[TheRuffKnight]

That's right! Doggy dog has an idea.

My suggestion is a fairly small one, but one that I'd quite like to see from an RP standpoint. As we all know it, the arena and the constant flow of PvP that occurs within it all takes place at the very front. That is to say the front lawn. We have a beautifully mapped arena that was recently (or maybe not so recently, now) updated. However, rather than have any of the PvP or arena matches ever happen in the actual arena, it all takes place, as I said, in the front. 

As it is, it feels like the equivalent of building this nice, grand arena or coliseum for boxing matches or gladiators, except all of the competitors/athletes fight each other in the parking lot instead. Now don't get me wrong, I love seeing the WWE Smackdown competitors get ganked in the parking lot while they're just trying to enjoy their cold cup of coffee, but it does come across at least a little odd that all of the most prominent competitors have their fights take place just outside.

To deal with this, my very small suggestion consists of a two step plan. That's right, a two step plan.

Step One: Battle Tiles. A simple change of the battle tiles for people in the arena. Right now, the battle tiles are grass. The topography of the fights themselves assert that we are fighting outside of the arena and therefore must be fighting outside the arena. My proposal would be the simple change of arena tiles from being grass to... well... being arena tiles. Now, we could also go a step further and say with that removing the RNG elements like magically appearing and rearranging bushes or healing/mana crystals on the field, but I would like to hear people's preferences on things like that. Or just this idea as a whole.


Step Two: We take Bikini Bottom, and push it somewhere else. Move the RP ten feet up from the front lawn, to the actual arena structure.
This is the part where how I comment that I had a great visual demonstrating the different parts of the arena and made a witty quip about how I have hornweed on my hotbar. Sadly, I am not able to fit the pictures, so this segment of thread gets nerfed. Hereby, I rename this step...

Step Two: Volcanic

Anyways, the step really speaks for itself. We have benches and plenty of standing area surrounding the actual arena structure itself that people can use for their RP, plus the benefit of people actually using this structure for its designed purpose: spectating and participating in fights.

But why? Does this really accomplish anything?

Overall, it doesn't really change anything. I get that. It's mostly just aesthetics.

My rationale behind it is mostly for the sake of the arena structure itself seeing proper IC use. Conversation with other players has also brought up concerns over bystander safety, what with them being fully "exposed" in proximity to ongoing arena battles as they are right now. The walled structure of the arena itself would allow bystanders to go without such worry to such things. I think it could also assist for especially busy days at the arena, where individuals may be spread out just a bit more/enough to keep different conversations split away from their chat scroll. Maybe not, though. I honestly haven't checked how well say range translates from side to side, but if it doesn't cross the full distance that point may stand.

Possible concern:

What about space? If there are multiple fights, how would the function in the space of the arena ICly?

I would imagine in this case, we allow the same suspension of disbelief to space that we give to people when there are three or four ongoing IC fights in the same small field on the front side of the arena. Be that RP of them being spread out over a wide area in the arena battle area, or there effectively being sections to the structure.


I've got opinions! Your formatting sucks!  You literally changed font size and style halfway through, dude. What the actual frik? This is a bad idea.

I expect nothing less. Strike me with your opinions, everybody. It's just been one of several thoughts sticking around in my head. Somehow, this is the one I post about. Hell, even just post about your absolute indifference to the subject.