[i]Disclaimer: Anything mentioned below may change at any time due to the experimental nature of Pre-Alpha development. Nothing mentioned here should be taken as a promised feature or addition to the eventual game.[/i] [h1]MAJOR TEST - APRIL 18[/h1] The next [b]Major Test[/b] will be happening on [b]Thursday, April 18th at 1PM ET[/b] and will run for 4 full days. If you haven't signed up for test access and want to participate, please head to the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1373910/Anvil_Empires/]Anvil Empires store page[/url] to sign up. Note that testers are selected at random by Steam. This test includes all the features and changes that were developed over [i]Phase 5[/i] of Pre-Alpha. Below are highlights of some of the more significant changes. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/561d8f6f8f8b9d62f378ce8828ef0bb2243241ba.png[/img] [h1]HOMESTEADS[/h1] [i]Homesteads[/i] have been added, which is a place where players can build and own their own private structures and items within a [i]Settlement[/i]. [i]Homesteads[/i] are owned by [i]Families[/i], which are player groups that can organize themselves, collaborate on building, and share assets. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/cbc674fb4afabc66d547b5b9b6aa8c6ce0e84054.gif[/img] Players within [i]Families[/i] can be assigned different roles to help manage a [i]Homestead[/i]. [i]Families[/i] can also build a presence in the [i]Settlement Core[/i], which is the public area at the center of a Settlement shared among all [i]Families[/i]. In the [i]Settlement Core[/i], [i]Families[/i] can build a [i]Family Hall[/i] to securely store large amounts of assets and a [i]Marketplace Shop[/i] where they can sell items to other players. [h1]WEATHER & SEASONS[/h1] The world now cycles through four seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, which each have an impact on various environmental factors such as Wetness, Temperature, and Wind. Each of these in turn can influence gameplay in a variety of ways such as farming and wind power generation. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/0a0d9d391e57bcbc9994c7558f134fea19f53159.jpg[/img] Weather events can also occur at any time which also have an impact on the aforementioned environmental factors. There are rain storms and snow storm and the chance of each occurring is influenced by the current season. These storms can dynamically move around in the world and even collide and overlap with each other. For more details on seasons and weather, read this [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1373910/announcements/detail/3862464213291714510]Devblog[/url]. [img]https://clapfoot-image-host.s3.amazonaws.com/gifs/devblog8_rainstorm.gif[/img] [h1]DIRE RAVEN[/h1] Flying animals have been added in the form of the [i]Dire Raven[/i]. [i]Dire Ravens[/i] roam the skies and can dive down and attack unsuspecting players. [img]https://clapfoot-image-host.s3.amazonaws.com/gifs/devblog10_raven.gif[/img] [i]Dire Ravens[/i] congregate around [i]Deadwood Trees[/i], which provide a new rarer type of wood that is used to craft more special weapons like [i]Short Bows[/i]. For more details on [i]Dire Ravens[/i] and [i]Deadwood Trees[/i], read this [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1373910/announcements/detail/4059501135893428522]Devblog[/url]. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/64c0c11a162cdf1826848b981c65f4d056a98f65.jpg[/img] [h1]WIND MILL[/h1] [i]Wind Mills[/i] provide a new way to produce power that works with the new seasons and weather system. The structure can be rotated by players to orient to current wind conditions since both intensity and direction have an impact on how much power is generated. For more details on the [i]Wind Mill[/i], read this [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1373910/announcements/detail/3963797741125560302]Devblog[/url]. [img]https://clapfoot-image-host.s3.amazonaws.com/gifs/devblog9_windmill.gif[/img] [h1]BRONZE WEAPONS[/h1] Bronze Weapons and Tools have been introduced as a new intermediate phase in equipment progression. To produce [i]Bronze Ingots[/i], copper and tin must be first harvested from [i]Malachite[/i] and [i]Cassiterite[/i] and smelted at a [i]Furnace[/i]. [i]Bronze Ingots[/i] can then be hammered into [i]Bronze Blades[/i] at a [i]Stone Anvil[/i] and then used to craft swords, axes, and other equipment at a [i]Stone Anvil[/i]. For more information on Bronze Weapons and Tools, read this [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1373910/announcements/detail/4194610392084107889]Devblog[/url]. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/0eec61717c0590c9c908e2ae191622157ec2c863.jpg[/img] [h1]HEATING VAT[/h1] The [i]Heating Vat[/i] is being introduced for processing various ingredients into materials through boiling, brewing, and melting. The [i]Heating Vat[/i] requires water and a combustible fuel to operate. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/243e4dbb29b0808e36187798fd718e836d49232e.gif[/img] [i]Crude Resin[/i] can now be harvested from the world and converted into [i]Rosin[/i] at a [i]Heating Vat[/i], which in turn can be used to craft equipment like shields. For more information on the [i]Heating Vat[/i] and [i]Resin[/i], read this [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1373910/announcements/detail/5923994639404870843]Devblog[/url]. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/72d27f7b21acd39bd5a54e6dffa4641091988426.gif[/img] Be sure to add Anvil Empires to your wish list on [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1373910]Steam[/url]. If you want to join the community, head over the to official [url=https://discord.gg/anvilempires]Discord server[/url] or [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/anvilempires]Subreddit[/url]. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1373910][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43866319/df7fe80ab730785967007257a355fd0c9d8dce2c.png[/img][/url]