Arena Competitions

Because vanilla tournaments are not suitable for our era, I thought about revamping them.

I want to diversify the style of arena competitions as well as potentially change the themes of games for various cultures, so I could also use some ideas on other concepts of what other cultures would have done with fixed combat.

For all cultures, we can have for example javelin & spear + shield 1vs1 or 1vs2 duels, horsemen javelin & spear/cudgel + shield 1vs1 or 1vs2 duels.

I've already added posiblity to challenge to a friendly duel faction lords and our troops. You can choose the competitors weapons or use own weapons.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Single combat was a pretty important part of combat in this period. One idea might be to include an option when facing an enemy lord in battle to challenge him to single combat - if both of you have high honour, he might well accept. You fight a single combat (maybe in a river ford?), and if you win you can withdraw from the battle honour intact and without your companions complaining about "running from battle" - basically an added option to escape from a really disadvantageous fight.

As for arena fights, the most "realistic" way of doing them would as training, in which case they'd presumably be done with wooden sticks and shields. Other than that you could look at duelling traditions - the Angles would probably duel on foot, perhaps in a marked out area similar to the later Norse holmgang - you could even have a nice little wooded island scene if you duel and Anglish lord. Pictish stones show Picts fighting one on one on foot with axes and shields. Not sure if the Britons would duel from horseback or dismount.

We don't have a lot of details on "tournaments" for Britons. Romans had demonstrations of cavalry including throwing blunt javelins, perhaps something like this could be done.
You can have perhaps some competition with two fighters fighting with their fists, or with staff. We know both were part of celtic martial arts.

As for something fun in the spirit of the original tournaments, you can have a selection of weapons as you did propose. Either blunt weapons with cudgels and shields, staff, blunt javelins, blunt spear or something more brutal with not blunted stuff that may look better. The player can thus be given :
- spear and shield
- axe and shield
- sword and shield
Plus one or more javelins, and no armor or only a bit of padding.

The arenas would be much simpler, just an enclosure with people around it.

Spongly said:

Single combat was a pretty important part of combat in this period. One idea might be to include an option when facing an enemy lord in battle to challenge him to single combat - if both of you have high honour, he might well accept. You fight a single combat (maybe in a river ford?), and if you win you can withdraw from the battle honour intact and without your companions complaining about "running from battle" - basically an added option to escape from a really disadvantageous fight.

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If this would be possible I think it would be a great addition.  Perhaps it could be scripted as an option in the pre-battle dialog where your options are usually to fight or pay money or flee.

If this would be possible I think it would be a great addition.  Perhaps it could be scripted as an option in the pre-battle dialog where your options are usually to fight or pay money or flee.

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Lords and bandit leaders will have to be much more stronger to make those fights difficult.

I don't think it was suggested as an option against bandits only lords with high honor.

I also don't think it would be appropriate for bandits leaders....

I'd like to see armies capable of deciding an engagement (if both are of roughly equal side, and with high honor leaders) with a single lethal duel between a member of the player's army and the strongest (ignoble) member of the opposing.

Kolba said:

Because vanilla tournaments are not suitable for our era, I thought about revamping them.

I want to diversify the style of arena competitions as well as potentially change the themes of games for various cultures, so I could also use some ideas on other concepts of what other cultures would have done with fixed combat.

For all cultures, we can have for example javelin & spear + shield 1vs1 or 1vs2 duels, horsemen javelin & spear/cudgel + shield 1vs1 or 1vs2 duels.

I've already added posiblity to challenge to a friendly duel faction lords and our troops. You can choose the competitors weapons or use own weapons.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Click to expand...

Youre 14?? Wow im 13.