EVENT 2

Surge

Growth of server due to Joyfuul Wave, resulted in an expansion to four separated worlds. Players emerged from barren wildernesses, created diverse settlements, and contended with warring factions.

Sep 13 – Sep 25, 2025

Sessions

Players

1,125

Played at least one session

Communities formed

Player-hours

18,861

> RECAP

In the week before Trial 2, Youtuber Joyfuul released a video about Trial 1, which drew renewed attention to the discord server. The subsequent increase in playerbase required a week’s delay and three more servers: each would hold a trial of Event 2.

Session days were reduced to Thursday through Sunday, for a total of 7 days.

The plugin developed from Trial 1: destructive items such as Lava Buckets were class-locked; a hunger cost was applied to all crafting; and beds were changed to be one per player

Event 2 brought the end of information leaks. The command /msg, which allowed in-game distant communication, was removed. The ability to make specific media during the event was curtailed and would be removed for future events. These outputs had benefitted the community but were impractical to regulate.

Each world had a unique map with a harsh wilderness spawn, and its own narratives and outcomes.

World One settlements formed into two alliances. The peace was disrupted by a crusade which tore across the world, growing in number, before being dispersed in a final battle.
World Two settlements allied, and combined, to combat a raider squad; while others remained hidden.
World Three settlements were plagued by lone griefers for much of the event, but collaborated in their versions of a UN and Olympic Games.
World Four settlements formed within a narrow corridor along the edge of the frozen spawn. Rogue guardsmen, scheming diplomats, and a band of raiders threatened peaceful alliances.

The majority of players had goals relating to city-building and plugin progression; they started to build an illusion of expected behaviour and world order. Those that preferred PvP or griefing were often in opposition to this illusion.

The crusades of World One came closest to shattering it. Originating from a single nation, Nowy Madagaskar, within an alliance of nations; the crusades later resembled a raider wave after breaking free from the existing diplomatic structures. Defenders fled to Promised Home and, in their ultimate victory, maintained world order.

Event 2 built on the foundations of previous events.

Black Sheep Island acquired the first Happy Ghasts; while Redwater hosted the first UN meeting, facilitating the first Olympic Games.

Mountainkeep and Pitsburg had singular leaders; Sunfish Syndicate and Fungaia had councils; while Eastgard and Blue-Riviera remained without government.

Sky City relied on floating platforms; Satan’s Heaven was a walled compound; Exodus was a mushroom island; while Ithaca was open-plan.

There were multiple cases of settlements forming in pairs, including: Seven Boats and Twogypt; and Riverhold and Sleepytown.

Event 2 was the start of the journey for many CivLabs players. Future events would see the consequence of lessons learned and strategies developed by them.

> HIGHLIGHTS

Session 4
Inauguration of the Ophelion League
Riverhold migrated from spawn to settle next to Sleepytown, then the two settlements founded the Ophelion League. By the end of the Event, four more settlements had joined the league.
Session 9
Fortun Raids against Eastern Alliance
Guardsmen from Fortun raided Sunfish and Cannabis Village of the eastern sea. These two nations were members of the Eastern Alliance, led by Nowy Madagaskar. With superior numbers, the Alliance found peace with Fortun.
Session 11
Rise of the Crusade
The leader of island nation Nowy Madagaskar, Participant_487, gathered an army to spread the word of his religious manifesto ‘Via Timmei’. The Eastern Alliance broke from within, and the bloodshed spread across the mainland.
Session 12
Fall of the Crusade
Those opposed to the Crusades fled the eastern shore and headed south. At Promised Home they took a stand against the advancing army. The crusaders dissipated after their leader was defeated.
Session 4
Axes vs. Twogypt
The Axes leader, Participant_802, feared an attack from Twogypt was imminent: retaliation for covertly selling Twogypt their own sugarcane. 802 led a futile pre-emptive raid against the superior base. Twogypt swiftly wiped Axes (aka Seamen) off the map.
Session 5
Seamen War Begins
The northern shore nations of Seven Boats, Friendship Island, and Twogypt were hit by raiders. Wrongly linked to the defeated Axes, the raiders were called the Seamen. This was the first salvo of the Seamen War which lasted 7 sessions.
Session 6
Founding of Mountainkeep
Settlements along the western edge of the spawn desert merged to become a stronger force. They built a fortress home overlooking the mesa and dunes.
Session 11
The River People join Blue Team
In the western sea, the River People were convinced to merge with the island nation Blue Team, to have more safety from the Seamen. The combined nation was named Blue-Riveria.
Session 2
Mushroom Island Shuffle
The mycelium nation Firefly Island was approached by Participant_633 and agreed five more settlers could join. However, 633 brought 20+ players who formed Fungaia on the island. Firefly Island’s members left and merged into nearby Exodus.
Session 3
Day of the Bridge Valley Slasher
A former Bridge Valley member, Participant_633, turned on the small proto-nation and destroyed it. Members scattered to other settlements, while the Slasher went on to terrorize the world.
Session 9
World Council forms at Redwater
Redwater hosted an impromptu meeting of world leaders. It promoted peace, cooperation, and projects such as an Olympics.
Session 14
Olympic Games of Savannah World
The Olympics were held in a bespoke stadium across the eastern sea.
Session 4
First Tundra Cold War
A rogue diplomat of SkyCity, Participant_96, tried to start a war by raising tensions between Chickenheim and the Green Belt nations. However Chickenheim diplomat, Participant_392, ventured south and diffused the situation.
Session 6
Cannibals attack Grenhill
Refugees from Far Oasis, previously attacked by the Cannibals, and Skycity, helped defend Grenhill from the raiders. Bridges were built between Green Belt nations to aid communication.
Session 8
Green Belt Nations hold 2-Hour Meeting
Pitsberg leader, Participant_22, haphazardly announced plans for a TriState Empire with themself as ruler. In the face of backlash from allies, they softened this to a Greenbelt Republic.
Session 10
Chickenheim Guard march to War
Led by the Chickenheim military leader, Participant_952, the guard attacked Black Sheep, Grenhill, and Pitsberg. Chickenheim denied responsibility, and banished 952.