Thank you to everyone who has played ForgeTax and shared your feedback. Today, I would like to share the forge improvements and new content I am working on, along with the development schedule.
Making choices in the forge more rewarding
From your feedback and gameplay records, I have been looking at two experiences I want to improve: runs ending before you can enjoy upgrading swords and building relic combinations, and play becoming repetitive once a build comes together.
Here are the main areas I am working on.
- Early build options and recovery after setbacks
I am examining situations where investing in relics leaves you with too few swords to make use of them, or repeated sword destruction makes it difficult to keep going. I want to refine inheritance and recovery effects, along with early relic choices, so that setbacks still leave room for another meaningful decision.
- The flow of upgrading and Frenzy
I am reviewing the risks and rewards on the way to Frenzy, as well as whether regular upgrading offers enough interesting choices. The aim is to make deciding between one more upgrade and securing your current progress more engaging.
- Distinct relic identities and more varied builds
I want to distinguish relics with overlapping roles and give harder-to-use relics new traits and synergies. Spending money to refresh the shop in search of a desired combination should feel meaningful. Preserving the satisfaction of becoming powerful with a well-built combination will remain an important priority.
- Forge layout and sword and relic management
I plan to improve merchant and display-rack placement and interactions, and make collecting, storing, and displaying your favorite swords more meaningful. It should also be easier to review your relic effects and combinations, compare new options, and change your build even when all relic slots are full.
- Unique abilities that bring each sword's identity to life
I am preparing abilities suited to different sword types and upgrade levels. Ideas include benefits from placing swords in the forge, special effects when offering them as tribute, and powers you can unleash by wielding them yourself. I want choosing which swords to develop and keep to be more interesting.
Specific effects and values will be adjusted through testing. I will share the full changes when the update arrives.
And now, it is time to teach that dragon a lesson with a sword you forged.
After all the swords you have painstakingly made and handed over as tribute, I am preparing content that will let you show the dragon what those swords can really do.
The video below is a work-in-progress prototype of the Sovereign of Blades' telekinetic sword ability and the dragon battle.
A short, silent preview. Watch the full video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFuVz8raSUU
Watch the full video on Bilibili — an alternative if YouTube is unavailable
The goal is for combat to let you feel the growth you achieved in the forge and the unique powers of your swords. I hope you will be able to take out some of that pent-up frustration on the dragon with a weapon you made yourself.
This footage is from development; effects, animations, and balance may change. The surrounding story and full battle sequence have been omitted to avoid spoilers.
I am also working on the ending and the story and dialogue leading up to it.
Development schedule
On a more personal note, I am a university student in South Korea developing the game on my own. ForgeTax began with a simple wish to make a small prototype and try releasing it on Steam.
Since launch, seeing so many people play has kept me focused on fixing bugs and developing content. With my midterm exams about a week away, however, I will be taking a little time to focus on my studies.
After the exams, I will return to finishing the new content. My goal is to release the update during November, after thorough testing. I will let you know if the schedule changes.
In the meantime, I will continue reviewing bug reports and prioritize hotfixes for issues such as progression blockers as time allows.
Thank you for playing ForgeTax and being honest about what could be better. With your feedback in mind, I will keep refining the experience, from forging a sword to finally wielding it.
