Jack T. Lamplighter
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Posts posted by Jack T. Lamplighter
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[From a forum post by Starr “Darkstarr” Long]
Avatars,
Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.
Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 37 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, December 15, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (16:30 UTC).
Performance: It has been far too many releases since we focused on issues related to performance, so we made the hard decision to push out some work on features in order to focus most of our programming team on performance. We have made a wide swath of changes that have improved just about every aspect of performance, including install size, load times, frame rate, and stability. We still have much work to do, and large cities with lots of characters and decorations can still cause some machines to struggle.
Another Short Release: Normally our release cycle lasts approximately four weeks, giving us 3 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before the release goes live on the last Thursday of the month. However, November and December each have holidays that require us to do our release earlier in those months. That only gives us 2 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before we release. Despite that brevity and our focus on performance, we still managed to deliver a lot of new content.
Story and Sieges: The Path of Love continued to get further refinement through the Necropolis, Spite, and all the way through to the Crypt of the Avatar. We also did some major refinements to the visuals of Ardoris to give it a much more distinct look and feel. Additionally, we completely rebuilt the Superstition Canyon control point. Finally, towns will start falling under siege and players will have to fight their way through blockades when those towns are besieged.
Yet again, I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to our Dev+ backers who tested all of the items below on the QA server and uncovered lots of bugs. They also provided editorial feedback on this post. They are a big reason that this post actually matches what is in the game, and that it is easy to read.
While we are getting closer to launch, we are still in a constant state of change. We do not yet have all of the in-game systems needed to inform players about these changes, and to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.
By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.
Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player-run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.
Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 37.
Key:
- Plain Text: The original plan for the Release deliverables. We intentionally preserve the original text so that our backers can compare plan versus actuals.
- Italics: Extra notes and new deliverables.
- Strikethrough: These are items that did not make the release (but are still planned).
RELEASE 37, December 15, 2016
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Story: The Path of Courage polish will continue with focus on Harvest and Resolute. We will also continue expansion of the new PVP area with the addition of the dungeons area. Finally we will be going a polish and refactor of the NPC Conversation System.
- Path of Courage Polish Delayed: We chose to spend one more release focused on the Path of Love before moving on to Courage.
- Blood Bay (PvP area) Delayed: We needed to create some new volcanic assets so the world building on this scene did not finish until after lockdown.
- NPC Conversation Rework Delayed: Work on performance improvements delayed this rework of the conversation UI.
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Superstition Canyon (Unclone): South of Resolute is Superstition Canyon, a control point connecting South Paladis and Verdantis. A friendly faction of elves settled in this remote valley to escape the conflicts their human-hating brethren so crave and have since become caretakers of an ancient, abandoned fortress. Unfortunately, the violent Vertas Elves heard rumors that items of power were buried beneath the crumbling fortress. They slaughtered their peaceful cousins, started their own excavations beneath the ruins, and now dominate the canyon’s control point. Meanwhile, anyone unlucky enough to journey between Verdantis and South Paladis must fight their way through. Superstition Canyon started as a clone of Brightbone Pass, but has been completely rebuilt for Release 37. It’s difficulty has been slightly upgraded; most notably the first few waves of the control points should be harder than other control points.
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Ardoris Polish: We continued fixing bugs and polishing conversations, quests, and NPC behaviors around Ardoris. Additionally, we focused time on upgrading the visuals of the scene and the characters. We recently purchased an Asian-themed asset pack from the Unity Asset store and we used that to polish the visuals of Ardoris. We are also going to propagate those assets throughout the Perennial Coast region. We also polished Shogun Siranto’s outfit and added a headdress to Priestess Khasi’s robes. Additionally, we created new Asian-themed guard outfits for the Shogun’s guards, city guards, and the Priestess’s guards. Finally, we created new Asian-themed outfits for the citizens of Ardoris. This now completes the regional character art for the Perennial Coast and we will be propagating these across various other scenes in the region. These visual changes to the architecture and characters will give the entire area a more distinct regional feel.
- Resolute NPC Behaviors: All appropriate NPCs in Resolute now have schedules and behaviors set up for them. We also made a propping pass on the Hall of Valor, and other scene improvements.
- Oracle: The Oracle’s conversation has been given a pass for clarity (though not too much clarity) and more information on key individuals that can be found in the game. (This will be an ongoing process.) The Oracle will also have much to say about many other things….
- Spite Polish: We created a much more defined walking path from the main entrance to the town center and added new inhabitants to the mysterious Mortuarium to better explain what goes on there. We also did a pass on NPC behaviors and schedules, added additional lamplighting guard patrols, and improved NPC interactability on local light sources. Additionally, we cleaned up some areas of the map that needed some decorative finish work.
- Crypt of the Avatar Polish: We did a pass through the quests, conversations, and general play of the scene to make it easier to follow, flow better, and be better balanced. A new quest has also been added so that players can give the long-suffering defenders of the crypt a deserved rest.
- Necropolis: We made some balance changes to this scene including thinning out the earth elementals and making the skeletons near the end more powerful.
- Brittany Estates: We added an additional exit on the west side of this scene.
- Brittany Central Polish: We decorated several of the remaining empty buildings, though the Royal Theatre and Oracle Temple are still sealed.
- Verdantis Shardfall: We increased the population and diversity of creatures in the shardfall to better balance the risk versus reward in this scene.
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Town Sieges: The first iteration of Town Sieges will come online. Periodically, you will have to fight through battlelines to get into and out of a town under siege by one or more of the 8 Obsidian Cabalists.
- Town Sieges: Towns are now coming under siege according to Celestial Mechanics. As the eight planets pass through the twelve sections of the sky representing the virtues, the cabalist(s) whose planets are in front of a given constellation join a siege that is set upon ANY towns that contain “devotionals” to that Virtue. Devotionals could include things like statues of the Titans of Truth, Love, and Courage, for example. When a town is under siege, catapults and signs of battle will appear outside that town on the overworld. When you try to enter that town, you will instead enter a Siege scene. These scenes will eventually consist of different biomes and scenarios depending on the location. Like Control Points, there will be a main path that takes you directly to a challenging (and rewarding) battle, and a side path for those who seek a less-challenging but longer route. NOTE (Experimental): This does mean that we will be experimenting with making POT Blessings linked to Town Sieges when POT Blessings come online in a future release.
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Forest Road Siege: The first Siege scene is a forest where the Cabalist army has set up a fortified camp and blockaded the road. Defenders have hastily mounted a defense and a pitched battle is taking place. If you choose to take part in the main battle, you must focus on taking out the catapults and their engineers. If you manage to take out all of them, one or more Cabalists will appear for an epic battle. Please note that, in Release 37, the Cabalist is a placeholder using a Lich model and is not using any unique visuals or behaviors.
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Combat Cover: The cover system will be introduced and will modify attack and defense values when you (or your target) are behind cover.
- Combat Cover Delayed: Work on performance delayed this feature
- Stealth on Overworld: Players can now use Stealth skills on the Overworld to sneak past other players and avoid Roving Encounters.
- Damage Bonus Based on Elevation: A modest damage modifier is now applied based on elevation between yourself and your target. Note that this modifier only applies to melee and ranged weapons (not spells). A max modifier of 25% is achieved with around a 7 meter elevation difference, but even a 1 meter difference will give around 10% extra (so this is not just for archers). Having the higher ground and attacking down gives a bonus and likewise, attacking up will decrease your damage accordingly. So the most extreme case would be 2 archers exchanging fire, one is on the ground and the other in a 7m tower. The archer on the ground would be doing 75% of normal vs 125% for the archer in the tower.
- Spellbinder Stance and Chaotic Feedback: These two spells will now overwrite each other instead of stacking.
- Gustballs: These are no longer invulnerable to damage. This will fix a whole slew of exploits that were being used related to these.
- Multiplayer Mode and PVP XP Bonus: NOTE: This was an R36 Experimental Change. After observing player behavior and the metrics, we are satisfied with the results of this experiment we launched last release and are going to continue this bonus going forward. We are going to modify the bonus slightly so that Multiplayer mode offers a 10% bonus and PVP mode offers a 10% bonus and together they offer a 20% bonus (a 5% reduction from R36). Additionally, we have fixed the issue where scenes flagged for Open PVP (Shardfalls, Ruins, and POTs) were not awarding this bonus.
- 40 Meter Requirement for XP Gain: NOTE: This was an R36 Experimental Change. We are also satisfied with this experiment based on metrics and behavior observations and will continue forward with the requirement that party members must be within 40 meters of at least one other member of their party to gain experience.
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Player Towns & Player Housing: The first iteration of Player Owned Town Blessings will go live where monuments placed in POTs will grant long term buffs whose power and/or duration will be based on the population of the town. Also more Obsidian homes for the Obsidian bundles will appear. Additionally the ability to Rent Rooms in a player home will become available to homeowners. Finally updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.
- POT Blessings Delayed: Work on performance delayed this feature
- Renting Rooms Delayed: Work on performance delayed this feature
- Grassland POT Template: We flattened areas by the shoreline of the river near the town center at the request of several town owners.
- Floral Meadow POT Template: This new POT template was a suggestion from the players and is a variation of the Grasslands template. This flower carpeted plain has a river running through it. Like all Grassland templates, it has more available space for lot placement than any other templates. You will be able to preview the new template on the POT templates page or view it directly in game where it will be linked from Hometown. If you wish to switch to this new template we will begin those updates in Release 38.
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POT Water Lot Deeds: After repeated requests from the community, we are releasing a limited number of special Taxed POT restricted deeds that can be used to claim land AND water lots in Village, Town, and City lot sizes. The total numbers made available in the Add On Store will be smaller than other lot deeds because there are much fewer water lots available in POT templates than land lots. Next week, we will start adding new water homes to the game including water variations of existing homes as well as completely new water homes. Here is a partial list of upcoming water homes:
- Pirate Galleon
- Rustic 3-Story Village Water Home
- Elven Town Water Home
- Obsidian Tower Village Water Home
- Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
- Gothic Mansion 3-Story with Widow’s Walk Village Water Home
- Viking Village Water Home
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Obsidian Bundle Homes: We have greatly expanded the Obsidian line of homes beyond just the original two towers in the Add On Store to include 5 new homes for the Obsidian Bundles.
- Obsidian 2, 3, and 4-Story Rowhouses: These rowhouses have the signature dark stone and spikes of the Obsidian style. They are also the only rowhouses to feature rooftop access! The 3 and 4-story versions have top-story patio.
- Obsidian Village Home: While only consisting of one room, this home still commands an imposing presence with its Obsidian spikes and dark stone. It also has a ladder on the back wall that provides access to the roof.
- Obsidian City Keep: This monstrous keep begins with a sprawling 2-story edifice at ground level with multiple rooms. This is crowned with 4 of the 3-story Obsidian Village Towers at each corner whose balconies are connected by catwalks.
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R36 Lot Deed Raffle Drawing and Winners: The drawings for our Third Lot Deed Raffle will be held on December 15, 2016 and winners will be announced shortly thereafter. Deeds will be delivered in Release 37.
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Place Anywhere Deeds (20):
- Row: 10
- Village: 6
- Town: 3
- City: 1
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Player Owned Town Deeds (150):
- Row: 80
- Village: 40
- Town: 20
- City: 10
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Place Anywhere Deeds (20):
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R37 Lot Deed Raffle Tickets: This will be the Fifth Lot Deed Raffle. For this raffle, we dropped the numbers lower to better match current demand and pace remaining stock. As always, Raffle tickets can be purchased with in game gold. As with R36, each person can only win a single deed of each type (maximum of one place anywhere and one POT). The drawing and winners will be in R38.
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Place Anywhere Deeds (10):
- Row: 5
- Village: 3
- Town: 1
- City: 1
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Player Owned Town Deeds (75):
- Row: 40
- Village: 20
- Town: 10
- City: 5
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Place Anywhere Deeds (10):
- Stone Statues (including Dragons): We cleaned up some data flags on these to make sure they were all consistent and could all be placed on floors, ground, and in POTs.
- Upscale Stables: These can now be used as a POT decoration.
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Tree Clearing in POTs: The following items are now set to clear trees when placed in POTs (NOTE: this is not a substitution for the tree clearing tool coming in a future release):
- Awnings
- Stables
- Fountains
- Dragon Statues
- Tents
- Multi-Scene Teleporters: We now have tech allowing single teleporters to access multiple scenes. Interacting with a teleporter of this type brings up a list of scenes to which the teleporter has access, allowing the player to choose their destination. Wagons, boats, and balloons set up this way are identified by a blue canvas. Central Brittany and Hometown have been set up to show off this new functionality.
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Fall into Winter Telethon Rewards:
- 2016 Snowball Box: Each December, this magically replenishing snowball box will refill with 100 snowballs that can be thrown or used to build snowmen. Previous years only contained 50 snowballs!
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Frozen Fountain: This large fountain has a giant frozen cascade of water in the center. Even though it is filled with ice, it can still be used to harvest water.
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Testing Incentive Program Items: Another round of insect-themed items from the Testing Incentives program are complete and will start to be delivered to testers who have earned them.
- Insect Leg Table: Make sure to always watch it so it doesn’t walk away.
- Butterfly Chair: It is so pretty to sit on!
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Add-On Store:
- Porcelain Vases: These two large porcelain vases would make lovely additions to any home.
- Ornate Gustball Field: No longer do you need to slave away building a Gustball Field from component parts! This ornate purchasable field includes the field, goals, and referee stand. It can be placed in a POT, on a lot, or even in an interior (provided you can find a house or basement with a large enough open space).
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Lord British versus Darkstarr Battle Banner: The original battle banner expired with our Fall into Winter expiration event last month, but fear not! You can purchase the new Battle Banner that symbolizes the friendly struggle between the virtues of Lord British and the chaos of Darkstarr. Of course, most know that these two are not actual enemies since Chaos does not actually oppose Virtue and Virtue does not actually directly represent Order so these banners are mainly meant for use in sporting events and tournaments (in fact, this particular banner was a suggestion of Emperor Borg to support his Jousting events).
- Obsidian Wall Lamps and Street Lamps: For a long time, players have been requesting that these glowing crystal lamps be made into decorations and now they are!
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New POTs/POT Changes
- Ahnen Hain: Upgraded to Hamlet. Interconnections (with Brittany Alleys, Brittany Wharfs, Elad’s Lighthouse, and POT Praga).
- Beregost: Converted to Forest 01a.
- Braeside Castle: Interconnection (with Storms Reach).
- Caelestis Canton: Upgraded to Crossroads Village.
- Cape Havoc: Renamed (formerly Minock). Converted to Swamp Island 01. Rotated to Left. Ownership changed. Changed location. Flagged for PvP.
- Darkshire Hills: Renamed (formerly Leoni d’Amore). Converted to Forest 02. Rotated to Left. Changed location. Removed interconnection (with Serenite).
- Insulam de Nocte: Renamed (formerly Reverie). Converted to Forest 01b. Ownership changed. Changed location. Removed interconnections (with Port Graff and Dragon’s Fall).
- Ironhall: Converted to Forest 01c.
- Isle of Ghosts: Upgraded to Village.
- Mörkrädd: Ownership changed. Downgraded to Village. Interconnections (with Harvest and Estgard).
- Outlander Welcome Center: New addition.
- Sanctus Solus: Converted to Tropical Island 01. Rotated to Right. Changed location (minor).
- Shadow’s Rest: Upgraded to Metropolis.
- Solitude: Upgraded to Metropolis.
- Stormsong Vale: Upgraded to Town. Changed location (minor).
- Twilight Sparkle: Renamed (formerly Ambrosia). Converted to Snowy Mountains 01. Rotated to Right. Ownership changed. Changed nested interconnection to within Kingsport. Upgraded to Hamlet.
- Valoria: Changed location (minor).
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Verat Chaos: Renamed (formerly Vesper). Ownership changed. Converted to Grassland 01. Rotated to 180. Changed nested interconnection to within Dawn’s Keep.
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Crafting: Fishing will get an expansion and polish pass. We will also expand weapon recipes to include more visual variants (Elven, Norgard, Obsidian, Kobold)
- Fishing Expansion/Polish Delayed: Work on performance delayed this feature.
- Visual Variant Recipes Delayed: Work on Xenos polish delayed the asset support work needed for these recipes.
- Watering Confirmation Removed: Now that water can be harvested (versus only purchased), we have removed the confirmation on every plant-watering event in Agriculture.
- Armor Durability Damage Normalized: We fixed some bugs in the formulas about how durability damage was being calculated and distributed across armor. At lower amounts of damage, this will likely not be noticeable But at higher damage rates, there will likely be a slightly accelerated amount of durability damage being applied.
- Recipe Discoverability Limited: NOTE: This was an R36 Experimental Change. We are satisfied with this experiment based on metrics and behavior observations. Discoverability on Recipes will remain as no longer universal to all recipes. Certain recipes can only be found through purchase, quest rewards, or as loot. Please note that this is not fully implemented and recipes are mainly only available for purchase.
- Scaled Full Durability Repair Cost: NOTE: This was an R36 Experimental Change. We are satisfied with this experiment based on metrics and behavior observations. Every repair of maximum durability will still only cost 1 COTO, but how much it fixes will decline each time going forward. The first repair is 100%, then 66%, then 50%, then 40%, then 33%, and so on. By the 20th repair, it only fixes 10% to the maximum durabilty.
- Porcelain Vase Recipe: A lovely addition to your home that can be crafted.
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Character: Valhold will be the second city where we begin adding region specific clothing (Viking themed) for the residents including unique armor for guards, clothing for citizens, garb for merchants, and regalia for royalty. We will also begin introducing the first of the Obsidian Cabalists.
- Valhold Regional Clothing Delayed: We chose to spend more time on the Ardoris clothing so this, in turn, delayed us moving on to Valhold.
- Obsidian Cabalists Delayed: We chose to spend more time on the Ardoris clothing so this, in turn, delayed us moving on to the Obsidian Cabalists.
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Shogun Siranto and Priestess Khasi Polish: We polished the textures and colors on Shogun Siranto’s outfit. We also added a headdress to Priestess Khasi’s robes.
- Ardoris Guards: Guards around Ardoris can now be seen wearing three different sets of armor including the Shogun’s guards, the Priestess’s guards, and the City guards. The city guard models will also replace other Perennial Coast guard models in future releases.
- Catapult: This new siege engine creature type was created to support Town Sieges. We hope to create other siege engine types and also to make them craftable in future releases.
- Merchant Shirt & Skirt: At the request of Jack Knyfe, we adjusted the dyeable fields of these assets to better align to the materials (fur stays fur damnit!).
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Emotes:
- /mimewall & /mimerope: Ask Quant in Vertas about humans to learn them.
- /march: Chuck Hamilton (guard in bank) in Spite will teach this if asked about Malice.
- /leanback, /leanleft. /leanright: Nob the Stableboy in Owl’s Head teaches all of these when asked about his job.
- /hiss: Roper Holiday (banker) in Aerie will teach it when asked for help.
- Summer Telethon Part 1 Brass Clockwork Monkey: No respectable Organ Grinder can play their street organ without having a monkey capering about! Now you can have the respect due all Organ Grinders with this Brass Clockwork Monkey. This finally completes all of the Summer Telethon Part 1 Rewards—sorry it took us so long! Brass Monkey, that funky Monkey, Brass Monkey junkie, that funky Monkey.
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Fall into Winter Telethon Rewards:/autumnleaves: You can use this emote to bring down a lovely cascade of autumn leaves that you don’t even have to rake up afterwards!
- Autumn Leaf Crown: Encircling your head this beautiful wreath of autumn leaves will remind you that all things die in the end but when they do die there can be a beauty in that death and that beautiful death can be purchased* and worn. *NOTE: As with all telethon rewards you had to have purchased five dollars worth of anything (with new money) during the telethon.
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Autumn Fairy Leaf Dress: Wrap your body in this lovely dress made up of the decaying energy gathering devices of trees so other tree zombies will think you are a tree zombie and not attack you. NOTE: There are actually three pieces to this outfit: dress, arm wraps, and leg wraps.
- Autumn Leaf Wings: Wearing these gorgeous giant leaves on your back will make you feel as if you might float away on an autumn breeze, never to return, but you won’t because these wings don’t actually make you float.
- Red Tufted Squirrel Pet: Nothing says autumn more than the image of squirrels busily foraging nuts and storing them for winter. While this little squirrel does not actually forage he is cuter than anything else in existence which begs the question: Could this little squirrel be cuter? The answer is that it could not possibly be any cuter. You are welcome.
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Add-On Store:
- Dragon Mask: Rawr! I’m a scawy dwagon! Fear my fiwey dwagon bweath!
- Lord British Shield: Show your allegiance to the virtues by sporting this shield with Lord British’s symbol emblazoned on it.
- Darkstarr Shield: Show that you follow no rules and only seek chaos by sporting this shield with Darkstarr’s chaos symbol emblazoned on it.
- Silver Clockwork Monkey: Brass clashes with your outfit? Miss the telethon? Building an army of Clockwork Monkeys? You don’t need to justify your reason to me! You can purchase one of these Silver Clockwork Monkeys to go with your street organ and become an Organ Grinder!
- Jabbering Bertha: This Underworld Ascendant linked item is now finally available as an equippable item. However, she does not yet have the ability to speak — but we hope to have the functionality working in Q1 2017.
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Testing Incentive Program Items: The first round of insect-themed wearables from the Testing Incentives program are complete and will start to be delivered to testers who have earned them.
- Antennae: When worn on your head these do not grant any extra senses, supposedly.
- Ant Cloak: This cloak has a single giant ant on it.
- Ants Cloak: This cloak displays a pattern of many ants.
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Custom Clasped Gauntlet Cloaks: More customized versions of the cloaks are being delivered to the following event backers:
- EVL Annual Guild Meeting
- SotA Con East 2016 (second round)
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Performance and Stability: We have made a wide swath of changes that have improved just about every aspect of performance including install size, load times, frame rate, and stability. As stated above however, we still have much work to do and large cities with lots of characters and decorations can still cause some machines to struggle. The biggest change that was made this release was to move to a completely new resource scheme. While this gives us a small performance improvement now, it will allow us to greatly improve our loading performance in future releases.
- Startup Time: The time from starting the app to reaching the login screen has been greatly reduced for players who are not on SSDs. Players on SSDs will see a modest improvement as well.
- Map Load Times: These have improved based on tests, but not as much as we had hoped. The asset system overhaul has opened up lots of optimization opportunities, but we were not able to take advantage of many these features for R37. You can look forward to improved times in future releases though thanks to the foundation that was laid this release.
- Greatly Reduced Hitching: We describe hitching as when your screen freeze for more than a tenth of a second. This was rated by many players as the biggest issue with our performance. Even in scenes with other wise good performance, the hitching would still degrade the play experience. This should now be greatly reduced, especially in high action areas with lots of players, creatures, and spell effects.
- Memory Footprint Reduction: Both our main memory footprint and video memory footprint have been reduced somewhat for this build but more work is needed to get this into the range we want to be in.
- Disk Footprint Reduction: Our goal was to shrink the installed size by half. We fell slightly short of that goal but still made significant improvements. R36 installed size was around 17GB and R37 checks in at 11GB. This helps load times, patching speeds, and also helps reduce bandwidth usage for people on limited connections.
- Frame Rate Improvements: Frame rate in CPU intensive situations should be greatly improved this release. Encounters with even 50+ creatures and players are now possible at high frame rates.This will greatly improve the PVP experience, as well as the ever popular dance parties! GPU improvements were more modest, so those limited by a slow video card will see fewer improvements in especially graphics intensive scenes.
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More Gold Crown Merchants: We have added three more Gold Crown Merchants as well as a few exclusive gold crown items (gravestones).
- Kobold Crown Merchant: This merchant is located in the town of Skrekk and sells all the Kobold homes and all the Add-On Store items that appear in the Kobold Bundles.
- Caretaker (Spooky) Crown Merchant: These merchants are located in the Aerie, Brittany Graveyards, Owlshead, Spite Mortuarium, and the POT NPC. They sell all the spooky and graveyard themed items like the Gothic Mansion, Crypt, skeleton decorations, etc. They also sell some exclusive gravestones.
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Obsidian Crown Merchant: This merchant is located in the towns of Spite and Desolis. He sells all the Obsidian homes and all the Add-On Store items that appear in the Obsidian Bundles.
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Obsidian Bundles: These bundles include some unique Obsidian-themed items as well as an assortment of other new items to the game. New items for Release 37 include the following:
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Bundle Exclusive Items:
- Obsidian Sarcophagus (container)
- Ornate Obsidian Sarcophagus (container)
- Ornate Vile Mace
- Ornate Vile Halberd
- Obsidian Cloak (note this is different from the Obsidian Order cloak previously sold in the Add On Store)
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Add-On Store/Crown Merchant Items:
- Obsidian 2-Story Rowhouse
- Obsidian 3-Story Rowhouse
- Obsidian 4-Story Rowhouse
- Obsidian Village Home
- Obsidian City Keep
- Obsidian Wall Lamps
- Obsidian Street Lamps
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Bundle Exclusive Items:
- Skill Decay Start at 40: Skill decay now does not apply to player until they hit Adventurer Level 40. Once a Player achieves Adventurer Level 40 skill decay begins applying as before.
- Loading Screen Tips: Various tips on how to play the game will now appear on the loading screens. We are also finally going to show different random art backgrounds on the loading screens, so you will no longer have to stare at that same exact drawbridge battle over and over and over and over and over…
- Offline Reward Delivery: Reward delivery for Offline Mode is now available to players using this mode to play. This means that if you have a pledge, bundle, or any items purchased from the Add On Store, you will now finally be able to claim those rewards at a bank in Offline mode.
So, now that it is clear what you can expect, we should also be as clear about what you should NOT expect:
- Stability: Stability should be better with Release 37 overall. However, there still seems to be the one remaining major issue with Unity and AMD A8 integrated graphics chipsets used in laptops that make the game unplayable (this affects other games using Unity as well). Unity is aware of the problem and working on a fix but we do not have an ETA from them on this.
- Performance: While Release 37 laid some great foundations for performance improvements, we still have more work to do. We plan to make steady improvements each release until the game is running smoothly on minimum spec machines in big cities.
- Game Loop: Release 37 is a further iteration on our game loop, but is still missing a few key components and balance. Expect this to expand with each subsequent release.
- Visual Quality: Efforts to improve visual quality are ongoing. We will continue to iterate on these until we have highly competitive visuals.
- Pledge Rewards: Pledge Rewards that have been built and have tech to support them are in the game; all other rewards are awaiting either content creation or tech support. You can find an updated list of these items in known issues.
Here are links to instructions and known issues. Thank you again for your continued support. This is truly the most amazing community we have ever worked with, and we are proud to be on this journey with you.
Sincerely,
Starr Long
aka Darkstarr
Executive Producer -
![[IMG]](https://d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/hangout_r37.jpg)
Join us Tuesday, December 20th at 3:00 PM Central (21:00 UTC) on Twitch for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! The team will be chatting about the upcoming Release 37, the recent holiday events, and looking ahead to what’s going on in the next year!
As always, we will be giving out rare Lord...
Hangout of the Avatar - Release 37 Postmortem -
The Making of Blood Bay
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will, in turn, propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We hope to have a first iteration of this map live in Release 38. We showed the scene during the Telethon and talked more about how we hope to have certain systems working. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
Blood Bay continued:
South shore housing area
Beware the quicksand pits
Back (West) of the island
Magic-boosting shard
South-side of the island zoom-out
Ardoris Polish
In Release 37, we are spending time on polishing the visuals for Ardoris and making them more distinct from the rest of the game. We had already given Ardoris a vaguely Asian theme but we wanted to push that further, so we purchased an Asian-themed asset pack from the Unity Asset store to provide us with additional assets for this purpose. Over the course of Release 37 and Release 38, we are going to propagate those assets (along with the new character assets we are building) throughout the Perennial Coast region to give that entire region its own distinct visual identity. You can expect to see similar treatment to start appearing in adventure scenes, other NPC towns, and PRTs over the next several releases.
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys, SorcerousSteve here giving you a sneak peek at the visual improvements made to Ardoris this R37.
One of the major new alterations to the scene has been the addition of roads leading out to the East and West resembling those present on the overworld map. Alongside this new Asian architecture/foliage has been added to the scene in key areas.
Expect to find new Chinese gardens sprinkled throughout the map, such as this one located inside the castle grounds.
West Road coming into Ardoris ending in a dock from which you can grab a boat into town.
Gardens surrounding the Oracle Confirmatory, a grass topiary bear can be spotted in the garden.
Koi Pond. Well maybe one day we can have coy fish in it.
Areas for inhabitants to do Tai Chi. Shoutout to level designer Dan Brennan for setting these NPC schedules up.
New foliage, including Cherry Blossoms and Bamboo, have also been added to the scene. Shoutout to Art Lead Michael Hutchison for the art support.
New street lights have also been added to further accentuate the Asian Theme.
Be sure to pay a visit to Ardoris this upcoming R37!
See ya next time.
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer -
Join us Tuesday, December 20th at 3:00 PM Central (21:00 UTC) for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! The team will be chatting about the upcoming Release 37, the recent holiday events, and looking ahead to what’s going on in the next year!
As always, we will be giving out rare Lord British artifacts of immense power and glory, and answering your latest questions. For a chance to win an artifact, or to speak your voice on the latest game changes, be in Discord chat during the livestream. There will be multiple chances to win throughout the broadcast!
Submit Your Questions!
Once you get a chance to check out Release 37, or have questions that apply regardless of release, post your questions in the comments section below. Only one post submission allowed, and keep questions to 3 or less. This will allow us to get to as many individual players’ questions as possible.
Questions and feedback related to this release’s specific topics will be given priority and really verbose questions may be skipped, as they can be a challenge to shorten and summarize live on the air. In brief… please keep your questions… brief.
Tweet with us @ShroudofAvatar to keep updated on the latest SotA livestreams and game news!
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Greetings Avatars,
The recent post about Final Wipe & Lot Selection raised a lot of questions about Player Housing and this update will cover 3 of those topics: Player Owned Towns, Player Run Towns, and Water Lots.
SECTION 1: PLAYER OWNED TOWNS:
I wish to thank all of the town owners for your generous support of the game and the community. I also want to thank you for your incredible patience as we have gone on this crazy quest to push player driven content as far as we can...
Player Housing Update: Player Owned Towns, Player Run Towns, and Water Lots -
Hello everyone! Here is the news of the week:
- Ardoris Polish
- The Making of Blood Bay
- New Obsidian Bundles
- Community Spotlight: Aldwater – Player Run Town
- Upcoming Events
- Job Opening: VFX Artist
- Recommended Projects to Back
The post Echoes From the Caverns 12-09-16 appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Ardoris Polish
- The Making of Blood Bay
- New Obsidian Bundles
- Community Spotlight: Aldwater – Player Run Town
- Upcoming Events
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- Job Opening: VFX Artist
- Recommended Projects to Back
Ardoris Polish
In Release 37, we are spending time on polishing the visuals for Ardoris and making them more distinct from the rest of the game. We had already given Ardoris a vaguely Asian theme but we wanted to push that further, so we purchased an Asian-themed asset pack from the Unity Asset store to provide us with additional assets for this purpose. Over the course of Release 37 and Release 38, we are going to propagate those assets (along with the new character assets we are building) throughout the Perennial Coast region to give that entire region its own distinct visual identity. You can expect to see similar treatment to start appearing in adventure scenes, other NPC towns, and PRTs over the next several releases.
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys, SorcerousSteve here giving you a sneak peek at the visual improvements made to Ardoris this R37.
One of the major new alterations to the scene has been the addition of roads leading out to the East and West resembling those present on the overworld map. Alongside this new Asian architecture/foliage has been added to the scene in key areas.
Expect to find new Chinese gardens sprinkled throughout the map, such as this one located inside the castle grounds.
West Road coming into Ardoris ending in a dock from which you can grab a boat into town.
Gardens surrounding the Oracle Confirmatory, a grass topiary bear can be spotted in the garden.
Koi Pond. Well maybe one day we can have coy fish in it.
Areas for inhabitants to do Tai Chi. Shoutout to level designer Dan Brennan for setting these NPC schedules up.
New foliage, including Cherry Blossoms and Bamboo, have also been added to the scene. Shoutout to Art Lead Michael Hutchison for the art support.
New street lights have also been added to further accentuate the Asian Theme.
Be sure to pay a visit to Ardoris this upcoming R37!
See ya next time.
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer
The Making of Blood Bay (cont.)
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will, in turn, propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We hope to have a first iteration of this map live in Release 38. We showed the scene during the Telethon and talked more about how we hope to have certain systems working. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
Blood Bay continued:
South shore housing area
Beware the quicksand pits
Back (West) of the island
Magic-boosting shard
South-side of the island zoom-out
Thanks for keeping up with the updates!
New Obsidian Bundles
For those of you that love the Obsidian style, we’ve started adding new Obsidian Bundles to the Add-On Store! We’ll have all twelve Obsidian bundles in the store in time to be delivered in-game in Release 37, starting December 15, 2016.
Community Spotlight: Aldwater – Player Run Town
This latest community spotlight takes a new twist in covering the first Player RUN Town (PRT) of Aldwater! We are touring all kinds of towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.
In Shroud of the Avatar, we have three primary types of towns: Player Owned Towns (POT) (where a player owns the town), Player Run Towns (we establish the town and some basic infrastructure, but the players ultimately manage the town’s functions), and standard NPC towns like Brittany, Owl’s Head, Soltown, etc. Up until this spotlight, we’ve been exclusively touring POTs.
Nestled along a busy stretch of the Perennial Coast in Novia, Aldwater is quite easy to find. The town is located right next to many famous towns and centers of commerce where new players take the first step on their journey through New Britannia. As I neared the entrance of the town (after paying a quick visit to the fine clothing shops in the bustling neighboring town of Ardoris), I immediately noticed the beautiful cliffs with extravagant mansions overlooking the bay:
I saw a great many curiosities in Aldwater that drove me to write down my tour. As I entered the town and began exploring the many cobblestone streets, I paused in front of someone’s house upon noticing a curious set of decorations on the front lawn…
Upcoming Events
Dec 15, 2016 – Release 37
Dec 16, 2016 – Community of the Avatar livestream
Dec 20, 2016 – R37 Postmortem
Jan 26, 2017 – Release 38
Feb 23, 2017 – Release 39
Feb 25, 2017 – Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Event
Feb 28, 2017 – GDC
Mar 17, 2017 – SXSW Gaming
Mar 30, 2017 – Release 40Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out this month’s Release Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
Grimace’s Birthday Party!
Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Recommended Projects to Back
Don’t Just Back Crowfall… Invest!
Why just back Crowfall for rewards, when you can invest in the company — and potentially see a financial return!
ArtCraft Entertainment (creators of Crowfall) and Indiegogo.com are partnering to offer this unique crowdfunding investment opportunity.
Check out the offering at: https://equity.indiegogo.com/offerings/artcraft-entertainment/
Crowfall is ArtCraft’s flagship title. It is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), a persistent virtual world that can be shared by hundreds of thousands (or millions) of online players. It is unique in that it has been designed as a “Throne War Simulator,” offering gamers a very different in-game experience compared to traditional MMO titles. Crowfall combines the persistence of an MMO with the ability for players to change the virtual world, allowing teams to win (or lose), as in a strategy game. Thousands of players are vying for control of a virtual throne, where the only options are to win or to die.
Job Opening: VFX Artist
VFX Artist
We currently have an opening for a junior-level to senior-level VFX Artist for Shroud of the Avatar to build Visual Effects for spells, creatures, avatars, weapons, environments (ex. water), and interactive objects (ex. lamps that turn on and off). Qualifications for “ideal candidates” are:
- Minimum 2 years industry experience for junior-level (preferably on a shipped game)
- Minimum 5 years industry experience for senior-level (minimum of at least 1 shipped game)
- Unity3D proficiency
- Ability to build craft compelling visual effects from scratch
- Ability to modify and optimize existing visual effects
- Experience in developing a VFX “visual vocabulary” that effectively communicates a variety of spell types and ability types to players
- BONUS: Scripting ability
- BONUS: Ability to model and texture in 3D art tools
If you’d like to join the Portalarium Tribe working on the ground-breaking Shroud of the Avatar, please submit your resume to jobs@portalarium.com. Provide links to your work (if possible), including gameplay, video footage, and document form (images, maps, and event descriptions).
Backer Shipping Addresses
In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image.A reminder to be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!
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Join us this Friday at 4pm CT for another Community of the Avatar livestream!
We will be kicking off the livestream with a special guest, Matt Schmitz, Lead Animator on the team! He will be showing the community in 3DS Max how the animations for the Clockwork Monkey were designed. This special pet reward was one of the stretch goals the community obtained during the Summer Telethon, and will now be added to the game in Release 37!
We will also be touring Aldwater, a PRT town which was recently spotlighted. Head on over to Aldwater before the livestream begins, if you want to meet us! Also, please contact Berek in advance if you are a resident of the town.
The fun begins live on Twitch at 4pm CT this Friday!
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This latest community spotlight takes a new twist in covering the first Player RUN Town (PRT) of Aldwater! We are touring all kinds of towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.
In Shroud of the Avatar, we have three primary types of towns: Player Owned Towns (POT) (where a player owns the town), Player Run Towns (we establish the town and some basic infrastructure, but the players ultimately manage the town’s functions), and standard NPC towns like Brittany, Owl’s Head, Soltown, etc. Up until this spotlight, we’ve been exclusively touring POTs.
Nestled along a busy stretch of the Perennial Coast in Novia, Aldwater is quite easy to find. The town is located right next to many famous towns and centers of commerce where new players take the first step on their journey through New Britannia. As I neared the entrance of the town (after paying a quick visit to the fine clothing shops in the bustling neighboring town of Ardoris), I immediately noticed the beautiful cliffs with extravagant mansions overlooking the bay:I saw a great many curiosities in Aldwater that drove me to write down my tour. As I entered the town and began exploring the many cobblestone streets, I paused in front of someone’s house upon noticing a curious set of decorations on the front lawn…
As I was exploring the wares offered by the vendor in the front, I decided to knock on the door to pay a visit to the owner. Upon the third knock, the door whooshed open with no one inside! It was apparently left unlocked. I cautiously walked in and was in awe at the decorations (I did not take any of the fine furniture, though I did rest for a couple hours in what I assumed was the guest bed)…
Upon a very restful nap, I awoke and headed to the center of town to find one of its residents waving me down in the distance. Yzelph showed me around many of the original buildings the residents constructed when first settling in the area, including a very fine stone map structure that greets visitors coming in from the north:
It was explained to me that just in the past few months, several new residents made a home in the set of row houses near the coast. As we walked along them, I noticed many signs that either mentioned who resided in the home, or a hint at a vendor offering the owner’s wares:
Yzelph also explained to me that with the town being a stop along the East Perennial Trail for travelers, not to mention the town’s perfect location for growing crops and herding animals, he showed me the street where sheep frequently roam:
Yzelph also had this to say to me about the town:
Aldwater is a nice quiet town that is conveniently close to the large city of Ardoris, yet still far enough from the hustle and bustle along the East Perennial Trail. It seems to rain a lot, but that is OK with me, as it keeps everything green and growing in our fields. Also, the sea air is quite refreshing when standing near the docks.
My son won a town deed in the lottery and placed his house near mine. Keeping family close is always nice, as the journey between towns can be lengthy at times for our needs. We have fun hunting and crafting things to sell at my small shop, as we need to keep the income flowing to pay its taxes. All in all, we are getting by quite nicely in Aldwater!
Above all else, the town is very peaceful. There are visitors coming and going all the time with more full time residents as the year progresses. For now, it is a good location to have a house where one can spend quiet evenings relaxing by the fire feasting on the fruits of our quests and dreaming of the riches we will gather on our next outing. Here is one of the homes in the town:
Our neighbors are very friendly, often decorating their house for the holidays. We hope that those who visit our town will consider moving in and decorating their own! We also could use a good local baker, as the building our previous baker had was lost in a fire a few months ago. The bread the community has been baking since then just isn’t the same I’m afraid…
If interested in becoming part of the Aldwater community, tour the town and knock on a resident’s door to ask them how to become a part of it! You can also respond to this spotlight and inquire who may be living in the town that can offer good locations to build a home.
Do you have a Player Owned Town, guild, or other type of group that makes available great things for the community? Let us know! We would like to include your establishment in an upcoming spotlight. Just send Berek a brief proposal of what you have to share!
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The Making of Blood Bay (cont.)
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will, in turn, propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We hope to have a first iteration of this map live in Release 38. We showed the scene during the Telethon and talked more about how we hope to have certain systems working. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
A few more shots of Blood Bay progress:
Xenos Polish
Right before we went persistent, we uncloned Xenos and made some modifications to it for specific plot points. However, we were not satisfied with the level of polish so we are revisiting this scene and doing a polish pass this release. We hope to have this pass complete by Release 38. Xenos is on the island of Elysium, southwest of Novia, and is a critical juncture on the Path of Truth. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Scott “Scottie” Jones]
Hello again!
As we continue our Xenos work-in-progress tour, allow me to introduce you to the Lagoon of Pleasures by taking a bit of a stroll around its perimeter! Blocked off from the rest of the bay and the docks for larger ships, the Lagoon of Pleasures has as its “gates”; two large arched stone bridges that allow only smaller rowed craft through, such as gondolas or punts. As a result, the placid waters of the lagoon are perfect for lovers, poets, and merry-makers as they engage in idle pursuits. I imagined scenic shores lined with weathered marble terraces and colonnades, stone benches, and steps leading down into the crystalline lapping waters. So my goal was to draw inspiration from some of the works of Alma Tadema.
To begin our tour, we cross over one of those stone bridges, which hosts the road leading in from the south, and enjoy the “Island of Noble Heroes” of Xenos’ ancient past… Gathered around a large fountain surmounted by a statue of Boreas, multiple columns rise to frame a variety of statues made from numerous materials from different ages, each depicting a philosopher, scholar, warrior, or noble from Xenos’ illustrious ancient history. Flowering plants and tall sculpted junipers accent the rotunda, lit from above by the mighty braziers that are the signature lights of the city.
Strolling to the other side of the island we now begin passing a few of the houses of nearby lucky residents, who from the tallest of their windows might hope to see a grand view of the sweeping colonnades leading southward toward the Equestrian Shrine jutting out from the water’s edge. Even from within the houses, peering through a window’s thick glass, the view may be seen to have improved a tad bit since the last time the owners took a passing glance. Xenos is known for its extravagant public works!
Before we lose the light of day, it’s time to wander toward the Equestrian Shrine, raised long ago in honor of the first horses brought to Xenos from far away shores. It is said that all of Xenos’ wonders rest squarely on the strong backs of the horses of ancient times, whose tireless labors brought the many stones that were later carved and stacked to create the city’s intricate majesty. Even today, the tamed horses of cart and carriage, and the wild horses that wander the Elysian Plains all trace their heritage to those ancient ancestors that crossed the seas so long ago on the ships of forgotten voyagers and traders from distant lands. Statues of gladiators stand tall on either side to guard the honor of these noble beasts.
As the sun sets we now make our way to the eastern edge of the lagoon, which has now begun to be lit by the warm glow of various lights here and there along its shore, signaling the preparations of partygoers as they lay out feasts in the tents of visitors hoping for a chance at winning the lottery for entrance into fabled Artifice. Here, as dusk consumes the marble-lined shores, and the waters of the lagoon grow dark, only the idle rich can afford tents filled with extravagant dishes and fine wines,…and of course fine wooden furnishings fit for a prince! But further away, beyond the battered stone caravanserai, the murmur and laughter of the poorer visitors to the city float from the veritable town of tents that has sprung up between here and the southern exit…
Perhaps one day, after they are lucky enough to find their fortunes in Artifice, they too might revel with the rich foreign visitors in tents made of fine silk and spun silver. Perhaps, as the new sun rises, Boreas will smile upon them all!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the continuing work of Xenos!
Scottie ^_^
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Hello everyone! Here is the news of the week:
- Xenos Polish
- The Making of Blood Bay
- Fall into Winter Telethon Results
- Tips of the Avatar
- Moustache of the Avatar
- Community Spotlight: Bladewyke – Player Owned Town
- Upcoming Events
- Job Opening: VFX Artist
- Recommended Projects to Back
The post Echoes From the Caverns 12-02-16 appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Xenos Polish
- The Making of Blood Bay
- Fall into Winter Telethon Results
- Tips of the Avatar
- Moustache of the Avatar
- Community Spotlight: Bladewyke – Player Owned Town
- Upcoming Events
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- Job Opening: VFX Artist
- Recommended Projects to Back
Xenos Polish
Right before we went persistent, we uncloned Xenos and made some modifications to it for specific plot points. However, we were not satisfied with the level of polish so we are revisiting this scene and doing a polish pass this release. We hope to have this pass complete by Release 38. Xenos is on the island of Elysium, southwest of Novia, and is a critical juncture on the Path of Truth. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Scott “Scottie” Jones]
Hello again!
As we continue our Xenos work-in-progress tour, allow me to introduce you to the Lagoon of Pleasures by taking a bit of a stroll around its perimeter! Blocked off from the rest of the bay and the docks for larger ships, the Lagoon of Pleasures has as its “gates”; two large arched stone bridges that allow only smaller rowed craft through, such as gondolas or punts. As a result, the placid waters of the lagoon are perfect for lovers, poets, and merry-makers as they engage in idle pursuits. I imagined scenic shores lined with weathered marble terraces and colonnades, stone benches, and steps leading down into the crystalline lapping waters. So my goal was to draw inspiration from some of the works of Alma Tadema.
To begin our tour, we cross over one of those stone bridges, which hosts the road leading in from the south, and enjoy the “Island of Noble Heroes” of Xenos’ ancient past… Gathered around a large fountain surmounted by a statue of Boreas, multiple columns rise to frame a variety of statues made from numerous materials from different ages, each depicting a philosopher, scholar, warrior, or noble from Xenos’ illustrious ancient history. Flowering plants and tall sculpted junipers accent the rotunda, lit from above by the mighty braziers that are the signature lights of the city.
Strolling to the other side of the island we now begin passing a few of the houses of nearby lucky residents, who from the tallest of their windows might hope to see a grand view of the sweeping colonnades leading southward toward the Equestrian Shrine jutting out from the water’s edge. Even from within the houses, peering through a window’s thick glass, the view may be seen to have improved a tad bit since the last time the owners took a passing glance. Xenos is known for its extravagant public works!
Before we lose the light of day, it’s time to wander toward the Equestrian Shrine, raised long ago in honor of the first horses brought to Xenos from far away shores. It is said that all of Xenos’ wonders rest squarely on the strong backs of the horses of ancient times, whose tireless labors brought the many stones that were later carved and stacked to create the city’s intricate majesty. Even today, the tamed horses of cart and carriage, and the wild horses that wander the Elysian Plains all trace their heritage to those ancient ancestors that crossed the seas so long ago on the ships of forgotten voyagers and traders from distant lands. Statues of gladiators stand tall on either side to guard the honor of these noble beasts.
As the sun sets we now make our way to the eastern edge of the lagoon, which has now begun to be lit by the warm glow of various lights here and there along its shore, signaling the preparations of partygoers as they lay out feasts in the tents of visitors hoping for a chance at winning the lottery for entrance into fabled Artifice. Here, as dusk consumes the marble-lined shores, and the waters of the lagoon grow dark, only the idle rich can afford tents filled with extravagant dishes and fine wines,…and of course fine wooden furnishings fit for a prince! But further away, beyond the battered stone caravanserai, the murmur and laughter of the poorer visitors to the city float from the veritable town of tents that has sprung up between here and the southern exit…
Perhaps one day, after they are lucky enough to find their fortunes in Artifice, they too might revel with the rich foreign visitors in tents made of fine silk and spun silver. Perhaps, as the new sun rises, Boreas will smile upon them all!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the continuing work of Xenos!
Scottie ^_^
The Making of Blood Bay (cont.)
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will, in turn, propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We hope to have a first iteration of this map live in Release 38. We showed the scene during the Telethon and talked more about how we hope to have certain systems working. This is the third update we have posted so far on this map.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
A few more shots of Blood Bay progress:
Fall into Winter Telethon Results
Our Fall into Winter Telethon was a huge success and we achieved lots of our Stretch Goal Rewards! A heartfelt thank you from the entire Dev Team to all of you, our backers, that have contributed to the development funding of Shroud of the Avatar. Monday’s Telethon was yet another example of your amazing support and contributions! The total as of Midnight, November 28th, was an amazing:
** $112,500 **
As promised, Telethon Funding Stretch Goal Rewards will be rewarded to any backers that pledged a minimum of $5 from the start of the telethon, until Midnight November 28 (Spending Store Credit to make $5 minimum purchase does not apply). These rewards should show up on your account page within the next couple of weeks and will begin showing up in the game over the next few releases starting as soon as Release 37.
- Achieved! $10,000: Rain Autumn Leaves Emote (/rainautumnleaves)
- Achieved! $25,000: Autumn Leaf Crown (increases length of /rainautumnleaves emote)
- Achieved! $35,000: Autumn Fairy Leaf Dress + Autumn Leaf Wings
- Achieved! $50,000: Red Tufted Squirrel Pet
- Achieved! $65,000: 2016 Snowball Box (100 Snowballs!) + Ice Wings
- Achieved! $80,000: Ice & Snow Shooting Bagpipes
- Achieved! $100,000: Frozen Fountain
- $130,000: 3 Pack Ice Titan Statues (make snow when used)
We had deep dives, answered questions, danced, sang, did shots, spun the Wheel of Fortune & Doom, had flash sales, and handed out tons of prizes including:
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2016 Spooky Wearables - 2016 Spooky Decorations
- 2016 Winter Holiday Decorations
- Adobe Homes
- Kobold Mask 4-Pack
- Elven Village Tax Free Bundle
- Pristine Gothic Mansion
- Store Credits
- Ornate Umbrella
- Ornate Scarecrow
- Speckled Turkey
- Breathe Emote 6-Pack (includes Breathe Snow Emote)
- And several items courtesy of RelicsbyRild.com
The next day Starr “Darkstarr” Long answered all the questions that we did not have time to answer during the telethon and posted them in the forums.
Missed participating in the telethon event? Watch the entire stream on YouTube:
Tips of the Avatar – Submit Yours!
For Release 37, we are working on a cleaner and faster scene loading experience. Additionally, we will have tips and informative messages during these load times. While we will be coming up with our own tips, we feel this is a perfect opportunity to also involve the community!
Submitting Tips
For those that want to take part, please use THIS FORM to enter in tips. Fill out the form separately for each tip you submit. Deadline for entries is the end of December 8th at Midnight! You can submit more than one tip, but note that we will be heavily scrutinizing quality of tips over pure quantity.
For the map name form field, please use either the official name or name shown at the top of the screen. Only enter scene names for tips that deal with specific scenes. If the tip can be used in any loading screen, do not enter in anything in this field.
Participate and Win!
In addition to ensuring your entry in the form linked above, those who tweet @ShroudofAvatar either the complete TIP quote, or a link to a reply in the forum announcement for this initiative, will be entered into a daily drawing for a chance to win $20 in store credit! Starting tomorrow around 2-5pm CT, we will announce winners daily on Twitter using @ShroudofAvatar and #LBSotA.
We will be asking some community members to help us keep the list clean and sorted. Those helping manage the list and selecting top tips will not be eligible to win in the daily drawing, though they are still of course free to submit tips anyway! Also, while you can submit player owned town tips, these will be heavily scrutinized and will not count towards the daily drawing either.
Players can continue to add tips and informative messages indefinitely, but the cut off line for the contest will be end of December 8th with winners being awarded sometime after this date.
Tips on Writing Tips
Tips are limited to 180 characters (including spaces) and can be about game systems, skills, scenes, etc. Shorter the better! Don’t include story or scene spoilers, only general information is allowed.
For example, it is fine to have a tip like:
“The Owl’s Head bank and several other shops are located near the large fountain in the northern, walled section of the city.”
However, something like this is NOT OK:
“The elf camp in the NE corner of the woods contains a chest with reagents.”
For this example, make the tip more generic, like the following:
“Crag Woods is home to a myriad of denizens, such as spiders, bears, and even mysterious roaming elves!”
We will have a few community members help us to cleanup the tips, and when finalized, the tips should start showing up in game as soon as R37.
Join in on the forum discussion for Tips of the Avatar!
Moustache of the Avatar
Our Movember team, Moustache of the Avatar, raised $310! Thank you everyone who donated! The Movember Foundation’s mission: “The state of men’s health is in crisis. Men experience worse longer-term health than women and die on average six years earlier. Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years. Testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last 50. Three quarters of suicides are men. Poor mental health leads to half a million men taking their own life every year. That’s one every minute. Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends are facing this health crisis and it’s not being talked about. We can’t afford to stay silent.”
Community Spotlight: Bladewyke – Player Owned Town
We are touring towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid. This latest Player Owned Town spotlight explores the underground metropolis of Bladewyke!
Close to Etceter and several other player owned towns along the northern shore of the Quel peninsula, I saw a great many in that cavern of wonders that drove me to write this spotlight. Here is what I witnessed:Bladewyke is very easy to find with many distractions to appease your adventurous spirit along the way. As I neared the cavern entrance along the coast by Tanby Landing, the howl of the wind from the deepwater sound to the north threatened to rip my very body from my boots!
Fortunately, as I approached the town, I was able to take shelter in the mighty stones that formed the entrance. With each step I became more intrigued about what lie beyond.
Upcoming Events
Dec 9, 2016 – Community of the Avatar livestream
Dec 15, 2016 – Release 37
Dec 16, 2016 – Community of the Avatar livestream
Dec 20, 2016 – R37 Postmortem
Jan 26, 2017 – Release 38
Feb 23, 2017 – Release 39
Feb 25, 2017 – Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Event
Feb 28, 2017 – GDC
Mar 17, 2017 – SXSW Gaming
Mar 30, 2017 – Release 40Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out this month’s Release Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
Event of the Week – 4Brain 1v1 Single Elimination Tournament by Net
The first event will be 1v1 duel tournament style competition, where competitors will have to solve the same problem. If the event is successful, there might be special tournaments that will be free-for-all or available only for the best of the best.This event is free to enter! Intended for up to 8 players, the first 5 to register in the forum thread will be entered in the tournament. The rest will be selected during the event from those who will be the first to correctly answer the riddles.
Sign up for the tournament in the forums!
Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Recommended Projects to Back
Here’s the latest from BrightLocker, the first crowd publishing platform for games. BrightLocker was launched by fellow ex-Originites Mark Rizzo and Ruben Cortez, members of the original Ultima Online Network Ops team from back in the day.
After 4 Semi Final Rounds with more than 200 game ideas created, BrightLocker fans have voted for their favorite 28 game ideas, now heading into the Season 2 Finals. From Angry Pumpkins to Darknet Demons, to Forensic Drones, to YouTubers vs The World, the Finalists show an amazing range of creativity and talent.
BRIGHTLOCKER GRAND FINALS run from December 1st to December 13th.
These 28 game ideas are competing for votes to get into the FINAL GreenZone. The BrightLocker community will help decide which game idea, created by and voted up by the public, will go into production.
Don’t Just Back Crowfall… Invest!
Why just back Crowfall for rewards, when you can invest in the company — and potentially see a financial return!ArtCraft Entertainment (creators of Crowfall) and Indiegogo.com are partnering to offer this unique crowdfunding investment opportunity. Check out the offering at: https://equity.indiegogo.com/offerings/artcraft-entertainment/
Crowfall is ArtCraft’s flagship title. It is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), a persistent virtual world that can be shared by hundreds of thousands (or millions) of online players. It is unique in that it has been designed as a “Throne War Simulator,” offering gamers a very different in-game experience compared to traditional MMO titles. Crowfall combines the persistence of an MMO with the ability for players to change the virtual world, allowing teams to win (or lose), as in a strategy game. Thousands of players are vying for control of a virtual throne, where the only options are to win or to die.
Job Opening: VFX Artist
VFX Artist
We currently have an opening for a junior-level to senior-level VFX Artist for Shroud of the Avatar to build Visual Effects for spells, creatures, avatars, weapons, environments (ex. water), and interactive objects (ex. lamps that turn on and off). Qualifications for “ideal candidates” are:
- Minimum 2 years industry experience for junior-level (preferably on a shipped game)
- Minimum 5 years industry experience for senior-level (minimum of at least 1 shipped game)
- Unity3D proficiency
- Ability to build craft compelling visual effects from scratch
- Ability to modify and optimize existing visual effects
- Experience in developing a VFX “visual vocabulary” that effectively communicates a variety of spell types and ability types to players
- BONUS: Scripting ability
- BONUS: Ability to model and texture in 3D art tools
If you’d like to join the Portalarium Tribe working on the ground-breaking Shroud of the Avatar, please submit your resume to jobs@portalarium.com. Provide links to your work (if possible), including actual game play, videos footage, and document form (images, maps, and event descriptions).
Backer Shipping Addresses
In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image.A reminder to be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!
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Greetings Avatars!
For Release 37, we are working on a cleaner and faster scene loading experience. Additionally, we will have tips and informative messages during these load times. While we will be coming up with our own tips, we feel this is a perfect opportunity to also involve the community!![[IMG]](http:////d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/tips_avatar.jpg)
Submitting Tips
For those that want to take part, please use...
Tips of the Avatar - Submit Yours! -
Greetings Avatars!
For Release 37, we are working on a cleaner and faster scene loading experience. Additionally, we will have tips and informative messages during these load times. While we will be coming up with our own tips, we feel this is a perfect opportunity to also involve the community!
Submitting Tips
For those that want to take part, please use THIS FORM to enter in tips. Fill out the form separately for each tip you submit. Deadline for entries is the end of December 8th at Midnight! You can submit more than one tip, but note that we will be heavily scrutinizing quality of tips over pure quantity.
For the map name form field, please use either the official name or name shown at the top of the screen. Only enter scene names for tips that deal with specific scenes. If the tip can be used in any loading screen, do not enter in anything in this field.
Participate and Win!
In addition to ensuring your entry in the form linked above, those who tweet @ShroudofAvatar either the complete TIP quote, or a link to a reply in the forum announcement for this initiative, will be entered into a daily drawing for a chance to win $20 in store credit! Starting tomorrow around 2-5pm CT, we will announce winners daily on Twitter using @ShroudofAvatar and #LBSotA.
We will be asking some community members to help us keep the list clean and sorted. Those helping manage the list and selecting top tips will not be eligible to win in the daily drawing, though they are still of course free to submit tips anyway! Also, while you can submit player owned town tips, these will be heavily scrutinized and will not count towards the daily drawing either.
Players can continue to add tips and informative messages indefinitely, but the cut off line for the contest will be end of December 8th with winners being awarded sometime after this date.
Tips on Writing Tips
Tips are limited to 180 characters (including spaces) and can be about game systems, skills, scenes, etc. Shorter the better! Don’t include story or scene spoilers, only general information is allowed.
For example, it is fine to have a tip like:
“The Owl’s Head bank and several other shops are located near the large fountain in the northern, walled section of the city.”
However, something like this is NOT OK:
“The elf camp in the NE corner of the woods contains a chest with reagents.”
For this example, make the tip more generic, like the following:
“Crag Woods is home to a myriad of denizens, such as spiders, bears, and even mysterious roaming elves!”
We will have a few community members help us to cleanup the tips, and when finalized, the tips should start showing up in game as soon as R37.
Join in on the forum discussion for Tips of the Avatar!
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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with the conclusion of this great story from enderandrew, entitled
Bob the WizardVol IV
The past few months have easily been the most terrifying of my life.
My waking hours are filled with dread. I never know if I am safe. I feel an invisible leash, as if the Obsidian Sorcerer I robbed can track me by it.
I’ve barely spoken to anyone more than is absolutely necessary. I don’t want to draw attention to myself in case spies report my location. I’m leery of everyone. And frankly I don’t really care much about them or how they see me now.
Before I craved their attention and my smattering of fame, even though I earned it as a charlatan. I felt it was my own form of power. But it was a pale imitation of true power. I understand that now. I’ve seen just the smallest sampling. This gem, if I can call it such, radiates far more power than I’ve ever held in my lifetime.
In truth, it speaks to me. It terrifies me to commit the words to paper. I’ve begun to question my sanity. The only reassuring thought is that a sane man wonders what is real and seeks to question it. The insane man is devout in his delusion. I know every answer lies within this gem more than the tome that describes it.
The tome speaks of transformative powers, how the Obsidians used it to shape men into fomorians to serve their will. They experimented in different ways to bend and alter men into different creatures. But it wasn’t just flesh that was shaped. These creatures were imbued with unique abilities and powers. The satyrs never sleep, for example. The Obsidians were quite careful not to give their thralls too much power. They did not want their newly created weapons to be more powerful than the arm that wielded it.
But I have no such reservations. I knew how the gem called out to me. It told me how I could use its powers, all of them. To free myself of my current predicament, I would need to do precisely what I had always dreamed of doing. I’d need to take this shard, this small fragment and consume every ounce of power it contained. I’d need to have true power within myself for the first time ever.
I would shape myself they like they shaped fomorians. I would become a true wizard like the persona I pretended to be. And when I was done, I would no longer run. I would let my pursuers know precisely where to find me. I’d do my best to lay a trap.
I assume after “The Terrifying Cluck” this isn’t what you expected of Bob the Wizard. Chapter 5 is the end of his backstory, but you may see him again in the future.Vol V
They knew I would be in the barn at night, sleeping away from prying eyes. I had no obvious defences that would alert someone to my presence. I relied entirely on stealth, hiding as I have done this entire time I’ve been on the run.
I had no wards, no traps when they found me. I was quickly surrounded and I offered no resistance, merely an offer. I held the tome aloft in the air as they approached. I warned them if they ever wished to recover their precious shard to wait. With my death they would find nothing. But if they agreed to let me go, I would give them back both the tome and tell them where their shard was.
They seemed unconvinced and I sensed they would still attack, taking their chances that they could capture me alive and torture me for information.
I warned them of the danger I presented. I told them I had letters stored in each city I had visited. If I did not come back to claim them, they would be opened. I detailed the hidden presence of Obsidians among us. I would expose them.
They paused now as I explained that I did not know who I robbed initially, but I have a great fear and respect for their power. I was willing to hand back what was stolen because I realized I was meddling in something far greater than myself.
They did not realize that this entire time I was stalling, I was also mesmerizing them. They continued their slow advance on me, but also fell more into my grasp. What stood before them was not me, but an illusion. I stood hidden behind the Obsidian, cloaked in her shadows. He never saw my dagger slit his throat.
The satyr reacted immediately either to the gleam of my dagger or the spurt of blood. But as he struck, I was no longer there. I had teleported to just outside the barn door. I blasted him back with a fireball, and then closed the barn doors. I barred them securely as it went up in flames. I did not stay to listen to his screams.
I hear the voices so much clearer now. At first I wasn’t aware it was multiple voices, so that is why they confused me. Poor Daedalus is fractured. There were two moons, equals, opposites and star-crossed lovers. Then they became one largely in the destruction of the other. It is in this joining Daedalus should have rejoiced but she truly feels loss. The fragmented pieces are gone, lost on this earth. Part of her love has been torn away, and that is now part of her that is missing. These shards still contain a piece of her, but they have their own confused voices.
Either I have gone completely insane where it would be far easier to shed these last vestiges of sanity and stop worrying, or I alone hear her call and I alone understand. She wants us all to be together, to be as one. We don’t always have to be apart. She knows how to transform us, and transform this land. She can bend one place to another with her rifts. I have given myself fully to her lessons.
I serve her, but she also serves me well.
I am once again a traveling wizard for hire, but I no longer need tricks when her illusions are so much more powerful. I earn my coin, bide my time and await her instructions. Her voices will guide me.
I would test my new found powers on them. Would I be successful? The gem thinks I might. I’m not sure if I should trust it. But I have no better alternatives. One way or another, this waking nightmare will end soon.
The post Bob the Wizard 2 – by enderandrew – narrated by Asclepius appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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We are touring towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid. This latest Player Owned Town spotlight explores the underground metropolis of Bladewyke!
Close to Etceter and several other player owned towns along the northern shore of the Quel peninsula, I saw a great many in that cavern of wonders that drove me to write this spotlight. Here is what I witnessed:Bladewyke is very easy to find with many distractions to appease your adventurous spirit along the way. As I neared the cavern entrance along the coast by Tanby Landing, the howl of the wind from the deepwater sound to the north threatened to rip my very body from my boots!
Fortunately, as I approached the town, I was able to take shelter in the mighty stones that formed the entrance. With each step I became more intrigued about what lie beyond.
Both Ruin, the town Governor, and guild loremaster Tamsen greeted me upon entering. They escorted me to the first area of interest – the town’s common crafting area. The walk from the entrance was nothing short of spectacular, given the amazing rock formations and hypnotising effect of the glowing fungi that populated the main cavern.
As we walked, I asked Bladewyke’s Loremaster, Tamsen… “With all the mysterious areas in Bladewyke, is there a story here?”
“As a matter of fact,” she replied, “there is!” and launched into one of her mesmerizing tales.
“Everybody in the place drew a deep breath as the satyr left the inn. I had to duck aside as the old man turned his head and spat into the fire, as if ridding himself of a bad taste in his mouth.
“Arr, where was I?” the old man asked.
I had come to the inn to get out of a steady downpour that didn’t look like ending in my lifetime. The rain drumming on the roof, the flames toasty on my back, and the old man’s droning voice combined to keep me three quarters asleep. His beard, almost snow white, was so long that it trailed over his knees as he sat and smoked a pipe almost smelly enough to cover up the odor of wet satyr. He held it clamped between his teeth and seemed to be able to reminisce unceasingly without ever missing a puff.
“Some cave or something,” I muttered unhelpfully.
“Oh, aye. Ye know all about th’ great Cataclysm, o’course …”
My hair was wet with my cloak equally damp, so I was steaming and grumpy. When I didn’t respond, he continued.
“Nigh on four hunnerd year’ ago it was. The moons smashed a’right into each other in the sky they did! Britannia was devastated. The sky burned and the ground tore itself apart.” He paused for effect and took a long swig of his ale.
I blinked sleepily. I had heard this story before. But what did it have to do with caves, or satyrs?
He took a draw of his pipe and puffed smoke towards me. “The earthquakes left fissures in the earth. Aye, fissures, y’know. Big cracks. An’ wot’s behind an’ underneath some of em? Why, caves, that’s what. Vast underground caves and mines full o’ gold.”
He nodded and tipped me a wink as if imparting a secret. “That satyr, that’s wot ‘minded me of ’em. They say not all o’ them caves been discovered yit. Some have, though.”
He took a drink, dribbling ale down his beard, and continued. “Them satyrs, they c’n smell gold I tell ye! Aye, it must be true as they found a cave to the west, along the coast amongst a stand of trees. Nobody knew it was there. Dug it out a bit more an’ all. Mined it all dry an’ abandoned it.
“Later on, they found more gold further into the foothills an’ dug out a big ol’ mine an’ it’s still payin’ out. Got ’em a town over there, no humans allowed.” They don’t like livin’ underground, they just like gold.
“One day, a fella calls himself Ruin found the way into that cave. Big ol’ place, it is. Saw it m’self once. Huge! Anyhoo, this fella claimed the whole thing for himself just ’cause he could. Heck, who’s t’ say he didn’t find himself some more gold left down there? Could be, ‘cuz he went an’ got some o’ his mates to settle there. Built ’em a whole town an’ all. Nice houses an’ such, an’ all underground and secret like.”
Hearing the old man’s story, I wasn’t asleep any more. I always did like caves. What’s more, I was blessed weary of tramping round in the rain and sleeping in empty barns. I wondered if there was room for one more further leg of my journey ahead for me this night. I don’t take up much space and my legs were suddenly restless.
“Next one’s on me, friend,” I said as I slapped some coins on the table before him and grabbed my knapsack. He winked and nodded as if he had planned it all and was pleased to see the fruits of his efforts.
It took me a couple of months to find the satyr town, judging by the blisters on my feet. I actually did spend a couple of days wandering around before I found the cave entrance, so clever was it camouflaged against the rocky terrain.
Bladewyke, the name is. It is the most scenic little town ever, right inside the biggest cave I’ve ever seen. The light comes from glowing mushrooms as big as trees. Amazing! Once your eyes adjust, you can see houses nestled around a town square where the residents continually wander in and out, greeting each other, talking, or going about their daily business.
They tend to gather in the square to work, to play, or just to chat around the fire or soak in the hot tub. There’s always somebody playing music, dancing, singing, and so on. Friendliest place I could have wished for. I moved there in a heartbeat.
Anybody can live on top of the ground, but that’s just ordinary. A whole town inside a cave is something special. No need to spread it around that I sometimes sift through the dirt behind my house looking for just a little … tiny … teeny glint of gold.”
After her tale, I then turned to Ruin and asked, “Who is welcome to reside in Bladewyke?”
Everyone is welcome! You do not need to be a guild member to live in town. We have very active members from all over the globe, from grinders, casual players, and crafters. As the governor, I have worked to create a town where players of all types can call home. Our town was founded on the principle of being friendly and respectful to each other. Our guild runs regular events, such as Dragontail Tours, and grouping for fun and experience.
Tell us about the current residents of this fine town!
The residents of Bladewyke are all active in game, and spend a lot of time improving not only their plots but also the general atmosphere of the town. Bladewyke has attracted so many different people, it’s been an amazing experience to watch it grow. You can always depend on a resident to be helpful and informative and above all welcoming.
There’s been many times a player will come to our town and is nearly assaulted by residents seeking to help them! Throughout the day you can find someone crafting, heading out on an adventure, or sitting around a fireplace somewhere. We also have a member, Draconious Dragonheart who runs tours of the subterranean zones of Britannia in his “Dragontail Tours”. Be sure to check those out!
What are the unique areas of Bladewyke?
Without a doubt, the many phosphorus mushrooms and the caverns themselves. We also have many ponds full of fish, and on occasion the ponds reveal other more nasty creatures.
The underground areas may look dark and dank at first, but once you start exploring them you begin to see all the hidden nooks and crannies filled with unexpected wonders. Creatures abound around every corner!
I should also mention that Bladewyke is a very safe place to live, being so far underground.
What is the future of the people here? I see a lot of room for more homes.
The future of Bladewyke is bright! We add new residents on a regular basis, all of whom take great delight and pride in their contributions to our humble town.
We have regular groups that form every day and work to build up not only our members inventory with reliable gear, but also the knowledge of where to go and what to do in the world of Britannia. We are already grouping more challenging scenes in preparation for upcoming group and raid content. More than anything, the future holds promise for more involvement in our town!
If interested in becoming part of the Bladewyke community, please message Cyin, Nim, or Tamsen in the community forums. You can also message them in-game of course!
Do you have a Player Owned Town, guild, or other type of group that makes available great things for the community? Let us know! We would like to include your establishment in an upcoming spotlight. Just send Berek a brief proposal of what you have to present!
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Here are the questions that we did not have time to get to. I tried my best to answer these but some we just don't have details yet to provide. I will try my best to follow up but please understand I probably won't have time to do any follow ups to these.
Rednought: Would there be any game relevance for grand mastering refining skills like smelting, tanning, looming?
Yes, just not yet
Rednought: What’s the significance of the expert level table...
Fall into Winter Telethon Missed Questions (mostly) -
Hello everyone! Happy Thanksgiving – hope you all had a wonderful time with friends and family! On my own this week, with a slightly shorter news release. This is the news of the week:
- Final Weekend for Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon
- The Making of Superstition Canyon
- The Making of Blood Bay
- 2016 Winter Holiday Wax Cylinder Soundtrack
- Community Spotlight: Dragomir – Player Owned Town
- Upcoming Events
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- Recommended Projects to Back
The post Echoes from the Caverns 11-25-16 appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Final Weekend for Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon
- The Making of Superstition Canyon
- The Making of Blood Bay
- 2016 Winter Holiday Wax Cylinder Soundtrack
- Community Spotlight: Dragomir – Player Owned Town
- Upcoming Events
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- Recommended Projects to Back
Final Weekend for Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon (now with schedule & prizes)
Only 3 days left until our Fall into Winter Telethon and your last chance to purchase a bunch of items that are expiring, as well as receive your 15% Black Friday Bonus! Note that we’ve added the schedule for the telethon and the list of prizes we will be giving away!
At Midnight CST, November 28, 2016 (6:00 UTC, November 29, 2016), we are expiring the following content / features:- House Stacking in Bundles (only 1 House per Bundle going forward)
- Adobe 2-Story with Upper Deck Village Home
- Adobe 2-Story with Patio & Balcony Village Home
- Adobe 2-Story Village Home
- Adobe Brick 2-Story with Roof Access Village Home
- All Kobold Masks (some will still be exclusively available in Kobold Bundles)
- All Prosperity Tool Packs (will still be available as part of Bundles)
- Wax Cylinder Soundtrack Vol 1
- Battle Banner
- 2016 Jack O Lanterns
- 2016 Jack O Lantern Mask
- 2016 Jack O Lantern Mask with Glow
- 2016 Grim Reaper Statue
- 2016 Grim Reaper Mask
- 2016 Rotten Armor
- 2016 Rotten Flesh Cloak
- /juggleseveredheads
- /jugglezombieheads
- /jugglejackolanterns
- 2016 Spooky Soundtrack
At noon on that same day, we are starting a 12-hour telethon that will include an array of fun activities and engaging content, many of which you can directly participate in with us in-game! We are also giving away a ton of fabulous prizes*, and as always we will be having stretch goals that based on how much players spend during the telethon (see below).As usual, your questions will be answered throughout the event. You can pre-post your questions in the article’s comments section (linked here), or post questions during the telethon in Discord chat.*
As a special bonus, we are offering Telethon Funding Stretch Goal Rewards to any backer that pledges a minimum of $5 from the start of the telethon, until Midnight (Spending Store Credit to make $5 minimum purchase does not apply). The Fall Into Winter Telethon of the Avatar Funding Stretch Goal Rewards are:
$10K: Rain Autumn Leaves Emote (/rainautumnleaves)
$25K: Autumn Leaf Crown (increases length of /rainautumnleaves emote)
$35K: Autumn Fairy Leaf Dress + Autumn Leaf Wings
$50K: Pet Squirrel
$65K and beyond: Secret Winter items!
Cheer on the Devs!
For every $2,500 donated, all developers on camera have to either dance, sing, or drink a shot of alcohol.Additionally, we will be spinning the Wheel of Fortune & Doom! The wheel will have 14 items at any given time, but dozens of total prizes ultimately will be given away! This includes developers that, if selected, have to either dance, sing, or drink a shot of alcohol.
As the wheel is spun, what is selected will be replaced by something else. Details list of wheel items coming soon. Items already selected will be removed for a time (some may not come back onto the wheel for the rest of the telethon. Keep in mind that some of these may never come up, so cross your fingers for your preferred item!
Telethon Schedule
- 12:00 PM: Welcome to the Fall into Winter Telethon!
- 12:30 PM: R36 Postmortem Q&A and review
- 2:00 PM: Homes of New Britannia Tour
- 3:00 PM: New Scenes/Builders Deep Dive
- 4:00 PM: Story & T/L/C/Offline Deep Dive
- 5:00 PM: Player Housing & Towns
- 6:00 PM: Community Hour
- 7:00 PM: Crafting & Economy Deep Dive
- 8:30 PM: Combat & PVP Deep Dive (with tour of Blood Bay)
- 10:00 PM: Tour of Xenos changes with Scottie
- 11:00 PM: Adventure Tour!
Win These Great Prizes!
- 2016 Jack O Lantern Mask with Glow (Expiring)
- 2016 Grim Reaper Mask (Expiring)
- 2016 Spooky Soundtrack (Expiring)
- 2016 Rotten Flesh Cloak (Expiring)
- Adobe Brick 2-Story with Roof Access Village Home (Expiring)
- Adobe 2-Story with Patio & Balcony Village Home (Expiring)
- Adobe 2-Story with Upper Deck Village Home (Expiring)
- Kobold Mask 4-Pack (Expiring)
- Elven Village Tax Free Bundle!
- Pristine Gothic Mansion
- 2016 Snowman mask (w/hat)
- 2016 Winter Holiday Decoration Pack
- 2016 Winter Holiday Pack
- 2016 Yule Stockings 3-Pack
- 2016 Yule Gift Box set
- 2016 Regular Gift Box set
- Winter Holiday Gift Pack
- Winter Holiday Pack
- Tabletop Yule Tree
- Ornate Snow Family
- Ornate Umbrella
- Ornate Scarecrow
- Ice Nightmare Mask
- Speckled Turkey
- Breathe Emote 6-Pack (includes Breathe Snow Emote)
- Store Credit ($10)
- And several items courtesy of RelicsbyRild.com
We will be giving prizes away on an hourly basis with many being given away multiple times. If you wish to win prizes during the Telethon event, be in Discord chat!
Watch The Telethon on Twitch! The final recording will be archived on YouTube after the event as well. See you on the livestream chat at Noon this coming November 28th!
Final Weekend to Get Your 15% Black Friday Bonus!
For the past two years we’ve extended our Black Friday Promotion to give you up to 8 weeks to take advantage of our 15% Black Friday Bonus, and we did it again this year! For all new purchases (including bundles, bundle upgrades, add-on items, player owned town upgrades, and Make a Difference items) between Midnight CDT October 6, 2016 (5:00 UTC, October 7, 2016) and Midnight CST, November 28, 2016 (6:00 UTC, November 29, 2016), we will add an additional 15% bonus to your Store Credit!
The Making of Superstition Canyon
Superstition Canyon is one of the numerous Control Points that limits travel between regions in Novia. It is located between the Verdantis and South Paladis regions and is controlled by the Vertas Elves. Superstition Canyon started as a clone of Brightbone Pass but has been completely rebuilt for Release 37.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Chris “Sea Wolf” Wolf]
Hey folks, Sea Wolf here with another level update featuring Superstition Canyon! The new canyon features a blending of the alpine and hills biomes. The further up in elevation you get, the colder it becomes. The canyon also features some castle ruins, an undercroft, and the remains of an elven settlement which can be explored.
The North Pass
The Castle Ruins
The Settlement’s Remains
The Southern Pass
Chris Wolf
Level Designer
The Making of Blood Bay
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will, in turn, propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We will be talking about more of those new systems and revealing more about the map during the Fall into Winter Telethon, so be sure to tune in.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
An update! **NOTE** volcano itself, especially lava flows are a W.I.P. there are some really killer flowing-lava materials Hutch made that will be implemented very soon**
Looking SouthEast
Landward gate to North side of town (facing South)
2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack – Wax Cylinders
* Phonograph in image not included with this collectionEnjoy the sounds of the holidays at your next holiday event or while relaxing at home with this rare, 2016 Winter Holiday Soundtrack. Available now in the Add-On Store, these wax cylinders come in a custom Winter Holiday color scheme! Collection includes:
- “Let’s Just Get Through Christmas” by Doctor Turtle; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
- “Winter Chimes” by Kevin MacLeod; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
- “Jingle Bells” by Kevin MacLeod; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
- “Classical Guitar – Greensleeves” by anddij; Copyright: Public Domain
- “Carol of the Bells (Christmas Cover)” by myuu; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
- “The Kiddies Christmas Frolic Part 1 – Morning” by Columbia Orchestra; Licensed under a Public Domain/Sound Recording Common Law Protection License.
- “The Kiddies Christmas Frolic Part 2 – Evening” by Columbia Orchestra; Licensed under a Public Domain/Sound Recording Common Law Protection License.
- “The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71 – Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Copyright: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- “The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71 – Chinese Dance – The Reed, Pipe Dance” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Copyright: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- “The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71 – Miniature Overture, March” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Copyright: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- “Auld Lang Syne” by Jeris; Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
(NOTE: You will need a Phonograph placed on a Property in-game to play these wax cylinders)
Community Spotlight: Dragomir – Player Owned Town
This week’s community spotlight features the Player Owned Town, Dragomir! Each week we tour towns and talk with guilds and other groups, all of which are open to be spotlighted on coming tours brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.
This spotlight tells a special tale, where CatherineRose, govenor of Dragomir, shares her story about the town from the beginning. Have a read:
The dream of a peaceful paradise named for thee, my husband Duke Gregorie Dragomir, seems to fade as the setting sun disappears into the sea and darkness overtakes the land.
Ye chose this land and this town to be the home of our dreams but a horrible fire dragon devastated all we created. In the final days of the battle to save Dragomir from the wrath of dragons, my precious husband and I were defending our town against the last dragon’s assault. The dragon with the advantage and my strength fading, my death loomed before me and I knew the end would soon be. With great courage and love pushing himm my precious Gregorie lunged between me and the dragon and dealt the final victorious blow. I watched with terrified eyes as the dragon and my husband plunged into the great abyss to their death below the cliffs of Dragomir.
Alone, I survived.
Upcoming Events
Nov 28, 2016 – Fall into Winter Telethon and Expirations (House Stacking in Bundles, etc.)
Dec 9, 2016 – Community of the Avatar livestream
Dec 15, 2016 – Release 37
Dec 16, 2016 – Community of the Avatar livestream
Dec 20, 2016 – R37 Postmortem
Jan 26, 2017 – Release 38
Feb 23, 2017 – Release 39
Feb 25, 2017 – Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Event
Mar 17, 2017 – SXSW Gaming
Mar 30, 2017 – Release 40Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out this month’s Release Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
Event of the Week
Prism and Diamond Fields present a Grandmaster Tutoring/Recipe Event
We invite all grandmaster Crafters to come and share their knowledge to new and would be grandmasters. At least one grandmaster Carpenter, Tailor and Blacksmith, Alchemist, Cook, Enchanter, Masterwork Tailer, Masterwork Blacksmith, will be attending, and able to mentor parties of folks. If more grandmasters donate their time then even more can be mentored.
You must bring your own materials to this event. There are merchants very near by the crafting pavilion in Diamond Fields but prices may increase due to turn out. A banker is also near buy so you can shuttle in your raw materials and squirrel them away ahead of time for the event.
You can teleport to Lace Delamorte, or zone into Port Phoenix and take the first boat on the left to Diamond Fields. Hope to see you there!
Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Recommended Projects to Back
Eric “Wingman” Peterson and team are bringing back six-degrees-of-freedom combat by blasting 90’s action game favorite, Descent, into the 21st Century with current-generation gaming technology. Descent: Underground is more than a graphics upgrade. Get ready for multiple types of customizable ships! Prepare for upgradable weapons and sensors with richly-detailed tech trees. Brace yourself for destructible voxel maps with new power-ups and mod tools to make your own maps and more!
Backer Shipping Addresses
In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image.A reminder to be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!
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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a great story from enderandrew. It is entitled
Diary of Bob the WizardVol I
Reality is defined by our perception of it. Magic is the art of altering reality. If I can subvert their perception of the world, then I’m altering their reality. In that sense, I am a wizard. I just use different methods than most.
Some accuse me of chicanery and legerdemain. Technically that is true, but that doesn’t mean I’m not doing magic in my own way. The minor tasks I’m frequently employed for can usually be accomplished by mundane means. People are just too lazy or insecure to do so without the belief that they have magical assistance.
So when I tell people I’ve enabled them with ritual or some magical fetish, I am helping people. How dare they accuse me of fraud or theft? The ungrateful vulgarians!
I may not be entirely honest in all of my phrasings, but people looking for magical solutions really only want to be baffled and assuaged really.
I don’t think they realize that magic is more rare these days than past tales indicate, though those could all be falsehoods. Scholars and historians like Joorus the Scribe believe magic was fundamentally altered with The Fall and the cannibalistic consumption of a sister moon that led to Daedalus.
That is possible. But does it matter what magic might have been in the past if that magic is now unobtainable? Either we can discover new magic now, or we do our best to fake it to placate the masses in exchange for gold.
There are worse professions out there. Those that are so eager to hand over their coin for baubles and reassurances will do so for someone at some point. Why shouldn’t I then be the one to relieve them of their gold they are so wont to spend?
Vol II
There is a funny thing in pretending to be an expert in something. The more you know about a subject, the more convincing you are in pretence. You’re encouraged to study the skill you approximate. With anything else you might reach a point where it is easier to just legitimately learn something, but magic isn’t so simple. Not everyone possesses the initial spark and I doubt if it can simply be learned.
I’ve been a bit defensive in the past in this journal. I’m not sure if anyone will ever read it. I keep it private currently for obvious reasons, but perhaps someday a historian will inquire about my work. If I am slandered I hope someone will uncover this in time and allow my version of events to defend me.
I may not have any actual control over arcane arts, but I have spent considerable time studying any text I can on the subject. I figured that if what I said was consistent and accurate with what any other wizard said, then I would simply be that much more convincing.
But now it is becoming an obsession. I’m a little jealous now that there are pioneers rediscovering magic who can do some truly incredible things. I’ve been improving my illusions and tricks to mirror some of their feats. But I must admit I’m also hopeful that if I study enough I might unlock some latent talent in me.
The concept of magic has always fascinated me. I’ve always seen myself some day wielding great power.
I have a plan. To date I’ve only spoken to rubes to make money with my act. I’ve never tried to convince real practitioners of magic of my ability. I’m thinking of hosting and assembling a magical symposium in Rift’s End.
If I gather magic users, I can study them directly up close. If any of their magic appears to be driven by physical talismans and fetishes, I might be able to purloin one. It will also be a useful test to see I can fool my would-be peers.
If this is the last entry in my journal, then it will be readily apparent that this was not a good idea. But fortune favors the bold. Risk can lead to great breakthroughs.
Vol III
My last entry was somewhat prescient. It was not my last entry. But there was great payoff for my gamble, and it was somehow simultaneously a terrible idea.
My act held up well enough. It was easy enough as an organizer to constantly ask questions of others and divert away any serious attention from myself on having to demonstrate real magical ability. On the few occasions that someone asked me to demonstrate my approach or ask about my methodology, I would chuckle and deflect the question by saying “my methods are fairly well covered in my early texts. I’d be a poor host merely flaunting my own findings. I am here to be a humble host by seeing what I can learn from alternate approaches.”
Of course my early texts are intentional vagaries designed to create the appearance of competence so I can sell my “magical” services to anyone ignorant enough to hire me. No one called me out on referencing my early works. Had they cited any ambiguity, I would have claimed to have even earlier works than those that perhaps they hadn’t read.
I think most of the attendees were genuinely excited to speak with each other and learn. Magic in New Britannia had been effectively reset since The Fall four centuries prior. Either the nature of magic was truly changed on a fundamental level as many had claimed, or it was just that all prior knowledge was lost with the cataclysmic event and the chaos that followed.
In the Age of Survival, literally more pressing needs for food, shelter and security pre-empted more academic pursuits. In the Age of Warring Cities, rediscovering magic suddenly became a concern but most had little to start off with. Some of the earliest success was with Chaos magic, but was understandably unpredictable. (Note, if I am ever really forced to prove my ability, I will use the unpredictable nature of Chaos magic as a further excuse).
It was in the third age that magic really came to life again. Many of the biggest advances came from a group that history hasn’t treated too kindly, the Obsidian Cabal. I’m not one to judge morality too harshly given my career path. But Obsidian magics are so reviled by historians that I have never been able to study one of their texts.
I’ve long desired one of their tomes, but I thought it out of my reach. But then a funny thing happened.
I noticed that one of the attendees at my symposium never once took notes, and rarely spoke up. Some wizards are known for exceptional memorization techniques and not everyone cares for social niceties. But this man was not shy or obtuse. I found him often staring intently at others, but usually not the given speaker at the moment. He was sizing everyone up. He wasn’t here to learn new magical techniques because he was that confident that his own prowess and methods must already surpass all of them. Furthermore, the way he sized them all up suggested to me that he might find himself at odds with them.
I could think of only one group that would find everyone as an enemy and would be that confident in their magical knowledge. This man must be an Obsidian, as impossible as that sounded! Some had speculated that the Obsidian Cabal never truly disappeared, but merely went underground (metaphorically or literally).
I knew immediately that if there was one attendee I wanted to steal from, it was him. Since he was visiting Rift’s End and staying in temporary accommodations I knew his security would not be as good as his home lair. A dishonest life has led me to acquire several skills of questionable legality and morality. Picking his lock was not difficult.
I must have set off some magical security however as some elemental pet was instantly summoned to the room. I found myself exceptionally lucky that as it lunged forward to attack me, I was able to aim my wand right in its open mouth and fire the fireworks charge hidden within. It was stunned enough for me to finish the job with quick dagger strikes.
I scanned the room looking for my prize. I found a tome and a large gem, wrapped several times over again in cloth. I ran and have been running since.
More than a few nights since I’ve survived only because of my ability to hide. But I’ve seen some of the creatures stalking me. I know that if I was ever found, I would suffer greatly.
The post Bob the Wizard 1 – by enderandrew – narrated by Asclepius appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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This week’s community spotlight features the Player Owned Town, Dragomir! Each week we tour towns and talk with guilds and other groups, all of which are open to be spotlighted on coming tours brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.
This spotlight tells a special tale, where CatherineRose, govenor of Dragomir, shares her story about the town from the beginning. Have a read:
The funeral marched on toward the evening setting sun as Spirit and I watched as my dear husband is carried across the sea.
The dream of a peaceful paradise named for thee, my husband Duke Gregorie Dragomir, seems to fade as the setting sun disappears into the sea and darkness overtakes the land.
Ye chose this land and this town to be the home of our dreams but a horrible fire dragon devastated all we created. In the final days of the battle to save Dragomir from the wrath of dragons, my precious husband and I were defending our town against the last dragon’s assault. The dragon with the advantage and my strength fading, my death loomed before me and I knew the end would soon be. With great courage and love pushing him, my precious Gregorie lunged between me and the dragon and dealt the final victorious blow. I watched with terrified eyes as the dragon and my husband plunged into the great abyss to their death below the cliffs of Dragomir.
Alone, I survived.
My heart aches from the loneliness and the absence of you taken from me during the final battle with the dragon. My dearest husband how will I go on and how will I live in this land, this brand new world without thee, my most beloved friend?
I must sing my song, my song of your gift of your love for me.
I must sing my song, my song of your treasure from you to me.
This song in my heart which holds your love within my soul
I must sing.
Because you brought this gift to me I will share with all who come into our town.
I must sing this song of love.
I must share.
We will share.
We will sing and share this song of love
We will sing of Our Beloved Town of Peace.
Our song of love… our
Dragomir
The dragon bones are all that remain of the battle in the devastation of our town. Our hopes were gone and yet our beloved town has been rebuilt into this metropolis of Precious Peace, our Dragomir!
As Dragomir is being repopulated I will carry our hopes and dreams into the future.
A monument of the dragon slain stands in the town square. It is a memorial of the sacrifice you made for me and all who make their home in Dragomir. Your spirit is felt and seen in every aspect of the town and grows as your spirit will continue to grow within me.
The present has awakened with freshness like the land after a rain.
Dragomir is located in the Longfall Region north east of Aerie. Traveling the road north from Aerie, Dragomir is the first town in the rolling meadow on the left. It is located conveniently near Aerie which provides additional shopping as well as training for skill advancement.
Dragomir welcomes everyone to live, play and find peace and joy in our town.
Many different locations for building a home make this town ideal. Dragomir has available property by the sea, lots near each of the town shopping and crafting areas, water front lots and lots high on cliffs overlooking the central part of the town. Every type of property is available here.
This beautiful ship is called home by one of the residents.
This beautiful home is near the cliff crafting area. It can be viewed directly as you enter the town.
There many sizes and types of homes all of which will be great in which to raise a family.
A fire burned this house, but it still is called home. Other homes can be seen on a nearby island.
One of the houses along the town square avenue faces the central docks.
Dragomir even has outhouses near the recreation areas, so you may stay and play longer.
This lovely property has scenic view of the waterfall, lake and island residences.
Dragomir is a great for this ranch, is a horse friendly area, and all-around perfect for the horse and animal lover. Feel free to stable your horse anywhere on your property.
The morning beckons the Oracle to begin watch over the town. There is no need to leave town to conduct your daily business or to speak with the Oracle.
Welcome to the Central Town Square!
Breathtaking views can be yours if you choose this property with a view of island homes from a cliff overlooking the lush forest and Lake Dragomir.
The owner of this home enjoys growing plants while relaxing in the hot tub on the top floor of this greenhouse home.
There are three different shopping areas. One near the waterfall, one near the cliff as you enter Dragomir, and the largest one near the central docks. Each of these areas has Public Craft Pavilions to repair equipment or to create your favorite crafts. These areas are open to visitors and residents to use these crafting tables as well as sell or buy goods from vendors.
Crafting and shopping near the waterfall.
Largest of the crafting Pavilions is located near the town square as you are nearing the central docks.
This crafting and shopping area is close to the first cliff which you will see if you travel straight upon entering the town.
Dragomir has several recreation areas for family and friends to gather, picnic and play. One of these areas is on an island with places to sit and relax or sleep in tents beneath the new world’s skies. There are pets on the island that will keep you smiling and give you comfort. Two other areas for entertainment are near the central docks. Avatars can enjoy concerts or dinner by the sea and play games with friends.
A public area is available for games and music for family gatherings or for just ringing the bells in the Bell Tower.
Imagine attending a concert or a dinner by the sea or sleeping under the stars or relaxing in the hot tubs within these stone columns.
Sleep, rest, and play with pets on this island recreation area.
This is the entrance into the island public recreation area for family and pets.
Dragomir’s shopping in the town square under the glorious night sky. Enjoy this view from the main docks where the town crier and a banker are located.
Skeletons remained after Halloween in hopes of getting to join the Thanksgiving feast.
Memento Mori Guild has a chapter house in Dragomir near the main bridge near the central docks. Dragomir is the perfect, safe and peaceful place to host other guild houses. Dragomir is committed to never allowing sieges within her walls. Dragomir is a sanctuary for all who work or play or live here.
For anyone’s pleasure Dragomir has several public chests placed around the town. As you run from location to location you will notice these public chests. These are for you to open and take something that may be of interest to you. You can put something in the chest for someone else to take. “Give something back, take what you want.”
Each month beginning in January (earth time), we will host a game or quest with fun prizes.
I invite you to join in the vision of these hopes and dreams for our town. There is much in the future of Dragomir, only limited by your imagination. Come and dream big! Help us as this new world goes forward into becoming the greatest world known to all Avatars.
I will view the sunset often and reflect upon all that has past, but I am looking forward to the bright future for all who choose to live in Dragomir.
If interested in becoming part of our community, message me, CatherineRose, in the forums or in-game. I will be very glad to meet you at the entrance and go with you, show you around and answer any questions you may have.
See you soon!
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It's nearly upon us! After the Thanksgiving break, we will be returning full-steam on Monday to run the Fall into Winter Telethon. Livestream kicks off at 12pm CT and runs for 12-hours to Midnight.
Visit the official telethon announcement to check out all of the sweet items we have ready to give away, check out what's being expired at the end of the event, and don't forget to ask your questions for us to answer live! -
From last week’s Update of the Avatar #203, we covered two scenes in the game that are getting special attention from World Builder, Travis Koleski, and Senior Environmental Artist, Scott Jones. Have a look below at the Making of Blood Bay and the continued work on Xenos Polish!
The Making of Blood Bay
Blood Bay is going to be an Open PVP area with two NPC towns, player housing, adventuring areas, and entrances to underground adventure areas. It is going to be a testing ground for several systems that will in turn propagate to other parts of the game if successful. We will be talking about more of those new systems and revealing more about the map during the Fall into Winter Telethon, so be sure to tune in.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski]
Here’s some early shots of Blood Bay.
Blood Bay is an open PVP map located on an atoll. At the ends of the arms of the atoll is a town founded by brigands and buccaneers. However, one side hosts more virtuous adventurers, while the other hosts adventurers with more colorful pasts, (there’s going to be a lot of fighting on this bridge).
Approaching the town from the less virtuous side of the island.
The view from the more virtuous side of the town.
Thanks for taking the time to see how Blood Bay is shaping up. There’s lots of unique features to this map that I’ll be unveiling as they reach completion!
Travis “Vas Corp Por” Koleski
World Builder
Xenos Polish
Right before we went persistent, we uncloned Xenos and made some modifications to it for specific plot points. However, we were not satisfied with the level of polish so we are revisiting this scene and doing a polish pass this release. We hope to have this pass complete by Release 38. Xenos is on the island of Elysium, southwest of Novia, and is a critical juncture on the Path of Truth.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Scott “Scottie” Jones]
Having had the chance to return to labors in Xenos, I’ve begun to flesh out areas of primary interest to me, which I hope will set the tone I want to achieve with the entire scene! Starting at one of the entrances, I wanted to ensure that one of the first things visitors understand is the fact that the culture of Xenos is ancient, predating the cataclysm, and that many of Xenos’ structures are actually built atop the foundations of the ruins beneath. In many cases, the most glorious of these were incorporated into the more modern architecture. Like the Rome of our world, there will be few places you can gaze that won’t hold details of the old world, both small and large. Here at the very entrance is no exception, for across the old road from the caravans of merchants lay a ruined courtyard surrounded by columns, its original use long forgotten.
Further along the path into the city proper, past tall and imposing aqueducts, grand roads lead up steep hills that wind their way through several of the richer neighborhoods, whose fantastic views are now graced with sculptured foliage, stone arches, and pillars topped with braziers. Where before there had been very little in the way of decorative finishing, I wanted to make sure that such steep roads and the leveled-off areas for player houses felt very “intentional” in their craftsmanship…
Though I have no idea which players have already claimed these lots, or which houses they have chosen for themselves, I have placed (for my own reference) houses there that remind me of old Roman villas, to help me capture the inspirational feel of the areas as I create the sights around me. Where before were only dirt paths or a sprinkling of cobbles, there now springs forth old stone retaining walls, granite stairs, and evenly-paved roads like those of ancient Pompeii. Added to that are publicly-maintained decorative flower pots, shrubs, and trees, which I’m hoping the proud owners of those houses will now enjoy gazing upon as they frame their view of the sparkling sea beyond, with the masts of tall ships rising from the harbor.
All of the decorations pictured are, of course, outside the boundaries of the lots themselves, so the beauty you see here will merely accent whatever decorations you choose to place yourself! At the top of this grand avenue, a partial circle of arches gloriously frames various angles of observation across the sprawling city itself. A fitting view, indeed, for those of such wealth and extravagance that can afford to live in the wondrous city of Xenos, gateway to the pleasures of distant Artifice!
I hope you’re enjoying these sneak peeks! Stay tuned for more to come!Scottie ^_^
Senior Environmental Artist -
Raffle tickets may be purchased in-game and grant the holder a chance to win deeds of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.
There are two raffles, one for each lot type:- Place Anywhere Deeds (20):
- Row: 10
- Village: 6
- Town: 3...
Tickets for Release 36 Lot Deed Raffle - Place Anywhere Deeds (20):
Close to Etceter and several other player owned towns along the northern shore of the Quel peninsula, I saw a great many in that cavern of wonders that drove me to write this spotlight. Here is what I witnessed:
SOTA NewsCommunity Spotlight: Numinous Gleann – Player Owned Town
in Portalarium News Feed
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We are touring all kinds of towns and talking with guilds and other groups throughout this spotlight series, brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid.
Entering from the main bridge, I saw the prominent Statues of the Virtues guarding the town center. Just beyond the statues was a farm of greenhouses for as far as the eye could see. Already in awe of the great sights I was witnessing, I knew I was going to enjoy my time here.
As I walked across the main bridge, I was greeted by a Town Crier, who welcomed me to Numinous Gleann and quickly introduced me to govenor Frederick Glasgow.
Frederick escorted me to the the town’s common crafting area, located in the shadows of the Statues of the three Virtues. The members of the Numinous Gleann Merchant Society are just a few steps away under a row of awnings and ready to assist everyone that comes on by.
We then paid a visit to one of the taverns in town. While there, I asked Frederick… “With such a large dragon statue on the island across the bay, there must be a story here?”
“There is indeed!” he replied, paused to collect his thoughts, and then started into the story as his eyes seemed lost in the past.
“As a small boy, my father told me of this place he visited long ago with some friends. Although it was quite beautiful, it was inhabited by a large and dangerous dragon, Rethos. When I grew older, I decided it was time to strike out on my own, so I went there with trusted allies to kill the dragon and claim the land as mine.” I watched as Frederick’s eyes suddenly filled with pain.
“The quest was not easy. We headed west along the only path into the mountains at the time. My father once said the dragon’s nesting area was deep in the valley by a cluster of overgrown gigantic tree stumps. We spent days searching the foothills, finally discovering the tree stumps just over the next hill.
While we were refilling our water canteens in a nearby stream, without warning, the dragon suddenly appeared above us and starting attacking anything that moved. The dragon’s fire breath and the ash it kicked up blocked out the light from the sun. Many brave souls were lost that day.”
As Frederick’s eyes drifted off toward the back wall of the tavern, a barkeep, who introduced herself as Gloria, appeared and gave us both a mug of ale. As I took a sip, Frederick downed the entire mug in one gulp, as if he needed to drown the pain he was reliving.
“We quickly retreated back to Numinous Gleann. To our horror though, on the very next day we discovered Rethos resting in the island off the coast by the town. We crossed the bay on boats to distract the dragon in order to engage him. Archers and mages flanked as best as they could while the few swordsman we managed to gather took the lead charge.
What seemed like hours went by, but eventually we defeated Rethos. However, in doing so, my friend and trusted Captain of the Guard, Ion McTavis, died at the scene. I paid six artisans from Desolis to erect a statue on the island as a reminder of the price paid to secure the town. The bones of the fallen remain there as a memorial to the lost.”
After his tale, I then asked Frederick, “Who is welcome to seek refuge in Numinous Gleann from these rogue dragons?”
“Everyone is welcome! You do not need to be a member of any guild to live here. As the governor, I have worked to create a place where players of all types can call home. I believe in the principles of being friendly and respectful to each other.
Guilds are more than welcome to place Guild Chapter Homes here for their members who would like a base of operations in the south. In fact, I have placed housing on the island for the free use by guild members. Each house even includes a filled greenhouse on the top floor.”
Tell us about the current residents of Numinous Gleann:
“The residents of Numinous Gleann are all active players, spending a lot of time improving not only their homes but also helping each other. The town residents are from the guild I am in, Every Virtue is Lasting (EVL). As Govenor, I have tried to establish with the community that I am a fair and friendly person, and visitors see that in what we offer here.
The town residents, along with a vast number of people from distant lands, come to participate in our weekly Treasure Chest Hunt. The purpose of the hunt is two-fold. First, it allows the community to engage in a fun and exciting game that rewards them with various weekly prizes for finding the chest. The second reason is to allow folks to see the town as it develops, and possibly find a place to call home for themselves or a friend they may know.”
What are the unique areas of the town?
“We have the Numinous Gleann Theatre for use by anyone in the community, including several gustball fields that are regularly occupied. There is even a secluded waterfall area perfect for diving and swimming. Also, I placed a memorial for Lacey, a beloved guild and community member who is now decorating for the angels, near the waterfall.”
What is the town’s future?
“The future of Numinous Gleann is bright! Residents want the town to be a happy, fun, and helpful place for all adventurers of any skill level. There will never be any town taxes here and residents can be assured all newcomers will be welcomed and treated with the utmost respect.”
If interested in becoming part of the Numinous Gleann community, please message Frederick Glasgow in the official forums. You can also message him in-game of course!
Do you have a Player Owned Town, guild, or other type of group that makes available great things for the community? Let us know! We would like to include your establishment in an upcoming spotlight. Just send Berek a brief proposal of what you have to share!
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