Hi all! In this devlog we want to present you a brand new player faction - the Dune Reavers. We will tell you about its lore, the idea behind it, and perhaps most importantly - we will give you a sneak peek into how it will be played, and how it’s different from the standard ORX experience that you got used to in the demo.
Origins of the Dune Reavers
ORX takes place in a gigantic Valley with different climate zones, so it was easy to decide where to put our new faction in terms of lore and atmosphere. One of these territories is the vast Karak Desert, which separates the green meadows of the kingdom from the snowy edges of the valley like a belt.
A legend tells of a great civilization that originated from the very heart of the Desert - but now only a chain of independent trading cities remains of it. Each local lord needs to invest in a solid army, to protect his "trade relations", so to speak. These lords constantly compete against each other, and it forces locals to stay at peak of their form.
Pretty much everyone in the Desert is competent with a bow, a spear or a saber - without these skills one cannot survive here. The constant battles are an integral part of life in Karak, and a man who can't wield a weapon won't find respect from his comrades.
The player acts as one of the most prominent warlords of these places - at the beginning of the game communication with the rest of the desert cities is lost, and the land around is teeming with ORX.
Gameplay
The first faction in the game was created with the "warrior" archetype in mind - it was supposed to be a default faction with straightforward controls and clear logic. You can't control or customize your warriors, so they are of little use. But castles, on the other hand, feel like super powerful structures, able to eliminate everything in their firing radius.
The Dune Reavers faction, on the other hand, was supposed to feel like an antithesis to the first - more flexible, with less emphasis on defensive structures and more on troops and their customization. Their soldiers are more customizable and can generally be moved across the battlefield for some additional gold.
Speaking of gold, Dune Reavers obtain it differently than other factions: it's not the gold they need to worry about but the ways to store it. It somewhat imitates real life - when you have earned enough money, the question of where to keep it and how to save it becomes vital.
So, if the first faction's archetype would be a "warrior", Dune Reavers can be described as "tricksters". They are not as powerful and menacing, but they are more flexible and possess many not so straightforward tools for solving problems.
So, if the first faction's archetype would be a "warrior", Dune Reavers can be described as "tricksters". They are not as powerful and menacing, but they are more flexible and possess many not so straightforward tools for solving problems.
At an early stage, we were considering equipping each unit with weapons and armor in the spirit of Knights and Merchants, but over time we shifted to a different model. Now each base unit created in the barracks can be equipped with one of 4-5 (we are still deciding) types of weapons. Then you can assign a Commander to the unit, and provide him with a Royal Dictate.
Weapons, Dictates, and Commanders are special card types that can modify the behavior of a military unit. For example, a player can equip a unit with the level 2 "bows and arrows", which will turn regular foot soldiers into level 2 archers. The Ghost Strike Dictate given to a squad of spearmen will allow them to teleport instantly (usually, if you order the warriors to move from one point to another, it takes time) and will increase their damage for the rest of the night. The "musician" commander will constantly train his squad, increasing its attack speed depending on the time spent with it. And he will also play his tune every time the unit is selected! So, in general, Dune Reavers are all about customizing units.
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That’s it for now! Let us know what you think of our new faction and stay tuned for new reveals. In order not to miss anything consider subscribing to our Twitter and joining our Discord server - we are having a lot of fun there. Cheers!
