The arena has served Icesus well as a diversion from pure experience gaining/money gathering, etc and gives players a chance to compare their abilities against each other. However, I think several new options may be added to improve upon it which I will try to detail in the following points:
1.) Right now, the arena area consists of one terrain-type with 9-odd rooms. This limits the abilities of certain classes (rangers and air priests, for example) to take full advantage of their abilities. It would be more interesting if the arena was expanded to 30 rooms with different terrain types including, but not restricted to: evergreen, pond, and deciduous forest. Also, the arena area does not have to be shaped like a square as it is now...instead there should be paths etc. that would allow a seasoned gladiator to traverse the area more effectively than a neophyte.
2.) Several classes use wounding/poisoning tactics now as a major tactic in combat, yet defeat in the arena leaves a player at 30% health. This tends to result in a real death which deters players from using the arena at all. It would be nice if defeat or victory within the arena left the player at full health, however one would also need to be at full health at the time they entered the arena...to avoid abusing the system.
3.) Several options to how an arena duel may be performed would add an interesting aspect. These options would allow such things as team duels (where a parties of people fight each other) and minor games such as freeze tag or capture the flag.
4.) The spectator stands should allow a curious player to see the fights happening within the arena through the eyes of one of the participants (this includes only combat and room descs...participant commands, etc. would be editted out).
5.) A second arena should be made near Graemor with a slightly different spin on the options (games) allowed. Perhaps it could include more of the pk-involved arena ones.
6.) A small store selling flasks, food, booze, and bandages should be added around the arena area...with all those tired and wounded gladiators in the area, they'd make a killing.
Expansion of the arena would allow more classes to have a fair chance at winning and give players more avenues to test their abilities. As added incentive, a list of current top arena combatants (against other players, not those mob gladiators) could be added alongside the current plaque that is reset every month or so. This would give players a rough gauge of their abilities compared to others.
Arena Facelift
Moderator: Moderators
Very reasonable ideas, some even really good, however there's a slight resource problem: No one is maintaining the code in question, as the wizard who wrote it is no longer around (assuming we're talking about the same thing).
This would probably make a good project for a dev-wizard or a new full wizard (if someone would happen to find one for us).
This would probably make a good project for a dev-wizard or a new full wizard (if someone would happen to find one for us).
#define BITCOUNT(x) (((BX_(x)+(BX_(x)>>4)) & 0x0F0F0F0F) % 255)
#define BX_(x) ((x) - (((x)>>1)&0x77777777) - (((x)>>2)&0x33333333) - (((x)>>3)&0x11111111))
#define BX_(x) ((x) - (((x)>>1)&0x77777777) - (((x)>>2)&0x33333333) - (((x)>>3)&0x11111111))
Note that some of these changes require slightly more coding skills than simple area coding, however I think any intelligent person with will to learn would be able to handle the coding. (Asking for help in case of difficulties is not forbidden either, actually it's encouraged, preferably on our coding forums so others can learn at the same time.)
#define BITCOUNT(x) (((BX_(x)+(BX_(x)>>4)) & 0x0F0F0F0F) % 255)
#define BX_(x) ((x) - (((x)>>1)&0x77777777) - (((x)>>2)&0x33333333) - (((x)>>3)&0x11111111))
#define BX_(x) ((x) - (((x)>>1)&0x77777777) - (((x)>>2)&0x33333333) - (((x)>>3)&0x11111111))
and I'm interested...what would I have to go through to write this type of area while still retaining my character in Icesus? 
