Ahoy Pathfinders!
This Captain’s Log will cover ... nevermind -- we’re too excited, so point yer prows hither and let’s get to it.
Crossplay Launch
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.
Official Network Wipe
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!
Structure, Tame, and Ship Limit Changes
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
On The Horizon
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.
ServerGridEditor and Legacy Saves
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
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