Hello everyone!

A wave of updates and refinements has swept through the Artificer's Tower, and I'm eager to bring you up to speed on these developments, along with a preview of exciting things on the horizon.

Balancing Act: Happier Mages

Fine-tuning the tower's harmony is always a priority, and this time, I've focused on mage happiness. I've adjusted the happiness levels for our lower-tier mages, making it more challenging for apprentices and novices to reach the point of quitting. This should make managing your tower's inhabitants a tad smoother.

Research, Defense, and More

Research is the lifeblood of innovation in our tower. I've moved Defense research to the top of the book to help people with the demo version, realizing there is a little more to explore. Also, a range of updates and fixes has been implemented – from enhanced mage selection mechanics to ensuring mages wake up with proper hunger and thirst levels.

Survival Mode: Enhanced and Challenging

Survival Mode has received a thorough makeover. From faster essence reaping and repairing to tweaking research pace – it's all about creating a balanced yet challenging experience. Plus, I've removed those "almost died" and "we're all going to die" thoughts to keep morale high during those tense moments!

Next Up: Playtesting and Art!

I'm excited to announce a playtest opportunity for everyone! If you're eager to explore the latest changes and contribute to the game's development, sign up here: https://forms.gle/NxGdiQWrMJ2TvSEA9

Plus, I'm finalizing Survival Mode for the upcoming February Steam Next Fest and bringing new art to the Steam/Itch.io pages!

Lots of little fixes, and thanks to [b]Kay-Z[/b] for the bug report that helped track down a nasty AI bug for the mages getting them stuck.

Thanks for following along and being a part of this magical journey.

Warm regards,

Jason