The player feedback was clear! The Reset and Reforge prestige system needed some rework, it rewarded frequent low round reforges and lacked any strategic depth. So I spent a couple of days noodling on it and implemented a new framework which can be extended if it looks like I'm heading in the right direction, or adapted if I'm not.
New Feature: Ship Selection
Before each run you choose a ship based on your play style. Ships progressively unlock based on your Pilot Title, which reflects your overall progression through the game.
Each ship has a distinct silhouette, a stat bonus, and a trade-off.
Reforge Rework
Reforging is now meaningfully more rewarding the further you push.
The round-based reforge bonus now scales exponentially with each round. Round 50 gives massive bonus while early rounds give almost nothing. Grinding short runs for easy reforges no longer pays off.
New: Reforge Tokens
Tokens can now be earned. You need to reach at least round 15 on level 1 to earn your first token — higher rounds and levels yield more. Spend them in the Crucible
New: The Crucible
After every run you now visit the Crucible — an upgrade tree where you spend Reforge Tokens on permanent bonuses that carry into every future run.
Three tracks, each with three tiers:
Momentum — Accelerate your early game
Ignition — First 5 rounds: all points +25%
Pre-Armed — Start each run with 5 random first-level upgrades already unlocked
Ancestral Cache — Convert 1% of your last run's score into starting points
Resilience — Survive longer
Hardened — Hull damage reduced
Combat Recovery — Restore some hull at the start of each round
Crisis Protocol — About to die? You've now got 3 seconds of invincibility to recharge that shield
Wealth — Earn more points
Prospector — Asteroid kills worth 15% more points
Deep Seam — Survival bonus accrues 50% faster
Forge Dividend — Your lifetime score contributes a small permanent bonus to starting points every run
Note:
These new systems might require re-balance and rework so please let me know what you think in the community forums. More ships types and crucible upgrade paths coming in the near future.