ATLAS

Ahoy Pathfinders! To start 2022 right, as promised, we're doing a little house cleaning. We're addressing many of the issues that you, the community, have been asking for in our latest patch. We have a host of bug fixes and optimizations listed below that we hope will fix the lingering problems from previous iterations, so we can start fresh moving into the new year. Along with these changes, we're fully implementing our first wonder, the Great Temple. This structure is the pinnacle of glory for all pathfinders. Companies will have to plot, scheme, and pool all of their resources to be the first, and only, masters of this great Wonder. Not only will they go down in history as the first Pirate legends to complete this stunning achievement but they will also gain “wondrous” benefits that will persist into the next season. Finally, we also have a new transport ship, the Tramp Freighter. This cost-effective hauler will help ease the load of transporting cargo in the early stages of your pirate journey. Check out the details of all our changes below. While not complete, we are grateful for all the feedback we’ve received from the community and ask for your continued assistance in making Atlas the best it can be. As always, we appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam. Servers will be going down tonight, 1/12 at around 7:00 PM Pacific Time. Note: We are in the final stages of development for our public facing issue tracker to better address the community’s concerns in balance with ongoing development efforts, with hopes to have it available by the end of the month. Please join us on the Official ATLAS Discord http://discord.gg/playatlas for all the latest happenings! Released Patch Notes Patch v536.03 New Content: The Great Temple The Great Temple Monument has been fully released. Players have visited the structure on the wonder islands in H9, I9, J9, K9 in Africa, and it is now claimable/buildable. To build the Great Temple players will need to build the Monuments Studies Modular room at the Damned Smithy and place it into a Cursed Temple. At the Monuments Studies Modular room players can craft the Great Temple Exterior. Once the exterior has been crafted, bring it to the foundation locations on one of the four wonder islands. These are lawless claim, so be careful, your temple can be stolen. Once placed, the Great Temple have 6 stages of progression, which are viewable at the Progression Table located in the entryway of the Temple. To progress from stage to stage you will need a large amount of resources and at least one week of real life time. The first company to reach stage 6 completes The Great Pyramid Wonder, which gives a permanent buff to all company members of +20 Fortitude. This buff is persistent and will carry over to next season! Stage resource requirements: Stage 2 Strongwood: 50,000 Limestone:100,000 Flint: 10,000 Mythos: 2000 Stage 3 Strongwood: 150,000 Marble: 175,000 Flint: 15,000 Mythos: 3000 Stage 4 Strongwood: 200,000 Sandstone: 300,000 Flint: 50,000 Mythos: 5000 Stage 5 Strongwood: 100,000 Slate: 500,000 Flint: 100,000 Mythos: 2 Stage 6 Build and place Sarcophagus in the main courtyard. Sarcophagus New bed that is restricted to the Great Temple. This bed completes the Great Temple and allows for instant respawn and bed transfers. Cost: Wood: 25 Thatch: 125 Fibers: 30 Hide: 40 Tramp Freighter The Tramp Freighter is a low cost vessel great for early game transport. It is a 2 length ship and comes attached with multiple cargo racks attached to both sides. It would suit any pathfinder for transport reasons. Cost: Wood: 1000 Thatch: 800 Fiber: 800 Metal: 100 Max Level: 60 Sail Points: 5 Module Points: 12 Attached Sails: one large and one medium handling sail Bug Fixes: Fixed instances where activated fire visual effects were floating above the lumberyard Fixed instances where activated fire visual effects were floating above the quarry Fixed instances where the schooner and raft could disappear from a small shipyard after server restart Fixed instances where transient nodes would not change position after a week Fixed instances where quest markers were in the wrong grid Fixed instances where the interaction with the irrigation system and a grill would cause unintended effects Fixed instances where players were able to damage other players on some freeport islands in PVE Fixed instances when trying to replace a sail would not correctly subtract the amount of sail points to be reduced from the old sail Fixed instances where waves could allow or disallow sail placement Fixed instances of weight not being correctly calculated when placing items in dinghy hangar railings Fixed instances where using a portal to the kraken’s lair caused the player to spawn facing the incorrect direction Fixed instances where some grids have freeport island selection when respawning Fixed instances of holes in the ocean Fixed instances of game crashes where players would be stuck unable to reconnect Fixed instances where some modular rooms could be placed on pillars Fixed instances where the tutorial volume is not controlled by the options Fixed instances where the storage box could only be crafted at the smithy Fixed instances where using the transient tracker and activating the map the compass would cause the compass to be invisible Fixed instances of placing structures on pillars and allowing them to float Fixed instances of pathfinders losing proper movement after teleporting while crouching Fixed instances where structures would be placed on freeport islands Fixed instances of the Broadsider spawning too far back in shipyards. Fixed instances where players could replace sails disregarding collision Fixed instances of Quest markers being in incorrect locations Fixed instances where Dyes would not be highlighted when able to craft Fixed instances where the Damned Smithy could be built on ships Fixed instances where the Songstone could be built on ships Fixed instances where Monument studies room had the incorrect model Fixed instances where Altars of the Damned were spawning iridium ingots Fixed instances where Damned Smithy’s were not placeable near the C11 Altar of the Damned Fixed instances where NPC’s that are attached to cannons, puckles, and sails would not take damage Fixed instances where Unnatural Fog ritual would crash the server Fixed instances where blueprint ships would not be created with 100% durability Fixed instances where treasure maps found in Tortuga would lead players outside of Tortuga Fixed instances where multiple taxation banks can be spawned at sea forts Fixed instances where multiple small sails could be placed at the front of the Turtle Ship Fixed instances where AotD ships would ignore some modular ships Fixed instances where structure placer would incorrectly display available snap points Fixed instances where island claim points are reset to 0 after a server restart Fixed instances where blueprinted ship modules would not start at 100% durability Misc: Maximum stack size for most food/drink recipes in the grill and cooking pot increased from 5 to 30 Grenades can now be stored in the munitions Storage UI changes made for the chatbox when creating a pathfinder Added Tiny Shipyard back into the Basics of Sailing skill, and allowed it to be crafted in the player inventory Increased maximum durability found on shipyards Vegetables and herbs can now be stored in the silo Cows and lions have increased mating ranges Reduced effectiveness of small and medium sails on some modular ships Reduced max sail points available on Broadsider BPs Dragon's Tongue Delight is now categorized as a drink Cursed grog can now be stored in the keg Mace Stun duration has been reduced Additional changes coming in a future patch Mace Stun ability cooldowns has been increased Additional changes coming in a future patch Shield bash stun ability cooldown have been increased Additional changes coming in a future patch Shipyards will now give demolish rewards excluding gold Known Issues: Xbox memory leak causing crashes when loading large amounts of textures Sarcophagus icon shows the icon for a simple bed Sarcophagus crafting resources are incorrect The Known Issues pertaining to the previous releases has been omitted from this list. We are creating a public facing issue tracker to follow them. Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! New land masses be appearin' on the horizon! The harsh climate and lack of water sources will make this area challenging to live on, but shapes of a mysterious building can be made out through thick fog covering part of the island. Monumental achievements await pathfinders seeking to call this Wonderous island home. With these changes comes a new map, a wipe and a new season for ATLAS! We’re taking the first step into building upon the vast world and wide seas of ATLAS. With this update, we are merging the NA and EU PVP servers into one large global server that we will continue to expand on as we work with the community to shape the ATLAS world. A big thank you to our passionate Pathfinders who helped steer our sails towards this grand new direction. We look forward to continuing to work with the community to enrich the world with more lands to explore and seas to discover! Servers will be going down to deploy the update tomorrow night, 12/15 at around 7:00 PM Pacific Time. The next patch is expected to be more focused on bug fixing and optimization as we design and flesh out our next steps for expanding the ATLAS map. We are also working on creating a public facing issue tracker to better address the community’s concerns in balance with ongoing development efforts. Please join us on the Official ATLAS Discord here for all the latest happenings! Released Patch Notes V535.8 New Content: Island locations: H9, I9, J9, K9 High heat ravages the island, be prepared with plenty of water Some creatures have higher base levels Lawless claim Tortuga Tortuga is a new freeport located outside of Rookie Cove that anyone can visit at any time from the portals located in Central waters. Buy and shop for seeds, crewmembers and other basics that you need for your adventures. Tramp Freighter This new ship is a small and sturdy cargo hauler. It can carry more than other ships of its size and still retain respectable speed. It can not currently be built, but blueprints can be located in flotsam and shipwrecks. Building the Tramp Freighter will be released in the next patch. Bug Fixes: Fixed instances of incorrectly picking up insect meat with tames Fixed instances of the schooner and raft from disappearing from the small shipyard Fixed instances of oxygen not working correctly underwater Fixed instances of turning on ships in unintended ways Fixed instances of sails being up upon gridding (PvE) Fixed instances of treasure maps taking you to inaccessible grids Fixed instances of shoulder tames not working correctly after bed travel Fixed instances of incorrect durability on a medkit Fixed instances of the Medkit affecting character models unintentionally Fixed instances of spoil times not working correctly Fixed instances where resources were generating incorrectly in damned altars Fixed Instances where submarines were being stored incorrectly Fixed instances where there was unintended underwater visibility range on ships Fixed an issue with the zipline sending player in unintended directions Modular ship sailing behavior adjusted across the board Fixed instances of incorrect resource amounts when replacing modules Fixed instances where damned smithy icon was incorrect Fixed instances of ships being lost when attempting to border in Central Maw Fixed instances of blueprint modular ships losing sails Fixed instances of items in players' hotbars disappearing after bed travel Fixed instances of players losing control while repairing modular ships and bordering simultaneously Fixed instances of markers not being able to be placed correctly Fixed trade path between I1 and E5 Fixed issues with tax rates changing when owning players are changing servers Fixed an issue where the songstone was not placeable Fixed an issue where restoring defaults on options would reset multiple menus Fixed an issue where a player would be taxed by their own seafort Fixed an issue where structures built from the damned smithy had incorrect damage calculations Misc: Gold cost from building base versions of ships has been removed The scaffolding for the Broadsider in the Shipyard is now correct The scaffolding for the Cog in the Basic and Advanced shipyard is now correct The locations of Transient nodes now correctly change weekly The cooldowns for the Repair Fiend and Rally the Troops UI will now display correctly Ships of the Damned will now return to their original location upon losing their target Treasure Maps no longer have a spoil time Emergency Ladder on Cog, Carrack, Harrier, Kraken is working as intended Smithy inventory max items increased from 150 to 300 Gold has been added as a base cost to the shipyards Changes made to the skills search bar to be more consistent Cosmetic polish to skills for clarity and uniformity Loot tables for blueprints in maps have been adjusted to be more in line with other drop sources The cooking pot grill and preserving bag can now only store items needed for its use Updated multiple item descriptions and names for spelling errors Certain Damned Altars will no longer be floating in mid-air Fixed instances in which resetting options to default would affect all option instead of the set a player was currently looking at XBOX only: Overworld map has been taken out of single player due to visibility issues Fixed issues where large islands would crash XBOX players Known Issues: Scale of the map for wonder islands are inaccurate Discovery Zones for wonder islands are inaccurate Crude Tool is removed from player's craftables after a character respec Island selection in a4-d4 is not working as intended There is inaccurate. outdated text in the server select menu (Until 10/28:...) Quest marker for the lower left Africa Golden Age Ruin is incorrect (G9)+ Destroying shipyards will give no resources Tax rates are not being set correctly *The Known Issues pertaining to the previous releases has been omitted from this list. We are creating a public facing issue tracker to follow them. Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! In the continuing effort to communicate and listen to our community, we'll be posting questions intermittently to get the pulse of the community and integrate their feedback into our future development of Atlas. This week's question is below: Do you want EU PVP and NA PVP realms to be combined into Global PVP? Vote by using the reactions on this post (haha) for yes, (confused ) for no. This new Global PVP will be pc/xbox crossplay. This poll will run until December 14th. Thank you for your responses and support! Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

*Nathan, I'm sorry...* If only I hadn't been so foolish, maybe things would have been different. Like a moth to a flame, I followed the destinations laid out in the journal, enamored by the thought of new discovery. From the night I found my brother lying dead on the beach and the narrow escape from the figures in black cloaks, I had sided with destiny to determine my fate and thrown precaution to the wind. And now, in a raging tempest in uncharted waters, hunted by those I eluded before, the journey is now over as our small ship sails directly into a mythical disc described in the journal. With nearly the entire ship lost behind this circular veil, I accepted my fate and closed my eyes as the ominous disc swept over me. ... ... A breath... and then another. "Does one still draw breath in the afterlife?" I pondered. ... Wherever I was, I could no longer feel the rain pouring down on me and to my surprise, a warm breeze began to brush across my face. I could sense I was still being supported by the same hard surface, although less turbulent than it was moments ago. I turned flat on my back, face toward the heavens, and listened to my breath as I slowly opened my eyes. The storm clouds had disappeared to reveal the night sky, stars twinkling brightly although in a different configuration than I previously remembered. The journal was true. Exhausted and relieved, I closed my eyes again and fell into a deep slumber. And in that sleep, whether due to the extreme circumstances preceding or just coincidence, I had one of the most vivid dreams that I still remember to this day. “Sand, heat, and the savage sun beat down on me as I crossed the shifting ground of this god forsaken island. Why anyone would build a structure here is beyond me, as humans would have a hard time living here. It’s so hot. Just as I stop to rest under the shade of a palm and have a sip of water, I notice that the light is beginning to dim. It is mid afternoon, it shouldn’t be getting dark yet. I look up to see if a cloud has blocked the sun, wouldn’t that be a gift from god...but am greeted by a sight I will never forget. The sun was being eclipsed as I watched. A dim shade of orange was all that was left to light the land. I stumbled to my feet, intending to climb to the top of the nearest dune to get a better view of the island in this light. As I passed the crest of the dune a second sight took my breath away. I was looking down at a massive Pyramid. It had to be bigger than the great pyramids in Egypt! There was a smaller pyramid about the same size as one of the monumental temples the Cursed Pirates built, sitting at the base of the dune I was one. I approached cautiously, right up to the smaller pyramid. It had a large doorway that led to a stairway down into darkness. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, so I lit a torch and descended into the darkness. I walked for what seemed like days in complete darkness, finally seeing light ahead I discarded the torch in favor of secrecy. The room I entered was massive. Large statues of pure gold lined the walls, a pool of crystal clear water in the center and a massive throne at one end. Doors led off of this room to the left and right, but before I could investigate them I heard a noise from behind the throne. Peering around it I found myself looking into another massive room filled with treasure. Moving around the treasure piles were cursed pirates! What are they doing here? My shock must have made me stumble, because I was suddenly on the ground coughing. Looking up, I found myself staring directly into the eyes of a pirate. I ran for it. I have never run that fast in my life, dropping everything I was carrying except for my journal! I didn’t stop running until I had left the entry tunnel and made it back to the top of the sand dune. I looked back to marvel at the Wonder of this Great Pyramid, before turning back towards my Sloop and that safety and freedom only the horizon can bring.” "Wakey wakey little thief!" Jolted from my sleep, I was met by the contents of a large bucket of what I could only assume was seawater thrown in my face. I quickly scanned before me as I gasped my air from the shock. I had been sat up against the wall of the cabin, hands and feet shackled away unable to clear the generous welcome gift from my face. In front of me stood four figures, three of them in black cloaks and in the center, was a rather large figure in black jacket with his back turned toward me. Before I could muster a reply, a wave of nauseousness struck me and instinctively I turned to the side and began to vomit. "Don't be embarrassed," the man in the black jacket stated as I continued to spill what little contents I had onto the deck. "That's just the portal sickness. Turns out the human body doesn't take too kindly to being disassembled and reassembled hundreds of miles away." As he spoke, he turned his head slightly back at me. "Vomiting, blurred vision, nasty runs... but it gets easier, ya know. Not like you'll be around much longer to find comfort in that, so you'll have to take my word for it." In a brief moment, although hidden behind a black bandana wrapped around to lower part of his head, I thought I saw a wily smile form from the side of his face. "Who... are you?" I managed to cough out just before the heave in my stomach keeled me over, forcing me to regurgitate my insides one again. "Who am I?" he repeated. "Why ask what you already know?" He then revealed the journal in his right hand and held it up for display. My eyes darted down to my chest to confirm what had been so close to me during my travels now belonged to him. "You've made a lot of progress, deciphering most of the entries," he continued as he began sifting through the pages. "A commendable but wasted effort, especially to die here." He then snapped the journal shut. "I see you've read about my crew so I guess we no longer have to keep up the charade." With a motion of his hand, the three cloaked in black lowered their hoods. Horrified, three ghastly faces emerged, human but cold and void of any healthy color. In that moment, I realized the dream I had was actually an imagining of one of the entries of the journal and before me was the true incarnation of the cursed pirates. My heart sank with the realization that I had been chasing a fairy tail, dreams and delusions of grandeur but now it had very much become a living nightmare. "Now," the black jacketed figure interrupted, breaking my mental spiral. "who you are is of little consequence to me but before I kill you I would like to know why. Why would anyone foolish enough to steal from me be willing to come back to its source?" "My brother," I sighed, head bowed in resignation. "He had your journal in his possession when he died, that and this stupid red bandana." "So you did all this for him?" he replied. "Risking your life and chasing ghost stories for what?" "Initially, it was for me," I confessed as if airing my final sins on my deathbed. "When he sent me a letter of his promising new discovery, these Wonders, I was filled with a new excitement that I hadn't felt since I first ventured out to sea so many years ago. But when I saw him lying on that beach dead clutching to the pages that were supposed to bring us together, I realized what he had wanted all along. I was never the best brother. He would play pranks for my attention and when I left the sea originally, it was he who took my place. All he wanted was to go on an adventure together, like we would when we were kids. And so, for him, I hoped to take this journey and see it through." I buried my head further and began to weep. The man in the black jacket turned around and slowly walked towards me. Under the brim of his cap, his eyes dead and skin as cold as the others. He kneeled down and looked me right in the eyes. "Mother always said you were the sentimental type," he answered. "Shame I only got to see it after I died." With that he lowered the bandana from his upper lip and to my shock, it was my brother, Nathan. Stunned, I could not fathom the hundreds of thoughts I had in that moment and simply closed my eyes, my forehead on to his. "It was very thoughtful of you to come all this way to return my stuff to me, Matthew," he spoke. "But you shouldn't have taken them in the first place." "How?" I questioned. "We are cursed, brother," he answered. "Me and my crew. We entered that Wonder I wrote of in my journal and took which was not ours. We had just returned with the spoils to La Noferia, unknowing of our affliction, when I sent for you. Within a week, the others had passed, yet I held on until a few days before you arrived. I set out to that secluded cabin, hoping you would be the only one to find me there. I died protecting this journal. The next thing I remember, I awoke in total darkness confined in a box, not knowing if the utter nothingness was truly hell." As he spoke, he unwrapped the bandana around my neck and began to fasten it around his face, covering his lips, mouth, and chin, almost like a red beard. "Who knows how long I was in that coffin before they dug me out," he continued. "I was lucky, Perry was first and had to dig himself out." He pointed to one of the formerly cloaked pirates and he in turn replied with a nod. Nathan then helped me to my feet and began to undo the shackles. "They told me of a person who had taken my belongings, including the journal and my bandana. We resolved to have them chase the thief while I attempted to return here and right our wrongs. I never thought it would be you to set off and make your way here, make your way to me. Alas, shortly before you arrived through the portal, we still are unable to find a solution." As I stood, no longer obstructed by my brother's crew, I finally laid my eyes on the giant monument, the wonder that he had written of. We were just off shore and yet it loomed large in the sky. A marvel of ingenuity and splendor, it was like nothing I had ever seen before. "Well," as I began to rub my wrists, easing the previous strain of the shackles. "...come with me then. Surely, someone should be able to help us find you a remedy." With that said, I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled, grateful to see my brother standing in front of me. "It is not that easy," he responded as brushed my hand off his shoulder. "...our minds are becoming more dull by the second. Percy is already unable to speak anymore. I'm afraid we are slowly losing our abilities to speak, act, or even to think of our own free will. While our independence diminishes, the Wonder's calls to us grow louder. Instinctually, we are finding it harder and harder to resist the powers within the Wonder. We are soon to become the servants of the Wonder and bound to protec... ugh." Nathan winced and grabbed his head. "You must go, I fear what might happen once we turn," he ordered as he signaled to his crew. "Wake your captain and use these to return through the portal." His crewmates present a few relics from their hands and offer them to me. "No, I won't lose you again Nathan," I reply as I shove their offerings away. Nathan had already turned to disembark. Catching up to him as he grabbed the rope ladder to ascend to their ship, I grabbed him by the shoulder. "You found me once Matthew," he stated. "There are other Wonders in these pages, maybe one has a solution to all this mess." With that, he handed me the journal to protect once again. "You were always better at hide and seek. Come find me again, just look for the stupid red bandana." A sudden pain shot up from my gut as Nathan kicked me and sent me to the deck. He began to climb as I sat in pain, finally reaching the rail and disappearing over. The sails dropped and the ship began to sail off. And as it reached the horizon, I swore I saw brightly colored bandana being waved as it moved out of sight. Wipe Incoming We are pleased to announce our Wonders patch will complete in two weeks with the introduction of the Great Pyramid as the first wonder for the season. We understand, due to various issues, that many have not had the best opportunities to get sufficiently prepared for the upcoming Wonder and so, we will be doing a full wipe when the patch drops in two weeks. Public PTR Access As an added bonus, we will be opening up the Public Test Realm (PTR) to the public starting today. This will be open to everyone with a Steam copy of the game until the patch drops. In your library in Steam, right-click Atlas and select “Properties” From the tabs on the left, select “BETAS” From the drop down in the center, select “test2021 - recruit testers” In the beta access code section, enter “PathfinderLifeForMe” You will then download the PTR build and will be able to access the game once that is completed. Reminder: You will have to switch back to “None” in the BETAS tab to return back to the live servers. We request you continue to help us make this the best release possible by reporting any PTR issues on our Discord channel. Please be sure to specify any issue you find is marked as “PTR Issue” when submitting. Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! Welcome to the new season of Atlas: “Sea of Wonders”. We are happy to announce several new additions to Atlas this season, some of which you may consider “Monumental.” With this patch, we are introducing a new early game experience, new endgame gameplay loop, new map with distinct regions, new ships, gear and weapons, and a long awaited fan request… Let’s take a look at what we have for you! Note: The update will be accompanied by a full server wipe to accommodate for these map and gameplay changes. New Content New player experience Freeports We have updated the freeport areas to be more visually appealing. Some of the pirate edwin introductory lines have been removed to improve clarity while starting the game. Skill Tree We would like players to have to diversify their crew member's skills to have a well maintained and working company. We have reworked the skill tree where you can unlock every skill discipline from the survival tree. Think about the skills you want to have as pathfinders will no longer be able to unlock every skill. New Max Level Cap: 110 New Base Max Level (before discoveries): 77 All skill disciplines have been reworked Removed the song and dance skill discipline Changed firearms discipline to ranged combat Map Changes Atlas has expanded! Visit new areas based on geographical locations Regions Available Rookie Cove - An area for all pathfinders to cruise the seas in peace. A cove for all to gather their bearings and test their newfound abilities until they are comfortable to progress full sail ahead! Central Waters - The largest area in the game and host to a healthy mix of tropical/temperate islands, but also an ancient evil told in Atlantean myths. Can you find all the power stones and defeat the greatest challenge? South America - A region home to tropical/equatorial areas. However, there seems to be faint chanting amongst this region. Will you be able to find the source of this hidden power? Africa - A region home to the hottest desert Islands around. Crocodiles, venomous snakes and lots and lots of sand call this region home. Antarctica - The harshest sub-zero climates, icebergs, penguins, and illusive yeti's populate the islands around here. North Pole - The north pole is similar to Antarctica, but to the north. Same freezing weather but perhaps the treasures here are the defining difference. Atlas Menu Map The Atlas Menu has been modified to fit the new regions available. The following tabs are available for you to look at. Overworld - The first map drafted by early cartographers. A general outline of the world is available. Rookie Cove - The home to the starting, self-titled region Central Ocean - You will find the map to the Central Waters region here Mediterranean Sea - The blazing hot desert islands of Africa region is here Central Maw - Uncharted waters, but rumor has it that the Kraken's lair is here South Atlantic Ocean - Tropical Oasis of the South America Region are found here Arctic Ocean - The extreme colds of the North Pole Region are located here Southern Ocean - The freezing depths of the Antarctica Region are here Portals Atlantean technology has arisen from the dark depths of abysses unknown. With it however, it looks like traveling from region to region has become a whole lot quicker, but perhaps even more dangerous. Pathfinder Portals - The privateers before you have taken it upon themselves to start studying the portals as well as providing safe passage through these portals. Located within Rookie Cove and Central Waters, these portals will transport you between these regions! Perpetual Portals - It seems the Atlanteans created a sort of oceanic highway. A free, reliable way of travel between regions. They have arisen from the depths and are available for all to travel through and explore! Damaged Portals - In the thousands of years Atlanteans have gone missing, not all of the portals have been kept in functional shape or have been left unfinished. These portals need some extra gem power to travel through. Be warned these do not stay open forever! Cost: Magic Marrow: 50 Gold Coin: 250 Central Portal - Seemingly, this seems to be the first type of portal ever created! However, it seems to have been keeping something away rather than allowing others in. Located in the Central Waters Region only, it seems to need power stones to open. Will you be the first to see what's on the other side? Power Node System Transient Nodes Transient Nodes are special locations on islands that allow for unique resource harvesting. They have a time limit of one week before they deplete, despawn, and respawn at a different location. Movement Transient Nodes will move from one location on an island to another within the same server. They can move anywhere on the same island, there are no height restrictions. Resource Current new resource that is able to be gathered is "Cursed Bone Chips". There will be additional resources in later updates. Harvesting structure A new autofarm harvesting structure has been added. The "Grave Digger". It is craftable at the Smithy. Players must first learn the skill Knowledge of the Old Ones, in the Piracy skill tree, to learn how to build this structure. Static Nodes Static Nodes are permanent structures found on several islands in the Central Ocean. They provide new resources and the ability to create a unique themed crafting structure. At this crafting structure, you will be able to craft several new structures. Army of the Damned Static Node Damned Altar Cursed Altar Resources The first resource that is able to be gathered is "Cursed Wood". There will be additional resources in later updates. Structures Buildable at Static Nodes Damned Smithy - The Damned Smithy is similar to the regular Smithy, except that it only allows you to craft Army of the Damned themed structures and gear. Buildable at an Army of the Damned Altar Ritual Pedestal - The Ritual Pedestal allows players to perform powerful island wide spells / buffs called Rituals. There are three available to players at this time. Sacrifice Collection - Causes all creatures and players to drop their hearts when they are killed. Collect these hearts and bring them back to the Ritual Pedestal for use in the Raise the Dead Ritual. Unnatural Fog - Causes the island to be covered by a thick fog. Raise the Dead - Using the hearts gathered in the Sacrifice Collection Ritual, players are rewarded with Army of the Damned Warriors as tamed creatures. The warriors will spawn at the same level as the player who initiated the ritual, and you will be granted one warrior per player who participates in the ritual, up to a maximum of ten. Buildable at the Damned Smithy. Cost: Stone: 100 Cursed Bone Chips: 50 Cursed Wood: 100 Song Stone - The Song Stone gives a new item to players called the Verse Book. This book contains powerful new songs that can only be learned at Song Stones. Each company is limited to one Verse Book, so guard yours well. If it is stolen, or lost, you must wait one month to be able to craft a new one. Buildable at the Damned Smithy. Cost: Cursed Bone Chips: 50 Stone: 200 Monuments Monuments Monuments are new massive structures that grant powerful buffs to the owning company or to the island that they are built on. Monument Study Rooms Monument Study Rooms are special rooms that can be built at the Damned Smithy and are placed in the Cursed Temple Monument. They grant more power versions of buffs, and offer the ability to craft high quality versions of blueprints by default. Cursed Totem Built in three stages. Players must first place a foundation, then framework, and then can finally build the completed Totem. Once built allows members of the owning company to consume raw and rotten meat without any negative effects. Stage 1- Foundation Cost: Stone: 2500 Wood: 800 Crystal: 200 Cursed Wood: 1000 Cruse Bone Chips: 500 Stage 2- Framework Cost: Stone: 500 Wood: 800 Cursed Wood: 200 Fibers: 400 Stage 3- Completion Cost: Stone: 3000 Wood: 800 Crystals: 200 Cursed Bone Chips: 400 Cursed Wood: 500 Burial Mound Built in three stages, players must first place a foundation, then framework, and then can place the completed Burial Mound. Once built, changes all meat dropped by creatures on the island to rotten meat, also changes all raw meat in players inventories into rotten meat. Stage 1- Foundation Cost: Stone: 2500 Wood: 800 Crystal: 200 Cursed Wood: 1000 Cruse Bone Chips: 500 Stage 2- Framework Cost: Stone: 500 Wood: 800 Cursed Wood: 200 Fibers: 400 Stage 3- Completion Cost: Stone: 3000 Wood: 800 Crystals: 200 Cursed Bone Chips: 400 Cursed Wood: 500 Cursed Temple Massive temple that has space for four Monument Study Room. Built in two stages, place the foundation and then the completed Temple. Stage 1- Foundation Cost: Stone: 4000 Wood: 2000 Crystal: 500 Cursed Wood: 1500 Cruse Bone Chips: 1500 Stage 2- Completion Cost: Stone: 10000 Wood: 5000 Cursed Wood: 10000 Cursed Bone Chips: 15000 Crystal: 2000 Monument Study Rooms Vessel Studies Allows for Ship related structures to be built with a chance to be up to Masterwork quality. Cost: Wood: 500 Hide: 235 Fibers: 120 Structure Studies Allows for Land Structures to be built with a chance to be up to Masterwork quality. Cost: Stone: 750 Wood: 250 Flint: 200 Equipable Studies Allows for all armor and weapons to be built with a chance to be up to Masterwork quality. Cost: Stone: 300 Wood: 400 Hide: 125 Flint: 250 Metal: 600 Culinary Studies Allows all food recipes to be crafted with a chance to be up to Masterwork quality. Cost: Stone: 500 Wood: 800 Flint: 200 Metal: 400 Astronomy Studies Grants the Sextant buff to all company members. Cost: Stone: 200 Wood: 400 New Gear Macuahuitl A new sword themed after ancient Aztec weapons. Beware its overhead swing, which causes its victims to bleed profusely. Built in the Damned Smithy after learning the Knowledge of the Old Ones from the Piracy Tree. Cost: Wood: 50 Crystal: 25 Transient Tracker A new equipable item that will help players locate transient nodes. Activate while looking around to be pointed in the direction of the nearest transient node. Built in the Forge after learning Knowledge of the Old Ones from the Piracy Tree. Cost: Coin: 20 Crystal: 10 Cursed Armor A full set of Army of the Damned armor. Provides great defense while increasing resistance to heat. Each piece costs the same to build. Cost: Metal: 30 Cursed Bone Chips: 30 New Modular Ship/Dock Variants Ship changes All new ships can now be found as blueprints at Shipwrecks and from the Kraken encounter. Ship costs have been tuned to require more resources and less gold Legacy system ships will be moved to a skill branch called Merchant Ships in a future update Basic Shipyard Basic shipyard allows one to build Cog by default and the Harrier, and Mortar by blueprint. Cost: Wood: 2000 Thatch: 1000 Fiber: 500 Stone: 250 Cog The Cog enters the game as an entry level ship. This small but capable vessel provides aspiring captains a great starting point for their career. Base Cost: Wood: 500 Thatch: 400 Fiber: 400 Metal: 3 Weapons: None to start, can be equipped with weapon modules Max Level: 50 Sail points: 2 Carrack The Carrack comes in as a blank canvas for players to use as they advance. By adding custom modules this ship can serve in battle, exploration, or trade. Base Cost: Wood: 2250 Thatch: 1800 Fiber: 1800 Metal: 18 Weapons: None to start, can be equipped with weapon modules Max Level: 50 Sail Points: 8 Harrier The Harrier is a cousin to the formidable Mortar Ship. It is faster and more maneuverable but only mounts one mortar on the front castle. Cost: Wood: 1500 Thatch: 1200 Fiber: 1200 Metal: 18 Gunpowder: 50 Weapons: Mortar on Front Castle Max Level: 50 Sail Points: 5 Advanced Shipyard The Advanced Shipyard has been updated to hold the Cog and Carrack as its only default ships. All of the other modular ships are now found in Blueprints around the world and are craftable at the Advanced Shipyard. Bug Fixes Fixed instances in which alcohol buffs were working incorrectly Fixed instances in which shipyards could be placed in unintended ways Fixed instances where rowing modules health values were displayed incorrectly Misc Fixed instances of terrains on islands in custom server maps were not loading correctly Explosive Barrels damage when used in a catapult has been lowered, hand-placed barrels remain the same Gold obtained from all sources has been increased Loading Screens have been added while transitioning to a new grid Pathfinders who have faced the most dangerous adversary in Atlas have been reported finding a set of ancient armor wieldable only by small humanoid creatures Known Issues Sound inconsistencies with portals Quest Markers are in incorrect places/missing Camera jittering on NPC portal Cursed Armor can be displayed incorrectly if character height is too tall on female characters Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

The trip to Nozetal had been a bittersweet one. While the salty ocean winds had breathed life into these old sea bones, the lingering memories of my time in La Noferia left me on edge. I had narrowly evaded certain death and although we were now miles away, the danger remained as present as the tattered journal close to my chest. Landfall could not come soon enough, the crew were on their final leg before their for home voyage and a detour for a strange passenger with mysterious intentions did not help ease their growing restlessness. I had kept to myself in my quarters and on landing, I quickly disembarked, narrowly avoiding an escalating confrontation about a missing pinnace that had mysteriously disappeared overnight. While a large town with folk of all manners, I could not help but feel the eyes of the townsfolk had pegged me as someone different. My apparel was nothing remarkable but it seems my inquiries about my pending guide had made me a person of interest. When I finally entered the local alehouse, it seemed word had spread quickly, because with each step towards the bar, I drew more and more attention from the local patrons. As I approached the bar, I met eyes with the barkeep and he gestured, as if he knew everything already, with a tilt of his head to a briny old man with a battered cocked hat and disheveled blue jacket. The stench of sea and spirits grew stronger as I walked over, a familiar aura put off by those devoted to the sail and by the smell, he was the most devout I had ever encountered. "Captain?", I inquired. The word was clear as a bell as the room had fallen silent, all ears had perked for any tidbit of our conversation. However, the man remained unresponsive, still hunched over the bar. As I cleared my throat to repeat my query, the Captain turned, leapt off his stool and grabbed me by my head, hands on either side. He now towered over me, much larger than I perceived in his former slouched state, with his giant hands palming my head. Stunned, I closed my eyes expecting him to crush my skull with the slightest muscle twitch. "Nephew!", he exclaimed as he glanced over me, "Aren't you just the spittin' image of your mother, God rest her soul!" And before I could respond to the misunderstanding, he wrapped his massive arms around me and clutched my head straight into his chest. "Do you have the money, lad?" he whispered so only I could hear. "Ye.. yes." I coughed still fazed by the sudden display of affection and new proximity to the source of the seaman's stench. "Barkeep, a round on me. A celebration for the reunion of me and me sis's son!" The still air was broken with the news of good fortune and with a collective cheer, the familiar bar sounds returned. "Pay the man and meet me at the docks, less prying ears out on the sea." With that he released me and I stumbled gasping for a clean breath of air. Recovered but still shaken by the grand charade that just took place, I took a stool next to his to fake familiarities until it was time to leave. The captain "retired" for the night shortly after and I was soon to follow, much lighter on coin than I had entered. I met the Captain again on his vessel, a small cog, meant for a light crew. As requested, we set off with just us two to man the cog, in an effort to keep our journey discrete. Unlike the actor in the alehouse, the Captain was a quiet man. Apparently, his willingness for the absurd and the rewards that followed had gained him much unwanted notoriety and many adversaries to boot. He often departed for journeys quickly in the night, in hopes to keep his pursuers off guard. And so that night, we set sail for Walfield Atol, a close but treacherous and relatively uncharted area known for its mysterious weather conditions and strange disappearances of many a crew. It had been a few days before we drew close to our final destination. Unfortunately, we were not alone. Another small ship had been following our vessel since our departure and keeping its distance throughout the journey. However, the Captain was not fazed, believing we'd lose them once we arrived at Walfield Atol. "Only the king of fools is dense enough to take a cog through Walfield, and you're in the presence of royalty," he would reply with a laugh to my concerns. And as we sailed closer black clouds could not only be seen in our direction but also seeming closing in on us at our wake. Between shifts at the helm, I had started deciphering another page in the journal and now finished, I thought I had gone wrong, for the translation depicted something truly unbelievable. To reassure myself, I reread the page aloud, hoping to discover any mistakes that could affirm my doubts and put me at ease. A burning disk, floating on the turbulent surface of the ocean. A rumor that almost rivaled the discovery of real Wonders and Monuments in the world has reached me. I set sail to the rumored location of one of these disks, near the Walfield Atol. I have a feeling that this might be related to the temple that I found on that island. I arrive at the island and look west, in the direction of the rumored disk. I can’t see anything, but it’s mid-afternoon so I decide to wait until morning to set sail again thinking this rumor was a tale to mislead youthful pathfinders. As it gets darker I head back up to the deck of my Sloop to make sure no pirates have found me. The island is silent, and I see no lights. I look over to the West and pause. What is that blueish light? It's near the horizon, and far too bright to be a star. Raising anchor I set sail towards the blue light with the wind at my back. The rumors were true. I arrive in the middle of nowhere to a...disk shaped structure that is aflame with bright blue-white fire? It looks like lightning made fluid. I look over the side of my Sloop down at the surface of the water and panic. I’m caught in a maelstrom, and am being dragged into the ring. There is barely enough time to run to the captain's wheel, before my Sloops bow enters the burning ring's light. My skin begins to tingle and all my hair stands up. My vision fades to a blinding bright white. After a few moments my vision returns to normal and I find myself sailing away from the disk. I open my compass to set sail back to port, but I’m sailing the wrong direction. The wind is still at my back, but now I’m sailing East? I pull out my sextant to confirm...and I’m no longer at the same part of the ocean as I was a few moments ago. I’m on the other side of the world! I get my bearings and set sail to the nearest freeport. Foolishness, I thought to myself. Discs, like portals, to another location? Impossible. As I finished, I heard the Captain call to me muffled by the crashing waves from an impending storm. The deck had become slick with rain and as I stumbled to the helm, I could only suspect that what he had for me was not going to be pleasant news. "If you're going to tell me about the storm I've noticed!" I yelled over the crashing waves. "They're damned fools too! Look!" he replied pointing to the stern with one hand with the other struggling to steady the wheel. As I looked to our rear, I was greeted by a haunting sight. Only about 200 yards away, our pursuers had drawn close and were nearly at our heels. To my horror, piloting the pursuing vessel were three figures in black cloaks. Instantly, my heart sank and I buckled, nearly losing grip of the railing. "They'll be on us soon enough, but I'd gladly give them my title if they tried to board us in this storm!" The captain boasted as the waves continued to toss our ship. I gathered myself and peered to the rain at the chasing ship, hoping the waves would take them instead. As they bobbed in the sea, two of the figures had made their way to the front of the ship, each holding out something, as if making an offering to the sea. In my astonishment, a small flash came from each of their hands and suddenly, the objects they held were no more. I had not a moment to comprehend the small ritual that had taken place before a giant flash of light illuminated the sky behind me. I turned to see a giant red disc had taken shape over the water a few hundred yards in front of us. Is this the disc the journal spoke of? Bewildered, I vaguely recall the Captain frantically screaming profanities as he tried to regain control of our vessel to no avail. Our ship began to pick up speed, pulled toward the disc by some unseen force. It was only a short time before our vessel made contact with the anomaly, slowly engulfing each part as it helplessly sailed through. And as the disc finally swept over me, I clutched the journal that led me here and prayed its words were true. Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

It had been a week or so after that fateful night before I was ready to set off to sea. I had arranged for all of my personal belongings to be sold off, in exchange for some supplies and passage on a ship heading east. The ship would rendezvous in Nozetal with a local captain who was known to take any fare as long as the gold was right. With my itinerary set, the days could not go by fast enough, anxiously waiting to set course for the lands unknown depicted in the cryptic journal. We laid my brother's body to rest a couple days after I had discovered him dead, washed up on the shore. My boisterous brother had apparently made a name for himself in this small harbor town with nearly half the residents in attendance at his funeral. To somber the mood, his mates suggested a celebration in his honor and begrudgingly I obliged, on the terms it took place the night before I left. As much as I would enjoy a fitting send off for closest kin, I was still well aware that those that murdered Nathan could still be out there and would still be looking for the pages he died protecting. The inn was full that night, filled with every sort of scallywag one could imagine. As I was packing my belongings in one of the rooms above, the windows laid open, a vent from the heat already rising from the festivities taking place below. Towards the end of the evening I made my way downstairs to make my appearances, anxious for this night to end so I could start my journey come sunrise. I took a seat at the bar with a few old crewmates and bided my time with half laughs and fake smiles, waiting for the opportunity to make some excuses to end the night early. After about four or five half-baked, fully exaggerated stories and a sea shanty or two, I noticed my mug had run dry and was looking to the innkeep to top me up. However, as I lifted my glass to signal my predicament, I noticed he had much more pressing matters at hand. His eyes were fixed on the doorway, as if sizing up trouble as it entered the inn. As I peered over my shoulder through the crowded bar room, three figures in black cloaks made their way through the crowd and sat themselves at a table in the back corner. A chill went up my spine as I turned to face the bar and the empty mug in front of me, feeling their eyes burn a hole in my back. The room felt much hotter and as I gripped the pages of the journal tucked into my shirt, panic raced in my mind as sweat began to bead on my forehead. "You alright mate?" I thought the innkeeper shouted but all noises had become dull and unrecognizable as I wondered if I was about to share the same fate as my brother. "Oi, you're clean dry, let me fix that for ya!", he continued as he grabbed my mug. But I was no longer concerned with my thirst, for it seemed my demise was inevitable, draped in a black cloak a few yards away. Thoughts raced in my head, of my brother, the journal, and the dreams dashed before they started. Through pure instinct, my body urged me to run. Run as fast as I can to anywhere. Anywhere is better than here. Before my head could process, my hand was already on the bar turning myself to the door. Eyes fixed on the target, I plotted my route through the crowd and out the front door. I took a moment to glance at my pursuers and as our eyes met, a slam pierced through the fog of noise and shook me to attention. I turned to the bar to see a frothy mug had been dropped at my place and a kind smile had returned with a solution to my woes. "Take a swig and you'll be alright lad," he beckoned. Dazed, with the train of thought derailed, I grabbed the mug and took a hearty swig, half in hopes this ale would deliver me from this hellish situation. To my surprise, my salvation wasn't in the mug but under it. As I wiped my lips with my sleeve and looked to place the mug down again, in its place was a worn iron key. My eyes widened as I stared at it and when I finally looked up at the innkeep, he leaned and whispered, "You should get a bit of rest now. I think you'll find this room a little more comfortable." As he leaned back and left to address the rest of the clientele, the pieces, once jumbled, were now set and I had hope. With my back to my potential assailants, I carefully tucked the key into my jacket and stood up from the bar. With one last swig, I finished my drink and then said my farewells. I left every coin on my person and carefully made my way back up the stairs. As I ascended, I took one last look across the room at the three in black, hoping to never see them again. I raced down the hallway past my room and used the key to enter the room next door. I slid into the room and quickly locked it shut. With my back against the door, I clutched the journal at my chest and let out a deep breath. It was not long before I heard footsteps in the hallway. Nervously, I had placed myself up against the wall shared with my previous room and could hear, although muffled by the noise from below, as they made entry into my former quarters. They moved quickly, breaking down the door and quickly realizing I was no longer there. From the muffled shouts, they deduced I had left through the window that had been left open and sent one in search of me while the others stayed to search the room. The desperate snapping of wood and tearing of cloth was the only thing heard for the next few minutes as I sat in silence, occasionally startled when their carnage would fly across the room and slam into the shared wall. Thoroughly spent and unrewarded, the noise from the neighboring room subsided and finally, after some time, hurried footsteps rushed down the hallway to continue their search elsewhere. They had not found me but I was not safe yet. I dared not sleep in fear of their return and sat quietly, in anticipation of the footsteps coming down the hall again. Paranoia began to creep in as every sound as the night went on drew closer to sounds of imminent danger. It was not long before I began pleading within myself for the sun to rise and to be away from this town. I needed to do something to keep the idle mind at bay. To keep myself from madness, I lit a candle on the floor and pulled out the journal. I hastily arranged the sea-soaked pages on the floor and began to decipher the next entry in the journal. As the words and phrases unraveled, I became more and more obsessed, losing my senses of the world around me. The findings Nathan died protecting would change the world forever and it was our fate to share them with the world. Possessed, I continued to scribble the entry into existence. The sky had changed to a lighter shade of blue and a peek of orange could be seen once I was done. In my amazement and relief, I read the words aloud, grateful to see another day. “I set sail to the Walfield Atol, an island reported to have Power Nodes located on it. As it appeared on the horizon, I could see an odd formation sticking out of the sand. It looked too straight to be a rock, but due to its size I couldn’t imagine what else it could be. As I sailed closer however, I realized it was carved! It was an immense statue. I could see the outline of the skull carved into stone, eyes glowing green in the late evening light. Dropping anchor, I jumped into the water and swam to shore. This statue had to be bigger than any I have seen in these waters before. Was this the structure that so many pathfinders have spoken of? I set off on foot towards the center of the island, where an Altar was rumored to be. As I follow the river around a large rock formation I pass carved rock pillars. Similar to the totem statue that I passed earlier, but not as large. Looking forward I see something that can only be described as a man made hill. It is a giant perfectly round… mound. The same skulls that were carved into the totem are all over it. I made my way to the top and almost fell face first into a pit. I’m sickened by what I see at the bottom. Several skeletons and rotting corpses are floating in a shallow pool of water. The smell of rotting flesh makes me fall back, slipping and rolling to the dirt. Shaken, I stand and rush past this Burial Mound hoping that that is the worst I find on this island. Finally, I found the Altar that I’m looking for. Cursed Pirates are everywhere, so I am hiding in a bush. Watching the pirates I notice that they are carrying large chunks of stone and wood around another huge boulder. I sneak around and sink back onto my knees. They have built what looks like a temple. There must be several rooms inside, as I watch at least fifty pirates enter the structure with full loads, but leave empty handed. Do I dare try to sneak inside? I didn’t bring enough grog for that. I hurry back to my Sloop and set sail for the nearest freeport.” I sat back in awe. These altars, these monuments, could etch our names in history! Not only that, I finally had a destination. Walfield Atol, I had never heard of it, but it was start. I frantically gathered what was left of my things and raced to the harbor. I sprinted through the streets, half-delirious, half-jubilant, shedding tears to my good fortune. And as the anchor raised from my vessel and the harbor slowly shrank into the distance, peace had finally set in. The doors were all shut. But miraculously, I had been given a key, and now, wonders untold await me. Exhausted, I went into the hold for some much needed rest. I grabbed whatever I could find and made a bed on a few crates. And there I slept, dreams reignited, swathed in a long black cloak. Major Announcement We hope you are enjoying our continuing narrative building up to our next major patch! We'd like to announce today that we have a set date for the new update, October 27th. With this update, we will be having a full wipe of all servers. We can't wait to show you what is next for Atlas so stay tuned for more details! Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

It had been a few years since I had been to the sea. The life I had once loved was a distant memory and I had moved on from the life of piracy to settle down in a quaint village before Davy Jones and the sea came a knockin' to collect back what I rightfully stole. I swore I'd never return. But when my younger brother wrote to me of a mysterious, new discovery he had made, promising of treasures untold. I was forced to return to the fickle waters, after adamant warnings of danger had gone unreturned. For you see, if the sea has taught me anything, it is that no matter the glory or riches that may come your way, there is always a price to pay. When I arrived in the port town of La Noferia, I was quick to learn that my brother had been missing for some time. From the locals, I had learned he had arrived a few weeks ago regaling anyone who would listen about his new discovery and potential fortune. The idiot had always been a boisterous one and it seems it may have cost him, dearly. A few of his crewmates informed me he had been staying in a small shack a few hours from the harbor so I immediately took off and by nightfall of that first day, I had arrived. It was a lonely thing, this shack, sitting on the edge of land and beach silhouetted by the moon as the shore curled behind it, leaving only the ocean beyond it. As I entered, it reeked of sea and spirits, as well as a few rotten meals from nights before. I carefully searched the shack, but there were no signs of my brother and from the condition of the room, no one had been around for days. Exhausted, I sat down on the steps in front of the door and looked out to the sea, contemplating the odd reunion taking place before me and wondering what twisted fate the sea had planned for me. It was then that I saw it, off in the distance, a small sparkle in the tide. I knew it before I even got up from the steps but still I ran to the tide, hoping to disprove my darkest fears. As I drew closer, the outline of a body began to take shape. Although he was face down when I approached, I knew it was him. He was prone, lifeless, washed up from the sea and around his neck was that stupid bandana: the one he was so proud of, the one he never took off, the one I gave him when he took my place in the company. As the waves lapped over the poor soul, I dropped to my knees and cursed myself realizing my debt had been paid. Through the tears I noticed he was holding something. A book of some sort, inset with an exotic jewel that I had never seen before. Is this what this fool had thrown his life away for? I pried the journal out of his hands and sat in the damp sand, book in my lap. Unnerved by the tide, I needed to know what was so important that my brother was willing to die for and so by moonlight, I began to read. Most of the pages were damaged, torn out, or in a language I could not comprehend. Tried as I could, I was unable to make sense of it and after what seemed like hours, I threw the book down in frustration. Defeated and knowing the responsibilities still required to tend to my dead sibling, I reconciled to calling it a day. I looked at the body next to me with a feeling of guilt and frustration, staring at that damned bandana. Why did I have to give him that stupid thing? Why couldn't I protect him? Why couldn't it have been me? Blinded by the welling rage, I grabbed at the bandana attempting to rip it off him. To my dismay, the knot was under his neck and I was forced to flip him over to untie it. Perturbed, I rolled to my knees and shoved the lifeless corpse exposing his smiling face now bright in the moonlight. That wily smile, the one that had been his forgiveness after all the pranks he had pulled on me as children, now revealed, startled me causing me to sit back on the damp sand. "One last prank?", I thought as I recovered and surveyed the lifeless prankster in front of me. "Even when you're dead, you're an asshole", I muttered as I leaned back over him to untie the bandana. But as I reached over, my eyes widened as I caught a glimpse of a familiar parchment carefully tucked under his shirt. I quickly grabbed the damp, tattered pages, identical to the ones found in the journal. One seemed like a cypher, half in the foriegn writings and the other, in my brother's handwriting. The other was written by my foolish sibling, an already translated copy of one of the pages from the journal. Maddened by this turn of fortune, I began to read aloud the blood-stained scribblings that my kin desperately died protecting. As the last words trailed from my lips, I froze. Unsure of what to do with this amazing new discovery, my mind blanked. Suddenly, a smile crept to my face and I began to laugh. Unable to control what was coming over me, the laughter began to build, louder and louder to the point of hysteria. “You son of a...”, I yelled as I finally got a hold of myself and wiped a tear from my eye. There was only one thing left to do in my mind: Unearth the mysteries of the journal and continue the discoveries my brother sacrificed himself for. “For the first time, we’ll do this together, Nathan.” I whispered as I untied the bandana from his neck and fastened it around mine. Once I got to my feet, journal and pages in hand, I began to walk along the shore preparing in my head the arrangements for my brother's funeral and for the upcoming adventures ahead. The sea had cleared my slate and I paid a heavy price. But the way I see it, Nathan didn’t get the chance to take from all that life has to offer, so for him, I plan to collect in full. Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! Things are about to get a little spooky on the open seas. In celebration of the scariest time of the year, we’ll be sharing a bunch of Halloween treats (and maybe a few tricks) with our fellow pathfinders. Keep your eye out for our special Jack O’ Lanterns, filled with themed goodies for you to collect and share with your friends. Also, a mysterious journal has washed on to shore and its discovery may bring monumental changes to the world of Atlas. Join us on this journey as we decipher the findings and share them with you in the weeks ahead. As always, we, the Atlas team, appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam. Released Patch Notes v531.92 Halloween Event: Beware Pathfinders! You may come across some spooky gifts during your adventures. Be on the lookout for Jack O' Lantern's filled with different items. New Holiday Item: Jack O' Lantern These Jack O' Lanterns have Halloween-themed gifts inside. You can learn more about the individual items below. These can be found in: Shipwrecks Flotsam Ship of the Damned wreckage New Holiday Items: Two-Handed Scythe - A new cosmetic weapon type variation of the Two-Handed Mace Jack O' Lantern - A placeable cosmetic Jack O' Lantern structure Headstone - A placeable cosmetic Headstone structure Scarecrow - A placeable cosmetic Scarecrow structure Candy Corn - Candy corn can be eaten, but it is not very nutritious Witch's Hat for Tames - A new hat available for the following creatures: Cat Crow Spider Crocodile Yeti Monkey Bug fixes: Fixed a bug where sails were not replaceable on modular ships Fixed a visual bug where tentacles were reappearing on the Broadsider Misc: Increased the drop rate of the Broadsider from shipwrecks Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! With this upcoming patch, we’re looking to turn up the heat and blow you away with a new ship that may leave you feeling as if you’ve been hit out of nowhere. The Broadsider is a heavy-hitter packing a devastating punch with 40 cannons at its disposal. Given the opportunity, the ship will make quick work of any vessel or defenses that are unfortunate to fall into its firing range. However, this will be the first ship to be only available through blueprints. These blueprints may be found in shipwreck sunken treasure locations and will come in different rarities. The rarer the blueprint, the more modular points players will have to deck out their ships. Test your luck and see if you can find a mythical Broadsider to add to your fleet. We also have some major fixes in this update and will be continuing our effort to make Atlas a better game with each iteration. Please continue to submit any bugs to our bug report form here. We review all entries and will be sure to address all issues as soon as we are able. As always, we, the Atlas team, appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam. Released Patch Notes v531.05 New Content: New Modular Ship Variant: Broadsider The Broadsider is the first in a new system of modular ships that is only craftable from blueprints. These blueprints are found in shipwrecked sunken treasure locations around the world, and craftable in the advanced shipyard. Cost: 22,000 gold and 50 dried tentacle Weapons: 40 standard cannons Max Level: 50 Sail Points: 10 Repair Resource: Patch Kit Blueprint Only Modular Ships Blueprints for ships that are unique Found at shipwreck sunken treasure locations Quality of the blueprint scales modular points on the ship, which allows for additional customization options. Bug Fixes: Fixed areas on the Mortar ship, Kraken and Ramming Galley where paint was not showing properly Fixed Instances in which the Paint Spray gun would not cover all regions Fixed Position of the Steering Wheel on Mortar Ship Fixed instances where Islands could affect nearby seaforts' peacetime. Fixed Instances in which Control Points could be selected as Islands to respawn on Fixed instances in which company cooldown was being circumvented Misc. Ship Respec should now be working properly after 48 hour cooldown Known Issues: Broadsider Icon is outdated Scaffolding length on the Advanced Shipyard for the Broadsider is incorrect Small gap in the front castle of the Broadsider Graphical inconsistency with water surrounding the Kraken and Broadsider Ladder position on the back of broadsider is incorrect Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! This week we have a quality of life update to fix a few of the more troublesome bugs players have been running into on the open seas. We’ve also made a few adjustments to resolve some of the server issues some players may have been running into lately. We hope these changes will improve gameplay overall and lessen unwanted/unintended interactions. As always, we, the Atlas team, appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam. Released Patch Notes v529.02 Bug Fixes: Version synchronization fix Fixed issue causing Xbox connection losses with the servers Fixed issue where cannons were not visually synced with the servers Fixed instances on ships where painted areas would revert to the default color Misc: Removed height limit from bed placement Removed repeated items in skill tree descriptions Defense Tower Buffs Blueprint versions of these can now be found Fire Rate increase Armor stat added Damage increase Health increased on Modular Ship pieces Crew requirements adjusted on Mortar Ship and Turtle Ship Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article

Ahoy Pathfinders! Well, the last journey abroad had been a rough go out on the open seas. But we braved through and persevered and finally arrived carrying the long-awaited cargo for all pathfinders to enjoy. Jumping to the stage first, we’ve made adjustments to our favorite arachnid to allow our pathfinders to traverse to new heights. Spiders are now able to spend their stamina to carry pathfinders vertically up steep terrain and jump higher and further than before. We can’t wait to see where you and your spider companions end up! As teased previously, making her maiden voyage into the world of Atlas, the turtle ship brings new defensive options for you and your crew. Not only is she a tank, fully decked out in armor and ready to take a beating, but she also offers some new utility that will change the landscape of the battlefield, literally. Attached at the front of this massive ship is a dragon figurehead that players can activate to breathe clouds of smoke to conceal your fleet’s movements. We heard you like buffs so we’ve also added some buffs to buff towers to uniquely assist your fleet as needed. Depending on which type of resource is used, buff towers will now provide an additional benefit so you can gain advantages where they are needed most. Need some handles in the corners? Try Amethyst and Herkimer in your spire to increase your turning force. Need to lessen your load? Switch to Calcite and Quartz which will decrease the overall weight of a ship (items and structures carried included). Overall, we hope that pathfinders use these new additions to compliment their unique play styles and make every confrontation a unique and memorable one. Rate Up Event Finally, in addition to some major bug fixes to improve the game state, we’ll be holding a rate up event until September 6th! X4 Gold X4 Taming X5 Harvesting X5 Exp So grab your crew and take advantage of these higher rates while you can. As always, we, the Atlas team, appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam. Released Patch Notes v528.13 (Hotfix) Bug Fixes - Fixed instances in which certain fertilized eggs would crash Xbox users - Fixed issue with mast placement on the Turtle Ship. - Fixed issue where Sea Fort Range Buff was incorrectly calculating percentage to buff. v528.11 New Content Spider Climbing Spiders can now traverse vertical surfaces! Climbing will cost the spider Stamina, when depleted the spider will release and fall Spiders can move faster as well as jump higher and further than before New Modular Ship: Turtle Ship The Advanced Shipyard's inventory is expanding! The latest buildable ship, the Turtle Ship, comes affixed with armored plates, armored canopy railings and a dragon figurehead which breathes smoke to conceal your movements during combat Cost: 22,000 gold and 150 chitin Weapons: 20 standard cannons Max Level: 60 Sail Points: 3 Repair Resource: Armor Patch Kit / Patch Kit The figurehead of the Turtle Ship has the ability to create a smokescreen The smokescreen is activated from the steering wheel using Shift+Z (LB+Right D-Pad on Xbox) Costs 100 coal per smokescreen created (coal must be stored in the figurehead) New Weapon Type: Mechanic's Hammer A new tool introduced that allows the repair and replacement of armor on the turtleship Learned through the Advanced Tools skill Buildable in the smithy Resource Cost: Fiber, Wood, Thatch and Metal New Patch Kit Type: Armor Patch Kit A new type of patch kit used to repair and replace armor on the turtle ship Learned through the Advanced Ship Maintenance skill ship must be fully green anchored to replace armor plates Buildable in the smithy Resource Cost: Fiber, Wood, Thatch, and Metal New Décor New base decorations have been added. Add some plants to your bases with the new wall planter and hanging planter! Unlocked via the Secrets of Building skill in the Construction and Mercantilism skill tree, and constructed in the Smithy under the folder path Structures>>Misc Box Planter Wooden planter box that connects directly to walls Hanging Planter A round planter that hangs of support beams connected to walls Buff Tower Updates Using a unique type of resources as fuel, players can choose a second buff within that category to use Each type of buff will be tied to the resource used when activating the buff tower All unique resource types will grant the generic buff in addition to their unique buff These towers have blueprint variants which increases the effectiveness of the generic buffs given Buff Icons for these buffs are shown when on a ship at the top right hand corner of the screen Industrial Generator Uses generic and unique types of coal Generic Coal will grant ship Damage Reduction buff as normal Sulphur and Peat will grant a buff that increases the reload speed for weapons built on ships Graphite and Anthracite will grant a buff that increases the speed at which you repair ships Nitre and Lignite will grant a buff which allows the AI controlling weapons on your boat to have greater range Army of the Damned Pylon Uses generic and unique types of Hide/Keratinoid Generic hide and keratinoid will grant a ship weapon damage buff Scale, Rhino Horn, Chitin and Shell will grant a buff that increases the impact damage of your ship Wool, leather, fur and carapace will grant a buff that increases the rate of experience gained for your ship Bone, Residue, Pelt, Hair and skin will grant a buff that will reduce the cooldown of feats that impact ship combat(reload overdrive, repair fiend, and rally the troops) Atlantean Spire Uses generic and unique types of crystals Generic crystal will grant a buff to ship speed Amethyst and Herkimer will grant a buff which increases the turning force of your ship Calcite and Quartz will grant a buff which decreases the overall weight of a ship (items and structures carried included) Pearl and Tellurite will grant a buff which decreases the rate at which your boat will sink Bug Fixes: Fixed multiple instances in which character progression was rolled back Fixed instances in which certain fertilized eggs would crash Xbox users Fixed instances of circumventing company joining cooldown Fixed a bug where certain modules could not be painted Fixed a bug where cannonballs and mortar shots were not visually exploding Fixed a bug with the ballista inventory Single Player: Fixed instances in which shipyards and armored docks were disappearing Fixed a bug with modular ship sailing physics for smoother visuals while sailing Misc. Changed puckle tower firing particles to be less garish Redux performed on Mortar Ship Appearance Redux on multiple resource icons which were duplicate for other resources Final Note Again, we would like to emphasize that ATLAS is still in Early Access, meaning many things can and will likely continue to drastically change - even in the middle of development. Anything discussed is only up to date as of the moment it is posted. Features and changes that ultimately make it to the next patch, as well as timing, may be different from what was previously discussed. As always, we appreciate the suggestions and feedback from the community. Please keep them coming! Thank you for all of your support! Happy Sailing, - ATLAS Crew For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas Hear ye, hear ye on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sailtheatlas Watch us scallywags on Twitch: http://twitch.tv/sailtheatlas Plus ye can band with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame View full article