Will the strength of a ship mostly depend on price?

Last week gave us a clearer picture of how SAGE C4 may transition from testing into a live economy. The team is expanding the Nemesis Engine, reworking Council Rank progression, and weighing the risks and rewards of Claim Stakes. Beyond C4, Chris published his farewell to Star Atlas, UE5 development is moving forward on version 5.8, and PIP-36 passed after a remarkable late reversal in support.

Last week, the team put real numbers on the planned Council Rank progression for mainnet. The first levels should come quickly, while reaching the top could take anywhere from six months to well over a year, depending on how actively you play. Beyond C4, on a more somber note, Chris, VP of Game Economy, resigned from ATMTA after several years of shaping the game’s economy. Finally, PIP-36 saw a major swing in support as voting enters its final days.

Last week brought a substantial rethink of Claim Stakes and Starbase capture in SAGE C4. With very few players engaging with Claim Stakes, the team is working on a much more guided onboarding flow, dramatically lower operating costs, and a slower, lower-maintenance gameplay loop. Starbase capture is being simplified and slowed down as well. Meanwhile, the DAO opened voting on a proposal to fund a new public dashboard.