Riftforge: Thank you for your support!
A personal message from the team:
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We appreciate your support. Even though we couldn't reach the lofty goal we set, we've got 49 supporters we didn't have before!
We'll be improving the campaign based on your feedback. Stay tuned for re-launch pretty soon!
Most perks are still available. Join Riftforge and go to Unlock!
![Come and see Riftforge for yourself Come and see Riftforge for yourself]()
Riftforge is a modern game soul trapped in a pixel art body
Riftforge is NOT a retro game. Let not the art style fool you! We had to simplify graphics to make it past corporate firewalls, Flash plugins, Java, you name it.
The gameplay mechanics are fully modern. For example, character skills match of those of League of Legends rather than Legend of Zelda.
You cannot relive the past, you can only learn from it.
And learn from it we did! We took the openness and depth from RPG's like Baldur's Gate and Ultima and combined them with the tactical battles from Final Fantasy Tactics and XCom.
See if you spot our "influences":
- Arrive magically from another world to Riftforge, a mysterious construct
that creates temporary Rifts in space.
- The High Council hires you as a mercenary commander.
- Combine over 40+ classes to create the perfect party of six.
- Customize troops and equipment before each individual battle.
- Fight battles on a tactical map with an isometric view.
- Defeat dozens of enemy types using over 70 tactical and action skills.
- Master the six types of battle and beat a hundred handcrafted missions.
- Fail and your world is lost.
- Succeed and you will be hailed as hailed as Supreme Warlord.
Anything original about Riftforge at all?
It sounds like we've mixed some great broccoli ice cream, doesn't it?
We did start with broccoli ice cream two years ago. After 20+ months of playtesting, we've distilled it into something almost pure: 60% proof brandy with a slight greenish tint.
The point is most games ship with serious bugs and virtually no beta. Blizzard is one of the few that takes the time to PLAYTEST for months. 50,000 playtesters have playtested Riftforge, playing hundreds of thousands of battles. Some are on the team advising us right now!
We've addressed dozens of issues plaguing the genre. Listing them all will take too much time but here's a few:
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ridiculous misses - from D&D to XCom, you can miss from point-blank range
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(unpredictably) long missions - you can't save and the mission lasts an hour?
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low-level rewards - Diablo is the king of loot that's always below your level
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single protagonist - replay the game if you want a different character
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pay-to-win - true for ALL browser games; little or no singleplayer content either
Why don't you check out our free version and figure if you like the taste. See below:
So Riftforge is free?
Yes and no. There are two separate modes on two servers:
Free server
You can start playing Riftforge on our free server. You start with your first 20 story missions for FREE. You can also freely engage in patrols, skirmishes, and multiplayer Arena as well.
There's no pay-to-win but you can purchase extra singleplayer missions with real money. You can also get them by playing the game (rewards), paying in game currency (gold) or by inviting and playing with friends. There are no overpowered items or boosters for sale. The shop only offers missions. Some of Riftforge players prefer paying to save time but most of our top players don't pay a cent.
Current status: Riftforge's free server is in LIVE BETA, after a playtest that lasted 20 months.
Campaign server
We are hard at work preparing a campaign server, so you can play Riftforge the way you play Guild Wars or Diablo. You purchase the complete game and ALL content is available to you to enjoy forever with no extra charges.
This server offers a perfectly level playing field. There are NO microtransactions or premium purchases. The only way to gain advantage over other players is 100% old school: improve your skills and progress your characters.
Current status: Campaign server is 80% complete.
How much is 80%? We've already done 100+ handcrafted missions in a dozen campaigns. There are 40+ classes that can either be recruited directly or can be received as rewards for completing campaigns. We would like to add three end-game campaigns that culminate in an awesome BOSS battle and this is...
Why we need you
We have been working fulltime on Riftforge for the last four years, paying for everything ourselves. We have pitched it to both investors and publishers. However, as Brian Fargo pointed out in Torment: Tides of Numenera: investors and publishers are only interested in games that are "accessible" and addictive, i.e. Clash of Clans, Candy Crush, or Farmville.
We are turning to YOU and Indiegogo instead. We would like to keep Riftforge a game where skill and dedication matter, an RPG where you have real choices and your characters reflect your specific game style, in short, old school!
We would like to offer you a choice when it comes to payments: get the complete game for a set amount (i.e. campaign mode), or start playing for free and pay when you want to save time (i.e. fremium mode). ![]()
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Riftforge is an isometric role-playing game with turn-based tactics
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You start with Commander and 5 customizable troopers (i.e. a "party").
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You complete single-player missions, each with a specific set of challenges.
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You can also climb the ranks by playing in the multiplayer Arena (optional)
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Extra content comes as in the form of mission packs. On the free server, they cost gold or cash. On the campaign server, they cost (a lot less) gold.
- The game client is HTML5, which means it can be played on any modern browser (computers and tablets recommended, most phones are too small).
- Campaign edition will be available as a free APPLICATION, downloaded and installed from Google's Web Store. Note: you will be able to play in other browsers but we recommend the application for best gameplay experience.
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Here's four things about Riftforge that you are going to love:
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Deep, tactical combat
In addition to normal attacks and various passive abilities (e.g. Dodge or Block), Riftforge has over 70 unique skills: direct damage, damage over time, buffs, debuffs, control, relocation, terrain skills (e.g. mines or traps). These are implemented as skill effects, so we can combine effects to create new skills.
For example, you can pull an enemy close (RELOCATE), poison him (DOT) and blind him (DEBUFF). You can then drink his blood (LIFESTEAL) to get everyone enraged (MASS BUFF), all as one skill. Most skills, however, are kept very straight-forward.
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Fun, balanced classes
We've been fine-tuning archetypes for almost 2 years, so you can have a balanced match at the multiplayer Arena.
Balance doesn't mean weak or bland! You'll still be able to collect over 40 classes. Some are capable of decimating Riftforge’s external enemies almost single-handedly.
(Yeah, Plaguerats, you just might live up to your name.)
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New fantasy world
A huge continent awaits exploration and conquest. Icecrest Bay alone is home to over a dozen hostile species. We are staying away from cliches like pointy ears or hairy feet. Yet, we love the concept of uplifted and hybrid species, so don’t be surprised to see uplifted apes or hybrid spiderfolk.
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Military style
We don't like bullshit, so we keep "lore" on the light side. When you meet a vicious Caldarian Secutor, you will care about killing him before he kills your entire troop. Maybe he missed a few hugs as a kid, maybe not. It’s a war! No one has time to stay a while and listen to the Secutor's tragic story of unhappy childhood.
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We would like to expand Riftforge combat with three campaigns (a.k.a. quest chains). Each will focus on a certain style of combat. In addition to TWENTY handcrafted missions, these campaigns will include the corresponding rewards: elite troops and rare equipment.
These campaigns will give you a chance to participate actively in Riftforge's development. You will have an active role in developing the story line. You will also be able to choose your preferred opponent in each campaign. Hate spoilers? No worries, we do have a few ideas for surprise endings up our sleeves!
Light campaign
The light campaign stands for agile warriors, most of them female in appearance. They will act as skirmishers, harassers, and stealthy assassins. Your challenge will be to pin down these light attackers and find a way to deal with their swarming tactics. Terrain will also play a part: exploring hidden temples and destroying sacrificial altars.
![Light enemies: Syrran vs Aradin Light enemies: Syrran vs Aradin]()
We would like you to indicate which race you would prefer to serve as common enemy for the campaign. On the left, you have the Syrrans, an amphibian hybrid race. On the right, you have the Aradins, another hybrid race, that's highly mobile.
Heavy campaign
In contrast to the light campaign, the heavy one will focus on strong individual fighters: brutes of incredible strength and battle prowess. The main challenge will be surviving lethal hits, or rather, dancing around them. Capturing mines and looting camp sites will add variety in terms of objectives.
![Heavy enemies: Quddar vs Vhanar Heavy enemies: Quddar vs Vhanar]()
Again, we'd like your call on which will make the best brute! On your left, it's the uplifted race known as Quddar. Their champion is a super-heavy infantryman, almost twice the size of a human. On the right, it's the Vhanar, an uplifted race famous for their tempestuous charges.
Boss campaign
Finally, the campaigns will culminate in a really EPIC confrontation with a monstrous creature of almost godlike power and cunning. The path to the final battle will be terrifying but conquering your fear will be your easiest task. Defeating this monster will be an impressive accomplishment, worthy of a very, very special reward.
Just like with the other campaigns, we would like to get your input on the type of NEMESIS you would love (or hate) to face. Maybe you are partial to Lovecraft's ancient horrors, or maybe you would prefer a comicbook-style villain with super powers.
Expand the game world
Below is a visual representation of what we plan to accomplish with your help. Icecrest Bay consists of nine (3x3) warzones. Riftforge is currently engaged in a vicious campaign in Caldaria (bottom right warzone).
![Icecrest Bay summer]()
With your help, we'd like to venture beyond Caldaria and explore the neighboring warzones. If you are generous enough for us to go an extra mile, there are 5 additional warzones that we would love to give life to!
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Most perks are still available at our site. Join Riftforge and go to Unlock!
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Steve Jobs said once that the journey is the reward. Be that as it may...
Help us complete Riftforge and enjoy some amazing rewards. First, there's the game rewards that would come with these epic campaigns: unique troops with new skills, tons of loot, and riches beyond imagining.
Then, there are the goodie bags, i.e. physical rewards like posters and special maps. Finally, you can contribute to the game individually and leave your name in Riftforge history, in the form of a epic weapon, new heroic class, or even a whole new campaign.
Here's a break-down of the stuff you'll find at the various perk levels.
Complete game (campaign editions)
First, there is the no-frills base edition: you download and install the application and play every campaign on our campaign server for as long as you want. This base edition is priced at $29.95 but you can get it for a limited time at a whopping 40% discount.
See our featured perk: campaign edition for just $18.
There are several DELUXE editions that you can choose from as well. There are NO gameplay advantages to purchasing a deluxe edition. They offer the same great content and same level playing field. The difference is that deluxe editions include a number of future updates (expansions) as well as deluxe goodie bags.
Mission packs
A Riftforge mission can come in three different levels: basic, special, and rare. A mission pack contains 7 missions, selected at random from the pool of all available missions. Standard mission packs contain 4 basic, 2 special, and one rare missions. You can purchase them with gold or you can get a set number for free by picking one of the perks.
Note: Since our free server is already live, when you get a perk that contains mission packs, you get them IMMEDIATELY. Just let us know and we'll transfer them to you!
Starter kits
Starter kits are collections of equipment that help you up to about level 15 (level 30 is the maximum). They do not affect game balance in the PvP arena, only your early encounters with the enemies of Riftforge. Overall, you will feel like a friendly veteran gave you his old, battle-tested equipment. Again, these are available IMMEDIATELY.
Unique map
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It's inspired by Thorin's treasure map, sold by WETA for $199. The difference is that Thorin's map is drawn by a calligrapher, while Riftforge is hand-drawn by a Master cartographer: Robert Altbauer, a.k.a. Sapiento.
The map is printed on the same premium 100% cotton archival paper. The distressing and aging is done with inks and pigments, entirely by hand.
The first 50 maps will also feature an exclusive *spoiler* location, unique to your map!
Posters and character artworks
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We are including limited edition posters, along with character art done by exceptional fantasy artists, including the extremely talented Stefan Valkanov "Rotorblade" and world-famous Kerem Beyit, currently working for Wizards of the Coast and Blizzard.
Riftforge's hyper-realistic character art really makes for great art prints, on par with anything seen by the great fantasy masters.
Each poster will be signed, with a personal thank you note added.
Ideally, we would like to give you TWO pieces of character art.
That way, you can give as a gift to a friend and keep the one you REALLY like!
Miniatures and terrain trophies
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We have contracted an artist with multiple Crystal Brush awards to paint our miniatures.
While the miniatures are pro-painted, terrain... is hand-made right here in the studio. In fact, you'll be able to check your trophy's progress.
Keep in mind, that unlike the miniature (right), your trophy is a significant piece and you will probably need a display stand or a mantelpiece.
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That's right! Regardless of your contribution level, there's room for you to go UP.
Use "Share This Campaign" link at the top. It has your personal ID so when you post it, your friends can see Riftforge and get involved too. You get credit for each referral! The more people that use your link to donate to the campaign, the better your special prizes!
If you are one of the top referrers, you will be upgraded UP. Not just once but twice. Say you ordered the early Killer pack, you will be upgraded to Monster pack, or if you are real active, all the way to Avatar pack!
Note: with the $1 Founder pack, you can only get upgraded to Six pack, however, with the Six pack, you can get upgraded to Killer pack. Keep those referrers coming!
Don't forget to check out Riftforge's free server!