Following its closed alpha earlier this spring, Clockwork Labs has a new producer letter up how sandbox BitCraft is faring – and where it’s going next. The team says that the alpha saw nearly 6500 players spend at least an hour in the test, with multiple multiplayer settlements constructed during the test and 83 people in the biggest one.
“We were excited to see testers building larger villages and cooperating to quickly leave the Stone Age and reach higher-tier technology. Many players started specializing, and we are happy with the direction the cooperative gameplay went with coordination,” the devs write, saying they aim to “address the hurdles some solo testers faced with their claim” as “nobody should have to worry about losing their progress during the first hours of playing BitCraft.” The team is also working on improving player trading systems and adding WASD movement as an option in later tests after the next alpha.
And when are those later tests? Well, the next is coming in mid-June; signups are still right smack on the official site.
“Our current plan is to start the next test on June 16, 2024. Alpha 2 will focus on testing the first iteration of the Empire System. This will very likely be a short test aimed at gathering data and feedback specifically for the Empire System. The details, such as duration, number of testers, and invite procedures, are still being discussed. We will make an announcement later on. While the Empire System will be the focus of the next test, we will keep polishing the existing content. You can expect to find game balance improvements, new art assets, and many other refined details to be added over time.”
We have to note here that Clockwork’s benign tweet about this letter was filled with crypto bot replies as the term “BitCraft” still apparently triggers the weirdos. For the record, this is not a crypto game whatsoever. Still hoping the studio changes the game’s name before launch!
Together with summer, the second Alpha test is coming in June!#bitcraft #mmorpg #sandbox #gamedev #mmo #cozygames #cinematic #nature #Summer #Game #alpha pic.twitter.com/e4Aevt3mU1
— BitCraft (@BitCraftOnline) May 23, 2024
