Offsprings of the First Men, welcome! ːthetreeoflifeː

I originally hoped to deliver this update back in April — so thank you for your patience. While developing TFM has been incredibly rewarding, doing it mostly solo over the past two years has also been one of the most demanding challenges of my life. In a solo endeavor like this, even small shifts in life hit like earthquakes. But I'm glad to get this update into your hands just in time for the Steam Summer Sale - and I hope this summer brings you joy, adventures, and lots of memorable games! ːreexcitedː

⚔️ The Great Class Overhaul

This update marks the first major step in redefining TFM’s combat classes. Over 30 brand-new class sets and 100+ new skills are now available, each offering deeper flexibility, identity, and party-building strategy. I’ve also reworked many traits and items, updated damage calculations, improved tutorials and tooltips, and introduced quality-of-life changes like hover-to-collect. Plus, some lingering bugs (including overpowered Invaders) have finally been squashed. ːFistpumpː

• Removed all outdated skills and introduced 100+ new ones, covering a wide spectrum of combat roles, utility, crowd control, and support abilities, ensuring each class feels unique and purposeful

• Complete overhaul of all class-specific items and traits, now supporting the newly added classes with cohesive stat requirements and synergies

• Introduced full gear sets for 30 new classes, including: Berserker, Scout, Arbalist, Rogue, Brawler, Marksman, Brute, Duelist, Mage, Fighter, Juggler, Sentinel, Ranger, Druid, Guardian, Geomancer, Skirmisher, Sage, Warden, Hydromancer, Ravager, Evoker, Rampart, Pyromancer, Champion, Cleric, Paladin, Radiancer, Stalker, Witch, Shaman, and Shadowmancer.

• All item sets are now craftable via the Armswright, after gathering the required resources. These can be previewed using the Path Rewards panel under the Tips section.

• Cleaned up outdated Path Rewards, resolved issues with reward displays in Path Codex, and added proper cost visuals. Selected rewards now hide unchosen ones as intended.

• Hovering over items now automatically collects them into the stockpile, eliminating the need for manual clicks. Refactored item pickup logic to remove "ghost" items and ensure proper disappearance of collected resources.

• Block Chance now functions as Armor, reducing damage by value instead of percentage. System handles negative armor (increasing damage), uses diminishing returns, and incorporates random scaling for more dynamic outcomes.

• Fixed an unintended issue where Male characters regenerated Endurance incorrectly. Endurance recovery now follows the intended logic across all character types.

🌟 A Personal Reflection

We started developing TFM just before Covid - and at our peak, we had six people working full-time. The early alpha resonated, and before launch, the game climbed past 200k wishlists - making it one of Steam’s most followed titles at the time. ːkrstarː

That surge in momentum inspired us to go bigger, adding new features and systems - many of which, in hindsight, probably didn’t belong. Complexity grew, scope ballooned, and not every #FeatureFriday landed the way we hoped. Still, we pushed forward with dedication and love. ːkrheroesː

Some of you were disappointed. And yes, it may look like we fell short.

But here’s the reality: TFM sold far better than most indie games. While we didn’t reach our sky-high ambitions, we did create something unique - something many of you told us couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Personally, this journey gave me more than I ever imagined: the chance to release an original game, work with brilliant people, survive a brutal 2024 (where Murphy’s Law truly came for me), and grow into someone who now helps other developers avoid the same pitfalls. ːkrlvlupː

Earlier this year, I joined a new team where we fund and support small indie developers. I’ll share more about that soon - but for now, let’s talk about what’s next for TFM. ːreimpressedː

🗺️ What’s Ahead

The road to full release continues. Next up: overhauls to Breeding, Cooking, and Inheritance, localization into multiple languages, and further refinements to game flow and onboarding. TFM is already fully playable - but these changes will help it shine brighter than ever. ːSmallRedHeartː

Some have told me to move on - even fellow devs. But I still believe in this world, and in you, the community that shaped it. I feel a responsibility to keep improving it, even if slowly. ːmapː

Thank you, truly, for being part of this long and wild journey.

Enjoy the Steam Summer Sale - may your days be full of epic loot, grand tales, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

See you in the next update! ːhappyheartː