It's been a while since I've last given an update on the progress of Project Forge. A lot has happened since the last Forge News article. The last couple of months has been tough. I admit I have been progressing slower than I would like, but progress is still being made. Many changes have happened and more are planned with a ton of ideas buzzing around. So sit back and grab yourself a drink as I fill you in with the latest.

Whats changed?

Realms on Itch.io

Realms has been moved from Ko-Fi to Itch.io. I did this as itch.io has a lot of great features, like analytics, sales & bundles, it has integration with Patreon, and great community features too. This move was done as I plan on utilizing itch.io thoroughly. Itch.io also has better discoverability and I'm really pleased with the results so far.

HeffStudio & Patreon

HeffStudio is the branding for everything I do; Project Forge and the Hefflings (my worldbuilding project). I have set up a HeffStudio Patreon page and it is this page where you can support me with what I do.

There are a few tiers already set up with some rewards, but more will definitely come as things get done. So if you like what I do and want to support it, feel free to do so. I'll appreciate it very much!

Going Forward

Realms Redraft

I've been brainstorming and with all of the extra features and mechanics I want to add to the worldbuilding system, I'll need to alter how the rules and information are displayed. So I'm going to redraft the PDF and World Anvil articles of Realms.

Worldbuilding can be a complicated subject, and so I want to do what I can to simplify the process with Realms. The 3-step format I've created is good, but I don't think it'll be extendable to the extent that I'd like to do.

I also plan on altering a few mechanics, so the game is even quicker and easier to play. I'd also like to implement some kind of prompting system for the descriptive writing for the various elements of your world and realm.

Light, Full & Modules

The major change going forward will be my labelling of the Light version and the Full version of Realms. Initially, I planned on making 2 versions of Realms, Light and Full. Light is the free "demo" version and Full is the version with all of the features and mechanics I have in mind (and on paper). However, as I think ahead, having a book (whether PDF or physical) with all of the mechanics I have in mind could complicate things. Plus I think we all have our own purposes for building a world; a novel, RPG campaign, just for fun or some other reason. So there might be some things you won't want to add or use in your game.

So I've come up with the concept of Modules. Modules are to be extra booklets that you can optionally add to the base game. This also introduces the concept of a "Base Game", which will pretty much be Realms "Full". Think of it like the modules are the "DLC" of Realms, or expansion/add-on packs that enhance the base game. Something I'm really excited about.

What now?

My focus is on creating and completing the full base game of Realms. What sort of mechanics these will entail, I will go over in another Forge News article where I plan on talking about the Road Map of Realms. Whether or not there'll be a "light" demo version in the future remains to be seen.

I'm really excited to continue my work and to get it out there in the world. Be sure to follow Project Forge on World Anvil or on Itch.io, as the next newsletter will be able a possible road map for the development of Realms.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section at the bottom of this article. I'd be more than happy to answer your questions about Realms and Project Forge.