Time to start the revolution! Jokes aside, it is time to present Comrade.
He has only one objective, to take down the man! But well, spoiler alert, the cause is already "won"
Some of you have already met Comrade, as they were a playable character during the previous OpenDev - "Final Rodeo".
Comrade plays around with their fancy and bright turrets that will help them and the squad to defeat any enemies that try to stop them.
- To Arms! (Passive) - Shoves performed by this Hero on Research Terminals and Resource Generators repair them
- Comrade Turret (Special) - Creates an attacking Turret in front of this Hero (2 turrets available to use at start)
- Revolution (Ultimate) - Temporarily transforms this Hero's Weapon into a static Turret
Now we will talk with more detail about the Narrative, the Art, and the Game Design aspect of the character.
And to talk about Comrade and their revolution we have Jeff, Narrative Director, César, Expert Concept Artist, and Victor, Game Designer.
Narrative
Comrade is a lost Remnant (* more info below) who is fighting against the Endless, but those battles are already over. They're obsessed with defeating "The Man" when the Man died in The Flash twenty thousand years ago.
They're always calling on their comrades to support the cause and join the battle; but none of them are interested as they all have their own problems to worry about.
The Remnants are portrayed in Endless Dungeon as executioners and “cleaners” for the Endless; think of them as troubleshooters in the most literal sense possible of that term. Comrade, who like the others was released from their servitude thanks to the actions of Akad-Talar, looks back on those years with a profound sense of disgust and self-loathing for the terrible things that they did. For this reason, Comrade’s sole focus is to make sure that the Endless never return, and that their legacy is exposed as the cold-hearted regime of exploitation that some of it (perhaps not all of it) truly was.
(*) In case you are new into the ENDLESS™ Universe, here is some background about the Remnants:
The Remnants are an ancient order of assassins created when the Endless ruled the galaxy, after their masters' demise the Remnant underwent a period of hibernation for millenia in the crypts of a forgotten moon. Numbering only a few hundred upon awakening, the Remnant would've spent the rest of eternity awaiting orders. Connecting the digital minds of its fellow assassins through quantum entanglement, Belcus suppressed their inherent programming, and gave them a new purpose: to build a better galaxy for the most deserving race they encountered.
Art Direction
We created a character to serve as a gunsmith shop, and we found inspiration in the distinct elongated silhouette of the remnant faction, which added a touch of shape diversity.
Initial concepts :
However, the initial concepts appeared somewhat basic and lacked that special element we were looking for.
Since the character was meant to be the go-to person for underground custom weapons, we decided to explore more daring ideas. Consequently, we presented three different concepts: one with a punk street style, another with an American survivalist vibe, and a third resembling a shady "breaking bad" character.
After careful consideration, we opted for the first concept as it felt less obvious in its references, and maybe less comical.
Regarding the character's machine, we initially thought about giving him a sidekick that could transform into a powerful turret or a 3D printer for creating weapons and ammunition (it wasn’t decided yet at the time).
However, we eventually abandoned this idea due to its complexity and instead decided to have him carry the machine on his back.
Game Design
The main gameplay twist of Comrade is to break the rule of “you can build turrets only on turret slots”: They can place a turret with his skill or become a turret with their ultimate. Their passive approach emphasizes their tinkerer side allowing them to repair Research Machines and Generators.
Comrade is a mix between a damage dealer and an operator*. They can protect the Research Machine or a generator with their turrets while being on the other side of the station or just place the turrets in front of you and "start the party". Their high "Wit” plus their upgrades and turrets can make them the most effective aggressive operator in the game. They can also allow some “economical greed”, especially in early game, as they can handle skipping a few turret constructions.
They are the “aggressive tower defense” hero and are suited for players that like tower defense and strategic placement but with big guns and big damage numbers. They arrive a bit later in the game and have enough depth for “advanced players”.
During a run, Comrade will be able to upgrade their turrets, to obtain a boost to nearby turrets and the dps stats. They can become a “master of puppet turrets”, a “genius operator” or usually a mix between dps and turret spawner.
* An Operator is a Hero that supports your defenses. It is sort of a mix between dps-support
Thanks! Enjoy the Revolution rest of the week and Endless Summer.
Do not forget to keep an eye as there are quite a few sourprises for you ^-^