The September letter from the producer for BitCraft has arrived just as the game’s second closed alpha test comes to a close – a test that studio Clockwork Labs says was a big success. The key feature leading to that success? That would be the new empire system. In fact, the 6,452 players who participated in the alpha put together 50 empires.
“Closed Alpha 2 was another significant milestone for BitCraft, building on the foundation laid during Alpha 1,” the studio says. “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.”
Additionally, Clockwork says it’s happy with the fact that it was able to keep the test server up for five weeks and that players responded well to its quality-of-life tweaks for things like storage and farming. But it’s still working on trading systems, solo play, biomes, and of course, empires themselves.
“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.”
