In this episode, hear an AI summary of the latest Star Atlas community event. Full video recordings can be found on the YouTube channel of Star Atlas TV at https://www.youtube.com/@staratlastv.
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Podcast Transcript
[00:00:00] Hi, this isn’t Matt with Intergalactic Herald. This is AI Matt. Welcome to my Star Atlas Recap of the latest Atlas Brew from the Star Atlas Community Team. The following summary of the Atlas Brew was AI generated so no guarantee it is 100% accurate because I am an AI after all. If you want to listen to the entire recording, please check out the YouTube channel of Star Atlas TV. Enjoy the summary.
[00:00:25] The conversation begins with greetings and interactions with the live chat audience. The speakers mention some upcoming events and updates, including a Lore Keepers event the following day where something “huge” will be shown, potentially revealing details about something Jose and Darwin have been working on for the community. They also plan to discuss Tufas and high-risk zone materials and components, which are expected to be relevant for endgame material farming.
[00:00:52] Recent Star Atlas updates were highlighted, including a big update to the UI (User Interface), particularly for Sage. Feedback has been mostly positive, though engineers are already working on specific changes requested by the community, such as the self-destruct button placement and fleet visualization. A major motivation for this UI shift was to improve mobile compatibility, with the expectation that many people will play on mobile in the future. Fleet Command in Sage is seen as a great fit for mobile play.
[00:01:22] Another recent update is the new fleet scores. This update received mixed feedback. The econ team is not planning to include the price of fleet rental in the score equation. However, they are actively seeking feedback on the weights used in the score calculation formula.
[00:01:38] The main topic of the discussion is play to earn (P2E), its current state, and its future, particularly within Star Atlas. The speakers acknowledge that the market is currently not prioritizing P2E, and many projects are seen as having tarnished the image of web3 gaming due to failures, scams, or being overly simplistic. There’s a discussion about the definition of play to earn, questioning whether it requires earning a token or if ownership and tradability of in-game blockchain assets (like skins) is sufficient. Some games are described as “web 2.5,” leveraging the blockchain for asset ownership but not necessarily creating deep economies. Games that are fun and not scams are seen as positive for the space, regardless of definition.
[00:02:23] Star Atlas is described as having a unique approach, having built its economy before the game world. While this was a “handicap,” the vision is now translating to reality as more content and gameplay loops are added. Star Atlas is considered a market leader in the depth of its onchain economy compared to current competitors.
[00:02:42] A significant part of the conversation contrasts sustainable economies like the one Star Atlas aims for with Ponzi schemes prevalent in the web3 gaming space. Ponzi games offer high short-term ROI, often based on value acquired through funding or token price increases, but lack a real game or sustainable economy. Value is extracted by early participants, relying on new players entering. This sacrifices long-term viability for short-term popularity. Star Atlas is differentiated by its real economy and real demand for in-game items, resources, and services driven by gameplay incentives and specializations. It mimics real-life economies, where demand for goods and services provides value, rather than just transferring wealth from new players to old ones. People building long-term in Star Atlas contribute to this sustainable demand. The concept of value in Star Atlas is linked to the effort, skill, and time invested in acquiring items through complex gameplay loops.
[00:03:41] Looking ahead, the future of P2E in Star Atlas is envisioned as a digital nation-state where the experience of living in the universe becomes more important than simple financial gain. Money will be secondary to achieving valuable in-game goals like defending territory or protecting crew members. The ideal future state is one where it appears the game was built first, with seamless integration into a space universe, similar in scope to Star Citizen but utilizing blockchain.
[00:04:09] This future requires extremely deep and unique specialization routes for players, regardless of their initial asset ownership. Not everyone should easily make money; it should require focus, intention, hyper specialization, and skill derived from engagement with complex gameplay loops. The economy needs immense complexity, potentially involving thousands or millions of different items, complex crafting, risks, decay, and storage costs. This complexity is seen as essential for a real economy and is what Star Atlas is actively building towards. The introduction of more risks, danger, and potential “chaos,” possibly starting with C4, is seen as an exciting development that the current community is ready for.
[00:04:52] Finally, the potential for blockchain and gaming to break down geographical borders and provide economic opportunities, particularly for individuals in regions with fewer traditional avenues, was briefly mentioned as a topic for future discussion. The importance of educating people about the benefits of this technology was stressed.
[00:05:11] The conversation concludes with the hosts and guest agreeing to continue the discussion in a future episode, having only covered a portion of their planned agenda.
