Dear Players,
We were delighted to participate in Steam's NextFest in February and receive so much valuable player feedback - thank you to everyone who supported us! However, we also realized that the current game experience is still incomplete for many players. Some gameplay elements are difficult to grasp, and there are issues with content variety and balance that need urgent improvement.
After team discussion, if we proceeded with our original Early Access launch in March, the gameplay experience may fail to meet player expectations. Although it's an early access and not the full release, we don't want players to feel the game is unfinished.
For these reasons, we have decided to postpone the release until later this year in Q3 or Q4. We sincerely apologize for only announcing this delay now.
During this extension period, we will focus on improving the following aspects:
Description text and UI improvements
Many players highlighted issues like cluttered icons or confusing effect descriptions in the current demo version. For those less familiar with this genre, even with the existing tutorials, getting into the gameplay can be difficult. The early levels also frontload too many complex effects.
To address this, we are working to improve effect readability and provide simpler explanations where possible. We will also streamline early game complexity and improve the tutorials.
Multi-Character Combat System
The multi-class, multi-character combat is a core aspect of Emblem of Valor. However, we found many players struggling with the current multi-character combat mechanics when using parties. Some barely utilized character switching, while others felt it was too cumbersome with low payoff.
Going forward, we want to better define the role of character switching. We will reduce the need for frequent swapping while adding more unique abilities tied to each character beyond just their card pools.
Environment Effects
Currently, map choices only differ in size and quest objectives. But there are no significant combat differences between maps, potentially making strategic selection feel lacking in depth for some.
Thus, we will add unique environment effects to different maps, as well as stronger synergies between certain monsters and maps, to make each map stand out more.
More Characters and Playstyles
Our original Emblem of Valor design was based around five core classes (Fighter, Mage, Cleric, Ranger, Rogue). We really want to provide all five for players in the next major release.
However, balancing the unique strengths of each class while allowing diverse deckbuilding combinations is a major challenge for us. Our goal is for each class to offer a complete standalone playstyle, while also enabling new strategies when combined.
Others
Beyond the above, we are also working on smoother multi-language support, additional VFX and visual feedback, improved narrative content, and roguelike staples like unlock systems.
This outlines our updated development roadmap. We again apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused.
Thank you for your patience and support.
Sincerely,
Far Star Studio