The new pirate MMO Atlas, by Studio Wildcard, promises a huge game world for over 40,000 players. Can that work?
What happened? Studio Wildcard announced an impressively designed pirate MMO called Atlas at the “Video Game Awards 2018”. Behind it is the developer of the Steam hit Ark: Survival Evolved. Players were particularly struck by one statement: A gigantic server is supposed to accommodate over 40,000 players, providing a real MMO feeling. Sounds great, right?
Yes, but there was something … Now many players are wondering if that can work. Players have been complaining about poor performance in ARK: Survival Evolved to this day, especially console players were dissatisfied with the FPS. Now an even bigger server for the game Atlas is supposed to bring improvement? Players are skeptical.
Can this game work?
This could be Atlas’s downfall, players fear: With Atlas comes a game that has a playfield 1200 times larger than that of ARK.
This is what the developers say about the concerns: Jesse Rapczak, co-founder of Studio Wildcard, says in an interview with PC Gamer: “We have developed new technology that connects a world that is 1200 times bigger than an ARK server.” The entire game world is made up of several smaller servers, and players sail over a kind of grid of servers. Players themselves should not notice that.
Studio Wildcard invested a lot of money in their new MMO. The developers emphasized that special attention was paid to server quality. In ARK, some mistakes were made in the game’s further development. However, this should not happen again; thus, they want to pay more attention to community feedback now.
Therefore, performance is supposed to be better than in ARK: According to Wildcard, rendering an open sea is much easier from a performance perspective than a dense jungle, as is the case in Ark. They also modified and improved the Unreal Engine. Therefore, Atlas is expected to work better at release than ARK does now.
Should you buy Atlas without reservations? If you rely on the word of Studio Wildcard, you can buy the game on December 13 through Steam. For everyone else: It is advisable to wait for the first reviews on Steam before being sure whether Atlas can actually deliver what it promises.
Despite all the performance issues, Wildcard managed to keep millions of players engaged in ARK: Survival Evolved for years for good reason. Therefore, players are currently less concerned about gameplay and are looking forward to the pirate setting.
What is the pirate MMO Atlas anyway?
Atlas is an MMO that sends you into a vast pirate world. You can destroy enemy ships as a pirate and build a crew around your ship.
What makes Atlas so special? Atlas is supposed to accommodate over 40,000 players simultaneously. These players are to compete for dominance of the oceans in a 45,000 square kilometer game world.
Unlike Sea of Thieves, which is aimed more at small groups, Atlas promises an experience that even approaches EVE Online. It aims to revive the “Massive” in MMO. Players themselves will also ensure that it remains exciting. They will explore and annex islands, engage politically, and fight massive battles.
This is how Atlas aims to guarantee fun for everyone: There will be a PvP server, but also one for PvE. Similar to back in World of Warcraft, to also attract players who do not want large PvP action and want to avoid griefers.
Can I just fight? Players can build a crew composed of NPCs and online players who take up designated positions on board your ship. You can continuously improve your ship and also build structures on one of the many islands of the map.
Atlas is not only focused on fighting. It is supposed to offer you an entire world in pirate style. You need to take care of the crew’s supplies and also attend to your own needs. In the video, you can see the enormous map that gives players plenty of space to explore.
When does the game come out? The game will be available for purchase on Steam starting December 13. Early access is supposed to last at least two years.
What do you think? Do you trust the developers’ statements and buy the game at release?
