Gladiators
Gladiatorial Combat is a Roman arena scenario in the Pre-Firearms map vote. Gladiators fight scheduled matches in several arenas, building a record of victories that can carry over between rounds. See the Gladiators map page for the layout.
Roles
| Role | Slots | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Gladiator | Open to everyone | Fight in the arenas. Starts with clothes and sandals only. |
| Medicus | 3 to 8 | Keep the fighters alive and the arena clean. Starts with a key and a doctor's handbook. |
| Custos | 2 to 8, whitelisted | Guard the arena, keep the gladiators organised and protect the Emperor. Starts with a helmet, whip and gladius. |
| Imperator | 1, whitelisted | The Emperor presiding over the games. |
Respawning is instant, so a lost fight does not keep you out for long.
How matches work
Matches are organised automatically by each arena's combat organizer board.
- The game announces the next match, for example: "The next combat at the Arena I is going to be a 1 vs 1 match!"
- Go into that arena. When exactly the right number of gladiators are inside, the gates close and the fight starts. If too many people go in, it waits and warns that there are too many.
- The fight ends when only one gladiator is left standing, or one team in a team match. The winner is announced to everyone.
- The gates reopen. A few seconds later the arena is cleared: bodies are removed and dropped equipment goes back to the armory. The next match is announced about thirty seconds later.
Match types
| Arena | Match types |
|---|---|
| Main arenas | 1 vs 1 when 8 or fewer people are playing. With more players, also 2 vs 2 and a 4-person free-for-all; with more than 16, a 6-person free-for-all too. |
| Ranged arena | Ranged duels between two gladiators. |
| Wrestling arena | Unarmed fights, or wrestling, where you win by being the last one still on your feet. Everyone is stripped of equipment first. |
Yielding
Use SURRENDER from the Emote tab to yield. You drop what you are holding and fall down, and for one minute you no longer count as standing, so the match ends without you having to die. Respect a yield; killing a gladiator who has surrendered is poor sport.
Your gladiator's record
- Saving: Use a bed in the Sleeping Quarters to save your gladiator's name, skills and victories. You cannot save while badly hurt, so see a medicus first.
- Loading: When you respawn as a gladiator, you are offered your saved gladiators to load. You can also rename a new gladiator.
- Death is permanent. If a saved gladiator dies, their story ends ("their life fades away into history") and they can no longer be loaded.
Each victory is added to your record, so a careful fighter who yields a lost match keeps their gladiator for the next round.
Before a fight
- Pick up weapons and armor from the armory. Learn their controls in Combat Basics and the Weapons guide.
- Set your melee tactic and defense. See Character & Skills.
- Get injuries treated between bouts. Medici can follow the Medical guide.
- Stay out of an arena that is not calling your match. Extra people stop the fight from starting.