It has been a busy week working on the meta progression for Against Great Darkness. The meta progression comes in two forms: one involves unlocking relics and paragons through unique objectives, and the other is the upgrades screen.
The unlock system features tiered progression. For instance, some of the relics you unlock can initially only be found when using a paragon with that specific relic as a starting item. If you like one of those items, the only way to find it for other paragons is by beating a run on twilight difficulty with that particular paragon. Other unlocks are a bit more involved and may require you to try really hard not to lose a disk during a run.
During your run, you will be collecting radiant shards. These shards are used to purchase upgrades, which will influence the game for all paragons, regardless of whom you select. Some upgrades might decrease disk gravity, extend buffs, or even provide an additional reward from a boss chest.