Raph Koster's Avatar

Raph Koster

@raphkoster.bsky.social

Videogames: ULTIMA ONLINE, STAR WARS GALAXIES, METAPLACE, STARS REACH (coming soon!), among others. Tabletop: WADDLE. Books: THEORY OF FUN, POSTMORTEMS, SUNDAY POEMS. Music: AFTER THE FLOOD. Also at @raphkoster@mastodon.gamedev.place

2,082 Followers  |  257 Following  |  165 Posts  |  Joined: 20.09.2024  |  1.682

Latest posts by raphkoster.bsky.social on Bluesky

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What You Need To Know About Stars Reach Stars Reach is the lifelong dream of game design legend Raph Koster. In some ways, it’s the game he has wanted to make for over 30 years now. The culmination of all his ideas and ambitions for virtual...

Worth reading if you are curious about Stars Reach!

hooby.blog/posts/what-y...

22.07.2025 21:02 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I’m still here. :) New game in progress even!

13.07.2025 05:23 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Looking forward to it!

13.07.2025 04:54 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Invasion + Fire 😈 Stars Reach 😈 |25e142| #StarsReach #KAEZLO #twitch
YouTube video by Kaezlo Invasion + Fire 😈 Stars Reach 😈 |25e142| #StarsReach #KAEZLO #twitch

youtube.com/shorts/HqBm0...

02.07.2025 23:58 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Stars Reach doesn’t look like youΒ remember I've been remiss in posting updates on Stars Reach here. I mean, the Kickstarter finished back in March (late pledges still accepted)! Today, though, I want to brag about our awesome AI and proc gen driven worlds. Over the last few releases, we have been rolling out yet another series of improvements to the look of the worlds. And we're getting to the point where I think the alien worlds are starting to look like the covers of sci-fi novels (especially with some player help building weird structures):

Stars Reach doesn’t look like youΒ remember

I've been remiss in posting updates on Stars Reach here. I mean, the Kickstarter finished back in March (late pledges still accepted)! Today, though, I want to brag about our awesome AI and proc gen driven worlds. Over the last few releases, we have been…

20.06.2025 18:30 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
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If you haven't seen Stars Reach in a while, you might be surprised. :)

18.06.2025 20:27 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

From our daily standup today:

Major issues to help track and resolve before playtest:
Season Curve causing flora to burst into flames

06.06.2025 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Want to help build magical new worlds? 🌍✨ Playable Worlds is hiring! Remote roles in Engineering & Design, with full-time and contract options. Great perks, stock options, and a passionate team behind it all.

Apply now or send an open app: www.playableworlds.com/careers/

08.05.2025 21:20 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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GUNC Mycityum after 14 hours. Got lots of materials last 3 hours to make Saturday easier so builders can start building their houses at the top!! Can’t wait to see what y’all build, maybe we will see a dev build up there!
@playstarsreach.bsky.social #PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG

09.05.2025 03:53 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Stars Reach game director Dave Georgeson talks material density, XP rates, and skill trees

Former EverQuest Next boss Dave Georgeson is one of the key devs working on Raph Koster's Stars Reach MMORPG - hear him talk about progress in the pre-alpha:

08.05.2025 18:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Stars Reach Impact!! Gameplay First Look
YouTube video by Bingohomeslice Stars Reach Impact!! Gameplay First Look

"That's the craziest thing I have ever seen in any video game!"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTma...

06.05.2025 20:06 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Ever wonder why for Hortus Renovare we create garden art and riddles for others to find, well now you can find out from the children’s fable - The Melody of Beauty
@playstarsreach.bsky.social
#PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG

15.04.2025 12:54 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Here is a story highlighting some of the lore and the spirit of Hortus Renovare
πŸŒΈπŸŒΊπŸŒΌπŸ“πŸ«
The Origin of Chocolate Covered Strawberries - A Hortus Renovare Story
πŸŒΈπŸŒΊπŸŒΌπŸ“πŸ«
@playstarsreach.bsky.social
#PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG

14.04.2025 19:53 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Hortus Renovare, It is about celebrating the enduring hope of a better tomorrow regardless of the struggles we have faced. And in this spirit, we would like to start the festival by taking a look back at the great SR moments!
@playstarsreach.bsky.social
#PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG

14.04.2025 19:46 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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STARS REACH: A Living Galaxy Sandbox MMORPG🌌 Explore a living galaxy in a shardless sandbox MMORPG from the visionary team led by Raph Koster, designer of Ultima Online & SWG.

Looking at the most successful video games KS campaigns during Q1 2025. A thread.

Kicking it off with Stars Reach - @raphkoster.bsky.social new sandbox MMO.
It raised $770k from 5.5k backers.

Like often with MMOs, the average pledge is quite high ($140).

www.kickstarter.com/projects/sta...

14.04.2025 15:05 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 0
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Save 20% on Lab Rat on Steam A metrics-obsessed AI will monitor, profile, and entertain you as you progress through over a hundred genre-bending puzzles in this delightfully satirical adventure.

Been tracking this one for a while, glad to see it launched!

store.steampowered.com/app/1304610/...

15.04.2025 17:57 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Lore PROJECT STATUSΒ |Β FROM THE DEVSΒ |Β SPOTLIGHTΒ  | NEWS/PRESS | LORE Long ago, an incredibly powerful ancient alien civilization terraformed the Galaxy into their Garden. They had the ability to tear open...

Loving all the Lore stuff for #PlayStarsReach. It gives a really good insight into the universe overall.

05.04.2025 01:22 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Part 3 of Staying Grounded

A Gertan aide hears a tale that might be myth, or a memory. Clere says goodbye. A giant Fae whispers to a statue. And Shae Duvane? She once brought strawberries to a killer robot... and rewrote history.
The stars are calling again #starsreach

Read more at starsreach.com

02.04.2025 20:48 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Part three!

02.04.2025 20:52 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I never know myself, it just happens.

27.03.2025 18:04 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

a blast from the past when all? most? many? game ills were my fault

Why don't people ever blame me for crafting being in everything? That actually might be true

27.03.2025 03:03 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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STARS REACH: A Living Galaxy Sandbox MMORPG🌌 Explore a living galaxy in a shardless sandbox MMORPG from the visionary team led by Raph Koster, designer of Ultima Online & SWG.

If you want to join us last minute, you can do so here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/sta...

26.03.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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And they're collaborating on space settlements that even now in pre-alpha go way beyond our expectations.

26.03.2025 17:37 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The visuals have taken leaps and bounds since we started testing last summer.

26.03.2025 17:33 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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They're >< THIS close to inventing the steam engine! They've developed refrigeration, heat pumps, ice rinks and ski ramps.

26.03.2025 17:30 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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There are 90 minutes left in the Kickstarter for Stars Reach.

It has been spectacular. And so has what players have done.

26.03.2025 17:28 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1

www.pushtotalk.gg/p/a-theory-o...

β€œThe dream of an alternate holodeck world you step into is too damn big for us to walk away from. It's been a lack of will and vision and budget for people to go out and actually take a serious try at it, not a lack of interest and demand.” #starsreach

21.03.2025 22:04 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

@raphkoster is following 19 prominent accounts