REMORE: INFESTED KINGDOM News

Hello, Survivors!

Over the past two weeks, we introduced the reworkings of two Characters we've been journeying with since Early Access: The Outsider Diurmuid and the Knight-Errant Willam, now known as the Barbarian and the Royal Guard.

First, to those of you who might be expecting, "So, is it Edwin's turn today?" Well, Edwin is still preparing his grand (re)entrance so please wait just a little longer for his return!

The character I want to introduce today is the Mercenary, a new character who was foreshadowed in some of the gameplay systems and mechanics in Early Access.



The Mercenary is an expert in combat who can push and pull enemies, disrupt their formations, and create advantageous situations for allies. Before we delve into a detailed introduction, let's talk about the considerations that went into her creation.


[h3]First Consideration: How Can We Enhance the Fun of Spatial Puzzles?[/h3]
From Early Access until now, we have strived in various ways to provide more intriguing spatial puzzles expected in grid-based strategy games. Among these, pushing and pulling enemies by tile units has received positive feedback from both you, our survivors, and internally.

In grid-based strategy, pushing and pulling are relatively common strategic elements. Therefore, we took it a step further by adding play systems and elements that allow for more proactive and strategic use of these abilities. For example, the system that deals Pain damage upon Collision or the Blister that explodes upon Collision, dealing damage over a wide area, were introduced.



During Early Access, all three playable Characters had battlefield control abilities to push or pull enemies through their character skills, weapon skills, or shared items. We thought having more Characters with more battlefield control options would diversify strategic possibilities.

However, as development progressed and the number of playable Characters increased, along with giving each Character their unique identity, we shifted our focus. Instead of providing each Character with equal battlefield control abilities, we aimed to open up the possibility for customizing these abilities for each Character.

This leans into customizing individual Characters' abilities through the "Embers of Memory" mentioned in previous DevNotes. The current direction for Character and skill development focuses on allowing a variety of battlefield control abilities depending on which memories are bound to the Character. This customization includes a skill set that uses abilities like pulling, others focusing on the surrounded mechanic, and many more.

During this process, we realized that having Characters with unique battlefield control abilities could provide more diverse tactics and interesting experiences. This marked the beginning of our second consideration.


[h3]Second Consideration: How Can We Maximize the "Personality" and "Value" of a Positioning-specialized Character?[/h3]
When renewing existing Characters or planning new ones, our guiding principle has been to highlight each Character's "personality." As introduced in the previous DevNote [Meet the New Faces!], the three new Characters showcased, as well as the reworked Characters introduced over the past two weeks, all presented "distinct characteristics" for each Character, along with an explanation of the skills that support these traits. When players utilize these Characters effectively, the "value" should manifest through rewarding and satisfying gameplay.

For example, the Barbarian is characterized as a warrior capable of making ruthless strikes while maintaining cold, strategic judgment, allowing them to gain tactical advantage through aggressive plays against multiple enemies. The Royal Guard, on the other hand, embodies the steadfastness of a protector, ensuring the safety of allies by tanking enemy attacks when standing by their side.



In order to design a new Character with battlefield control as a "defining characteristic," we needed to give them a more powerful and unique ability that was different from the weapons and Ember Memories that other Characters can get. More specifically, we wanted to overcome the limitations of push/pull in Early Access and current development and give them a personality like a "battlefield magician" who is unrivaled when it comes to battlefield control.

We decided that the best way to exert battlefield control is to be a support dealer who can reliably target enemies from mid-range, which led to the creation of a new Character, the Mercenary, who utilizes long weapons such as the Spear and Polearm to provide powerful damage along with the "value" of support roles.


[h3]The Result: The Mercenary, Tearing through Enemy Formations and Dominating the Battlefield.[/h3]
The specific concept of the Mercenary was adopted based on her skillful handling of a grappling hook, her ability to wield long weapons, and her masterful maneuvers on the battlefield. Hired as mercenaries for their prowess in other lands, the Mercenary is confident and adept on the battlefield, pushing and pulling enemies from multiple directions, breaking up their ranks to create an advantage for their allies.


[h3]Multi-Pull: Reel in Enemies to Attack Them[/h3]
"Multiple Hook Pull" is a central Mercenary skill that is the successor to the Hook Throw. However, as is typical of a Mercenary who wields a grappling hook like it’s her second nature, this skill has been enhanced to allow you to pull two enemies at once.

Whether you're pulling enemies in with your grappling hook to close the gap or pulling them into your allies' attack range, or even slamming enemies into each other from mid-range to deal heavy damage and disrupt formations, you'll have plenty of versatility.



[h3]Prepare to Pull Hooks: Combinations of Grappling Hooks and Longswords[/h3]
A Mercenary who is skilled in the use of the Grappling Hook will alternate between Multiple Grappling Hook pulls and attacks in the same turn, maximizing its use.

"Prepare to Pulll Hooks" allows you to reset the cooldown of Multiple Hooks Pull by attacking an enemy with a Longsword after using Multi-Pull, allowing you to use the skill multiple times in a turn. This means that if you don't get the enemy formation you want on the first try, you'll have another chance right away. You'll be able to control, attack, control, and then control again, selfishly taking down your enemies.



[h3]Vertical Push: You Never Saw It Coming![/h3]
"Vertical Push" is a new way to attack that hasn't been seen in Remore before. It utilizes your hook to push enemies left and right, creating a new direction of Collision for enemies at mid-range (much like a Knight in Chess). Dragging left and right can also be utilized to kill two birds with one stone by slamming them into low health enemies, or to completely disrupt a group of enemies by crashing one of them into a dangerously positioned Blister.

It's a new type of puzzle element in Grid-based strategy, and while it's a bit more challenging, we think it’s really satisfying!



[h3]Hangover: I Feel Nauseous...[/h3]
Whether it's the confidence of battle or the tragedy that befell Remore that has taken its toll on their minds, Mercenaries love a good drink and are always hungover. Even on the eve of battle.

As a result, Mercenaries sometimes stumble. The "Hangover" trait of the Mercenary can sometimes send them stumbling in directions they don't intend, and while it's sometimes a cute mistake, it can also be a deadly step into enemy territory, so be careful.



[h3]Why Use the Mountain Mercenary, Master of Enemy Disruption?[/h3]
By utilizing "Multi-Pull" and "Prepare to Pull Hooks", the Mountain Mercenary can pull multiple enemies in a single turn to create a one-hit wonder. Add “Surrounded” positioning to the mix and you're good to go.



"Vertical Push" allows for new attack compositions that only a Mercenary can create: "Multi-Pull" to pull enemies into position, then "Vertical Push" to wreak havoc before they know what hit ‘em!



So, let us know, what do you think of the Mercenary? We're confident that Survivors who enjoyed the old "throw the grappling hook" method of disrupting enemy formations will be excited to test them!

We'll be back at this time next week as we prepare for the next phase of Remore's development.

As always, thank you, Survivors!
REMORE

Hello Survivors,
Starting with the introduction of the Barbarian's revamp in last week's Developer Note [The Barbarian’s Rampage!], we have been looking forward to sharing more reworks of existing characters and the addition of new characters that we are currently preparing.

Today, as mentioned last week, we would like to talk about the transformation of the Knight Errant, known as "Willam," into the "Royal Guard."



[h3]Willam, the Knight Errant Faces Tragedy[/h3]
Willam, who has played the role of leader of the Remore survivors, was the central protagonist of the ongoing story and the first character survivors encounter upon stepping into the world of Remore. In a world struck by tragedy, he is the "Knight Errant" who fights against hordes of monsters and heretics with a determined will to survive despite losing his loved ones.

From a gameplay perspective, the Knight Errant was designed as a seasoned knight who has survived in the world of Remore. He wields a one-handed weapon and shield, adeptly performing roles ranging from fierce attacks to protecting allies, making him a reliable all-rounder.

The skill that symbolizes the Knight Errant, "Swift Save" is a distinctive ability that allows him to save allies affected by the "Caught" mechanic, a key combat system in the Early Access version, and face enemies instead. Additionally, his unique perk "Swap Positions" enables him to switch places not only with allies but also with enemies, opening up strategic possibilities for more diverse formation configurations.



[h3]A Stalwart Guardian at the Front Lines[/h3]
The versatility of the Knight Errant, able to excel in both offense and defense, was evident in his Perks.

When focusing on developing his defensive Perks, he can take on the role of a sturdy tank who easily withstands enemy attacks. Perks such as “Ready Counter,” which grants weapon action points when taking hits, and defensive boosts like “Concentrated Defense” and “Complete Defense,” which either increase defense when using the shield skill or even reduce incoming damage to 1, are designed to allow him to effortlessly endure enemy attacks.

Moreover, even with this defensive playstyle, our intention was for him to play the role of a sturdy tank who can retaliate more powerfully than the damage he receives, thanks to the “Reinforce Counterattack” Perk.



[h3]A Duelist Skilled in Sustained Combat[/h3]
Alternatively, there is a playstyle archetype that focuses more on the offensive capabilities of the Knight Errant. Perks such as “Continuous Combat,” which grants WP upon defeating an enemy, and “Focused,” which grants additional weapon action points and higher attack power for each enemy defeated during the current turn, are prime examples.

Furthermore, by utilizing “Concentrated Attack,” which enhances critical hit rate, players can choose an aggressive strategy that involves continuously attacking enemies with a one-handed weapon consuming fewer action points, similar to a duelist. This approach offers a different charm compared to other characters. Even when operating the Royal Guard in an offensive manner, our intention was to enable a stable damage dealer role capable of a "damage exchange" by using the “Reflexes” Perk, which grants evasion rate upon defeating an enemy.



Thus, the Knight Errant has thrived in the world of Remore during Early Access as an all-rounder character, excelling in both offense and defense.


[h3]The Transition from Knight Errant to Royal Guard[/h3]
As we proceed with character reworking, our primary focus has been on allowing more diverse strategies within the new game systems, along with carefully selecting and concentrating on specific concepts, as mentioned last week.

Narratively, Willam, the Knight Errant who wandered around the world, needed to step back from the center of the story and become more integrated into the game's narrative. From a gameplay perspective, we aimed to focus more on his role as a "Guardian," protecting allies, which required a new name and abilities that fit this concept.

The resolve that Willam held as the "Knight Errant" has been inherited and reborn under the new name "Royal Guard." This marked the beginning of our efforts to align his skills, perks, and overall utilization with the specific concept of the Royal Guard.
Strategically, Willam was designed from the Early Access stage with high strategic value in mind. The intention was for him to act as a game maker of the grid-based spatial tile puzzles through abilities like "Swift Save" or "Swap Position."

Furthermore, his fearless advancement into the midst of enemies to save allies by switching positions embodied the essence of a "Knight." Maintaining the core foundation of this ability, our goal was to appropriately adapt it to fit the current gameplay, ensuring it remains strategically viable.


[h3]Swap Positions: "Leave This to Me!"[/h3]
The Royal Guard's "Swap Position" skill inherits the Perk of the same name from Early Access. The significant difference is that, from the very beginning of playing the Royal Guard, you can swap positions with both enemies and allies.

The reason for this "upgrade" lies in the changes to the game system. With the removal of the "Caught" mechanic, simply changing positions with allies does not give the "Swap Position" skill much significance. However, the ability to swap positions with both allies and enemies synergizes excellently with the new "Surrounded" system.

We concluded that there was no need to restrict this engaging spatial tile puzzle experience to character growth. "Swap Positions," with its ability to disrupt enemy formations and create advantageous positions for allies, stands out as the most distinctive and emblematic skill of the Royal Guard.



[h3]Back to Back: "A Knight Grows Stronger Through Defense"[/h3]
Even if controlling battlefield positioning through "Swap Positions" has become a core skill of the Royal Guard, the traditional role of Willam, balancing offense and defense as an all-rounder, remains an appealing play archetype.

To integrate these two characteristics into a single concept, a new trait called "Back to Back" has been added, allowing the Royal Guard to gain bonuses tailored to controlling enemy formations like a seasoned warrior. Depending on whether the target of the position swap is an ally or an enemy, the renewed Royal Guard can obtain increased attack power or defense or deal higher surrounding or collision damage. This enhancement aims to further enhance the strategic potential, reflecting our intention to skillfully dominate the battlefield.



[h3]Protect Ally: None Shall Bleed Behind Me[/h3]
While it is clear in gameplay that the Royal Guard can robustly withstand enemy offensives through the “Swap Positions” skill and “Back-to-Back” trait, we determined that these alone did not satisfactorily fulfill the knightly premise of protecting allies. Thus, there was a need to design a new defensive mechanism.

We considered the moments when characters in the tank role experience the greatest satisfaction in gameplay. Consequently, in the turn-based strategy genre of Remore, we converged on the concept of "defending an ally who is about to be attacked at the right moment." And that "right moment" was just before the attack, during the enemy's turn.

The renewed Royal Guard now automatically activates the “Protect Ally” skill right before an adjacent ally is attacked, swapping places with the ally to take the hit.



[h3]Shackles of Responsibility: I Cannot Let Someone Die Again...[/h3]
The Early Access version begins with Willam's monologue after losing his wife. We believed that if the heavy burden in the knight’s heart—the desire to no longer lose his people—remained intact in the process of the Royal Guard’s transformation, it would make the character even more compelling.

Driven by an almost obsessive sense of responsibility, the Royal Guard will expend tactical action points to return to the side of his allies if a turn begins and he is too far away from them. For him, who is at his strongest when near his allies, being separated from them is more unbearable than his anger towards the enemies.



The Knight Errant has been reborn with more robust and strategic skills and traits, he serves as a stalwart guardian, capable of protecting allies even before enemies can attack. He can reliably rescue allies surrounded by enemies, or boldly enter the enemy's midst to form advantageous formations for his team, crushing foes with his bravery and strategic acumen.





What did you think of the new and improved Royal Guard introduced today? If you are already excited about the endless possibilities, feel free to raise your expectations even higher. With the Embers of Memory binding, the Royal Guard not only excels in the playstyle we’ve discussed but also encompasses even more diverse strategic potential.

Next week, we’ll introduce a new character specializing in controlling the enemy ranks, focused on tricky gameplay. We’ll share more exciting stories along with the news of this new character, so don’t miss next week’s Dev Note!

Thank you, Survivors!
REMORE

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Thank you,
REMORE

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Direct link to the broadcast:
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Thank you,
REMORE

Today, I'd like to introduce some changes to the characters you have already encountered in Remore!

In the last Dev Note, [Meet The New Faces], we introduced three New Characters and hinted that there would be significant changes to the three existing Characters that might already be familiar with.

The three New Characters—the Stealthy Assassin "Battle Sister" who ambushes enemies, the Agile "Jester" who dominates the battlefield with his freedom of movement, and the "Inquisitor" who faces enemies head-on with his pain debuffs and blunt weapons—demonstrate either the use of new mechanisms or the maximization of existing ones.

In this way, the Character design will provide each Character with skills and traits that maximize their unique concepts and personalities, and to clearly define their roles in gameplay.

Therefore, the three original Characters also needed to return to the battlefield with more defined concepts and interesting gimmicks to keep up with the New Characters. We are preparing a powerful and fun revamp based on new and exciting ideas.



Today, I would like to talk about the revamp of the fierce yet dependable warrior, the Barbarian!



[h3]From Outsider to Barbarian[/h3]
For those of you who have been with us since Early Access, the Outsider, Diurmuid, has been a fierce yet dependable warrior, wielding a two-handed axe to slay enemies at the frontline.

First, let's talk about how the "Outsider" became the "Barbarian." During Early Access, Diurmuid was a warrior from a different region with a unique fighting style compared to those in Remore. He introduced a unique combat method of luring enemies by throwing stones and exhibited a wild animalistic persona, enduring damage while dealing immense damage.

However, in the upcoming updates, we aim to enhance the consistency of the Remore universe, portraying Diurmuid’s abilities as intrinsic to a “Savage Warrior” rather than coming from “Outside” the Land of Remore. Therefore, instead of "Outsider," we decided to use the name "Barbarian" to better represent his violent and aggressive nature, capable of mowing down multiple enemies at once.

The original concept of the Outsider's gameplay was that of a berserker who exhausts his own health to unleash powerful attacks and execute enemies. We can think of this gameplay concept in two ways.

Firstly, there is the concept of consecutive executions. Due to the "Adrenaline" skill, the Outsider gained TP with each enemy defeated. He could then use those points to activate the "Second Wind" skill, allowing him to take down the next enemy. Perks related to guaranteed executions further supported this, enabling a gameplay style focused on continuous executions.

Secondly, there is the powerful offense that emerges when the character is fearless of taking damage. While other characters focus on blocking or evading enemy attacks and proceed cautiously, the Outsider becomes stronger with lower health due to the "Boiling Bloodlust" perk. This perk encouraged him to charge into the thick of the enemy and cut them down. Additionally, with the "Blood Brand" perk, which allows gaining attack opportunities at the cost of health, players could embrace a ruthless berserker playstyle, turning injuries into advantages.



The Outsider's gameplay concept has been positively received, so there is no reason to change its overall direction. However, considering our goal of enhancing the game's "strategic elements" and building a versatile gameplay concept through the "Ember Memory" system, it was necessary to split the existing gameplay concept into different aspects tied to memory bonding, while retaining the fundamental "Barbarian" foundation.

In this context, the Barbarian has been reborn, maintaining and strengthening the concept of an "aggressive warrior at the frontline." We have renewed the existing skills to align with this direction.


[h3]Adrenaline: Step Over Your Enemies[/h3]
"Adrenaline" remains the same in that it grants TP with each enemy defeated, allowing for more varied tactical choices when taking down enemies. The powerful roar is still intact. However, the TP gained can now be utilized in more diverse ways through the new combat systems such as "Surrounded" or "Ambush." By broadening the range of tactical options through aggressive play, the Barbarian has become a bit wiser as a warrior.



[h3]Heavy-Handed: The More Enemies, the Better[/h3]
"Heavy-Handed" has been improved to be more intuitive, allowing for higher damage when attacking multiple enemies at once. When combined with "Adrenaline" introduced earlier, you could gain an enormous amount of TP. Surrounded by enemies, the Barbarian will showcase a mighty axe swing with a bloodthirsty grin.



[h3]Second Wind: The Best Defense is a Good Offense[/h3]
"Second Wind" no longer consumes resources and can be used immediately (though it now has a cooldown). By using the "Second Wind" skill to recover weapon action points, the Barbarian can continue their relentless assault without giving the enemy a chance to take action. Experience the thrill of sweeping away enemies away with immense damage in a single turn.



[h3]Friendly Fire: Stop Standing Where I'm Swinging, Little One...[/h3]
Even a Barbarian in the heat of battle has their weaknesses. When they swing their axe with intense ferocity, weak allies are hardly noticed. Due to the "Friendly Fire" trait, the Barbarian's wide-range attacks can also damage allies.



[h3]Examples of Utilizing the new Barbarian[/h3]
The Barbarian has become a more terrifying figure, an aggressive melee warrior who can gain significant advantages within their turn through offensive play. While the new mechanics we've prepared will allow for countless strategies depending on allies and enemies, here are a few scenarios where the Barbarian can shine.

If you find yourself worried about being surrounded by numerous enemies, don’t hesitate to send the Barbarian forward. They can effortlessly sweep away the incoming hordes, gain tactical superiority, and prepare for the next attack.

With the support of other characters who can control the enemy's formation, the Barbarian's powerful "one-hit" attacks will be even more effective.



So, what do you think of the revamped Barbarian? What I introduced earlier is not all there is to the Barbarian. With various Ember Memories, the Barbarian can have countless different builds depending on your choices, ranging from the traditional ferocious killing machine to a cold, tactical strategist who gains the upper hand by taking down enemies.

Along with the Barbarian introduced today, there are various characters ready to join the survivors in the world of Remore. I will gradually introduce these new and returning Characters over the coming Dev Notes...

Next week, I will introduce the “Royal Guard”, previously known as "Willam," the protagonist of Early Access.

We will be back soon with more exciting news. Thank you!
REMORE