Feedback Driven Update

It took a while but I finally got some tangible feedback that opened my eyes to some pretty serious gaps. It can be easy to overlook things when you're a solo game dev, especially when you're also the only tester.

There were a lot of missed opportunities for character development and world building. One particularly useful piece of feedback from Roast My Game mentioned a lack of connection between the player and the protagonist's plight. Also, pretty much every bit of feedback mentioned the lackluster battle system. I have worked to address these issues in a massive, game-changing update.

1.) The title "Durance of Magic" has always been a working title, referring to an important place in the game world. The previous box art and title screen were also place holders until I could come up with a better title. As of now, the game has been re-titled as "Neverspring", referring to the era the characters live in, though it may go through an alteration by the time it hits Steam.

2.) The story has been embellished, seizing upon those missed opportunities to add in more character development. More detail has been added the world to further immerse the player in the world they're playing through. New character animations have been added to help emphasize tone and emotion during dialogue.

4.) The combat system has been completely revamped. There are almost twice as many skills now, with many new animations and camera effects (battle camera can be turned off for more traditional combat). Some skills are based on equipment, others are purchased with Ability Points (AP), while others are learned from engaging in fights and duels. The "blue magic" system has been fixed and is working properly. All pet characters have been changed to summoned companions rather than actual party characters, though they are a different kind of summon than that of actual summoning skills.

5.) The gear and equipment system has been changed. The player can still upgrade equipment with modifications but now they can also use Thaumatechnology to learn skills and modify stats.

6.) The flow of storyline has been improved. There are new challenges and adventures that fill in some of the holes.

7.) Overall, I feel this is a much better game now. I'm genuinely proud to release it and feel I have truly given it my all