Freedom City
Freedom City (abbreviated FC) is a major settlement settlement near to Spawn, and is one of the largest cities on the server by area and number of builds. The city was founded upon the 1.16 Nether Update and was formerly the headquarters for USUV.
It is made up of multiple town-sized districts such as entertainment and industrial areas, hence the name "Alliance". These areas surround a large City Center district featuring a mixture of colorful modern designs, and a grid-style street layout.
FC has hosted multiple large events over its history, and is rich with developments, culture and variety. It is well connected to other locations in the Spawn region via both overworld and nether transport links.
It was renamed from Alliance City following the events of NYE Spectacular 4: The Finale on December 31, 2023 in which a large area of the City Centre was destroyed by a meteorite impact.
History
Before 1.16
Once it was known that spawn would be moving to a brand new area of the world following the 1.16 update, plans began to be made by existing town leaders on whether to continue working on their existing locations or start fresh in the "new world". A few weeks before the update, a new organization, ASUV (later USUV) had been founded as an alliance between a few towns on the server. The town leaders, most notably Southern Hollow, began to put together a plan to build a new city that would act as headquarters for the new alliance, hence the original name "Alliance City".
The original plan was for large themed districts of representing different towns, each surrounding a large City Center that would act as the hub of the city. The plans were put into motion, and diagrams, designs for the headquarters and in-game models were created to prepare for the update and spawn move. Alliance City was therefore one of the most pre-planned settlements on the server, and had the advantage of being immediately ready to start construction after the update was implemented and a location was chosen.
Since then, FC has evolved to focus more on its own identity and less on themed areas of other towns, and distanced itself from ASUV's name to avoid confusion. The name "Alliance" became more about the residents and the different districts.
The First Day
The 1.16 update arrived on July 4 2020 and as soon as the new spawn location was accessible, work began on finding a perfect spot for AC. It didn't take long, as a coastal site with an excellent mix of biomes such as plains, swamps, mountains and forests was found very close to new spawn and directly on the western axis with it. It also had a great nether location, being on a cliffside overlooking a huge lava lake which was important for plans in this dimension.
Work started on claiming the land by using small huts and homes across a large area, plus a nether portal and access from the hub were set up. It was decided that the City Center would be the most important area to start with in a large plains biome, so designs for the road network were chosen. The first road (eventually called Manhattan Street) stretched from the coast to where the plains met hills. A fountain was set up and plots were marked for ASUV headquarters as well as the transport hub which would link several transport modes together. The very first city plan was put together which outlined detailed roads and plots in the city center, plus a wider view of possible district locations.
Early Developments
FC was extremely fortunate to have a neighbor settlement to the east also starting out, Sky Temple. A project was being worked on to connect Sky Temple to the spawn area via a railway bridge, and it just so happened the bridge lined up perfectly with AC's Transport Hub location. A deal was reached and the railway was extremely rapidly built, connecting into the Transport Hub's second floor, AC's very first building to be completed. The railway was extremely important for AC's growth, allowing players to naturally discover the city from spawn. The plains chosen was very hilly, so a lot of work was going on to flatten out the land to make way for City Center developments.
Activity was beginning to happen in AC's other districts. The eastern mountain range was going to be transformed into "Utopia", a blackstone and warped wood themed medieval town, while a resort representing WestHaven was outlined to the north. East of the City Center, areas were also reserved for future shopping and industrial zones.
Throughout the month of July, progress was rapid. ASUV headquarters was completed and hosted its first meeting on the 25th, just three weeks after FC was founded. The meeting culminated in the first Battle of Alliance City as the ASUV representatives defended against the attacking Murder Gang, with a peace treaty being agreed later in the pub. The Central Park area was outlined, and Ye Olde Alliance Pub, an unplanned but eventually famous venue was set up south of the park. Smoke Tower, the city's first skyscraper began construction, and the Alliance Gate Bride linking to the Southern Swamp was finished.
FC had quickly become the server's most active and fast-growing settlement, and has retained a lot of that momentum ever since. AC's banner, decided by a poll, encompasses the "Global City" feel of AC, and lead to the official colors becoming black and gold.
2020
Progress continued rapidly throughout the rest of the year. Skyscrapers were a major theme, with the Yin-Yang tower starting a trend of apartment buildings that were to be offered to new and old players alike to encourage city development. Due to the ongoing "Fake Cold War" with communist towns, an anti-missile defence system and DEFCON threat level were introduced. This however sparked concern from pacifists, and a hippie van was built next to the missile launcher as a countermeasure. Both vehicles were moved to a new location in the city as land was needed for construction. Other districts progressed too, with the warped-wood medieval style Utopia area on the hill seeing much development.
To the east, land was cleared for the enormous factory which would one day house the vast majority of AC's farming infrastructure, and some initial basic farms were built. Beneath the city center, work wsa continuing on a large player base known as the "Dark Settlement". Construction was ongoing on several additional projects, mostly skyscrapers. These included the Hobo Apartments, which would later go on to be one of the most packed buildings in the city; the City Hall; Ellie-Rarrq Tower; and Hobo Embassy. The latter three of which would not have complete interiors for some time, but made a big difference to the skyline.
A working Big Ben replica was constructed behind the pub which showed the time on the clockface and played the iconic chimes throughout the day, which would later be linked to a noteblock rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" which would become the national anthem of AC. The first of many City Center Masterplans was published in September, which outlined the long term strategic vision for the city, notably the northern island which was still a forested area with rough terrain at the time.
The Central Park saw several new developments. The first was a pair of tennis courts in the north-east quarter of the park, which finally completed the layout of the city's most important leisure area and would go on to inspire AC's most famous minigame. Secondly, the park was transformed into an autumnal style, starting a trend of seasonal decor throughout the park and parts of the wider city. The Ooga Titan, a monolithic statue offshore was completed.
Work was completed on two new security-focused buildings: USUV Security Forces and the Intelligence Agency, the latter of which was used to plan security missions, manage DEFCON threat level and investigate potential causes of tension. A basic trading hall was built with several of each villager types for public trading. Design work began on one of the most impressive builds on the server, pipe tower, which would be built around the trading hall and encompass multi-level trading, apartment floors, and a spectacular exterior layout. A smaller apartment building opposite Hobo Embassy was also completed.
At the end of September, the first of several Tennis Tournaments was held in the park. The event was hailed as a success due to the minigame being relatively simple and fun. It would go on to feature at the Olympics and AC Festival, as well as several independent competitions.
October began with the development of further tranportation infrastructure. The first lines of the metro system were opened, connecting from the Transport Hub to Dark Settlment and City Hall, respectively. Additionally, the DuoDrone prgram was introduced to the city, and four aircraft were stationed at Smoke Tower to match the four cardinal directions. The FC courthouse was completed with all the required facilities to host a trial, but sadly it has not been used to date. A parking garage was installed below the city hall to show off car builds.
Work began on the harbor area of the city. This firstly involved a lighthouse build, and later a dock area where boats could be constructed at a later date. It also inspired the sea wall design which would eventually surround the entire coastline of AC. "Party Tower" was started, an ambitious idea for a skyscraper which would see a different player complete each floor of the building.
Teraforming of the north island continued at pace. The forest and hills made way for flat land primed for building, and the road network quickly spread north, along with bridges to turn the river into a canal network. The area was named Urbhattan, and more than doubled the land area on offer to the City Center. The first area to be planned for the new island was an emergency services block featuring a fire station, hospital and police department. The fire station was first to be completed with the hospital following shortly after thanks to a build contract. The police station would not be completed until 2022.
A new ambitious tower was completed in November, Eco Tower. This tower features a green and blue style and spiralled design. It has a rooftop bar and infinity pool at the top, plus the start of the citywide elytra course, and luxury apartment space in the lower floors. It was completed entirely in survival with no schematics. Metro expansion continued, with new lines to the Mercuria shop district and the factory. Behind the factory itself, a basic tree farm design was copied from Southern Hollow. Meanwhile, Mercuria saw a slight revival with a new hub building and a vareiety of new plots and shops, but continued struggling to compete with Borealis.
December marked the Christmas season for the city and meant a huge makeover. Snow covered most of the city, decorative banners and trees were put up, and the park was completely transformed with a giant Christmas Tree and other festive features. Separately, a new art wall was erected for players to create their own urban graffiti at any time. The metro was expanded even further, with stations for Ender's Base, the forestry area and Wooptey Farms.
The year ended with AC's most famous showpiece event, NYE Spectacular. The event saw raffles, fun minigames and year-end speeches, all building up to a large fireworks display surrounding the Central Park. It ended with the destruction of the park Christmas tree from unknown causes, but the event was still very well received and brought the server to near full capacity. It marked the start of an annual tradition of large events on 31 December.
2021
Coming soon!
2022
Coming soon!
2023
Coming soon!
Districts
City Center
The City Center is the main hub of Alliance City and by far its largest area, being the first district to be started after the city was founded. It utilizes an American-style city grid layout, with square blocks of streets with buildings filling the gaps. There are multiple skyscrapers in the area, including Smoke Tower, USUV HQ, Eco Tower, two Hobo Towers, Pipe Tower (including the Stonkmarket), ER Tower and Yin-Yang Tower. There is also a large central park in the middle of the district which includes tennis courts and gardens. Other notable builds include: AC Transport Hub, Alliance Gate Bridge, Ye Olde Alliance Pub, Post Office, Parking Garage, Customs House, Seaside Cafe, Big Ben, Department of Advertisement, Intelligence Agency, USUV Security Force, Roman Embassy, Courthouse, Fire Station, Harbor area, lighthouse, Cyber-Net Cafe High-Rise, and many many more.
Under construction projects include the Hospital, Police Station, Dwarf Tower, Party Tower, Museum and the City Hall, plus various building interiors. There are plans for a Mediterranean-themed restaurant, large yacht and boats, seaside attractions and beach, a university campus, a zoo and multiple other projects, mostly as part of a massive northern expansion of the region.
City plans are developed regularly to guide development of AC.
Horde (Nether)
Horde is the Nether dimension gateway of Alliance City, and is counted as a district. It consists of various portals to different city districts, piglin and basalt farms, a Hollow Knight statue and a link to both the roof and lower nether highways. On the nether roof there is a gold farm and a public porkchop/leather farm.
There are plans for an enormous Satanic Temple by Zythose.
Mercuria Shopping
Mercuria is Alliance's shopping area and lies to the north-east of the City Center, behind forested hills. Its road design is a mixed stone pattern with glowstone lamps. The area was originally the only and most popular new world shopping destination prior to Borealis and is currently undergoing revival and expansion. Its theme is mixed and it does not require a minimum height for all builds like the city center.
Hephasdor
An Industrial Zone that is the the redstone and farming hub of the city, providing produce for its residents. Most of this is centered around the Factory, a huge but incomplete build that contains farms such as gunpower, iron, sugarcane, wool and others. The factory is planned to host many more farms, both underground and surface level. Additionally, decorative builds such as other factories and industrial tech are planned in the area.
Players can obtain a Factory Pass by contriuting to the city, which grants farm access.
Snythvale
Synthvale is an entertainment district on the east of the northern lagoon. It is a synthwave style with vibrang blhe and purple palettes and consists of bars, clubs, music venues, a stadium, minigames, and theme park rides.
The Stadium of Light is a major landmark of the district.
Forestry and Lumber
Just past the Mega Factory lies the forest and logging area. It has tree farms set up in the style of Southern Hollow and will in future feature lumber mills and various other projects to fit the aesthetic.
Cere Valley
South of the city in a narrow valley is the agricultural area. It is not fully developed but features large open crop and flower fields and farm style builds.
Utopia
A uniquely styled area situated on the eastern mountain range overlooking the rest of the city. It uses a unique warped wood, basalt and blackstone design. There are many homes, with plans to add more buildings in the near future.
WestHaven Resort
The WestHaven Resort is at the northern tip of Urbhattan Island and features a hotel in the style of the town. Possible future projects include gardens, metro station, docks and other styled areas.
Jovaphobic's District
Jova's district was initially separate to AC, but agreed to join later. It is a walled medieval town lying on the eastern plains.
Seramalen's District
Sera's area is north of Dean's district, in the birch forest. It's a wooded village with apartments and a few houses, plus some farming fields.
Dark Settlement
The Dark Settlement is an underground base below the city center. It is hell and nether themed and is currently only accessible via the Spawn Region Metro or its portal. There will be an entrance skyscraper on the surface in the future.
Ender's District
Ender's area is a large circular underwater base off the western shore of the city. It is being drained to allow for future building.
Wooptey Farms
A district on the far eastern edge of the city on the border of Sky Temple, inhabited by Wooptey and their friends. There is a large pink and magenta tower, crop farms, and various other small builds.
Southern Swamp Area
The Southern Swamp does not yet have a designated style or leader. It lies at the south end of the Alliance Gate Bridge.
Transport
Nether
The city is very well connected in the nether. It is the only location to utilize all three levels of nether highway from spawn, making access simple and easy. Almost all districts have their own portal which makes fast travel very efficient.
Western Railway
FC City Center is at the terminus of the Western Railway which connects directly to spawn, Borealis, Sky Temple and AC's Shopping and Industrial Zones. There is an ongoing project to provide boat access to the railway in addition to minecart.
Harbor and Canals
Being a costal city, it is very simple to access the area by boat. Canals through the city allow boats to travel to inland areas also.
Canals
FC has several cannels throughout the city, and links into a wider canal project connecting the Western Metropolitan Area.
Metro
Spawn Region Metro is a large system of underground boat highways in the overworld, originating from FC. The system has expanded greatly and now serves most major city district, and even to Spawn, Borealis and other towns.
Foreign Relations
Being the former home of USUV, FC gets on very well with almost all other towns. It is currently one of the most popular and active places on the server. Cloud City, Sky Temple and Southern Hollow are considered its closest allies.
Cara
FC and the Comrades Union towns (most significantly Cara Nova) have differing economic systems with some dubbing their relationship as a "Fake Cold War". However, there have been very few incidents between the two and generally a good if not cautious relationship is maintained. FC has a DEFCON system to indicate the likeliness conflict.