Hello Miners,
We’re a week away from Rogue Core’s third major update! Thanks for your feedback and patience along the way. We’ve been doing a lot of testing over in the Experimental Branch, so a special shoutout to the playtesters who have helped us sharpen up everything we’re rolling out here in Update 3. We’ll be launching it on Steam on Wednesday, November 4th (yes, even though we usually launch stuff on Thursdays). You can expect full patch notes and a launch trailer then. But in the meantime, let’s take a quick look at the big-ticket items that’ll be coming to Rogue Core as part of the update.Enemies drop EXP by default
We’ll start with the most major change: from now on, all enemies will drop some Expenite when killed. Back in Update 2, we released this feature as an optional mission modifier. But we’ve been getting a lot of feedback saying this is just straight up more fun, and we feel the same way. Brain sees shiny object drop from dead enemy, brain releases dopamine. So we’re just making it part of the default game from now on. You’ll still be able to mine Expenite like before, too. But this feature just helps incentivize and reward combat more directly, and it means you’re always inching closer to that next upgrade.Reroll station
Speaking of upgrades, we’re also adding a reroll system for your upgrades. This was another frequently-requested feature. You’ll find the new Refractor Terminal in the elevator, available from the start of the second level in every run. You’ll need to collect Flux Quartz to power it. But it’ll give you a shot at rerolling toward that one upgrade you really want — and it means you’re never stuck with an upgrade you don’t want.New boss: Balgorath Gatekeeper
You got a look at the Balgorath during September’s Big Break Showcase, and now it’s ready for combat. The Balgorath is a bullet hell-style of boss, meaning it’ll focus on a variety of ranged attacks that you’ll need to dance around to survive.Boss Risk Vectors
We’re introducing boss-specific Risk Vectors to add more variations to each boss fight. You’ll select these as you enter the final level of a run, and each one will change the terms of your final showdown. Some of these Risk Vectors are available on any boss, and some are specific to certain bosses. This feature is coming in as an Alteration, so you’ll only have it if you pick those Altered missions.New weapon: Ventura Model 57
You asked for more weapons, so we’re making more weapons. This time, it’s a good old-fashioned pump-action shotgun. The Ventura M57 hits hard, reloads slow, and makes an absolute mess out of anything unfortunate enough to be in close range.New enemy: Corespawn Bloater
What better way to test a new gun than on a new enemy? Meet the Corespawn Bloater: A heavyweight Corespawn that moves slow and soaks up bullets. It’s not a critical threat. But you’ll notice it’s a useful conduit for making use of a lot of area-based upgrades. With all that health, the Bloater lives long enough to help proc elemental synergies on nearby enemies. Plus it explodes when it dies. Clever Reclaimers may find that Bloaters can often be more helpful than harmful.New traversal tool: XQ-2 Quantum Warp Field
Introducing the XQ-2 Quantum Warp Field traversal tool. It’s a teleporter. Put two down wherever you like, and you can zap between the two points. It’s the fastest way to get from A to D that we’ve ever seen. Speaking of traversal tools, we also removed the Flare Gun from the traversal tool pool, because it’s not really a traversal tool. Instead, we put it in a glass box. And anybody can break it to collect it.Crash recovery system
Delivering on one of the most often-requested QoL features, we’re implementing a new system to protect your run in the case of a crash or disconnect. Now, if your game’s host for some reason leaves or crashes, the team that’s left will have the option to continue the game without them, restarting the stage they were on. This should help prevent lost progress from a frustrating mid-run disconnect.Bio-Booster deck swap rework
With Update 3, we’re adding more depth to the Bio-Booster system. We’ve polished the UI to give you an easier overview of which Bio-Booster decks you’ve collected, as well as the unlock requirements for the ones you’re missing. Plus, we’re adding “base” decks that aren't linked to any specific Reclaimer. These are going to be free agents unlocked from the start, to give you more options to mix-n-match your playstyle. We just finished one for now, which is focused on a grenade-heavy playstyle. We’ll be adding more in the future now that we’ve got the system set up.New elevator objectives
We’ve had a lot of folks asking for new ways to add some mission variety, and we’re always looking at how to deliver on that. This time, we’ve added two new variations to the elevator extraction sequence, instead of booting it up and defending it each time.- Missing Gears: The Corespawn have torn apart the Elevator Drive Unit, scattering components across the caves. Find and reinstall the missing gears to get the elevator back in working order.
- Blister Growths: Some mysterious growths have jammed up the elevator’s workings. You’ll need to spend precious time and ammunition clearing it out before you can call it in.