Village Stone Arena Basement, questions and comments

So, I went to Braemar and took a look at the Village Arena Basement, thinking I might get one to put under my Knight's home. It looks pretty good, but I had a couple concerns:

The cages on either side of the arena area would be great for storing "pets", as well as for competitors to wait between matches. However, I can't find a way to open the gates. I can understand them not have a lever right next to the gate, but I can't find ANYTHING to open them with. This seems... odd.

The ladder going down into the arena would be fine, but there is nothing to stop combatants from exiting the arena. Another gate closing that door out of the arena, or a grate that can be closed above the ladder, is really needed.

Finally, I don't like the ladder out of the basement. A spiral staircase, or even putting a small room in the corner where the ladder is and having a switchback stairway would feel better.

Are we going to have the option to place a false door instead of a trapdoor? Almost all of the other basements exit via a stairway instead of ladders, and the trap doors seem out of place.

 

Ladder makes no sense. Someone went to the trouble of making all that stonework and didn't have time to make a staircase ? Ha.

Well... graphics designers i understand this But not fantasy stonemasons

 

Ladders take up very little space. Stairs take up quite a bit of space.

 

From another point of view, an arena needs a crowd. Having a crowd enter on a ladder is not the best option logistics-wise. It would also prove very difficult to move casualties back up the ladder. I like myself a bit of narrative verisimilitude in my games.
Not all stairs need to take up lots of space

 

There may be difficulties getting Avatars up a narrow spiral stair in game...

 

Stairs don't have to take up "a lot" of space. Also spiral can be done in stonework.

Have you gone in older buildings or castle / châteaux in europe that is still extant ? There was a secret stairway in one I was in and the stairway is designed for a 5'2 person, a more average height back then.

It was an extremely tight space width wise and pretty cool. Wish I could remember where it was, I was a kid. It was in the UK, and I seem to confuse it with my memories of visiting Beaulieu, the car museum. A manor house from the 1600s I think..