Podcast 151: Star Atlas Weekly Review

Podcast Transcript

Hi. This is Matt with Intergalactic Herald. Welcome to my startless week in review podcast. This is podcast number a hundred and fifty one. Any articles or videos mentioned can be found on my website at intergalactic herald dot com.
Just look for weekly recap newsletter a hundred and ninety nine. quick summary of things that happened this past week in Star Atlas, and I guess I should kinda…
put everything in context. It’s twenty twenty six. So you’ve been listening. The last two are kinda review, of twenty twenty five. I did record those before the holidays, so haven’t really been well, took a break.
But, again, you got two podcasts. So, most of this…
content that came out is excuse me for this last week. So, there was, before the holidays, an interview…with Michael Wagner. I haven’t actually listened to that, just ran out of time tonight so I’ll probably listen to it over the weekend, but that’s in my…
newsletter, so if you wanna check that out. again, didn’t haven’t listened to it. I did listen to the, weekly Atlas Brew, and that was new, so it’s only a few days old. And then the other big content was, APHIA put out a, kinda week, I should say, a year in review and a year ahead. So that article mentioned.
I totally forgot they also, came out with a zinc guide that’s, in my newsletter. I didn’t actually write anything down because I…admittedly read that two weeks ago and totally forgot about until just now. So anyways but yeah. So basically, I’ll just be going over things that were talked about in the Alice brew and the, Aphia. I guess it wasn’t their newsletter.
It was more of a guide look ahead for twenty twenty six and a little bit of review of twenty twenty five. Before I get that, just want to mention a couple things I’m doing in Star Atlas.
first again is my website intergalactic carol dot com. It’s a great Starhouse resource website. It has many, well, it has a beginner’s guide for how to play StarOS different parts of it, a number of directories from guilds to StarOS content creators…
I think I have something. Oh, tools. Things like that, builders. also, you can get the, this weekly recap newsletter. You can also get, AI summaries of any of the, star house events that occurred.
And finally, if you wanna set up for a email newsletter or email alerts when new announcements are posted on the Star House Discord. So again, you can find all that at intergalactic carol dot com. Also do have a Star House merch store at intergalactic gear dot com. Totally admit it doesn’t have much, but again just priorities. So but if you want a Star Atlas mug you can definitely get it shipping in the United States.
And also I am trying to start a Star Atlas community for gamers who aren’t joining Star Atlas guilds. You can check that out at intergalacticcoalition dot com. So let’s go ahead and get into what happened this past week in Staros. Like I said, it’s a little weird one because some of this content actually came out before the holidays, but then I went ahead and did the my year in review two parts there. So kind of put them all together and again I kind of forgot the ones that occurred before the holidays, but links to those are all in my newsletter.
But the two, excuse me, biggest ones were the Atlas Brew. And,
they did mention kind of near the beginning of the Atlas Brew that little…announcement that was made in the foundation room from the CEO, Michael Wagner, that definitely after c four is done, the team’s gonna change and start working again on the Atlas locker addendum and integrating Polis into the game. So, that was kind of a new little…what do we call it, alpha or whatever of things that are coming. But the bulk of the, Atlas Brew is kinda talking about the order of release, and they kinda did this before where they’re not putting any dates, but they’re kinda telling, you know, sort of where things should come out in order. so they did mention that, unfortunately, the UE five version did have some bugs, so they’re gonna be working on those. There’s also some Zinc bugs, so those are the kind of first priority.
Then it sounds like the Holosim chapter two is next on the agenda.
Core, which is the graphic novel, should come out after that. And then, they kinda put the order, which we kinda known, but I think, again, it’s always good to just be restated, stated especially when the team’s willing to share that the c four PTR, which, again, I forget what PTR stands for, but it’s basically the pre relaunch of that. Then, Zynq will come out and then the c four main net. And then they kinda added, something about a new UE five mode, but they kinda weren’t, they didn’t wanna say more. So I don’t know if, again, this is something new that they did announce at the town hall.
but, again, they kinda immediately stopped talking about it. So, not really sure what that meant, but again, a little bit of a tease and that’s fine. So yeah. So I’ll kinda leave to, give my thoughts when I get the state of Star Atlas, just kinda going over what was there. Then,
as I mentioned, Efia put out a guide newsletter slash just article, where they were looking ahead to twenty twenty six, but they also did kind of a good, actually, it was an excellent review of kinda what happened in twenty twenty five and kinda spurred a lot of thoughts in my mind. But basically, they did mention that twenty twenty five was, quote, a lust lackluster year. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it, but I kinda, yeah, have to agree with it. So, they did note that the…
UE five did become playable and fun. Also, there was the UE five to Sage crossover with the ink resource. But, they’re pretty blunt that, yeah, Sage had no meaningful updates and I kinda after I reread that, I’m like, no. I guess you’re right. And I was kinda going back to my podcast where I did the two parts, and I thought there were some sage things that came out.
But again, I can’t really point anything other than maybe like the Phantom Star bases and things like that. But again, those were kinda, I guess, some economic changes for the fact that all the star bases had been upgraded. So, again, I think that that’s a fair analysis. Also, they had mentioned and it’s been mentioned many times before, that Halosim, did have persistent, syncing issues and performance issues and things like that. But the one they mentioned that I had totally forgotten about, and I’ll kinda bring up later, was that there was no communication about the updates to what was is called season zero.
And again,
I totally kind of forgot about that. I’ll get into that a little bit later to give my thoughts. but then the rest of the article was about, things hopefully coming in twenty twenty six or at least the next things and again Sage c four, HallSim chapter two. And then I kind of already forgot from the town hall about these…UE5 modes, Siege and Conquest, which again, when the Alice Brew mentioned a new one, I was like, oh, those, but then they’ve mouse that. So I didn’t know why they said it, so maybe there’s something else.
also mentioning the promise or these yeah. The promise of kind of…the MMO…RPG type of thing with, what was shown with the kind of Galia campaign that came out in the most recently released right before the holidays. And then of course, Sync and Core. So again, lining with what the Atlas Brew was talking about too. So yeah.
So,
definitely a great read. You can get links to that if you go to my website, intergalactic carol dot com. Just look for the news recap one ninety nine for the links to the Atlas brew that was, again, always great, hosted by or sorry, recorded by, Star Atlas TV. And then, of course, APHIA publishes all their content on their website. So, but I was kinda alluding to kinda wait to get my thoughts when I kinda talk about kind of the state of Star Atlas this past week.
And so, yeah, I really think, Efia’s, look back was actually really good and…
that the fact that, yeah, there was some good about UE five, definitely the ink component where there’s finally this crossover between people who are playing UE5 and people who are playing Sage. but again they were, the article did bring up I think fair, you know, there really wasn’t much true in Sage. And again we found out, I can’t remember if it was at the town hall…or after. I think it was a town hall. That, yeah.
I’m pretty sure it was well, anyways, I think I’ve talked about it. So, that really they wanted c four to come out last summer. So the fact that it’s now slipped another six months and now still another month or two. Yeah. but, again, I mean, that’s part of game development.
I mean, you set a goal and it wasn’t obtainable. So and now that we know that really needing to have zinc, and I don’t know if zinc was part of that back then either, or releasing as a standalone product was part of that. But…
yeah, it, yeah. I mean yeah. but also the kind of analysis that Halsim kind of had all the issues. but, again, during the time, I guess, I kinda do remember it as being, talked about in a very positive light. So, again, I didn’t play, so I can’t really say that if those…
performance issues drove people away. Though, again, I think I saw some of those posts on the Discord. So, again, whatever. But really what I wanted to comment on because I had totally forgot about this again, season zero. And as I recall season zero is basically the UE five, game, but it’s…
fully developed in the sense, if I remember correctly from the roadmaps they published, I mean, this is gonna have it’s gonna be not free to play, but it’ll be, no beta, no alpha, I mean, it’s done. And so it’s gonna have all the different things. So,
so we’ve heard about it for a long time, but, again, I think the thing that was really, interesting that just kinda didn’t recall was, yeah, nothing got talked about. Because, again, we’re all talking about c four and a little bit about how Sym when that came and then definitely Zinc. But, yes, season zero, the first kinda real foundational part of what is the…
what supposed to be Star Atlas. I mean, Star Atlas is never Sage, and it was never c four, and it was never Holosin, and it was never, Zinc. I mean, it was this space game, and it was designed and…
redesigned and, again, season zero. So yeah. So, again, I think that’s, that was it was really insightful, and I just completely forgot about it. So I guess, again, we’ll kinda see. but my thinking, because all we can do is look ahead, you know, to twenty twenty six.
I really think, and again, maybe it’s just because it’s the first of the year and you kinda just set those goals, maybe not resolutions, but definitely what you’re trying to accomplish. I think it really is all about c four. it has to be released. I mean, I can’t go another year with, you know…
the current Sage. I mean, there’s just, yeah. And especially running on, having to pay Solana transactions. So, yeah. I mean, yeah.
It needs to be released. And I guess I kinda wrote to myself, I mean, it needs to be good. I mean, I don’t know how you, know, say it any differently. I mean, it needs to be something that is there. and what I try to describe that is, to my myself at least, is it needs to be complex economic gameplay.
Now…
economic gameplay might not be what interests you. That that’s fine. That’s perfectly fine. I’ve always been that I think there’s different aspects, but…
it’s not a shooter. It’s not a racing game. It’s not a single player campaign. It is economy, supply chain, You call it grand strategy, whatever. that’s what c four has been touted as, and so it needs to do those things.
And, I’d hoped over winter break to look at the Sage, editor suite. I just ran out of time. So maybe you could say I didn’t prioritize it, but partly, I knew I could do it after winter break. So I did things during my winter break that only could do during winter break. But, anyways, but the other aspect I think c four really needs to do, and…
we’ll see, is really a, appeal to all player types. And again…
and again, can’t remember the exact details. I just know that Solana transaction costs. Forget the performance, whether they worked. you know, some of to be honest, I think those issues have rectified themselves independent of Star Atlas. Solana just is better, and maybe it’s because the meme crazes and the coins and all that stuff has gone away.
But, I mean, I go into the do my small things, and they always work. So but…
playing Sage requires a whole bunch of, Solana transaction fees, and they do add up to real money. So if you’re basically playing…transaction fees and not actually enjoying the game or and or earning then yeah. So I think, again, c four needs to appeal to all kinds of player types, in the sense that I think kinda maybe as a…
criteria, I mean, you need to be able to purchase some ships or crew or purchase anything, claim stakes, whatever, and then do something with it that’s repeatable. And we’ve kind of been saying that for years now that part of the problem is that most of the things coming out just haven’t had replay value. Now things are different. The shooter definitely has replay value. It’s just not a lot of people playing.
Racing could have replay value, but maybe it’s not the well and the team kinda de emphasized the racing, and so I’m not sure if it’s fully developed enough…to do it. But, again, racing is a different, gameplay than shooting, and shooters have been pretty around for a while. So, again, other Mario Kart and maybe, what is it, GTA or…
oh, what’s the other racing? Forza? I can’t remember. I say I’m not into racing, so I don’t even know what they mean. But, anyways, but my point is that, you know, need to be able to buy something which is fair, and then do something with it and be able to continue to do something with it.
So, I mean, to me, that’s sort of how a way to judge if c four is good and, you know, things. I think also looking ahead twenty twenty six, the ZYNC launch, is important. But I don’t know. Maybe now that the town well, I guess it was announced at the summer…thing, and then, again, we got the alpha before the holidays. But now that, kinda live and, I don’t know, maybe a little bit…of lack of promotion for it, and, again, maybe that’s coming, but, you know, I was thinking, oh, the alpha, yeah, that’s fine.
Can’t don’t wanna announce that because we’re just trying to figure out how it works. Well, now it’s supposedly live. I mean, it is live, and it’s just us. And they even mentioned at the town hall, well, you know, if it’s just for old Star Atlas gamers, that’s fine. I’m like, okay.
No argument there. But,
yeah. Again, it seems like…mixed messaging there. But, again, that’s fine. They can change their mind. but I guess what I’m thinking more and more because we need Zinc as the blockchain to get rid of the Solana fees, so it’s sort of a prerequisite requirement now for c four success is to have…that.
and, again, I’m still not a hundred percent sure, but I thought that’s what’s powering HoloSim. So it, again, feels like this is a much more mature and, again, if I remember correctly, this Zynq is the outward facing thing that has been their test network from day one. So, again, this doesn’t feel like,
a brand new product. It’s just a different way to frame it and a different way to promote it and a different way to get people interested in it. So, and, again, it would just be the foundation of c four. So it just has to work. and, again, if the success from the if there’s success from the airdrops and other things, hey.
That’s all great. But, you know, again, it to me at least, anyways, Zinc just has to be there to make c four happen. And, again, I’ve stated many times I’m a gamer. I’m not in the crypto for crypto’s sake. So, you know, if we need this for to make the game better, that’s awesome.
So yeah. So, again, that’s kinda my summary thinking, again about where things are. And, again, that doesn’t take away from, you know, graphic novels or, Holosim or the different gameplay modes in UE five. It just again, I keep going back to that…
Yeah. And I guess they even did say at the…
at the Atlas brew that the c four is the thing that’ll be unique, in the sense of an actual blockchain game. And, again, nothing wrong with the shooters. I mean, again, the idea of the…gigantic space thing where you’ll be in your ship, you went on a plan, you get out. I mean, again, it all fits together, and they’ve been pretty consistent on saying they’re building the parts. And, eventually, all parts come together to the whole, which, again, is supposedly this, season zero.
So, yeah, I think all that, yeah, all makes sense. So but, anyways, I’ll stop babbling about that. Those are the you know, to me, it’s twenty twenty six has gotta be c four, and it’s gotta be good. So we’ll see where it goes. Oh, and I guess I should caveat that.
I I’m okay if it’s not good on day one. Just fix it and make it better. So,
fundamentally, the thing needs to be there. And I guess we could look at PaulSim as being a proof of concept that yeah. I mean, for the people who did play, it sound like they were having fun. It just, again, had the…stability and the growth and things like that or growth issues where the infrastructure wasn’t there, and the team knows that. So, again, you hope that, you know, if c four comes out rocky that, you know, again, those will be, addressed.
So we’ll see. and then finally, just to, talk again about my journey playing Star Atlas. Again, been pretty…
doing nothing because, again, the Solana fees. And, again, part of that was just waiting to Zinc. Well, anyways, now that, Zinc is live and what you do matters for the future airdrops. I did go ahead and decide to restart my Sage. again, not sure if I’ve ever said this before, but, assistant, really appreciate all the guys that are working.
I know there’s, multiple names on it now. So, but, again, it’s just it’s a great tool. I mean, yeah, automation is required to play Sage. so, had to download something and, apparently, something changed and had to do something else. So I just had to get back in, to understanding.
Because, again, it’s, not coding, but it’s…
yeah. I mean, you gotta do stuff. You know? But, again, that’s the what is it? Compost stability idea of Star Atlas where anybody can build, access into the game.
So, again, just thanks to all the people, names that I can’t remember. I’m not even sure I know everybody who’s putting into it, but it’s a great tool. So I really appreciate that part of the community. but anyway, so I went ahead and restarted. I did do some analysis because my original goal was a Mamba X, and they did change the recipe level.
it is definitely way closer to the original one from whatever they changed it to, but it’s still higher. And I did some calculations and my brain hurts, so I just said, you know, I’ll just get started. Because, again, I’m…
I guess, I’m okay spending a little money for, some of my soul or spending some of my soul to earn the ZXP for the Zinc AirDrop. Again, why not? So, yeah. So, anyway, so I restarted what I apparently left off on, which was, mining, nitrogen, though I don’t remember how much I need. and then I had my big fleet…
still at the CSS, so So I decided just to have it in my hydrogen because I think you need, like, I don’t know, a hundred million hydrogen or some gigantic number. But, ultimately, hydrogen becomes fuel, and I’m gonna need fuel to move the fleet around. So, that was good enough to get started during winter break. And at some point, I’ll actually, like, write down. I think I wrote down.
I just didn’t wanna mentally try to figure it out. It I admit it felt like work, and I just didn’t wanna do it. But, anyways, I got the things running again. So yeah. So I’m still, tentatively, but though not fully committed to trying to get the MobX again.
part of it is, again, the cost of the soul. might be a little bit depending on when the c four update comes out and, you know, that might derail it. But, well, again, we’ll see how this all works out. It doesn’t hurt right now. I feel okay spending the SOL I have in my account for that.
and then on, Zinc, yeah, things are, you know, doing the daily check ins, though they…very nicely, move that from literally a daily to, I think, it’s six or seven days you get to keep your streak up. So that feels way more natural. So thank you guys for stop making us check every day. And when you kinda got out of sequence a little bit, it went from the morning to the afternoon to the evening. And, yeah, it was just…
yeah. Just once in a few days, that feels right. So thanks. Anyway, so I was doing that for a week or two, and then, just this past week, I decided to go ahead and, put some money into it. So I forgot what they’re called, but I went ahead and purchased that first level so I can get…extra XP.
but I just did the ten dollar one, which, again, felt perfectly fine. And again, for nothing else, I think, it’s a fair price point, gives a little money to the team, so that’s cool. And, yeah, we’ll just see. But, yeah, felt good to do that. I mean, it seems reasonable to do that to gain more points.
So, yeah, so, doing that. So, yeah, so that’s pretty much, the first week of twenty twenty six in Star Atlas.
Yeah. Hopefully, we’ll, you know, get some more information and kinda get back into the regular, thing, but I guess just coming back. And I know I had a hard week getting back into the routine, so I’m sure the, Starless team is probably in the same boat. So, anyways, yeah, beyond that, just to wrap up, again, totally open to anybody who wants to be a guest on the podcast. Again, it could be…
any community member just wants to talk about that we can review, open to other content creators talking about what they’re working on, builders, and, of course, any Star Dust team members, slow chat. also do check out my website, intergalactic carol dot com. Again, got my guides, directories, recaps, the Discord news feed. if you want a Star Atlas mug, check out intergalactic gear excuse me, intergalactic gear dot com. And again, love to get a group of Star Atlas gamers who aren’t gonna join guilds, check out Intergalactic Coalition.
Other than that, Happy New Year. I guess it’s still relatively new, ninth or tenth, eleventh when you listen to this…
Yeah. This is Matt with Intergalactic Herald. that was your Star Atlas Week in Review. Have a great week ahead…