[Suggestion] Overhauling Ul'dah slightly to make the Coliseum a REAL feature...?

I was just thinking lastnight, I feel like the Coliseum (aka "the Bloodsands") could really be made into a big, cool feature. In fact, I personally find it kind of odd that the Wolves' Den is the game's central PvP hub, and NOT the Coliseum.

My thinking is that with a bit of an overhaul, the Coliseum could serve both PvE and PvP purposes.

For one, it should probably be made into its own "zone" in Ul'dah. Considering it is one of the most renowned features of Ul'dah, maybe there are multiple entrances from each side of Ul'dah. Obviously, the Gladiator's Guild would probably have an entrance nearby, as well as the Blue Mage NPC's.

Personally, I would love more stuff LIKE the Masked Carnivale, but maybe broken down into either roles, or each fight marking which job you've cleared with. So not all fights might be possible for all jobs, but it could be a point of bragging-rights, like "Oh wow, how did you do that as a WHM? I thought only tanks could do that fight!".

For PvP, I would literally just do an "Arena" style PvP setting. Either small teams (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, 8v8), or maybe even have a "Free-for-All" mode? I actually think it would be kind of cool if maybe on Sundays, if you opened up a weekly "Last man standing" type of tournament, with some kind of cool reward to compete for every week!

Something else I think would be cool, if there's some kind of event that allows for "Spectators". Like, maybe for 8v8 fights, you can actually SEE those happen when you're in the zone, so you can kind of enjoy the fights, root for people, etc! I suppose you'd have to disable all abilities while in the zone, though (even if they didn't affect players, it might cause lag or be too flashy and distract combatants?).

Just an idea, mind you! It seems like it would be a fun addition, and might even inspire taking PvP content a little more seriously if done well!

For PVE, there was an ARR dungeon that was basically you going through gladiator challenges. Hatali hard I think?

For pvp I'm surprised they made the wolve's den instead of going for the collesium. Maybe they wanted to give Limsa some love, or maybe they wanted something new not tied to any of the classes specifically.

I'd love to see more focus on PvP.

Who knows? Maybe the new upcoming small scale PvP in Endwalker will revolve around the coliseum?

If they could replicate some of the assets and framework for bozja and blue mage arena for the Colosseum, I think it could work. I like the idea a lot, just for fleshing out what is supposed to be a big part of Uldah entertainment. As an added extra, I'd like to see a reputation system, as you keep making a name for yourself and becoming a fan favorite of the citizens, so to speak. Similar to how some npcs refer to you by your GC rank, people could take note of you as you pass by. You know, just some small but nifty world building stuff.

Interesting idea...that could actually work

I suspect the reason that SE did not use the Colleseum as a PvP arena already was precisely because it would cause lots of players to congregate around what is a new/low level player area and thus lead to congestion and lag - issues Ul'dah has long suffered badly from (especially as it's long been the 'meeting place' for the game even back in 1.0). This is probably why PvP ended up in an entirelly new area (the Wolves' Den), so that players idling around between PvP content wouldn't cause congestion issues that would adversely affect a main starting city area of the game.

Also the Colleseum is not entirelly unused - part of a Hildibrand quest is set there, and the level 60-70 PLD quests involve fighting npcs in there as part of a gladiatorial tournament appropriately enough (rehashing the old GLA class quests from 1.0 which also took place there). Really, the Colleseum is part of the GLA's Guild exclusively story wise so it's kind of unable to be used for actual PvP unfortunately anyway, so I do not SE changing this.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

I suspect the reason that SE did not use the Colleseum as a PvP arena already was precisely because it would cause lots of players to congregate around what is a new/low level player area and thus lead to congestion and lag - issues Ul'dah has long suffered badly from (especially as it's long been the 'meeting place' for the game even back in 1.0). This is probably why PvP ended up in an entirelly new area (the Wolves' Den), so that players idling around between PvP content wouldn't cause congestion issues that would adversely affect a main starting city area of the game.

Also the Colleseum is not entirelly unused - part of a Hildibrand quest is set there, and the level 60-70 PLD quests involve fighting npcs in there as part of a gladiatorial tournament appropriately enough (rehashing the old GLA class quests from 1.0 which also took place there). Really, the Colleseum is part of the GLA's Guild exclusively story wise so it's kind of unable to be used for actual PvP unfortunately anyway, so I do not SE changing this.

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I dunno; there are a number of instances the Coliseum makes an appearance. It's supposed to be one of the biggest features of Ul'dah, yet in-game, it feels extremely bizarre. Like... is that little hole in the floor, just outside the Gladiators' Guild, really supposed to be the "Coliseum"?

Even if you eliminate the "PvE" side of it, I definitely feel like the Coliseum could be a great spot to hold future PvP stuff. Heck, maybe even have the Coliseum hiring spellcasters to cast "glamours" on the arena, thus justifying how you could be battling in all sorts of environments, but still "technically" being in Ul'dah, thus building your renown.

Honestly, it might be kind of a cool way to spice-up the Grand Company system again, too. Like perhaps adding options to represent Ishgard (Temple Knights?) or Ala Mhigo (Fist of Rhalgr?), perhaps even a Doman or Mor Dhona companies. For my part, I'd love to see something in the style of WoW's Arena system, where the groups are relatively small and the fights relatively fast, something you could realistically say "one night a week, I'm going to the Coliseum!".

I'd much rather the Lightfeather Proving Grounds in Ishgard, a zone that already exists and is barely utilized, get used for something before a revamp of the one of the plethora of fighting arenas in Ul'dah. As others have mentioned, that particular arena is prominently featured in some sidequests and job quests already, having solo instances battles and cutscenes as well. Whereas the Proving Grounds is only utilized to zone into and talk to an npc I think twice total. Personally, I suspect that reference to the Gladiator Guild and its Arena as "the Coliseum" to either be localization jank OR a lore-based exaggeration to imply more grandeur to it. It's more of a fighting pit in scope. Ul'dah is a shady place after all, with it's Syndicate and secret deals...

The Masked Carnivale's arena, the Celestium I believe it's called, is larger than Gladiator Guild's "Coliseum". Between those two, Dragon's Neck, and Halitali, I've seen more than enough of Ul'dah's fighting pits. Would rather see something new, or revisit Ishgard's Lightfeather Proving Grounds, or even that fighting arena that is featured in BLU story in Kugane, for a change in design aesthetic.

I'd love to see a content, like, the carnival thing, but far less strict puzzle - one of the things I found unfortunate with the content was that it was like "do you have this spell?" no? you lose" "yes? EASY PEAZY". I don't think there is anything horribly wrong with that (though hints or something might be nice so you don't spend 20 minutes wasting your time because it's literally impossible without X skill lol), but I would love to see a more solo player based set of content that is a bit more open to 'interpretation'.

An in game example would be the MSQ and the FFXV event where there are a bunch of solo content, although it's all non-aggressively tuned so you can pretty much afk on most of it and still win (not always true but the buff they give you to keep you alive is pretty strong). An outside of game example is taking games that have 'builds' of some sort but yet they are designed to be approached by a variety (with some challenges). Say you play Dead Cells, Binding of Issac, Hades, Diablo, Gungeon, etc, you've certainly got kits that are more friendly to particular content but largely the game isn't such a strict puzzle like the carnival is that you're UNABLE TO PROGRESS UNLESS YOU HAVE THAT SKILL and when you do suddenly it turns into "gate wide open".

If the Coliseum is not to be used, for whatever reason, I think you could do like FFX and have a monster arena, and may even have collection mechanics vaguely similar to how that system was. For limited and normal jobs I think it'd be fun.

So kinda like the brawler guild in wow? Would be neat.

I know this is about Uldah but there is also a coliseum in Ishgard too pretty sure.

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Originally Posted by Rowde

I'd much rather the Lightfeather Proving Grounds in Ishgard, a zone that already exists and is barely utilized, get used for something before a revamp of the one of the plethora of fighting arenas in Ul'dah. As others have mentioned, that particular arena is prominently featured in some sidequests and job quests already, having solo instances battles and cutscenes as well. Whereas the Proving Grounds is only utilized to zone into and talk to an npc I think twice total. Personally, I suspect that reference to the Gladiator Guild and its Arena as "the Coliseum" to either be localization jank OR a lore-based exaggeration to imply more grandeur to it. It's more of a fighting pit in scope. Ul'dah is a shady place after all, with it's Syndicate and secret deals...

The Masked Carnivale's arena, the Celestium I believe it's called, is larger than Gladiator Guild's "Coliseum". Between those two, Dragon's Neck, and Halitali, I've seen more than enough of Ul'dah's fighting pits. Would rather see something new, or revisit Ishgard's Lightfeather Proving Grounds, or even that fighting arena that is featured in BLU story in Kugane, for a change in design aesthetic.

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Maybe my memory is poor, but I actually don't recall ever experiencing that Lightfeather Proving Grounds, although it does look very much like a proper Coliseum ought to!

The reason I'd probably still lean more towards Ul'dah, at least as the "primary" location (individual matches could take places other places, though), is that it sure SEEMS like the Coliseum is a major part of Ul'dah's culture. Like, a LOT of Ala Mhigan refugees fled to Ul'dah to take part in the Coliseum, as I understand it -- Raubahn just being more the poster-child for having climbed the ranks and found additional success.

Although having said that, I could ALSO see it standing to reason that -- maybe in an effort to inspire the newly-freed Ala Mhigo and further strengthen the bonds between all these nations -- maybe Raubahn encourages EVERY nation to construct a Coliseum (if they don't already have one), and propose a sort of "circuit", where each nation's best travel between all of them, competing for an overall "greatest fighter in Eorzea" (sort of like F1 races)?

That could be a cool development, and also make fort kind of a cool area to add some side-stories. Which honestly, I feel like that's something PvP really NEEDS to breathe some life into it, anyways, is a bit of "relevance". People love the story in FFXIV, and if there were pieces of the story only accessible via some amount of PvP, I could see that inspiring some folks to give it a try!

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Originally Posted by Duskane

I know this is about Uldah but there is also a coliseum in Ishgard too pretty sure.

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That's the Lightfeather Proving Grounds I mentioned. An actual zone that was barely utilized in any content.

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Originally Posted by Terin

Maybe my memory is poor, but I actually don't recall ever experiencing that Lightfeather Proving Grounds, although it does look very much like a proper Coliseum ought to!

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iirc, BSM quests have you walk in, talk to somebody, then walk out. I think there is perhaps one other sidequest that has you pretty much do the same.

EDIT:
I couldn't remember, so out of curiosity I went and checked, and you can talk to the Gateguard and enter the Lightfeather Proving Grounds without one of the quests flagged too.

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Originally Posted by Terin

I was just thinking lastnight, I feel like the Coliseum (aka "the Bloodsands") could really be made into a big, cool feature. In fact, I personally find it kind of odd that the Wolves' Den is the game's central PvP hub, and NOT the Coliseum.

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PVP was added in ARR, when every city state was divided in two to load better. In 1.0, Uldah is where people gathered, not Limsa.
Taking both of these into account, it makes sense that they put PVP in its own little zone.

HOWEVER given that the devs seem to want to revamp pvp every expac, and all the wolves den shops have been moved around anyway, moving the pvp instance entrance and shop area to that gladiator pit in Uldah might be doable. Adding a betting mechanic would also be nice, given that the Platinum Mirage casino still exists in Uldah but has been unused since the end of 1.0.

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Originally Posted by Wavaryen

So kinda like the brawler guild in wow? Would be neat.

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Honestly, I would *LOVE* something like that!!!

Even if they were all PvP skirmishes, I feel like it would be a blast, just gathering around and cheering on your fellow players, and enjoying the spectacle of all these fights!

The 4vs4 Arena mode used to have a Limsa and Gridania inspired map. Uldah Coliseum was the next logical step, but they scrapped it all for the crystal chocobo/moogle maps.
Bluemage Carnival already uses some kinda Coliseum map.

Wouldn't be bad to bring those back in some PvP/Duel/Minigame/Striking Dummy way, then every city has access to it.

I would be VERY down for this. The amount of RP the Coliseum would bring would be massive. Us fighting types can only hang out above, and with those smelly Gladiators.

Do hope this is a thing someday.

I am not sure 1v1 or even 2v2 is ever a good idea in this game. I can see fights dragging absolutely forever when healers are involved. Even some tanks.

It would be also cool if ir also included a sort of Dragon Quest style monster vs monster battle where you can bet on who wins.

FFXV introduced a feature like that and it was awesome! :D

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Originally Posted by Terin

Honestly, I would *LOVE* something like that!!!

Even if they were all PvP skirmishes, I feel like it would be a blast, just gathering around and cheering on your fellow players, and enjoying the spectacle of all these fights!

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Semi-related slight tangent, I remember in the weeks following bozja's release, one the most fun things I liked doing was cheering with fellow spectators people 1v1 bosses.

Like imagine having the coliseum and you have a "commend" system in the shape of flowers like roses or tulips and you can throw it to your favorite champion after they win a fight. That would be some pretty cool immersion right there.

Imagine the smell