Overview
Gladiatore is about making the visceral colosseum combat of the Roman Empire entertaining for the masses. As an up-and-coming member of nobility, you are charged with improving the colosseum and you do so in any way you can. Whether it's importing new and exotic animals from the newly-conquered realms of the Empire, or choosing particular gladiators to become stars, players decide how their colosseum grows.
Core Mechanics
Players start out with basically nothing - the smallest size possible of a colosseum, and a pair of gladiators. Naturally, arena combat means gladiator shortage becomes a real threat, so players can start out having gladiators fight smaller creatures, like wolves. As more and more citizens flock to the arena, more interesting fights are available. As the reputation of the colosseum's quality grows, not only will it receive more income from more guests, but also the attention of other gladiators. Attracting famous individuals from the army is also a possibility. The game follows a rough timeline of Roman History, allowing players to recruit hallowed figures of legend to fight in their arena. Much like The Movies, these gladiators also have to be looked after and cared for. If gladiators become unhappy, they may denounce the arena, leave, or lose control during combat. To keep them happy, players must keep them well paid, fed, and entertained between fights. Alternatively, players could adopt a different strategy - inviting many lower-tier gladiators to fights. Creating a 'grinder'- type arena where the last one standing wins could be very popular, depending on what is currently happening.
Historical Representation
Gladiatore is an accurate depiction of Roman gladiatorial combat. Everything from the type of creatures available to fight to the types of weapons used is taken straight from the history books. In an effort to remain as close to history as possible, players can also undertake 'projects' similar to real life events carried out. The Naumachiae (sea battles) carried out by some Emperors are a very real possibility. Players are able to do things like flood the arena like this, and the audience may love - or hate - it. To indicate some changes in history, audiences will also prefer different types of gladiator fights depending on what has been happening. If the Empire has recently won a major battle, they may wish to see a faux battle between 'soldiers' and 'barbarians'. This reactive style of mission delivery creates a variance in challenges for players to attempt.Ryse: Son of Rome - a game set in a similar time period.
You would basically manage these fighters and their battles, as well as the colosseum itself.
