Podcast 126: Star Atlas Weekly Review

In this episode, I recap the latest news of Star Atlas from the past week.

Also, check out my newsletter and AI summary recaps.

---

Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify

---

---

Podcast Transcript

[00:00:00] Hi, this is Matt with the Intergalactic Herald. Welcome to my start list Week in review podcast. This is podcast number 126. Any articles or videos mentioned can be found on my website@intergalacticherald.com. Just look for weekly recap, newsletter number 174. So just a quick summary of things to talk about.

[00:00:17] Things that happened this past week predominantly were the Atlas Brew from the Star OS community team. There was also a lure keepers community event. If you’re interested in both audio recaps, short summary recaps of that, you can check those out. On my website. I have audio. AI audio summaries of those.

[00:00:34] Additionally actually that was pretty much it. There wasn’t a lot. I think no, that’s pretty much it. But I do wanna talk about a article that was in decrypt website talking about why many crypto games are shutting down. So those are pretty much the two. Things that happened this last week.

[00:00:50] The Atlas Brew will mention the announcement of the Star Atlas Summer. But before I get into details there, just wanted to talk about a couple things I’m working on in the Star Atlas ecosystem. First, of course, is my website, intergalactic carroll.com. It’s great resource website for Star Atlas.

[00:01:03] I got a beginner’s guide, many directories, the audio recaps I mentioned and recently launched a new newsletter, which is. The Discord star os Discord News announcement feed. So instead of having to check Discord, you can just have those sent to your email address. Also, I do have Star Atlas Merch store@intergalacticgear.com.

[00:01:21] It’s open for business, does have a few mugs, need to put some more products in there, but been working on other things. But there’s also a merch survey there, so I love if anybody wants to fill that out. And then lastly, I’m trying to get together a Starless community of gamers who don’t wanna join guilds called the Intergalactic Coalition.

[00:01:37] You can go to intergalactic coalition.com, got an interest survey there and you can learn more about it. So let’s go ahead and get into things that occurred this past week in the Starless ecosystem. Like I mentioned, the main one was the atlas per there was, again, allure keepers. Addition to my email, or excuse me, my audio summaries.

[00:01:53] You can watch the full ones. Thanks to Star Atlas tv. If you check out their YouTube channel. Links to that is in news recap that I mentioned on the Atlas Brew. It was more of an explanation brew. And again, it’s predominantly was a followup to the announcement of what they’re calling Star Atlas Summer.

[00:02:09] Starla summer is a series of events starting with the community week. Forget the dates. I think the end of the July, so a couple more weeks. And then they’re gonna have three independent town halls coming out. I think. I’m not a hundred percent sure if they’re every week, but, ’cause I think there might be one gap in there, but definitely through the month of August and they’re being a little cagey on what exactly they’re going over on those.

[00:02:34] But I’ll get to that in a second. But Community Week was the first one that’s coming up and that one is pretty much set. I think that dates a little graphic to show that. So there is the Guild competition, Copa, there’s the community competition. Joanie I think one of the town halls will occur there.

[00:02:50] And I think the other one is a new thing. We newer called Carnival and they mentioned that will involve a Discord bot. So not exactly sure I understand, but it’s basically a way for people in Discord to do different things and then earn. Tickets? I’m not sure. I don’t think these are the Golden Carnival type.

[00:03:09] Oh, wait, golden Carnival. Is this a cu I hadn’t thought about that. Sorry. They positioned it as carnival in Brazil, Rio Carnival. Sorry. I’m. I know the event, but I dunno what it’s, but anyways I just realized we did call ’em the Golden Carnival. So anyways, but basically it sounds like a way through discord participation.

[00:03:29] Maybe that’s the best way to say it, to gain some tickets and those tickets can be redeemed for prizes or put into drawings and. Actually does sound a lot of interesting engagement things there. So anyway, so they, that’s the community week. And then the community team did mention a few things about things going on a little bit on the town halls.

[00:03:46] They did mention that the first one will definitely be a release of the new EE five version of the game. But they already alluded to that one and kind of some of the features that will hopefully be coming. Not that it’s old news, but it’s something again, to be expected.

[00:04:00] And they were definitely very silent on what the other two, in fact, including that the third one it, they’re starting to hype it. But, that’s, it’s gonna shock everybody and things like that. And again, that’s perfectly fine. I’m totally okay with hyping these things and building excitement for ’em.

[00:04:15] But the other thing they did mention in the Atlas Brew, which I thought was interesting and not totally outta left field, but definitely new, and they were mentioning that they haven’t really been doing much marketing, but they said they have been talking to a lot of people externally.

[00:04:28] They didn’t elaborate on. Who the people were, sounds they’re talking like partnerships and things like that. So again, I totally am okay with the vagueness type of thing. So I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. What all that entails. Yeah, so it does sound like a cool kind of period of time coming up where we’ll get a lot of new releases, new information about things and I’ll have some more kind of speculation in my kind of state of star section.

[00:04:53] And then the last thing which I’ll talk more about near the end is there was an article in decrypt titled Why so many Crypto Games are Shutting Down. And I actually found it really interesting partly ’cause it is a. Third party view of the larger crypto game landscape.

[00:05:08] And so I’ll mention a few things. Links to that is again in my news recap number 1 74, if you check it on my website, intergalactic carroll.com. So moving into the next section, which is more of a kind of thoughts about the status of star o past week. So definitely excitement is building for community week and I think it’s really good.

[00:05:25] Think this is the third time they’ve done it. It is definitely becoming a community tradition. And I actually kinda like the tie in to summer. Again, clever marketing, great branding starless summer. But I think just to keep momentum going, it does feel like now after a few years, that the team definitely seems to have a six month cycle on products development.

[00:05:46] Big push. Our big, I shouldn’t say push, but definitely conclusion and end of the year wrap up and they take their break and now it sure feels like the summer is the next one. Work for six months, put some stuff out. So again, definitely great branding on start out with summer.

[00:06:01] Some great graphics have been produced. The three town halls they said were aligned definitely to product reuses and that also makes a ton of sense. With again UE five being the first one out of the gate on the. Middle of the community week. Also do think very nice that they’re spreading these out with the last town hall seems like only a month ago being three plus hours.

[00:06:21] I mentioned on the podcast at the time it was almost too much to comprehend and really let it sink in and then give it a week and it just feels like in the past. So the fact that these are be staggered in coming out with potentially the biggest reveal at the end I think is great. Great community, great marketing, so total definitely great rollout.

[00:06:42] One thing I thought I’d do a little differently, because again, they weren’t talking about anything, but you can’t help but speculate. So I thought I would go ahead and do a little bit of speculation. This is again, no insider information, no leaks. Nothing’s been mentioned in the foundation room ’cause it’s public now, so there’s nothing there.

[00:06:58] So this is truly just me making stuff up. So take it for what it’s worth, but I thought I would just do it. So one, I don’t think C four is part of this release, and that’s partly because they have announced that they’ll do a public test beforehand. Now, could it be that the public test is announced?

[00:07:13] Sure. That would be perfectly in alignment. But I don’t think, C four in the sense of it’s ready. It’ll be, Hey, we’re ready to start testing. And again, they did mention they need to public test for that. Would I be disappointed if it doesn’t come a little bit? But I think.

[00:07:30] It’s, and I’ve said this before, I think it’s very ambitious, but in a good way of tying in so many things. And if they did wanna release it, I think they have been matching more of their rollout. We did get a lot of information about C four at the last town hall, which was then followed up by Q and as through Atlas Brew.

[00:07:47] So this feels like the roll out of the local markets and fleet rentals. So I think again, this kind of prepping everybody. So yeah, I think a public test announcement for C four. Feels like a good time to do it. Holim I think is another opportunity that definitely could be a public race.

[00:08:04] And it fits in, I think with the whatever promoting or hyping that they’ve been talking to people externally because of all the products they’ve been talking about and or showing recently, that one feels the most one that third parties and partnerships could really help promote. Plus it’s web-based so anyone can get into it.

[00:08:24] So again, I think it’s a perfect kind of. Intro product, easy to get people excited about. And from what we’ve heard on past brews people who are pointing it are really enjoying it. And just as I went to record this, I noticed that beyond the Rise and just started, apparently a new hall of Sim series.

[00:08:40] So I’m kinda looking forward to listening to that and seeing more about it as a true out of left field speculation. Even if it isn’t a public release, just the fact if they announced a mobile version, so an app version. And this was alluded to that definitely Holim could be a mobile app, something that could get approved in the app stores, apples and Google Play because there is no crypto.

[00:09:06] And I think, if I remember correctly, there’s still some resistance on the app stores for crypto things. So I think that would be yeah, I think that would be really, yeah, that would be something totally out of that field, but I also think it would be an awesome development place to get back into having some sort of mobile app based thing.

[00:09:24] There was talk years ago about doing a crew thing for that, and it was disappointing that one didn’t work out ’cause of the mechanics of getting to, what is it Move to earn. Algorithms, if I remember correctly. So anyways I think that would be a totally thing that they could have kept secret.

[00:09:39] The other reason I think it could come outta nowhere is it fits with that would be a thing that they outsourced because I never heard that they had app developers. Obviously they got UE five developers though they’re. Having lots of that being outsourced. And definitely they have website developers and they got blockchain developers.

[00:09:57] But never heard about mobile developer or mobile app developers. So another thing, and I guess this one kind of wasn’t totally my own thinking ’cause it had some stuff on Twitter and I didn’t really read. But some people tweeted about the at Atlas Locker. And again, that would be another thing that would make, I think, a lot of sense to come out to.

[00:10:16] And in the final speculation, and this goes to something that I picked up on many months back when Michael Wagner had an interview, he mentioned that there was gonna be some sort of July announcement, and this was made months ago. So this, I think, all falls into maybe this third town hall being something completely.

[00:10:34] Shocking and whatever. And even the community team mentioning that they’re surprised. Everything’s been quiet for so long. Again, I’m, I am, again, this is all about speculation, but I guess I am thinking something that truly blows us away is could be has been in the works for many months and so we’ll see now, however, saying that, and I am hopeful of finally some building, some momentum. Definitely talking to people externally, making partnerships. But, and again, I’m just playing both sides of the coin, but we have been similar to things like this where we’ve had hyped events and then they do actually disappoint.

[00:11:08] So it, I think this comes down to just being in the community too long and following it too long and not being disappointed, but, again, I happened to go into the game today and accidentally clicked on the faction fleet button. And I didn’t even realize Papa comes up and says, Hey, this thing’s going away.

[00:11:24] And I’m like, oh, but it’s still here, we’ll see. But having said that, I think timing’s, definitely been releasing things. It seems like they’re moving in directions. Again, the idea of talking to external people all feels good momentum and things like that.

[00:11:37] So hopefully that’s just being a little too negative and say, yeah, but what’s it’s happened before. So again, we’ll see where it all goes, but ultimately I think it looks like a great couple of weeks and or months ahead of announcements and new information. That’s all.

[00:11:50] Great. Final thing, I wanted to quickly touch on that article I mentioned from decrypt about why so many crypto games were shutting down and actually found it very insightful both to look at star Atlas more objectively, but also to. Put some understanding of maybe why some of the other games in the Web3 crypto space have flamed out.

[00:12:09] And one thing someone mentioned is just in video games development in general, 90% of games fail. And I was like, what? Games are coming out all the time, but what they mentioned was that most of these failures happen outside the public. So a game studio has an idea, maybe they work on it for a year or two, never even announce it as even something they’re working on, and they just decide to go in a different direction.

[00:12:30] And I was like, oh, okay. That makes sense. You just don’t. Hear about it. The other reason they mentioned that many of the crypto games have shut down is lack of investment money. And again, that makes sense too. And this is something I know I’ve been hearing about over the years with funding and why the whole independent games movement kicked on where just one or two people can build something.

[00:12:47] ’cause to be the AAA game and whatever, you need a backing of a big publishing studio which could funnel. Tens of millions of dollars to have multi-year development cycles, thinking, call of Duty or TGA or things like that. So yeah, forgetting the whole crypto thing, somebody’s gotta pay for this.

[00:13:07] And if you’re not a publisher who’s constantly making a game and can build, take the revenues from a current game to build the next game, yeah. You have to look for outside sources, which again is why, crypto was so intriguing because Ben, you could in a sense, crowdfund it through token sales and things like that.

[00:13:23] Kickstarter, like mechanisms. So another thing the article mentioned I thought was great interesting was again, that traditional gamers have not been interested in blockchain integration and that still feels yeah, it feels right. Again, maybe three, two or three years ago when blockchain and Web3 and all that was the rage, you could make some arguments, but traditional gamers to me anyways, are about gaming.

[00:13:46] They’re not really concerned about technology. Yeah, they want things to look better, but again, they’ve never been concerned with engines other than the newer engine should look better specs, I guess on a console. Sure. But, doing something totally unique and I think again the suming outta the stigma against blockchain now, it’s been a couple years since it came out and didn’t really become the part that changed the world or something like that.

[00:14:10] Again. They want a game. And I’ve been in that camp too, wanting to play something. The other thing the article mentioned was releasing tokens before anything was playable. Again, if you’re releasing a game and you sell tokens in order to fund it makes sense. But then if there’s nothing to play and the token yeah, just doesn’t.

[00:14:28] Matter again, if you’re again interested in the game. Related to that, they mentioned that having a token caused some of the development teams to have to feel a lot of pressure on the price of the token and whether it goes up or down. And this kind of dovetails with the thing I think I mentioned in the last podcast or couple back on co.

[00:14:45] Michael Wagner mentioning on Telegram about his focus being to, sell tokens they own to keep funding the studio so the studio can make the game. ’cause if there’s no studio, there’s no game. And who cares about the token price? Yeah, I think yeah, that all makes sense that those would be extra things that a leadership team within a game or yeah, I guess vote founders, whatever would have to be worried about, especially if that’s the way they’re funding things.

[00:15:10] And the last thing the article mentioned, and it was I thought, almost an afterthought, but actually. Had thought about it a little more since I wrote down, is just to short attention spans. Again, traditional gamers or gaming studios may not even release that the game other than, like we know a next version of Call of Duty coming out next year.

[00:15:28] But if you’re developing a new new game or new ip, they call it, something totally new. They don’t even talk that it exists until maybe a year before release. So that is. Time, you can keep hyping it, you can keep getting people interested and then you release. But this idea of again, building in public selling a token in order to fund it before you put anything in playable bluntly, people just, they got more things to do with their time and, just, it’s hard to stay invested in something that doesn’t see the light of day for a long time. And again, you can look at it both ways of why these are shutting down. You can go to the other side and say there seems like star Atlas, or excuse me, star citizen that’s been out forever and still getting money.

[00:16:09] But again, you can. I argue the point either way, is that even a mainstream game? But I think we do need to acknowledge that there are lots of things that are vying for attention. Gaming is just one entertainment form, movies, tv. Internet, social media, and it’s hard to keep people focused on anything unless they’re constant being fed something new.

[00:16:33] So anyways, I think it was a really great article. Again link to it is in my news recap. Go to inter carroll.com. Look for news recap. Number one, what are we on? 1 74? And again, it was just, I think, a great article. Final section. Just wanted to keep an update on my journey point star Atlas.

[00:16:48] So again, I’m predominantly pointing the sage. Trying to craft enough resources to redeem Mamba X finished mining my hydrogen. I had run out of fuel to move my fleet back and forth. Fortunately just after I’d moved all my diamond back from the farthest star base. From the central Space Station.

[00:17:05] So now I turned my big fleet to start moving back the titanium or that I’d been mining with my little miner. So I got some fuel crafting and keeping the fuel supply going. Looks like the big fleet’s actually keeping up one real time to the miner. Normally I’ve on some of these have put the big feet into mining, but I feel like, ultimately I fall behind on transport.

[00:17:25] So just. Keep moving stuff and it’ll just hit the goal of the, I forget how many millions of titanium more I need to mine. So anyways, just feeling like that’s a good stable thing. Definitely feel like I’m feeling like I’m in a rhythm now with mining with one. Miner ship. And then the big fleets doing the transport, buying the necessary resource on the local market to keep the miner going.

[00:17:50] And then just mining fuel or hydrogen to make fuel to get, keep moving it back to the central Space station local market. I gotta check tomorrow by think everything or close to sold out. So that’s good. I think that’s intriguing. Loop, and I guess I should maybe reconsider that on this next one.

[00:18:09] But I have to admit, being a little it’s just one more thing to manage. And I think from a supply chain and a return on investment standpoint, if the. If the ammo is cheaper at the Central Space Station than it is at the star base, then it’s immediately good. But I don’t know, maybe a little hesitant with the starless summer coming out and finding out when C four is officially coming, just not managing too many resources that ultimately will have to be, pulled back to the Central Space Station to be removed. At least that’s how we had to do it last time. So unsure on these local markets. Even if it was preserved through it the new combat mechanism where if you don’t own the star base, you can have all your resources burned. I don’t know, just maybe a little hesitancy to knowing something is gonna change with C four going I don’t even.

[00:18:58] Out one thing. Obviously my ships can all be moved back, but don’t want to have too many resources spread out waiting for people to buy ’em because if it crashes the local markets and nobody wants to buy, then yeah, it feels. Again, risk in the sense that the game is not permanent. But again, still feels like a rhythm and so I’m feeling good on that.

[00:19:17] So anyway, so that’s pretty much all I said, so thanks for listening. Again, just want to mention if anybody is interested in being a podcast guest, please go to my website, find the contact page, and love to chat with you also again while you’re there on intergalactic carro.com. Yeah go ahead and check out the guides, directories, recaps, discord, newsfeed.

[00:19:34] If you’re interested in minor selection of Star Os merch, please go to intergalactic gear.com. And if you wanna eventually hang out with some star outs gamers who are not members of guilds, please check out intergalactic coalition.com. So thank you for listening. Hope you enjoyed it. Hope you had the week.

[00:19:48] Enjoyed listening to the week in review. This is Matt with The Harold. Have a great week ahead.