Letter from the Producer

September 2024

Greetings,

As of August 16th, the Closed Alpha 2 test has come to a successful end, and the survey results are in!

On behalf of the BitCraft team, I’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated in the test and provided feedback.

Closed Alpha 2 was another significant milestone for BitCraft, building on the foundation laid during Alpha 1. While the world size and the number of invitations remained consistent, this phase introduced a critical new feature: the Empire System.

This system allowed players to engage in large-scale competition operating independently from the character progression and the social aspects of settlement progression. We believe the Empire System offers players a unique way to make a lasting impact on the world map.

In case you missed it, you can learn more about the basics of the new Empire System by checking out this tutorial video.

During the test we saw 6,452 players, spanning 50 empires, play a combined 5,260 days and 14 hours. That’s over 14 years of playtime. Our most dedicated testers spent several hundred hours playing Alpha 2,and the average playtime for all players was over 19 hours!

The introduction of the Empire System was our primary focus for Alpha 2, and we’re thrilled with the way players embraced this new feature. The competition between empires has added a dynamic layer to the gameplay, offering a new avenue for players to collaborate, strategize, and ultimately leave their mark on the world. While the system is still in its early stages, we’re excited to see how it evolves in future tests.

As with any alpha test, Alpha 2 provided a wealth of learnings. Here’s a brief overview of what worked well and what we plan to improve:

What Worked:

• Apart from two very short windows (each only a few minutes), the server was online for 5 weeks without major downtime or issues.
• The new system to press ALT to inspect building names from afar was a huge help to easily navigate your own claim as well other people’s
• Having personal storage and barter that could be easily deployed from the vault helped ease some of the friction of solo-play (although of course a lot of improvement is still needed)Farming Improvements: Based on your feedback, we’ve made farming less tedious, and these changes have been well-received.
• Art and UI/UX Updates: Ongoing enhancements to art assets, game balance, and user experience have continued to refine the overall gameplay experience.

What Needs Improvement:

• Trading: While we’ve made strides in improving trading, it’s still not where we want it to be. We’re committed to refining this system further to ensure it meets our vision and your expectations.
• Solo or small group play is still not nearly as easy or viable as we would like. We have a few really cool systems to make this better in Alpha 3
• While we were relatively happy with the very first version of empires, it still had some rough edges and we need to both improve some of the mechanics as well as the visuals and cosmetics that are associated with it.
• While we think the biomes in BitCraft have a lot of cool visuals to offer, there isn’t anything interesting happening in them. We need to make the world feel more alive and dangerous, so that exploring can feel more rewarding
• The fact that new players, especially solo or in small groups, are forced to create and maintain a claim frequently isn’t the best experience

To all of you who filled out the Closed Alpha 2 survey, we look forward to learning more about what we did right, and what we did wrong as we dig into the feedback.

Looking ahead, our development focus will be on refining and expanding the Empire System, as well as implementing additional changes based on the feedback from the survey.

We’re also gearing up for one more closed alpha test later this year, alongside the launch of SpacetimeDB version 1.0.

The next test should be an exciting one, as we are tentatively labeling it as the “Adversity” test. It will focus on bringing a sense of adversity and skill expression to the world and activities, as well a focus on fixing long standing issues preventing the player driven economy from getting off the ground and having claim costs/maintenance getting in the way or your progression.

Ultimately we want to offer players the option to enjoy a cozy game experience in the safety and comfort of their communities while also presenting challenges for the adventurers, explorers and prospectors who hear the call of the wild.

We’re excited about the progress we’ve made, but there’s still much to be done. The next test will be a crucial step towards launching a BitCraft that meets our shared vision. We can’t wait to continue this journey with all of you and look forward to what you do in future tests.

Thank you again for your support and dedication to making BitCraft the best it can be.

See you in the next test!

Alessandro