Hello, amazing Voyagers - Michael / Spacenorth here, back with some thrilling development and playtest updates!
Playtesting and Clips!
We just wrapped up our most ambitious playtest to date, and it’s been an incredible ride! We opened our doors to over 400 players, making this our largest testing group ever. It was incredible to see so many of you exploring, crafting, and surviving in the magical world of Nera. Players racked up a lot of hours in our little demo, with our most engaged spending 10+ hours building and crafting!
But that's not all – we also gave the green light for anyone to stream during this playtest. Watching your adventures unfold in real-time has been nothing short of amazing. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and real time fails have truly brought our game to life in ways we never imagined! TisSarahBarah - IT'S NOT IN HERE
Feedback
The flood of clips and feedback we've received has been absolutely phenomenal. Here are some highlights that had us grinning from ear to ear:
- Your reactions to awakening spirits and augmenting your spirit companions were priceless. ToriPareno - I have a bird now!
- Seeing players take on and defeat the stone golem boss was epic. TacticalPotato and Zombaekillz
- And skimming! Watching you zoom across the water on your crafted Skimmers was a joy - it looks like you're having as much fun surfing with them as we had creating them. miirorttv - first time skimming!
A Heartfelt Thank You
We can't say this enough – thank you, thank you, thank you! Your participation, feedback, and sheer enthusiasm are why we wake up in the morning. Every bug report, every suggestion, and every moment of excitement you share fuels our passion to make this game the best it can be.
Looking Ahead
Now that we've caught our breath from this whirlwind playtest, we're diving into our next phase of development. Here's what's on our plate:
- Bug-Fixing: We've got roughly a zillion reported bugs to prioritize and tackle - thank you to everyone who reported these!
- Iteration and Polish: We’ve got great feedback to help us refine major features including work on hunger and thirst, building content and UX, what spirits do for you and more.
- New Horizons: We saw a lot of appetite for some new features that we are working on like the next biome, more seafaring content, and more spirits!
Screenshot Contest - Cast Your Vote!
Last but not least, we're running a screenshot contest showcasing the incredible bases and moments you've created during the playtest. Head over to our Discord and the #screenshot-contest channel to cast your vote for your favorites. We’ve been loving the creativity!!
And if you haven’t yet, we hope you’ll wishlist the game and share it with your friends and communities - it helps us out a ton.
Thanks again for being part of this journey with us. Your support and passion make all the late nights and coffee-fueled bug-fixing worth it. We can't wait to share more of Nera with you soon.
Until next time!
- Michael and the Treehouse Team
P.S. Don't forget to join us for our next livestream this Thursday at twitch.tv/VoyagersOfNera where we'll dive deeper into some of the amazing moments from this playtest!