Devlog #3: Designing classes, archetypes, and gladiator potential

Good day Lanistas! It’s been some time from the last devlog, but we’ve been pretty busy. So, here’s a quick progress update on Gladiatorum: Sacramentum.

One of the bigger systems we’ve been building lately is how gladiators are understood, developed, and classified over time, rather than being immediately “solved” the moment you recruit them.

Potential is not instantly known

You now have the option to generate individual gladiator reports than will help you understand how good one could become if pushed in the right direction:

• Trainers generate progressive reports over time

• Early reports are vague and directional

• Later reports narrow ranges and eventually confirm full potential

This means you’re often making imperfect decisions: Do you invest in a fighter who might become exceptional, or cut losses early? He may still prove useful in other ways tough (like performing events, or fighting in more ‘obscure’ and dangerous arenas)

Steam post image Trainer reports give you insight into a gladiator's potential and natural development path(bottom center)

Classes define constraints, not outcomes

We’ve managed to fully implement the first 3 complete classes. Each class - Murmillo, Thraex or Retiarius defines:

• Baseline combat behavior

• Which fight styles are natural vs unnatural

A Murmillo will always fight differently than a Thraex, but that does not mean all Murmillos fight the same.

Archetypes define how a class is expressed

This is where archetypes come in. Within a class, gladiators can lean into different identities:

• A defensive Murmillo might become a Bastion (pure wall)

• Another might develop into a Stratego (reading opponents, precise timing)

• Others may drift into off-archetypes that are flashier, riskier, or inefficient but could be very lucrative long term

Archetypes are not cosmetic. You don’t always know the final archetype early on, but via careful trainer assessment. They influence:

• Attribute growth bias

• Action selection in fights

• Long-term consistency vs volatility

Steam post image Each class will have between 5-8 archetypes allowing a natural depth and diversity for each gladiator

The design goal

The core goal behind all of this is simple: I want players to read fighters, not just stack stats.

Good management should not always be in finding the “best build”, but recognizing what kind of gladiator you actually have, what is he truly good at, and deciding whether to support that path, fight against it or even maybe try to build a hybrid.

We’re still iterating heavily, but this system is now playable in our internal builds (also included in the current Playtest).

Happy to answer questions.

See you soon!