Domina Is a unique simulator of gladiator fights in the arenas of Ancient Rome. Unfortunately, many (most) of its mechanics remain unexplained, so in this guide you will find ten top tips for newbies.
1. At the beginning of the game, you have the choice of going through the tutorial or not. I suggest not to do this, since the tutorial really does not really explain anything, but at the same time it blocks access to some important things. For example, if you go through the tutorial, you will not have access to the Blessings of Jupiter, which will put you at a disadvantage.
2. You always have additional slaves that you will not upgrade. Sometimes you are given a battle in which even your best champion can lose, and it is for this purpose that extra slaves will come in handy, as "cannon fodder". This way, you can always take the fight and give the crowd what they want, without losing your champions.
3. At the beginning of the game, immediately hire three workers. This can be done at the city market. There are many options, I usually start with Faber, Architect and Medic. Once you've hired them, there are a few things you need to do. First, "Enable automatic gladiator training." This will tell all of your gladiators to keep training, so you don't have to waste time getting distracted by them all the time. Then go to Faber and click on Automatic Repair as well as Automatic Updates. After that, check the box on research so that Faber will automatically pump your gladiators. With the help of the Doctor, you can press "Automatic Healing". With the help of the Architect, you can create many improvements for your ludus.
4. This game has an interesting and at the same time oddly organized cost structure. For example, you can upgrade your helmet. It won't be very expensive in the beginning, but the next upgrade will suddenly become very expensive. After that, the update will drop again to the previous, low price. Therefore, when Faber is pumping your gladiators for free, do it until the next update becomes very costly. Wait for Faber to upgrade this item before you can purchase the next upgrades again. This will ultimately save you a lot of gold.
5. I usually play this game without manually controlling the gladiators. To do this, be sure to train Meditation gladiators until they have 100 points. This will make the AI much more efficient. Once they reach 100, remember not to practice meditation anymore as it will be a waste of time.
6. You can change your gladiators by clicking and dragging them. This is handy as your architect will be doing some things (like sparring dummies) at specific locations. Drag and drop your favorite gladiators to these upgrades. Alternatively, you can drag and drop enhancements.
7. Try to bribe the Legate and Magistrate as much as possible with wine. The cost of bribery will double each time. But you have to do it because these people are organizing your matches. The more they like you, the better the matches will be organized in your favor.
8. Buy wine every two days. Every day the market will be replenished with one wine, but the maximum supply is two. Be sure to buy it, as the wine will come in handy. Even when the Legate and Magistrate are as friendly as possible to you, keep buying wine. The reason for this is because you may have events that will make them unhappy. After that, you will need a lot of wine!
9. Take care of the character of the gladiators. Always try to reward them with a coin (very cheap!) To see if it affects their temperament. The reason for this is that character influences stats, and you want your stats to be as high as possible so that you are less likely to die.
10. The more battles you win, the more difficult the game gets. Therefore, do not forget to sometimes send "cannon fodder" from slaves into battle.
