Dear Tibians,
we, Tibia's product managers, have intently read your comments and questions about the Exaltation Forge in the last couple of days, with a lot of them revolving around design decisions. Hence we would like to use this opportunity to address some points and explain the goals and motivation for this feature.
Goals
Already in summer, when we began to design this feature for the winter release, it was clear that due to Tibia's 25th anniversary, a considerable amount of resources would not be available, as mentioned
here. Regardless, we were looking for a feature which would appeal to and benefit a broad player base across all levels for years to come. We also wanted to curb the considerable gold inflation in Tibia by introducing a new, strong gold sink.
Broad player base and tier 10
The decision to set the maximum tier of class 4 items to 10 has been especially criticised. In our first design draft, there was actually no maximum tier. This was unfeasible though, since e.g. we had to set the tiers in the Market, which would not have worked with an open-ended tier progression. The tier 10 limit thus resulted from practical and technical considerations – knowing that with the current amount of items and gold in the game, this would not be achievable. On most game worlds, tier 5 or 6 is currently the maximum which can be achieved, depending on various factors like character level and playtime. Tier 2 or 3 is already a notable accomplishment, especially considering the amount of resources invested. The feature is however not specifically designed for high levels. A casual player can improve their hunt already with a tier 1 item which provides a small, but relevant gain in power. Dust can be transformed into slivers, if you do not plan on using the forge for the time being, and each killed fiendish monster also gives slivers. Slivers and exalted cores can then be sold to other players, which creates all-around interaction with the system.
Some of you have been playing Tibia for a long while, and can certainly remember a time when opening the level 999 door was an unrealistic goal, an unattainable dream. Tibia has changed in the meanwhile, and many players have walked through said door. In the future, there will be new content, new hunting grounds, and certainly new mechanics. None of us knows yet what those will be. And at some point, we will maybe experience the momentous occasion of the first tier 10 item.
Gold inflation and new items
Every fusion attempt and every transfer removes gold from the game. This is important for a healthy economy, to combat rising prices of regular goods, including Tibia Coins. We are aware that the prices for weapons, armours, and helmets in demand will rise. But these prices are also bound to the actual amount of available gold in the game. With a stronger gold sink (which mainly affects wealthier players) this goal of decreasing inflation can be fulfilled in the long run, which especially players of lower levels have wished for a while. In addition, some bosses are likely to become more attractive again for players who are looking for a specific item to drop.
Concerns regarding potential new items have also been raised, which we want to dispel: Even items that are better than the Soul War items would not receive a new class 5, but would instead also be distributed into the classes according to their availability. If a new item is similarly rare as a current class 4 item, it would then be sorted into class 4, and you can make use of the transfer feature designed for such a case.
We monitor the current usage of the system closely, and we are satisfied with the results. The necessary cost for upgrading items meets our expectations. Some of you can already call themselves the proud owners of a tier 3 item, and some players might have already discovered that using the forge may yield a pleasant surprise at times.
Best regards,
Tusius and Niadus