Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you all some of my future plans for the server.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT: The 3 Year Blueprint
With the completion of Isenwyrd’s story arc which ended with the consecration of the continent, the server is now in a sandbox phase for the remainder of the year. Isenwyrd now belongs entirely to you; the participants who saw the story through.
Use this time to continue your builds and your personal lore. I will not be doing many updates for the remainder of the year. Instead, I am planning a new continent for Q1 2027. This frees up my summer prep time to focus entirely on the massive structural work needed for the future of The Ancient World in 2027, 2028, and beyond.
A LOOK AT THE FUTURE
Below is a basic blueprint for the total culmination of Age of Continents II and what I envision the future to be:
Continent 2 (2027)
Coinciding with the Q1 2027 update I will officially open a brand new uncharted landmass called Continent 2 (working title). I expect that our main goal on this continent will be building logistical infrastrucure (roads and ports). A dock on its eastern coast linking it up to the Newfort dock on Isenwyrd to allow fast passage, as well as a road leading to its northern coastline, where I imagine another dock could be built for further passage to the future Major Continent (also working title).
Major Continent (2028)
The true culmination of my 3 year plan will arrive in Q1 2028 with the release of a major continent. This massive, long-term continent will continue to bring the The Ancient World back to its absolute roots, just as Isenwyrd has.
This major continent will be vast and diverse, featuring a wide variety of landforms, environments, and biomes. It is intended to become a major new chapter for The Ancient World and provide a substantial foundation for exploration and development for years to come.
I will share a lot more about both of these continents when the time is right.
Return to the Old World (2030+)
Many of you may be wondering, “When can we return to the old world again?”
I cannot answer that right now. All I can say is that it will be well beyond 2028, and sometime in the 2030s. It is my personal belief that the old world, its ruins, and its stories need time to rest.
There is something important that happens when a place is left behind. With enough time, its ruins stop being places we simply visit, and begin to become myths and legends. They become places that everyone has heard about, but that fewer and fewer people have actually seen with their own eyes.
I want its ruins to become distant, mysterious, and almost mythical. I want people to hear the stories of the old world, and eventually to wonder what it will be like to see it again. And I believe the old world deserves this opportunity to rest and become a part of TAW mythology.
DOWNLOAD HIGH-RESOLUTION ISENWYRD RENDERS (63MB)
Because this is the final map render of the year, I have created additional renders of Isenwyrd showing the continent at different angles for the first time. I’ve also created an up-to-date isometric render. Enjoy!
Final Words
Thank you everyone for your participation and support throughout the server relaunch! It’s been a pleasure to host The Ancient World online again and to continue the project as I had originally planned. The ocean expansion earlier this year was many years in the making and has opened up so many opportunities for future new lands to explore and make our mark upon.
Sometimes things slow down or life gets in the way of things. But if we’ve learned anything from the past 15 years of TAW – it’s that this server remains a constant. We always come back to TAW to reminisce about the past or to leave our mark on a new age. Because The Ancient World represents not only the past, but also the future.
The future is where my focus is. Not because the past is forgotten, but because the future is where all the possibilities are to be found. The past is already written and cannot be changed. It can only be remembered and honored.
Keeping the same world map for 15+ years has been an exercise in remembering and honoring its legacy. But I believe that building toward the future is what keeps a world alive and that is ultimately the only way to truly preserve and honor the past.
I hope you’ll all join me next year and beyond. We’ll talk again soon 🙂
drak