User blog:LordTBT/News:Redwall game appears on Steam, gets release date, details



It has been a long journey to get to this point, but at long last, Redwall: The Warrior Reborn has appeared on gaming platform Steam, with a Early Access release date of September 28, 2017, about two and a half months away!

A short summary describes the case as "Set in the winter shrouded wilderness between Lilygrove and Redwall Abbey, help Liam or Sophia race for help from the raiding rats under Cheesethief's command."

This is new information - players will apparently be able to choose between a male or female character, and we have their names. Also from the Steam page:

Why Early Access?
 * “We really want early feedback from fans of the Redwall books on things like look, narrative, tone, music etc. It an extremely high priority that we capture the spirit of the books and what better way to do that than get the fan base looking around as early as possible.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?
 * “6-10 months”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
 * “Initial early access release will be a single subterranean demo level to give players exposure to the core game mechanics in this stealth-adventure game where the player must navigate and safely pass a set of AI rat enemies who are searching for the player.


 * As updates release sequentially we introduce new features and new levels including:


 * Increased movement options like secret passages and high-wire paths
 * Robust scent mechanic adding a new way to sense the surrounding environment
 * Wind (Drafts) that change how scents travel through spaces
 * Character building RPG-lite feature
 * Mechanical and environmental puzzles
 * NPC party management system
 * 7 new interior and exterior environments
 * Robust NPC conversation trees
 * Musical accompaniment mini-game
 * Feast preparation and assignment mechanic
 * "Agro" feature to neutralize rat enemies
 * QTE style combat for box fights.


 * Throughout the early access period an integrated fan-feedback tool allows point-specific communication between early access players and developers. This is both a bug-reporting tool but also a feedback feature for getting the tone and feel for this beloved property just right. We've made it a strong priority to listen to Redwall fans as we've come this far and this tool is just the continuation of that commitment at the next level.


 * The final game is expected to cover ~20 hours of game play and act as an "episode 1" of a 4-episode series that culminates in a multi-player co-op adventure.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?
 * “1st release is a single player interior adventure level including multiple environments, puzzle-solving and AI enable rat enemies. Game is running at full FPS with full support for graphics settings, rewindable keys and a fully integrated bug-reporting + commenting tool to enable robust back-and-forth communication with the dev team.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?
 * “Yes. We expect the "earliest access" players to get the deepest cut with the price inching up as we get closer to full release and implement features.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?
 * “We've already established a solid pattern and reputation for soliciting and using feedback from the Redwall fan base via the Facebook page we've maintained for the last couple of yours during pre-production.


 * Now that we're asking for input on actual gameplay elements we'll keep that same spirit of community cooperation in full effect and have built an integrated feedback mechanism and messaging system for robust two-way communication.”

And more details on "The Scout", future chapters, and scheduling information:


 * The Scout is the first episode in an episodic mini-series called The Warrior Reborn and is set in the wildly popular world of best-selling books, Redwall, by Brian Jacques.


 * The first three episodes of The Warrior Reborn take place in the the 6-months immediately prior to, and then coincident to, the events of the book, but from a perspective not included in the book itself. Taken together the episodes tell the story of three reluctant heroes who each find themselves inside Redwall Abbey for deeply personal reasons when it is besieged by Cluny the Scourge. Thrust into a suddenly dramatic situation the three strangers become fast friends and wind up in a critical, but as-yet unsung role in the events that bring the sword of Martin the Warrior to Matthias and the end to that villain Cluny the Scourge.


 * As the first episode in the series, The Scout is best understood as a stealth-adventure game set in the winter before the Summer of the Late Rose. It tells the story of a mouse who is driven to Redwall Abbey when sea rats raid the peaceful village of Lilygrove. The events of The Scout play out along the ancient, but now altered, course of the mighty River Moss. What was once a wide river is now the sunken bed of a seasonal creek that that runs east-west between Redwall Abbey and the Great South Stream that feeds the swamps south and east of Salamandastron. The player must find a way through the confusing snow-covered channel punctuated by occasional hedgerows, ancient stone walls, scattered shacks, and the few-and-far-between hearths of friendly woodlanders.


 * Along the way there is untold adventure to include (of course) feasting, fiddling, and even a few fisticuffs as we meet Valo Scrimpaw, the mysterious stoat who lives in the Winsome Wraith, Scumsnout the murderous wearet and the mysterious, ghostly assistance when all seems lost.


 * Episodes 2 and 3, tentatively titled The Miner and The Archer, tell the stories of a mole and a squirrel as they too are driven to Redwall for their own reasons in the Spring and early Summer.

We are pumped from this major update, and look forward to September!