[2022] Q&A WITH THE DEVS - ASK A PIRATE DAY #11

Ahoy Pathfinders!

We're bringing back an old favorite as we wait for the next update to come to shore. Last weekend, in our community Discord, we opened a channel to gather any and all questions from our community for our amazing Dev team. We reviewed all the questions and we've answered a few of them below. Even if yours was not selected to be answered publicly, we are taking all of your responses as feedback to continue to make to Atlas a better game for all. Thank you to all that participated.

As a reminder, the answers below only reflect the current timeframe and are subject to change. While we can provide current insight on the game and what we hope to do, what is destined we can’t foresee. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out in our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A!

Q&A

Would it be possible to keep QoL skills between wipes?

While this is possible it is not something that should be done without consideration. The most active time is the few weeks after a wipe when players are all at the same progress level, same island claim opportunity, etc. Allowing players to keep their quest progress will give an unfair advantage to those players. We are looking into ways of reducing the repetitiveness of the progression to endgame.

When will Bola's be stackable?

April 13th Patch

Do you have plans on expanding the lore of Atlas?

Yes, there are plans to expand the lore of the game world. We are currently working on systems for this. One of the contributors to this is the addition of the “Timeworn” quality level on blueprints.

Is there a way to see all the features you plan to add before you move into the fixing and optimization phase?

Please keep an eye on the official roadmap listed on the Trello board. (link here) This will be updated constantly to keep features in development public.

Have devs ventured into unofficial communities to see how gameplay differentiates with mods? How has that impacted the future plans for the game?

The unofficial communities have done a wonderful job with creating custom Atlas experiences. We look for mods that are widely adopted by the community in an effort to absorb the feedback. If a mod is universally used, that means there was an issue with the core game that needed to be addressed. We use that information to update our plans and address that issue.

What can be done to make the game more enjoyable for the solo and/or small group player(s)?

We are re-working the live realm maps so that the islands that mega-companies will be drawn to are outside the main travel routes. In addition, there are going to be several smaller islands added that are not enticing to large companies, which should allow for solo/small groups to have a positive Atlas experience.

Are there any plans to change/add unwanted, repetitive islands to improve the balance between islands?

During our polish phase we will be adjusting these islands to make them more enticing.

Do you guys have plans to adjust endgame PVE?

There are seven new bosses being added so each powerstone will have a unique boss encounter. We will be investigating different avenues to enhance maps as well in the future.

When I leave my ship anchored the sailors will only repair the planks & decks of the ship. Are there plans to have the sailors repair the whole ship at some point?

This is something we can look into in the future, but is currently not being planned.

Will you add the ability to use deck swivels for modular ships?

We will be adding additional modular railings in the next few patches. A Modular railing with swivels is planned to be included.

Are there any plans to create a healthier breeding system so people won't burn out from breeding on the official server?

We are implementing a new structure called the Tame House. This structure will greatly improve the breeding experience.

What as the Dev Team are your plans to maintain and grow the player community?

For the official side of Atlas, there has been discussion around a few ideas. One of these ideas might be a smaller “specialty” realm or realms. These specialty realms may have a shorter season time, maybe just one month, and revolve around different game modes. For example, there would be one month where tames are removed from the game, or where the only weapons are swords and pistols.

I know a lot of people want to see a timeline of updates/planned updates/planned wipes/etc. Is there a plan for more transparency of what’s to come for Atlas?

After release, we will have a regular schedule for our wipes, new seasons, and patches. The Trello board will contain this information.

Any details on the Devkit update?

The Devkit gets updated at least once a season, usually around the beginning of the new season. We may update it more frequently, especially if we introduce a large system.

Any more plans for livestreams like we had around launch?

We have not had any discussions about this, however we would love to have a live Dev steam.

Will there be temporary alliance bed placement on your alliances ships and or foundations?

This feature is something we have been planning on implementing for a little while, it should make its way into the game in the near future.

Any plans to update to a newer version of Unreal Engine?

There has been discussion about updating to Unreal Engine 5 at some point in the future. It is a tremendous amount of work that will sidetrack us for months, so we have not made a decision yet on if that’s the best course of action.

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

Ahoy Pathfinders!

We're bringing back an old favorite as we wait for the next update to come to shore. Last weekend, in our community Discord, we opened a channel to gather any and all questions from our community for our amazing Dev team. We reviewed all the questions and we've answered a few of them below. Even if yours was not selected to be answered publicly, we are taking all of your responses as feedback to continue to make to Atlas a better game for all. Thank you to all that participated.

As a reminder, the answers below only reflect the current timeframe and are subject to change. While we can provide current insight on the game and what we hope to do, what is destined we can’t foresee. We appreciate your support and understanding.

Without further ado, here’s our Q&A! Hang out in our Discord for a chance to get your questions answered in the next Q&A!

Q&A

Would it be possible to keep QoL skills between wipes?

While this is possible it is not something that should be done without consideration. The most active time is the few weeks after a wipe when players are all at the same progress level, same island claim opportunity, etc. Allowing players to keep their quest progress will give an unfair advantage to those players. We are looking into ways of reducing the repetitiveness of the progression to endgame.

When will Bola's be stackable?

April 13th Patch

Do you have plans on expanding the lore of Atlas?

Yes, there are plans to expand the lore of the game world. We are currently working on systems for this. One of the contributors to this is the addition of the “Timeworn” quality level on blueprints.

Is there a way to see all the features you plan to add before you move into the fixing and optimization phase?

Please keep an eye on the official roadmap listed on the Trello board. (link here) This will be updated constantly to keep features in development public.

Have devs ventured into unofficial communities to see how gameplay differentiates with mods? How has that impacted the future plans for the game?

The unofficial communities have done a wonderful job with creating custom Atlas experiences. We look for mods that are widely adopted by the community in an effort to absorb the feedback. If a mod is universally used, that means there was an issue with the core game that needed to be addressed. We use that information to update our plans and address that issue.

What can be done to make the game more enjoyable for the solo and/or small group player(s)?

We are re-working the live realm maps so that the islands that mega-companies will be drawn to are outside the main travel routes. In addition, there are going to be several smaller islands added that are not enticing to large companies, which should allow for solo/small groups to have a positive Atlas experience.

Are there any plans to change/add unwanted, repetitive islands to improve the balance between islands?

During our polish phase we will be adjusting these islands to make them more enticing.

Do you guys have plans to adjust endgame PVE?

There are seven new bosses being added so each powerstone will have a unique boss encounter. We will be investigating different avenues to enhance maps as well in the future.

When I leave my ship anchored the sailors will only repair the planks & decks of the ship. Are there plans to have the sailors repair the whole ship at some point?

This is something we can look into in the future, but is currently not being planned.

Will you add the ability to use deck swivels for modular ships?

We will be adding additional modular railings in the next few patches. A Modular railing with swivels is planned to be included.

Are there any plans to create a healthier breeding system so people won't burn out from breeding on the official server?

We are implementing a new structure called the Tame House. This structure will greatly improve the breeding experience.

What as the Dev Team are your plans to maintain and grow the player community?

For the official side of Atlas, there has been discussion around a few ideas. One of these ideas might be a smaller “specialty” realm or realms. These specialty realms may have a shorter season time, maybe just one month, and revolve around different game modes. For example, there would be one month where tames are removed from the game, or where the only weapons are swords and pistols.

I know a lot of people want to see a timeline of updates/planned updates/planned wipes/etc. Is there a plan for more transparency of what’s to come for Atlas?

After release, we will have a regular schedule for our wipes, new seasons, and patches. The Trello board will contain this information.

Any details on the Devkit update?

The Devkit gets updated at least once a season, usually around the beginning of the new season. We may update it more frequently, especially if we introduce a large system.

Any more plans for livestreams like we had around launch?

We have not had any discussions about this, however we would love to have a live Dev steam.

Will there be temporary alliance bed placement on your alliances ships and or foundations?

This feature is something we have been planning on implementing for a little while, it should make its way into the game in the near future.

Any plans to update to a newer version of Unreal Engine?

There has been discussion about updating to Unreal Engine 5 at some point in the future. It is a tremendous amount of work that will sidetrack us for months, so we have not made a decision yet on if that’s the best course of action.

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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