EMBER SWORD’S ALPHA PLAYTEST — HOW TO PARTICIPATE (CLOSED)
That’s right, you heard correctly, Ember Sword is officially in Alpha!
The team has been working hard to develop our features, improve our backend technology and create amazing experiences for our community.
As we mentioned in the last post, we are going to be holding public Playtests this year — one in April and one in August.
We are excited to be at a stage in our development journey where we can begin to open our doors to our future players, partners and our wider community.
At Bright Star Studios, our vision is to revolutionize how great games are played and accessed for players around the world. It’s time to reimagine the game.
As we welcome in more and more players this year, we believe that through these Playtests the community will be able to see the progress we have made in our game development and to be able to experience some of the features we love. Of course, our amazing proprietary engine, which will allow for the game to run on any device, anywhere in the world down to a 3G+ connection within seconds. No downloads, no patches, no waiting!
WHAT DOES ALPHA MEAN?
Alpha, for us, means that we are still tinkering! We are testing our core features, our infrastructure and stability. We are also still polishing the art style, NPCs and creatures — you will see this progress really evolving from the April test all the way through to the playtest we have coming up in August. In short, we are not finished just yet.
DEFINITION OF GAME PHASE: ALPHA
Core Feature Testing & Greenlight In-Progress
On-Going Technical Tests for Infrastructure & Stability
Expect Some Instability While Testing
Expect Some Minor Latency Delays
Unbalanced Game, Art Is Subject To Further Changes
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE?
Our upcoming Playtests are open to anyone who is registered with an Ember Sword account. If you do not have an account, please sign up now in order to receive further communications regarding the tests.
The upcoming Playtest will operate on a first come first serve basis. This means that not everyone will be able to participate as we have a limited window over a few days. However, fear not! If you cannot participate in this test due to high volumes of demand, we will be sharing dates for the next Playtest scheduled for August soon.
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
For those who have not participated in a Playtest test before, let us help you to understand what to expect, shall we?
It is very important to note that the Alpha Playtest is not in any way a finished version of the game. Like many other Alpha stage demos, its purpose is to examine various systems (such as online connectivity), test features, gameplay and questlines.
There will not be a limited area for you to play in Solarwood, but you do have a limited time that you are able to play (up to 30 minutes) as we want to be sure we can let as many people experience the Playtest as possible.
During the Playtest, players will be able to experience five main quests that will take them through a range of gameplay mechanics. The quests will involve PvE combat, resource collection, crafting, and will culminate in the player arriving at the capitol where they will meet Rashi, our loveable Solarwood town crier.
In addition to the 5 main questlines, if you still have time remaining, feel free to explore the vast open world of Ember Sword, which is filled with hidden treasures, secret locations, and challenging enemies to defeat.
PLAYERS WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN 5 MAIN QUESTLINES:
- “The Capital” — This questline will take players through PvE combat, resource collection, and crafting, culminating in their arrival at the capital city of Esthar where they will meet the NPC Rashi.
- “A Crafting Expedition” — This questline will involve more crafting and resource collection, taking players on a journey through the game’s wilderness.
- “The Bandit Threat” — This questline will focus on PvE combat, challenging players to take on a group of bandits and complete other objectives.
- “The Treasure Hunt” — This questline will involve exploration and puzzle-solving as players search for valuable treasures hidden throughout the game world.
- “The Arena” — This questline will focus on PvP combat, allowing players to compete against each other in an arena-style setting.
Each questline is designed to offer a unique experience, giving players a chance to engage with different gameplay mechanics and explore different parts of the game world.
Once you have finished playing, you will be encouraged to particpate in a feedback survey — and we would love to hear what you think!
Map of Alpha Playtest Area
WHAT DO I NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TEST?
- You will need a verified Ember Sword account (verified meaning activated via email after signing up).
- Once you have these credentials, you will be able to receive the communications necessary to enter the game.
If you do not have an Ember Sword account, you can register one on our website. We do recommend signing up now, so you are ready to go once the PlayTest starts.
HOW CAN I GIVE EMBER SWORD MY FEEDBACK?
We would LOVE to hear from you! Once you complete the test, we will send you to a feedback location for you to tell us about your experience. Please be honest. We value our community feedback and the more you share with us, the more we can improve upon player experiences.
As an added perk, we will be randomly selecting a small group of people who participate in feedback to win an official Ember Sword merch pack!
WHEN DOES THE PLAYTEST START?
Players will get two opportunities to participate in the Playtest. They will be placed in a queue on a first come, first serve basis. We chose that approach to ensure the stability of the test, and to ensure those who are in-game have the best experience possible.
The planned testing windows are:
PlayTest 1 — April 18th, 2023–10:00 CEST — 23:59 CEST
PlayTest 2 — April 19th, 2023–10:00 CEST — 23:59 CEST
We will be conducting a live stream the day before the playtest. You will want to tune into this one, because our Senior Community Manager Thor Østenkær and Ember Sword Game Director Max Zimnukhov will sit down for a Q&A Ember Sword stream while showcasing the current Alpha gameplay state. The streams will take place on April 17th over at our Twitch channel and later uploaded as full VoD on our Youtube Channel. See you there!
WILL I BE ABLE TO PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME?
Not all of it. As mentioned, this is an Alpha Playtest and things are very much still a work in progress. While you will not be restricted to an area within Solarwood, you will have a limited window to complete the questlines.
WILL THE GRAPHICS BE FINAL?
Not just yet, but we are getting closer! Typically at this Alpha stage in testing and development, graphics and artwork will not be their final, polished version, owing to the nature and purpose of the test.
ARE THERE ANY TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS?
Our game runs on almost anything, however for this particular Playtest, to have the optimal experience, you may want to have these minimal requirements:
- 3G+ connection
- Mid tier computer with the minimum version of Chrome 108 (11–29–2022), Edge 108 (12–05–2022)
I am so excited to share these Playtests with you all. We really appreciate everybody’s continued interest in the development of Ember Sword, and we are super grateful to those among you who are going to help us test the game in these earlier stages.
Thank you for being a part of our mission to change the way people experience and play games. As passionate gamers ourselves, we strive everyday to bring you the experiences you deserve!
As always, to stay up-to-date on all things Ember Sword, make sure to follow us on our socials:
Discord — https://discord.com/invite/embersword
Twitter — https://twitter.com/playembersword
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/officialembersword
Reddit — https://www.reddit.com/r/EmberSword
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/PlayEmberSword
Linkedin — https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightstar-studios
Twitch — https://www.twitch.tv/EmberSword
