REMORE: INFESTED KINGDOM News

Greetings Followers of Remore,

In our previous Un-Dev Note on Pre-combat Gameplay, we took a look at the “Line of Sight” and “Facing Direction” concepts. Today, we’d like to delve a little into the development process and intention behind these systems.

The original intention was to reinterpret the concept of “direction”, which is often used as a key tactical element in tactical RPG games, to match the theme of our game.

• Enemies face a certain direction. (Expressed through direction arrows and enemy sprites)
  
• The enemies only perceive units within their line of sight as hostile targets and will attack them on their next turn.
  
• When allies in the line of sight move, the direction of the enemy's sight will move with them.
  
• When attacking from outside the line of sight, attacks do twice the damage.
  

Through these rules we wanted to create a gameplay that focuses on “trying not to get caught by enemies as much as possible, due to high damage received” to emphasize the feeling of a threatening “zombie or creature”, instead of simply exchanging blows mindlessly.

However, during actual testing, it was quite challenging to convey the concept of "line of sight/direction" clearly. Even with tutorials and explanations through UI, it was difficult to change the preconceived notion that enemies would automatically detect and attack allies beyond a certain distance, as commonly seen in tactical RPGs.

As a result, we determined that there must be “something unique that stands out to make an unfamiliar system be accepted”. So, we created the rule that “if a Survivor is detected by an enemy, they will immediately be pursued, regardless of whose turn it is.”

In addition, we also added a “Zone of Control” which gives the approaching enemy the ability to “hold” a Survivor and prevent them from moving.



Since we introduced this system, the ease of understanding the “line of sight/direction” concept has increased significantly.

Additionally, we received feedback that players felt like they should avoid detection as much as possible in dangerous situations, which was our intention, and that this system improved the game's energy and tempo in a positive direction.

However, during the ongoing development of the combat system based on the above rules, there was a need for additional modifications.

• As the level design is based around 3 individuals facing more than 10 times the number of enemies, taking on each enemy at a time as they move and catch the player would be arduous.
  
• To preserve the element of uncertainty, enemies move in random directions each turn, including those who are facing allies. However, this resulted in excessive difficulty variation depending on whether or not enemies are facing the direction of Survivors.
  

As a solution to both these issues, an alarm system has been implemented. Now, when any Infested detects a survivor, that Infested will scream, alerting all nearby Infested and putting them into an alert state.



With this system, players need to be cautious when alerting the initial enemy who would raise the alarm. However, once the alarm is triggered, a large number of Infested (the maximum number designed for the player to face) are riled up immediately, creating a fast-paced and intense experience.

There were numerous trials and errors, many of which were left out here for the sake of brevity. However, from our perspective, we are satisfied with the current outcome. Of course, when actual testing takes place, there may be additional room for improvement.

We hope soon you will have the opportunity to experience it firsthand and we will look forward to your feedback!

Thank you

Big fan of tactical RPGs, huh? If so, how do you feel about Hit Rates? Frustrated by astronomically unlucky misses? We know the feeling...

When you want to dive into the tactical depths of this genre, this kind of Hit Rate system can be a tricky thing. How should we handle the elements and feelings of “uncertainty” and “luck” when creating these systems? Well, finding an answer to this isn’t exactly simple...

Games with a similar format to ours such as XCOM or Battle Brothers, as well as others with turn-based combat rules, use the concept of Hit and Avoidance. In the beginning we too felt it was an integral part of the genre so early builds centered around this concept.



However, after many playtests the question came up: Can we enjoy this kind of game without having to deal with the frustration of completely missing attacks? We’ve all felt the sting of whiffing that 94% chance hit...

Of course, the inverse would also be problematic. Removing any element of uncertainty and making all attacks have a 100% Hit Rate with fixed damage would diminish the Emotion and Tension a player can feel which damages the overall experience.

Unlike a game like Chess or Go where uncertainty is created through the unpredictability of a human opponent, we came to the conclusion that in order to create diverse experiences in our game there must be an element of luck which can affect the outcome of an action.



Aside from the weapon Hit Rate, Remore has other factors which are uncertain to the player.

• When opening a door or turning a corner, how many enemies await?
  
• Which way is an enemy facing? Will we be caught next turn if they turn this way?
  
• What items will we find while looting, and will they be of help to us at this moment?
  
• Weapon’s Min and Max damage range, and Critical Hit probability.
  

Also, to emphasize the theme of ordinary folk trying to survive an infestation, Characters’ Health and Defenses is set quite low. Even the weakest Infested variant, the Knawer, can kill a player character in 2 or 3 hits, so play is more about minimizing damage taken and avoiding detection than it is a “tit for tat” battle.



After considering all these factors, we decided to remove the concept of “Missing” from the combat system entirely, instead leaving just the uncertainty of how much damage the attack would do or whether it would be a critical hit. We concluded that this uncertainty of whether an enemy would be killed in 2 or 3 hits would be enough to pose a threat.

In place of a “Miss” we have included the concept of “Graze” which means that an attack could still deal damage lower than the weapon’s current min damage.

Special effects such as “Bleeding”, “Fainting” and “Pushing” are still applied as normal so there is still a high degree of probability in the tactical play.



As a result of this change, we were able to maintain the “tension of uncertainty” while minimizing the feeling of “even though we made a good tactical decision, it was negated by bad luck.”

In addition to the Hit Rate system there are many others that seem trivial but really had us scratching our heads during the design process. We’d love to go through a few of these in the next few Un-Dev Notes so until then, thanks for reading and we’ll catch you next time!

Thank you

Weapons are essential in the fight against the Infested, and the Survivors have a variety of ways to acquire them. Sometimes, on rare occasions, you may find special weapons that are different from the norm, like a Diamond in the Rough.

Today, we're going to introduce some of the unique personalities found in the weapons of Remore, the Weapon Attributes.



We wanted Remore's weapon-centric combat to offer a variety of ways to fight with the same weapon, but if the same type of weapon was given the same growth, the results would always converge to one. We wanted to create a point of comparison where the same weapon could have different effects and be worth something entirely different from one another.

Weapons forged by Remore's blacksmiths sometimes have unique characteristics, as each smith uses their own secrets to craft them.



The weapons crafted by Remore's blacksmiths are not cookie-cutter items, which is why one soldier's weapon may be more unique than another's, or a sword that was once considered a treasure, may be a dud.

Weapons with Attributes can be obtained in a variety of ways. You can find special weapons hidden throughout Remore, or you can find weapons that Jorgn has crafted with his own secret recipe.



14 different types of weapons that can have common or specialized Weapon Attributes. The same weapon can have randomly varying attributes.



If you're lucky enough to acquire a weapon with a powerful attribute, it can completely turn the tide of the battle and your tactics.



If you're unlucky to get an unfavorable attribute, don't worry - you can trade with James, the Trader who comes by from time to time, to buy materials for crafting new weapons, or to buy weapons and food for yourself.

Acquiring a good item in a game is one of the most gratifying things you can do. We expect this joy to be amplified when you can feel the excitement of what attributes a weapon might have, and sometimes even use them to design your own unique playstyle.

Today we've introduced you to Weapon Attributes, the special abilities that weapons have, and we'll be giving you a sneak peek at them and their abilities in the upcoming demo, so that's it for today's Un-Dev Note.

See you next time!

Thank you

As we introduced in our last Dev Note, "Rules of Survival #1, Securing Food", your Survivors must constantly search for food to keep themselves alive. But to get food, you'll have to fight off the Infested, and to do that you'll need a Weapon.

Weapons in Remore have Durability, meaning that they will become increasingly dull and eventually break over the course of successive battles. It's not easy to take on Infested with broken Weapons, so the Survivors are forced to flee or find new ones.



Jorgn the Blacksmith not only Repairs Weapons damaged in battle, but also Reinforces and Modifies the Weapons the Survivors have, to make them better. He can also Disassemble the Weapons to use them as materials to reinforce other Weapons.



Although ravaged by Infested, there are still a number of items left in Remore, including items that would be useful in a Blacksmith's Shop, such as Iron Ingots, Whetstones, and Glue. You might also find Weapons that were left behind.



Bring the material items you've collected during your battles with the Infested to Jorgn, who will use these resources to Forge and Enhance your Weapons, Reinforcing them for greater performance.

Reinforced Weapons have increased Stats, such as Damage and Critical Hit Chance, which can make these Weapons more effective against enemies that threaten the Survivors.



In addition, a Weapon that has been reinforced to its Maximum Capacity can be modified into a higher-ranked Weapon of the same type, but with New Skills.

For example, if you take a normal ranked Two-handed Axe, such as the “Woodcutter's Axe”, and modify it to the “Tribal Axe”, it will gain the new skill “Execute (Instantly Kill Enemies below 50% Health)”, in addition to the original Skills “Axe Slash (Line up to 3 Enemies)” and “Ambush Chop (Single Attack with High Critical Chance)”.



In total, 14 “Common” Tier Weapons can be modified to higher Tiers of “Uncommon/Rare”, bringing the total number of Weapons available to the Survivors to around 42. We wanted to make sure that by the time you've gotten the hang of using the common Tier Weapons, you'll have gained access to higher Tier Weapons with new Skills, giving you more and more tactical options.

We can't wait to see which Weapons will become your favorite way of battling the Infested!
Till next time!

Thank you

Survivors will struggle to remain alive in the Infested plagued lands of Remore. So, what exactly will aid them in this endeavor? In addition to the safety of a roof over their heads and a weapon with which to defend themselves, there is a more basic necessity which must be cared for.

In today’s Dev note, we’ll introduce you to an essential element of survival, Cooking and Food.



To emphasize the apocalyptic theme, we wanted to link the physical survival of the characters to the game progression. We decided that if the survivors must find something to eat, which would drive the player to explore each region of Remore, we could make the battle against the Infested feel more and more desperate.

Survivors can find food and ingredients throughout Remore. Whether they are fresh or rotten, it would be wise to take them with you. Ayela can prepare meals using the food and ingredients that the Survivors scavenge which more effectively relieves the party’s hunger.



Remore’s land is rich and fertile and as such produces a variety of fruits, meats, grains and vegetables. In turn, Remore has a large number of dishes from basic foods like bread and alcohol to others like preserved vegetables and pickles.

Before the Infestation, Remore folk came from all over for Ayela’s cooking and some of her dishes can do more than just alleviate hunger.

We wanted the Food that the player gathers to be meaningful to gameplay. Firstly, it is a major means of recovering from the damage received in combat. If the Survivors are starving, they will have a permanent reduction in physical strength. In addition, we wanted to create a gameplay element where a player must choose between “immediate consumption” or saving the Ingredients to cook a more substantial meal which has long term benefits and combat buffs.



As the days go by, Food and Ingredients stored in the hideout will begin to deteriorate. Spoiled Food may satisfy Hunger, but it is not good for the overall health of the Survivors. However, considering the overall Hunger debuff it may be better to be sick than starving. Hunger saps the Survivors of their energy and strength and deprives them of their ability to survive.

Food, Cooking, and resting are all elements which must be managed in-game. We wanted players to be able to directly adjust the effects of resting, such as physical recovery and buffs/debuffs and Food is the way the player can achieve this. We want the player to feel a strong sense of struggling to survive by managing the scarce resources.

That’s it for today’s look at Food and Cooking, a fundamental part of survival in Remore. We hope it gave you a feel for the direction of this part of gameplay, and stirred up some curiosity about the Cooking, Food, and resting system in our game.

Join us next time, when we’ll look at another Survivor and their essential role in the Hideout, Jorgyn the Blacksmith.

Thank you