Hello again, Survivors! We’re back once again with another [Dev Note]. The rework of Willam and Edwin, introduced last time, brought significant changes to combat. However, in REMORE: INFESTED KINGDOM, the Weapon you carry can sway the battle even more than a Character’s abilities!
Today, we’ll take a look at the overhaul of the Blacksmith Jorgn’s [Modify Weapon] feature, which will bring significant changes in the way a weapon is used.
In the Steam Next Fest version, Jorgn’s “Modify Weapon” introduced a variety of “modification options” that increased weapon durability, damage, critical hit rate, and more. Players could choose predetermined options based on the type of weapon when applying modifications. Once all the modifications were complete, the weapon could be upgraded to a higher tier.
The existing weapon modification system, following a set modification path, was easy to understand and gave the satisfaction of obtaining higher-grade weapons, going well with our development goal by driving a player to gather the required materials.
However, we were disappointed that despite the changing modification order, weapons of the same type ended up having the same abilities. We realized that allowing customization according to players' preferences and desired strategies, even with the same weapon type, would better suit the concept of “modification” and make the game more enjoyable.
So, we decided to create a new [Modify Weapon] system where players can choose the modifications they want from various options provided for each weapon.
In this new system, every weapon has two modification slots, and each slot allows the player to choose one of four options.
These options not only include simple improvements to Stats such as damage and durability but can also completely alter the way a weapon is used.
For example, for a one-handed weapon like the “Hammer,” which might not have high base damage but can inflict an “Injury” effect to reduce an enemy's attack power, the following choices are provided:
- [Reshaping]: Instead of removing the “Injury” effect, it significantly increases critical hit rate.
- [Polished Hammer Surface]: Instead of reducing durability, adds +1 to the “Crippling” effect on attacks.
- [Reinforced Hilt]: Increase weapon’s maximum durability.
- [Spliced Cracks]: Increase weapon’s maximum damage.
By choosing both [Polished Hammer Surface] and [Reinforced Hilt], you can maximize the original characteristic of “Crippling” while eliminating the penalties. Alternatively, selecting [Reshaping] and [Spliced Cracks] allows you to change the weapon's characteristics by increasing the potential damage. Additionally, the option to simply increase the durability and maximum damage remains a valid choice for those who prefer a more balanced approach.
In addition to these examples, various modifications will be added to diversify tactical choice. For Two-handed weapons, you can use [Lightening] that reduces WP consumption from 2 to 1 instead of reducing the base damage. There are many other options that can be used to great effect. For example, those that specialize in maximum damage while sacrificing other attributes work well with Diurmuid's [Finishing Blow] ability (instant execution if the weapon's maximum damage exceeds the enemy's current health).
Moreover, after selecting the first option in each modification slot, players can further reinforce each option up to five levels. For instance, if they choose an option that increases maximum damage, they can continue to increase both the minimum and maximum damage levels, steadily raising the weapon's DPS, or they can accept other penalties to maximize the maximum damage, providing additional choice and flexibility.
With the rework of weapon modification, the method of increasing a weapon's tier has also been changed. As the set path in weapon modification is now gone, the process of increasing a weapon's tier, known as “Refine Weapon” has been made independent of the progression of weapon modification.
When a weapon's tier increases through refinement, it gains one additional weapon skill. So, by selecting enhancement options that take into account both the chosen character's abilities and the additional weapon skill, players can maximize their efficiency and unleash the weapon's full potential.
In the Next Fest version, we know it was hard to appreciate the value of Jorgn’s “Modify Weapon” due to the limited number of stages. We hope today’s Dev Note gives you a look forward at how you can create your own build using “Modify Weapon” and the possibilities it offers.
We look forward to the next time when we’ll continue our journey together!
Thank you