[h3]New Spell Gem System[/h3] Hello everyone! I mention this every time, but once again, your feedback has inspired a fresh addition. This time, it's the Spell Gem system. This offers mages a new item slot to wield a spell they can cast. Initially, I plan to roll out nine spell gems. However, I'm confident I'll brainstorm even more as we get closer to release. Expect a mix of enhancement gems for self or tower upgrades and several combat gems to fend off foes with flair. This feature perfectly ties into the game's theme and offers players more strategic options. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/178bfeac0eb1881e010c70838e11a3f3c1fb4184.png[/img] [h3]Notification Control[/h3] These past weeks have been dedicated to integrating vital components and testing the game from start to finish. One challenge of testing in developer mode is the risk of tunnel vision, often not allowing games to run their full course. That changed recently, revealing several mid to late-game nuances. A standout issue was the bombardment of notifications. They are super handy in the early stages, but they tend to overwhelm as your tower grows. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/169613c3ee308b2c956176019d06f2e522e16f20.png[/img] To counter this, I've introduced a section in the settings exclusively for notifications. For quick navigation, a new key binding was added to instantly bring up the next notification. When you've got a bustling tower with 30+ students eagerly awaiting promotions, this feature will be a game-changer, ensuring you can manage requests swiftly! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/619f505dbcf04cdbea2c56f78b0ee5032fc7fd44.png[/img] [h3]Balance "End Game"[/h3] Some hurdles caught me off-guard, especially concerning the Research and GodMaker segments. Playtesting outside the usual framework revealed discrepancies like improperly positioned rooms and non-functional end-game recipes. The most significant hiccup came with the GodMaker, designed to unleash waves of enemies once a mage enters. My enemy-defining logic was solely compatible with the testing framework, demanding a total revamp. Determining the right balance was another beast entirely! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/b0cf2697033db02aaaf913a1c3c8bc06bb075a7d.png[/img] On a lighter note, during a GodMaker test, I might've unintentionally spooked a few of our mages and students. Oops! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/e9a349b9a18a56f754948c50e3de7a4319ff9528.gif[/img] To wrap things up, Artificer's Tower is shaping up to match my initial vision. But, it will require more hands-on testing in the coming months to refine it to perfection. As a side note, I've patched over 70 bugs, tweaked the balance for 30 items, and introduced several quality-of-life improvements. All in all, these weeks have been bustling with progress! Thanks for following along, Jason [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44225778/275f272a46ed5cbbe67e9ee0c5924b8b045ae0cb.png[/img]