One of the big tickets items we've had on our list for a while has been the Vitare world map. As the Beta has progressed, it has become clear that the current world isn't setup for success long-term.
The current world map had a few limitations:
- Look & feel was fairly basic
- It was not big enough for long-term growth and multi-lots (coming with Vitare Subscription tier)
- It lacked unique biomes and areas
- Surrounding terrain in lots would encounter issues - especially at the edge fo the map or near water
Whilst we are still in Beta for a little while longer, it felt the right time to be able to re-build the world map from scratch. The new world solves everything listed above - in fact, it will be 10x bigger and will have rivers, lush forests, mountanous views, islands, and much more. It will provide the foundation for Vitare now and for - hopefully - plenty of growth and new players!
With that in mind, we will be performing a World Migration as we move every single lot to a plot on the new world when we release the update. We will be announcing on Discord and in-game, though we hope it will be Monday 24th August. At minimum, we will be sure to offer several hours of notice and expect downtime to be reasonably brief.
Once complete, you will be able to update your game and enjoy the new world!
You can watch our video preview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOCrXKqTY7s
How will the migration work?
Every existing lot will be moved to a new location on the new world map. Where possible, our migration tool will ensure you are in a similar type of area. For example, if you have a waterside lot on sandy terrain, you should expect to be in a similar place. Likewise, if you have specific neighbours, they shouldn't be too far!
However, we appreciate players had previously selected their plot of land specifically and may want that choice without having to use their V$. With that in mind, all players who own a lot at the point of migration will get a free move. This will allow you to move your lot to anywhere on the map you desire - free of charge.
As with all lot moves, the migration will not do anything to your lot so it is completely safe! Everything you have built and placed be exactly how it was before - though you may find your surroundings and the terrain underneath is slightly different!
What happens to my lot?
Your lot is perfectly safe and will simply be moved to a new location on the new world map. You will not lose anything.
Do I have to do anything?
You don't have to do a thing. When you next log in after the migration, you will find yourself greeted by the new world map and will be able to find your lot.
Why change the world map?
The current world map was not built in a scalable way. We have built this new world map to be scalable for the future, much more interesting, and will help bring the world of Vitare to life as we continue to grow.
What happens to current Neighbourhood Zones?
As the world is different and significantly larger, we have re-mapped the neighbourhood zones. Due to lots being migrated to match terrain type, players may find themselves assigned to a different neighbourhood. This does mean mayoral elections will start again / current mayoral tenures will be cut short.
Unfortunately this is the only item we were not able to migrate and also why we wanted to get this released sooner than later so it doesn't cause any impact in the future.
What's next?
We have other bug fixes and enhancements in this update - and as we move into September we are excited to start previewing our Crafting system and Events systems.
We will keep you updated and we look forward to welcoming you into the brand new, updated world!