Alpha: English public test

English/international prelude Date unresolved Research only

Dates and Episode evidence

Main date: By 2001-09-22 — latest availability bound
Qualification: unresolved
Episode / era: Alpha / Beta; number unassigned — Number unassigned

Status: research record; both guides are drafts for a future local release.

Player guide · Developer guide · Evidence

Full patch record and local plan

Timeline · Developer index · Player index · Next chapter

Status: research chapter; both guides are drafts for a future local release.

Field	Evidence / plan
Historical track	English/international prelude
Episode / era	Alpha / Beta; number unassigned
Main date evidence	By 2001-09-22 — latest availability bound
Date qualification	unresolved
Local target date	Unscheduled
Local release group	global-alpha-2001

Episode evidence: not assigned. International prelude. No authenticated numbered Thai episode applies to this build. alpha2001

Historical schedules, archive capture dates and local rollout dates are distinct. Chapter order is a reference order where exact Thai dates remain unknown.

Historical patch notes

• Five first jobs; Magician and skills unavailable. Start in North Prontera with Knife and Cotton Shirt. Evidence: contemporary observation. alpha2001
• Guide reports healing Jellopy and Resin; potions weigh 5. Red Potion: 30 zeny, 20–30 HP; Blue Potion: 1000 zeny, 50–60 SP. Evidence: contemporary observation. alpha2001
• Poring drops include Jellopy, rare Sticky Mucus and Cutter. Guide provides qualitative rarity, not numerical drop rates. Evidence: contemporary observation. alpha2001

Player guide

The English Alpha is a separate starting scenario with a smaller job and skill set. It is background for the Thai progression.

What to explore in this stage

• Explore the reconstructed starting area and basic combat once its map revision is identified.
• Use only the jobs and healing items supported by the Alpha reference; later job guides do not describe this stage.

Before the local update

• Expect a separate character scenario unless an explicit Alpha-to-Beta conversion is designed.

These activities describe the intended stage. Exact local requirements and availability must be confirmed in the released build before this draft becomes a player announcement.

Developer guide

Implementation work

• Define an Alpha-only map, item and job allowlist from the dated guide.
• Model healing loot separately from later item definitions.
• Keep natural recovery, EXP and numerical drops unresolved until evidence supports a profile.

Character and world migration

• Document whether Alpha characters are retired or converted; no historical continuity into Thai CBT is assumed.

Acceptance checks

• The starting map, equipment and permitted jobs match the selected Alpha reference.
• Unavailable jobs and later skills cannot be acquired.
• Healing-loot behavior is tested independently from modern potion rules.

Affected areas: world, jobs, recovery, experience, monsters.

Use the mechanics history for candidate rules and developer reference for pinned comparison files. The release checklist defines the future evidence, migration and runtime gates.

Unresolved before qualification

• Exact alpha build.
• Natural recovery.
• Exp curve.
• Monster stats.
• Numeric drop rates.
• Alpha maps client.

Sources and official records

Original operator documents, republications, reporting and foreign comparisons are labelled separately. A source listed here is not proof that every rule in it applies to this stage.

Source details and limitations

• September 2001 English Alpha player guide — community research; player guide. alpha2001 Document date: 2001-09-22. Access: recorded in existing research no new fetch. Guide date is not Alpha launch date. Observational values and rare/common labels are not authenticated server records.

Record: global-alpha-2001 in timeline.json. Guides: handbook-guides.json. Local plan: release-plan.json.

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