Mage Tower Roadmap to Release

[p]Hey all, it's time for a Roadmap update! We are excited to announce that Mage Tower is close to leaving Early Access and entering Full Release. The game has been in Early Access for a while and has received decent reviews. We've tested Mage Tower with new players and veterans alike, and we're very happy with the gameplay loop. So later this month (January), we're releasing a big pre-release patch, then we're planning on switching to Full Release within a month or two after that. This will be a "give me more stuff" patch that doesn't touch the core gameplay systems, but fills out the game's content. The unspoken feature in the list below is that the new update emphasizes deck synergies and surprising new mechanics seen in no other deckbuilder. Here is the Roadmap to Release!: [/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Here's a quick overview of each feature: [/p][p][/p][h2]New Character (Ventra)[/h2][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Ventra is a new character who is the master of Necromancy and Elemental Magic. Her new card pool includes 70 cards. She excels at creating risky "burn decks", pumping up huge "tentpole" Defenders, and often focuses on "big turns" rather than consistency. [/p][p][/p][h2]Character Rework (Gideon)[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]Before this patch, there was a single card pool that was all Gideon's. Having one card pool could make synergies hard to create, and he didn't feel like a cohesive roguelike "character". He's been reworked and given new mechanics so that his card pool feels more focused. [/p][p][/p][h2]"Plights" Endgame Progression System[/h2][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Now after defeating Mastery 4, you'll unlock the "Plights" endgame system. Plights are extra difficulty modifiers you can add to your run. Defeating a run with Plights active will unlock new rewards. It also means that veteran players will have nearly endless ways to challenge themselves![/p][p][/p][h2]"Zadean Research" Skill Tree[/h2][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p](This is the last big feature we're working on, so this may change.) The inscrutable horror has been integrated into the metagame and progression systems! Now after fighting Zadeus, you'll be able to unlock skills in the Zadean Research Tree. These will help you out in future Zadeus battles. Zadeus has also been integrated into the "Plights" endgame system. [/p][p] [/p][h2]New Cards/Artifacts/Content[/h2][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]We've added new content focused on deckbuilding synergies, and with interesting new mechanics you've never seen in a deckbuilder. Our new mechanics are so crazy that we're not even going to spoil them until the patch releases![/p][p][/p][h2]Run History Screen[/h2][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]We're about halfway done with this feature, and it will be in the game before Full Release. [/p][p][/p][h2]Polish[/h2][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]New visual effects and sound effects have been added. For example, monsters with effects that trigger on attack now have a glowing gem indicator. Minibosses now foreshadow themselves by sticking out of the monster deck, and you can even mouseover them and see what they have to say. And more! [/p][p] [/p][h2]Remaining Kickstarter Rewards[/h2][p][/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]We still have a handful of Kickstarter rewards to implement, which will be in the game before release.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Final Balance Tweaking[/h2][p][/p][p]After we release the patch this month, we'll want to tweak for balance before Full Release (which we'd like to happen within a month or two.)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Almost There![/h2][p][/p][p]And that's it! Making Mage Tower has been a long journey. We've gone through 3 different versions of the game, and over time we've added then deleted over 900 cards. What we have today is completely different from our 2022 "Steam Playtest" version which had different cards and a different battle engine.[/p][p][/p][p]We're excited about the game approaching full release, and we'll be marketing the game more after the new patch. This will be Mage Tower's big moment to sink or swim. See you all there![/p][p][/p][p]-Brett Brimmer[/p][p]www.supermegagames.net[/p]