Hello Explorers!
It's been some time since we've spoken here on Steam.
On December 15th 2020 I released Leafling into the world. Thinking no one would be interested anyway I didn't test very much. On release it was a disaster, server issues, balance issues, players were expecting me to have answers, and a lot of them, and fast. I, to put it plainly, was a complete novice in game development. Running an online game is hard work I've learned! Since then a lot of players have weened off the game, and I watched out surprising player counts dwindle and dwindle. In doing so I gathered as much feedback as possible, eventually accumulating a massive Google Docs sheet that me and the team used to completely re-form the game into what it is now.
We kept quiet as I didn't want to ruin anymore first impressions than I had to. I worked hard every day, our testers stayed and helped up test new content, and our development team put in dozens or even hundreds of hours of volunteer work to make Leafling as fun as it can be.
These patch notes are the accumulation of nearly 2 years of passion, dedication, and hardwork, of me, my development team, and our testers. Please enjoy.
Over 1,000 Items
Over our development we've added over 1,000 collectible items to the game! Collect gear, currencies, upgrades, and more! There is plenty to aim for in Leafling!
In-Game Wiki
Our fully automated In-Game Wiki makes sure you always have access to information about all Items, where to get them, how to craft them, the stats of enemies, where to find enemies, drop tables and more! You can even use the Wiki as a collection tab as every item you own will highlight in green!
Enhanced Boss Fights
Boss Fights now have fun new mechanics to learn and overcome as well as new Tell Markers that make learning and avoiding mechanics extremely intuitive!
Solo Content
One of Leafling's biggest weaknesses on release was that every piece of content at end game required a rather large group. Over the past couple years we've learned that many different types of players enjoy online RPG's and Solo Players are a big part of that! So now you will no longer have to rely on players for normal day-to-day gameplay if you dont wish to and all Levelling Dungeons are now Solo-Able on any class!
To add to this we've also added Solo End-Game progression with the Tower of Hazel's 15 Floor Challenge and even Solo Raids!
Here is a video me attempting (and failing) the Nightscale Solo Raid: https://vimeo.com/729773177
(Apologies Steam does not allow the embedding on non-YouTube videos.)
Small Group Content
Another playstyle that fell through the cracks were the small groups! Not everyone can find a full group of 8 for a full Raid Party, but maybe they have a couple friends online? Small Group Content is now fully supported in Leafling with a variety of activities from 4+ Player Raids, to 2-8 Player Zone Events, 2+ Player Vault Maps, and PvP!
Gear Spells
Of our over 1,000 items, now, every single piece of gear in the entire game has a unique Spell that is given to you while it's equipped. With 5 equipment slots you can choose almost half of all of your spells, essentially creating your own unique class and playstyle. In practice this creates an almost unprecedented level of control over how you play the game and your own unique playstyle. With over 16,000,000,000,000,000,000 potential combinations, you're sure to make the perfect build for you.
Complete Balance Overhaul
Another huge pain point we've tackled is balance! The entire levelling experience has been extensively overhauled and rebalanced to be more accessible, new player friendly, and overall just a smoother experience. Here are a few keynote changes:
*Experience Curves balanced and much more smooth, levelling feels like a breeze now!
*All Gear in the game now has a strict Stat Budget based on Level and Rarity, this allows you to choose your wanted gear spell and not worry about being under any stat budgets!
*All bosses and mobs have been rebalanced
Balance isn't perfect, but we're a lot closer than we were and right now the game feels great! The best part is that if you find something you think is truly unbalanced you can always leave your feedback in our Discord and be heard and your change discussed, it could even go live right away!
Expanded OST
The critically praised Leafling Original Soundtrack created by our amazing composer Akemi has been expanded to feature more tracks across more instances of content. The bangers never end! There will always be more amazing music to listen to as you play Leafling and explore the mysterious and beautiful world of Artemia.
Bye Bye, RNG!
For a long time, I've believed that MMO's have stagnated in a key area. Merit. For too long have most people accepted a system in which a dice roll decides the progression of their character, and not the accomplishments of that character. I for one believe there is a better way forward and I will gladly use Leafling to demonstrate.
For all progression-related drops and gear, RNG has been removed. All dungeons award a unique Token upon being cleared which can be spent on the Gear associated with that dungeon. You'll never be progression locked again. This also includes most Raids, Challenge Dungeons, and Trials.
You will still be able to farm Cosmetics, Consumables, and Crafting Materials with %Chance Droprates.
Enhanced PvP
PvP has been completely enhanced! With new dedicated PvP Scaling we can now effectively balance PvP and PvE seperately. This however doesn't mean that Leafling has the most balanced PvP of all time now, but it does mean that we're on a great path and things feel fun right now! Everything is a mystery and even veterans feel like its a brand new experience and are dipping their toes in to try new builds or tactics.
On top of that there are now Daily Battlegrounds that will launch throughout the day automatically, allowing players to participate in fun battle arenas where the map is as much a danger as other players. All players who participate earn Points that can be redeemed for Trophies and then spent on Gear or other Rewards.
We will also be hosting Weekly officially hosted PvP Tournaments. All players who participate are entitled to rewards.
Class Levels
Leafling now has 32 Classes with more to come! Each Class now has it's own dedicated Levelling experience which adds replayability to earlier content and helps fill the world with various players doing different things! It may sound like a huge chore though! Leveling 32+ times!? Fear not, the grind is not as brutal as it sounds.
After every class you hit Max Level on, you receive a Soul Charm which has its own unique Equipment Slot. This Soul Charm is upgraded for every Max Level Class you achieve and increases Bonus EXP earned all the way up to 500%! After your first couple classes you can max out a new class in a very small time frame.
There is also a unique Pinnacle-Rarity Weapon and Title to earn for achieving Max Level on all classes!
Enhanced Gathering
Gathering has been massively overhauled! There are now 3 Gathering Classes to choose from. These Classes aren't your boring run of the mill gatherers either! Gathering now has powerful Spells to use! Whirlwind a bunch of trees down at once with your axe! Slam your pickaxe down and cause a tremor, bursting ore in an area! Focus your mind to guarantee the catch of a Fish! Gathering is now fun and interactive!
Gathering Dungeons
Gathering Dungeons are a fun new way to gather materials for crafting! At the time of writing, currently only the Mining Dungeon is complete. You can check out footage of what its like here: https://vimeo.com/732344253
Improving Every Day!
Are you unhappy with some aspect of Leafling? Do you think something should work better or in a different way? The best part of Leafling is that we have a 100% open door community and open discussion every day about the game, it's features, and it's future. We may not always agree but your feedback is ALWAYS heard and we want the best Leafling just the same as you do!
We also try our best to do daily updates. We don't always make it in time, but theres always something to do in Leafling and something new to try!
Now is the best time to try Leafling!
Thank you all for reading, it has been an insane ride. Thank you to every single person who's taken part in Leafling's journey up to now, even those of you who didn't like it and especially those of you who stuck around to help get the game to where it is now <3
Leafling's Pre-Release 0.1 Patch will be going Live tonight at 5:00pm EST