Revision as of 08:55, 17 July 2008

Singularity

Singularity is a public test server for EVE Online that is used by both CCP developers and by EVE players to test changes and new features before they are released to the Tranquility server.

Its primary function is to provide a test environment as close as possible to the live environment of Tranquility. For this purpose, the Tranquility database is "mirrored" (copied) over to the Singularity server once every few months, or depending on the test team's needs.

Another benefit of the test server is that it allows players to do some testing of their own, either by trying out yet unreleased features and items or by testing ships, modules, skills or structures - on their own or against other players.

Technical details

The Singularity server runs on a cluster - that is a group of linked computers that work together. This makes it a multi-node server with multiple proxy servers. The number of nodes may vary, as the development team will add or remove hardware resources from the cluster depending on testing requirements.

The Singularity database is distinct from the Tranquility database, although they are being synchronized periodically. Thus, actions taken on the Singularity server will not affect your account or character on the Tranquility server.

Mirroringbr The process of "mirroring" consists of taking an exact copy of the Tranquility database, including character and account data, like a snapshot. This copy is then processed by the CCP Deployment team and all starbases are removed, in order to prevent players from spying on their positions and then using this information on the live server. Moon minerals are also scrambled, to prevent moon scouting on the test server. This entire process can take up to 3 days, then the Singularity server is open for public.

After a mirroring process, the Tranquility and Singularity databases are separate and distinct and no synchronization between them will occur untill the next mirror is taken from Tranquility and deployed on Singularity. Character progression on Singularity will be independent of Tranquility - players can effectively train two different sets of skills on the same character, if they so wish.

Accessing Singularity

In order to access the Singularity server you need to have an active account on Tranquility. The account needs to have been active at the time when the current mirror was taken, this date is usually mentioned in the Game Development forum.

For example, if your account expired on August 15th and the database mirror is taken 3 days later, your account will be inactive on Singularity, even if you reactivate it on Tranquility afterwards.

If your account is active on Tranquility but you find you are having login problems on Singularity, you can look for help in this thread.

As Singularity is most of the time running a different code version than Tranquility, you will need to create a separate EVE folder to connect to Singularity. Copy your TQ installation to that new folder, create a shortcut and add the following in the Target box in the shortcut's properties: " /server:87.237.38.50". You can then click on the shortcut to connect to the test server.

Updating the Singularity client

Autopatching

In some cases the autopatching process is enabled for Singularity, in which case your client version will be detected and the appropriate patch will be downloaded and installed.

Manual paching

If autopatching is not enabled then you will need to download and install the patch manually. To do this, go to the test server patch download page and select your client type (Windows Classic/Premium, Mac or Linux). From there you can either download a patch from the Tranquility client version to the current Singularity version, or select your current client version from a drop-down menu.

Related links

* Rules of conduct on Singularity - http://eve.ecsoftware.cz/Test_server_rules.html