Hello fellow immortals, It's been a while - at least on Steam. Where to start? I'll try to summarize, as much has happened - and this post will be long. First things first, the project isn't dead, nor has it ever been. Steam isn't the primary home for the project and as a solo developer it often takes me hours to write up posts just like this one. Multiply that by several posting formats and as you can see it takes a great deal of time even to make posts like this one. Patreon is the main place where I update about the project in realtime. The Discord server is mainly used for update or release announcements, bugs and requests. All relevant info is posted to Patreon first, usually weekly or bi-weekly. It's been that way for months. Even if you have no intention of being a paid member , you can still join as a free member to receive consistent news about the project. So consider joining the Patreon page, even if it's as a free member. Next, this update is a technical update. It doesn't add content, but rather improvements and fixes. I spent months this year working on technical aspects of this game. The main reason for that is so that I can focus on content creation in the future. There are a few major feature changes in this update despite the lack of new content:

Materials And Crafting

Enemy Balancing

Companions, Gifts and Skills

Behind The Scenes

Steam?

Hello fellow daoists, This will be the final update to Heavenly Peaks prior to Chapter 1 of the game. This update took longer to push to Steam for several reasons. I wanted to raise backwards compatibility. In addition, a ton of new features have been added to carry the player through the rest of the game. In other words, this is a major tech update. I will list the most noticeable changes (in total, 300 changes both minor or major):

• A focus on stability (error fixing).
• Improved battle system. The game is now turn based-rpg style battles with a twist. Based on the # of companions you have, you can take multiple actions during a turn to defeat foes.
• A vast number of QOL improvements, such as more convenient item handling, crafting, etc.
• Revamped the workings of the training system (though, this may be less obvious to notice, you now collect talent points for mastering training types, as an example.)
• Added a new stat (Intent) and also a new set of weapon skills related to it.
• Foundation Field / Elixirs have been added. This is mostly in preparation of chapter 1, but you can play around with them here. They impart powerful and permanent benefits to your character.
• Breath Arts (affect aspects of meditation).
• Several other features that will unlock once chapter 1 begins, such as hidden weapons, inner arts, and so on.
• A new method to navigate the world at large.
• New zone exploration mechanics.

When I first started this project, I had no idea of the changes that would occur within myself because of it. Working on this has been like real life cultivation. The number of times my outer shell has crumbled, allowing me to grow anew are innumerable. Today is no exception. A few weeks ago, in response to the comments that I largely see and read here on Steam and other places, I made a post. In terms of which comments I'm speaking about - "This project is dead', 'Heavenly Peaks dev is scum', etc. (And, if you don't believe those types of comments exist, here's some proof for you:
In that post, which I mostly made to address people who think like this ^, I discussed all the things I've been working on in the past 4-5 months, and also pointed out exactly why there hasn't been much news previous to that. In that post, I also asked you - the Steam community for one thing. For a game that you've played for free and seem to enjoy - to contribute if you can. First and foremost, I would like to say thank you to those of you who decided to contribute. From those who viewed the post, approximately 3 of you decided to contribute to the project's development since then. Regardless of how much you contributed, you hold a special place in my heart that cannot be replaced. And I mean that sincerely, it is a sentiment that I share with my patrons often and consistently - in fact, they are probably tired of hearing it by now. The amount contributed came to 45$ / 30,000$ I'd need to create a polished, finished product. In truth, I only set the goal at 5,000$. So, less than 1%. While that sounds absolutely abysmal - I'm grateful for that 1%. In fact, I consider it a blessing. With it came a melancholy sense of enlightenment. And that's why I'm going to offer you a different perspective - those of you who seem to have a lot of harsh words for me. I'm a gamer myself, and I often use Steam on my other account. I see it all the time, the "gamer rage" in the comments, the idea that developers deserve less and that all of them are scummy people who are just in it for cash grabs, or to milk players. To that sentiment, I will point to the current situation with me as some evidence as to why that may be. The summary is - no one wants to be in my position. Think about it, I don't demand anything, I don't use any "carrot and stick" methods, I ask - and then rely on your conscious, reason or logic to guide you. The ask was non committal and simple. It's summarized below: If you like this game, contribute to it's development - no matter how small the amount you have to give because everything helps. That's it. That was the request. And of those who read that post, just 3 people stepped in and contributed. Why am I mentioning this? First, let me be clear - I'm not shaming any you for that. In fact, I expected that reaction. In reality, you could say I'm an idealist. I like to bet on people - and I like to see the righteousness in them, even when they don't see it in themselves. And, honestly, so far in life, I've not been rewarded for that very often at all. But I digress, I desire for you to do exactly what you feel - nothing more or less. Because I desire genuine nature above all else. I want the content of your heart based on what you've played here - nothing more or less. That means, I'd rather you not contribute at all rather than feel obligated to do so. And I stand by that. I would have rather believed that then use methods that I know actually work, like appealing to your emotions. So to summarize, the last post wasn't a cash grab, rather it was just an idealistic hope. It would have been a poor attempt at a cash grab, which you can see from the results. In fact, if I actually wanted the money, I'd have sold you dreams, showed you pretty/attractive/stimulating things and told you everything you actually wanted to hear. That's how the big companies do it, and it works to great effect - enough to leave many of you angry. But I didn't. And what did I get for respecting you enough not to do that? Well, you've learned the results. I'm bringing this up for one reason only. When people are ruled by the emotions, they are often easily swayed or manipulated. I find people who do that to be kind of manipulative, and I believe in informed choice. I am receptive to people so I actually listen to what they say - and one of the biggest gripes gamers have is that developers constantly play to their emotions rather than giving them something of substance. That seems like a reasonable gripe but...there seems to be some inconsistency in what is said and what's meant. If that wasn't the case, people would be more receptive to logical appeals like the one I made a few weeks ago. Instead, they almost always bend to their emotions on matters like this - and that's exactly why I expected the results I actually got. Basically, because I wasn't willing to manipulate you - nothing came of it. And let me just say, this actually worries me. Because some of you clearly seem to think I'm still trying to just funnel money out of your pockets. The reason that worries me is that if you think I *actually* am, you can't see the people who are doing it in reality. The reason I didn't want you to feel pressured is, quite simply, I think that ideal of emotional manipulation for gain is a bit too present in the world. I wanted to rely on the benevolence of man. And that's the opposite of the behavior that incites so many of you. But the reality is, if game developers and companies could just rely on benevolence, people wouldn't respond so well to emotional appeals. I don't want to be the person forcing your hand, or using methods that appeal to your emotions to manipulate you into spending your money. It's clear that some of you have gotten me all wrong which is why I'm here explaining myself so that there are zero misunderstandings. I'll also go a step further and say that I'll never ask you for anything - ever again. So now you know the motivation. That's why people do it - precisely so. And when I say "people" I mean the companies that so many of you "love to hate", "review bomb" into oblivion, and ultimately may even be transferring dislike to my situation and this project. Some (just about all successful )companies / devs practice preying on your emotions to get sales. The ones who don't, fail. And truthfully, I hoped at some point that people would stop buying into this trend but, reality just keeps proving me wrong at each turn. At this point, I simply need to believe the human nature that is being revealed to me. They know that showing you something cool beats a logical conversation every time. And they are right. I'm the one who's wrong. If it didn't work, they wouldn't do it. In that regard, I believe that I am an outlier. And, most likely a fool. Or, at least I was until now. I've taken the hardship of collecting most of this money at risk to myself, my finances and often times my ability to eat specifically because I believed that one day enough people would acknowledge my work and , as a result, I'd finally be able to create comfortably. That is a facade, one I created myself, an illusion that I've practically been kicking and screaming to cling to. I do all of this without asking anything aside what your heart is set to give, because I was desperate to make that ideal a reality.. I also purposely avoided attempting to manipulate your heart, because I wanted a true response. Well, the response is this and today, out of many years I'm finally ready to accept that. In response, I get called "scummy", a "cash grabber". I wonder if you know how that makes me feel? I'm aware my point of view is uncommon. And that's exactly why I'm explaining it to you, the small percentage of you who seem to want to vilify me. Lesson learned. And while it saddens me a bit, I'm going to accept it. The next time a update for this game hits Steam, it will be 2.0.9. This fixes and upgrades the game in a major way. After that, there won't be another free update here, this will become a product people can purchase if they choose. With that in mind, I have just two more things to address from some of you here. 1) Stop being dramatic. The project isn't dead and it isn't a cash grab. If you visited the discord server where I'm at EVERY single DAY, the project page at Patreon (that has updates EVERY single WEEK) or virtually anywhere else outside of Steam - you'd be able to easily see that. I have enough on my plate, and at the moment between working 50-60 hours a week to survive, I simply don't have time to moderate Steam community on top of that. (I barely have time to moderate discord) I do all of this by myself. 2) Stop spreading falsehoods. It's detrimental to other players - not me. Frankly, I could care less if you lie about me. I'm going to continue doing what I've always done every step of the way. But, I will occasionally take time to address and correct you, so consider this the correction. I can only assume you're doing it because you'd like to play the game. However, it's not going to get you anywhere. I don't ignore negative criticisms at all, I always dissect them to see if there is something I can use to improve the game. I am just again one person. No amount of complaints or nasty remarks you make will get me to "work faster" (I already work very, very quickly compared to just about any other indie or professional developer I know, especially for a team of just one). I've noted just about every negative aspect of the game that's been bought to my attention (always have). For the most part, I usually already know it needs improvement and have already moved to implement those fixes and changes according to my plan for the game. I have yet dismiss any c.c unless it doesn't align with the vision I have for the project. That's not changed since the 2 years I've begun working on the project, and it won't change any time soon either. That's it. That's the post. Thanks again to those of you who see the potential with the project and have contributed to it's growth. The next post I make here will be for 2.0.9 of the game where all the features I previously mentioned are present. That will be the last free update of this game on Steam. I tried relying on benevolence of man, just didn't pan out. It's an ideal, one that I've upheld for nearly all of my life. Unfortunately, the benevolence of man is fleeting , like the halcyon days of youth. I can't rely on something like that to reach the next level. It's obvious that many of you also want me to reach that level as well, despite the contrary. So that's just another part of me which I'll be leaving behind. In order to grow, for both myself and you. Live and learn. - My Big Little Brother

Hello fellow daoists! First, I want to address a few things. The most important of which is related to the status of the project. The project hasn't died, that's it - that's the message. I've worked on it constantly the past few months. The reason I haven't posted here is related to many factors as this post aims to explain. The past few months (with regards to this project) have been centered around 2 things, overcoming the obstacles of development and also improving the gameplay experience. There's a lot to discuss if you only follow the project on Steam, so this will be a lengthy post - have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I suppose I should start with a bit of history for those who seem to think the project is "dead" or won't be completed. You may know me from posting the game here on Steam but - In reality, I've already been working on the project as a solo developer for approximately 2 years of my life prior to that.
My "(ab)normal" schedule was devoting insane hours to create the the game from scratch, all while learning a new development environment + 2-3 programming languages. To date, I would estimate I've spent nearly 1,800 man hours working on Heavenly Peaks. Essentially that's almost 1 year in waking time. I mention this to ease some concerns - this isn't really a hobby for me. It's a passion and a career. I don't have a traditional job and I am only able to survive by my efforts as a freelancer. I write, develop games and that's *it*. In short, I have no plans to stop working on this - short of death. And trust me, I've nearly died - several times - in the past few years. Covid, general malnutrition, financial and personal sacrifice - but that's a whole other story. My point is, I've already bled and sacrificed to come this far. I have 0 intention of quitting until it's complete regardless of the outcome or rate of development. After you've faced death, a few skeptical attitudes and mean spirited comments really don't factor much into whether things will get done. (Sorry not sorry? lol) Originally, when I posted the game here on steam I intended to use the income to improve the game's graphics, make new 3D environments, commission music - basically all of the things the game actually needs to be successful in the future. For various reasons, that didn't happen and it completely derailed my plans. Had I been able to keep to my original plans I'd have had more than enough income to create ALL art, sound and visual assets the project would have ever needed. Also, more importantly I would have been able to release Chapter 1 of the game approximately 1-2 months ago. The reason promising games usually disappear is usually lack of support. It's really that simple. Not enough shares. Not enough likes. Not enough funding - poof. Gone. Of all the Steam players, very few actually support the project (thanks to the ones that do, you're truly appreciated). At current, I am left to fund most of the project's development needs with just 600$ or so per month. Why is that relevant? Well - Without funding, 1 of 2 things tend to happen to projects. 1) They end up in "development limbo". 2) They simply end, destroyed under the crushing weight of reality. Assuming that players don't want to wait another 6-8 months while I learn how to effectively 3D model, create assets by hand and all of the other things - it will cost money to hire people to do those things. That's just the ugly truth of things. Compile this with the fact that I am just one person working on all aspects of this game and that basically means the odds are against me. Rather, it also means it will take a lot longer to reach the goals I have set for this project. The reason updates have been sparse are really no more than that. In reality, most people would have quit by now. Seeing as how I haven't, I think it's pretty obvious neither of those things happened. I believe in the vision I have for this project, and honestly I've been cobbling this together with bubblegum, band-aids and the support of a few loyal sect members (Patrons) from the start! New assets. Sound designers, 3D modelers and so on. That's what's taking so long, essentially all of the things I can't currently do myself and would require me several months to learn to do. I'm in a position where I must acquire or fund this project in alternative ways as a solo indie developer. That's pretty tough no matter how you slice it. Most people would probably be dejected or quit - but for me it's normal. I've been working like this from the outset - but I'd be lying if I said it didn't ruffle my jimmies. In reality, I was so annoyed / pissed that I actually re-doubled my efforts of development. A few months back, I took to my trusty game design document and began refining all of the original elements held within. At current, about 90% of the game's remaining features have been coded into existence. At the same time, I addressed as many issues and bugs as possible. I'd say I've been pretty successful in all aspects, thanks to those who pointed out bugs, issues and requested changes. I may not have responded because I am one insanely busy person, but I did see them and I have taken great pains to eliminate every problem that has been brought to my attention. So thank you, once again. I'll now list some of the changes I've done in no particular order. I attempted to acquire some art assets (character outfits). Things went well...at first, but the artist has since disappeared and I don't anticipate they will be returning anytime soon - these things happen. I commissioned 13 outfits each and only received 2. So, I'll share them with you here:
These were completed a few months ago. Next, we'll talk about changes to the player. Weapon style has been unlocked for play, and along with it a third main stat called Intent has been added.
Health, Qi and Intent can all be used to activate skills during combat, with skills now allowing you to utilize multiple stats to cast them. Generally speaking, Martial skills require Intent or Health, Spirit requires Qi, and Weapon skills require Intent (though there are variances depending on skill). A new feature called "condition" has been added and it reflects your player's physical, mental or spiritual condition. When or if this is damaged, it affects your effectiveness based on which trait is damaged. For example, if the condition of your body is injured, you will deal less damage during combat using Martial style. This can be cured over time or by visiting a healer (something that will be available starting with chapter 1).
Navigating the world of Heavenly Peaks changed. You are now presented with a "world map" that has several locations. Clicking on one of these locations will offer you more insight and also to visit these places. I made a brief video about this a few months ago: [previewyoutube=Cj4vUIwQT9M;full][/previewyoutube] Since then, I've integrated this system into the game and expanded aspects of it. The game now features exploration as you explore dangerous areas, aka Zones. When you enter a zone, you can now "progress" through the zone by gathering materials & battling enemies. Once you've done enough, you will have the option to battle an area's boss. Defeat the boss and you can unlock another area within the zone along with some rewards. [Note : The art you see here, as well as the user interface are all placeholders meant exclusively for testing. It will all be changed / made more appealing at a future date.]
The game's idle battle system was confusing for new players, hectic and somewhat unforgiving at times. I received many comments regarding it, but in reality it was never what I truly intended for the game. With this in mind, I removed it and opted for a unique turn based battle system. This fits what I originally intended for the game and I'm very happy with it. I think you will be too and I can't wait to share it. In this new battle system, there are many improvements / differences. The most important one is that the player's build now influences how effective you are in battle, as well as the strategies you employ during combat. F ex:, if your character has focused on speed and strength, you will be able to deal extra critical damage and attack first more frequently in combat. The benefits of other stats are as follows:

• Agility - Evade hits more easily.
• Focus - Trigger counter attacks while evading.
• Willpower - Parry / redirect enemy attacks.
• Determination - Deal extra hits.

• Balance Stance - restores Qi and Intent each turn.
• Defense Stance - restores HP and the previously mentioned by small amounts while reducing damage taken & received.
• Offense Stance - increases damage dealt and damage received.
• Evasive stance - allows you to avoid damage at the cost of qi. Should you fail this check, you'll take some extra damage. During evasive stance you can also counter attack, which as I mentioned is based on your Focus stat.

• -Martial skills/strikes have a chance to deal internal damage (1% damage to enemy hp).
• -Spirit skills/strikes deal extra stun damage. Accumulate enough stun to render your foe immobile for 1 or more turns.
• -Weapon skills/strikes deal wound damage. Wound damage allows you to deal more damage to opponents with each attack.

• Way of The Fist (Martial)
• Way of the Spirit (Spirit)
• Way of The Blade (Will)
• The Heavenly Way (Balance)
• And 2-3 currently unnamed hybrid paths.

• Meridians - Network. (Affects how quickly you can gather qi during battle and meditation. This has a maximum of 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]
• Meridians - Strengthening. ( Strengthening your meridians will allow you to learn more powerful techniques and boost the amount of qi you can convert in a single day , starts at 10,000, maxes at 100,000.). Has a maximum of 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]
• Meridian - Retention. Raise the amount of qi you retain during conversion. Max is 9. Also boosts inner arts talent. [Foundation Trait]

• Qi Gathering - 1st Realm. Generally, you just have to meditate and train a bit to get stronger.
• Foundation Establishment - 2nd and 3rd Realms. Here you are to decide your Dao. If you mess up here, it can affect what you do for ages to come, but luckily most changes here are easy to make.
• Core Formation - 4th and 5th Realms. Solidify the core making it dense. As a result, you can no longer make changes to your Inner Arts or your Dao. However, you can move your qi at will and are a force to be reckoned with.
• Nascent Soul - 6th, 7th and 8th Realms. Core becomes "formless",i.e. it becomes like an aura that can be worn or projected. However it is hundreds of thousand times thicker and more potent. The core then disperses through your entire body, and reacts to your will. You can infuse your core with intent for special effects. Essentially, you become God-like in the sense that your actions and intentions can cause ripples or waves through the world, affecting reality itself. Thus, a great part of this realm is learning to control that ability and spans 3 realms.

• -Allow me to commission new music and sound effects.
• -Allow me to commission artists to create unique item icons, user interface elements, and redesign virtually all other parts of the project as well.
• - Allow for New character outfits.
• - Allow me to create better game environments.
• - Better looking characters.
• - Allow me to get more props and special effects for all aspects of the game, including the battle system.
• - Allow me to commission an animator for custom lewd events / scenes.
• -Allow me to release future updates more quickly, which means that Steam will also be updated more often.
• -I wouldn't have to work on side projects to generate income for this. In other words, more time for development.

First, I want to start this by saying a special thanks to all of the players here on Steam. As a solo dev, it is deeply flattering when something I've worked so diligently on is well received. This post will be a bit long, but I hope you stick with it. Full disclosure, this is a crowdfunding effort I've recently decided to start. I mention this now because I am a big believer of informed choice - however, I hope you'll stick around if only to learn more about the project's past and current direction.

The Early Days

Steam Days

• Custom music and sound effects. (I've already started some of this process.)
• New outfits that better reflect ancient Chinese apparel. (This is also in the works.)
• 2D art assets to revamp user interface and other aspects of the game. (Need to hire artists for this.)
• Support for post image processing which ensures that images in the game look better aesthetically. (Need to purchase or subscribe to something akin to Adobe After Effects for this.)
• New environmental assets that reflect the eastern fantasy theme of the project. (Needed 3D models and environmental props / buildings etc.)
• New character models (enemies).
• Secondary programmer (Speeds up backend development.)
• Replace the 3D art for Heavenly Peaks and release a full version on Steam.( This was something I always planned on doing once the project could support itself better.)

I wasn't too sure what to expect initially , but I've been pleasantly surprised. Thanks for checking out Heavenly Peaks! As of yesterday, 10,000 unique visitors claimed the project and more than 2,000 of you have played since then. Also, a reminder that the HPC Discord is now doing a 2nd giveaway (1 year Discord Nitro Basic). You can enter by joining the discord channel to participate. There will also be more project development news within the coming weeks. - My Big 'Little' Brother Join Discord

- Fixed an issue where you could receive an error while crafting "VPGrid overfull".

Hello fellow daoists. Lately I've been dealing with some personal issues (massive tooth aches). I look forward to visiting the dentist soon* to get it sorted out. In regards to the project, I've also decided on the goals moving forward. The primary goal for the first Chapter 1 release is end of March, with that in mind I plan to spend this month sorting out as many tech related issues as possible so that I can spend March creating content - we'll see how that goes! As you can see from attached image, I want to tackle many things. First is the turn based and original battle systems. Since both of these will be written from scratch I'm pretty excited. It's always fun to try something new and make it work. I also want to add the ability for players to have a more casual experience with HPC if they desire. As a result I will also add some features that allow them to gain battle summaries. The gallery needs to be reworked so that it's more interesting. It will work like so - as you progress through the game, you'll unlock images by witnessing events. Guobei's shop will also need some touch up, now that I think about it. I've also decided how I want the player to move from area to area - the Immortal Mountain is huge in scope, with various smaller regions within it. This will be reflected in a series of maps Overworld > Regional, generally. Gear is something I've already added code for, but never really fleshed out. You will gain the ability to acquire and make use of weapons. Also you will be able to equip accessories which generally aid in battle or cultivation. Foundation has been discussed previously, but essentially materials and crafted items can be consumed to impart upon you various semi or permanent effects to your cultivation. Along with this, I also plan to add several new categories of materials. I also need to get some new, custom art done to represent all of the game's items! Finally, I plan on wrapping this up with writing content / events for Chapter 1. I have a solid idea of how things will play out as well as the new faces you'll meet. One of them is semi-familiar :
This is an AI generated image of Li'an. I look forward to sharing more as things are accomplished. P.S. thanks for all your support, interest and contributions to the sect! I do monthly giveaways in the Discord channel, so join for a chance to win --lurkers welcome! - My Big Little Brother.

I fixed the version display - rather than 2.0.7, this is actually 1.54 (the public build). This was pointed out by a few people in the discord channel so thanks for that. I repeat, content hasn't been altered or edited, I just changed the version number to what it should have been all along - sorry for the mixup! - My Big Little Brother

-Fixed an error where some recently added Mai events would repeat, preventing you from continuing her storyline (and possibly preventing you from progressing the game).

The Immortal Mountain Awaits