GAUNTLET (4 features)
While working through my old Arena plans I saw a suggestion for a slave gauntlet by UltimateBlade from the Audiogames forums, It looked like a cool idea so why not. Now as long as you own the Arena and have 8 slave soldiers you can host a tournament for their freedom, and your profit. It will differ from normal tournaments in the way that you can't bet, and that it makes you money instead of costing it. This could be yet another avenue for profit for an unscrupulous evil ruler, or a slave baron.
* Added a new tournament type 'Slave Gauntlet' (Only if you own the Arena and if you have 8 slave soldiers) (credit UltimateBlade from Audiogames)
* Added new scenes and text for Slave Gauntlet
* Added -1 public opinion drop for running a slave gauntlet
* Added between 100-1500 gold profit for hosting a slave gauntlet in your Arena
The start of a slave gauntlet
The fighters are ready
Slave gauntlet winner
Slave gauntlet income
THE EXECUTION OF A CHAMPION (27 features)
A nice suggestion from Anarcho-Raoism on our discord for executing champions got me thinking, so I present to you a new system with lots of outcomes and randomisation!
* Added the option to execute a grand champion (Credit Anarcho-raoism)
* Added 15 different reactions from arena owner (if not owned by you) depending on their personality
* Added begging for exile outcome (includes option to exile instead of execute)
* Added take my gold outcome (includes of option to accept gold and exile instead of execute)
* Added crying champion outcome
* Added stone cold expression outcome
* Added laughing at death outcome
* Added suicide outcome
* Added Last stand outcome
* Added chance of random 0-2 public opinion loss when executing champion
* Added +3 public opinion loss if champion has 30+ wins
* Added +2 public opinion loss if champion has 15+ wins
* Added +1 public opinion loss if champion has 5+ wins
* Added lesser public opinion loss for exile
* Added new blurb for hall of fame beheaded champions
* Added new blurb for hall of fame exiled champions
* Added new blurb for hall of fame suicide champions
* Added new blurb for hall of fame last stand champions
* Added 1/30 odds of Arena being destroyed in peasant riot in aftermath of execution
* Added 1/30 odds of small riot happening
* Added 1/30 odds of small protest happening
* Added odds of protest/riot/destruction much higher if public opinion is very low
* Added odds of protest/riot/destruction 25% less likely if public opinion is above 50
* Added odds of protest/riot/destruction are more likely if champion has lots of wins
* Added 5 different comments from Arena owner if unowned arena is destroyed
* Added option to choose who replaces champion if you own the arena
* Added champion challenge notification for when the champion is dead and you don't own the arena
The new eighth option -
Arena owners reaction to execution of his champion
A champion not taking it so seriously
A begging champion
An executed champion
An executed champion in the hall of fame
What happens when a champion is removed
A champion begging for freedom
Free money
A grim ending to the encounter
And the aftermath of that
A LIMITED OCCURANCE (7 features)
Infinite fights per year was a bit excessive, and also allowed the cherry picking of when to bet and when not to. Now each year there will be a limited number of fights in the Arena depending on the size of the Arena. This won't be very noticable at the higher level of Arenas unless you are an arena fanatic.
* Added new limit of total number of fights in the Arena
* Added 5 fights per year limit to smallest Arena type 'Fight Pit'
* Added 10 fights per year limit to second smallest Arena type 'Little Arena'
* Added 15 fights per year limit to standard Arena type 'Arena'
* Added 20 fights per year limit to 'Grand Arena'
* Added 30 fights per year limit to 'Colossal Arena'
* Added new secret code '69' which sets total fights to 99 (enter on arena main screen)
15 fights to go in this Arena
No fights left
OTHER ARENA TWEAKS (6 features)
While working on this big arena feature addition I ended up adding and fixing things in other areas too, the one I'm most excited for is the hall of fame changes. Now when a champion dies in a normal fight, if he is added to the hall of fame, the hall of fame entry will track who it was that killed him. Previous the entries didn't have this information and still worked ok, but with this information it adds another element to the hall of fame, maybe the number one champion of all time was defeated by the number 8, perhaps some of the hall of famers were defeated by champions who themselves were defeated too quickly to enter the hall of fame themselves but are forever immortalised as the ones who defeated the greatest champions. It's a minor change but in my opinion it's quite a big improvement to the hall of fame and I'm super excited to see the new hall of fame stories develop while I'm playing.
* Added arena hall of fame entries now show you who defeated them
* Fixed issue with arena 32 man tournament second stage graphic
* Fixed text bug with public opinion loss for grand champion arrest
* Added missing menu option for housing upgrades in arena
* Removed irrelevant warning texts for bribing grand champion to fight
* Added new screen for bribing grand champion but there isn't a grand champion
Active hall of fame
COLOURFUL SCORPIONS (10 features)
After a suggestion by our discord member 14Patrik, scorpions now have varying colours, Good idea mate!
* Added new colour system for scorpion pit scorpions (credit 14Patrik)
* Added white colour for Albino scorpions
* Added Grey colour for ancient scorpions
* Added purple colour for enchanted scorpions
* Added green colour for questionable (goblin) scorpions
* Added dark grey colour for black scorpions
* Added red colour for red scorpions
* Added grey colour for old scorpions
* Added white colour for white scorpions
* Added green colour for healthy scorpions
Two shots of colourful scorpions in action
DUMBLE-PACK (2 features)
The scourers of the Artifact Market may know of the artifact 'The Staff of Dumble' a staff that if given to a champion who bears the name 'Dumble' it will double their strength. The issue with this is there are only 4 Dumble-esque names in game and the odds of them occuring are super slim among the 1776 other human names that could be chosen. The artifact was always made to be a practically impossible one to pull off, but to help a little I've quadrupled the amount of Dumble-esque names in game, good luck!
* Added 12 new human names 'Dumblesquek, Dumbledink, Dumbledonk, Dumbledork, Dumbletwoo, Dumbledimp, Dumbledok, Dumbledoop, Dumbledonk, Dumbletork, Dumbledee, Dumbledwep' (credit NotFox)
* Added ability to give the dumble staff to a dumble champion directly from the arena menu
BUGFIXES (3 features)
A handful of bugs based on helpful reports from players. Thanks guys :)
* Fixed text bug with demon advice (credit Fatalweirdo)
* Fixed trap door upgrade being incorrectly refered to as throne room upgrade (credit Matt1211)
* Fixed mystery slaver never giving demons (credit KoningKrush)
EVERYTHING ELSE (2 features)
A few changes unrelated to everything else
* Made 'press space bar to skip' option now say 'Hold space bar to skip' (credit Adrive)
* Made 777 on Warsim main menu open up an Arena Fight tester
WHAT'S NEXT
I'm getting back into the combat stuff again as this update was meant to be a short break to get back into coding after my computer broke down for a week.
Huw