Devlog #4 – Regional Map Core Systems Are Coming to Life!

Hi everyone!

This week’s devlog is a little late, but for good reason—several key features for the Regional Map are finally in place! Since this map is the strategic heart of Signal Remnant, I’ve been putting a lot of focus into building its systems layer by layer. Let’s jump into what’s new!

🌍 1. Four Playable Regions (Demo Scope)

For the initial demo, there are currently four accessible regions, each with unique characteristics and gameplay opportunities. Among them is “The Reclaimer HQ”, which acts as your central base and introduces several core mechanics.

🏗️ 2. Region Development and Building System

Regions can now be developed by constructing buildings, each of which has tangible effects. For example:

🔫 Building a Ranged Hall allows the recruitment of the Longshot ranged squad in that region.

Each region offers different building slots, which makes it impossible to build everything everywhere. This creates meaningful decision-making—players will need to be strategic about which buildings to construct in which regions.

But beware! Regions are not permanently safe. Enemies will periodically attack player-controlled regions, and if a region falls, all constructed buildings in that region will be destroyed.

⚙️ 3. Resource System Introduced

Two core resource types have been implemented as the game’s primary currencies. Resources can be:

• Gained passively over time (via future buildings),

• Spent on recruitment and construction,

• Earned instantly as rewards for conquering new regions.

Simple for now, but this lays the groundwork for deeper strategy.

♟️ 4. Turn-Based Movement & Construction

A “Turn” system has been added for the regional map. Players move their squads (represented as pawns) across regions one turn at a time, similar to a tactical board game. Construction times are also measured in turns, making planning and timing crucial.

⚠️ Note: While the regional map uses turn-based mechanics, combat encounters remain fully real-time strategy. When you deploy your squads to a region, you’ll fight battles in real-time—complete with unit micro and building placement mechanics.

💡 As a small teaser: players will eventually be able to recruit “portable defense structures”—squads that can deploy turrets or barricades during battle. More details on this feature will be revealed in next week’s devlog!

🔁 5. Upkeep System

Each constructed building comes with an upkeep cost that will reduce your resources every turn. This adds an economic layer to the region management system—you can’t just build everything without consequences. In the future, buildings that generate resources will balance this system out.

🚧 6. Deployment System Overhaul

Deployment UI on the regional map has been overhauled. Previously, players could recruit squads right before attacking—which didn’t feel very tactical. Now:

🪖 You recruit squads within a region, and their presence is represented as pawns on the map.

This creates a more grounded feeling of logistics: if a region has no units stationed, you’ll need to move squads there before launching an attack. A few quality-of-life features have also been added, which you can preview in the new devlog video!

🎬 Dev Preview Video

Check out the short video showcasing some of these changes in motion. As always, everything is still work-in-progress, but your feedback is more than welcome!

Thank you for following the development of Signal Remnant. If you're excited about the project, consider wishlisting or following this page! The demo will be made available here once it’s ready.

See you in the next devlog!

– Danny|Typetree Studio
Developer of Signal Remnant