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."
Willam, the Knight Errant Faces Tragedy
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.
A Stalwart Guardian at the Front Lines
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.
A Duelist Skilled in Sustained Combat
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.
The Transition from Knight Errant to Royal Guard
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.
Swap Positions: "Leave This to Me!"
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.
Back to Back: "A Knight Grows Stronger Through Defense"
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.
Protect Ally: None Shall Bleed Behind Me
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.
Shackles of Responsibility: I Cannot Let Someone Die Again...
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