Godforge Alpha Update: Bugs, and The Road to Testing
Have you ever wondered what it really takes to launch an alpha for a game like Godforge? Well, Simon from Fateless just dropped a brutally honest update, and it’s packed with everything we love. Transparency, excitement, and a sneak peek into the chaos of game dev life.
Let’s break down what’s happening behind the scenes as the team races to bring us their long-awaited alpha.
The Burning Question: When Is Godforge Alpha?
Simon opened the video by addressing the question on everyone’s mind – “When is alpha actually coming?”
He confessed he’d hoped to announce the exact date in this update. While the planned date remains unchanged, they’re holding back until they’re 100% sure. Next Tuesday, Fateless plans to release a full breakdown with dates, wave structures, and email notifications to let you know exactly where you stand.
Why the delay? As Simon put it simply:
“The team are cranking as hard as they can to make sure that we deliver the best possible experience.”
And honestly, that’s what matters most.
Testing Across Platforms: PC Wins, iPhone Lags Behind
Simon shared that he tests Godforge daily on PC, Mac, Android, and iPhone. Here’s the current state:
- PC: Feels great overall with some minor bugs.
- Android: Feels good but inconsistent. One day it flows perfectly, the next day heroes are missing entirely due to bugs introduced during other fixes.
- iPhone: Further behind, mainly due to Apple’s stricter memory requirements and the team not being in full optimisation mode yet.
This multi-device testing approach ensures that when the alpha lands, it will feel solid no matter how you play.
Low Priority Bugs? They’ll Have to Wait
As of tomorrow, Fateless is entering a crucial pre-alpha phase:
- Low and lowest priority bugs will no longer be touched until after alpha.
- Medium, high, and critical bugs will be the focus.
- Content lock by Friday means any unfinished screens or features will be frozen to avoid introducing instability.
Simon gave an example that might make some people chuckle (or rage): certain characters, like Guinevere, may still show clipping or lag in alpha because those are low-priority issues right now.
“For alpha, we have to care less about things like that. It’s just the reality.”
Gear, Weapons, and Imprints: What’s Working Right Now
He walked us through the current hero building flow, showcasing:
- Gear enhancement: Upgrades are functional, with placeholder VFX giving a sense of final polish, even if they aren’t the final assets yet.
- Gear comparison bugs: For example, the system showed incorrect stat comparisons when equipping gear, something Simon flagged immediately for fixing.
- Weapon imprinting: Players can imprint weapons with hero souls to gain passive abilities. He demonstrated imprinting the Aten of Ra to gain its unique passive bonus.
- Ability upgrades: Mostly working, though Simon discovered a bug allowing passives that shouldn’t level up to be upgraded.
These moments highlight how deep the testing goes – it’s not just about flashy animations, but ensuring every number and stat behaves exactly as intended.
The Smithy, Caverns, and Combat Feel
Simon showed off the Smithy system where weapons can be enhanced, refined, ranked up, and imprinted with passives from heroes. Extracting imprints also works smoothly, letting players manage their libraries efficiently.
In the Caverns, he demonstrated launching into a battle with the Green Knight and Pangu – and yes, Pangu’s animations looked super badass, even if the smoke effects are still a bit wild right now.
Polish Phase Incoming
Over the coming weeks, Fateless is entering what Simon calls their “polish phase.” This includes:
- Lighting passes for maps and heroes
- Texture finalisation
- UI and UX improvements
- Fixing visual inconsistencies that, while minor individually, combine to affect the overall feel of gameplay
He emphasised that the alpha isn’t meant to be the finished game. It’s a testing build, and while bugs will exist, the aim is to ensure it feels cohesive, engaging, and playable.
The Hard Truth of Game Development
In closing, Simon praised the team for their relentless hard work:
“They’re working crazy hours. They’re really trying to deliver the best possible experience… and we just need to respect that.”
If it means waiting a bit longer for a smoother alpha, that’s a small price to pay for what Godforge promises to deliver.
Final Thoughts: Alpha Is Almost Here
So, what should you take away from this? Expect the official alpha date next week, prepare for bugs (it’s alpha!) but also for a playable, exciting first taste of Godforge, and appreciate the team’s honesty and dedication.