Ahoy Pathfinders, let the voyage begin!



We’re excited to announce that Xbox and PC Crossplay has launched. Hoist yer sails and charter a course for the ATLAS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX7qDjyXUWw

The much anticipated Xbox Crossplay Launch has come ashore. All of our networks are now online: EU PvP, NA PvP, EU PvE, and EU PvP. We’d like to welcome all of our new players and extend a hearty welcome back our grizzled sea dogs returning for the fresh wipe. Here’s what you need to know:

• It has launched Day One with crossplay support allowing Steam and Xbox to play together in the same gigantic world.
  
• Complete re-bindable keyboard and mouse support for Xbox players ensures full game parity and an even playing field for all players
  
• Optional single-player and private session modes, which also makes use of the new procedural “Wild Pirate Camp” system
  
• There will be simultaneous updates and content pushes for both Xbox and PC ensuring the delivery of the same experience for Pathfinders on both platforms
  
• We’re working on getting Unofficial servers setup for Xbox as soon as possible with Nitrado, where cross-platform can be enabled or disabled (in any direction so PC or Xbox player servers only)

For more information on the latest update and the Xbox release, check out our previous announcement:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/834910/announcements/detail/1589132147021240627

We’ll continue to monitor feedback and suggestions and look forward to gaining insight into the perspective of our new players too.

Finally, for those of you who've yet to experience the ATLAS, pick up a copy of it on Steam today for 15% off!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/834910/ATLAS/

Thank you me hearties

Grapeshot Games

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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

This Captain’s Log will cover ... nevermind -- we’re too excited, so point yer prows hither and let’s get to it.



The much-awaited Crossplay Launch is imminent! As in, really imminent. ATLAS will launch into Xbox One’s Game Preview on October the 8th with full Day One with crossplay support allowing Steam and Xbox to play together in the same gigantic world.



After evaluating our options with the introduction of cross-platform multiplayer and a modified world map, we have decided that the best option to ensure the smoothest possible game experience is that our Official Networks undergo a data wipe on the 28th of September at 12 am EST. Following the wipe, we will be permanently relaunching the NA PvP Network in order to iterate on our changes in a live-environment, following that will be the full permanent relaunch of all other networks on the 8th of October with full crossplay support (NA PvP will not wipe again on the 8th).

With the upcoming major version launch this Saturday, here’s what players can expect:



- New world map with improved biome layout (and a new biome type)
- Over 70 new core island templates, and many polish improvements to existing islands
- Over 20 new cosmetics, and sail cosmetics
- Improved client and server performance
- Full Gamepad support
- "Wild Pirate Camps" option for singleplayer and non-dedicated sessions (enabled by default): take over each island across the ATLAS by attacking and claiming procedural enemy pirate camps, guarded by cannons, pirates wielding all sorts of weapons, and even powerful pirate ships!
- New Multi-shot Hydra Pistol
- Cats (with hats!)



We have some more notes to come, which we’ll be sharing in full on Friday.

We have opted for a rolling start in order to facilitate the best experience possible for all players on PC and Xbox. Beginning with this sole network allows us to monitor performance, make any technical adjustments necessary and resolve issues prior to the full Crossplay rollout on the 8th of October.

Our decision to wipe the Networks was not made lightly and involved much deliberation and factoring in of technical aspects and the impact on our current PC players. We have made big changes to the game under the hood, revamped the world map with the addition of over 70 new, unique island templates, as well as some considerable optimization changes and limits put in place which required a full data wipe.

After these sets of changes, we do not plan to wipe the network again, even with the introduction of additional platforms and new areas & islands further down our development timeline. We value and appreciate the time spent on the game and the only reason we carry out these wipes is after exhausting all possible alternatives and when they become a necessity.

We truly appreciate all the support and feedback you’ve given us over the last few months and we’re excited to welcome new (as well as old) players onto the ATLAS!



With the launch of the new network, we will be revising the following limits: ship, structure, and tame limits in order to provide players with the optimal experience. The new values are as follows:

• Maximum amount of structures in a 10k unit radius: 7875
  
• Maximum amount of tames per company per gridregion: 300 (NOTE: Crew on stations no longer count towards the tame limit)
  
• Maximum amount of anchored ships per company per gridregion: 40
  
• Maximum amount of unanchored ships per company per gridregion: 20

If you’re new to the ATLAS, you can cast yer one good eye over our Roadmap here:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/834910/announcements/detail/1595885008284361238

It’s important to note that this roadmap is not fully inclusive: we have a lot of other plans, content, and surprises in store for you all. We’ll be sharing more details with you as we go along.




We’ve just uploaded the latest changes to our GitHub, this includes the latest json, new islands, and our updated WGE, so server owners can dive in and start making the necessary changes for the upcoming launch.

It’s important to note that any savefile which used our older islands previously may have unpredictable issues after this update has been released, due to the level/technical changes that were made.

We’d recommend wiping your saved data if you either used our jsons, or used our islands. For those playing on Blackwood specific saves, your data should be intact as well as those of you with completely custom islands.

https://github.com/GrapeshotGames

That’s it for this Captain’s Log, we look forward to sharing the ultimate pirate experience with our new crew members and continuing on our journey with our seasoned veterans (resplendent with their new fancy hats 😉)

Happy Sailing.



Grapeshot Games

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

Ahoy Pathfinders,

Thank you for tuning in to our Dev Livestream this week. In this pre-recorded announcement, we’ll be summarizing the new roadmap we discussed in the Livestream as well as clarifying a few things raised by the Community.

First of all, for those who didn’t catch the Dev Livestream, it can be viewed here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/474689657

The primary purpose of this stream was to bring you up to speed on our new direction and let you know what areas of the game we’re going to address moving forward. We opted to answer many of your questions from our Livestream Q&A forum thread by working them into the conversation in the stream (rather than reading them out verbatim and answering each one) for the sake of flow and clarity. We recognize that this format didn’t translate as well as we’d hoped for, so we’ll be improving on the structure of our streams in the future.


Let’s get straight to reiterating and clarifying details in regards to the next Mega Update/Xbox launch which is coming very soon. The Xbox launch will include:

• Crossplay support between PC Steam and Xbox players for ATLAS.
  
• Parity between both platforms. Xbox players won't have to wait for updates as they will happen simultaneously with PC
  
• We’ll be working on bringing day one Keyboard and Mouse support for the game, otherwise, it’ll arrive shortly thereafter.

The Mega Update includes content and changes currently on the PTR, as well as some additional content which we’ve discussed in previous Captain's Logs, and this will go live on our Official Network at the time as the Xbox Launch.

We’re incredibly excited to launch crossplay; we designed the ATLAS engine for crossplay across all platforms from the outset and ATLAS will be one of the very few games with full crossplay between Steam and console.

There have been many questions about whether this update will be bringing a wipe. To be frank, this is not something we’ve decided on yet. We’re currently exploring ways in which we can handle this release without wiping and there are quite a few technical considerations which may make this a possibility, but we’ll share more info with you as soon as we’re able to.

The first point we covered on stream was revealing where we think players spend most of their time in ATLAS, and where we wanted it to be at a 1.0 launch (post-Early Access). This is the conclusion we came to:



Essentially, we feel like players are currently spending too much time in certain areas of the game, and not enough time on the things we think should be the most fun, such as Sea and Combat. Players can expect to experience more fun and engaging content out on the sea, and a cut back on the time spent on land or with creatures. This doesn’t specifically mean we’ll be removing certain areas completely, but instead reworking existing systems and adding new gameplay/content for the areas we want to increase.

Now you’re probably wondering, how do we plan to get from A to B? Well, here’s our roadmap:



Some important factors to keep in mind:

• This roadmap will begin after the release of Xbox
  
• We’ll be looking primarily at making tweaks towards the Official Network and Multiplayer modes, but of course, those will still benefit our other game modes and unofficial networks. However, the main official networks are our priority
  
• Tackling bugs and major performance issues will always be an ongoing effort.
  
• This isn’t everything. We’ll be able to reveal more details as we go along, plans can change, and there are going to be more phases but for now, we want to discuss our immediate plans for developing ATLAS.

Arguably our shortest phase and has already commenced in part with performance fixes and some bug fixes, with some work on the Xbox, and some you’ve experienced on the PTR. Our plan:

• There will be no new content with this initial phase. This is because we’re going to be spending time fixing and adjusting already existing systems in the game. This means tackling pain points that you (and we) are already aware of, ranging from quality of life changes, balance, and polish on existing parts of the game.
  
• Reducing the tedium and streamlining getting to the fun. We know that there are aspects of the game which are frustrating and solutions we can take to fix them (such as the Silo we implemented in a previous update to help with feeding crew). We’re making some meaningful changes here that will impact the player’s experience in the game, some larger than others, but all with the same goal in mind to improve the overall game loop.

Just a few of the changes and fixes (both small and big) we’re planning to make:

• Fixing speed sails and increasing overall wind speed effectiveness.
  
• Adjustments to blueprint stat rolls and crafting requirements.
  
• Making improvements to logs for companies.
  
• Increasing max stack sizes for certain items.
  
• Removing the negative effects of status effects, including vitamins.
  
• Giving players the option to choose which Kraken to fight.
  
• Reducing the frequency of surface attacks by sharks.
  
• Increasing the treasure map spoil time.
  
• Cargo Container adjustments.
  
• Replacing the text in the game with a universal font style.
  
• Hiding more text behind the “Extended UI” function
  
• Making ladders easier to climb.

Keep in mind that some of these items are things we want to address quickly, even if we consider them to just be temporary fixes for now. The changes in this phase will provide a much better experience in the present; however, we’ll be circling back to these areas in later phases to make much more extensive changes to these systems.

One example of this would be “sailing.” We’ll make some early improvements to sailing during Phase 1 (such as fixing speed sails and increasing overall wind speed) and then we’ll loop back to sailing during Phase 2 for a more thorough pass on sailing functionality.

Some more examples like this include:

• Tames and breeding will get a general balance pass, then we’ll do a larger update on tames and creatures in Phase 4.
  
• Blueprint scaling will get some early adjustments in Phase 1, then we’ll address it some more in Phases 2 and 3.
  
• Temporary fixes for certain combat meta pain points (until they can be further ironed out in Phase 3) such as: stat scaling, torpor, NPC swivels, harpoons gliders.

Phase 2 is when we’ll start to reintroduce new content to the game. The general philosophy of this update will be:

• Ensuring that you all are spending more time having fun on ships and out at sea.
  
• Making the ocean feel less repetitive, more inviting, and more rewarding.
  
• We want ships to feel like homes! If players want to spend all their time at the sea, they should be able to play that way successfully.

There are quite a few ways we’ll be doing this, but you can expect changes along these lines:

• Improvements to existing sailing and ship systems.
  
• Introducing more NPC encounters on the ocean (and different types too).
  
• Introducing more activities you can do on your ship.
  
• Exploring ways for players to store ships safely when going offline and taking a deeper look at overall travel times and ship functionality (such as sails/wind/cargo containers).

These are just a few examples of what we’ll be tackling in Phase 2 and we expect that players will feel a welcome and marked difference in their experience out at the sea once these changes are made.

Next, we’ll be covering Phases 3 and 4. Please keep in mind that a lot of the details in these phases are very early and we’re still figuring out our exact priorities, but there are a few things we’re relatively certain of and are exploring right now:




Here are some things we’re pretty confident we’ll be doing in some form:

• A skill tree rework. We’re interested in something more akin to specializations and roles to give more depth to the skill choices you make.
  
• Improvements to make combat feel more fluid and impactful. We want it to feel even more fun when you’re fighting!
  
• Changing the ship combat meta to embrace stronger piracy gameplay:
  
• A shift to a “boarding” combat meta.
  
• New incentives for choosing between sinking, pillaging, or outright stealing ships.
  
• Potentially adjusting the ship stealing process/claim time.
  
• Changes to encourage more fighting on ship decks.

This phase is perhaps the largest section of our new roadmap. As the furthest phase out from right now, it is definitely the most subject to change over time, but we’d still like to share an overview of our current thoughts on these areas of the game. In this phase, we’ll be exploring various subjects such as:

• The world layout and network. Some of the points we’re currently exploring are a possible combined PvPvE network and different continental world layouts.
  
• Factions, which are very early in design right now, but are something that we’re very interested in from both a gameplay and a narrative perspective as a means of giving players across multiple companies shared goals.
  
• Adding more MMO-esque elements to the game such as more populated ports/towns, deeper in-game economies, additional storage options, etc.
  
• We’ll also be making some significant changes to the claiming system, adjusting how much of a role it has on the world and addressing some of its biggest problems such as “pillar spamming” and "honeycombing".
  
• Reducing the importance and role of tames and creatures in the game, as well as polishing other PvE content in the game such as Golden Age locations, boss fights, the Fountain of Youth, etc.

We wanted to acknowledge the issues that we’ve identified in the game and outline our plans to address them. It’s important to note that this roadmap is not fully inclusive: we have a lot of other plans, content, and surprises in store for you all. We’ll be sharing more details with you as we go along and you can expect to see a more active presence from our team in regards to acknowledging the current issues with the game and discussing how we plan to address them.

We hope that sharing our new roadmap and details on what’s coming soon for ATLAS (and also further down the road) and offers a further “glimpse behind the dev curtain” so to speak.

Happy Sailing,
Grapeshot Games

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
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

This Captain’s Log will cover news related to Blackwood, our upcoming Dev Livestream, the PTR and an introduction from our new Lead Designer! Let’s get right to it!




My name is Erik Waananen and I’m thrilled to be joining you today as ATLAS’ new Lead Designer. It’s my pleasure not only to formally introduce myself but also to give you an update on what’s coming next for the game. So let’s dive right in, shall we?

ATLAS is an incredible world full of action, adventure, discovery, and community. And while a number of you are enjoying yourselves in-game, I think we can all agree that ATLAS has somewhat struggled to “find its sea legs” since its initial Early Access launch in December. My job will be to help the game get its bearings and -- together with the rest of the dev team -- work with a singular mission in mind:

Make ATLAS the ultimate pirate experience.

Achieving this goal will be no small task. We have a lot of work to do and it’s going to take a good deal of time and effort to accomplish it. But we will get there, especially with your continued feedback and support. Your constructive thoughts and criticism are all extremely helpful to us, so please keep them coming.

I’d like to announce that we’ll be hosting a very important developer stream next week on Wednesday, August 28th at 2:00 pm PDT. The main focus of this stream will be the reveal of an entirely new roadmap for ATLAS. We’ll also be addressing a number of the community’s questions and concerns about the current state of the game. I don’t want to spoil anything for you just yet, but suffice it to say there’s a big “change in the wind” coming to ATLAS and you definitely won’t want to miss it.

Sorry to keep you all waiting a bit longer, but I promise we’ll provide more details and answers soon. Until then, keep a weather eye on the horizon and we’ll see you on Wednesday!

Erik Waananen
Lead Game Designer, ATLAS


The ancient serpentine boss, Anacthyon, is poised to slither onto the Blackwood variation of the ATLAS with today’s update.



Along with this new boss, Blackwood includes:

• The full ATLAS experience (including all your favorite features and mechanics) merged into a single 1x1 server grid.
  
• 7 unique biomes across 11 islands, from hazy bogs teeming with life to mysterious jungles full of danger and toil.
  
• Resource-rich islands complete with every material from the core game.
  
• New cities and outlying areas ideal for roleplaying and server events.
  
• A beautiful mermaid city ripe for exploration.
  
• A new boss encounter featuring unpredictable enemy types and spawn locations.
  
• The Forbidden Reach: a hard mode island featuring elemental beings.
  
• Other iconic ATLAS content, such as Army of the Damned mobs, all 9 Power Stone locations, the Fountain of Youth, your favorite tameable creatures, and much more...

Blackwood is free for anyone who already owns ATLAS. It is available for play in Singleplayer mode, Non-Dedicated Server mode, and on Unofficial Servers that opt to host the map.


With the Dev LiveStream drawing closer, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that we have an official “Livestream Q&A” thread running to help us collect your questions regarding the things you care about and answer some of them on-stream. There have been some great questions submitted thus far, so please keep them coming!

https://www.playatlas.com/index.php?/forums/topic/106488-livestream-qa/



If you haven’t checked out the PTR and some of the changes which will be coming in the next Mega Patch, it is still available for players for a limited time. Thank you to those of you who have been running the PTR through its paces and helping us identify bugs and issues along with giving feedback.

Info on joining the PTR can be found <here>



That's it for this Captain's Log. We look forward to communicating what we've been up to (and what we plan to get up to) in the Livestream!



Happy Sailing,
Grapeshot Games

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
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

Our Public Test Realm is now live with our latest update, ready to be explored! This Captain’s Log will cut straight to it and provide details on how to join the fun as well as what to expect in the coming weeks ahead!


First things first, at the end of the month we’ll be doing an ATLAS Developer Livestream! We’ll be announcing a date as we get closer to the time, so keep an eye out. The stream will be hosted on multiple platforms and we’ll have much to share and discuss. Make sure you’re following our pages and tune in!

twitch.tv/sailtheatlas
mixer.com/playatlas
https://www.youtube.com/playatlas
https://steamcommunity.com/app/834910

We’ll also be collecting some questions from the community which we’ll be answering live. If you’ve got something on your mind, whether it’s about future development plans, upcoming content, decisions regarding features, submit your questions to this thread!

https://www.playatlas.com/index.php?/forums/topic/106488-livestream-qa/


With this initial round of PTR changes, we’ll be exploring:

- Alternative map layout (note: we've not yet determined whether this layout will make it to the current existing official servers)
- In-game voice chat
- Updated Waveworks (Ocean - including the waves, and performance changes for server and client)
- Sail Cosmetic (Available at Freeport Vendors)
- Hydra Revolver (Available at Freeport Vendors)
- Miscellaneous client and server-side performance improvements

The new content that has been revealed so far won’t make it into this iteration, but we plan to get it into another.

If you want to join in on the fun, check out some new islands, and help us put these changes to the test you’ll need to switch to the PTR branch (8gb download) which we’ll go through below.

How to join the PTR

For those who want to join in on the fun, the ATLAS Public Test Realm is available to all players by opting into the Steam Beta branch. You can join the PTR by following these steps: 

1) Right click on the ATLAS game in your steam library and select "properties"
2) Select the "Beta" tab on the popup.
3) Locate publictestrealm in the drop down menu and select that.
4) Select close then launch ATLAS.

You may need to restart your Steam Clients to make sure you see the publictestrealm branch as a beta option.

We will be reopening our PTR Bug reporting channels on the Discord and here on the Forums to coincide with the launch of the PTR. Instructions on opting into the PTR Bug Report channel on the ATLAS Discord can be found in #discord_news.




We’re still working on the Encampments system, however, it needs a bit more time in the oven before it’s ready to be packaged and delivered to you. We’ll have further updates on this at a later time. For those not familiar with what the Pirate Encampments system is, you can read about it here:

https://www.playatlas.com/index.php?/atlas-news/news/captains-log-34-wild-pirate-encampments-non-dedicated-mode-and-more-r171/



Our Enforcement protocol has been expanded to include temporary bans. This means that enforcement will now include three tiers of action rather than two: Temp bans, Permabans, and HWID bans.

Whether your offence receives a temporary ban or not will be at the discretion of our Enforcement team. For the most part, temporary bans will likely be appropriate when enforcing against player misconduct, namely, chat related misconduct. Repeat offenders may receive longer bans, or in some cases, enforcement action will be escalated to permanent bans.

Moving forward, in regards to some players feeling that what they said in-game was not deserving of a permaban: We work with the overall community and within our own company guidelines to identify what disruptive behavior and misconduct are and what the consequences for those behaviors should be. If your disruptive behavior has resulted in a permaban, it was either deemed highly excessive and harmful or this is not the first time you have been informed that your actions were inappropriate and unwelcome on our network.

Please bear in mind that bans, both temporary and permanent, are seldom revoked. If you feel your ban was issued in error or seek clarification on the nature of your ban, bans can be appealed here: https://www.playatlas.com/index.php?/support-tickets/



Happy Sailing,

Grapeshot Games

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
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

A new ATLAS Devkit update is available!

This latest update includes the Blackwood map as an example of how to create standalone maps, as well as all the latest content and additions to the game. The new map serves as an example for mod developers as a way to create their own unique ATLAS experience intended to be hosted on a single server. Take a look at the source files to see how we've created Blackwood and how it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzdLqsTVa58
We've also uploaded an example of Blackwood to the Steam Workshop. It's the exact same as the DLC, so there isn't a need to download or subscribe to it, but for those of you who were curious, we set it up to show you it does work. You can check out Blackwood map as a mod here:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1819556424

The latest download of the Devkit can be found here: http://atlasdedicated.com/ATLAS_DevKit_v218.zip  ( torrent )
( MD5: 417f792608439e809d732e49af72ab3e )

Additionally:

The optional Ocean map sublevels can be downloaded from here: http://atlasdedicated.com/ATLASDevKit_OceanSublevels_v218.zip ( torrent )
( MD5: ff927974975e3f9c20b395c330e441e8 )

Please note that this is a full devkit download, so it is recommended that you back up your mod content before migration -- a general rule of thumb, make sure you back up your files regularly!

One of the primary differences in making an ATLAS map would be the ocean and our dynamic waves. You'll want to read through our documentation to make sure you've brushed up on the new systems, and in particular, make sure to read up on how to setup ATLAS shoreline data is setup. This is so that water and waves work properly with your maps and that you don't end up with high waves very close to shore:

https://devkit.playatlas.com/en/latest/Guides/Shorelines.html

We've also added some more pages to the documentation site, so make sure to check those out:

https://devkit.playatlas.com/en/latest/Guides/WorldBuilding.html



Haven’t yet ventured onto the high seas? ATLAS is currently on sale for 67% off on Steam July 26 - August 2!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/834910/ATLAS/

Happy Sailing,

Grapeshot Games

🏴‍☠️For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information🏴‍☠️

Hoist ye sails to our Homepage: https://www.playatlas.com/
Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

It's here! Blackwood is now Live and ready for intrepid pathfinders to jump into!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzdLqsTVa58
Today’s free DLC update for the ATLAS delivers the long-awaited map Blackwood! Prepare for a dark twist on the Equatorial biome with dark jungles, caves, alcoves, villages, homes, farms, and an interesting array of animals. Wade through thick green waters teeming with dangerous creatures, rare plant life, and the occasional Gorgon to find buried treasure, sunken ships, explore the Mermaid City and experience a new spin on fighting the Hydra and Dragon with transient spawn locations.

The Blackwood map was created by Iso, the level designer behind ARK: Survival Evolved’s popular mod-map Crystal Isles. Blackwood was designed to be used for single servers an example of a stunning mod map that can be hosted unofficially. This specific map will be set up so that it still enables all the mechanics that ATLAS has to offer, whilst hosting it as a standalone server with no database setup required! Blackwood will support the importing and exporting of characters and their inventories (an optional setting for the host), so you can keep your progress and dive right in to explore this beautiful map!

Blackwood is free for anyone who already owns ATLAS. It is available for play in Singleplayer mode, Non-Dedicated Server mode, and on Unofficial Servers that opt to host the map.

Note: Due to an unknown time restriction Valve has put in place in regards to DLC uploads, Blackwood will unfortunately not be an optional download for this weekend only. We'll rectify this come Monday.

Blackwood includes:

• The full ATLAS experience (including all your favorite features and mechanics) merged into a single 1x1 server grid.
  
• 7 unique biomes across 11 islands, from hazy bogs teeming with life to mysterious jungles full of danger and toil.
  
• Resource-rich islands complete with every material from the core game.
  
• New cities and outlying areas ideal for roleplaying and server events.
  
• A beautiful mermaid city ripe for exploration.
  
• A new boss arena featuring unpredictable enemy types and spawn locations.
  
• The Forbidden Reach: a hard mode island featuring elemental beings.
  
• Other iconic ATLAS content, such as Army of the Damned mobs, all 9 Power Stone locations, the Fountain of Youth, your favorite tameable creatures, and much more...

We'll also be releasing an update later this weekend to the ATLAS DevKit, which will contain the source files for Blackwood as an example of a single mod map!



Haven’t yet ventured onto the high seas? ATLAS is currently on sale for 67% off on Steam July 26 - August 2!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/834910/ATLAS/



Happy Sailing,

Grapeshot Games

🏴‍☠️For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information🏴‍☠️

Hoist ye sails to our Homepage: https://www.playatlas.com/
Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

We're excited to introduce new options for customising your ships with three new wheel skins! Each will be tied to the completion of a quest.

Crab



A new Quest has been added which entails looting a 16 quality or higher sunken treasure to unlock the Crab Wheel Skin.

Shark



The Shark Wheel Skin can be procured by intrepid explorers via "Master Cartographer" Quest.


Kraken



The Kraken Wheel Skin is obtainable through completing the "Power of the Gods" Quest



Along with the fancy new wheel skins and Quest, we also have some fixes, optimisation and balance landing in this patch:



Prepare to wade through thick green waters and explore our dark twist on the Equatorial biome with ISO:Blackwood. We're in heart of the jungle putting the finishing touches on our new standalone map and expect to launch it later next week. We'll keep you posted!



🦀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
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

Ahoy Pathfinders,

We’re excited to announce that the new game mode, Non-Dedicated Multiplayer, is now available to play with our latest Patch!

The game mode will facilitate the ability to play as a client whilst also hosting the server at the same time. It will allow up to 8 players simultaneously on the server. Similarly to Single player, the host will have access to the entire ATLAS map and will be able to make use of the host settings UI to adjust server settings to your group’s needs, as well as additional enhancements in your .ini files!

Note that this mode uses your singleplayer save / world when you're hosting it. We'll also be working on a system that will allow players to import and export player characters and their inventories between worlds in singleplayer/non-dedicated mode, to bring your progress with you into other players' allowed sessions and back again.

Speaking of things we’re working on, later this month you’ll be able to get your hands on our new single server map: Blackwood, which will be available for Unofficial, Single Player, and Non-Dedicated Servers. Plus, don’t forget our new “Wild Pirates Encampments” system, which you can learn more details here:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/834910/announcements/detail/1600384168193466779
So what are you waiting for? Put on your suits and dive right in!

Happy Sailing,

Grapeshot Games

🏴‍☠️For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information🏴‍☠️

Hoist ye sails to our Homepage: https://www.playatlas.com/
Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

In this Captain’s Log, we aim to give you an update on some new and exciting features that will be making their way to the ATLAS, as well as a brief status update on the next Mega Update.

Before we begin, we’d like to give each and every one of you a huge thanks for the support you’ve shown ATLAS. Over the course of ATLAS’ development, our recent review scores on Steam have jumped considerably. We just wanted to express our thanks and show our gratitude for your support. We know that our work is far from over and that ATLAS still has a long journey ahead. There are many more changes we plan to make and features we would like to introduce. Keep your eye on the horizon, there is much to look forward to, some coming sooner than you might expect ;)!

It’s been a while since we’ve spoken about our next Mega Update 3. There have been questions about the release date, and how it’s progressing. The update is still coming together, our team of developers is actively working on getting it ready to release. When we’ve got something to share about the launch date, additional features, it’s availability on the PTR, we will let you know.

Though, we won’t leave you guys empty handed! Here’s an update on our Hydra Six-Shooter Pistol! In an earlier log, we revealed it’s concept art, now we can actually show you what it looks like in game as it’s going through its implementation. This pistol, as the name indicates, allows for up to 6 shots before reloading -- though it is significantly weaker than the single-shot flintlock! So if your aim sucks, or you have multiple targets, this will be a great weapon of choice.



We’re excited to reveal to you a new system we’ve been working on, which will be released for Single Player, Non-Dedicated Multiplayer (more on that later!), Unofficial Dedicated Servers (optional), and potentially expanded onto the Official Networks in the future.

This is how the new feature will function on Non-Dedicated Multiplayer and Single Player mode:

“Wild Pirate Encampments” (WPE) are collections of enemy NPC characters, defensive fleets, and fortifications which inhabit claimable islands. They have varying weapons (melee and ranged), defenses (various cannons/turret types), and live in pre-built forts. They’ll also have AI ships representing all 4 classes (Sloop through to Galleon) patrolling the shoreline of their islands. The placement of Encampments will be randomized along the islands, and they can also include inland encampments without ships. You’ll have to explore an island to discover all the encampments which inhabit it, and the number can vary based on the island size, with larger islands having bigger and more Encampments. Each region will also have a WPE Level visible to players, some being higher than others resulting in better loot but a more challenging task.

In order to claim an island, Pathfinders must destroy the WPE that currently live on it. This includes their patrolling ships and any enemy NPC within range of the Encampment center. Players will be able to use the Encampment claimflag to reveal nearby enemy NPCs. After claiming an Encampment, all Encampment structures transferred to the new settlement owner, and an Encampment Loot Box will be spawned. Once defeated, an Encampment will never respawn, and you cannot unclaim an Encampment. However, if the Encampment has not been fully defeated, it will reset to full strength if sufficient time has transpired without it being rendered.



Players will have the option to disable WPE entirely via the Host Settings UI, or scale the difficulty of Encampments (this will not affect the loot quality).

If you decide to enable WPE on an Unofficial Dedicated Server please note that:

• Encampments will only spawn (and can respawn) on unsettled islands when no players/tames/structures are nearby at all, over a long period of time.
  
• An island can only have Claim Flags placed on it when no Encampments are present on the island, indicated on the HUD when the system is enabled.

With the implementation of this togglable content, we’ll be nerfing the traversal capability of Gliders on Non-Dedicated Multiplayer and Single Player, with an option to use the original values in Non-Dedicated Multiplayer.

We’re excited to introduce this type of encounter to the ATLAS and we expect to have it ready in the very near future.

Following the positive response to Single Player and after evaluating the relatively small amount of technical bandwidth required to make this a possibility, we’re excited to announce that a new game mode will be making its way to players!

Non-Dedicated Multiplayer will facilitate playing as a client whilst also hosting the server at the same time. It will allow up to 8 players to play simultaneously on the server. Similarly to Single player, the host will be able to make use of the host settings UI to adjust server settings to your group’s needs, as well as additional enhancements in your .ini files.

We expect to have this game mode available next week (the week of July 14), and the “Wild Pirate Encampments” Beta towards the end of the month.



We are working on final touches and testing for ISO: Blackwood and we expect to have it ready to play later this month.

Explore the heart of the jungle or settle in rolling farmland. Silent eddies run before your boat as you make your way through the slick reeds of The Mire. Wade through thick green waters teeming with dangerous creatures, rare plant life, and the occasional Gorgon to find buried treasure and lost corpses. Approach the ancient serpent boss, Anacython, if you dare!

For those not familiar with Blackwood, this is not something we’ll be supporting specifically on our Official Network, as it was designed and intended to be used for single servers an example of a mod map that can be hosted unofficially. This specific map will be set up so that you can still enjoy all the mechanics that ATLAS has to offer, whilst hosting it as a standalone server with no database setup required!

Since the last Captain's Log, our live game updates have taken a look at some more long term issues we’d like to address with the game in addition to our general focus towards bugs, performance, and QOL. 

We released an update which was shortly reverted with the aim of tackling sky high Claim Flags. Our initial attempt involved setting a maximum height for flags to be placed at, but we recognize this one-stop solution doesn’t work for all islands, so we’ll be looking at a more island-specific approach in the future. We understand why these locations are chosen for flags, and how they relate to some of the more frustrating mechanics involved in contesting claims for both attackers/defenders, which we also plan to improve in the future.

An additional patch focused on the implementation of Fast Decay on our Official Network in order to tackle the structure spam that is present on islands. We understand that this doesn’t resolve the root issue and it can be worked around, however, it’s an initial measure we wanted to put in place whilst we explore proper long term solutions.

With today's patch, we'll be deploying a measure to help new settlement owners clear out existing structures on their island. A frustrating part of the game, after claiming an island from someone else, is dealing with the remains of their structures, whether that's a large base, or where that's multiple pillars and foundations littered around the island. With the latest patch, new settlement owners will now have a 12-hour window to activate a one-time razing of an island. This will destroy all structures on that island, including their own. It can only be used during peacetime, and will notify everyone on that specific grid, as well as log into any companies that had wiped structures on that island.

And finally, crew changes! So, of course, you guys may remember our mention of the I.W.C.R.S, now dubbed the Silo - a structure which can store gold and berries and is capable of feeding and paying crew from anywhere on the island - a much needed QOL change!

Another crew focused change we made recently, was to sync up the costs of both stationed and idle crew. This was because we wanted to encourage players to keep their crew stationed when possible, and the primary reason for that is for performance. Stationed crew are a lot more cost efficient on our servers due to specialized logic. So it’s a win-win for everyone here!

Further changes involved allowing the stationed crew to repair boats, but that change was shortly reverted due to players requiring the choice of whether or not they wanted their crew to repair their boat. Having all crew capable of repairing meant resources were being used up a lot more rapidly than some intended due to natural boat decay, but changing it back to idle only, means players have a partial choice in determining how often those resources are being used up. It's clear this system could use some improvements, and it’ll likely be something that's touched on in the future.

We wanted to highlight that sometimes we’ll make changes and they may not pan out, but we’re not afraid to pull those back, give them some more time in the oven or tackle problems from a different point of view. We appreciate your feedback as always and will continue to iterate on solving these problems and more!

And now for the rest of the patch notes:

Check out our PlayATLAS announcement to see the results of our latest Show 'n Tell contest!

Happy Sailing,

Grapeshot Games

🏴‍☠️For the latest dispatch on #playATLAS keep yer one good eye trained on this here information🏴‍☠️

Hoist ye sails to our Homepage: https://www.playatlas.com/
Natter n' chatter on Discord: https://discord.gg/playatlas
Navigate ye olde Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/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