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Posts posted by ATLAS
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
We’ve got a pretty jam-packed post for you today! Because of your amazing participation, providing tons of questions for our team, we’ve decided to split responses into two posts. Since we received a large amount of inquiries regarding PvP balances, we’ll be discussing those questions separately in a later post.
Because today, we have a few special topics we’ll be addressing first. Our first entry is a reply from the dev team regarding the inclusion of a new ship building system. Next, we have a new survey for you all to provide feedback on Ships and we can’t wait to hear your responses. Finally, we finish up with Q&A, excluding PVP questions previously mentioned.In an effort to provide more transparency between the team and the community, we continue to look for more ways to blend the goals of the two entities to make Atlas as great as we both know it can be. We appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam.
From the Captain's Quarters
We have heard your concerns regarding the new ship system and we would like to discuss our goals for it to help set expectations. We love the level of customization the original ship system provides and we will continue to support it for as long as possible. Currently, there are no plans to remove the original ship system.
Early Access gives us the unique opportunity to share new systems while they are still early in development. The modular ship system is one of these new systems, and it will be released in three main stages, the first of which has already begun. In the first stage, we used the new system to create pre-built ships, like the Ramming Galley and the Majestic Kraken. Our goal with this stage is to give players a sneak peek of the system while also providing a quicker option for obtaining new ships. While the ability to purchase pre-built ships isn’t going anywhere, it’s not the end goal for the new system.
The next stage of the modular ship system is coming soon and will introduce customization options to pre-built ships through module swapping. We will be introducing a system similar to ‘Sail Points’ called ‘Module Points.’ Each ship will have a pool of Module Points, and every module placed on the ship’s ribbing will cost a set number of points. Higher impact modules will cost more points. As a simple example, a Midship Gunport Module with two Gunports will cost more than a Midship Gunport Module with one Gunport. We will be rolling this system out piece by piece, starting with the ability to craft and swap Railing Modules.
As we expand the customization system, our goal is to introduce a variety of modules that provide meaningful choices when building ships. Players will need to decide which pieces are most valuable to their strategy and budget their points accordingly. We feel that the original ship system had little room for choice and expression because the meta was so defined. Our goal is to expand the meta to include a variety of different builds and strategies supported by the new system. Initially, we will be releasing tactically-focused modules, but eventually we will also release cosmetically-focused modules. These could include things like different Railing types or a Midship Module with windows. Cosmetic modules provide no advantage in combat but would allow players to make their ship their own. (Cosmetic modules won’t cost additional Module Points.)
The final stage of the system will allow players to build modular ships from the ground up. After choosing a ship hull size, players will be able to plug in modules from a variety of available choices. (As long as they have enough Module Points!) Our goal is to eventually have enough modules that the new system will have the same level of customization as the original system. This final stage of development won’t be complete for a while, but we hope you’ll stick with us for this journey!
We're back with another Community Survey! Remember, surveys will cover a specific topic, so if we haven't pushed out a survey relevant to your interests yet, please know that there will be more! If there are any topics or changes you would like to see from us in future surveys, please let us know! We're only beginning this initiative, and hope to improve our process as we continue to develop ATLAS hand in hand with the community!This month's survey is focused on collecting early feedback to our New Ship System / Ships for Gold System. So far, we currently have the Ramming Galley and the Majestic Kraken out, with plans for many new and unique ships on the way. The goal is to create a highly customizable and modular ship system where players can make meaningful choices when building their ships.
Before you complete the survey - if you haven't already, please make sure you have read the latest about our goal for this new Ships system in the Captain’s Quarters section above, as it will provide more details.
Please find the link to the survey hereAlthough we cannot promise to commit any specific change, we would want to be able to quantify which issues players care about most by using this survey to reach as broad an audience as possible.
We appreciate your support! Thank you!
Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out at our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A!
Will the new claim system address the long-standing problems many islands have of "lawless" areas in what should be Island-owned territory?
We have been getting a lot of great data about claiming since Early Access started. Each system has had some good aspects and bad aspects. Every player has different needs and ideas about what they want. The new Area Claim system is meant to fill in some gaps and for now will live side by side with the existing island claim system. The island system still has some flaws and bugs and will be looking to address that in the future when we decide how it fits into the big picture.
With the new theme and vision, will single player still be part of that?
While PvP is our primary focus when designing content, we want to ensure new features are also supported in our other game modes. (Including Single Player!)
Are patches being tested in single player or are they only tested for multiplayer purposes?
Recent patches have addressed some Single Player specific bugs and we plan to continue this in future patches. Your reports speed up the bug squishing process, so please continue reporting any bugs you come across.Can you enable the market system on single player?
The Trade System runs on a separate server from the game to allow Markets on different servers to talk to each other. When it comes to single player, it will have to be same-server trading only. This change will require some engineering work and we do not know yet when we are going to make that happen.
Will there be factions or AI? It would make PVE more interesting. What do you think of having PVP only at sea while land is PVE?
Our direction for Atlas is to make rich player interactions, whether that is through conflict or cooperation, and that is where we will spend most of our development effort. We have talked about factions and think those fit better with an MMORPG style game rather than a massively multiplayer sandbox game focused on PVP.
When will there be a massive Structure limit for land bases? How do you intend to prevent massive Structure spam that was used in PVP as defense meta on any island and in PVE to claim land on lawless?
Spamming structures is not fun gameplay and we would like to get it out of the game. We have some tools available, such as restricting the number of structures that can be built. Each of those options come with drawbacks. We'd like to find a solution that feels good within the world, is good for performance, and isn't so ugly. One of the things we are working on is giving players more choices when building. For example, rather than having to spam 100 walls, we are adopting some of the modding community's solutions and making large stone blocks so that larger defensive structures can be made with fewer pieces. We are also looking at making more automated structures that are designed specifically for defense.
When can we take exact amounts of resources out of a resource box? Can we please have a keybind to pull one single stack of something from a ship resources chest?
Thank you for the suggestion! We'll look into this. We love hearing ideas that make Atlas a smoother experience.
What Holidays are to be recognized going forward? So far with the new team we've enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s and then skipped over Valentine’s. Is there a list, or is it just if there's time given the more frequent Updates?
We don't have a formal list of events, but we like to celebrate as many holidays as our development schedule allows. Our primary focus is on new features, quality of life changes, balance, and bug fixes, so most holidays will be celebrated with rate up events. However, the Winter Event was a lot of fun to prepare, so you may see something similar in the future. (Anyone want a pair of Bunny Ears?)
Do you plan to make any changes to the current economic system? Gold is pretty abundant on PVP, and absurdly worthless on PVE due to the lack of any major goldsinks. Do you have any plans to change gold cost settings between PVP and PVE? PVP sinks gold into war-dec tokens, drakes, and 1000s of defensive npcs. PVE has none of this and island costs are minimal - there is little chance of islands changing ownership on PVE until the owner doesn't log in for 10 days.
This is one of our core focuses on the game right now. We definitely have some more gold sinks in mind and would love to hear your ideas. Please note that with our small team, at this stage in development, we are focused on balancing PVP first. Gold is only one aspect of the economy. We would also like to see a thriving and competitive resource economy. Right now it's very hard for small companies to get a variety of resources, and very easy for large companies to get nearly all of the resources. Since this is tied so closely to competitive balance, it accentuates the gaps between these player groups. We have started working on the next map, and it will give you more reasons to value different islands for the unique characteristics they contain. This is something we’ll talk more about in the future.
Question, will more gear for the players (like new swords, guns, and armor) be added as time goes on?
Atlas is a game about telling player stories. Custom gear or content is one of the places we would like to reinforce that. Rather than take the standard RPG approach where the devs craft thousands of items, we'd rather give the tools to players to let them craft unique and interesting items within the game, so we will be working on those sorts of systems instead. That said, most of our art effort in the next year is focused on creating awesome new ships, so new visuals for player gear are not likely to be added soon.
Does the team envision that it could be viable to just sail 24-7 and totally avoid land from the beginning of the game?
With the introduction of new ships, Sea Forts, and water tames, the ocean is more alive than ever before and we will continue developing content that pulls people towards the sea. We have a variety of features in development including physical trade ships that can be intercepted to steal resources. We are moving towards a world in which a strong navy will be required even if you have a base on land. That said, land will always have a place in Atlas and the majority of players will want to explore both the land and the sea.
We would like to hear more about direction on loot. The loot in this game is so bad right now we are seeing no crafts on bps, and are not seeing more of those bps dropping. We would just like a long write up of what direction you would like to take loot. Also why was loot changed mid season, crippling companies who now do not have the bps to replace boats? What data has been collected on the loot change? Most of us are still seeing low % items at the MW and above scale. Is there more loot balance coming this season?
We have started making changes to loot focused on blueprints and will continue to do so. We are making multiple changes simultaneously to support some transformative changes and that means sometimes things will get out of balance for a while. Recently with blueprint crafts there were some errors in the math which made the number of crafts significantly lower than was intended, and we'll be fixing that. To be clear on the intention - we are moving BP drops to happen in higher frequency with lower craft counts. This means you will see interesting and unique BPs more often, and will not be able to sustain as long on a single good find. Regarding our long term plans, rather than make this a strict RNG loot experience, we're also working on a set of blueprint crafting, merging, and upgrading systems. This will be initially focused on sails as we prototype the system. This should allow you to get closer to the sort of customized, hand-crafted blueprints you want while still providing an element of skill and luck for getting there. We will reveal more on that system as it comes along, but look for sail BP crafting in the coming months.Will we see increased reasons to sail in our home grids? Currently the only place to sail for content is GA. Is there talk of making more local grid content that would incentivize players to sail to other grids other than GA?
Our goal is to get more player interaction, especially on the water. Adding in Sea Forts is an example of an objective you need to sail to and compete over. Sailing can be obnoxious if you have to go long distances and that's why we're addressing that problem with the upcoming Tradewinds and after that we plan to introduce a portal system. Tradewinds is in final testing, and the portal system is still being worked out in design. Atlas is primarily a game about interactions with other players, so new water objectives we create are not going to be single-player experiences, but rather ways of drawing players together in conflict.
What are your long-term game performance optimization strategies (realistic ones)? It seems pretty clear that from a technology perspective, it's not possible to support islands with 100s of thousands of structures on them and maintain enjoyable gameplay. How is this being addressed and how can players provide detailed feedback as you discuss potential strategies for dealing with this?
We're looking to consolidate some larger multi-piece structures into chunkier single-piece structures. The overall structure count has a huge impact on performance. We don't want to remove the customization that is a hallmark of Atlas, so we're looking for ways to add new options rather than cull existing choices.
Are there any plans to rework the chat system to give players a better method of communication?
Not for a while. We'd love to eventually implement a mail system that allows players to communicate across servers.
Would the ability to salvage ship parts of sunken enemy ships be possible? A skill with a chance on salvage to get the item at a low percentage. This will help provide an incentive for players to pvp for loot in ship combat.
We're definitely looking at ways to bring more conflict to the ocean. Winning a difficult battle only to receive some resources can certainly be frustrating and we'd love to implement a system that allows you to receive a greater reward for your efforts.
Will players who have been playing since Early Access be rewarded with something special when the game goes to Full Release?
We will be looking for some ways to reward our long time loyal fans as we leave early access. It is a bit too early to commit to anything specific.
What are some immersion goals on the horizon? While performance-related, it's currently boring/problematic to have ships rendering when they are almost within firing distance (versus spotting sails far into the distance).
This is on our radar. We agree that the render distance should be increased to prevent ships popping in and out of view during combat, but we want to ensure any changes we make won't come at the cost of performance.
Weather mechanics are currently very one dimensional and don't offer any actual strategic value (you can't choose to head into a storm to lose chasers, for example).
We're planning to flesh out the weather system in the future. Some early ideas include allowing players to control the weather to make certain islands more inhabitable (or uninhabitable if you're an attacker). We'd also like to make storms more interesting by adding new encounters and resources inside them.
Also, smaller things like allowing lanterns to burn indefinitely and automatically turn on/off at dusk/dawn.
We always love hearing quality of life suggestions! Keep them coming!
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
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2/10/21 8PM PST- We are aware of some server issues with the latest update and are actively working on a fix. We appreciate your patience as we troubleshoot this incident.
2/11/21 1AM PST - The fix for the servers has been released and after a couple hours of careful monitoring we have determined the servers are operating normally. Thank you again for your patience and understanding.
Ahoy Pathfinders!
A new ship will be sailing into harbor with the new patch.
The “Majestic Kraken” will be available from the ship salesman, it's a streamlined vessel that not only looks deadly but packs quite the punch if she gets her tentacles on you. That's because she's touting 24 cannons that provide 50% more damage. The Kraken will be similar to the previous Ramming Galley, with custom ship compartment load outs and repairable via the Patch Kit. So gather up your doubloons and release the… you know the rest.
In other highlights of the patch, along with a few more bug fixes, we've also taken another pass at the glider suit so you can sail the skies, for a reasonable amount of time.
You get a blueprint, you get a blueprint, you get a blueprint... You guessed it, blueprint drops will be doubling and counts required are going down. So, go get your craft on.
Lastly, accordion music will wake creatures up faster after being tranquilized. Lederhosen and polka dancing are not required, but it couldn't hurt.
Community Surveys
Last patch, we asked our fellow pathfinders to take part in a community survey that would help the Atlas team gain better insight on the wants and needs of our community. Needless to say, we were overwhelmed by your participation and feedback and will be taking a lot of it into consideration. We would like to genuinely thank all who participated. To continue this series of engagement, we will have another community survey in the near future, this one will address recent concerns around ship construction and customization. We look forward to hearing more of your input and appreciate your support.
Released Patch Notes
v522.3
New Ship: The Majestic Kraken
The Ship Salesman's inventory is expanding! His latest offering, the Majestic Kraken, features two rows of Gunports armed with 150% damage Cannons.- Cost: 22,000 Gold, 75 Dried Squid Tentacles
- Weapons: 24 Standard Cannons (150% Damage)
- Max Level: 60
- Sail Points: 6.0
- Repair Resource: Patch Kit
Accordion
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Playing the Accordion in Free Play Mode quickly reduces the torpidity of nearby wild creatures, allowing them to wake up much faster after being tranquilized
- The radius of effect can be increased by unlocking the Inspiring Music skills in the Music and Dance tree
Armored Docks
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Quality Blueprints for Small and Large Armored Docks have been added to loot drops
- These have two stats: Durability (Total Health) and Effectiveness (Damage Resistance)
- Decreased stack size from 100 to 1
Blueprints
- Increased the drop rate of Blueprints about double across all sources
- Blueprints for Sails, Cannons, Planks, Decks, and Gunports now have much lower craft counts
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Updated how quality is derived on Cannons
- Quality is determined primarily based on Damage Percent
- Durability contributes to quality at a much lower ratio
- Stat values rolled are unchanged (same values should be generated, but quality of BP may be different)
Glider Suit
- Added a Stamina Drain Debuff
- Max Pitch is now limited by stamina. At low stamina the glider can only go down
- Camera Angle has been altered downward
- Bug Fix: Dive functionality via the run button has now been fully removed
Harvesting
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Stone Harvesting nodes in the the remaining regions have been rebalanced to match the Copper Regions changed last patch
- Iron is the most common metal now, and may be found in rocks
- Other metals are no longer found in stone but may still be mined from metal nodes
- Geodes may now drop from rock in all areas. Using a Geode will destroy it and may give some limestone, rock salt, and/or a small amount of different gems and crystals. Geodes may only be gathered by hand or with Tames, not with the Quarry or Farmhouse
- Bug Fix: An icon for the Geode has been added
Ships
- Patch Kit repair time reduced from 5 to 3 seconds
- Projectiles fired from Cannons in Gunports no longer explode if they hit the water's surface immediately after firing
- Enlarged Gunports on the upper level of the Ramming Galley's front castle to prevent clipping
- Bug Fix: Cannons in Gunports now correctly deal damage when ships are near one another
- Bug Fix: Ship components can be demolished after crossing grids
- Bug Fix: Resolved issue where all of the Ramming Galley's components were sometimes marked as Demolished
- Bug Fix: Ship wake effects are now positioned correctly for the Ramming Galley
Tames and Creatures
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Added Enable/Disable Breeding option to tame command wheel
- Breeding must be enabled to allow creatures to mate
- Wandering is no longer required for mating
- Following must still be disabled for mating
- Unconscious or dead Horses and Bears can now be dragged
- Bug Fix: A tamed Dolphin's rider now always receives the Dolphin Intellect buff when jumping
- Bug Fix: Tamed Dolphins are now always able to jump after crossing grids
- Bug Fix: Removed option to move NPCs onto Cargo Saddles
Trade
- Increased the Warehouse inventory cap to 120 stacks
- Trades of the same resources may no longer occur (e.g. iron for iron)
- Bug Fix: Agate (Flint) added to the Market so it may now be traded
- Bug Fix: Resources tradeable in the Market should all now be able to be placed in the Warehouse
Misc
- Tranq Arrow torpor damage increased by 50%
- Sea Fort walls no longer give resources when demolished
- Updated the drop tables of a few sea creatures to give more stuff
- Bug Fix: The Seed Vendor's inventory is now accessible in Single Player
- Bug Fix: Resolved issue where some Warehouses and Markets would cause crashes
Known Issues
- Cannon wheels clip through the floor on the Majestic Kraken's lowermost deck
- Painting has not been implemented for the Ramming Galley and Majestic Kraken and attempting to do so will result in some cosmetic errors.
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
Conch here, bringing the latest edition of Atlas Community Q&A with the Devs! While murky waters and stormy seas may alter the exact timelines in the future, the Atlas crew will continue to provide more engagement opportunities during the off-weeks between patches. It may be through Q&A or may be a fun community event or two, but like a pesky barnacle on your broadside, we'll be making it tough to leave us in the wake. Teaser 
Hmm? This seems familiar. How does it go? Release the... something something?
Well, thanks to my parrot postal friend, this image just landed on my shore. Apparently, she was recently spotted out in the deep sea, headin' our way! She's definitely a beauty... so, can anyone spare a coin or two so I can take her for a test sail? Shells don’t get a lot of loot these days.
As a reminder, before we get into Q&A, with all the new features we provide, there is also significant development going on with optimization and maintenance of the current game. Again, these teams work in tandem and you can expect the major patches with overhauls or additions to some of the major gameplay components to come in due time. Meanwhile, to make sure our fellow pathfinders don't feel like they're overboard without a life preserver, we'll be releasing additional smaller content continuously until the big items we’re working on are ready to set sail.
The ships to a better ATLAS have already charted their course and shoved off, but until then, doesn't mean we can't take a ride on a dolphin or seahorse and enjoy the voyage.
Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out at our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A! Q&A
Does the dev team have any thoughts on merging EU and NA pvp or maybe merging all of the servers to make 1 big megamap?
Yeah. We understand that this would be a lot of fun from the perspective of increasing the populations, but we're not ready to do this yet for two reasons:
1. We are concerned about lag when people are playing in distant servers (we locate the servers near where people are playing, so EU servers are in EU and any NA players going to those servers would suffer more lag).
2. There would always be a time when roughly half the population would be sleeping and thus easy pickings. Overall, we think that this will add to frustration until we have implemented ways of players protecting their stuff when offline.
Have you thought about making less planks needed on the lowest layer of ship building?
Yes. The new ship system will handle this much better once it rolls out.How does the team feel about setting minimum stat values for blueprints at each rarity and adjusting the maximums, so that 300% cannons as an example cannot exist and so mythical blueprints that are no better than common ones don’t exist either?
There is a huge balance pass in progress for blueprints right now. Please let us know what you think once it's done.Are there any plans to reduce stun duration with shield bash or even use a diminish return so it isn't an indefinite lockdown?
Yes. There is a lot about combat that really bothers us and stun locking is number one. It's on the list.Are there any plans for more "old style" ships to be released (build from frame up ones) or will all future ones at this point be prebuilt?
The new system contemplates a more modular design that isn't as intricate as the old system and isn't "prebuilt". For now they are as we work on the system, but ultimately it will be a modular system that allows you to swap components and create ships with different functions without allowing for the crazy exploits that the current system permits. It will also be more performant which should improve frame rate.
Any plans for bigger structures, like sea-walls/gates? So there's less need of overbuild harbours with thousands of structures?
Absolutely. We have this on our radar and will be looking into it as soon as time allows. We hear you.
When can we expect more pvp balances to come?
It would be great if players could provide a detailed list of changes they would like to see in the Discord channel. We have a long list of things we're fixing from the old team and putting a complete and forward thinking list up in the discord channel is the single best way to be heard. This goes out to all our players, not just Official PVP. (For example, last week’s survey was based on a compiled list of player concerns)
When will the SoTD loot table be fixed? Also the instant/infinite respawn of Sea Fort tax banks? Will there be some tweaks also to the market/warehouse/farmhouse structures to limit companies from spamming them so that new/returning players can have a chance to get their markets up?
Consider them all added to the list. Cheers!
Will we see a new bossfight anytime soon?
Not for a while. We have to fix all the broken stuff and introduce new features first. In general, Bossfights didn't work well and were easily exploited.
Will Seahorses and Dolphins eventually be able to follow behind ships?
Yes. We are also looking into having them pull ships for speed and maneuverability.
Any update on tradewinds?
They are coming. :). We are still working on them and they should be here at the end of Q2 beginning of Q3. It might be sooner but don't want to promise it sooner than that.
Any ETA on some bug fixing and stability patches?
We run patches roughly every 2 weeks. There are a number of fixes associated with each patch so we are doing this constantly. If your particular issue isn't being surfaced, please join our discord and let it be known there. 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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
There have been reported sightings of a strange and mysterious creature, often alluded to but frequently brushed off as nothing more than a sailor’s tale! It appears these majestic Seahorses have found their way to the seas of Atlas! From what we’ve observed, it appears these creatures are quite fond of Seaweed and Sea Grapes! Once a Pathfinder has gained its loyalty, the Seahorse may allow them to travel the waters on their back. With its natural poison, the Seahorse is a powerful ally. Just be sure to have an antidote ready in case of any mishaps!
Not to be outdone by Seahorses and their poisons, Dolphins have learned how to harvest Coral and Seaweed for their masters! Do we sense a Dolphin vs Seahorse rivalry in the makings?
Various changes were made to the Glider to make it more fun and useful while trying to address some previous exploits. It will likely undergo more changes as we hear feedback and discover abuse cases.
Please see the full patch notes below for additional details and other exciting changes - including the Flame Ballista Bolt buff, new blueprints for farmhouse variants, resource and loot drop changes, among various bug fixes as well!
Community Surveys
We will be publishing a series of surveys on different topics in an effort to better gauge and quantify Community Feedback. Surveys may range from balancing, to design, to community/social initiatives, and more! Some surveys may be more geared towards specific audiences than others, but we will try to hit a variety of different topics and niches - so don't worry if your concerns are not addressed in the current survey. We understand how diverse our player base is and we want ATLAS to be accessible and fun for everyone! However, we are a small team, so we cannot roll everything out at once.
While this first survey is focused on PVP Balance, please rest assured that we are working on many different things at the same time in the background. We aren't forgetting PVE, or Private Servers! A lot of things that you may not see being discussed are either already being worked on or already on our radar/to-do.
These surveys do NOT mean that we are only taking feedback in this way. We are continuing to take feedback from all sources. These surveys are only meant to help us pinpoint and gather further details from community data.
Please find the Survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeTCwgHFfxeOLpgTlRjeTRDUaOY5r7CbY7V_EOPDWVvi5RcJQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Although we cannot promise to commit any specific change, we would want to be able to quantify which issues players care about most by using this survey to reach as broad an audience as possible.
We appreciate your support! Thank you!
Released Patch Notes
v521.6
New Creature: Seahorse
Found in the depths of the Trenches, Seahorses are a new creature that can be tamed and bred after unlocking the Underwater Taming skill in the Beastmastery tree.- Favorite Foods: Seaweed and Sea Grapes
- Taming Style: Passive
- Saddle: None
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Primary Attack: Venomous Bite
- Gives the target the Poisoned debuff which deals 20 damage over 15 seconds
- The Poisoned debuff can be negated by using an Antidote
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Secondary Attack: Acid Spit
- Fires an arcing projectile that deals extra damage to Submarines and increased durability damage to armor
New Medicine: Antidote
The Antidote can be crafted at the Mortar and Pestle after learning the Basic Medical Studies skill in the Medicine tree.- Grants the user a buff that removes the effects of Seahorse poison and prevents them from being poisoned again for 20 seconds
- Crafting Resources: 5 Medicinal Herbs, 2 Organic Paste
New Tool: Crude Tool
Players now start with a simple recipe to make a tool they can use to collect wood. No more bloody fingers!- About 1/4 as effective as a Hatchet
- Loses Durability very fast
- Crafting Resources: 1 Stone, 10 Fiber
Dolphin
- Dolphins can now harvest Coral and Seaweed
- Bug Fix: Water Temperature Fortitude bonuses from the skill tree are no longer removed when riding creatures underwater
- Bug Fix: Resolved issue where Dolphins would occasionally die when near the surface
Flame Ballista Bolt
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Deals increasing damage to Sails every 2 seconds
- Example: 20/40/60/80 damage at 2/4/6/8 seconds
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Hitting a Sail with a second Flame Ballista Bolt adds 100 to the current amount of damage
- Example: A Sail is hit with a second Bolt after it has already been on fire for 2 seconds. The amount of damage received by the Sail increases from 20 to 120
- Fires can be extinguished by closing the Sail, using an Olfend's water spray, or by dumping a Water Bucket on the Mast
Glider Suit
Various changes were made to the Glider to make it more fun and useful while trying to address some previous exploits. It will likely undergo more changes as we hear feedback and discover abuse cases.- Restored the ability to control pitch so you can now glide up and down
- Increased the max height to activate from 100m to 400m
- Slowed the base glider speed down by around 40%
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Added a drag component to the speed updates
- The faster you are going, the more drag will slow you down
- Prevents maintaining high speed for a long time after a dive
- Reduced the minimum speed you can glide at before you stall to about 2m per second
- Changed the dive angle and required dive time
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Glider Known Issues:
- You can still gain height but it's slow
- You can still glide across half a server if you jump off a 400m spot
- It's hard to tell when you are about to stall
- Sometimes at super slow speed you inexplicably corkscrew
- Pressing the 'Dive' button (Shift by default on PC) results in a weird sideways dive
Loot Drops
- Blueprints for Lumberyard, Quarry, and Mine now drop. They have two new stats on them: Capacity (how much weight and stacks they can hold) and Gather Rate
- Coffee and Coffee Seeds may be found in place of other food drops
Resources
- Fish Oil drops from some fish which previously did not drop it
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Stone Harvesting nodes in the Copper Region (Northwest) have been rebalanced and a set of changes are being tested
- Iron is the most common metal now, and may be found in rocks in place of whatever metal may have been used before. Copper is the less common metal found primarily in this region
- Geodes may now drop from rock. Using a Geode will destroy it and may give some limestone, rock salt, and/or a small amount of different gems and crystals. Geodes may only be gathered by hand or with Tames, not with the Quarry or Farmhouse
- These changes will be moved to all regions after a period of testing
Ships
- Bug Fix: Third person view can no longer be obstructed by structures built near the ship's wheel
- Bug Fix: Ship levels 46-50 are no longer purchasable on ships with a level cap of 50
- Bug Fix: Cannons on the Ramming Galley now have wheels
Tames & Creatures
- Carried Rabbits now give a 20% speed boost while the player's stamina is at or above 90%
- Creatures' torpor bars are now displayed after receiving torpidity damage
- Seaweed can now be placed in the Trough
Misc
- The Seed Vendor's inventory now rotates every 12 hours
- Decay Times on Market, Warehouse, and Kiln have been set to the standard 10 days
- Fixed some instances where Markets get out of sync
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Bug Fix: Structures can now be built next to the sides of Armored Docks
- NOTE: There is still an area near the entrance and exit where structures cannot be placed
- Bug Fix: Resolved issue where Markets, Farmhouses, and Warehouses become invisible in Single Player
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
This week we have another Q&A with the Devs for you all as we wait for next week’s Patch! Moving forward, Pathfinders can expect a patch every other week barring any unexpected circumstances are changes in tide.
Some of ye on our Discord may have noticed a new hand on Deck! Let’s get an official introduction to our new community manager!*Washes up on to shore*
Hey y'all, I'm Conch. I'll be joining the crew as Captain Nami's first mate. I'll be handling most of the dialogue here in the Discord going forward and I'm look forward from hearing from you all. I'll say now I cannot make promises on where our journey may take us but I will do my best to relay your concerns and make our voyage as enjoyable as possible.
You'll shortly see that my sarcasm is my sword and will be wielded often for the forces of good-natured humor (*Trolls Beware*). Other than that, I'm a BIG e-sports fan (*cough* TSM *cough*) so if it's been streamed I've probably watched some of it. Still waiting for competitive Atlas to take off *crossing fingers*.
So if you find yourself in need, I'll be here. Here's to smooth sailing ahead! Cheers!
It’s a new year, and we know some curious Pathfinders may be wondering how ATLAS is going to continue to shape out from here. We are still very much continuing development across all the features and mechanics we have introduced so far. The Trading System and the pieces dependent on it are still in the early stages; and there are still a line of new and unique ships to come! The claiming system rework is still in the testing stages as well. As we work on refining these systems we have put in place, we are also getting closer to defining the direction that we’d like to take ATLAS. We’re still planning it out, and once we have a more cohesive structure in place, we’ll roll out more information to the community.
Teaser
Ehhhh? What’s this!? We’re not seahorsin’ around!
The Tameable Dolphins were only the first of the new underwater tames, which are going to be a part of a taming/breeding rework. Not to fear! This isn’t taking away from our development time in other areas. It is a smaller project that we are doing on the side to add a bit more fun and flavor out in the waters.
We would also like to stress that we are not neglecting optimization and bug fixes in favor of new content. We hear your concerns and understand that there is a lot we need to continue to fix and improve. The team of engineers who work on optimization and fixes are different from the team of designers that implement new content. We are fixing elements of the game while developing new content in tandem. Oftentimes, optimization and bug fixing are a multifaceted issue and require more time and resources to address. Other times, these coding updates may be an under the hood improvement. We’re taking things step by step, and it may take multiple patches for certain fixes, and even new content, to reach the stage we want it. We thank you for your support and patience!
Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out at our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A!
Q&A
What is the next step in the new ship lego project?
For now, we will continue to make unique ships built with a growing selection of unique modules. Further down the road we are looking into allowing players to buy / craft their own modules and build their own ships.Will the team be addressing or nerfing large walls spamming ? So we might actually be able to destroy a 50 layer wall of them or an entire island spammed with it.
Yes. This is on the list.
How is the progress on the claim system? Are you able to reveal more details on it now?
While the focus of the game is, indeed, to get more focus on the sea, we can't ignore the land play. The "new" claiming system is an attempt to balance land play and make it more fun. In general, the team has found band-aid on top of band-aid in this department and we want to remove those layers and get to a cleaner code base and more fun gameplay.Where in Development is Mech Monkey?
I'll never tell.Any plans for new servers? Modes?
Yes. We have lots of things planned. We have hit upon a theme for the game that we really like and lots of other wonderful things that are really going to make this game pop in 2021. To answer your question a bit more I can tell you that we're beginning design for small, temporary worlds that you get to via maelstroms that appear on the map. They will only be available for a bit of time and will typically have something cool on them. This is really early but lots more really cool stuff is in the works.Any word on improving armored docks? Like maybe enclosing them so NPCs are safe? Also, having repairs inside armored dock would be helpful.
Yes, this was always the plan, we just need a little more time to get there.Can you tell us more about the direction tames/breeding is headed?
For now, we are looking at cleaning up the tame system and adding some more tames to the water. Beyond that, it's fuzzy. the more work we put into tames the more people want to stay on land, but the tame system is only a fraction of what is possible and who are we to stop that. I wish I could tell you more, but we really need more time to come up with something fun, deep, and different.When will there be a sail revert/rebalance and perhaps a buff to weight sails to make them usable?
A major overhaul of the sail system is on the books. It's another example of the layering of issues that we are now stripping off to get to the fun of the game. No word yet on the timing.In the steam page, the responses from the devs, and older interviews seem to emphasize a focus on player immersion and faction building with a pirate/colonial aesthetic. The actual design seems to be more of a min/maxer grind fest with theory crafting elements. What’s the actual intended experience for the game?
I hear you. Let me clear things up if possible:
-Atlas isn't where we want it. The game has a long history already and I don't want to spend time there. Just know that where we are today is not where we want to be.
-Vision is about destination. When we talk about vision, we're talking about where we want to be, not where we are today.
-Finally, remember that the game's development is a cooperative experience. We put a bit of something out and then see how you like it and then we adjust to that.All that said, this is where we are today...
We have hit on a theme for the world that is going to give it more cohesion, remove some of the more annoying limitations of the game, and open it to more possibility. If allowed, we'll be introducing this theme a bit at a time (the way a new idea would be introduced IRL) and then grow it from there.
For a period of time last year we were guided to add a new strategic layer to the game to give companies new tracks to explore. The aesthetic and realism boundaries of this have expanded a bit and we're very excited for what's being planned for 2021.
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
d with us Pirates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playatlasgame
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
We hope you all have had a wonderful start to the New Year so far! ATLAS’ first patch of the year is now here and we thank you for your patience!
Since we have renewed the ATLAS journey last Summer, there have been many changes and we are continuing to further develop the features and mechanics that are starting to take shape. Farmhouses, Warehouses, Markets, and the Trading system will continue to be tweaked and refined. We have plenty in store for the specialized ships within the Ships for Gold system as players will be able to customize these ships as more are released and the system becomes more sophisticated.
We are still testing a new claim system and Tradewinds are still on our agenda. We also have a few new things on the horizon for ATLAS. Not to mention, we are continuing to work on optimization and server improvements in the background! We hope you stick with us, it’s gonna be an exciting ride!
New this Patch
Tameable Dolphins
Tired of travelling by ship? Dolphin riding is now an alternate form of water traversal! Dolphins are the first underwater creature that can be tamed and bred by unlocking the new Underwater Taming skill in the Beastmastery tree. They can be tamed passively by feeding them meat, in particular, the new Squid Tentacle which can be obtained by defeating Squids. As part of an overall initiative to revamp and bring new purpose to tames, Dolphins are the first of a slate of new underwater tames that will have specialized functions. Afterall, as a pirate game, we would expect there to be more interactions with creatures at sea. Pathfinders can expect small changes to tames and breeding to slowly roll out in tow with some patches. We hope to elevate the taming system in ATLAS to be more viable and fun as other mechanics may change how some tames were used before.
Seed Vendor and Coffee
Business is booming, and a new vendor has set up shop at the Freeports! Working on your farm and looking for a particular crop? The Seed Vendor is your one stop shop! Most seeds can be purchased at a rate of 10 gold for 5 seeds.
With new business, also comes a new crop! Coffee Seeds can be purchased from the Sea Vendor at 20 gold for 5 seeds. Fight away sleep in real life and in game! Coffee Beans can be brewed to create Coffee! Drinking coffee will give pirates the new buff, Caffeinated, which reduces incoming torpor damage.
Embrace the power of coffee! Do we smell a Starfishbucks empire coming up?
Farmhouse Variants
Last patch we introduced the Lumberyard, the first of the new Farmhouse variants as we continue to refine the Farmhouse system. These variants are specialized Farmhouses that will gather certain resources at a faster rate. We are now introducing the Mine - a farm that will only gather Metals and Gems, and the Quarry - a farm that will only gather Stone, Crystal, Salt and Flint. They both share the same placement restrictions as other Farmhouses, but require different resources to craft as detailed in the Patch Notes.
All Farmhouses are undergoing changes in preparation for adding Blueprints. Gather rates have temporarily been normalized at a lower rate across all types. Quality Blueprints with stats will increase this in a future patch. Other changes made to Farmhouses include base inventory size and base inventory slots increase. Based on feedback, decay time of Farmhouses has been changed to 10 days.
Balancing and Tweaks
Through our observations, conversations, and feedback from players, Patch 520.12 also includes some balance changes and tweaks that should help to mitigate some of the issues we were seeing.
Bolas are a versatile tool that can be used on creatures and players. While great to use for taming and fun to use on others, there was little that could be done to counter the mechanic when a player is caught. We have reduced the duration of Bola entrapment from 5.5 to 2.5 seconds and after recovering from entrapments, players cannot be entrapped by a Bola for 10 seconds. Another change we’ve made is that players can no longer stand while entrapped by a Bola.
Explosive Barrels have been a hot topic and we are continuing to work out a good balance for them to fit within the mechanics of the game. Cannons, Large Cannons, Swivel Guns, and Ballistas are now immune to AOE damage from Explosive Barrels. Damage from Explosive barrels to players and creatures has also been reduced.
We are also continuing to make changes to the Ramming Galley and both Ship systems as we prepare to rollout the rest of the upcoming Ships for Gold. The Ramming Galley has received a few quality of life upgrades - an increase in number of additional structures that can be placed, and an increase in turn speed with rowers active. An adjustment to the leak rate when damaged has been made as well. In general, we have also added the option to purchase ship levels 56-60. Ship Gold cost will also now scale with Ship Quality and we will continue to take a look at the prices and adjust accordingly to balance with future changes and mechanics to both ship systems.
Please see the full changelog below for more details and additional changes related to combat, horse rear kick attack, rabbits, and more!
Released Patch Notes
v520.12
New Structure: Mine
The Mine is a farm that only gathers Metal and Gems. It can be crafted at the Smithy after learning the Advanced Automation skill in the Construction & Mercantilism tree.- Shares placement restrictions with other Farmhouses
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Crafting Resources: 800 Wood, 600 Thatch, 320 Fiber, 280 Metal, 100 Hide
New Structure: Quarry
The Quarry is a farm that only gathers Stone, Crystal, Salt, and Flint. It can be crafted at the Smithy after learning the Advanced Automation skill in the Construction & Mercantilism tree.- Shares placement restrictions with other Farmhouses
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Crafting Resources: 800 Wood, 600 Thatch, 320 Fiber, 280 Metal, 100 Hide
New Shop: Seed Vendor
A new vendor has arrived! The Seed Vendor can be found in Freeports and provides all the seeds required for your farming needs.- Coffee Seeds: 20 Gold for 5 Seeds
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All other Seeds: 10 Gold for 5 Seeds
New Drink: Coffee
Coffee can be brewed at either the Cooking Pot or Grill after learning the Intermediate Recipes skill in the Cooking & Farming tree. After drinking, pirates are given a new buff, Caffeinated, which reduces incoming torpor damage.- Incoming torpor damage reduced by 15%
- Buff lasts for 10 minutes
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Ingredients: 1 Water, 30 Coffee Beans
New Vegetable: Coffee Bean
Since Coffee Beans are not native to the Atlas, they can only be grown from seeds. Pirates who prefer adventuring over sleep will always want to keep Coffee Beans on hand!
New Seed: Coffee Seed
Coffee Seeds can only be purchased from the Seed Vendor. They are required for growing Coffee Beans.-
Can be planted in Tropical, Temperate, and Equatorial environments
New Tame: Dolphin
Dolphins can be tamed passively by hand feeding them meat. In particular, they enjoy fresh Squid Tentacles, Fish Meat, and Crustacean Meat. By grabbing hold of their dorsal fin, pathfinders can ride them as they speed and jump through the ocean.- Favorite Food: Squid Tentacles
- Taming Style: Passive
- Saddle: None
- Primary Attack: Bite
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Secondary Ability: Jump
- Gives nearby pathfinders the Dolphin Intellect buff
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Increases intelligence stat for 10 minutes
New Meat: Squid Tentacle
Squid Tentacles are a new type of meat that can be obtained by defeating Squids. They can be eaten raw and don't spoil. Instead, they dry out over time and remain safe to eat!
Dried Squid Tentacles will soon have a special use, so you may want to start collecting them now!
Bola- Players can no longer stand while entrapped by a Bola
- Duration of player Bola entrapment reduced from 5.5 to 2.5 seconds
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After recovering from entrapment, players cannot be entrapped by a Bola for 10 seconds
Combat
- Headshot multiplier reduced from 2x to 1.5x
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Bug Fix: Critical Strike can no longer be used with weapons other than the Sword
Explosive Barrels
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Cannons, Large Cannons, Swivels Guns, and Ballistas are now immune to AOE damage from Explosive Barrels
- NOTE: These weapons can still be damaged by a direct hit from an Explosive Barrel fired from a Catapult
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Explosive Barrel damage to players and creatures greatly reduced
- Deals 120 damage to pathfinders
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Deals 135 damage to creatures
Farmhouse Variants
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All farmhouse variants are undergoing iteration in preparation for adding Blueprints
- Stats changed and inventories wiped at restart
- You can cheat spawn high quality variants with better stats (bigger inventory and faster gathering)
- Base Inventory Size has been increased from 8k to 10k
- Base Inventory Slots have been increased
- Decay time changed to 10 days
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Gather Rates have temporarily been normalized at a lower rate across all types
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Quality Blueprints with stats will increase this in a future patch.
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Quality Blueprints with stats will increase this in a future patch.
Ramming Galley
- Increased number of additional structures that can be placed on the ship from 8 to 40
- While turning, only one side of rowers will row, increasing the Ramming Galley's turn speed when rowers are active
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The leak rate of damaged ship components now increases as the component's health decreases
- Leaking begins at 25% health and the leak rate increases until the component reaches 0 health
- The maximum leak rate has not changed
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Bug Fix: Fixed an issue where the prompt for opening the command wheel would appear on parts of the ship after they had already been demolished
Ships
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Added the option to purchase ship levels 56-60 at a rate of 75 Gold per 1,000 XP
- Levels can be purchased when viewing the ship's stat menu
- NOTE: Ships can still reach max level by earning XP normally
- Ship Gold cost now scales with ship quality
- Minimum price is used for ships constructed at 100% durability Shipyards and maximum price is used for ships constructed at 225% durability Shipyards
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Price Ranges
- Schooner: 5,000 to 10,000 Gold
- Brigantine: 18,000 to 36,000 Gold
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Galleon: 50,000 to 100,000 Gold
Tames
- Torpor damage from Horse's rear kick attack reduced by 40%
- Rabbits can now equip hats
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Bears and Rabbits now only receive 10% of the stat bonus from equipped hats
Misc
- Increased Grill ship structure weight from 1 kg to 12 kg
- Wood Doors, Wood Pillars, Wood Staircases, Wood Fence Supports, and Wood Ladders can now be crafted at the Smithy
- Winter Event items are no longer craftable at the Smithy or purchasable from the Cosmetic Vendor
- Fixed some cases where Trade Routes get reset or modified
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Bug Fix: Fence Supports can no longer be placed without a connection to the ground
- NOTE: Any floating Fence Supports placed prior to the patch will be destroyed
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Some Crashes Fixed
Known Issues
- Levels 46-50 can be purchased on ships with a level cap of 50
- Trade Route Range was increased between patches to include nearby servers. These farther routes are getting reset on server restarts and may be having other issues.
- Riding a Dolphin at or near the surface will occasionally cause it to die
- Tamed Dolphins may no longer be able to jump after crossing grids
- Farm Variants have floating fires near 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
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2
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
The next patch will be scheduled for 1/13 7:00 PM PT.
It includes a variety of balance changes and as a heads up, please note:
- Grill ship structure weight will increase from 1kg to 12kg.
Please be aware and take care!
Full patch notes to be released tomorrow!
Meanwhile, here's an additional sneak peak at the tameable Dolphins coming as part of the next patch:
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
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1
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
We're ending the year and starting the next one with a rate up event! From now until January 4th, enjoy 3x Gold, Taming, and Harvesting, and 2x experience! Thank you all for supporting us these last 6 months as we have renewed the ATLAS journey. Looking forward to 2021!
Stay safe and healthy! Happy Holidays! Yo ho ho ho
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
Last week was quite a ride and we would like to thank you all for continuing to sail along with us! It has been about 6 months now since we have renewed the ATLAS journey, and now the last scheduled patch of the year is upon us!
We have made several fixes to the Ramming Galley, Armored Docks, and more. This includes a fix for Explosive Barrels so they no longer deal damage in Freeports and removing some bad maps from Treasure Map spawning. Christmas Trees and Ship level caps have also been fixed. We have also included a few changes, like the much requested increase in reverse sailing speed, which has now been increased by 200%. The Glider Suit may now only be activated under 100m height as well. As a little bonus, Bears can also now wear hats! For the full list of bug fixes and changes, please see the changelog.
Most importantly, we have also made some server reliability improvements that should also help to reduce incidents of losses. To fully address the issue will be a long-term process, as it is a multifaceted issue and touches many aspects of the code. We are touching on different symptoms of it throughout development as we continue to make our investigations and improve the code. Please continue to report these issues to us as they greatly aid in our efforts to optimize and improve the ATLAS experience. Thanks for your patience, understanding, and support!
NEW
Tonight’s patch has quite a few new things in store! First up - we have the Lumberyard, a farmhouse variation that gathers only thatch and wood. All of the systems we have been implementing will continue to see development and improvements as we refine them based on feedback and observation. This is the first step towards the next iteration of the farmhouse system as we introduce specialized variants. Regular farmhouses will still continue to collect Wood and Thatch for now. However, Lumberyards will gather them at a much faster rate.
Aye, and were ye looking for a way to store all yer drinks for the holidays? The new Keg is the perfect way to store and transport your alcohol. Afterall, drinks taste best directly from a Keg, don’t they? The Keg can be crafted at the Smithy after learning the Secrets of Cooking skill in the Cooking & Farming tree. For only 30 fiber, 5 metal, 50 thatch, and 60 wood - you can build a Keg and be able to store any alcohol items in stacks of 50. Drinks for everyone!
Having trouble taming some creatures? Might we recommend the new Tranq Arrow? The Tranq Arrow is a new ammo type for the Bow that deals high amounts of Torpor and little physical damage. It can be used to put creatures to sleep, allowing pirates to more easily contain them for taming. Tranq Arrows can be crafted in the Mortar and Pestle after learning the Taming Tier 2 skill in the Beastmastery Tree.
Ramming Galley
Last week the first of the new ships that can be bought for gold, the Ramming Galley, hit the shores of Atlas. We were excited to see our baby in action and have made a number of changes to help it create more of a splash. We increased its base speed by 40% and have also increased its turn speed while sails are closed. As a ship meant to directly attack and charge into others, it needed more oomph so we increased the damage of all cannons on the Ramming Galley from 100% to 125%. Ramming Galleys will also now deal damage to NPC ships.
To compensate its strength a bit, the Ramming Galley now costs an additional 75 Rhino Horns, a new resource type obtained from defeating Rhinos, to purchase.
In addition to these changes, we also made a number of bug fixes to the Ramming Galley, which can be viewed in the full Changelog that follows.
As with all the features and mechanics we have so far introduced, we will continue to balance and refine the Ramming Galley.
What's Next
Previously we discussed a rework on the Claim System. Originally, we intended to introduce this by the end of this year. As things move in development and new challenges present themselves, timelines and ideas can often change. We are still working on the new Claim System’s implementation and testing it. It will likely not be introduced until early next year. Many were concerned that a rework of the Claim System would bring about a wipe. Although wipes are inevitable in EA, we also do our best to wipe only when it is absolutely necessary. At this time there is no estimated or set date for a wipe and we will keep the community updated if that changes.
As the last patch of the year, the ATLAS team will be setting sail for a small holiday break. The next scheduled patch will be the week of January 11. However, we will continue to perform daily server restarts and we will have our spyglass handy to watch out for any urgent issues that may require our attention. Otherwise, pass us your Kegs and some glasses please! Happy Holidays!
Released Patch Notes
V519.5
New Structure: Lumberyard
The Lumberyard is a farm that only gathers thatch and wood. It can be crafted at the Smithy after learning the Advanced Automation skill in the Construction & Mercantilism Tree.- Shares placement restrictions with other Farmhouses
- Gathers about 1/3 more wood and thatch than a regular Farmhouse
- Crafting Resources: 800 Wood, 600 Thatch, 320 Fiber, 280 Metal, 100 Hide
New Structure: Keg
The Keg is a new storage container used to store alcohol. It can be crafted at the Smithy after learning the Secrets of Cooking skill in the Cooking & Farming Tree.- All alcohol items can be stored in stacks of 50
- Crafting Resources: 30 Fiber, 5 Metal, 50 Thatch, 60 Wood
New Bow Ammo Type: Tranq Arrow
- Tranq Arrows are significantly more effective against tameable creatures
- Players and NPCs are immune to Tranq Arrows
- Crafting Resources: 1 Stone Arrow, 20 Berries
New Keratinoid Resource: Rhino Horn
- Rhino Horns can now be obtained by defeating Rhinos
Armored Docks
- Updated UI text on Armored Docks to clarify that only 1 Gold is consumed when the timer expires
- Bug Fix: Armored Docks no longer stop working for a period of time after server restarts
- Bug Fix: Armored Docks no longer consume all Gold in their inventory after server restarts
Ramming Galley
- Added 75 Rhino Horns to cost
- Base speed increased by 40%
- Increased turn speed while sails are closed
- Increased damage of all cannons on ship from 100% to 125%
- Ramming NPC ships with the Ramming Galley now deals damage
- Players can now swim through some large holes in the Ramming Galley after it sinks
- Bug Fix: Health is no longer displayed for undamageable parts of the ship including weapons
- Bug Fix: Demolish option no longer appears for components that have already been demolished after the ship sinks
- Bug Fix: Ramming Galley can no longer be crafted in the Large Shipyard
- Bug Fix: Forward-facing Large Cannons are now correctly assigned to the Front Station Group
- Bug Fix: Oars will now always automatically retract after idling for 10 seconds
- Bug Fix: Sail rigging now previews correctly when placing new sails
Ships
- Max reverse speed for all ships increased by 200%
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Bug Fix: Level cap for max quality ships restored to 60
- NOTE: The max level of ships built during the previous patch won't change
Winter Event
- Christmas Trees now produce gifts every 12 hours
- Bug Fix: Santa Hat skin will no longer disappear from player inventory
- Bug Fix: Santa Hat is now properly positioned on Monkeys, Parrots, and Penguins
- Bug Fix: Resolved issue where Stockings and Christmas Trees would stop producing coal/gifts after server restarts
Trade
- Fixed some cases where Markets would break
- Limited the number of Trade Offers Markets can have to 20.
Misc
- Made some server reliability improvements
- Bears can now equip hats
- Glider Suit may now only be activated under 110 meters height (about the height of the lighthouse)
- Reduced Grill's damage resistance
- Sea Fort walls now swap to a damaged mesh when destroyed rather than disappearing
- Bug Fix: Explosive Barrels can no longer deal damage in Freeports
- Bug Fix: Removed some bad maps from Treasure Map spawning
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
The team is working on a fix for the keybinding crash issues. The crash is caused by a key bind being looked up by the tutorial and having no entry. If any of these bindings are unassigned, there's a potential for a crash. You will need to make sure that all key binds referenced by the tutorial are mapped.
Until we are able to get the formal fix out, please follow the steps below for a workaround if you are having issues:
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Navigate to the Key Bindings menu:
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You will need to RESET your key bindings as shown here:
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If you would like to then again rebind your keys (prior to the formal fix), you will need to make sure that there are no unbound keys.
- Note: There are some unassigned keys by default - these are okay because the tutorial does not reference them.
- Note: "Restore Default Settings" will restore ALL settings, not just the key bindings.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding! If you continue to run into any other bugs or issues, please report them to us here: https://forms.gle/pYZuMuZCuCC2ZHEf6-
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Navigate to the Key Bindings menu:
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12/8 8:45 PM PST EDIT: We are looking into the issue where beds that were placed on land before the patch are now out of claim. Thanks for your reports and patience!
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Ahoy Pathfinders!The holiday season is here! In the spirit of the Holidays, we set sail for a little trip up to the North Pole to bring back some Holiday loot and festivities to ATLAS! Sail the Seas in a fancy new Santa Hat or Top Hat, and craft festive decorations! Safely have a “Company” Holiday Party here on ATLAS!
Ramming Ship
Looking for the perfect gift? How about the new Ramming Ship? That’s right, the Ship Salesman is now officially open for business! He can be found selling our latest ship - the Ramming Galley - on his island in the center of Freeport grids. The Ramming Galley features rowers, 20 cannons, and a ram that deals bonus damage when ramming other ships.
Rowers, a new feature currently unique to the Ramming Galley, give a burst of speed to intercept and ram other ships. Using rowers requires use of the ship's Rowing Stamina. Once Rowing Stamina is depleted, rowing will cease and the stamina will regenerate over time.
As the first ship using our new ship system, the Ramming Galley will function a bit differently from previous ships. In addition to HP numbers changing, holes will appear in parts of the ship as they become damaged. As the damage worsens, the holes will grow, giving pirates a better visual indicator to determine how damaged each part of their ship is! Be sure to keep your ship repaired since rowers and weapons will only function if the part of the ship they're on has sufficient health.
Repairing the Ramming Galley will require the use of a new item: the Patch Kit. No longer will you need to haul planks and raw resources to ensure your ship stays in pristine condition!
Since the Ramming Galley already comes equipped with a large arsenal of weapons, players will not be able to build additional weapons on it. Workstations and furniture can be constructed freely, and existing stairs, doors, and sails can be switched out with player-made variants. Although walls and other structures cannot currently be constructed on ships, we would like to iterate on this in the future to allow pirates to customize their ships with a variety of rooms below deck.
We hope you enjoy the new Ramming Galley and Holiday festivities! We are still hard at work continuing to fine-tune the Markets and Trade system, among other optimization and performance improvements. It’s a long-term process, and we want you to know that even if certain changes are not seen right away - we are taking the steps to move these things along. Thanks again for all of your support and feedback!
Released Patch Notes
V515.7
New Ship: Ramming Galley- Cost: 22,000 Gold
- Weapons: 18 Standard Cannons, 2 forward-facing Large Cannons
- Special Features: Rowers, Ram
- Max Level: 60
- Sail Points: 4.0
- Repair Resource: Patch Kit
New Item: Patch Kit
The Patch Kit is a new item used for repairing the Ramming Galley. It can be crafted in the Smithy after learning the Shipwright skill in the Seamanship tree. To use, approach a damaged part of the Ramming Galley and use the Repair Hammer. Once the repair is complete, the Patch Kit will be consumed and the repaired component will have 1,000 health restored.- Healing: 1,000
- Crafting Resources: 100 Fiber, 120 Thatch, 200 Wood
New Workstation: Kiln
The Kiln is a new workstation used for rapidly creating coal out of wood. Add wood to the Kiln inventory and activate it, and it will burn one into coal every second. Kiln crafting is learned in the Secrets of Building skill in the Construction tree, and can be done at the Smithy.- Crafting Resources: 500 Stone, 200 Flint, 25 Metal
Winter Event
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Two new hat skins are available for purchase from the Freeport's cosmetic vendor for a limited time
- Santa Hat: 200 Gold
- Top Hat: 200 Gold
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Seven new items available for crafting at the Smithy for a limited time
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Christmas Tree: Produces a random gift every 24 hours!
- Crafting Resources: 250 Wood, 200 Fiber, 250 Thatch
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Festive Lights: A decoration that can be hung on walls
- Crafting Resources: 20 Wood, 10 Thatch, 1 Metal
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Holiday Gift: A festive variant of the Small Storage Box
- Crafting Resources: 44 Wood, 40 Thatch, 15 Hide
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Sleigh: A festive variant of the Wooden Chair
- Crafting Resources: 100 Wood, 100 Thatch, 50 Fiber
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Snowman: A new friend that can be placed on ships or floors
- Crafting Resources: 2 Wood, 12 Coal, 1 Carrot, 50 Fiber, 30 Ice
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Stocking: A decoration that can be hung on walls. Produces one Coal every five minutes
- Crafting Resources: 40 Fiber, 30 Hide
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Wreath: A decoration that can be hung on walls
- Crafting Resources: 20 Fiber, 10 Wood, 20 Thatch
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Christmas Tree: Produces a random gift every 24 hours!
Armored Docks
- Bug Fix: Gold upkeep status now only shown for the owning company
- Bug Fix: Upkeep timer now correctly updated on the UI
- Bug Fix: Ships in Armored Docks no longer stay protected after the owner of the Armored Dock or the ship changes
Market
- Market Logs now have paging, allowing all logs to be displayed for each Market
- Bug Fix: Suspend and Unsuspend Market are now working correctly
Known Issues
- The Ramming Galley's Railing Gunports and Castles can be damaged, but don't update their meshes to reflect this damage (their HP updates accordingly and they can be repaired)
- The Ramming Galley's forward-facing Large Cannons are in the Right Station Group by default
- HP for undamageable parts of the Ramming Galley can be viewed and will always display as 100/100
- Cannons on top of the Ramming Galley's Front Castle clip through the castle when aiming left and right (this doesn't prevent them from firing)
- Sail Rigging does not preview correctly when placing sails on the Ramming Galley
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Many map tiles are black when viewing the map through the Atlas or when spawning
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
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EDIT 2: We issued a fix earlier this morning for the armored dock crashing issues. If you are still experiencing any further issues or bugs, please report them to us in the bug report form here: bit.ly/36zPZmJ We apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you!
EDIT 1: The team is currently investigating the crashing issues with armored docks and the potential data loss from the related crashing. We will update again when we have more info. Please send further bug reports or details of any issues here: bit.ly/36zPZmJ Thank you!
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Ahoy Pathfinders!We hope you’ve all enjoyed the 2x event over the Thanksgiving Weekend! This week, we have a bit of a smaller maintenance patch, with the Small Armored Dock now available!
Small Armored Docks, for Schooners and Sloops, will have 20,000,000 health. We are also beefing up the Large Armored Dock to 30,000,000 health. Gold upkeep has been lowered to 150 a day, while Small Armored Docks will have an upkeep of 50 a day. We have also made a number of changes and bug fixes to balance and improve the Armored Docks. Rest easy knowing yer furry companions are safe onboard your protected Ships!
Development and optimization work for the Trade System continues! We have made improvements to the Market UI for Market Searching. Most importantly, we have addressed several server issues to improve performance and latency. Thank you for your feedback and bug reporting as the Trade System continues to undergo development. Again, not all features of the Trade System, including the NPC Ships, are out yet. Subsequent patches will continue to see more and more improvements and fixes. Missing resources and new items are now available for Trade as well! Anyone got any Ale or Grog? We’re stockin’ up fer a new adventure as the Ramming Ship is getting closer to making its debut on the ATLAS seas! Look out for it in the nearby future
Released Patch Notes
V516.2
New Structure: Small Armored Dock
The Small Armored Dock is suitable for protecting Schooners and Sloops. It can be crafted at a Smithy after learning the Intermediate Shipwright Skill in the Seamanship tree.- Health: 20,000,000
- Upkeep Cost: 50 Gold every 24 hours
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Crafting resources required:
- 700 Alloy
- 900 Fiber
- 4,000 Stone
- 1,000 Thatch
- 1,250 Wood
- 10,000 Gold
Large Armored Dock
- Increased health from 300,000 to 30,000,000
- Decreased upkeep cost from 500 to 150 Gold every 24 hours
- Added 50,000 Gold cost for crafting
Armored Dock
- NPCs and Tames on protected ships can no longer be damaged
- Added a new protected icon that replaces the anchor icon above protected ships
- Ships can now anchor inside an Armored Dock even if the Dock is placed in deep water
- Ships must not have received or dealt damage for at least five minutes before receiving protection from an Armored Dock
- Bug Fix: Armored Docks can now only protect one ship at a time
- Bug Fix: Ships are no longer protected after an Armored Dock is destroyed
- Bug Fix: Protected ships will no longer decay. This prevents an issue where protected ships instantly sink when raising their anchor after a long period of time
Ships
- Brigantine price decreased from 25,000 to 18,000 Gold
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Increased max level of common ships from 42 to 50
- NOTE: This change only applies to ships built after the patch
Trade
- Markets Searching now returns a paged list instead of all Markets. This should clear up the performance hit on the server when someone opens a Market
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Added new resource types for Trading:
- Rushes (missing from Thatch)
- Oil Category and variants
- Salt Category and variants
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Consumables:
- Wheat
- Maize
- Ale
- Grog
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Others
- Cannon Balls
- Large Cannon Balls
- Gunpowder
- Fire Gel
- Blasting Powder
- Organic Paste
- Fertilizer
- Bug Fix: Addressed several server issues that led to increased latency
- Bug Fix: Trade Routes are now correctly calculating distance when the shortest path wraps around the map border
- Bug Fix: Disconnected Markets are no longer shown as candidates in the Market List
Misc
- Warehouses and Farmhouses can now only be enabled or disabled by players within the same company
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Restored XP reward to standard Golden Age Army of the Damned Soldiers
- NOTE: Golden Age Army of the Damned Soldiers in caves still don't reward XP
- Bug Fix: Treasure will no longer spawn on Sea Forts
Known Issues
- Not all available Markets are showing up from every other Market during search
- Upkeep Cost on Armored Docks does not properly show the next time. Upkeep is still taken on skill
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
To thank everyone sailing along the EA journey with us through thick and thin, whether yer a new shipmate or a seasoned Captain, we're activating 2x Gold, Taming, and Harvesting now until 11/30 11:59 PM PT.
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! 
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
There will be no patch this week, so instead we’re delivering some information based on some questions we have collected and seen around the community!
Since we announced the renewed ATLAS journey last Summer, a lot of things have changed in the development cycle, and we are still working on improving our processes and the feedback loop with the community as well. Like in any adventure, some parts of the journey can be rough but as we overcome them, we continue to move forward and build on our experiences. Whether we are making small steps or revisiting old ideas, it is important to remember that we are still sailing forward! Development is very often not linear, and understandably things can get confusing for the community - even for those seasoned Pathfinders who have been sailing the seas of ATLAS since the very beginning. We hope that today’s discussion and some of the answers to your questions will help the community understand our vision for ATLAS and where we are currently at.
ATLAS, in general, is lacking a strong theme. Yes, we are a Pirate game, but it's currently a mishmash of a bunch of different stuff and we are looking to address that post the release of the current feature slate (Trade System, New Ships, and Claim System). Right now the idea we are liking most is something we're calling "Stormpunk" which centers around that idea that there are more resources to capture on the water (like harnessing lightning). We are going to maintain an element of fantasy moving forward, but it may not be so openly Dungeons and Dragons (although we love this game!) or "high fantasy" feeling. As with all things, everything will remain as we introduce new things, and we will fade things that people lose interest in.
What is the long term plan or overall vision? It'd help explain a lot of these changes if we were also privy to just a rough idea what the long term will look like, because right now it seems things are going a bit backward in regards to accessibility, especially for small groups and solo players.
At the highest level, the goals are as follows:- Get players out on the ocean - there are lots of things we're doing to encourage this but it basically means that we want players spending more time at sea and less time on land. In order to do that we really have to blow out all the things you can do at sea so that they are as fun and interesting as what you do on land.
- Make ship-to-ship combat fun. There is so much to this, but we really want PVP interactions on the water to be richly rewarding.
- Increase player recuperation. Survival games can be tough and we want to make sure that players can be devastating to one another, but that the losing side player doesn't have to feel like they are starting over each time. We also want to make small companies and lone wolves more viable.
We still have a ways to go before we reach these goals. We know that we are not there yet and that the current state of ATLAS does not reflect what we envision. Most of what we have implemented so far is still in its beginning stages, and are only just setting the foundation for how the gameplay is going to evolve.
Trade System
For instance, one of the main goals of the Trade System is to increase play at the smaller group and solo level. We recognize that right now the system is not very friendly to these players - There's a lot of balance to be done there and a number of missing elements, like the upcoming Tradewinds feature, but we are working on it. Ultimately, when all pieces are in place, we are planning for a system where large companies will actually be incentivized on a different scale for helping small companies and solos.
The Trade System is still in its alpha stage, and as of build 515.17, all Trade Shipments are virtual and locked to a single grid. We are continuously working on Market optimizations as well as bug fixes and server side improvements to bring the system to full functionality. Subsequent patches should see more refinement to the Trade System, opening up more routes and eventually the NPC Trade Ships. Please note that at this stage, we may have to disable and re-enable Trades sometimes to work out and troubleshoot any issues that may potentially arise.
What about the players that do not wish to utilise the market system? Asides from the market, are there any other big gold "earners" in the planning besides maps and whales/sunken treasures?
Although the Trade System is meant to be one of the core pillars of gameplay, our main goal is that "gold comes from the sea". So yes, you'll see some additions and refinements to life on the ocean which should make getting gold easier for non-marketplace participants.
Claim System
We are looking into rebooting the original claim system that allowed players to take over a section of the island. This is done by placing down a claim structure that takes longer to build and is more robust than a claim flag. It may also have its own defenses. Once fully built, it will have to be destroyed for you to lose your claim and everything that goes along with it. We are not completely reverting back to the old claim system, but will be taking the original concept and building off of it. We are currently still testing some ideas.
Ship Systems
Getting a new ship system into the game that can support future expansions does take a bit more time than just putting out a "new" one on the existing system, and we are excited to be getting closer to it!
We teased the first one, the Ramming Ship, a few weeks ago and we have a number of other ideas for these unique and specialized ships, but we don't want to spoil the surprise completely. The important note here is that we are moving from releasing ship parts to releasing complete ships that have special roles in the game and thus begin to grow the strategy of managing a fleet.
All of the upcoming Ships that can be bought with gold will be primitive class and up. Ramshackles will still be available at Freeports for now, but when you buy things with gold they will be good ships.
In regards to the existing Ship system, can we get tokens as random loot drops from bosses to craft schooners/brigs/galleons please? So there is a route for smaller groups to get boats?
This probably won't happen. Right now we're really happy with how hard it is to get bigger ships. Many players have reported having more fun than ever with "Sloop Wars". Dropping tokens would benefit large companies more and go against what we are trying to do, which is to fundamentally change how ships are currently perceived. Right now, ship progression is linear. Once you can build a Schooner, you never build a Sloop again and so on up the ladder. We are more focussed on giving every ship type a viable role on the ocean and introducing strategy and reasons for each ship type to exist.
On the Horizon
Post integration of the claim system we'll be going back through all the content that is currently in the game and be making quality of life improvement and balance adjustments. We aren't very interested in nerfing things so much as bringing their fun factor way up.
How far out are we from super wind sea-highways that make traveling around the map faster and consolidate content?
We're trying to get it by the end of the year. A lot depends on how long it takes to balance the Trade System, new Ship System, and new Claim System.Any plans for expanding fishing so it doesn't suck so much? Like better random loot tables from fishing, maybe getting maps randomly from fishing. higher quality fishing pole=better maps/blueprints/gold etc.
We can answer this by saying that we don't think there is nearly enough fun stuff to do on the water and we are looking to blow that out significantly. This will include water creature taming, better fishing, ocean resource gathering, and better diving.Any planned changes for freeports? Exponential decay or something to prevent freeport living?
Not yet. We have to put in all the systems that allow lone wolves and small groups to survive elsewhere first. Long term, we envision settlements of any kind to be more friendly or hostile to you depending on how you've treated them in the past.Can you tell us more about the ideas behind how breeding is envisioned by the Dev team for beginner breeders through the most advanced breeders? Right now it takes too much time to do, unless an entire weekend day is devoted to it. Perhaps more difficulties while raising babies through their infant stages, but have it be for a much shorter duration so that it is more practical and enjoyable for a wider audience.
One of our designers has taken the breeding and taming of creatures under her wing. In the background she is working on a completely revamped system that should be more of what you want to see. Can't tell you when it will ship, but I can tell you that we are working on it.Treasure Maps need a lot of work. Are big changes planned for the hunts to be more engaging? The distance requirement is also a negative map factor. It's not enjoyable to sail 7 grids out, 7 grids back to run a Masterwork map. Could maps that are of any qualities spawn on an island that are closer?
Yes, a rework of this is planned, but it's down the road. It's not where we want it either and for sure we are looking at the treasure spawning closer.
Additional Q&A
What is some of the work that is currently being done to help with optimization and performance issues?
About half our engineering staff is on performance and optimization. We know it's a problem and are working to fix it. The issue is that we also want to continue to put the rest of the planned features in the game to see if they are viable. We want a high performance game as much as you do. Remember, optimization isn’t going to suddenly happen in one patch. Some improvements may happen in small steps over time, while other improvements are a bigger engineering endeavor and may not be seen until we are further along.Is the team still looking at ways for players to keep some progress through wipes?
Yes. We haven't figured out a balanced and scalable method yet, but we do want that. Adding a new global server structure with the Trade System was the first step on this and we'll keep working towards it. The challenge here is that the funnest part of a wipe for most people, is that they are all on an even footing again. Allowing players to retain progression may also allow them to maintain oppression.Can we please get a HUD indicator once a ship is protected by the new shiphouse structure? The green text popping up once the anchor is down is not such a great indicator.
Totally agree that this is a bit confusing. A complete UI revamp is on the schedule and this item is part of that.This is nitpicking, but can handling sails trim opposite to how they do now? It is backwards to real world physics
Ok. We'll look into it.Teleporting bed to bed, and killing yourself to respawn on lawless islands for discovery points is one of the lamest things I have to do in this game. Will other features be looked at for discovery points that are more interesting?
In short, yes. We agree that killing yourself and bed teleporting is lame. We all want to fix that and give you more ways to travel the world more quickly.
Will we be able to have the fog of war back? We had it early in the game, but it could be cheated by sharing game files and so was removed. The thrill of exploration was exciting for many players. As things stand at the moment, you just always have the full map explored.
It's something we hadn't thought about. We’ll look into this idea.
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
We want to start off by expressing our gratitude to the community throughout the launch of the Trade System. As we sail along the development journey, some seas may be rougher than others, but we are still making progress and we would like to extend our thanks to the community for their patience in joining us on this ride. Although we had to consequently disable Trades last week while we worked on a solution, we will be enabling them again with tonight’s patch.
Patch 515.17 is scheduled for tonight, 11/18 at 7:00 PM PST.
Harvest Rates will also be returning to normal.
EDIT 11/18 as of 11:30 PM PT:
We are working on the Trade Functionality and ping spike issues related to Markets. Trades are not working at this time. We hope to have a fix by the end of the week with Trades enabled again soon. If anything changes, we will let you guys know. Thank you!
EDIT 11/18 9:00 PT: Note to Private Servers:
Private Server Admins may need to run the following command to clear Market Logs and get the Trade Routes running again:cheat CleanMarketLogs 0 Further Developing the Trade System
The ATLAS Trade System is an ambitious undertaking that we want to make into one of the core pillars of ATLAS gameplay. Even with the initial iteration of Trade Functionality introduced, it is still very early in the development phase. We are continuing to develop the system in a step-by-step process. Early Access gives us the unique opportunity to roll out the system in phases to see how it performs live, allowing us to also make changes and improvements based on community feedback. It is to be expected that while the Trade System is still in its early development phases, we may have to regularly enable/disable Trading as required to fix any bugs that may occur - although we will do our best to minimize this possibility. For players wondering if this means we will have to perform a wipe, the last wipe was necessary for us to clear any withstanding issues from a previous implementation of the Sea Forts. The Trade System was implemented in a way so that we can disable/enable Trade Functionality server side without requiring a client update or a wipe. With that being said, depending on the issue and how it affects gameplay, sometimes it can be necessary.
Trade Shipments will remain virtual for the time being until the system is more stable, and testing on the tangible NPC Shipments continues.
Survivability
As a survival sandbox, the gameplay surrounding the risk of losing your stuff is part of the appeal. However, there is a balance to it and we recognize the need to introduce some elements to help with survivability. One of the first things we’ll be introducing are Armored Docks, as seen in the preview image, to protect your hard earned ships!
With tonight’s update, players will be able to build the first one - the Large Armored Dock, which can be found in the Seamanship Tree under the Expert Shipwright skill. For 1200 Alloy, 1800 Fiber, 6000 Stone, 2000 Thatch, and 2500 Wood and a daily upkeep cost, players will be able to build a Large Armored Dock to park and protect their ship in this 300,000 hp Armored Structure.
At this time, the Large Armored Dock can protect all ships. However, this large version is intended to store Brigs and Galleons, with smaller version(s) to come out later. The long term goal is that larger ships will need a lot more support than smaller ships.
Please know that this is still the Alpha version of the Armored Dock. Future Patches will see bug fixes, balance changes, and more polish to the Armored Docks. We are not quite there yet, but with further balance and changes, we hope to see this as one of the first of many changes that will also help solo Pirates and Small Companies.
Community Feedback
We would like to thank the Community again for their continued feedback and support throughout the ATLAS development journey. The reintroduction of Explosive Barrels was meant to bring back an old mechanic and create a space and balance for it. We have spent a lot of time observing the gameplay surrounding it and we have been paying attention to your feedback. While we are still going to be introducing changes with Barrel gameplay in mind, we do hear you!
In 515.17, Explosive Barrels can no longer be fired from Cannons or Large Cannons. We have also added an 80 Gold cost for crafting Explosive Barrels. Thank you to the Community for your part in helping us to shape and define ATLAS gameplay.
Released Patch Notes
V515.7
New Structure: Armored Dock
The Armored Dock is a structure built in shallow water to dock a ship inside of. It must be destroyed before the ship can be damaged. This Alpha version of the Armored Dock is still in progress and not fully functional! Be warned!
Smaller Armored Docks are coming in future patches along with bug fixes, balance changes, and polish.- Added Large Armored Dock to the Seamanship Tree under the Expert Shipwright skill
- Has 300,000 health and is an Armored Structure, giving it increased resistance to explosive damage
- Costs 500 Gold upkeep per day (This will be reduced to 150 gold in the next patch)
Explosive Barrels
- Explosive Barrels can no longer be fired from Cannons or Large Cannons (may still be fired from Catapults)
- Added 80 Gold cost for crafting Explosive Barrels
Sea Forts
- Duplicated some flag interactions onto the Sea Fort Tax Bank
- Fixed some stuck interactions with the Sea Fort Tax Bank
Structures
- Increased resistance to explosive damage by 40% for Large Stone Walls, Large Stone Gateways, and Large Stone Gates
- Weight of placed Catapults increased from 120 to 150
Trade Log
- Fixed issues where Trade Log incorrectly reflects what was sent and received
- Fixed an issue where sender and receiver were swapped in Trade Log
- Added resources received from Trade Events to Trade Log
- Fixed some scrolling issues with Trade Log
Trade Shipments
- Fixed an issue where resources were received twice from one trade
- Fixed multiple issues where incorrect amounts of resources were received
- Fixed multiple issues with Shipments getting stuck, eventually causing performance issues
- Fixed the amount of Income (Gold) generated by Trade routes. It should now correctly reflect the route's length
- Updated some virtual shipment server settings
Market
- Markets must now be within 22m of a Warehouse to connect
- Fixed an issue where Markets and Warehouses could not connect
- Fixed some issues where editing Trade Offers would create mismatched information between the server and the client and break those offers
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Added new Trade Route statuses to replace PENDING:
- SENT: Trade Route requests you have made that are pending
- RECEIVED: Trade Route requests other Markets have made to you
- Cleaned up some Market interface interactions
Misc
- Removed XP reward from all Golden Age Army of the Damned Soldiers
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Added 10 second cooldown to gliding after crossing server borders
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders,
We will be temporarily disabling Trade while we continue to investigate a solution for the Server Issues related to Markets and Trading.
If you continue to see performance or server related issues, please report them to us in the Server Outage form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhAG84VvDhPBurAY8p4JLUhQfAmhjg42UR6o5zQTuzlqD6NQ/viewform
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
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11-13 UPDATE: We will be temporarily disabling Trade while we continue to investigate a solution for the Server Issues related to Markets and Trading.
If you continue to see performance or server related issues, please report them to us in the Server Outage form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhAG84VvDhPBurAY8p4JLUhQfAmhjg42UR6o5zQTuzlqD6NQ/viewform
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
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Ahoy Pathfinders!Trade Functionality is finally here, and with it a Wipe for a fresh new start! To kick things off with a surprise, we will be having 3x Harvest Rates for one week, starting today!
Now that it’s almost all together, let’s review how the Trade System functions. The Trade system is intended as a means to get resources flowing across the map, facilitating competition over resources and the access to trade. Every grid has 1-4 Sea Forts that act as control points which give players access to Trade Routes that let players connect what they are producing with what others are, establishing Trades in an automated fashion:
All trading is automated - the Market will look at your configurations, and check the Warehouses of connected Markets to see if Trade conditions are fulfilled. If the conditions are met, a Trade Ship will be automatically created and set to embark on its destination. Players do not necessarily need to control a Sea Fort to be able to be able trade. However blockading Trade routes is possible if a Company controls all the Sea Forts on a server that route must go through. Companies that control Sea Forts may also tax Trade Ships that pass through its server, although Trade Ships will always choose to use the Sea Fort with the lower tax rate.
Remember that at this stage, all Trades will be virtual, so any Trade that is started will reach its destination Market. Testing is still ongoing on the NPC Trade Ships that will eventually carry the goods. Now’s the perfect time to take advantage of these guaranteed Trades to get the gold rolling in and the economy moving! Although players won’t be able to attack your Shipments for now, you will still want to pay attention to the Random Events that may occur! You never know what you will end up getting… or losing. However, the chance of higher spoils may make the Trade more than worth while! All Random events are virtual and are resolved upon completion of the Trade.
Shaping Gameplay and Progression
With the Trade Functionality and the ability to gain income from it now in place, the dynamics of the gameplay will start to shift, as will progression and the balancing surrounding it. The economy of the game will be centered around the Trade System. Although the other ways to obtain gold remain, utilizing the Trade System will be the primary way to earn income, whether you are actively Trading, controlling Sea Forts, raiding Sea Forts, or later - attacking ships.
There was a lot of noise surrounding the increase in gold cost to build higher tier ships and its pay-off. The introduction of the Trade System is meant to shake things up with the current state of play. We are not balancing our changes surrounding what was previously established and these new conditions in play should endeavor players to new strategies. As we mentioned, we are starting with very conservative numbers with this first pass of the Trade System and will be making adjustments as needed. Future mechanics or changes to ATLAS may continue to change up the gameplay and progression in the game as well. We are striving to find a balance for good and varying gameplay at all levels. We know that we are not there yet and it is important to stress that we are still in the middle of defining and refining the core gameplay and mechanics, so sometimes the waters are going to be pretty rough.
What's left for 2020?
Although Trade Functionality has made it, we still need to fully implement the rest of the system. As we previously mentioned, the NPC Trade Ships that players will be able to interact with are still undergoing development and testing. Next week will likely be a smaller maintenance update consisting of some fixes and any balancing adjustments if we see fit.
The new Ships for Gold system is also on the way, and the first release of it will see the Ramming Galley hitting the shores… or more likely hitting your ships. Other specialized ships are also in the works. These new Ships will utilize a modular building system and exist alongside the current Ship system.
Lastly, the other big goal we have for the remainder of the year is an overhaul of the Claiming system. We aren’t quite happy with the Island Claiming system and how it’s currently functioning. We will be reworking the Claim system based off of laying down individual claim flags in an area again. However, we are looking to take it into a different direction. We are still in the early stages of the design and fleshing out our ideas. As we get closer to making this change, we will bring it to further discussion.
In summary, players can expect the completed Trade System, an introduction to the New Ship System, and a rework on the Claiming System. Again, all three of these items will continue to be tweaked and balanced. We are continuously shaping the game! This is also only what’s immediately on the table, and there is still more to come in 2021! Please stay tuned.
Released Patch Notes
v514.3
Trade-
Connected trade routes will now automatically trade between each other
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Every few minutes a Market will look for a potential trade
- Prioritizes Trade Routes in order
- Prioritizes Trade Offers in order
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When both Markets in a Trade Route have compatible Offers, a Trade is initiated
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Example: - Market A and B have a Trade Route - Market A offers 1 Lightwood for every 2.0 Thatch - Market B offers 1 Root for everying 0.4 Wood - If Market A tries to find a trade, they can find one for 1 Lightwood for every 2.25 Thatch - If both Warehouses have enough resources, the shipment is created.
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- Trade Offers remain active after use, and can be part of more trades as long as there are enough resources in the Warehouse.
- Currently all shipments are virtual and do not generate Trading Ships that can be attacked. (This is in testing and iteration and expected in a later patch)
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Every few minutes a Market will look for a potential trade
Crafting
- Reduced the output of crafting Gunpowder from 2 to 1
- Reduced the output of crafting Blasting Powder from 2 to 1
Market
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Updated the Structure Settings on the Market to be Reinforced Stone
- This gives Markets increased damage resistance
- Bug Fix: Added back the ability to connect Markets to Warehouses via interaction wheel (they should still auto connect if placed near each other)
Resources
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Adjusted weight of many resources
- Reduced the weight of Gold Coins by 50%
- Reduced the weight of Gems by 75%
- Reduced the weight of Wood by 40%
- Reduced the weight of Sap by 60%
- Reduced the weight of Crystals by 60%
- Reduced the weight of Metal by 33%
- Increased the weight of Oil by 2x
- Increased the weight of Fiber by 8x
- Increased the weight of Flint by 2.4x
- Increased the weight of Keratanoid by 5x
- Increased the weight of Gunpowder by 1.5x
- Increased the weight of Organic Paste by 2x
- Increased the weight of Fire Gel by 2.5x
- Increased the weight of Blasting Powder by 2.5x
Sea Forts
- Reduced the radius inside Sea Forts for claiming from 2.5 to 1.5 meters
- Increased Max Tax rate for Sea Forts from 30% to 50%
- Sea Forts added to D8
- Sea Fort Taxes can now be set via 10% stepped increments in a Set Tax Wheel Submenu
- Sea Fort structures no longer respawn when an enemy is nearby
Ships
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Increased Gold cost for crafting ships
- Schooner: 50 Gold → 5,000 Gold
- Brigantine: 250 Gold → 25,000 Gold
- Galleon: 500 Gold → 50,000 Gold
Warehouse
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Reduced Placement Prevention Radius of Warehouse from 800m to 600m
- This increases amount of warehouses that can fit in an area by about 75%
- We're looking at how to best allow multiple companies to have warehouses nearby in the future
- Reduced Transport Radius of Warehouse from 500m to 450m
Misc
- Increased the max stack size of Cannon Balls from 50 to 100
- Bug Fix: Explosive Barrels can no longer deal damage in Freeports
- Bug Fix: Stack size for Fuel items in Warehouse and Farmhouse inventory is no longer affected by the Fuel Slot stack size
Known Issues
- If you create a trade offer and then edit its resources, the Market UI doesn't update and may be out of sync with what's actually there
- Resources awarded by Trade Events may not be delivered or logged correctly
- Trade Log may incorrectly state which resource types are sent and received
- Trade Route income should be multiplied by the Trade Route's distance
- Editing the Tax Rate on Sea Forts requires you to manually exit the interaction wheel
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No feedback is given when a Market doesn't have a valid Warehouse to connect to
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 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
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Connected trade routes will now automatically trade between each other
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
We have set up the Sea Forts for route control, the Markets for Trade configurations, and now Trade functionality is on the way with the next patch! As a reminder, it is currently scheduled for Tuesday 11/10 at 7:00 PM PT and includes a Wipe.
The first iteration of Trade functionality will introduce virtual shipments only, meaning no tangible NPC Trade Ship will be created and all Trades that are started will reach its destination Market after a certain time. Players can still blockade Trades via control of Sea Forts, in which case a Trade will not start if there are no routes it can take to reach its final destination. The automatically generated Trade Ships that players will be able to impede and attack are still undergoing testing will be implemented later.
We are also introducing Random Events to Trading, and these will appear in the Trade log when they occur. It’s wild out in the Seas, and you never know what can happen. Perhaps your ship sailed into a group of NPC pirates who took some of your stock. Or maybe you got lucky and ran into a treasure chest, gaining you extra gold! Maybe the amateur cook on board accidentally set your ship on fire so you lost some of your cargo - but inadvertently gained coal! Random events can be negative, neutral, or good, so be sure to keep an eye on your Trading Log or you’ll be caught by surprise! Multiple Random Events may trigger, and all Random Events are virtual and do not get resolved until the end of the shipment.
The weights of several resources have been adjusted in relation to the Trade System as well.
Economy
The Trade system will be the main way for players to generate gold. We will be starting with very conservative numbers with the gold generation rate from Trades, and will adjust the numbers accordingly. With Trade Functionality now in play, we have increased the cost of building Ships. Players will need to Trade consistently and/or control Sea Forts to build income for Ships. Acquiring top-tier Ships is going to take some work and we are expecting to see a lot of Sloops at the beginning. The first Schooner, and subsequent Ships should feel like a big deal and a job well done! Whales, Ships of the Damned, Shipwrecks, Flotsam, and Treasure Maps are other avenues for gold as well.
Re: Upcoming Wipe
As noted, the next Patch will include a Wipe with the introduction of Trade Functionality. The Wipe will also resolve some previous issues such as interference from the old Sea Fort structures and problems with claiming Sea Forts on Lawless. We also received some questions about whether the Wipe would change the map or multipliers for the new “season.”
We would like to start off by clarifying that with our recent change to our direction in development, we are shying away from defining official “seasons” while we are still in Early Access. In the Summer, we announced that we were renewing and essentially resetting the ATLAS development journey. Since then, we have come to realize that we cannot expect to have “seasons” while we are still shaping out the core gameplay mechanics. At this stage, we will be rolling out changes continuously and wiping whenever it becomes necessary. Meanwhile, we will consider how we may want to run seasons when it makes sense.
The upcoming Wipe will not introduce any map or resource distribution changes, at least not right away. We are still looking at how we want to change and balance the distribution of resources. We like the idea of having Hot Spots/contested locations and want to bring more of that into the gameplay. Once the NPC Trade Ships are in, it will also create opportunities to attack the Trade Ships that are carrying rarer goods. The changes to resource distribution will be happening later in this cycle. This means that the value of certain locations can and will change until we strike the right balance, and it will mix up whatever the current circumstances at the time may be.
Base multipliers/rates will also remain the same. There are no planned changes at this time, although we will likely look into readjusting them later down the line.
Private Servers
A wipe is not necessary for Private Servers, but it is recommended as there may be outstanding issues that a wipe would resolve if you had already added the original Sea Fort structures to your map. Be wary that adding Sea Forts now may cause unintended changes as well.
Sea Forts are also not necessary to enable Trading on your server. Trading is set up so that if there are no Sea Forts in the server, it is considered an open route and there is no tax when passing through. If the origin or destination market is on a server with no Sea Forts, the trip will be virtual. In other words, Trading is allowed for everyone if there are no Sea Forts on a server. Unless you desire to add the gameplay surrounding Sea Forts, it is not a requirement for the Trade System.
Tentative Changelog
*** Please note that this is only a preview of the next patch and may be incomplete. Final Patch Notes for the Live build may differ and will be reposted once it goes live.
Crafting
- Reduced the output of crafting Gunpowder from 2 to 1
- Reduced the output of crafting Blasting Powder from 2 to 1
Market
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Updated the Structure Settings on the Market to be Reinforced Stone
- This results in increased damage resistance
- Bug Fix: Added back the ability to connect Markets to Warehouses via interaction wheel (they should still auto connect if placed near each other)
Resources
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Adjusted weight of many resources
- Reduced the weight of Gold Coins by 50%
- Reduced the weight of Gems by 75%
- Reduced the weight of Wood by 40%
- Reduced the weight of Sap by 60%
- Reduced the weight of Crystals by 60%
- Reduced the weight of Metal by 33%
- Increased the weight of Oil by 2x
- Increased the weight of Fiber by 8x
- Increased the weight of Flint by 2.4x
- Increased the weight of Keratinoid by 5x
- Increased the weight of Gunpowder by 1.5x
- Increased the weight of Organic Paste by 2x
- Increased the weight of Fire Gel by 2.5x
- Increased the weight of Blasting Powder by 2.5x
Sea Forts
- Reduced the radius inside Sea Forts for claiming from 2.5 to 1.5 meters
- Increased Max Tax rate for Sea Forts from 30% to 50%
Ships
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Increased Gold cost for crafting ships
- Schooner: 50 → 5,000 Gold
- Brigantine: 250 → 25,000 Gold
- Galleon: 500 → 50,000 Gold
Warehouse
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Reduced Placement Prevention Radius of Warehouse from 800m to 600m
- This increases amount of warehouses that can fit in an area by about 75%
- We're looking at how to best allow multiple companies to have warehouses nearby in the future
- Reduced Transport Radius of Warehouse from 500m to 450m
Misc
- Increased the max stack size of Cannon Balls from 50 to 100
- Bug Fix: Explosive Barrels can no longer deal damage in Freeports
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 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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
Last Saturday we discussed our progress on addressing the map flickering and PVE Sea Fort claiming issues from the last patch, and although we aimed to get the hotfix out on Tuesday, we ended up being able to integrate these fixes with an early release of the new Markets! This new build is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 11/04, at 7:00 PM PT!
Again, the actual Trading will not be available quite yet in this Market patch as we are still actively testing its functionality and mechanics. Players will be able to craft a Market at a Smithy as long as they have the required Advanced Automation skill from the Construction tree. For now, you savvy seafarers can check out the configurations and set up your preferences. Please let us know your feedback on how the Market UI functions.
Our crew craftsman has made a few renovations on the Sea Forts, but the construction is still ongoing! Pirates with an eye for aesthetics can expect further design improvements down the line. Additionally, Sea Forts now also display owner and tax rate. A number of balance passes have been made as well as we continue to observe the gameplay surrounding it.
Upcoming Wipe
Early next week, we are expecting to release the third part of the Trade System which will introduce the actual Trading functionality. In order to implement this, a wipe will be required. Currently, this is scheduled for next Tuesday, November 10. For clarity, tomorrow’s Market patch will NOT include a wipe, but next week’s Trading patch will. More information about the Trading patch to come.
Released Patch Notes
Server v513.7 // Client v513.8
*** Private Servers, please see new configuration variables at the end of the patch notes
New Feature: Markets-
A new Market structure has been added
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Markets must be connected to a nearby Warehouse to function
- The Warehouse must be connected to a Farmhouse for full functionality
- The Warehouse acts as a repository for trading resources for the Market
- Trade Routes may be created between Markets
- Preferences for Resource Trading may be set on the Markets
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Markets DO NOT currently Trade
- Markets trading is in testing and bug fixing and will come with a later patch
- Trading will be automated based on preferences set on the Market
- A successful trade will generate some amount of Gold Coins
- Markets have 150k health and are difficult to destroy
- Crafting a market requires the Advanced Automation skill from the construction tree and may be done at a Smithy
- Some Trade and Market tuning values are configurable for private servers
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Markets must be connected to a nearby Warehouse to function
Sea Forts
- Updated the terrain of the Sea Fort island
- Simple cosmetic updates to the look of Sea Fort structures (this art is still a placeholder)
- Adjusted respawn times for some structures on Sea Forts (walls still respawn quickly)
- Made some Sea Fort tuning values configurable for private servers
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Updated data on the map about Sea Forts (owner and tax rate are shown)
- Now only shown when zoomed in
- Performance while map is open should be improved
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Increased Defense Tower's damage resistance
- Explosion Damage Received: 100% → 70%
- Explosive Barrel Damage Received: 100% → 10.5%
- Catapult Boulder Damage Received: 100% → 28%
- Ballista Damage Received: 100% → 7%
- Added immunity to melee attacks and liquid flame
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Modified Tower Wall's damage resistance to match Defense Tower
- Explosion Damage Received: 31% → 70%
- Explosive Barrel Damage Received: 31% → 10.5%
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Increased damage dealt by Defense Towers
- Explosion Damage: 100 → 250
- Direct Damage: 180 → 500
- Bug Fix: Sea Forts can no longer be captured on PVE servers
- Bug Fix: Players will no longer spawn on Sea Forts
Misc
- Bug Fix: The map no longer flickers
- Bug Fix: Warehouses can no longer be placed on ships
Server Config (private servers)
New variables for Sea Forts, Markets, and Trading have been exposed for server configuration (add to BaseServerArgs of the JSON file):; Trade BaseTradeIncomeGoldAmount = 10; Base amount of gold a Trade Route generates per server it travels through, as the crow flies TradeIncomeGoldIntracompanyScalar = 0.5f; Multiplier for trading within the company TradeIncomeGoldAllyScalar = 0.5f; Multiplier for trading with allies TradeMarketCoolDown = 300.0f; Delay between starting a new shipment if one has begun TradeRouteShipmentMaxWeight = 1500.0f; Combined weight of all resources in a trade, shared between both shipments TradeRoutesMaxPerMarket = 5; Max number of trade routes each market may have MaxAllowedTradeShipsOnServer = 5; Max number of -real- ships allowed on a server before they queue up VirtualShipFactorServerMax = 8; used to balance rate of real v virtual ships VirtualShipFactorVirtualDecay = 0.8f; same VirtualShipFactorRealGrowth = 0.5f; same VirtualShipDelayInSeconds = 60.0f; How long it takes a virtual ship to travel through a server ; Control Points ContolPointLandClaimTime = 1500; how many seconds it takes to claim a Sea Fort from neutral ControlMaxClaimTaxRate = 30; Maximum percent out of a hundred that a Sea Fort can tax a ship using it ControlPointCostLimit = 100; Total amount of build points a Sea Fort may have on it for defenses ControlPointAggressionDecayTime = 60; How long a Sea Fort remains aggro at someone who attacked ControlDestroyedDefensiveStructureAutoPlacementDelay = 600; How long it takes for the Sea Fort to start rebuilding ControlPointNeutralStructureAutoPlacementDelay = 120; Delay between each rebuild stepKnown Issues
- Old Structures on Sea Forts did not get moved with the island, and Sea Fort may not necessarily recognize these structures. This will be fixed with next week's wipe, or players can also simply destroy the old structures
- Claiming issues with Sea Forts on PVP Lawless
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
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A new Market structure has been added
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
Happy Halloween! Today, we have a small news update and a few teasers of the next part of the Trade System, along with a giveaway!
Development
Unfortunately, the last patch introduced some map issues that were bigger than we initially thought. What we believed was a minor bug that caused flickering when zooming in on the map, actually manifests in different ways on different performance machines, as we have come to learn. As it is more nuanced, it is taking us more time to fully tackle. The second major issue we are working on is fixing the claiming of Sea Forts on PVE. There are multiple ways that we can approach this and we are carefully considering what would be the best option. At this time, we also have multiple branches that we are working on to stabilize for the next build. Whether or not we can release a branch will depend on how testing goes, and we are aiming for a patch next Tuesday. If all goes well, we can expect to release a small maintenance update with fixes on Tuesday, and then the Market Update next week. However, if we have additional problems, we may have to hold the updates. Continuing on that note, our overall goal is to continually release more updates on a regular basis. In between some of the content patches, some weeks may be more along the line of smaller maintenance updates/fixes.
Teasers
We dropped the first part of the Trade System - the Sea Forts last week. We have been observing the action surrounding them as we continue to update and balance the Sea Forts. The next part of the Trade System that we will be releasing are the Markets! Although players will not be able to use the Trade Routes just yet (we are still testing it out), you will be able to build these Markets next to your Warehouses and play around with the menu and configurations!
Here’s a sneak peak of the new Market, as well as a look at how its UI is developing:
We also have one last sneak peak of the testing we are doing on the Trading Ships and Routes! Again, Trade Routes will not be available yet with the Market update. The Trading Ships are not ready and the functionality of the Routes are still being tested.
*** Please note that the above is a very rough work in progress and what you are seeing will continue to change.
Giveaway
Last but not least, we are ending the month with a Halloween giveaway! We’ve allied with the crews over at Blue Microphones and Nitrado to scour land and sea far and wide for Treasure, and now the spoils are yours to take - aye, if yer lucky!
From now until the November 5th, enter our raffle for a chance to win a Yeti X from Blue Microphones, a 50-slot Atlas voucher from Nitrado, or a Steam Key for Atlas to recruit some new mates! For more information and to enter, visit the link here:
https://www.playatlas.com/index.php?/giveaways/giveaway-halloween2020/
Good luck, ye scallywags!
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
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
With Halloween just around the corner, we thought we'd give you guys a little treat - 2x Weekend! Tomorrow 10/29 10:00 AM PT through 11/2 10:00 AM PT, we'll be doubling Treasure Gold, Taming Speeds, and Harvesting! Take advantage of the limited time boost to finally hit some of your goals and have fun!
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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
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Post has been updated with link to downlaod latest ServerGridEditor
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
Today's the day! ATLAS v412.5 is here!
NOTE TO XBOX USERS: Currently, there is an issue on XBOX where Sea Forts are unable to be claimed. We have a fix coming out for this tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding! Private Servers
Private Server owners will need to update the ServerGrid.ServerOnly.json file by adding a new entry to the database connections called new TradeDB:
{ "Name": "TradeDB", "URL": "xxx.x.x.x", "Port": xxxx, "Password": "xxxx" }Replacing the correct url, port, and password for your redis server in the above.
It is also necessary to update to the latest ServerGridEditor here and re-export. You will also be able to add Sea Forts to the map if you wish to. Released patch notes
v412.5
New Feature: Sea Forts
Sea Forts are a form of Control Points that give Companies control over trading in an area. This system is foundational for the upcoming Trade System.-
Sea Forts have automated defenses that will respawn over time when neutral
- Players have a limited number of build points (100) to spend on a Sea Fort they own
- Currently only Defense Towers may be built (15 pts each)
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On PVP Servers, they may be captured and controlled!
- To capture them, destroy the defenses and plant a flag inside the central tower
- The flag takes 25 minutes to force an owned Fort return to neutral
- The flag takes 10 minutes to capture on a neutral Fort
- Sea Forts in Freeport Servers may not be captured
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In an upcoming patch, Sea Forts will allow access through a server for Trading
- You will be able to grant or restrict access to Allies or other Companies
- Access to a Sea Fort is required for you to have trade routes that travel through a server!
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Sea Forts may have a Tax Bank built on them
- The Tax Bank can be raided for gold. Neutral points have the Tax Bank as well
- NOTE: Until trading starts, they aren't actually earning any gold, so the Bank is empty
- Tax Banks will allow companies to tax Trade Routes that use their Fort for access
- Neutral Forts will have a high tax rate and allow everyone access to a server
Map
-
Added the Ship Salesman's Island to the center of each Freeport Grid
- NOTE: Ships are not yet available for purchase. They will be added in a future update
- Added Sea Fort Islands to the map. 1-4 exist on every server except the center
Ships
- Increased maximum Ship level from 52 to 60
-
Adjusted Ship XP curve to increase the amount of XP required for early levels and greatly reduce the amount of XP required for later levels
- Overall, this change reduces the total amount of XP required to reach max level
-
Added Gold cost for crafting Ships in a Shipyard
- Schooner: 50 Gold
- Brigantine: 250 Gold
- Galleon: 500 Gold
- NOTE: These costs will increase when the trade system has been fully implemented
Structures
-
Defense Towers may be built at the Smithy
- May only be placed at Sea Forts
- Requires Advanced Automation Skill from the Construction Tree
-
Added Fuel Slot to Farmhouse and Warehouse
- Dedicated slot holds up to 1,000 units of Fuel
- This slot is separate from the main inventory
-
Burns a unit of fuel at the following intervals:
- Oil: 350 seconds
- Coal: 200 seconds
- Wood: 100 seconds
- Thatch: 40 seconds
Weapons
-
Changed delay before using newly placed land artillery to 10 minutes
- This affects Cannons, Large Cannons, Catapults, Puckles, Ballistas, Mortars, and Swivel Guns
- Bug Fix: Cannons can no longer be fired underwater
Misc
- Removed XP reward from all bosses including the Abominable Snowman, Kraken, Hydra, Drake, Ghost Ship, and Blackwood's Queen Cobra
- Removed Gold drops from Kraken, Squids, Army of the Damned Soldiers, fishing, and digging. The trade system will become the way to earn gold
- Bug Fix: Driving a Cargo Cart over a Pillar will no longer cause the rider to dismount
- Bug Fix: If a Ceiling Tile is placed on top of a Pillar and then destroyed, any object built on the Ceiling Tile will also be destroyed
Known Issues
- No Sea Forts in D8
- Golden Age Sea Forts currently cannot be claimed
- Map may flicker when zoomed
- Sea Forts currently have Peace Time which may be removed at a later date
- Players may spawn on Sea Forts sometimes
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
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Sea Forts have automated defenses that will respawn over time when neutral
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Ahoy Pathfinders!
The new patch is getting really close! We’re still doing some final work and checks on the build. We don’t have an exact time and date on when it’ll be out yet, but here’s a quick heads up that it’ll likely be out early next week! Please keep your eye on this post and our social channels for any updates as to when this patch will release.
Now, let’s take a closer look at what’s coming and the tentative changelog.
UPDATE 10/26: Patch will be out tonight at 7:00 PM PST. Estimated 30~45 minutes downtime. Please keep an eye out for in-game warning.
Sea Forts & Trading
Earlier this week, one of the major items we discussed was the upcoming Trade System! A lot of you were curious about what the Towers on the island Control Points, now called Sea Forts, would look like! Trade Routes won’t be available yet in this next patch, but you will be able to at least check out these Sea Forts and battle it out! Here’s an early sneak peek:
*** Please note that the above reflects a work in progress. The Sea Fort tower structures are still undergoing some work and adjustments will be made in subsequent updates.
We received a few questions as well about how the actual exchange of goods happens and how trade can be disrupted. When shipments for trade are generated, both parties will only receive the goods and generated gold if both Trading Ships successfully make it to the other Market. On PVP, a Shipment will not start if all Sea Forts on a grid that is a part of the Trade Ship’s route have blocked it from usage. Once a shipment starts, it will follow its intended path and pay taxes based on the conditions of its route at inception. Blockading will only stop new shipments or force it into another route if it’s not completely blocked. Trade ships can also be attacked directly, and although players will be able to steal resources from the Trade Ship, this functionality is still a work in progress.
We have seen concerns about how these Trade Ships may affect server load. Optimization and server stability are ongoing issues that involve the continual work we are doing to update the back-end code. Improvements are going to be a gradual process. However, we do have a mechanic in place to prevent an overload of Trade Ships. Once generated Trade Ships have reached a certain threshold, any shipments that should have been generated thereafter will be virtual. Virtual shipments do not generate a Trade Ship and cannot be attacked or stopped once it has met the conditions to start.
Ships
We also discussed the upcoming Ships for Gold system. At this time the plan is to have it exist alongside the current Ship system. The next patch will see a few changes to Ships to balance it out with the changes that the Trade system and Ships for Gold system will bring. Maximum level has been increased to 60 for ships and the exp curve has been adjusted accordingly. Schooner, Brigantine, and Galleon will now additionally cost Gold to build, and this amount will increase once the Trade System has been fully implemented. The new Ship Salesman has also settled into the Freeports, so you can pay him a visit although no ships will be available for purchase yet.
Re: Wipes
Many players were also concerned upon hearing about “more wipes.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s going to suddenly be wipes left and right, only that instead of hesitating to wipe or waiting until a new “season,” we will perform the wipe if a situation calls for it. However, it does mean that a wipe can happen at any time, but only when necessary. We're going to do our best to minimize the possibility, but the possibility is always there. We'll announce wipes when we're sure, although how much of a heads up we can give is going to depend on the situation.
Understandably, many of you were also anticipating a wipe after hearing this news. This next patch will NOT include a wipe. However, as we continue to implement the Trade System, a wipe will be a necessary part of the process. We do not have a date for this yet, and will make an announcement once we do. We apologize for this inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
For our Pathfinders sailing the seas of Private Servers, we will also let Private Server owners know if we recommend to follow suit when we announce a wipe.
In addition to the pieces we are setting in place for the Trade system and Ships for Gold, are a few changes and bug fixes as well. We’d also like to remind everyone that we are indeed working on bug fixes and other issues in tandem with the new content. Some patches may see more content, and other patches may see more tweaks or fixes. While certain patches may focus more in one area than another, it does not mean that we are not working on other things. We are a small team doing our best to balance all sides, and we appreciate all of your support and understanding as we continue to shape ATLAS’ gameplay.
See the tentative patch notes below:
Tentative Changelog
***Please note that this is only a preview of the next patch. Final Patch Notes for the Live build may differ and will be reposted once it goes live.
New Feature: Sea Forts
Sea Forts are a form of Control Points that give Companies control over trading in an area. This system is foundational for the upcoming Trade System.-
Sea Forts have automated defenses that will respawn over time when neutral
- Players have a limited number of build points (100) to spend on a Sea Fort they own
- Currently only Defense Towers may be built (15 pts each)
-
On PVP Servers, they may be captured and controlled!
- To capture them, destroy the defenses and plant a flag inside the central tower
- The flag takes 25 minutes to force an owned Fort return to neutral
- The flag takes 10 minutes to capture on a neutral Fort
- Sea Forts in Freeport Servers may not be captured
-
In an upcoming patch, Sea Forts will allow access through a server for Trading
- You will be able to grant or restrict access to Allies or other Companies
- Access to a Sea Fort is required for you to have trade routes that travel through a server!
-
Sea Forts may have a Tax Bank built on them
- The Tax Bank can be raided for gold. Neutral points have the Tax Bank as well
- NOTE: Until trading starts, they aren't actually earning any gold, so the Bank is empty
- Tax Banks will allow companies to tax Trade Routes that use their Fort for access
- Neutral Forts will have a high tax rate and allow everyone access to a server
Map
-
Added the Ship Salesman's Island to the center of each Freeport Grid
- NOTE: Ships are not yet available for purchase. They will be added in a future update
- Added Sea Fort Islands to the map. 1-4 exist on every server except the center
Ships
- Increased maximum Ship level from 52 to 60
-
Adjusted Ship XP curve to increase the amount of XP required for early levels and greatly reduce the amount of XP required for later levels
- Overall, this change reduces the total amount of XP required to reach max level
-
Added Gold cost for crafting Ships in a Shipyard
- Schooner: 50 Gold
- Brigantine: 250 Gold
- Galleon: 500 Gold
- NOTE: These costs will increase when the trade system has been fully implemented
Structures
-
Defense Towers may be built at the Smithy
- May only be placed at Sea Forts
- Requires Advanced Automation Skill from the Construction Tree
-
Added Fuel Slot to Farmhouse and Warehouse
- Dedicated slot holds up to 1,000 units of Fuel
- This slot is separate from the main inventory
-
Burns a unit of fuel at the following intervals:
- Oil: 350 seconds
- Coal: 200 seconds
- Wood: 100 seconds
- Thatch: 40 seconds
Weapons
-
Changed delay before using newly placed land artillery to 10 minutes
- This affects Cannons, Large Cannons, Catapults, Puckles, Ballistas, Mortars, and Swivel Guns
- Bug Fix: Cannons can no longer be fired underwater
Misc
- Removed XP reward from all bosses including the Abominable Snowman, Kraken, Hydra, Drake, Ghost Ship, and Blackwood's Queen Cobra
- Removed Gold drops from Kraken, Squids, Army of the Damned Soldiers, fishing, and digging. The trade system will become the way to earn gold
- Bug Fix: Driving a Cargo Cart over a Pillar will no longer cause the rider to dismount
- Bug Fix: If a Ceiling Tile is placed on top of a Pillar and then destroyed, any object built on the Ceiling Tile will also be destroyed
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 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
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1
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Sea Forts have automated defenses that will respawn over time when neutral
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Q&A With the Devs - Ask a Pirate Day #8
in Announcements
Posted
We’ve got a pretty jam-packed post for you today! Because of your amazing participation, providing tons of questions for our team, we’ve decided to split responses into two posts. Since we received a large amount of inquiries regarding PvP balances, we’ll be discussing those questions separately in a later post.
Because today, we have a few special topics we’ll be addressing first. Our first entry is a reply from the dev team regarding the inclusion of a new ship building system. Next, we have a new survey for you all to provide feedback on Ships and we can’t wait to hear your responses. Finally, we finish up with Q&A, excluding PVP questions previously mentioned.
In an effort to provide more transparency between the team and the community, we continue to look for more ways to blend the goals of the two entities to make Atlas as great as we both know it can be. We appreciate your support and ‘til next time, may your skies be clear, waters calm, and sails full in whichever way you roam.
In the patch dropping early next week, we’ll be introducing a new claim system to the lawless regions of Atlas. Moving forward, Pathfinders will now be able to claim land in these areas using a claim tower that will claim everything within its radius after it reaches full health. This takes about 45 minutes and may be sped up with gold. These changes will take effect immediately with the release of the new update and will make your structures be vulnerable to being claimed by others. Armored Docks may be claimed in this manner, and that includes the ships docked there!
Previously we mentioned that there may be a wipe with the new claim system if it becomes necessary. However, we are able to implement this without requiring it, so please note that there is NO WIPE at this time.
Note to Private Server Owners: Private servers will be unaffected by this change - functionality to make this change to your server will come in the patch after.
Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out at our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A!
What are long term visions for the balance of island defense. I personally like that it's currently incredibly difficult to steal islands (contesting needs a lot of work). But a large contributor to why it's currently so hard comes from my question in #1--how easy it is to spam islands. If we suddenly had to think very carefully about structure count throughout the island, how are companies going to keep themselves properly protected without leaning on structure count?
We agree that islands are incredibly hard to assault right now when facing an entrenched, knowledgeable defender. There are a variety of reasons for this, from the layout of the islands such as massive pillars, to unintended strategies such as spamming structures all over the place to prevent others from building or bringing in tames easily. We are focused on long-term solutions rather than quick fixes. Ideally, we want players to be forced into making choices about how they spend their limited resources. This means they should have to pick which places they are going to spend their effort to defend. The answer should not be that they can defend everything. We’re moving towards a game where you need to have a strong navy if you want to defend your shoreline.
Cannonball physics are currently pretty bad. They travel incredibly slowly, to the point that these massive warships can actively dodge them like we're in some sort of space simulator. Additionally, there is no forward momentum physics so things like chaser cannons don't work. Is the team looking at adjusting these things?
Shooting any of the ship-mounted weapons forwards results in some unrealistic behaviors that we'd like to eliminate. We're looking at solutions for this.
Are alliances going to get reduced again (they should, or should have some sort of settler mechanic)?
Atlas is about interactions, both positive and negative, with other players and Companies. We would like those stories to be told and dictated by players rather than by a heavy-handed developer approach. This means giving players lots of opportunities to cooperate and fight over limited resources. A single megacorp is not good for the game and yet we have large goals for Companies in mind that will require massive efforts from many players to accomplish. Keep listening and we'll be talking about those plans soon enough. In the meantime, we do not plan to mess with the balance of Companies and Alliances without fully addressing the overall ecosystem.
What are some more solo XP grinding opportunities the team is looking at so smaller companies don't get left in the dust with no way to catch up?
This is a great question. We really want to support lone wolves and small companies as a vital part of the game world. Compared to a lot of the other games we have played or worked on, Atlas XP seems to be in a really weird place and is frankly pretty broken. Large, organized death squads farm ridiculous amounts of XP with little real effort and hit level cap within a few days of a wipe, while players who are new or are in small companies are playing what feels like a completely different game. This creates a lot of power disparity between different groups of players and contributes to making it very difficult for players not in companies to feel like they can compete.
XP is like a holdover from RPGs that this game has inherited, and it’s tied into a lot of different systems in the game. We want new players to have their options slowly rolled out to them so they aren't overwhelmed, and at the same time we don't want to create a grindy experience for veterans. Ultimately, we'd rather this game be focused on player expertise rather than character level, and long term are looking at how we can move towards that. Some of the specific things we are considering are ways to spread leveling out over the entire season while not making it grindy, or giving tools to everyone to get to the level cap early and creating more ways to increase your cap through actions in the game that are interesting, and again not grindy. Let us know your thoughts.
Will there be more options in ship PvP?
Yes! One of the goals of the new ship system is to provide players with more meaningful choices when constructing ships. As we expand the system, players will need to decide which pieces will provide the most value for their strategy. We intend to provide a variety of equally viable options that expand the meta and support a variety of playstyles.
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
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
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