Rendering and pathing, rewritten
Two of the game’s core systems were rebuilt from scratch with optimization goals in mind. The focus of the test was server and client stability, NPC pathing, and overall health.
Alpha testing
Community Alpha Test 2
Saturday, December 3, 2022 · 1:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM UTC
Rebuilt from the roots, and back on Fenla for a weekend.
Six months after the first test, the Fenla pre-alpha server opened its gates again for a weekend playtest.
Between the two, the team ripped out vital systems like rendering and pathing and rewrote them with performance in mind. This test was the first chance to see that work hold up with a crowd.
Post-mortem
How it went
920hours played in Adrullan
13 hrslongest day by a single player
Warriormost played class, then Necromancer and Druid
Players spent 55,115 minutes in Adrullan that Saturday. Warrior was the most popular class, followed by Necromancer and then Druid; Wizard got the least love. The top player outside the team played for 782 minutes.
Together we found and fixed several issues on the day, and collected valuable data on others. And many of you captured the moments on stream, which the team loved watching back.
What came next
The team’s focus coming out of the test:
- UI 2.0: a ground-up rework of the interface, clearer and better looking.
- Progression you can see: paper doll improvements and more ways to follow your own growth.
- New horizons: the next city to be shared publicly, brought up to Leont’s standard.
- The first dungeon: some of you reached the depths of Harbourview Hamlet, fewer reached Walcott and his bandit brigade. The next one was built to be something else entirely.
- More class development, with better tooling and a new mechanic already added since the test.
- Crafting: with the foundation laid, each tradeskill would get its own mechanics and rewards.
What’s new
Since the last test
Two places to begin
New characters could start in Leont, the main Human city, or in Greenwood Cover to the north.
The Darkness skin
The art for a darker UI skin was made over a year earlier, but switching skins only arrived right after this test, just in time for the team to move on to UI v2. In adding it, the original UI 1.0 got a name of its own: Adventure.
A first look at Osgul
On the frigid plains of Northeast Adrullan, the Ogres hold a grand fastness known as Osgul. Formidable and imposing as the Ogres themselves, Osgul has stood as refuge and as proving ground for the Tribes of the Frostfall Foothills. Challengers from the Glacier Gazers, all the way to The Split Skull Brigade, step up to test their mettle in the Beat Down Pit. As primitive as the culture of Osgul may appear from the outside, there is much wisdom (and treasure) to be found within, if you can stomach the cold!
Ogres, in progress
Alongside Osgul came an early look at the Ogre models.
From the test
Screenshots
On the Discord
How it unfolded
Pre-test
Pre-test for Community Alpha Test 2
Fenla opened for a few hours one Saturday night, hinted at weeks before, to make sure the test on the 3rd went smoothly. Progress carried over into the test.
Skeeter
Client 0.5.14 approved
The test client went out early as a ~250 MB zip for Windows. It also carried the first public premiere of the EverCraft Online theme, composed by TonyM.
EnigmaFactory
The gates of Leont open
Registration and downloads went live, the /info window and new player guides were ready, and players took to /shout, /global and Twitch.
EnigmaFactory
“A really special day”
A lot of fun, a bunch of bugs fixed and a ton of data collected, with some late night play after the official test. No testing on Sunday.
h1ddentree
Stats, gratitude and what’s next
The numbers from the day and the team’s next focus, now under How it went above.
EnigmaFactory
The original call
As announced
Date: Saturday, December 3, 2022 1:00 PM to Sunday, December 4, 2022 1:00 AM (Eastern)
Note: Depending on the state of the test, we may extend the event into Sunday.The team would like to extend an invitation to the community and will be opening up the pre-alpha server, Fenla, for a weekend playtest.
Since our last event back in June, the team has done major back end work to the game. Vital systems like Rendering and Pathing have been ripped out root and stem, and rewritten with optimization goals in mind. Since achieving these goals, we hope to test them out with you all during the event.
During the event, you all will be able to create a new character and experience a partial section of our world, Adrullan. Characters may start in the main Human city of Leont or alternatively start in Greenwood Cover to the North.
While there have also been major strides in other game mechanics and content, we are mostly looking to collect data points on server & client stability, npc pathing, and overall health. Future tests will be more focused on content systems such as playing in new cities with new races, harvesting & crafting, class mechanics, and even delving deep into the many dungeons and caverns of Adrullan.
Look out for the pre-alpha channels where you can find out how to register and grab the client, or find other relevant info.
We hope to adventure with you once again in our world of EverCraft Online!
- The EverCraft Online Team
Alpha testing
Community Alpha Tests
Every Community Alpha Test since the first, in June 2022.
Nov 1 – Nov 8, 2026Community Alpha Test 8Whispers of GrixiusA call to arms. The gates of Adrullan open again.
Apr 1 – Apr 6, 2026Community Alpha Test 71,728 peak concurrent players
Jul 11 – Jul 13, 2025Community Alpha Test 6500 players in the first 120 seconds
Oct 18 – Oct 21, 2024Community Alpha Test 5Whispers of Grixius1,180 peak concurrent players
Apr 19 – Apr 22, 2024Community Alpha Test 4600+ players online at once
Sep 1 – Sep 3, 2023Community Alpha Test 3A brand new server, and a crowd to put it through its paces.You’re hereDec 3 – Dec 4, 2022Community Alpha Test 2920 hours played in Adrullan
Jun 18 – Jun 19, 2022Community Alpha Test 1The first time the gates of Adrullan opened to the community.Between the tests
Updates
Flash tests, pre-tests and stress tests. Short notice, and usually announced on Discord.
Flash test
One more pass at the public build
Eight days out, Ballast and Fenla opened again to keep validating the build for Community Alpha Test 7.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 7 →
Flash test
The public test build
Thirteen days out, a first run of the public test build on Ballast and Fenla, with the level cap raised to 20.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 7 →
Flash test
That new server smell
Unannounced, to check our move to new hardware. Fenla returned as a fresh start beside Ballast, and Far Clip Plane, aka BognarVision, got its first public outing. A quick infrastructure check turned into 33 and a half hours, with 577 players at the peak. Druids, Bards and Paladins were the most played.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 7 →Flash test
Release candidate
Two days out, a quick test of the release candidate patch for Community Alpha Test 6. Progress carried over.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 6 →
Flash test
A Saturday shakedown
A few hours on a Saturday to make sure everything ran smooth for the following weekend. One name changed all night, and no bans, kicks or time outs. Progress carried over into Community Alpha Test 6.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 6 →
Stress test
Server stress test
Our first test as Adrullan Online Adventures: five hours to push the server as hard as we could, with Willowbrook and the Bard class to explore and multi-boxing encouraged. The BogBot Armada gathered at the gates of Leont, and Bognar was still bored.
Flash test
Ballast opens
A week later it was Ballast’s turn. Characters from the Tibolt flash test came along, and the Open Pre-Alpha channels opened back up.
Flash test
Tibolt, ahead of the stress test
Tibolt opened with no set length and no agenda. Just hop in and enjoy Adrullan.
Pre-test
Pre-test for Community Alpha Test 5
Tibolt opened two days early to shake out anything pressing and spread the crowd across content. Progress carried over into the test.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 5 →
Flash test
Osgul opens
Unannounced, on a Friday: the Ogre homeland of Osgul opened for the first time, Humans could play Rangers and Beastlords, and the first crafting stations went up in Leont. It went so well we kept it running through Saturday.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 4 →
Flash test
The first test on the C# server
Our first test on the server we rewrote from JS to C#, and the first time Adrullan could be played in third person. Monks and Shadow Knights made their debut. 244 characters were created, Monk was the most played class, and Morty held the longest session at 7 hours 6 minutes.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 3 →
Flash test
Come bash some rats
The server came on for a few hours to show what had changed, the same night UI 2.0 was revealed. New systems, plenty in flux, and rats to bash.
Pre-test
Pre-test for Community Alpha Test 2
Fenla opened for a few hours one Saturday night, hinted at weeks before, to make sure the test on the 3rd went smoothly. Progress carried over into the test.
Ahead of Community Alpha Test 2 →