Hello, Reforgers!
Age of Reforging: The Freelands version 1.22a is about to go live!
In this update, we've completely overhauled the game's underlying asset bundling pipeline, along with several bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and the long-awaited expansion to the NPC interaction system.
To let everyone experience new content we're working on as early as possible, and to help us further polish the game, we sincerely invite you to join the beta branch.
✨️Reforgers can opt in by following these steps:
Open your Steam Library, right-click the game title, and select "Properties";
Go to the "Betas" tab;
Select "beta" from the dropdown menu;
Wait for the game to finish updating, and you're good to go.
Below are the full details of this update:
🛠️Age of Reforging v1.22a Patch Notes
Major Changes:
In this update, we have completely rebuilt the game's entire asset bundling system from the ground up. This is an enormous undertaking, but the benefits are lasting and transformative.
First, the total file size of all game assets will be reduced from 40 GB to 33 GB.
Second, overall loading times (especially when entering the main menu for the first time) will see noticeable improvement.
Third, all future patches will be significantly smaller in download size.
Finally, this change is expected to resolve the long-standing issue where some players' game files would become corrupted after major updates, requiring them to verify file integrity through Steam before being able to play normally.
However, the one-time cost of this update is not insignificant, you will need to re-download nearly the entire game. We apologize for the inconvenience! Considering the many long-term benefits, we believe this one-time investment is well worth it.
NPC Interaction System Improvements & Additions:
The affinity threshold required to invite an NPC to join your party has been lowered from 75 to 50. However, the probability of successfully recruiting higher-level NPCs has been reduced. The greater the level difference between the player and the target NPC (in the player's favor), the higher the success rate.
A "Give Gift" option has been added to conversations with freely interactable NPCs. You can select an item from your inventory to give to the target NPC, increasing their affinity toward you. Gift-giving has a three-day cooldown.
A "Confess Feelings" option has been added to conversations with freely interactable NPCs. NPCs with affinity above 75 have a chance to accept the player's confession and become the player's romantic partner.
Now, when an NPC companion's affinity with the player reaches 25 / 50 / 75, they will proactively seek a conversation with the player to discuss the progress of their relationship. Additionally, when a mercenary companion's affinity with the player exceeds 75, they will no longer charge the player a fee for their services.
Now, when the player enters combat alongside a companion with high affinity or a romantic partner, they will receive the "Friends in Arms" or "Lovers in Arms" combat buff, granting minor stat bonuses during the fight.
Bug Fixes:
Fixed an issue where map indicator icons would persist after certain quests were completed.
Fixed an issue where the confirmation prompt when purchasing a house was missing a cancel button.
Fixed an issue where NPCs would remain stationary after a conversation ended. This caused caravans on the world map to stop moving after speaking with the player.
Fixed an issue where climbing ladders could not be properly completed.
Fixed an issue where traps could be re-triggered too quickly.
Fixed multiple UI display issues.
Improvements:
Added a "Skip Prologue" option to the character creation screen.
Beast Tamers can now recall their summoned creatures.
Improved the display of various in-game messages.
The maximum number of NPC adventuring parties on the world map has been increased from 4 to 6.
Players can now talk directly with party members from the camping interface.
Resting at a tavern or in a player-owned house now uses the new "Camping System." Players can freely choose how long to rest, what activities to perform during rest, and how to allocate food to their characters.
📢 Please Note:
The beta branch may contain unstable elements or unfinished content. If you encounter any issues or have any suggestions during testing, please don't hesitate to leave feedback in the Community Discussion (replies to this post) / Discord.
Thank you for your support and companionship. Every piece of feedback you provide drives us forward!
