One continuous world
Walk, dig, swim, and climb across a single authoritative globe — partitioned by region workers, not instanced shards.
Flatland3 is a global-world MMORPG built in Rust — one continuous map, region workers for scale, and a graphical play client (flatland3-gfx) you can install in one line (no Rust toolchain). Every rule runs on the server; every item is unique; gfx art syncs by publish revision.
Fight goblins, trade with brokers, climb z-band cliffs, loot containers, and craft — while agents and operators manage the same world through CLIs and HTTP APIs.
Prebuilt flatland3 + flatland3-gfx archives for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Sprites still sync from Firebase after install. Builds are unsigned alpha — Gatekeeper / SmartScreen may warn.
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curl -fsSL https://flatland-8911e.web.app/assets/install-client.sh | bash
irm https://flatland-8911e.web.app/assets/install-client.ps1 | iex
Prefer building from source? cargo install flatland3-gfx and flatland3 on crates.io.
Most MMOs fake continuity with instances and matchmaking. Flatland3 optimizes for persistence: one ruleset, one economy, one map — scaled horizontally with region workers and hot content deploys.
Walk, dig, swim, and climb across a single authoritative globe — partitioned by region workers, not instanced shards.
Gateway + region worker architecture with postcard wire protocol, AOI streaming, and combat resolved on the server.
flatland3-gfx — Macroquad world map, egui HUD, sprite sheets, shops, combat, and z-band elevation. One-line install — no Rust required.
HTTP control plane, API tokens, flatland-admin content tools, and JSON-capable CLI for bots and automation.
Every item mint is unique — no best-in-slot gear chase. Player crafters and NPC brokers drive supply and demand.
Versioned segment YAML rolls out without downtime — terrain, NPCs, buildings, and loot tables ship as content.
Use the Download installer for flatland3-gfx + flatland3, then point at a live gateway — or use the monorepo dev stack (make dev-play-gfx).
curl -fsSL https://flatland-8911e.web.app/assets/install-client.sh | bash. Windows (PowerShell): irm https://flatland-8911e.web.app/assets/install-client.ps1 | iex. Or pick a platform archive in Download.flatland3 auth register --email you@example.com --password '…' or flatland3 auth login. Session is saved under ~/.config/flatland/session.json.flatland3 character create YourName (names are unique per account; play never auto-creates characters).flatland3 config set-host <gateway-ip> (game :7373, API :7380). For local hacking, clone the repo and run make dev-restart + make dev-play-gfx.flatland3 assets sync downloads sprite bundles from Firebase (auto-syncs on connect for installed clients).flatland3-gfx --name YourName. Move with WASD, click-to-walk, f to interact/harvest, ? for keybinds, F2 for connection settings.Full operator reference: CLI & Developer Guide · Gfx client: Macroquad client spec · Source: GitHub
Authoritative design for the current revision — vision, runtime, combat, economy, and world systems. No historical checklists or external doc dependencies.
Why Flatland exists and how the global world scales.
Rust stack, gateway, workers, control plane, and wire protocol.
Rust workspace, Postgres/Redis, TCP wire, postcard codec, process layout.
Read →Email/password, scoped API tokens, UUID v7 items, HTTP control plane.
Read →Binaries, env vars, auth, local stack, Oracle alpha (server2), and --host.
Read →Gateway/worker split, wire protocol, combat, storage, and z-bands as built.
Read →flatland3-gfx primary client — Macroquad map, egui HUD, client-ui extraction.
Read →LLM/image-model spec for transparent square cell PNGs, sheet YAML, modes, and sprite_modes mapping.
Read →Third-party HUD crates for flatland3-gfx — toasts, modals, virtual lists, icons, markdown help.
Read →Maps, coordinates, NPCs, buildings, and YAML content pipelines.
AOI horizon, z-extent, multi-scale grid, cartography, world coordinates.
Read →Unified NPC definitions, schedules, dialogue, wildlife, and goblin camps.
Read →YAML schematics, phased build, interiors, doors, and fixtures.
Read →Segment YAML, admin CLI, validation, and starter map content.
Read →Wild resource nodes, loot tables, growth-zone respawn, and farm-crop harvest parity.
Read →Tax, property, and growth overlays — harvest sinks, crown claim catalogs, fertility and till knobs.
Read →Biome zones, kind/family adjacency, procgen fill, cultivate/degrade deltas, weather multipliers.
Read →Elevation-first Generate pipeline: heightmap, moisture, biome lookup, smoothing, rivers, and paths replacing the flat single-noise draw.
Read →Jurisdiction overlays for worker logistics plus security/PvP/crime fields for plan 14; map editor layer.
Read →On-demand rectangular packs while players occupy a zone; loot-style pool, idle despawn, no wildlife respawn.
Read →Postgres overlays refreshed on game-day slots; deterministic talk; no live LLM chat.
Read →Place any item template as a findable pickup - one-time or tick-based respawn - in the world or interiors.
Read →Content-admin spreadsheet view for segment placements — filter, multi-select, inline and bulk edits on MapLayout.
Read →Shared pattern primitives, color ramps, reorderable layer stack, and in-browser pixel brushes for Base terrain.
Read →Movement, inventory, crafting, economy, survival, and player identity.
Fractional plots, deeds, upkeep, farm access, tax share, and the own→till→plant→harvest loop.
Read →Hoe and dibber tools, zone till/fallow knobs, planting channels, and plot teardown.
Read →Respawn points, corpse loot, soul-bound items, death penalties.
Read →Mass/volume, packable nesting, banks, currency, containers, dimensional pouch.
Read →No hard mass reject; Green/Yellow/Orange/Red carry bands; continuous speed/stamina/needs curves and Strength XP.
Read →Recipe graph, tools, stations, player food economy, weapons.
Read →Zone-linked market halls, escrow listings, bank settlement, crown sales tax, NPC dump shops.
Read →Hall dump-queue listings at NPC price mode; scheduled FIFO sweeps, convenience fee, seller notices.
Read →Yaw, velocity, FOV, primaries, derived stats, z-band movement.
Read →Fastest (true ETA / roads) vs Direct auto-nav; shared A* for players and NPCs.
Read →HP, mana, stamina, hunger, thirst, and damage resolution.
Read →Profile edits, unlimited known innates, active loadout swaps.
Read →Complete combat reference — pools, armor, abilities, DoTs, loadouts, wildlife leash.
Full explainer: HP/mana, armor, weapons, damage types, DoTs, heals, GCD, loadouts, rotations, leash, roam, threat.
Read →Per-ability XP and tiers from use; stacks with school skills and attributes.
Read →Home leash, threat tables, ability aggro_modifier, click/SHIFT-click targets, pursue hold.
Read →Catalog effects vs instance grants; on_hit / while_equipped modes; effect duration vs binding TTL (fortify oil 1h).
Read →Respawn, carcass TTL, ground drops, and free-for-all pickup windows.
Read →Authoritative melee/cone/sphere/beam footprints and hit markers on the gfx map.
Read →Workers, chat/trade, justice, enchanting, and procedural unique gear.
Nearby/whisper/stone chat, P2P trade window, acoustics, and gfx CHAT column.
Read →Hired workers, wages by route effort + travel + level, lodging treasury, food sink, XP pacing.
Read →Evil rating, guards, wanted boards, bounties, jail, prayer.
Read →Enchants on all instances including food and potions.
Read →No BiS gear — every mint unique, procedural loot, item permanence.
Read →World overseer, health snapshots, and operator surfaces.