- The Anvil Empires map grew roughly 8x larger in Pre-Alpha 6, splitting north and south.
- Faction borders separate Remnant territory from Ancients, with instanced cross-border travel.
- House plots now cover large fenced zones, capping at 3 residents per plot.
- Settlement markers expand territory but only placeable within the Gathering Pit's radius.
- Marching to war is resource-intensive — bring far more food than you expect to need.
Anvil Empires Map: Size and Layout
The Anvil Empires map received a dramatic overhaul in Pre-Alpha 6, growing to roughly eight times the size of previous test maps. The world is now divided between two factions — the Remnant holding the northern side and the Ancients controlling the south and east — with a hard border separating the two halves. Crossing that border loads a new instance, and notably, the transition has been reported as smooth with no crashes during testing.
Video Highlights:
- Map size increased to approximately 8x the previous test world
- Faction border divides Remnant (north) from Ancients (south/east)
- Border crossing triggers a new instance without stability issues
- New features tested: donkeys, animal-powered mills, and house plots
- Persistence test delayed to July 25th due to community feedback
The following table breaks down the major map regions and their characteristics:
| Region | Controlling Faction | Key Features | Travel Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Map | Remnant | Primary faction territory, settlements | Home zone for Remnant guilds |
| Southern/Eastern Map | Ancients | Enemy territory, war targets | Requires border crossing (instanced) |
| Border Zone | Divided | Faction separation line | Smooth instance transition reported |
| Coastal/Water Areas | Neutral | Rivers, waterways | Water bugs reported (stuck players) |
During Pre-Alpha 6, players reported getting stuck in water without drowning. You may need to move to deeper water to trigger drowning and escape. Horses can also freeze in place — use the unstuck command if this happens.
Settlement Territory and Expansion
Understanding how territory works is essential when placing your settlement on the map. Each settlement begins with a Gathering Pit (your town hall), which projects a dark blue radius around it. Settlement markers can only be placed within that radius to expand your territory — but no additional markers can be placed inside the area already expanded by previous markers.
| Territory Element | Function | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering Pit | Town hall, defines base radius | One per settlement core |
| Base Radius (dark blue) | Where settlement markers can be placed | Fixed size around Gathering Pit |
| Settlement Marker | Expands claimable territory | Cannot place markers inside expanded radius |
| House Plot | Fenced residential zone | 3 residents max, even after upgrades |
This creates a serious spatial planning challenge. Careless marker placement early on can permanently limit how much room your town has to grow.
Treat settlement marker placement as permanent. Large guilds of 70+ players found that current plot sizes could only house roughly 27–30 players in a single settlement. Consider spreading members across multiple settlements rather than cramming everyone into one town.
House Plots vs. Traditional Housing
Pre-Alpha 6 replaced the smaller hut-style buildings with house plots — large fenced-in areas where residents can place stockpiles, blacksmithing benches, cooking stations, and farming equipment. The concept gives individual players more agency, but the execution has drawn heavy community feedback.
House Plots
- Large fenced zones with personal storage
- Placeable workbenches and stockpiles
- Hard cap of 3 residents per plot
- Consume significant settlement space
- Cap does not increase with upgrades
Traditional Huts
- Compact, Age of Empires-style buildings
- Start at 1 slot, upgrade to 2, then 3
- Space-efficient for large settlements
- No personal storage zones
Hybrid Approach
- Mixed districts for flexibility
- Core town uses compact housing
- Outskirts use plots for crafters
- Community-suggested compromise
Many testers have suggested keeping house plots as an optional choice rather than a mandatory replacement. Smaller settlements may benefit from plots' built-in storage, while large towns may prefer the density of traditional housing.
Crossing the Border: War March Guide
Marching a war party across the map border is one of the most demanding operations in Anvil Empires. During Pre-Alpha 6 testing, a guild burned through nearly 90–100 units of berry food just reaching the southern front — before a single fight even started.
Stockpile Food
Gather far more food than you think you need. A marching war party consumes supplies rapidly — 90+ units of berry food was exhausted before contact during testing.
Secure Reinforcement Supplies
Store reinforcement supplies for building a forward operating base. These allow respawning at the front instead of marching back from home territory.
Choose Reliable Storage
Do not store critical war supplies in a house plot that could bug out. During testing, a bugged house locked away an entire guild's reinforcement supplies, forcing them to destroy the building.
Cross the Border
Move south through the faction border. The instance transition has been stable, but frame drops and server crashes can occur — anything carried during a crash may be lost.
Establish Your FOB
Build the forward operating base and set respawn points before engaging enemy forces or hunting Ancients war parties.
When servers crash during pre-alpha tests, items carried on your character at that moment can be deleted. Deposit valuable gear and supplies before risky marches.
Map Features Added in Pre-Alpha 6
Beyond the larger world, Pre-Alpha 6 introduced several map-relevant systems that change how settlements operate on the terrain:
| Feature | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Donkeys | Pack animals, transport | Eat more food than horses; taming was buggy |
| Power Mills | Animal/human-powered automation | Alternative to aqueducts on hilly terrain |
| Stables | Housing for mounts | New building type |
| House Plots | Residential zones with storage | 3-player cap, large footprint |
| Local Exchange | Trade between players | Settlement-level economy |
Power Mills solved a real terrain problem: hilly ground where aqueducts can't deliver water. Use tamed donkeys or assigned workers to generate power for automated buildings.
Before your next test session, run through this map-readiness checklist:
Map Preparation Checklist:
- Scout settlement marker placement before committing
- Plan housing density (plots vs. huts) for your population
- Stockpile 90+ units of food for war marches
- Store reinforcement supplies in reliable, non-bugged buildings
- Test border crossing with a small scout group first
FAQ
Q: How big is the Anvil Empires map in Pre-Alpha 6?
The map is roughly eight times larger than previous test maps, and it is divided by a faction border separating the Remnant in the north from the Ancients in the south and east.
Q: Can you cross the faction border on the Anvil Empires map?
Yes. Crossing the border loads a new instance. Testers reported the transition was smooth with no crashes, although general frame rate stability during Pre-Alpha 6 was less consistent.
Q: Why can't my settlement house all its players?
House plots cap at 3 residents and occupy large fenced areas. A 70-player group could only house roughly 27–30 players in one settlement during Pre-Alpha 6, so spreading across multiple settlements is recommended.
Q: How do settlement markers expand territory?
Markers can only be placed within the dark blue radius created by your Gathering Pit (town hall). Once placed, the expanded radius cannot host additional markers, so placement must be planned carefully.