This update was authored by Mod Gabriel and was released on 8 July 2011.
With the end of Genghis Khan rapidly approaching, we're proud to announce a new game cycle that you can get started on TODAY whilst the other 2 worlds Genghis Khan and Julius will keep going to the bitter end. As long as you already have played in the Closed Beta and registered your email address with us, we will be sending out the first round of keys very soon (including special ones you can use to invite your friends!).
The new server, Augustus, is running an entirely new game cycle that has no bearing on the cycle currently in progress on Genghis Khan and Julius. What would you change, if you were to play the game again? What would you do differently to make your mark on the world? Well, here's your chance to start afresh, taking with you the knowledge and experience you've gained during the first cycle.
Our server cycles are an important game mechanic, and it's worth re-iterating that 8Realms is designed to have a beginning and a definite end. The end of Genghis Khan isn't just a server reset as part of the test - it's a vital game feature that we plan to keep for the live, released game. You can learn more on our forum thread about this topic.
To start playing on Augustus, simply log into your account as usual, and select the "Start a New Empire" option at the top of the screen to create a new Empire on Augustus. Once you've done this, you'll be able to use the drop-down to switch between your Empires whenever you like.
Augustus will be live following some brief technical maintenance, so get started and make your mark on a whole new game cycle! And thanks once again for helping us to test 8Realms. :-)
Gabriel
8Realms Wordsmith