Changelog/2021/June 30

Hey Everyone!
Today comes with unusual news, as we are opening up Alpha Net to test the next major SkyBlock update. Buckle up, as there is a lot of text in this thread.
UPDATE July 5th, 4:00PM ET - We're open again! Again... We've made a lot of performance changes that should help with the crashing.
UPDATE July 2nd, 6:00PM ET - We're closing Alpha again. Keep an eye on the Alpha forums for future update. http://hypixel.net/skyblock-alpha
UPDATE July 2nd, 2:00PM ET - We're open again! We've moved the Crystal Hollows to it's own instance to allow it to actually exist.
UPDATE July 1st, 1:00PM ET - We're going to have to make a lot of changes to the Crystal Hollows before we can reopen Alpha Net, so we can't give any ETA just yet. However, we have just now opened a forum for players to discuss content on Alpha Net: http://hypixel.net/skyblock-alpha
NOTICE JUNE 30, 6:00PM ET - At this time, we have closed down Alpha Net for a patch. It will open up this week as soon as possible. Thanks for the help!
► Alpha Net Schedule
Wednesday, June 30th until the release of SkyBlock 0.12
► Alpha Net Purpose
We are releasing an update to the Dwarven Caves, nicknamed the Crystal Hollows. Head over to Gwendolyn at the exit of the Dwarven Village to take a trip into the Crystal Hollows! Please note that you will need your Heart of the Mountain to be at least level 2. While we will be locking access to specific ranks at first (starting with MVP++), we will open up to all players eventually as traffic slows down.
Upon joining Alpha Net, your SkyBlock profile will automatically be copied over. Progress will be saved on Alpha Net, but will not be reflected on the Live network.
Alpha Net will be a chaotic experience don't purchase a rank just so you can hop in! Expect the server to restart frequently or even shut down for long periods of time. We are testing things for a reason!
Report all issues and bugs at the usual place - https://hypixel.net/forums/server-bug-reports.35/
Make sure you select alpha.hypixel.net on the Server IP section!
► Reward
If you hop on Alpha Net at least once, you will be eligible to release a unique limited edition collectible Pickaxe. Details about this pickaxe will be released later.
► Known Issues
We are aware of the following issues, please do not report them:
* A few skins are currently missing as they are still being worked on
* The armadillo pet isn't working properly and will be fixed in the next few days
* The Mole perk in HOTM lvl 6 isn't working properly and should be fixed later
* Items, perks, rewards and mobs may not be balanced yet and will change before release
* Yes, you can mine almost anything in the Crystal Hollows. No, it's not a bug.
► Why we are doing this
In the last few months, there have been a few releases that caused a few disasters here and there. We all remember losing a few items to a random inventory or ender chest wipe and Alpha Net is in part a solution to this. By having players hop on Alpha Net with the update released, it will be easy for us to spot wipe glitches and prevent them from ever reaching the Live Network.
We are planning on turning on Alpha Net for all future major releases, for a duration of time-based on the size of the update itself. Minor releases may just come up for a day or two, while massive updates will usually get a week of Alpha Net.
Ultimately, this is an effort from us to improve the process of releasing updates on SkyBlock, as Minecraft inventories can be a really tricky system to mess with.
► What's next for SkyBlock?
We have some pretty exciting plans for SkyBlock, and for the first time, I am ready to share a few of those in the form of a simple roadmap.
The 1.0 release of SkyBlock is finally something we are able to see coming soon, but while I can't give any sort of timeframe on when it will come, I can share a few details on what it is, and what needs to release before it.
Planned Content Updates
Please note that any of these updates or plans may change at any time during development.
Dwarven Mines Update - The Crystal Hollows - July 6th (hopefully)
The Crystal Hollows adds unique mining content, a lot of new items and collections, and a new unique way to enhance armor.
New Island tied to the Foraging Skill - Later in 2021
Foraging needs an update as massive as Mining got with the Crystal Hollows. However, what we are currently planning is nothing anyone could ever guess. More details later!
Revamp of an old Classic - Later in 2021
We will be picking up a combat island that is, let's be honest, completely useless at the moment in the current player progression. I'm sure you guys can figure out which it is just by saying this. Please note that there is a chance this revamp is pushed to 1.0, but at the moment we are planning on releasing it before.
We'll be changing this island so much that at this point it is basically a completely new island. It will also be in a different spot in player progression (late game).
SkyBlock Official 1.0 Release - Sometime in 2022
We have MASSIVE plans for 1.0, and compared to the current game, this will feel like an expansion. This update should come with a LOT of content like new islands and features, which we will provide more information about in the next few months, as well as a complete rebalance of the entire game. The game will leave the Prototype Lobby at that point.
Please note that development is at an extremely early phase for 1.0, and we have no clue when it will be released. If you get too hyped and we delay this to 2023, don't say I didn't warn you.
After 1.0 Release
For any content that comes after 1.0, we are considering the possibility of using recent Minecraft version releases to add even more content to the game. This is an idea we are still exploring, and may not necessarily become a reality (as it would force players to play SkyBlock on the most recent version of Minecraft only), but it is on the table. Think new monsters, better UI, highlights, new blocks etc.
► Wait a minute, did you just write complete rebalance of the entire game with 1.0 release?
Oh that, yeah, I did just write that.
There has been a lot of controversies around recent nerfs and I'd like to address them. First, major nerfs don't come to the game without a lot of thought, we don't just throw them in. All the game designers sit down and figure out if it's a good idea or not, then one dev makes it happen. Blame shouldn't fall on the person who released it, if there is any to be given.
Ultimately, when we nerf content or items in the game, we do it for the health of the game as a whole. As an example, the Strength nerf was necessary, as player damage was reaching ludicrous amounts in some edge cases. Everyone got hit by it, but ultimately, the entirety of the game kept the same difficulty with some rare scenarios requiring maybe one more hit or two.
Now, what's this about a rebalance? As some of you must have noticed, there is an insane discrepancy between the top 1% of players and the rest. Balance in SkyBlock combat is all over the place and not every item makes sense. For the 1.0 release, we will be revisiting every aspect of the game and changing numbers everywhere. It's a lot of math.
The reason for this is the corner we pushed ourselves into for combat content releases. When making new end game combat content, we're at a point where if we make it challenging to end game players, mid game players can't even consider trying it, while the min-max top end player can just come in and one shot that the whole thing. If we balance content around this top player, then only 1% of the player base even stands a chance.
While everyone's first impression of the rebalancing will be that they are hitting less hard than before, enemy health will be lowered to follow this change. We're hoping most content will keep the same "difficulty level", but without having to reach billions of damage per hit. At the same time, we're hoping to buff items, classes, and playstyles that have been left behind, and early game items should be less worthless than they are now.
Please note that we will be conducting a lot of testing sessions with Alpha Net for this new rebalance to make sense at various stages of its development.
► All I hear is SkyBlock, what about my favorite games on Hypixel?
Alpha Net is sadly only for SkyBlock, due to the nature of its economy and persistence of inventories. However, I still come bearing good news, as we do have plans to update older games on the network. Bed Wars is doing absolutely amazing in popularity and will be getting an update before the end of the year, maybe (MAYBE) even before the end of Summer. While other games have not been doing as great, there is a few that deserves some attention and we will be updating them soon too. I can't tell which games yet, nor can I say in which order, or when. There's no point in making promises if we don't know when we can keep them.