Jack T. Lamplighter
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Posts posted by Jack T. Lamplighter
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- The Making of Brittany
- The Making of the Halls of Artifice
- New Male Avatar
- RizeUp Cystic Fibrosis Charity Drive
- 45 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
The Making of Brittany
This is a continuation of a post from last week…
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
SNEAK PEEK PART 2: CAPITAL OF NOVIA
Hey guys! SorcerousSteve here to give you an update on Brittany!
*Everything that has been shown so far is to be contained in the scene Brittany (Central).
Last week I showed a screenshot of the South Portside Gate, this week we can see more of the Portside as it will appear from the ocean. Including one of Brittany’s main roads, the road that leads straight to Castle Brittany from the Port of Brittany. From the Port of Brittany to the Castle it is 5 blocks of dedicated area where you’ll find player housing. Taking this screenshot below into consideration we are still only seeing about 40% of Brittany (Central).
This week I began construction on one of Brittany’s most affluent districts, located on the city’s North Gate. This is where a good number of the city’s town, city, and village lots will be located. A short walk away from the heart of Brittany, (Brittany Castle and the Oracle Temple), its comprised mainly of stone architecture, its gardens are tended, and its inhabitants live a more refined life style. If you got the money you definitely want to consider setting up a home here.
Also on the works this week, is the Southern most part of Brittany Central. Unlike the latter, its is one of the cities poorest districts and in close proximity to the agricultural area of Brittany (Central) including the Brittany Dam. Many of its inhabitants live in shacks and ramshackles in muddy streets.
That’s it for now folks! Stay tuned for more on the City of Brittany as it unfolds!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level DesignerThe Halls of Artifice (A Work In Progress)
This is a continuation from a post from several weeks ago…
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]
As I return to work on the wondrous Halls of Artifice, I begin by designing the first of the three primary halls that are accessed from the main Entry Chamber. Each of these are themed upon the ideals of pleasure and bounty as personal paradises shared with only those lucky few who have already found their way here, and remain to enjoy their chosen state of bliss. An indication of what awaits within can be seen spilling out into the entry vestibule as one approaches the first of these enticing halls that I have created.
Behold a chamber of sensual opulence, where exotic, overstuffed furnishings upon which one may sit and lay can be found on every side. Rich, warm light spills into the hall from velvet-curtained stained glass windows on every wall, and luxurious veils of red muslin hang from the ceiling, giving the chamber the feeling of grand comfort and intimacy that even a sultan’s harem would envy! This is the Hall of Youth and Vigor, and one can only imagine the pleasures to be shared with those deemed worthy of its offerings. Here and there, mirrors, vanities, shelves, and dressers tucked away in the shadowy recesses, offer the perfect gentle glow where an adherent to such joys might admire the perfection of one’s own visage, or discreetly gaze back on the activities of others.
At the far end of the hall, below a dim lanthorn, a small circular table has been placed, upon which rests a strange object, like a hexagonal chest. What mysteries does it contain, and by what secret methods might it open? Is it, perhaps, a reliquary? The shadows around it are deep, and it will not be even nearly as enticing as the sights and sounds that will surround you once this chamber is adorned with the beautiful denizens that will welcome you to join them in their endless ecstasies.
Turning back, one can see the golden doorway through which this hall was achieved. Could it be possible that each of the other doors leads to equally opulent and enchanting luxuries? If so, there can be little doubt that leaving this place of miracles might be the last thing you’d ever want to do! Ah well, as tempting as the glowing portal may be, the youthful beauties splayed conveniently upon nearby beds and couches,…or even the ones admiring themselves in the grand mirrors,…are far more tempting still. Perhaps they would enjoy some company?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this first taste of Paradise!
More to come…
Scottie ^_^
New Male Avatar
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Kevin Wells]
Hey everybody! My name is Kevin and I’ve been doing character art for Shroud of the Avatar for the past few years.
It’s been a blast building content for the game. In my time here, I’ve worked on a variety of content; from creatures to armors, hats, and masks. It’s been a long road shaping and creating the many assets for the characters, but I’m very excited that now it’s time to revisit and push out a big polish pass on all the character assets.
We decided to start at the beginning, and I’m proud to say that I was given the opportunity to kick off our character polish pass with the male player character. The new male avatar will debut in Release 28, and I can’t wait for everyone to get a look.
I basically started over from scratch and built the avatar with an aesthetic that I felt best fit into the Shroud universe. And except for finer, more subtle details (particularly texture details in areas like the eyes and mouth) I’m calling the new avatar complete! As an artist, I never stop wanting to push the visual quality, but we absolutely wanted to get this guy updated as soon as possible.
I also want to shout out a huge thank you to both to our animation lead Matt for marrying the new avatar to our existing rig and animations, and our newest character art department addition Fletcher, who helped in getting the many player wearables fit to the updated avatar silhouette. I’m thrilled to have the chance to make this update and I hope everyone likes the new male Avatar!
I grabbed the following shots from a variety of maps to show him in different lighting scenarios
RizeUp Cystic Fibrosis Charity Drive
Our friends at RizeUp Gaming are working through the weekend to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. You can help them make a difference.
45 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations!
As we march toward the Final Wipe and Lot Selection milestone this summer, we are permanently expiring almost half pledges during the Spring 2016 Pledge Expiration Event, which will occur at 10:30 AM CST, May 2, 2016 (following the next wipe for Release 29). The remaining pledges, as well as new Player Owned Towns, will be expired during the Summer 2016 Expiration Event.
Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
The following pledges will no longer be available for purchase or upgrade after May 2, 2016:
- Immortal Adventurer
- Virtual Collector
- Collector
- ** Navigator [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- ** Developer [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- Citizen
- Knight
- Lord
- Baron 1/2/3
[More Spring 2016 Expiration details…]
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:For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- EVL R27 Hat Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting [EVL] would like to tip their hats to the developers for providing the community with a cool hat for the last seventeen releases, and have decided to carry on the tradition and run the R27 Hat Quest every Monday at 7pm NBT (CST). Everyone who successfully completes the Hat Quest by touring several of the new zones will receive a legendary bucket helm as a reward (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded.The first Monday of each month, the event returns to Bear Tavern, where it all began. If no locations are scheduled, the event will take place at Fire Lotus Tavern, by default. (/zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Virtue League PVP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
![virtue_league_banner_tournament[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/virtue_league_banner_tournament1-300x105.jpg)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld at Aschfahl Festung; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Stryker will travel to one of the local Novia taverns for an hour to open a bar tab for drinks in hopes of sharing stories, news, critique of the arts, music, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk (details)
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
![2636079_orig[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2636079_orig1-273x300.png)
Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, March 19
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
![paxsotabanner1[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/paxsotabanner11-300x63.jpg)
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 1:00pm CST Diamond Fields Putt Putt Golf Tourney
- When I say Kilt you say Scotland, when I say Scotland you say Golf! Therefore Prism and Diamond Fields invite you to come challenge our putt putt golf course On March 19th at 1pm NBT. Participants will receive kilts and the winners will receive the infamous New Brittania Masters Green Jacket, which just happens to coincide with the Irish St. Patrick’s celebrations. Store credit prizes for the lowest scores across all the holes for will be given out. 1st 20$, 2nd 10$, 3rd 5$ We will also have the balloon jump contest again for spectators with cash prizes for that as well. Pictures of the progress of the course build will be coming. Kilts, Golf, Beer (since no Scotch in game), and Green are the keywords for this event.
- 3:00pm
CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 3:00pm CST Bear Tavern – BannerBrawl!
- The Bear Tavern proudly presents: BannerBrawl 2v2! The rules are simple. Get all 4 banners simultaneously to your team’s color…over your opponents dead bodies, if necessary. Check out the full post.
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST Vengeance: PVP FFA/Brackets Tournament
- Meet in Vengeance and we’ll plan a location for a FFA or Brackets tournament
Sunday, March 20
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 4:00pm CST EVL The Gauntlet
- The GAUNTLET is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner of a full suit of CRITED chainmail armor! Runner up prizes will include a Ferocious Red Spider and more top gear.
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 27 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
Upcoming Events
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
In this Throne War Simulator, characters are persistent but the campaign worlds are not, thanks to voxel technology which enables fully-destructible settings. A seamless blend of an MMO with a large-scale strategy game, players are immortal champions, traveling between realms to fight in an eternal War of the Gods.
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Hello Everyone, Lord Baldrith here with an Amazing song/rap by Apollox Evanheart. You can get into this one it’s really awesome! Apollox has done the whole thing, Production/creation!
http://thecaverns.net/Podcasts/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/A-Rap-Toknight-3.mp3?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rssA Rap Toknight by Apollox Evanheart
Music titled Promethazine by Bruce Wayne
I’m the hottest thing
Let me show ya
Apollox Evanheart
Representing…. Novia
A Knight by day
A King in the sheets
Royalty by blood
Raised by the streetsBy the God’s
I’ve been blessed
The best thing to hit Shroud
Straight out of Wizards Rest
A surprise for all
That I’ve been gifted
But you know how it goes
No rest for the wickedYou know how it is
Ride in on my mount
Back talk this Knight
Pillage through your town
Plunder what I need
And get the hell out
Throw me a parade
You better bow downHotness
And you know this
Just met these wench’s
Collar full of lipstick
Gave you a night of me
Its was pleasant
But I got to go before breakfastI’m a warrior
I’m a soldier
If you don’t represent Chaos
Get the cold shoulderI rock a sword
I use a shield
Disrespect me
Will often get you killed
I think my time to shine
Is now
Try to dethrone me
I laugh out loud
You’re at a game of checkers
I’m at a game of chess
You’ve just been flattened
Call you hard pressed
Everything I do
No regrets
When I dominate
No one forgetsA dominating force
Dominating pleasure
Like a pirate
Lookin’ for booty
I’m getting my treasure
The haters hate
Said it couldn’t be done
Who do you bow for now in NovianO no
The end is near
Better write history
Make this very clear
I don’t demand respect
I push fear
My time is up
My path is clear
I’m out of time
Got to cause some pain
Hope you don’t mind
As I start my reign
The post A Rap Toknight – Rapped – Produced by Apollox Evanheart appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Hello everyone! Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar! We had a surprise guest this week while the podcast was going! We are happy to have guest:
Cordelayne
- Sneak Peek: Brittany, Capital of Novia
- The Making of Skrekk – Part 3
- The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 3
- Sandillox Wrestling Federation
- EVL Saint Patrick’s Day Pre-Party
- Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 27 Postmortem
- 52 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
The post Echoes From the Caverns 03-11-16 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:
- Sneak Peek: Brittany, Capital of Novia
- The Making of Skrekk – Part 3
- The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 3
- Sandillox Wrestling Federation
- EVL Saint Patrick’s Day Pre-Party
- 52 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
Sneak Peek: Brittany, Capital of Novia
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys, SorcerousSteve here to give you a teaser shot of the upcoming city of Brittany!
Captured below is the South Port side Gate. A hub of commerce and trade, its streets are littered with cargo from afar, muddy sludge from the wagons covers the cobblestone, and the stench of fish penetrates the air. Not the classiest part of town but home to some quite rugged folks. From here we can catch a glimpse of Brittany Castle in the far left, home to Lady Arabella, wife of the King of New Britannia, Lord British! If you look to your right, you can also catch a glimpse of a lighthouse, that section is currently under construction and will lead to the North Port side Gate. To put things into perspective, in this frame is one of the five city gates that will feed into Brittany Central, 4 of which will come from surrounding neighborhoods/suburbs and 1 which will lead in from the Brittany Graveyard.
Stay tuned for more progress on the City of Brittany!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level DesignerThe Making of Skrekk – Part 3
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard Matey]
It’s been some time but I feel confident with finishing Skrekk from a world building aspect. Scottie Jones was nice enough to help build up the kobold motif and making it feel like a very unique race / environment in the game. So here is a collection of screenshots from the main section of Skrekk. Expect to see even more locations and nooks to explore while playing the game.
RrMatey
Level DesignerThe Making of Shores of Malice – Part 3
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey folks SorcerousSteve once again to give you the latest on Malice!
Malice Throne Room: Home to the Throne of Malice and the center of the Undead Army.
The Halls of Malice are filled with chambers that served as a final resting place. Above is a huge furnace room that lies in the heart of Malice where bodies would have been incinerated.
A laboratory where bodies would have been experimented on and prepared for their eternal rest.
At the entrance of Malice you catch a glimpse of the teeming life located just above on the surface. A direct contrast to the dungeons of the City of the Dead.
Just as a refresher for all you guys this is what the exterior map/entrance to Malice will look like: aka Shores of Malice.
The Well of Sorrows, a pivotal moment awaits the Avatar here that may forever change his life.
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer
Sandillox Wrestling Federation
The Sandillox Entertainment Guild started the Sandillox Wrestling Federation, which they describe as a mix of PvP and Entertainment. They held their first wrestling event on February 27th (our apologies for not pre-announcing this cool event, but it somehow escaped our attention). They constructed an awesome wrestling ring at their beautiful Windy Fields Stadium, located in the metropolis of Rift’s End.
Thanks to community member JoBeDream for capturing the event on video! Very entertaining!
According to the Sandillox website, they plan to have quarterly SWF events. Interested in becoming a SWF competitive wrestler, hosting an SWF event, or becoming a member of the SWF Development Team? Checkout their website or send them an email at SandilloxEnt@gmail.com for more information.
![st-paddys[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/st-paddys1.jpg)
EVL Saint Patrick’s Day Pre-Party
[From a Release 27 Events Forum post by Kendric Darrow]
[EVL] would like to cordially invite you to a St. Patricks day Pre-party in the city of Owl’s Head.
Dress in your greenest gear and join us for dancing and drink a plenty! We will have some green give-aways PLUS we have hidden a “Pot-o-Gold” in a secret location in Owls Head. We will give out clues to all in attendance and the lucky avatar that finds the Pot-o-Gold will get 100,000 gold! Lets celebrate in style!
52 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations!
As we march toward the Final Wipe and Lot Selection milestone this summer, we are permanently expiring almost half pledges during the Spring 2016 Pledge Expiration Event, which will occur at 10:30 AM CST, May 2, 2016 (following the next wipe for Release 29). The remaining pledges, as well as new Player Owned Towns, will be expired during the Summer 2016 Expiration Event.
Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
The following pledges will no longer be available for purchase or upgrade after May 2, 2016:
- Immortal Adventurer
- Virtual Collector
- Collector
- ** Navigator [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- ** Developer [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- Citizen
- Knight
- Lord
- Baron 1/2/3
[More Spring 2016 Expiration details…]
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:For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- EVL R27 Hat Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting [EVL] would like to tip their hats to the developers for providing the community with a cool hat for the last seventeen releases, and have decided to carry on the tradition and run the R27 Hat Quest every Monday at 7pm NBT (CST). Everyone who successfully completes the Hat Quest by touring several of the new zones will receive a legendary bucket helm as a reward (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded.The first Monday of each month, the event returns to Bear Tavern, where it all began. If no locations are scheduled, the event will take place at Fire Lotus Tavern, by default. (/zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Virtue League PVP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld at Aschfahl Festung; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Stryker will travel to one of the local Novia taverns for an hour to open a bar tab for drinks in hopes of sharing stories, news, critique of the arts, music, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk (details)
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, March 12
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST Serenite Auction
- Join us in Serenite, next to Vengeance east of Grunvald Shardfall and Desolis, for a monthly Auction for all the best wares. Minimums are allowed but all bets will start at minimums if they exist. (Auction Hall in Serenite, East of Grunvald)
Sunday, March 13
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 5:00pm CST EVL Saint Patrick’s Day Pre-Party
- EVL would like to cordially invite you to a St. Patricks day Pre-party in the city of Owls Head. Dress in your greenest gear and join us for dancing and drink a plenty! We will have some green give-aways PLUS we have hidden a “Pot-o-Gold” in a secret location in Owls Head. We will give out clues to all in attendance and the lucky avatar that finds the Pot-o-Gold will get 100,000 gold! Lets celebrate in style!
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 27 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
Upcoming Events
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
Recap’s Second Album: “Pronoia”
We’re back!
It’s been over 2 years since our last album, “Neon Milk”, was successfully kickstarted, and we officially became “Recap”. In the time since, we’ve grown in countless ways both as artists and as people.
We’re incredibly excited to have the opportunity to show you just how far we’ve come, and want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support as we went through all the growing pains of bringing this unique band to life. We’re Kickstarting our next rap-powered electric rock album, “Pronoia” – A puzzle box that pieces together the dual-nature of everyday life!
They met their $5k funding goal in just 2 days and are now working on their stretch goals, including: $6k Epic custom album artwork created by Tortoise & Hare Creations’ Indi Martin, $7k Official “Pronoia” drink recipe & pint glasses from Relics by Rild for $25+ pledges, and more! Please check out their Kickstarter campaign and back them if you like what you hear!
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Hello Everyone: Lord Baldrith here with another fine and emotional poem by Apollox Evanheart! I have been asked to create this piece with emotion and heartfelt apathy to an emotionally troubled and terrorized soldier in times of battle.
A Change…From Knight to Day by Apollox Evanheart
Music: “Prepare Your Swords” by Bojidar Marinov
I feel like a monster
While enemies fall victim to my sword
I’ve protected my King and country
But I don’t deserve any rewards
I feel hopeless
Those things will never seem to change
Loyalty, Respect and Honor is my code
But now that becomes something to blameI’ve slain many men
Most having family and children
I’m praised as a hero
But suffer and feel more like a villain
Who am I to judge?
How do I decide who to save?
I’ve lead my men to victory
But I don’t deserve your praiseThese visual hallucinations
Are eating me up inside
The voices speak calmly to me
Often leaving me to cry
Another day I will suffer
Another day I ask why
Something has got to give or break
I can’t take another sleepless nightI want to stop the voices
I want to contain this rage
I’ve done this my whole life
Now I grow old in age
Is it too late to change my path?
Can I even be redeemed?
If Nataurz taught me anything
It’s to always follow your dreams
http://thecaverns.net/Podcasts/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/A-Change...From-Knight-to-Day_Written_by_Apollox_Evanheart_Narrated_by_Lord_Baldrith.mp3?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rssThe post A Change…From Knight to Day-Written by Apollox Evanheart-Narrated by Lord Baldrith appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Hello everyone! Lord Baldrith here with a great and dark poem by Apollox Evanheart. Produced by Lord Baldrith.
I Bid You…Goodnight by Apollox Evanheart
Music: “Closed Area” by: Alexandr Zhelanov https://soundcloud.com/alexandr-zhelanov?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss
Sometimes I struggle
Feeling as if I’m bypassed
Looking forward to the future
But haunted by my past.
I try to reach the next chapter
I try to turn the page
A book with a happy beginning
But its contents filled with rageNot a day goes by
I don’t start to contemplate
I try for a better life
Only beginning to hesitate
Held back by my fears
Losing grip of my dreams
If your heard the voices I have
You’d also like to screamI don’t want to be a hero
I don’t want to be your saint
I give into the overwhelming pain
I don’t show much for restraint
I might seem to have wisdom
I may seem I have a voice
But if I was to try make a good decision
I wouldn’t be able to make that choiceI’ve dealt with it this long
Ill deal with it some more
Another chapter to be wrote
Another voice to ignore
I’m done for now with this battle
I no longer want to fight
I want to say to be continued
As I bid you… goodnight
http://thecaverns.net/Podcasts/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/I-Bid-You...Goodnight_Written_and_Narrated_by_Apollox_Evanheart.mp3?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rssThe post I Bid You…Goodnight-Written and Narrated by Apollox Evanheart appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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Hello everyone, this is Asclepius, with a wonderful story from Dirk Hammerstrike, entitled
The Ghost Horses of Crag
Background music by Smartsound.
The harsh winds carried the sound of frantic horses, and thundering hooves. Every soul in the camp instantly felt chilled to the bone, as if struck by magic.
“Boy, get over here!” the man roared at his young apprentice. “I’ve sunk too much time into training you up, can’t afford to lose you now.” Old Cobb turned back to the roaring fire and pulled a well worn cloak tighter over his shoulders.
Their guide and the hired men laughed at the boy, and all returned to staring into the fire, each largely left to their own thoughts as the night air grew heavier. All had some idea of what might lay beyond the dim light.
Adale was a young lad nearing his 13th winter. He’d been in the house of Cobb the Wood craftsman since before he could remember. An orphan of the Satyr wars near 10 years past, Cobb had given Adale all he had in this life. Adale had begun to earn his keep before he could speak: moving smaller supplies to the work area, cleaning up the scraps, bringing meals, polishing the finished goods, and acting as a lookout for pickpockets and thieves on market day. Now he did much of the prep work, ran to the merchants to refill their ever diminishing supply of wax & creosote, and anything else Cobb needed a young back to handle. But with all his experience, Adale had never been further away from home than the Elysium fields, until now.
This had so far not been the adventure Adale had imagined it would be. He’d fallen overboard on the trip from Port Phoenix to Etceter. The tale had earned Cobb a few drinks already, and much to Adale’s chagrin very little embelishment was required. But the boy knew his place in the world, and did not act beyond it. He just worried if Cobb had the same realization, and soon. They were supposed to have delivered goods and been on their way back already. Cobb overheard some men in the square speak of the quality of wood in the nearby foothills. It was amazingly beautiful stuff, a dense smooth wood with dark maroon tones. Given Etceter’s proximity to the woods, it’s price was seemingly outlandish. Cobb’s mind was made up. They would go fetch some themselves.
Here they found themselves, in the foothills of Crag, with a handful of men, gathered with promise of coin on their safe return. Only the guide was a local. The swords had come on the same ship from Port Phoenix and were eager for work: felling trees, guarding against bandits and wild beast alike, whatever was required. Most of them were friendly enough but the guide seemed to have taken a dislike to Adale.
“Boy, do ye not know what that sound is?” the guide asked Adale. Adale had not asked the man’s name nor was it given when Adale had told the man his own name. It left Adale in a bit of an awkward place. He did not wish to insult the man, but did not know what to call him.
“No guidesman… though it sounded like horses to me” Adale replied.
“It’s the ghost horses of Crag, have you not heard of them?” the guide questioned him again.
The group leaned in toward the tale, some in fear, others with a small smirk, but all paying rapt attention.
“In the days of yore they were slaughtered by the thousands. Errant men greedily searching for experience killing beasts would attack the great herds on the plains of Quel and drive them into the foothills. There the beasts were cornered and killed. Most of the time they weren’t even harvested for meat nor hide, just left to rot. The evil deeds of men permeated the blood soaked landscape. It is said to give the wood of these trees their luster”
Here the guide paused, and stared Adale in the eyes.
He continued “That is also why the wild beasts here are so hostile now. Killing intent soaked into the very earth, polluting streams, plants and animals alike. Could you not feel it from that black wolf earlier? It took all of us to bring it down.”
The swords began to look nervously at the pile of fuel for the fire. Would it last the night? Would they? Adale felt fear claw deep into his heart. His hand went to the simple knife at his hip seeking comfort.
“You would do well to mind your surroundings here Boy. And whatever other choices you make, be sure to find shelter before the last light fades.”
With those words spoken, the guide rose up and walked off into the night. The others were too stunned to respond in time, and he disappeared before they reached the edge of the fire light in pursuit.
Old Cobb laughed heartily as they returned to the fire, and suggested that the guide was simply off pissing in the bushes.
The wind blew again, and the neigh and whinny of angry horses could be heard louder than before. As the wind died down the sound of hooves grew louder still, and Adale stood, gripping the knife before him like a talisman to ward off evil. Some of the men made prayers and promises to the Oracle, others cursed her name. The pounding of hooves was all around them now, like a wall of sound. The shadows beyond the light seemed to ebb and flow, and the ground began to shake. Something flew out of the darkness, knocking Adale over, and he knew no more.
Adale woke with a terrible headache at mid-day, to the sound of birds chirping in the nearby trees. The fire was long smoldering, and the others were gone. Even Cobb. The area around the camp was heavily trampled, and there were signs that the men did not simply run off. Blood, torn cloth and blades littered the ground around him. He said a small prayer for the dead and hoped the Oracle would judge Cobb true if the time had come. He’d been a good man. Adale had some idea of which way they’d come from, and gathered what he could salvage. There was little else to do and so he set off. He did not have long, looking up at the sky. The guide’s last words echoed in his mind… “be sure to find shelter before the last light fades.”
The post The Ghost Horses of Crag – by Dirk Hammerstrike – narrated by Asclepius 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:
- Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
- Kobold Themed Areas
- SotAMap.com
- Recap’s Second Album: “Pronoia”
- Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 27 Postmortem
- NBNN News: Lazarus Interviews Starr Long
- The Gallery of Wonderful Horrors Wants You!
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
54 Day Countdown to Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations!
As we march toward the Final Wipe and Lot Selection milestone this summer, we are expiring seven of the seventeen remaining pledges during the Spring 2016 Pledge Expiration Event, which will occur at 10:30 AM CST, May 2, 2016 (following the next wipe for Release 29). The remaining ten pledges, as well as new Player Owned Towns, will be expired during the Summer 2016 Expiration Event.
Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations
The following pledges will no longer be available for purchase or upgrade after May 2, 2016:
- Immortal Adventurer
- Virtual Collector
- Collector
- ** Navigator [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- ** Developer [originally expired August 31, 2015 for backers below Patron level]
- Citizen
- Knight
- Lord
- Baron 1/2/3
The Spring 2016 expirations DO NOT affect any backers that are already entitled to these rewards as listed in the pledge description at the time you pledged or upgraded. These expirations only affect new backers, or existing backers that have not upgraded to the specified pledge tiers before the expiration date.
(NOTE: At this stage of development, receiving an item in-game does not automatically mean that you are entitled to that item long-term. A “bug” in the item delivery system could result in an item being awarded incorrectly. Or, sometimes a user is granted in-game rewards they are not entitled to when they upgrade in-between data wipes. For example, property deed rewards do not stack as you upgrade, as stated in the pledge descriptions. But as you upgrade your pledge you are temporarily allowed to keep previously owned property deeds in-game and receive the additional property deed from the upgrade. We then delete those older property deeds at the next data wipe).
(NOTE: Any payment plans started for one of the expiring pledges, or higher, prior to 10:30 am CST, May 2, 2016 will not be affected by these expirations)
The following is a list of the rewards contained in those pledges that are permanently expiring (definitions of “Benefactor,” “Founder,” and “Royal Founder” can be found here):
- Immortal Adventurer
17 Rewards Expiring- Benefactor Rewards
- Benefactor Cloak
- Star Citizen Vanduul Polearm: Benefactor Edition
- Immortality Fruit
- Early Skill Access
- Ankh of Virtue Necklace (Digital)
- “The Story of Mondain in the World of Sosaria” (Digital)
- Akallabeth D&D Campaign (Digital)
- Exclusive “Adventurer” Title
- 30 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- Founder Cloak
Royal Elderberry- Last Name Early
- Star Citizen Vanduul Polearm: Founder Edition
- Exclusive “Immortal Adventurer” Title
- Teachable Emote: Flex
- 40 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- 50 Bank Slots
- Virtual Collector
16 Rewards Expiring- Benefactor Rewards
- Puzzle Box
- Non-Combat Pet
- Runic Translation Print (Digital)
- PDF Artbook (Digital)
- Soundtrack (Digital)
- Iolo’s Lute
- Exclusive “Archivist” Title
60 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- Indestructible Artisan’s Tool
- Starter Founder Armor
- Framed Cover Art (digital)
- Exclusive “Royal Archivist” Title
- Teachable Emote: Chicken Taunt
- 110 Bank Slots
Royal Founder Rewards
- Royal Founder Starter Armor
- 200 Bank Slots
- Collector
- 6 Rewards Expiring
- Benefactor Rewards
- Exclusive “Curator” Title
- 80 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- Exclusive “Royal Curator” Title
- Teachable Emote: Face Slap
- 130 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- 230 Bank Slots
- ** Navigator
- 12 Rewards Expiring
- Benefactor Rewards
- Novia Map Atlas
![featuredImageSmallHomeRowThreeStory[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/featuredImageSmallHomeRowThreeStory1.jpg)
Tax Free Row Deed- * 3-Story Row House
- * 1-Story Row Basement
- Phonograph
- Exclusive “Navigator” Title
- 110 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- Exclusive “Royal Navigator” Title
- Teachable Emote: Tai Chi
- 170 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- 270 Bank Slots
- ** Developer
![featuredImageSmallRowTwoStoryBasement[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/featuredImageSmallRowTwoStoryBasement1.jpg)
15 Rewards Expiring- Benefactor Rewards
- [Note: Dev+ Forum Access will not be expired. Backers who already have the Developer Pledge tier or higher will continue to enjoy Dev+ Forum access. With the Expiration of the Developer and Citizen Pledge Tiers, Dev+ Forum Access will be added to the Edelmann Pledge Tier]
- Tax Free Row Deed
- * 4-Story Row House
- * 2-Story Row Basement
- Design Documents
![featuredImageSmallWirelessDevice[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/featuredImageSmallWirelessDevice1.jpg)
Unity Asset Pack- Tinkerer Certificate House Decoration
- Wireless Device
- Exclusive “Tinkerer” Title
- 120 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- Name in Credits
- Design an NPC
- Exclusive “Royal Tinkerer” Title
- Teachable Emote: Shadow Boxing
- 190 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- 290 Bank Slots
- Citizen
19 Rewards Expiring- Benefactor Rewards
- Tax Free Village Deed
- Vendor
- * Exclusive Benefactor Citizen Home
- * 1-Story Village Basement
- Wind Power Decoration
- Piano
- Reagent Plant
- Benefactor Plaque
- Exclusive “Citizen” Title
- 140 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
* Exclusive Founder Citizen Home- * Waterfront Cabana
- Exclusive Pet
- Founder Plaque
- Exclusive “Noble Citizen” Title
- Teachable Emote: Jig Dance
- 220 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- Royal Founder Plaque
- 320 Bank Slots
- Knight
- 22 Rewards Expiring
- Benefactor Rewards
- Tax Free Village Deed
- Vendor
* Exclusive Benefactor Knight Home- * 2-Story Village Basement
- Benefactor Knight’s Round Table
- Sword of Ba’Heer
- Additional Reagent Plant
- Knight’s Cloak
- Benefactor Plaque
- Exclusive “Sir/Dame” and “Knight” Title
- 170 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
- * Exclusive Founder Knight Home
* Waterfront Lighthouse- House Servant
- Founder Expert Crafting Station
- Founder Knight’s Round Table
- Founder Plaque
- Exclusive “Sir/Dame” and “Knight Commander” Title
- Teachable Emote: Throat Cut
- 250 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- Royal Founder Plaque
- 380 Bank Slots
- Lord
- 28 Rewards Expiring
- Benefactor Rewards
- Tax Free Town Deed
- Tax Free Row Deed
- Vendor
* Exclusive Benefactor Lord’s Home- * 3-Story Town Basement
- * 5-Story Row Basement
- Lord’s Cloak
- Noble’s Magical Discourse Orb
- All Three Reagent Plants
- Royal Sceptre
- Royal Orb
- Benefactor Lord Throne
- Benefactor Plaque
- Five Indestructible Benefactor Artisan’s Tools
- Four Benefactor Expert Crafting Stations
- Exclusive “Baron” Title
- 200 Bank Slots
Founder Rewards
- * Exclusive Founder Lord Home
- * Waterfront Houseboat
- Servant
- Five Indestructible Founder Artisan’s Tools
- Two Founder Expert Crafting Stations
- Founder Lord Throne
- House Pet: Lynx
- Founder Plaque
- Exclusive “High Baron” and “Lord” Title
- Teacheable Emote: Take Oath
- 320 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- Royal Founder Plaque
- 450 Bank Slots
- Baron 1/2/3
- 25 Rewards Expiring
Benefactor Rewards
- Tax Free City Deed
- Tax Free Village Deed
- Baron’s Cloak
- Talking Mirror
- Vendor
- * Exclusive Benefactor Baron Home
- * 2-Story City Basement
- Benefactor Baron’s Bed
- Benefactor Plaque
- Exclusive “Viscount” Title
- 400 Bank Slots
- Founder Rewards
Founder Baron Crown- * Exclusive Founder Baron Home
- * Waterfront Frigate (Baron 1)
- * Waterfront Galleon (Baron 2/3)
- Servant
- Founder Baron’s Bed
- Baron’s Imp
- Founder Plaque
- Exclusive “Earl” and “Baron” Title
Teachable Emote: Knighting (Baron 1)- Teachable Emote: Royal Salutation (Baron 2/3)
- 500 Bank Slots
- Royal Founder Rewards
- Royal Founder Plaque
- 600 Bank Slots
* This item will no longer be included in the home and basement stacking that was available to pledges that were at Ancestor or above by the Summer 2015 Expiration Event on August 31, 2015.
** All the Navigator and Developer rewards that are still available to backers that were at Patron or Ancestor tier by the Summer 2015 Expiration Event on August 31, 2015 will no longer be available if those Patrons or Ancestors upgrade their pledge after May 2, 2016. If you already have the Navigator and/or Developer rewards you will keep them if you continue to upgrade your pledge.
Kobold Themed Areas
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]
Since several of our world-builders are starting to touch upon areas where kobolds dwell (including the major Skrekk scene, by Richard Matey), I’ve been asked to take a momentary break to throw together some ideas and solutions for building out zones with a rich kobold “theme” to them… In order to do this I’ve started with taking some of the spaces already created by Richard on the Skrekk map, bringing them into an underground test map of mine, conveniently switching out some materials, creating new materials, adding some cool existing elements created by Bob Cooksey, pulling in elements we use for our various energy gadgets, revamping others already made in an earlier pass, and even building a few new ones! The result is an underground set of areas with a completely new “feel” to them, which we intend to use as a way of defining the look and feel of all kobold areas in the game…
The first area is a great suspended stone walkway, assembled by Richard Matey using a variety of pieces. This section on my example map passes through a large, long cavern filled with the giant glowing mushrooms that the kobolds cultivate for decorative lighting as well as food. I’ve placed dark water below to see how that feels, although Richard chose to leave his open on his map, suspended above a stony crevice.
Just beyond this is a passage carved by kobold miners, and supported with smaller version of the palisades Bob Cooksey designed for the kobold areas. We decided that kobolds lace their underground passages with mine-cart tracks to allow them to easily transport goods from one area to the other.
Down the right passage of that intersection is a small chamber I built to showcase the idea of underground kobold hydroponics! Kobolds delight in supplementing their diets with fresh-grown fungi harvested from fertile cave planters such as these, which bask in the lambent glow of crystals charged by aetheric capacitor globes. In this chamber they also pump out water from a natural cave spring to feed their steam-driven technology throughout their cavern home… These visuals contain more evidence of my scavenging of other juicy resources created by Bob for the kobold architecture he’s working on, such as the make-shift fence elements, and the inverted dome in the ceiling. These types of elements, seen again and again, help define the “language” of the visuals associated with the kobolds.
If we go back to the intersection and continue down the path away from the suspended walkway, we’ll come upon another type of chamber, this time made from more of my typical dungeon pieces used to create rooms. With some simple material switch-outs, the addition of Bob Cooksey’s cool kobold fences and lamps, and the steam/sewer pipes I made, this room suddenly feels significantly different from our standard dungeon fare.
To the left you can see a distillation device Bob made, showcased inside his rendition of a kobold gazebo which I placed as an inset into the wall to create an indoor upraised platform and metal canopy (to keep water from the steam-pipes from dripping on the delicate machinery, of course! ^_^). Above, on the ceiling and in the wall, huge fans help circulate the air in these tunnels and chambers to keep it fresh. Here, again, we see evidence of the hydroponics which allow the ornamental glowing fungi to flourish. Kobolds aren’t as uncivilized as they may first appear!
In another corner of the chamber is more evidence of kobold technology, both clockwork and aetheric. A primary drive assembly for the fans on this end of the room is dimly illuminated by one of the gas-light wall-sconces, and just beyond that is an aetheric energy coil with two attendant, freshly-charged, portable aetheric capacitors.
And now, as I delve deeper into the ideas for the expanded Kobold set vision, I take a pass at mocking up an area of their inner kingdom. What you saw before were merely side passages and smaller chambers used for various functions as they dug deep into their surrounding environment. At the core of their territory can be found vast caverns which they have chosen as the sites for their towns and cities. Above their warren-like avenues, filled with pedestrians and merchants, many citizens dwell in balcony and rooftop homes, or operate taverns and other public meeting places. Beneath these are the passages and chambers that service the rabble below.
These areas you see are merely me throwing together ideas to help the other world-builders gain inspiration when creating their areas… I haven’t actually been assigned any Kobold-based zones to build… These things from this post are all located in one of my test maps that I use to build collective sets of props such as these, and to test the ideas for themed areas I’ve been asked to help out with (and of course to look at items I’ve built in an environment that mimics underground map settings). None of this is on an actual game-map that will ever get spawned with NPCs or populated with objects other than what is built into the pieces that other world-builders can use to copy and paste into their own maps, which is what Richard Matey is doing with all of this stuff… If he takes this stuff I’ve made “as is” and then lays them out in his actual game map, then eventually you will see all the stuff you’re missing when you encounter them on his map…
As an aside, it’s important to point out, that even on the real game maps I build as an artist I only lay out the terrain, architecture, and sometimes generic backdrop props… It takes a Designer/World-builder with the expanded experience necessary to take the map from my hands and populate it with all the NPCs and interactive items the map should have… This is their area of expertise, and comes later, after my exclusively “art expertise-related” tasks are complete… My responsibilities are creative inspiration, environment art creation and visual polish, and whatever setup for basic functionality I can handle,… and the rest of the actual deep functionality and NPC implementation are in the capable hands of our Design team… At a deeper level still, our Programming team of experienced coders handles not only the front end of the base code that integrates the engine and off-the-shelf tech we use with all the in-house custom stuff they write just for us, but they also handle hooking up the tech that makes all the stuff done by the artists and the designers work together on the back end, once our tasks are done… All of this seemingly crazy, frenetic activity is carefully managed by our Team Leads (who head up the Art, Design, and Programming teams), who in turn collaborate with our Producers and other upper management who make sure our schedules match up, and the right people are set to the right tasks… It’s all very complex and amazing, and it requires all our varied skill sets to make this whole thing happen as smoothly as it does…
As part of the process of designing the look and functionality of these areas, I’ve also been tasked to make some Kobold-specific furniture! Since Kobolds are kinda’ short, the furniture needed to have a “squat and stumpy” sort of feel to it, while still having lots of the rugged-yet-decorative iron-work details (like I created for the crafting-station forge)… Here’s a scene containing all seven pieces of furniture I created, placed inside one of Bob’s Kobold houses.
Enjoy!
Scottie ^_^
We continue to be blown away by the amazing work that community member Jakub White has done mapping the world of New Britannia at SotAMap.com! This amazing map allows you to pan the camera out for a global view of the map, or incrementally zoom in until you make out the finest details of the Overworld map of Novia and The Hidden Vale. The following image shows a closeup of the southeast quadrant of Novia, where you can see the starting town of Soltown as well as the Player Owned Town of Hometown. Hometown is a sort of “Parade of Homes” that is decorated by members of the community to showcase every home in every pledge tier that has home rewards, as well as the homes in the Add-On Store:
Jakub is developing tools to allow the owners of Player Owned Towns to provide detailed maps of their towns, fully integrated into SotAMap.com. Here is a SotAMap.com map of the current version of Hometown in Release 27, utilizing the new Grasslands template:
Zooming into the bottom of the Hometown map, you can see the incredible level of detail possible with SotAMap.com:
Jakub generously provides SotAMap.com free of charge (thank you Jakub!!!). If you find it as useful as we do you might want to help Jakub out by donating toward the cost of map development and server maintenance:
Recap’s Second Album: “Pronoia”
Our buds the Space Bards are at it again! They just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their second album, “Pronoia”, and surpassed their $5,000 funding goal in just 2 days! Way to go, guys!
We’re back!
It’s been over 2 years since our last album, “Neon Milk”, was successfully kickstarted, and we officially became “Recap”. In the time since, we’ve grown in countless ways both as artists and as people.
We’re incredibly excited to have the opportunity to show you just how far we’ve come, and want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support as we went through all the growing pains of bringing this unique band to life.
We’re Kickstarting our next rap-powered electric rock album, “Pronoia” – A puzzle box that pieces together the dual-nature of everyday life! Please check it out and back us if you like what you hear!
[From Recap’s latest Kickstarter Update email]
Excuse us while we pick up the pieces of our minds that have blown into the other room. o_O
We can’t believe we’re saying this, but our glorious backers have 100% funded the next Recap album in ONLY TWO DAYS.
Wow.This is beyond epic. A thank you is not nearly enough. We are blessed with the most amazing fans of any band on the planet, and nobody could convince us otherwise.
So what now?
Stretch goals of course! Amazing, tantalizing stretch goals that take this project to the next level, and piles on the free goodies for you guys.
But, here’s the deal… you all funded this album TOO DAMN FAST!
Seriously, like… we haven’t even heard back from our prospects to confirm and add up the numbers. As soon as we do, we’ll toss up that fancy stretch goal list. Who knows, at this rate we might have to check some of them off before we even post it!
For now, we just wanted to share the amazing news, celebrate, and thank you all for believing in our music.
<3 Recap
Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 27 Postmortem
We had a great Hangout of the Avatar this week, with Richard, Starr, Lum, and Gina chatting about Release 27 and providing a sneak peek at Release 28. FireLotus fielded lots of questions and feedback live in the chat-room and from the original post!
Starr announced the Devs would take a shot for every $100 raised during the 90 minute hangout. Obviously, we didn’t think that through carefully enough, because our extremely generous community became even more generous, and contributed $3,800 during the hangover…I mean, hangout. Here are the videos in case you missed it live:
NBNN News: Lazarus Interviews Starr Long
For those of you who missed it!
![want+you+llama[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/wantyoullama1-761x1024.jpg)
The Gallery of Wonderful Horrors Wants You!
Some of you may recall Eriador’s amazing Gallery of Wonderful Horrors that he constructed during Release 22 in October 2015. Not only was Eriador’s “dark art gallery” and museum visually stunning, but it also contained detailed stories and puzzles. Here are a few images from that event:
Eriador is constructing a new Gallery of Wonderful Horrors during this Release and is looking for volunteers to help with materials. Check out his Release 27 Events Forum post for more details…
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:For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- EVL R27 Hat Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting [EVL] would like to tip their hats to the developers for providing the community with a cool hat for the last seventeen releases, and have decided to carry on the tradition and run the R27 Hat Quest every Monday at 7pm NBT (CST). Everyone who successfully completes the Hat Quest by touring several of the new zones will receive a legendary bucket helm as a reward (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Virtue League PVP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld at Aschfahl Festung; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Stryker will travel to one of the local Novia taverns for an hour to open a bar tab for drinks in hopes of sharing stories, news, critique of the arts, music, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk (details)
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, March 5
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST 1v1 PVP Tournament
- The longest running Player vs Player tournament in Shroud of the Avatar. (Town of Vengeance)
Sunday, March 6
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 6:00pm CST EVL Bucket Helm Hat Quest & Challenge
- For March we will be giving away the newest head gear to make it’s way into our beloved game, the Bucket Helm! It will be run as a traditional hat quest, where you have to find different “NPCs” to talk to. The final one will reward you with your Bucket Helm. (/zone Gnick Gnack or Brickbat)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 27 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
Upcoming Events
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended 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!
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Shooter Jennings’ Countach Breast Cancer Make a Difference Charity
- Countach World Premier Party Recap
- Play Release 27 Now!
- Avatars Radio Presents: The FireLotus Release 27 Party!
- R27 Patch Notes
- Player Housing Update: Player Owned Towns, Player Run Towns, and Water Lots
- RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
- Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 27 Postmortem Invite
- NBNN Interview with Starr Long
- Kilts and Canes
- Final Weekend to get Your Stretch Goal Store Items
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
Shooter Jennings’ Countach Breast Cancer Make a Difference Charity
We’re excited to announce that we are partnering with outlaw country musician Shooter Jennings, son of country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, and his label, Black Country Rock, to raise money through Shroud of the Avatar’s Make a Difference Store, using Shooter’s newest album: Countach! Fifty percent of the net purchase price* of the Countach Make a Difference items will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The Countach Breast Cancer Make a Difference items include:
- Countach Wax Cylinders: Six songs from the new album, plus an exclusive bonus track, “The Death of Lord British,” all on exclusive Countach Pink wax cylinders
- Countach Album Cover Art: The incredible album art as a framed painting that you can place on your walls
- Countach Pink Dye 12-Pack: This exclusive hot pink dye is sure to catch attention
- Countach Phonograph: This exclusive version of the ornate metal phonograph has pink and purple highlights
By purchasing the Shooter Jennings Countach Breast Cancer Charity items, you are helping to make a difference in the lives of those with breast cancer and their loved ones. The proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), an organization that works to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research to over 240 researchers across 13 countries and 5 continents, as well as increasing public awareness about good breast health. BCRF is the highest rated breast cancer organization in the U.S. with an A+ rating from Charity Watch and 4 our of 4 stars from Charity Navigator, with 91 cents out of every dollar committed to tacking this disease.
There are many, many members of our community whose lives have been touched in some way by breast cancer. Portalarium COO Dallas Snell’s mother recently died from the ravages of breast cancer, as did SotA Executive Producer Starr Long’s mother. Shooter Jennings’ wife, Misty, is one of the fortunate breast cancer survivors! Many of the SotA community members shared their own personal experiences with breast cancer on a public forum post where the community discussed how best to use the proceeds from Shooter’s extremely generous contribution of his Countach album material for this charity drive.
If you would like to help make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer, then please check out the Shooter Jennings Countach Breast Cancer Charity items in the Shroud of the Avatar Make a Difference Store!
(NOTE: * Portalarium will donate 50% of the net purchase price of these Make a Difference items to the designated charity on a bi-annual basis. Net purchase price is determined by subtracting any transaction service fees and/or platform service fees from the full purchase price paid by the customer)
Countach World Premier Party Recap
Shooter Jennings Avatar during his Countach Album Release Party in SotA
Shooter Jennings’ in-game World Premier party on Monday, February 22, for his new album, Countach, was a rousing success! The party started with an overflowing crowd at The Bear Tavern in the player owned town of Beran’s Reach:
After Shooter’s new album had been heard from start to finish, he mysteriously disappeared from the party at The Bear Tavern, and a quest was afoot to learn what had happened to him! In true Shooter Jennings “outlaw” style, the quest soon led to the PvP town of Vengeance, a place where all players can openly attack each other!
A protected area (of sorts) had been constructed in Vengeance for the participants to gather and continue the World Premier party. This outdoor courtyard (constructed by Athanil), had only one entrance that was heavily protected by many of Vengeance’s most powerful fighters:
And finally, Shooter was found safe in the bowels of the adjoining Obsidian Tower, where an elaborate party area had been constructed, consisting of the biggest tower of radios in SotA, spacious dance floor, replete with circular dance platforms:
Play Release 27 Now!
Release 27 successfully launched yesterday, February 26, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, logging in, and checking out the new changes! Lots of new content to explore, including:
- Several New scenes including Artifice, Paladis Shardfall (PVP), Opalis Ruins (PVP), etc.
- New Template Variations for Player Owned Towns
- 24 New Player Owned Towns
- 16 New Recipes, including Recall Scroll, Teleport scroll, Walking Cane, Kilt, etc.
- Fast Travel: Bind & Recall plus Teleport to Friend
- Shooter Jennings’ Countach Breast Cancer Make A Difference Items
- Performance Imrovements
- Language Translation Progress
- …and more!
Check out the Release 27 Instructions update for detailed information about all the new content.
We need all your help with testing the new patches, putting more stress on our multiplayer servers, and testing the new game content, so please join us in playing Release 27!
If you have not backed the game yet, you will need to register and login at www.shroudoftheavatar.com, select the “Pledge or Send Gift!” button in the right side-bar, and purchase a pledge at the $45 Adventurer level or above. The basic Adventurer level pledge is also available on Steam Early Access.
Release 27 Player Instructions
Release 27 Known Issues
Avatars Radio Presents: The FireLotus Release 27 Party!
This month’s traditional FireLotus Release Party was held in Bastion’s Point’s Party Pavilion at Sacrifice Hall! Food, drinks, and merriment were in ample supply (and even a purple llama)! The new “Magic Dance” emote (a tribute to David Bowie) was a party favorite! Here are a few screenshots:
R27 Patch Notes
Thanks to all our community members that jumped right into this Release and started reporting bugs. We’ve already fixed quite a few of them and pushed out several patches. Click here for the most up-to-date Patch Notes.
February 26, 2016
Build Number 385 5:30 PM
Changes:
- The skills trainer in Soltown now trains adventurer skills up to Tier 3.
- Some super minor nerfs to healing. Healing touch cast time moves from1 second to 1.25 and both Healing touch and healing ray drop by 1 point max heal
- Fixed issues where players were stuck on loading screen
- Brookside no longer has Kiln’s innkeeper.
- Stealth visual effects no longer break when player uses a stealth invoking skill twice
- Doubled the number of POT Decoration Limits
- Wolf and Dog sound effects no longer trigger constantly and volume adjusted
- Skeletons in starting scenes should now be much easier
- Discoverable locations should now be showing on compass again
- Added Discoverable locations to Novia and Hidden Vale Overworld (Cities, Shardfalls, Dungeons, Control Points). Should make it much easier to navigate.
- Fixed issue where images on the columns of the lunar rift were sorting improperly with the visual effects
- Fixed issue causing severe hitching in towns with lots of player lots.
- Changed salvage and repair timer to be a quarter of a second instead of three seconds
- Fixed more exceptions and error messages
- Enemy sound effects should now be properly tied to SFX volume slider
Known Issues:
- We do not yet officially support Windows 10. If you have upgraded to Windows 10 you may experience instability
- Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
- Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
- Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
- If you upgrade from a property owning pledge between data wipes you will receive extra lot deeds.
- If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
- Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
- Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
- The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
- Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
- Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
- ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT
Player Housing Update: Player Owned Towns, Player Run Towns, and Water Lots
[A SotA Public Forum post by Starr Long]
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 (given our constraints). As we have mentioned previously, we were completely surprised at the popularity of Player Owned Towns (PoTs). We anticipated selling 20–30 and ended up selling 10 times that number.This success made us reconsider our original strategy of building each town as a custom static map based on templates. We call this type of town a “Custom Static” town. While we still plan to honor that commitment, we have also been steadily investing time in a different direction that would allow Player Owned Towns to be fully dynamic and customizable by player owners. We call this kind of town a “Dynamic” town. Town owners now have the choice between these two options on the town submission form.
An unforeseen consequence of this success (and our rapid introduction of over 300 towns into the game) is the overhead related to change requests. More than 50% of the time we spend on Player Owned Towns each release is devoted to changes of name, location, template, connections, etc. We do not believe this is the optimal use of the pledge dollars and this is not a cost we had factored into the original price.
Therefore, effective immediately, we are changing how we handle change requests and the sequence of when we add PoTs to the game. Previously, we would integrate them as soon as basic information was entered into the form. From now on the owner must first “lock” the submission form, then and only then, will we implement the submission. When “locked” no more changes can be made to the submission form, unless unlocked (see below).”Note that this also means that changes to the form cannot be made until the form is unlocked. We are in the process of adding a new button named “Submit & Lock” and expect it to be ready by R28. The submission form can only be unlocked either by upgrading to a larger size or by purchasing a service voucher (larger change requests may require additional service voucher purchases).It is worth noting that currently most change requests can only be accommodated when we wipe, so it will be up to 90 days before you will see any changes go live after requesting them. After the final wipe, we will have tech in place that allows us to make changes without wipes, of course. Also, note that transferring ownership of a town will not unlock the submission form. Please note that NO forms will be locked until the owner locks it. This means that if you are waiting to see more templates or more tools come online then DON’T lock your form (but also understand that no interim changes will be made).
As part of this we are making improvements to the submission form by adding descriptions and screenshots of the various templates. We have also made it so that if you select Dynamic we turn off all the sections that are irrelevant (NPC Buildings, Lot Selection, etc.)Custom Static vs. Dynamic PoTs: The following outlines how the two town types differ and describes the cost/benefit analysis of each as well as the process and schedule.
Custom Static:
- Benefits:
- These scenes have the potential to look more unique, even though they are built off existing templates. For example you could request that we completely wall off your town even though it is on multiple elevation, something that can’t be done currently with walls in dynamic towns.
- Once in game, owners have very little work to do other than unlocking lots.
- Process:
- Owner fills out the PoT submission form completely, including proposed layouts and customization requests.
- Owner locks form via “Lock & Submit”.
- Portalarium consults with player about the submissions.
- Portalarium builds a custom scene using the selected template and modifies it based on player submissions beginning sometime after final wipe.
- Costs:
- Scene is completely static, it cannot be modified by the player once it is in the game.
- PoT Decorations cannot be placed in Static Towns.
- Any desired changes after implementation will require purchasing at least one service voucher, including conversion to Dynamic. The only exception is upgrading to a bigger town size.
- Building of these will not recommence until August 2016 and will be delivered on a monthly basis.
- Build order will be based first on PoT size and second on PoT purchase date.
- Change requests to existing Static towns (including size upgrades) will not be fulfilled until all Static towns are complete (except for conversion to Dynamic which may be sooner)
- All towns currently in game will remain dynamic until we are able to get to converting them to Static. This means when the town transitions from Dynamic to Static at later date all residents will need to reclaim and redecorate. Advice for owners would be to constrain population to residents who understand this.
Dynamic:
- Benefits:
- Owners can modify just about anything at any time:
- Lot Locations / Orientations
- Lot Sizes
- NPC Buildings
- NPCs
- Scene Music
- PoT decorations (walls, pavers, trees, etc.)
- PoT will enter the game possibly as soon as the next build after the submission form is locked with just basic information of: name, template, and location chosen
- Owners can modify just about anything at any time:
- Process:
- Owner fills out form with name, template, location, connection(s) and add on store building selections (if eligible). NOTE: All other fields are irrelevant.
- Owner locks form via “Submit & Lock”
- Portalarium implements Dynamic Town within 90 days of submission (but often as soon as the next month’s release).
- NOTE: If your town is already in game and you are eligible, right after you Lock your form for the first time you will receive your selection of Add-On Store Buildings. (See details below).
- Costs:
- Towns are non-modified versions of the templates.
- Nothing will be modified on the template by Portalarium. For example this means that all PoT connections happen from the same place using the same visuals (boats, wagons, manholes, etc.) in each template and cannot be modified.
- Unlocking the form to make changes will require a service voucher.
Pre- versus Post-Wipe: Below, you will find a comprehensive list of all items we hope to have online before the final wipe, as well as any items we plan to support after the wipe. Anything not listed below is not currently being considered for Episode 1. For instance, Owner customization of PoT connections is not something we plan to support for Episode 1.
Pre-Wipe Features & Content: The following is a list of all content that we plan is planned for implementation before or for Release 32 in July.
- Templates: 14 Templates based on 5 Unique Layouts/Terrain Sculpts that cover all 8 biomes (current count is 12 Templates, 4 Layouts, 7 biomes).
- Town Permissions: Ability to designate various levels of delegates to help run the town (working in game now).
- Lot Permissions: Ability to flag lots as open or designate for specific players (working in game now).
- Add-On Store Buildings: PoTs purchased prior to January 4, 2016 receive a selection of certain Add-On Store buildings. These will be delivered to the owner after their submission form is locked and the PoT is present in game. Goal is to have this functioning no later than Release 29 (April). Please note that for Episode 1 there are only two City sized homes: Twin Spires Manor and Adobe 2-story Keep. Due to an earlier error in communication qualifying PoT owners, village size and above, who do *not* choose the Twin Spire Manor, may opt to choose a smaller house and qualify for a free Adobe 2-story Keep. For example, the owner of a Metropolis can earn up to 4 additional Adobe 2-story Keeps.
- Giant Pavers: In game craft-able and add on store versions to better facilitate roads.
- Dynamic Towns: All PoTs with locked submission forms by Release 30 (May 26) will be present in game for Release 32 on July 28.
- Dynamic Town Tools: These are the tools owners can use to modify their towns:
- Lot Marker Placement: Working in game now.
- NPC Building Placement: Working in game now.
- POT Decoration Placement: Working in game now but current placed decoration limits (including lights) will be doubled (at least).
- Scene Music Selection: This will be done via an ingame wax cylinder jukebox. Hope to have this working in R28 or R29.
- NPC Placement: Working in game now.
- NPC Renaming: Working in game now
Post-Wipe Features & Content: The following items will come online in the monthly releases AFTER Release 32.
- Blessings: Certain structures placed in PoTs, like Titan Statues, will convey blessings to players who visit that town. The duration and/or strength of the blessing is tied directly to the occupancy of the town. We do not yet have any other details about how blessings will work, but do not fear being locked into any one structure/blessing because Dynamic Town owners can change any of their decorations and buildings at any time (note that there may be a timing constraint to how quickly and how often you can change your blessing).
- Dynamic Overworld Visuals: The number of buildings will indicate size and occupancy levels of the town. Smoke from chimneys and/or lights in windows will indicate if players are currently online in that town. Particles will indicate the presence of a blessing and possibly indicate which exact blessing.
Templates: 20 Templates with at least 10 Unique Layouts/Terrain Sculpts.- Town Public Gardens: The ability for any player or town dweller to plant in a public garden area will come online shortly after Public Gardens come online in the rest of the game.
- NPC Behaviors: We hope to support behaviors beyond simple conversations and merchant function for NPCs. For instance we hope to allow POT NPC Guards to act like all other NPC guards where they will eventually patrol player towns and they might notice stealing or combat and fine players for infractions.
- Dynamic Town Tools:
- Highlight Flat Areas: this will allow owners to see nearby flat areas to ease placement
- Snap/Align to Adjacent Lot: This function allows town owners to snap lots together, especially helpful when placing row lots (note we hope to provide this function for walls/fences too).
- Entry/Exit Point Locations: Owners will be able to select from a list of possible locations. Note that this will NOT be the ability to place an entry point location anywhere.
- PoT Connection Locations: Owners will be able to select from a list of possible locations. Note that this will NOT be the ability to place a connection anywhere.
- Town Crier Locations: Owners will be able to select from a list of possible locations. Note that this will NOT be the ability to place a town crier anywhere.
- POT Decorations/Structure Lockdown: Anyone who has accidentally grabbed a guard tower from underneath themselves will appreciate the ability to lock structures and decorations.
- NPC Visual Variety: We hope to provide a wider visual range of NPCs (clothing, facial features, equipment, hair, etc.) so they are not all so identical.
- Lawn Mower: An object that lets players remove trees and foliage from areas without requiring object or lot placement.
SECTION 2: PLAYER RUN TOWNS:
Player Run Towns (also known as Mixed Settlements): These are towns not owned by players, not named on the cloth map, and not part of any story.
- To facilitate the number of lots needed for all players we are going to increase the number of these settlements in Novia and Hidden Vale
- These will be loosely based on the Player Owned Town templates so we can have a variety of biomes.
- They will now also include an NPC core that includes some basic amenities (like bank, basic trainer, crafting stations, crafting supplies, and general goods shopkeeper)
- Increased variety of lot sizes, especially for larger lots
SECTION 3: WATER LOTS:
The recent announcements about lot selection raised some questions about water lots that have been confusing to everyone. Please note that all of these lots expired with the Fall 2015 Expiration event.Water Lots: These are waterfront lots that can be placed along shorelines, piers, and docks. These are limited to Village, Town and City lots.
- Water lots can only be claimed with Founder Deeds (pledge rewards for Founders and Royal Founders) starting with the Citizen pledge
- Can be found in almost any town that has open water (lake, river, ocean, canals, etc.)
- Currently can be placed in Dynamic Player Owned Towns along natural shorelines but currently does not work with manmade areas like docks and piers but we hope to have this fixed post Final Wipe.
Island Lots: These are lots not attached to shore directly (like the regular water lots above). They come with a Keep or Castle sized plot of land.- Island lots can only be claimed with Founder Deeds (pledge rewards for Founders and Royal Founders) starting with the Duke pledge
- These can be found in towns with very large open water areas (ocean mainly)
- Please note that these are actual pieces of land in the water (i.e. islands) so players will place land homes on them, not water homes on them.
- There are currently none of these in the game. We just recently fixed some technical issues that were blocking us implementing them and we plan to have them start appearing as soon as Release 29.
Water Homes: These houses can be placed on Water lots only.
- Village Size:
- Waterfront Cabana (Citizen)
- Waterfront German-Style Cabana (Edelmann & Edelmann – All Digital)
- Waterfront Lighthouse (Knight)
- Town Size:
- Waterfront Houseboat (Lord)
- City Size:
- Frigate (Baron 1)
- Galleon (Baron 2 & 3)
- Waterfront Castle (Duke)
Island Lots: There are no specific homes associated with these. Any land based home can be placed on them. As mentioned above these are not in game yet.
- Duke Island (Duke)
- Lord of the Manor Island (Lord of the Manor 1 & 2)
RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive began last weekend at 9pm PST, February 21 and ends this Sunday 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.
HOPE. CARE. CURE.
These three simple words capture what we are here to do. That’s because at Seattle Children’s, compassionate care, breakthrough research and generous donors come together every day for children who need us.
We are united by a compelling mission: to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease.
Together, we deliver superior patient care, advance new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research and serve as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest region of any children’s hospital in the country. In 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Seattle Children’s No. 1 on the West Coast – and No. 6 in the country overall – placing us among the nation’s top children’s hospitals.
Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 27 Postmortem Invite
Grab your purple llama and join us Thursday, March 3rd at 3:00 PM Central (20:00 GMT) for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! Richard, Starr, and Chris will be chatting about Release 27 and looking ahead to Release 28! And as usual, FireLotus will be taking your questions and feedback live in the chat-room and also in advance in the original post comments section.*
We will be giving out some really awesome prizes during the 2 hour extended Hangout, and all you have to do to qualify for one is to come hang out with us in the IRC chatroom during the broadcast. As always, the link to the hangout will be added to the original post before the hangout begins.
*Please keep in mind that questions and feedback related to Release 27 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.
Join Us For An Interview With Starr Long
Fri. March 4th At 2:00 pm CST/NBTKilts and Canes
We introduced walking canes and kilts to the game with Release 27, with both in-game and Add-On Store Versions!
This walking cane is craftable in game:
This Dragon Handle Maplewood Cane is available now in the Add-On Store:
Here is the in-game craftable kilt:
This ornate kilt (shown here with the Dragon Handle cane) with enhanced buckle and engraved sporran (kilt purse) is available now in the Add-On Store:
Final Weekend To Get Your Stretch Goal Store Items
This is your last chance to get the unique and rare Stretch Goal Store items as they will expire at 10:30 am CST, February 29, 2016. This includes such favorites as: Greenhouse, Black Foal, Baby Llama, Elven Home and Armor, Functional Sypglass, Longboat, Admiral’s Outfits, and more! So you better hurry over to the Stretch Goal Store and grab these rare items while they are still available!Get Yours Now at the Stretch Goal Store…
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:For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
- RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive started at 9pm PST, February 21 and runs through 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- EVL R27 Hat Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting [EVL] would like to tip their hats to the developers for providing the community with a cool hat for the last seventeen releases, and have decided to carry on the tradition and run the R27 Hat Quest every Monday at 7pm NBT (CST). Everyone who successfully completes the Hat Quest by touring several of the new zones will receive a legendary bucket helm as a reward (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
- /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Virtue League PVP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld at Aschfahl Festung; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Stryker will travel to one of the local Novia taverns for an hour to open a bar tab for drinks in hopes of sharing stories, news, critique of the arts, music, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk (details)
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, February 27
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 12:00pm CST Welcome Quest R27
- Welcome Quest showcases many of the Player-owned and Player-ran towns in New Britannia. Come for unique events in each town. We rotate towns between each Welcome Quest. To join in just “/zone Greagoir” and you will be transported to the event.Traveling by the overland map, go to the west side of Spindrift Bay on the NE side of Novia. We are visiting Beran’s Reach! They have brewed a special ale just for this visit. (details)
- 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
Sunday, February 28
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 6:00pm CST EVL Fashion & Crafting Show
![kAjDdkc[1]](//d2sx9mrt4zumaq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/kAjDdkc1-300x125.jpg)
- EVL welcomes you to our first Fashion & Crafting Show, where everyone is invited to dress in their finest attire and walk down the runway. We will have a grand prize for both the best dressed guy & girl. Three surprise judges will score each contestant and the highest scores will be rewarded. After the show we offer a crafting event for you too look at fine goods, ask question, buy items, & learn how to craft something yourself. Please come and join us for an evening of fun in Cottage Grove. (details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 27 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
Upcoming Events
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.05.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
Torment: Tides of Numenera is a single-player, isometric role-playing game set in the world of Monte Cook’s new tabletop RPG setting, Numenera. Torment is striving to create a rich role-playing experience that explores similar deep, personal themes.
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Grab your purple llama and join us Thursday, March 3rd at 3:00 PM Central (20:00 GMT) for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! Richard, Starr, and Chris will be chatting about Release 27 and looking ahead to Release 28! And as usual, FireLotus will be taking your questions and feedback live in the chat-room and also in advance right here in the comments section.*
We will be giving out some really awesome prizes during the 2 hour extended Hangout, and all you have to do to qualify for one is to come hang out with us in the IRC chatroom during the broadcast. As always, the link to the hangout will be posted here directly before the hangout begins.
*Please keep in mind that questions and feedback related to Release 27 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.
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[A SotA Public Forum post by Starr Long]
Greetings 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 27 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, February 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (16:30 UTC).
Release 27 is the first release where our pivot to focus on Final Wipe is becoming very visible. It can be seen in the rapid expansion of scenes, filling out entire regions, albeit with scene clones (that we will later make unique). It is also the beginning of major polish passes and rework of the starting scenes to make them more playable and more directed. It is also visible in the new creature behaviors of play, resource guarding, Oracle scanning, Escort Quests, and NPCs talking to each other.
Even though this was a short release at only four weeks (which means just three weeks of development) and we had a LOT of R26 patches, we still managed to add a bunch of new content to the game. Additionally, behind the scenes, we continue to optimize performance and improve our data tracking/reporting (heatmaps are the latest addition). We have also begun a complete overhaul of our avatars, including mesh, texture, skin, hair, clothing, and animations. We hope to reveal those changes next release when we plan to have the new male avatar in the game.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, so 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, and we do not yet have in-game systems to inform players of these changes, or to share ways to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely entirely 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. So, be sure to check out a couple of the Community Events Calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites Avatars Circle Community Events and Events of the Avatars calendar).
Without further ado, here are the R27 deliverables.
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
RELEASE 27, February 25, 2016:
- Story: More polish passes will be made on existing maps for balance and story support. We will also continue to expand the story with new scenes, including the town of Xenos and the entrance to the dungeon of Artifice. Scenes in the Vale will start to get polish passes to bring them up to current dynamic spawning standards.
- Xenos Delayed: Starting with Release 27 we shifted the focus of implementation order to be region by region. We will circle back to Elysium (region where Xenos is located) next release.
- Hidden Vale Polish Delayed: Hidden Vale is not part of the plot so it is currently lower priority for spawning (although we did update the sky in all those scenes, see below).
Escort Quests: NPCs can now move between locations and/or follow the player based on quest flags. First example of this can be seen in the Highvale starting scene.- Artifice: As most travelers and pilgrims to Xenos know—across the rolling plains of the island Elysium, several day’s journey beyond the River Fall, and perched in a crook of the craggy northern arm of the aptly-named Rumor Peaks—lay the mysterious and legendary destination known as Artifice. Though there are a variety of tales that claim to know the truth behind why it was created, and by whom, the only rumors that draw hopeful visitors from across the world to gather with needy abandon in the halls of Xenos are the stories told of the dreams and wishes that can come true for those lucky enough to win the lottery granting permission to enter Artifice’s secluded depths. The Halls of Artifice below will appear in a later release.
Paladis Shardfall (PVP): The newest shardfall to be added can be found in the North Paladis region.- Opalis Ruins (PVP): This ruined city can be found in South Paladis.
- Drachvald Towns: We made a major push to fill out the Drachvald region (northeast corner of Novia) in R27 including adding 6 new NPC Towns. For now, these towns are clones of other existing towns with mostly generic NPCs alongside story-specific NPCs. Post-July, we will circle back and make these scenes unique.
- Broochash
- Eastmarch
- Port Graff
- Graff Island
- Brookside: This scene includes a small vignette with a familiar companion.
- Spite: This scene includes an introduction to the dungeon of Malice, although the dungeon is not yet accessible. Visiting the Keg and Egg Tavern will allow you to meet some unique travellers to this town on the edge of death.
- Drachvald Adventure Scenes: In addition to adding NPC Towns to Drachvald, we also created 6 adventure scenes (of multiple levels of difficulty) to facilitate character advancement and resource gathering in the region. These adventure scenes are temporarily clones of existing scenes. Post-July, we will circle back and make these scenes unique.
- Rhun Ruins (PVP)
- South Drachvald Spur
- North Drachvald Spur
- West Vauban Foothills
- East Vauban Foothills
- The Sirens Foothills
- North Hulenhot
- South Hulenholt
- South Paladis: This centrally located region has been filled with one new town and 10 adventure scenes of multiple levels of difficulty to facilitate character advancement and resource gathering in the region. Similar to above these are clones of existing scenes. Post-July we will circle back and make these unique scenes.
- Storms Reach (town)
- Superstition Canyon (Control Point)
- Northwest Blackblade Mountains (connected to Blackblade Pass)
- South Hinterlands
- North Hinterlands
- Far Hinterlands
- North Shattered Hills
- South Shattered Hills
- Blackblade Foothills
- Middle Downs
- South Broken Road
- Blackblade Pass: Extended entry and exit sections of the caverns, and converted to dynamic enemy and resource spawning.
- Hidden Vale: All scenes in Hidden Vale are now using the new sky and weather.
- Hilt Fortress: The Obsidian Forge is now functioning but beware; for not only does it drain the user’s life and focus, but it also draws the attention of ever increasing waves of enemies (much like a Control Point). Note: the material Obsidian is not yet part of the crafting system.
- Epitaph: Updated and polished spawning, doors, interactives, etc.
- Necropolis: The first of several planned fixes to Necropolis have gone in this release, including improved/streamlined conversations with the inhabitants (who are much more difficult to understand by themselves now; unless you have some familiarity with long-unused languages). Further improvements are planned in future releases to this important part of the Path of Love questline.
- Starting Scenes / Tutorials: We have begun a major push through the starting scenes to improve, streamline, and polish. We will devote time in each release to steadily improving the beginning of the game. We have also added the ability to start each of the three questlines independent of which questline you start with.
- Highvale:
- Key to leave the area is now obtained from the knight you talk to when arriving.
- The knight no longer appears dead and now automatically talks to you on arrival.
- Edvard now gives you items and guidance needed to resume Path of Love quest in Soltown.
- Notes from elves and defending Knights of Norgard can now be found on corpses, shedding some light on what has happened.
- The healer found in the ruined village can now be led to the knight to offer him aid (first example of Escort Quest).
- Outside of the village is a bit more dangerous, with wolves and the occasional bear, but resources can be found as well.
- Any character can now enter Highvale Village and start the Path of Courage quest, even if that character started elsewhere with a different storyline path; the first time you enter the scene you will enter the single-player version (minus the initial tutorial).
Isle of Storms: Arabella now talks to you automatically on arrival. Additionally, hints appear when you die explaining what happened and what to do next.- Blood River: Any character can now enter this scene and start the Path of Truth, even if that character started elsewhere with a different storyline path; the first time you enter the scene you will enter the single-player version (minus the initial tutorial).
- Solace Bridge: Any character can now enter these scenes and start the Path of Love, even if that character started elsewhere with a different storyline path; the first time you enter the scene you will enter the single-player version (minus the initial tutorial).
- Ardoris: Changes to NPC dialog and journal entries have been made to make the journey through this city’s quest line clearer for new players.
- Highvale:
- Player Owned Towns: We will add another town template and towns will begin to receive blessings based on buildings placed and population density. Music chosen in the PoT submission form will begin to be heard.
- Blessings Delayed: As mentioned in the Final Wipe / Lot Selection post this feature has been delayed until after Final Wipe.
- Music Selection Delayed: We are going to move this to in game functionality for dynamic towns in a future release.
- Pavers and City Walls Clear Foliage: Placing Pavers or City Walls now clears trees and grass.
Template Polish: Terrain flattened in various areas of Desert 01 template- Public Cache Chests: These can now be placed in PoTs with limits based on town size. Holdfast allows placement of 1, Hamlet allows 2, etc.
- New Template Variations: We have introduced 5 variations of existing templates including:
- 01a (Cobblestone Free): Forest 01, Desert 01, Swamp 01, and Snowy Mountains 01 now all have variations that have no cobblestones pre-placed. These are designated as 01a in the form since they are identical to the original template in all other aspects.
- Forest 02 (Forested Plain): This is a fully forested variation based on the Grasslands template.
- New Dynamic PoTs: We added 24 new dynamic PoTs (listed below). We also upgraded sizes on several PoTs and added requested interconnections (these are not listed below)
- Astoria
Ayrshire (nested in Owl’s Head).- Bearskin Grotto (nested in Port Phoenix)
- Brickbay (nested in Jaanaford).
- Bricksands (nested in Desolis).
- Bricksium (nested in Aerie).
- Bricktown (nested in Soltown).
- Brickvald (nested in Port Graff).
- Caden Ben (nested in Aerie).
- Dragonhame (nested in Oceania).
- Gensfield
- Glacebourg (nested in Admont).
- Isle of Apples
Magincia (nested in Oceania).- Mizell Thapae (nested in Resolute).
- Nowheresville
- Olde Haven (nested in Owl’s Head).
- Painted Caves (nested in Oceania).
- Papua (nested in Oceania).
- Shadow’s Rest
- Siren Song Bayou (nested in Port Phoenix).
- Storm’s End (nested in The Stormlands).
- The Gloaming Grotto
- The Stormlands
- Roving Encounters: Roving encounters (patrolling creatures) will now appear on the overworld map and can be engaged (pulling you into a scene) or avoided if you wish to sneak past.
- Roving Encounters Delayed: As mentioned in the Final Wipe / Lot Selection post this feature has been delayed until after Final Wipe.
- Crafting: The crafting system will expand with recipes for alcohol and teleportation. Additionally certain recipes can now be taught to other players. More resources will begin appearing in the game as well.
- Alcohol and Recipe Teaching Delayed: As mentioned in the Final Wipe / Lot Selection post these features have been delayed until after Final Wipe.
- Equipped Tool: Players can now equip a preferred primary tool for each crafting skill in the skill tree interface. Tools can also be equipped and are displayed in the crafting table Interface. To make this seamless for new characters, we now start players with basic versions of all tools. Note that secondary tools used at crafting stations will continue to operate as before.
Agriculture:
- Plant Growing Inside (plus Roofs & Balconies): Budding gardeners can once again grow plants inside player houses, as well as on roofs, balconies, and in basements. Note that growth inside is 90% slower than growth outside. For example, a plant that takes 1 day to grow outside might take over a week to grow inside.
- Plant Removal: Plants can now be removed from planters.
- Pledge Reward Reagent Plants: No longer need to be replanted and always provide at least one reagent per day.
- Skills Removed: Agriculture will differ from other crafting because it will focus more on the process and not skill advancement. Therefore, there are no Agriculture skills, and gathering skills no longer affect agriculture results.
- Citrine and Onyx: These gems are now correctly appearing in crystal ore nodes at various locations in the game.
- Prosperity Tools: These now increase the player’s base Meticulous Collection chances when gathering.
- Crafting Timers: Crafting items now takes time based on difficulty of the recipe. This is a first step at increasing the interactivity of events and eventually bulk crafting/salvage/repair.
- New Recipes: We added several new recipes to the game including the consumables for the new fast travel mechanics (see Fast Travel below).
- Recall Scroll
- Teleport Scroll
- Castle Walls
- Walking Cane
- Kilt
- Butter
- Cheese Wedge
- Crackling (Moved to be component, not final product)
- Flour
- Jar of Nut Butter
- Pie Dough
- Plate Of Sugar Cookies
- Plate Of White Cake
- Plate Of Brace Of Lapine
- Plate Of Darkstarr Fried Oysters (fixed issues)
- Plate Of Darkstarr Smoked Duck (fixed issues)
- Job System: Public and player vendors will now take Job Orders. These jobs describe what players wish to purchase and how much they will pay for them.
- Purchase Orders: We actually implemented this (albeit named Purchase Orders) in R26.
- Interactive Use Logging: Players will be able to view a log that tracks which players used any containers on a player’s lot or Player Owned Town location.
- Log of Usage: Right clicking on containers on players’ lots will show a list of everyone who has used that object. This log is also visible on the lot sign.
- Combat: Balance passes will be made across most parts of combat including PVP.
- Animal Charm: Now usable out of combat.
- Animation Speed: Did a pass through most weapons to make the animations work better with the overall increase in combat speed that we introduced in R26.
Blink: The cooldown timer has been increased by 2 seconds and the focus cost upped by 2.- Buff Dismissal: Buffs with multiple effects no longer require multiple dismissals
- Caltrops: Can now be used from the non-combat bar and will now properly trigger combat
- Chaotic Feedback and Shield of Air: These two buffs were truly causing chaotic feedback when used concurrently! These have been changed so one now overwrites the other.
- Chaotic Step: Should now be functioning once again!
- Damage: Melee damage has been reduced by 3.3% for all hits and the max damage done by a critical has been reduced by 15%. Magic damage remains unchanged but magic criticals have had their max hit reduced by 15%.
- Healing Burst: Healing burst will now require reagents.
- Interactions with Bow: You can now properly open doors, gates, etc. instead of shooting them when you have a bow equipped.
- Light: The light spell will now cast a larger, brighter light. Shield your eyes!
- Offhand Defense: This now gives an “always on” parry bonus instead of adding damage resistance. The benefit of time will be approximately the same amount of damage but applied differently.
- Parry: In our ongoing effort to make different weapon types more meaningful, all weapons now have a parry effectiveness that is not tied to the weapon damage. Daggers and small blades are now more effective than many larger weapons in stopping damage in a parry. Large, hafted weapon and bows are now less efficient at parrying than before. Additionally, offhand weapons now add to the amount stopped when parrying so now that offhand dagger won’t just be for looks!
- Plague: Plague damage now increases over time, so getting cured quickly is now much more important.
- Reveal Hidden: Reagent use was dropped to be in line with other tier 3 spells.
- Ring of Fire: Ring of Fire was updated to the new math used for most combat skills.
Root: Root spells will now have their duration shortened based on the target’s strength. For players, this will mean that their roots are one to three seconds shorter but for many large monsters, this will likely make the roots only last few seconds. For extremely powerful creatures, like trolls, dragons, and daemons, the root be broken immediately.- Shield Skills: We worked hard to finish out the Shield Skill Tree with new skills and expanded functionality to existing skills.
- Dig In: Area of effect shield buff that increases damage resistance in a radius around the caster but only if caster remains immobile. The effect increases multiplicatively as additional users cast the buff nearby.
- Testudo: Shield buff that increases damage resistance in a radius around the caster but slows the caster down. The effect increases multiplicatively as additional users cast the buff nearby.
- Redirection: Innate Shield skill that increases chance to force a glancing blow if the player has a shield equipped.
- Bolster Balance: Innate Shield skill that increases knockdown, knockback, and stun resistance.
- Strength of Earth: Base boost dropped from 10 to 5 + skill level/10. This was to move it to be in line with the other stat buffs.
- Tooltips: Filled in missing information for the following skills:
- Silent Movement
- Animal Charm
- Camouflage
- Engage Opponent
- Juxtapose
- Light
- Mind Wipe
- Shadow Form
- Vanish
- Mind Lock
- Untrain: A skill set to Untrain will quickly lose experience. Some of the lost experience is put back into their experience pool. Note that only skills above level 20 can be set to Untrain.
- Weapon Proficiency: In previous releases, not having any skill with a weapon would perform the math as if the player had a 40 skill. This has been corrected. Having no skill will now treat the player as if they have a 1 skill.
- Performance and Polish: Major efforts will be done to optimize performance and polish gameplay. We will also increase the breadth of metrics and logging.
- Weather: The visual effects associated with weather are now linked to quality settings. This should greatly improve performance for those running “Fastest” on lower end computers.
Heatmaps: We now are able to visualize data internally for scenes using heatmaps. We will use these to help track everything from resource yields to player death “hot spots.” Here’s an example showing traffic patterns through Novia.- Configurable Saturation: Players can now tune the color saturation to their liking. Slider all the way to the left is zero saturation and completely grey scale. Saturation slider one quarter of the way to the right is the default saturation level you are used to. With the slider at the halfway mark, it is closer to Ultima 9 and all the way to the right is approaching the Wizard of Oz.
- Map-Specific Performance Improvements: Hilt, Desolis Underground, and Novia all received some map-specific performance work.
- Cloaks: Cloak logic has been updated to make them much less costly in high player count situations.
- Game Mode Display: Players now have the option to display in-game what game mode they are currently playing (Single Player, Friends, Open).
- Lighting: The overall brightness of all scenes was increased slightly and the maximum brightness value has been increased on the Brightness slider in options. Additionally, some of the specific weather cases had their brightness tuned and we have increased the radius of player equipped and cast lights.
- Fast Travel: Fast travel has had a major overhaul and is now integrated into the player economy with crafted elements. The previous zoning methods allowed unencumbered instant travel across the map at will. These completely defeated the regional economies we are working hard to create, as well as allowing players to circumvent content like control points. Finally, features like “Zone to Lot” gave a completely disproportionate advantage to players owning multiple properties. The below changes will curb abuse, level the playing field, and help reinforce the regional economies. We realize this will be painful for some of you, but these changes are needed for the long term health of the game economy.
- /stuck: The ability to rescue yourself from inaccessible areas now has some constraints applied to it in order to curb its misuse as an escape route. There is now a casting timer and a cooldown so it cannot be instantly performed and then repeated instantly. We are also now properly logging the use of this feature so we can automatically track trouble spots in scenes and trap exploits. Additionally, this feature now does a pathfinding check around you and moves you to a random nearby valid location instead of the map exit point.
- Bind & Recall: Players now have the option to bind to a single point in the game to which they can return to at any time by using a consumable Recall scroll (crafted via Alchemy). There are two options for binding; Town Criers or your property marker/sign. There is a casting timer and a cooldown for Recall. Note that this replaces the “Zone to Lot” functionality. New players will receive 12 Recall scrolls. For R27 only, we are also giving every character 20 Recall scrolls.
- Teleport (to Friend): This replaces /zone and functions very similarly. You select someone from your friends list and then use a consumable Teleport scroll (crafted via Alchemy) to teleport to entrance of the scene they are in. There is a casting timer and a cooldown for this action. Note that in a future release, Friends will move to a two way confirmation (like Facebook). New players will receive 12 Teleport scrolls. For R27 only, we are also giving every character 20 Teleport scrolls.
- Creatures:
- Elemental Loot: Elementals now leave a lootable corpse (with loot!).
- Oracle Bugs: Now have a scanning behavior when near things that the Oracle finds interesting.
- Dragon: We did a pass to polish animations and visual effects.
- Troll: We polished visual effects.
- Undead: The undead are now immune to poisons.
- Play Behaviors: Creatures now have the ability to display play behaviors. In R27, you can see Wolves periodically chase and mock fight each other. We will slowly expand this over time to other creatures.
- Resource Guarding Behaviors: Some creatures are attracted to resource nodes and will attempt to guard them. In future releases, we may expand this to be creature- and resource-specific. (For example: Fire Elementals would always guard sulphur nodes).
- Avatars:
Walking Canes: Elegant avatars about town wouldn’t be caught dead without one of these accessories held in the left hand. There is a recipe to craft one in the game, and a fancier version will be available in the Add-On Store.- Kilts: Freedom (from pants)! These plaid, non-pants can be crafted in game and a fancier version will be available in the Add-On Store.
- Blend Shapes: When creating a character, the sliders that modify face shape now average the underlying blend shapes instead of adding the modifications on top of each other. This should minimize some of the weird deformations that were being created. It will also unlock our ability to allow for more extreme settings without breaking the face.
- Nameplate Information: The full information (color, title, guild) is also now displayed in upper left corner of screen.
- Baron/Baroness Founder Title: These pledge titles now accurately display in gold.
- Lord British Cloak: The mysterious effect on this cloak is now not so mysterious. A player wearing the cloak has their health appear at full health until they are nearing death. Unfortunately, Lord British has a strange power that attracts random falling objects, and this cloak also has that effect.
- Water Cloak: This cloak that supports Water.org now extends the duration of the /rain emote and increases the loot chance in wishing wells (see below).
- Dyes: You can now dye clothing in bag mode.
- Emotes: We added a few new emotes to the game.
- /dance5: This is an energetic dance for when the music moves you. It can be found by talking to the music merchant Shandala Truesong in Aerie or from other players who have learned it.
- /panic: This is a “What? What’s happening?” gesture of surprise. It can be found by talking to Willem, the bar patron in Resolute or from other players who have learned it.
- /pray: This is a sign of quiet meditation. It can be learned from Damai, the Mother of Peace, in Khasi’s Castle in Ardoris or from other players who have learned it.
- Player Housing
Greenhouses: We added three new greenhouses to the game: Rusted Iron Small Greenhouse (Add-On Store), Rusted Iron Large (in game), and Round Elven Greenhouse (Add-On Store).- Simplified Collision: This improves performance and stops the camera from hitting things like roof beams inside.
- Duke Benefactor
- Duke Founder
- Lord of the Manor Keep
- Lord of the Manor
- Twin Spires Manor
- Addressed Geometry and texture bugs
- Citizen Waterfront Cabana
- Baron Benefactor
- Duke Founder
- Lord of the Manor Keep
- Window Transparency issues
- Leaky Roofs: We have made some improvements to the interaction between rain and buildings to fix the leaky roofs. Please note that at lower quality settings and/or in scenes with a very high density of objects rain may still get inside.
- Built in Lights: We added these to the Lord of the Manor Keep and Lord of the Manor Home.
- Ardoris Water Lots: These were positioned too far from piers making the docks, stairs, etc. of water homes sort incorrectly.
- City Arena Basement: Added secret bricks to open doors in cells that were trapping players.
- Sojourner Tales Magical Printing Press and Book: Backers who backed Sojourner Tales will receive this magical printing press with the Sojourner symbol on it. Using the press makes a book copy with the Sojourner Tales symbol on the cover.
- Recap (aka Space Bards) Gypsy Dance: The infamous Gypsy Dance from “The Return of Lord British” music video by the Recap (Space Bards) is now in game (currently titled /dance4) and available to everyone who has pledged to Shroud of the Avatar (cutoff for eligibility will be when we expire all pledges in July). Next release we will be providing
ABC versions of select songs from Neon Milk and “The Return of Lord British” on a special neon green wax cylinder to backers who backed both Neon Milk and Shroud of the Avatar (more details next release). - Countach Make a Difference: We are proud to announce that we are partnering with Shooter Jennings, and his label Black Country Rock, to raise money through our Make a Difference Store using Shooter’s newest album: Countach (featuring our very own Lord British). The following items are now available for purchase and 50% of the proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation:
- Countach Wax Cylinders: 6 songs from the new album plus an exclusive bonus track “The Death of Lord British” all on exclusive Countach Pink wax cylinders.
- Countach Album Cover Art: The incredible album art is now available as a framed painting that you can place on your walls.
- Countach Pink Dye: This exclusive hot pink dye is sure to catch attention.
- Countach Phonograph: This exclusive version of the ornate metal phonograph has pink and purple highlights
- Wishing Wells: Throwing coins in a well can sometimes result in receiving a random gift. As mentioned above, wearing the Water cloak improves your chances. This works on the placeable decoration as well as any wells seen in the game.
- Economy:
- Loot Throttling: We now have the ability to set thresholds, maximum limits, and time constraints to loot to aid in battling exploits.
- Drag/Drop Trading: Dragging an item on top of another player will now initiate a secure trade.
- Crowns of the Obsidians: These very rare coins left over from the age of the Obsidians can be found occasionally on higher level creatures. In later releases, they can be redeemed with trainers, the oracle, and other locations for blessings.
- Bulk Reagents: Reagents can now be purchased in bulk.
- New Sound Effects: Another huge pass through the game upgrading and adding new sounds.
- Slimes
- Breakable Rock Walls
- Electrical Junction Boxes
- Water Wheels
- Water Fountains
- Gears
- Obsidian Forge
- Death Sounds
- Death Ambience
- Curtains
Candles - Torches
- Braziers
- Dead Bodies
- Skeleton Bodies
- Elf Dead Bodies
- Wolves
- Soltown Sewers
- Blood River
- Solace Bridge
- Highvale
- Purify Spell
- Zombies
- Elves
- Localization: The localization effort continues to advance steadily with various tasks and bug fixes. All the initial languages continue to move forward with Spanish still in the lead at over 71%, German in second place with almost 59% and Italian coming in strong at third with 46%.
So, now that it is clear what you can expect, we should also be as clear about what you should NOT expect:
- Performance: We have only done rudimentary optimizations, and we do not yet have a full suite of performance fallbacks (LODs, etc.). This means the game will be quite slow on older machines, and due to memory usage, and might be unstable in certain conditions (like densely decorated areas). With each release, we will be doing further optimizations and adding to our fallbacks to improve performance.
- Crafting: The crafting system is in the game as a framework, but is still missing some key components like a full suite of Refining/Production Skills and breadth/depth of recipes.
- Game Loop: Release 27 is a further iteration on our game loop, but is still missing some key components. Expect this to expand with each subsequent release, but it won’t be truly complete until we hit final wipe in July.
- 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.
- Persistence: As part of development, we will need to periodically wipe data including characters, property, etc. As we near official launch the frequency should decrease, but there will definitely be a wipe right before launch. So consider everything gained during early access temporary.
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 ProducerWe need all your help with testing the new patches, putting more stress on our multiplayer servers, and testing the new game content, so please join us in playing Release 27!
If you have not backed the game yet, you will need to register and login at www.shroudoftheavatar.com, select the “Pledge or Send Gift!” button in the right side-bar, and purchase a pledge at the $45 Adventurer level or above. The basic Adventurer level pledge is also available on Steam Early Access.
Release 27 Player Instructions
Release 27 Known Issues
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 2
- Shooter Jennings’ In-Game Worldwide Premier of New Album “Countach”
- The Making of Skrekk – Part 2
- Release 27 QA Build Available for Dev+ Backers
- Public Cache Chests Now POTable
- RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
- Final VIP Roundtable, Studio Tour, LotM Visit & Dinner
- Story in Scene
- Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango!
- Release 26 All Player Towns Gathering
- The Gauntlet [EVL]
- Round Elven Greenhouse
- 10 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- This Week In the News
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
The Making of Shores of Malice – Part 2
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys, SorcerousSteve chiming in with an update on Malice, now focusing on the interior Dungeon and its surrounding chambers, including the Well of Sorrows!
Malice is populated by the vengeful dead, an army being raised to sweep down over the lands of the living and avenge Anapa and the injustices done to him and the dead of the Drachvald.
It is here in the Well of Sorrows where Sequana sits on a platform held wrapped there by magical chains.
Initial layout and brainstorming, the start of an iterative process. For all you Lord British fans, those rough drafts on the right were drawn by Lord British himself to provide me with some guidance.
Halls of crypts and chambers filled with hundreds of bodies have come to known as The Warrens, it is here where the dead congregate in enormous droves
waiting in their hope for release.
The Warrens have been largely inspired by the Paris Catacombs.
An underground river has created this vast chasm once the site of rituals for the undead.
Stay tuned for more on this work in progress: Malice.
See ya next time!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer
You are invited to the Ultimate Album Premier of the Decade!
SHOOTER JENNINGS, with Marilyn Manson, Brandi Carlile, Steve Young, and Lord British, in his newest album, Countach!
Groups from around New Britannia are joining forces to bring you the party you will never forget!
Join us in-game for events: quests, parties, and a world premier first time listen of the entire album
Party goers will assemble at 7 pm CT (GMT -06:00) at the Bear Tavern in the player town of Beran’s Reach on the western coast of Spindrift Bay (or /zone Balec deCani).
Attendees have the chance to win prizes, including:
Pink Vinyl physical copies of Countach
In-Game Wax Cylinders of Shooter Jennings Tracks!The event will be broadcast live on Avatars Radio (http://avatarsradio.info/)
With live video streaming by RizeUp Gaming (http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming)Thanks To:
Shooter Jennings – For the opportunity to bring you this party!
Amber Raine – For co-sponsoring and broadcasting the event on Avatars Radio
Gabriel Nightshadow, Elgarion De Kahli, Asclepius & NBTT – For the performances and quests
Minerva, Aimend, Athanil et Team – For decorating the multiple event locations
Kazyn Phoenixfyre, Eclipse Maiden, RizeUp Gaming – for live video streaming on Twitch.tv
Duke Violation & OoV – For coordinating event security
The Bear Tavern – For hosting the kickoff party
Wake Up New Britannia – The Pre-show on Avatars Radio!
Speck – For nurturing the idea to fruition!
(…and many, many others)IF you only plan to attend one party in Shroud of the Avatar this month,
THIS is the party you do not want to miss!
In Shooter’s Own Words…
When news recently got out that outlaw country musician Shooter Jennings, son of the country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, planned to hold the World Premier of his new album, Countach, inside of the fantasy role-playing game Shroud of the Avatar, one news outlet dubbed it “…arguably the weirdest gaming event of all time.”
When asked why he chose such a unique venue to unveil his latest album, this is what he had to say:
As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized I’m a man of familiar comforts. I often find true happiness in the delights of my childhood. But, I find myself trying to give back to the things that gave me such happiness as a kid. When I was 7 years old, my dad bought the family an Apple IIe. Just the sheer possibilities blew my mind and the computer quickly became my favorite tool. The greatest tool.
It was with this computer that my imagination was captured and taken to great heights. Early computer games were, and still remain my favorites. The games Sierra made, Broderbund, all these early titles held a very special place in my heart. But it was with the Ultima series that I found a different kind of kinship. I would have to say, I tinkered a bit on the first few games, but when Ultima V and VI came along I was ready for their epic challenges. Lord British was my J.R.R Tolkien, giving me my first broad magical adventure where morality and intellect really played a major role.
As I got older I played every single Ultima game that was released, even poisoning the bread in Ultima IX. Then Ultima Online took me and my friends to another world, allowing us to live a real alternate life. What a brilliant development!
By this time Kurt Cobain was minutes from death and my 386 sat on a small table in my bedroom. I was running a BBS and connecting to very early forms of the internet. Nine Inch Nails’ the Downward Spiral had captured my ears, changing my perceptions of music forever.
It was with these computers that I began to make music. I understood computers, but up until my discovery of Trent Reznor, I had not found a link between music and computers that resonated with me. After this point I began recording my own songs at home, learning and crafting, crafting and learning. It was a cathartic experience that eventually led me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in rock and roll full time.
I spent a lot of time drinking, and going out. Trying to out-Bukowski Bukowski, I guess. I kinda put my years of computing at bay, performing with my band on the Sunset Strip, and trying to make up for all the lost nerd years with the ladies. But I kept a copy of Ultima IX on my machine in my first LA bedroom. Every once in a while, my friend John Shahan and I would revisit Britannia and beat the game again. It was like a warm blanket I brought from my childhood home. When being an adult got to be too much, I could always go poison Lord British’s loaf of bread and get a laugh.
All of this leads to a certain point. I remember looking online and reading about Shroud of the Avatar and getting very excited. It had been a long time since I’d heard the name Lord British, and it was like John Lennon all of a sudden coming out with a new Plastic Ono Band album. I immediately found the Kickstarter and made my pledge. I could not wait to play this game. I had played some of the other MMOs, and while fun, they never captured the sense of adventure that the Ultima series did, online or offline. I was so excited to see this come out that I just could not wait.
After jumping in SOTA, in a very early release, I got very excited for the potential. It felt like UO, but also felt like a wide open adventure unlike anything I’d ever seen. Over the months, I would check in release-to-release as the game started to take major shape. I was inspired by the fact that they allowed players to be a part of the game as it was built. It felt like I was a part of something really special.
Fast forward about a year, and I found Richard Garriott on twitter. I reached out to him, mainly because I was a fan. I thought SOTA was amazing and I think I initially offered to help with score. It has always been a dream of mine to score a game, and I never got that opportunity (well, until I eventually got to put some music in SOTA!). Lord British himself wrote me back and I was just floored. I would keep in touch here and there by retweeting or talking about Ultima games. It was easy, they meant that much to me.
Fast forward again and I’m half way through the recording of my new album ‘Countach’. I was recording the song ‘Chase’. The song, originally from the Midnight Express film, was also used as a theme song for my favorite radio program, Coast to Coast AM. As a kid, I would listen to Art Bell explore the unknown every night with this song as the backdrop. I knew this had to be on the album but I wanted to make it more than just an instrumental. That’s when the idea hit me to ask Richard Garriott to do a voice-over. Here I was doing this record, a tribute to Giorgio Moroder, a man who basically took electronic tools that most people didn’t even understand yet and made wild, lush adventures for people to forget their troubles to. Sounded just like Lord British, so I felt if I just could get Richard talking about his life, exploring, creating worlds, it would make absolute sense. And it did. I was floored when he did it. It was a dream come true.
After we got done with the record, I got to meet Richard Garriott and Starr Long in Los Angeles, and found myself among folks that I really felt I could have a deep conversation with. Again, going back to feeding back into my childhood, I realize that we are all the most responsible for what we have learned from life, and for giving it back to the rest of the world. Much as Richard and Starr have done the same by creating the worlds they have, they gave it back to me. And then through my love of their art, I am trying to give back to them, and give to future generations of the lore of (new) Brittania and the innovations of its creator’s.
Having created a system where you can not only listen to streaming radio inside the game, but also having the ability to collect wax cylinders with audio stored on them which you can play on in-game phonographs, it seemed like a no-brainer to be able to share music inside Shroud of the Avatar. So I suggested we do a listening party in the game. If there was one album where this concept fit, it was this one! Hell, I think I even hid some Ultima 7 music on the record somewhere. And Lord British himself is on the record. So we set it up and the unbelievable community in Shroud immediately jumped up and have prepared an incredible quest-driven party. The quests are being executed by the New Britannia Theater Troop, who are an in-game, live group of actors. Some of the great building constructors and creators are crafting custom locations and clothing for the event. Avatars Radio is going to stream the album in-game. And both Starr and Richard (Darkstarr and Lord British) have given it their blessing and are going to attend.
Now, going back to that 14 year old kid on the 386 in his room. Lonely and looking for adventure. Imagine what he would say right now? Probably something along the lines of “f**k yeah future Shooter, way to f**king go!”
– Shooter Jennings
The Making of Skrekk – Part 2
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard Matey]
Hey Everyone. Thanks for the feedback! We are working real hard on this section of the world and bringing in more Kobold influence into the game. Here are a couple of early shots of entering the town.
RrMatey
Level DesignerRelease 27 QA Build Available for Dev+ Backers
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Starr Long]
Hello, the Dev+ QA build is out, version 325.
If you have not played on QA before, you can find instructions here: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/early-dev-release-21-testing.35715/
Please post bugs here: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?categories/early-access-qa-server-bug-reports-release-27.501/
Public Cache Chests Now POTable
Based on community requests, Public Cache Chests, great for player created quests where you may want to leave quest clues or loot for questors to discover, can now be placed as decorations in Player Owned Towns. Public cache chests are available in-game, with an Ornate Public Cache Chest available in the Add-On Store. Placement limits for cache chests in Player Owned Towns are:- Holdfast: 1 chest
- Hamlet: 2 chests
- Village: 3 chests
- Crossroads Village: 4 chests
- Town: 5 chests
- City: 6 chests
- Metropolis: 7 chests
RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive starts at 9pm PST, February 21 and finishes at 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.
HOPE. CARE. CURE.
These three simple words capture what we are here to do. That’s because at Seattle Children’s, compassionate care, breakthrough research and generous donors come together every day for children who need us.
We are united by a compelling mission: to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease.
Together, we deliver superior patient care, advance new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research and serve as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest region of any children’s hospital in the country. In 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Seattle Children’s No. 1 on the West Coast – and No. 6 in the country overall – placing us among the nation’s top children’s hospitals.
Final VIP Roundtable, Portalarium Studio Tour, LotM Visit & Dinner
We have scheduled our final Lord of the Manor Dinner, VIP Roundtable and Portalarium Studio Tour. Emails with the following information are being sent to the qualifying Dukes and LotMs:
Lord British’s Britannia Manor Tour and DinnerA night of merriment awaits you and a guest at Britannia Manor, New York. Lord and Lady British request your presence the eve of Friday, April 15th, 2016 for a Royal Feast. As this is an official seating with thy esteemed Lord and Lady British and the honorable Lord DarkStarr, period dress is requested for this festive event.
Event Schedule:
- Arrive at Britannia Manor, NY by 6:00 pm EST
- Embark on a 2 hour Royal Tour of the Manor led by Lord British and Lord DarkStarr. Thy Lady British hopes that the fates allow her to attend as well.
- First course served promptly at 8:00 pm EST
- Revelry till midnight!
Following thy meal, wine will flow freely as we discuss your Lord of the Manor backstories and your thoughts on Shroud of the Avatar’s development to date. And with enough spirits, who knows what else might be revealed!
Please RSVP by March 18th, 2016 so that we may prepare for your visit. I am humbled by your generous support of Shroud of the Avatar and look forward to sharing an evening of fellowship with you.
~ Lord British
VIP Roundtable Design Discussion w/ Lord British & Portalarium Studio Tour
Thy humble Lords and Ladies of Portalarium would like to extend the following invitation to all of our Dukes, Duchesses, Lords, and Ladies of the Manor:Please join us in Austin, Texas on Friday May 13th, 2016 for a grand day with the developers of “Shroud of the Avatar”. We will begin at 11AM on May 13th with your arrival at the Portalarium studios for a tour, and end the day with a series of roundtable design meetings with Richard Garriott and other members of the Development team. We are always trying to find ways to help you make the most of your visit to the studio, and we think that the Roundtable Discussions with Richard are the perfect way to have your voice heard, as it helps you have the chance to influence Shroud of the Avatars direction and development!
Please RSVP for the Friday Roundtable event no later than April 22, 2016 so that we may have an accurate count of guests and have an adequate supply of lunches available for our Friday meeting.
Story in Scene
“Story in Scene” is a type of literary quest; a creative mashup of player-created quests and stories. Community members Womby and Vyrin recently posted in the Release 26 Events Forum about their Story in Scene creations:
Far, far away on a forgotten island in Spindrift Bay lies an abandoned Obsidian prison.
Within that prison are six cells, and within each cell is a note left by the former occupant. Can you make sense of what they wrote? Explore the prison and the adjoining guardhouse and discover information that will reveal the stories behind each prisoner.
To begin your adventure make your way to the Isle of Ghosts, then follow the trail of lamp posts across the bridge. There you will find the prison (on the left) and the adjacent guardhouse.
Story in Scene: The Palace Gardener
I have used my keep lot in Ardoris as a stage for a story, “The Palace Gardener”.
Mother Damai has appealed to you, Avatar, to help unravel the mystery surrounding one of Ardoris’ most beloved residents, the Palace Gardener. Strange happenings at his home have led people to believe it cursed, and these rumors are further undermining the peace of an already tense city. Will you help set things right?
You interact with the story by finding the scenes recorded in books or letters, scattered around the keep. The best way to experience it is to find each scene in sequence from 1 through 18. The first starts at the entrance outside the portcullis as shown in the picture.
You can find the Keep by going left immediately as you enter Ardoris.
Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango!
[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post by Sandillox Ent]
Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango Sat Feb 20th 8pm-10pm NBT
/zone to Sand, Majoria, or Apollox Evanheart
5 Rounds of BINGO. Each round with a chance to win a $5.00 add-on store credit.
Final Round will have Grand Prize of $10.00
Bingo is brought to you by Sandillox Entertainment Guild House located in the beautiful Town of Wizards Rest. Please check out the Website for more information.
Release 26 All Player Towns Gathering
[From a Release 26 Events Forum post by Winfield]
The All Player Towns Gathering is a time for many Player Owned and Run Towns to meet to talk about town development, diplomacy, and ideas. All towns and people are invited to attend. This is your chance to meet other town leaders, citizens, and adventurers. We will have some plenary topics followed by workshop sessions.
The event starts at 1pm CST, Sunday, February 21, and is being held in Hometown (located SE of Soltown in Novia). Players are invited to come an hour early to meet people, bring books about your towns, hang out, and more.
[http://www.sotamap.com/?map_id=38]
The Gauntlet [EVL]
[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post by Kendric Darrow]
The GAUNTLET is a new style of event that is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner of a $25 store credit!
The EVL Gladiators will do their very best to slow you down using a variety of magic spells along the course. Join us in Novia on February 21st at 4pm NBT (CST) in the Underworld PVP town (same location as the Pip Squeak PVP). Zone point for the Gauntlet is Sheamus McGuinness. Registration & Practice is open from 4:00 to 4:30 so make sure to get there on time so you can check out the course and get signed up! Complete Rules will be handed out upon registration and everyone is encouraged to come along and root for their favorite Runner or their favorite Gladiator!
Sheamus McGuinness provided this preview of the course, and recommends you come early to practice a bit:
Round Elven Greenhouse
This small greenhouse is the perfect out-building to grow your Royal Elderberries and other assorted flora found in New Britannia. Growing plants in this greenhouse will speed up their growth rate. Available now in the Add-On Store.
10 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
All items in the Stretch Goal Store will expire at 10:30 am CST, February 29, 2016. This includes such favorites as: Greenhouse, Black Foal, Baby Llama, Elven Home and Armor, Functional Sypglass, Longboat, Admiral’s Outfits, and more! So you better hurry over to the Stretch Goal Store and grab these rare items while they are still available!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:For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest – January Janus Creation Contest features Cataclysm or Survival Themes!
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- Daily War Time PVP Event (Daily, 8pm CST – 9pm CST)
- Invitation to all guilds, PK hunters, PVP’rs or players interested in PVP training to come to Chaos Crossroads (Located at the crossroads outside of Kingsport on the road to Owl’s Head). PVP Event rules: None! Use whatever spells you want, kill in mobs or solo, group with new allies and defend your territory, lure newbies into the town and wack them! (details)
- EVL Hat Master Weekly Grand Tour Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Have you ever wanted that cool looking release hat you’ve seen around town? Well now is your chance! It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting < EVL> would like to announce a new weekly event aimed at anyone who wishes to grab the current release hat but needs a little help and direction to do so. (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
- /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
EVL Pip Squeak PvP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle or Jade; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Otherwise known as “Spend Stryker’s Gold” – Stryker will open a bar tab at one of the local Novia taverns for an hour or so for drinks, stories, news, critique of the arts, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk or watch this thread for locations each week!
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event (Thursdays, 10pm CST)
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- EVL Capture the Flag (Fridays, 7:00pm CST)
- It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting would like to invite everyone to our weekly capture the flag event. This is a two team PvP event where each team competes for control over three bases; the team who captures all three bases wins. (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, February 20
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 12:30pm CST The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon
- Think you know your way around the overland map and towns without using /stuck or /zone? Put you body where your mouth is and join Prism and Diamond Fields for a jog around the world, with a dip in the water as well. Prizes! (details)
- 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST FFA/Brackets PVP Tournament
- Meet in Vengeance and we’ll plan a location for a FFA or Brackets tournament (Vengeance)
8:00pm CST BINGO Bango!
- Sandillox Ent Presents BINGO Bango. 5 Rounds of BINGO. Each round with a chance to win a $5.00 add-on store credit. Final Round will have Grand Prize of $10.00. (Wizards Rest, /zone Sand, Majoria, or Apollox Evanheart; details)
Sunday, February 21
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 12:00pm CST Pre-All Towns Gathering R26 (in Hometown)
- Come an hour before the All Player Towns Gathering meeting to meet people, bring books about your towns, hang out, and more. (Hometown, /zone Winfield; details)
- 1:00pm CST All Towns Gathering R26 (in Hometown)
- The All Player Towns Gathering is a time for many Player Owned and Run Towns to meet to talk about town development, diplomacy, and ideas. All towns and people are invited to attend. This is your chance to meet other town leaders, citizens, and adventurers. We will have some plenary topics followed by workshop sessions. (Hometown, /zone Winfield; details)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
4:00pm CST EVL The GAUNTLET
- The GAUNTLET is a new style of event that is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner of a $25 store credit! The EVL Gladiators will do their very best to slow you down using a variety of magic spells along the course. (The Underworld, /zone Sheamus McGuinness; details)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
- 11:00pm CST RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive
- RizeUp Gaming Seattle Children’s Hospital Charity Drive starts at 9pm PST, February 21 and finishing at 11pm PST, February 28. Show your support by visiting http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming.
Be sure and check out the Release 26 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
This Week In the News
February 15 – Polygon: Shooter Jennings to premiere new album inside a video game
February 15 – GameSpot: Country Music Star to Debut New Album in Ultima Creator’s New Fantasy Video Game
February 16 – Eurogamer: Country music’s Shooter Jennings will premiere new album inside Shroud of the Avatar
February 18 – MassivelyOP: Outlaw Country Musician to Debut Album in Shroud of the Avatar
Upcoming Events
2016.02.22 – Shooter Jennings Album Release Party
2016.02.25 – Release 27
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.15 – Final Lord of the Manor Britannia Manor Visit & Dinner
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.13 – Final Duke Roundtable and Portalarium Office Tour
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.05.01 – The Hearth of Britannia: Legends of the Hearth III
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
In this Throne War Simulator, characters are persistent but the campaign worlds are not, thanks to voxel technology which enables fully-destructible settings. A seamless blend of an MMO with a large-scale strategy game, players are immortal champions, traveling between realms to fight in an eternal War of the Gods.
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You are invited to the Ultimate Album Premier of the Decade!
SHOOTER JENNINGS, with Marilyn Manson, Brandi Carlile, Steve Young, and Lord British, in his newest album, Countach!
Groups from around New Britannia are joining forces to bring you the party you will never forget!
Join us in-game for events: quests, parties, and a world premier first time listen of the entire album
Party goers will assemble at 7 pm CT (GMT -06:00) at the Bear Tavern in the player town of Beran’s Reach on the western coast of Spindrift Bay (or /zone Balec deCani).
Attendees have the chance to win prizes, including:
Pink Vinyl physical copies of Countach
In-Game Wax Cylinders of Shooter Jennings Tracks!The event will be broadcast live on Avatars Radio (http://avatarsradio.info/)
With live video streaming by RizeUp Gaming (http://www.twitch.tv/rizeupgaming)Thanks To:
Shooter Jennings – For the opportunity to bring you this party!
Amber Raine – For co-sponsoring and broadcasting the event on Avatars Radio
Gabriel Nightshadow, Elgarion De Kahli, Asclepius & NBTT – For the performances and quests
Minerva, Aimend, Athanil et Team – For decorating the multiple event locations
Kazyn Phoenixfyre, Eclipse Maiden, RizeUp Gaming – for live video streaming on Twitch.tv
Duke Violation & OoV – For coordinating event security
The Bear Tavern – For hosting the kickoff party
Wake Up New Britannia – The Pre-show on Avatars Radio!
Speck – For nurturing the idea to fruition!
(…and many, many others)IF you only plan to attend one party in Shroud of the Avatar this month,
THIS is the party you do not want to miss!In Shooter’s Own Words…
When news recently got out that outlaw country musician Shooter Jennings, son of the country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, planned to hold the World Premier of his new album, Countach, inside of the fantasy role-playing game Shroud of the Avatar, one news outlet dubbed it “…arguably the weirdest gaming event of all time.”
When asked why he chose such a unique venue to unveil his latest album, this is what he had to say:
As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized I’m a man of familiar comforts. I often find true happiness in the delights of my childhood. But, I find myself trying to give back to the things that gave me such happiness as a kid. When I was 7 years old, my dad bought the family an Apple IIe. Just the sheer possibilities blew my mind and the computer quickly became my favorite tool. The greatest tool.
It was with this computer that my imagination was captured and taken to great heights. Early computer games were, and still remain my favorites. The games Sierra made, Broderbund, all these early titles held a very special place in my heart. But it was with the Ultima series that I found a different kind of kinship. I would have to say, I tinkered a bit on the first few games, but when Ultima V and VI came along I was ready for their epic challenges. Lord British was my J.R.R Tolkien, giving me my first broad magical adventure where morality and intellect really played a major role.
As I got older I played every single Ultima game that was released, even poisoning the bread in Ultima IX. Then Ultima Online took me and my friends to another world, allowing us to live a real alternate life. What a brilliant development!
By this time Kurt Cobain was minutes from death and my 386 sat on a small table in my bedroom. I was running a BBS and connecting to very early forms of the internet. Nine Inch Nails’ the Downward Spiral had captured my ears, changing my perceptions of music forever.
It was with these computers that I began to make music. I understood computers, but up until my discovery of Trent Reznor, I had not found a link between music and computers that resonated with me. After this point I began recording my own songs at home, learning and crafting, crafting and learning. It was a cathartic experience that eventually led me to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in rock and roll full time.
I spent a lot of time drinking, and going out. Trying to out-Bukowski Bukowski, I guess. I kinda put my years of computing at bay, performing with my band on the Sunset Strip, and trying to make up for all the lost nerd years with the ladies. But I kept a copy of Ultima IX on my machine in my first LA bedroom. Every once in a while, my friend John Shahan and I would revisit Britannia and beat the game again. It was like a warm blanket I brought from my childhood home. When being an adult got to be too much, I could always go poison Lord British’s loaf of bread and get a laugh.
All of this leads to a certain point. I remember looking online and reading about Shroud of the Avatar and getting very excited. It had been a long time since I’d heard the name Lord British, and it was like John Lennon all of a sudden coming out with a new Plastic Ono Band album. I immediately found the Kickstarter and made my pledge. I could not wait to play this game. I had played some of the other MMOs, and while fun, they never captured the sense of adventure that the Ultima series did, online or offline. I was so excited to see this come out that I just could not wait.
After jumping in SOTA, in a very early release, I got very excited for the potential. It felt like UO, but also felt like a wide open adventure unlike anything I’d ever seen. Over the months, I would check in release-to-release as the game started to take major shape. I was inspired by the fact that they allowed players to be a part of the game as it was built. It felt like I was a part of something really special.
Fast forward about a year, and I found Richard Garriott on twitter. I reached out to him, mainly because I was a fan. I thought SOTA was amazing and I think I initially offered to help with score. It has always been a dream of mine to score a game, and I never got that opportunity (well, until I eventually got to put some music in SOTA!). Lord British himself wrote me back and I was just floored. I would keep in touch here and there by retweeting or talking about Ultima games. It was easy, they meant that much to me.
Fast forward again and I’m half way through the recording of my new album ‘Countach’. I was recording the song ‘Chase’. The song, originally from the Midnight Express film, was also used as a theme song for my favorite radio program, Coast to Coast AM. As a kid, I would listen to Art Bell explore the unknown every night with this song as the backdrop. I knew this had to be on the album but I wanted to make it more than just an instrumental. That’s when the idea hit me to ask Richard Garriott to do a voice-over. Here I was doing this record, a tribute to Giorgio Moroder, a man who basically took electronic tools that most people didn’t even understand yet and made wild, lush adventures for people to forget their troubles to. Sounded just like Lord British, so I felt if I just could get Richard talking about his life, exploring, creating worlds, it would make absolute sense. And it did. I was floored when he did it. It was a dream come true.
After we got done with the record, I got to meet Richard Garriott and Starr Long in Los Angeles, and found myself among folks that I really felt I could have a deep conversation with. Again, going back to feeding back into my childhood, I realize that we are all the most responsible for what we have learned from life, and for giving it back to the rest of the world. Much as Richard and Starr have done the same by creating the worlds they have, they gave it back to me. And then through my love of their art, I am trying to give back to them, and give to future generations of the lore of (new) Brittania and the innovations of its creator’s.
Having created a system where you can not only listen to streaming radio inside the game, but also having the ability to collect wax cylinders with audio stored on them which you can play on in-game phonographs, it seemed like a no-brainer to be able to share music inside Shroud of the Avatar. So I suggested we do a listening party in the game. If there was one album where this concept fit, it was this one! Hell, I think I even hid some Ultima 7 music on the record somewhere. And Lord British himself is on the record. So we set it up and the unbelievable community in Shroud immediately jumped up and have prepared an incredible quest-driven party. The quests are being executed by the New Britannia Theater Troop, who are an in-game, live group of actors. Some of the great building constructors and creators are crafting custom locations and clothing for the event. Avatars Radio is going to stream the album in-game. And both Starr and Richard (Darkstarr and Lord British) have given it their blessing and are going to attend.
Now, going back to that 14 year old kid on the 386 in his room. Lonely and looking for adventure. Imagine what he would say right now? Probably something along the lines of “f**k yeah future Shooter, way to f**king go!“
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Happy Birthday Avatars Radio!
- The Making of Skrekk
- The Halls of Artifice (A Work In Progress)
- Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party
- The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon
- Happy Valentine’s Day!
- 17 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
- Backer Shipping Addresses
- In-game Community Events
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
Happy Birthday Avatars Radio!
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We’d like to wish a heartfelt “Happy Birthday” to Avatars Radio! Founded by Amber Raine, Avatars Radio is the first, and oldest, Shroud of the Avatar radio station, dating all the way back to SotA Release #1!
Avatars Radio has an awesome lineup of amazing DJ’s broadcasting day and night for the SotA community! They started their birthday party festivities today at 3pm, but will be going all day and into the night, so head on over to Radio City and help celebrate their birthday! Here’s more from Amber’s Release 26 Events Forum Post:
Tune in All day to Avatars Radio as each DJ will have wonderful prizes to give away!
It may be our birthday but you the listeners and supporters, the wonderful Avatars of New Britannia, will be the ones receiving the presents!
Thank you for helping us reach 2 years! Without you we would have never made it this far.Here is to many more in the future!
When: February 12th, 2016 – listen in all day, party with us all night
EVENTS
Avatars Radio Race Track – Built and run by the amazing Woftam et Team.
Avatars Radio Club – Best Dressed, Best in Red, Best in Pink, more fun TBA
Raffles Drawings – Buy your tickets in Radio City at the Avatars Radio Club.
Over 200$ in Add-On Gift Cards and Presents to be given away to you the community!
Avatars Radio Birthday Race Challenge
The Making of Skrekk
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard Matey]
Hey guys, I am posting my process earlier than usual so you can see this land build up over time. Currently I am working on Skrekk, the largest Kobold city in the known land. This section will be broken down into 3 scenes, entrance, caverns, and throne room.
Here you can see some shots of the entrance of this area.
My next focus is working on the main cavern of this land. Here you can see my reference board I built up.
Here is a rough layout of what I have in mind leading up to throne room.
Look forward to seeing more work in progress from Skrekk.
RrMatey
Level DesignerThe Halls of Artifice (A Work In Progress)
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]
Having passed through the golden door of Artifice’s grand entrance, one immediately finds oneself standing in a beautiful atrium, greeted by warm shafts of light which fall from a large oculus set in the domed ceiling above a gurgling fountain. Those who may have entered at dusk or in the midst of night will suddenly realize that if these warm rays are sunlight, then you may have left your world behind entirely…
As your gaze sweeps across the chamber, you’ll notice over a dozen benches tucked against walls between pillars and potted plants, all empty. In fact, regardless of the number who may have entered with you, this chamber echoes with your footsteps alone. Ahead and to the side, beyond the sunken floor below the dome, are three separate vestibules with three smaller golden doors, much like the one you just passed through…
When you turn around, however, you see not the shining portal through which you just stepped,…but two great bronze-bound doors that, when tested, are locked and stuck fast against you. It sees you have choices to make, and the only way through is forward. Could the promised rewards lay beyond this new set of magical gateways?
As I begin building the inner Halls of Artifice, I seek to maintain the theme I began outside; a mix of Greco-Roman-inspired architecture, with just a hint of Gothic mixed in. Though we don’t have any truly Babylonian-style assets to work with, a mix of our dungeon and sewer sets re-skinned with more “desert-like” materials and colors will help blend them in with some of the generic ruined assets we have purchased and altered for our needs, and will hopefully help continue the whole “hanging gardens opulence” vibe I’m going for… That, of course, mixed with a strange sense of “all that glitters is not gold” and possibly “lonely, ethical desolation”… ^_^ Enjoy the progress! More to come soon, as more special chambers are developed…. I think you’ll find the emerging themes “interesting”, to say the least…
Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party
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[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post]
It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting cordially invites everyone to an extra special scavenger hunt in celebration of valentine’s day on Sunday 14th between 4:00 – 5:00 PM NBT (CST).
The first player to decipher all the clues and complete the scavenger hunt will receive their choice of add on store valentines cloaks. Everyone who participates will receive a crafted harp and valentine’s poem in commemoration of the day of love and romance.
Zone point for the evening will be Jar Laxle
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In conjunction with Phoenix Republic we would like to invite everyone to an after event party hosted in Owl’s Head between 5:00 and 6:00 PM NBT (CST).
So don’t delay put on your best party outfit and dance the night away or, if you prefer, cozy up in the corner for a romantic evening.
Who will be your Valentine? Come to the party and find out!
The New Britannia Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon
Breast Cancer Awareness Month isn’t until October, but community member Lace, founder of the Prism Guild, believes that breast cancer awareness is a year-round necessity. As such, she is hosting a Breast Cancer Awareness Biathlon on February 20th! From her Release 26 Events forum post:
Think you know your way around the overland map and towns without using /stuck or /zone? Put you body where your mouth is and join Prism (http://prism-sota.enjin.com/) and Diamond Fields for a jog around the world, with a dip in the water as well. While a triathlon would be nice, there are no motorized/mounted means of transportation, so we will have to settle for running and a water skill.
Contestants will start in Diamond Fields and be given a flyer which will name at a minimum 5 checkpoints they must visit, and collect a flyer from the race official stationed there (a hint to their actual location will be provided). Your route is up to you, avoiding bottlenecks for getting that flyer is up to you. (it takes time for trades).
Once you have obtained the required flyers form your checkpoints you will then need to travel to a final destination where you must fish up a set number of specific fish. All will be documented in your initial handout flyer for the event. First person to turn in all the flyers and correct number of fish will win.
Minimum prize guarantee of $20 Store Credit for first place; $10 for second; and $5 for third
Runners will receive pink coconut bras for breast cancer awareness
[Click here to signup for the race, or to volunteer as a checkpoint official]
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Don’t forget that Valentine’s Day is this Sunday, February 14th! We have a variety of items to help with your celebrations, including the Valentine Card 5-Pack, Cupid Ensemble, Cupid Heart Cloak, and Valentine Hearts Cloak. Available for a limited time only in the Add-On Store!
17 Day Countdown for Stretch Goal Store Expiration
All items in the Stretch Goal Store will expire at 10:30 am CST, February 29, 2016. This includes such favorites as: Greenhouse, Black Foal, Baby Llama, Elven Home and Armor, Functional Sypglass, Longboat, Admiral’s Outfits, and more! So you better hurry over to the Stretch Goal Store and grab these rare items while they are still available!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:
For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest – January Janus Creation Contest features Cataclysm or Survival Themes!
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- Daily War Time PVP Event (Daily, 8pm CST – 9pm CST)
- Invitation to all guilds, PK hunters, PVP’rs or players interested in PVP training to come to Chaos Crossroads (Located at the crossroads outside of Kingsport on the road to Owl’s Head). PVP Event rules: None! Use whatever spells you want, kill in mobs or solo, group with new allies and defend your territory, lure newbies into the town and wack them! (details)
- EVL Hat Master Weekly Grand Tour Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Have you ever wanted that cool looking release hat you’ve seen around town? Well now is your chance! It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting < EVL> would like to announce a new weekly event aimed at anyone who wishes to grab the current release hat but needs a little help and direction to do so. (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
- /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Pip Squeak PvP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle or Jade; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Otherwise known as “Spend Stryker’s Gold” – Stryker will open a bar tab at one of the local Novia taverns for an hour or so for drinks, stories, news, critique of the arts, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk or watch this thread for locations each week!
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- EVL Capture the Flag (Fridays, 7:00pm CST)
- It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting would like to invite everyone to our weekly capture the flag event. This is a two team PvP event where each team competes for control over three bases; the team who captures all three bases wins. (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Friday, February 12
- All Day CST Avatars Radio 2nd Birthday Celebrations
- Tune in All day to Avatars Radio as each DJ will have wonderful prizes to give away! Events include: Avatars Radio 2nd Birthday Race Challenge, Avatars Radio Club – Best Dressed, Best in Red, Best in Pink, Raffles Drawings, over 200$ in Add-On Gift Cards and Presents to be given away! (Radio City; details)
Saturday, February 13
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
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12:00pm CST Ye Olde Grande Tour Quest – The Bear Tavern
- The Bear Tavern shall host this exciting romp where we will escort, without zoning, new and experienced players alike along the path of the R26 Grand Tour to redeem the Bowler Hat reward! Join us for this stroll whether you already have the hat, or not, as we impart a bit of lore, take in the lands of New Britannia in all their glory and share some travel tips along the way. Please meet Aimend and Balec deCani in-game on the world map outside Brittany to join the tour! (details)
- 2:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST Serenite Auction
- Join us in Serenite for a monthly Auction for all the best wares. Minimums are allowed but all bets will start at minimums if they exist. For the duration of pre-alpha there will be no fee to auction items in Serenite. (Auction Hall in Serenite, East of Grunvald)
Sunday, February 14
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 4:00pm CST Valentine Scavenger Hunt & After Event Party
- It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting cordially invites everyone to an extra special scavenger hunt in celebration of valentine’s day on Sunday. The first player to decipher all the clues and complete the scavenger hunt will receive their choice of add on store valentines cloaks. Everyone who participates will receive a crafted harp and valentine’s poem in commemoration of the day of love and romance. In conjunction with Phoenix Republic we would like to invite everyone to an after event party hosted in Owl’s Head between 5.00 and 6.00PM NBT (CST) so don’t delay put on your best party outfit and dance the night away, or, if you prefer, cozy up in the corner and have a romantic evening. Who will be your valentine? Come to the party and find out! (Owls Head, /zone Jar Laxle)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 26 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
Upcoming Events
2016.02.12 – Norrbotten Media Week
2016.02.22 – Shooter Jennings Album Release Party
2016.02.25 – Release 27
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
Far more than a dungeon crawl, Underworld Ascendant is a next-generation sequel to the legendary fantasy RPG’s Ultima Underworld & Ultima Underworld 2. It not only modernizes the series’ visuals and user interface to take full advantage of the today’s powerful PC’s, it innovates in bold new ways.
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- The Making of Shores of Malice
- The Entrance to Artifice
- Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 26 Postmortem
- New Greenhouses
- New Player Owned Town Templates
- In-game Community Events
- This Week In the News
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
The Making of Shores of Malice
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
Hey guys, once again its SorcerousSteve here with my latest map: The Shores of Malice entrance to the Malice Dungeon (final love quest location)!
The Shores of Malice are located on the banks of Stormwater Lake on the northern section of Drachvald bounded by the treacherous peaks of The Sirens.
Players on the love quest line will arrive by boat from Spite.
Inspiration for this location was drawn from the Washington State Coast.
Utilizing Gaia, our new water system, improvements in our lighting systems and our ever present attention to detail all come together in an effort to create the most natural organic looking scenery possible.
Ruins dot the ancient mountain range just up the trail from the Entrance to Malice.
Many of you who have visited Ravensmoor may be familiar with an island not too far off shore where a troll lurks and countless players have bravely fought to their deaths. Well many of you will be pleased to know that the Shores of Malice will have another such island where fellow Avatars can come test their wit.
That’s it for now folks, be sure to check out the Shores of Malice, coming soon!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level DesignerThe Entrance to Artifice – Part 2
Last week we shared the opening comment and teaser image from Scottie’s Artifice Dev+ forum post. This week we’re sharing the rest of Scottie’s post, along with a repeat of the opening comment from last week (for descriptive continuity).
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]
As most travelers and pilgrims to Xenos know,…across the rolling plains of Elysium,… several day’s journey beyond the River Fall,… and perched in a crook of the craggy northern arm of the aptly-named Rumor Peaks,… lay the mysterious and legendary destination known as Artifice. Though there are a variety of tales that claim to know the truth behind why it was created, and by whom,…the only rumors that draw hopeful visitors from across the world to gather with needy abandon in the halls of Xenos are the stories told of the dreams and wishes that can come true for those lucky enough to win the lottery granting permission to enter Artifice’s secluded depths.
This lottery, open to the rich and poor alike, grants the holder the power to pass beyond the glimmering golden door, and to feast one’s eyes finally upon those things which are close to any pilgrim’s heart. The lame, it is said, will be healed. The hungry, it is said, will be fed. The lonely, it is said, will find love. There are some who complain that those who are wealthy and affluent seem to win the lottery more often than those who are poor and in need of its miracles… But, honestly, who can truly judge the mercurial whims of whatever powerful forces created this mystical place? Surely, only the MOST worthy can hope to share in the miracles offered in Artifice, and if the groveling masses are kept at bay, allowing only the best of us to pass within its walls, then one can be assured that the rewards within must be truly fabulous,…and justly deserved.
Here is a little teaser of my work on the entrance of Artifice… My goal is meant to be a mix of the mythic gardens of Babylon and some ruined garden of earthly delights… Based loosely on an early concept by Stephen, and composed of existing props and set pieces,… the views of waterfalls, crumbling columns, and lush plants contrasted with the sparse and somewhat barren scenery below should make this place a fun little area to explore, and an interesting enigma to experience once players gain access to the marvels within.
Having travelled across the Elysian Plains, those lucky enough to have won the fabled lottery of Xenos will eventually discover a narrow cleft in the massive rocks that line the foothills of the northern Rumor Peaks. Through this craggy entrance, beyond a winding path overshadowed by looming rocky walls, a lonely road leads uphill toward a strange source of light in the distance. The terrain here is reminiscent of other mountain paths, with dry scrub and grasses washing over boulder-strewn hills, and dotted with tall sparse conifers and smaller pines.
There is an arid, somewhat dry quality to the environment here, and the trails leading up to what appear to be some kind of ruins are dusty and strewn with loose rocks and pebbles. The closest trail ascends in a series of small switchbacks toward what must be the entrance to Artifice itself. As one climbs this trail, the landscape to the right begins to fall steeply away into a small scrub-choked ravine at the base of a tall stone wall above.
Approaching the top of the trail, what had appeared to be a wall has resolved itself into an ancient dam of sorts, built long ago to contain a small yet idyllic pool that has formed at the base of a grand stone structure rising higher onto the mountain’s steep face. It is here, strangely, that some subtle art has changed the very nature of the place. Dry scrub and barren pines give way, as if by magic, to lush grasses, green ivy, and sculpted topiary junipers that appear to be carefully tended. From the moment one approaches the path across the dam, flowers grace the edges of the trail, and potted plants dotted with colorful blossoms adorn the tops of columns rising on either side.
Seen from a bird’s-eye view, the opulence of this place shines through, despite that fact that some of its features have fallen into ruin. (I’m told that satyrs and fauns will eventually tend this place, speaking briefly to travelers that have come so far to sample its beauty). Multiple tiers of decorative stonework rise higher and higher to a shimmering archway above, and sumptuous growths of plants both deciduous and tropical lace the terraces on all sides. There is a quiet, powerful decadence here that seems beyond even the presence of clear mountain water and the hands of its devoted keepers to possibly maintain.
As one climbs higher and higher, looking back across the small, hidden valley reveals a breathtaking view of the distant peaks to the west, and the rolling plains to the south stretching all the way to the River Fall and far Xenos, where the journey to this place began. A flock of birds that gladly nest in the high cliffs, so close to such verdant riches, wheel and swoop on the upper winds. Though the panorama seems peaceful enough, the valley below (assuming one explored its perimeters) has many dangers in the form of wild beasts that now wander the lower hills, likewise lured in by the abundance found here.
Upon reaching the top, small stone footbridges lead across the swiftly-rushing waters that feed the falls below. Here a balcony hangs over the pool, where eventually will be found a satyr who’s task is to formally greet those who have come to enter the magical gateway leading to the inner Halls of Artifice. He will explain that only those who have been blessed with winning entrance through the lottery will be allowed inside, while all others will be barred from entry by the powerful magic of the golden gateway itself. Of course, there is no rush, and visitors can feel free to wander the nearby overlooks.
Yet…the shimmering portal beckons, as do the promises of all the wonders supposedly contained inside. No amount of outer beauty, no abundance of mere flowers and crystalline falls could possibly compare to the treasures and rewards for those lucky enough to have won entrance into what certainly must be one of the most coveted destinations in the world… As anyone will tell you, “Everything’s better in Artifice!”…
Enter, and enjoy the rewards you so richly deserve…
Scottie ^_^
Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 26 Postmortem
We had a great Hangout of the Avatar this week, with Richard, Starr, and Chris chatting about Release 26 and providing a sneak peek at Release 27. FireLotus fielded lots of questions and feedback live in the chat-room and from the original post! Here’s the video in case you missed it live:
New GreenhousesIn Release 26 we introduced the “Greenhouse Effect”, wherein growing plants in greenhouses speeds up their growth rate. Currently, the Flexible Placement Stretch Goal Greenhouse is the only one in the game, and this greenhouse, along with all the Stretch Goal items, are expiring on February 29th at 10:30 AM CST (so ya better hurry and get the ones you want while they are still available).
We’re introducing two new “Rusted Iron” style greenhouses, crafted by Bob Cooksey. This first greenhouse, adapted from the stretch goal greenhouse, will be available on in-game vendors:
Rusted Iron Large Greenhouse
This small Rusted Iron Greenhouse is currently available in the Add-On Store.
New Player Owned Town Templates
We’ve received requests from Player Owned Town owners to provide variations on existing templates that replace the large paved areas with natural terrain. Michael Hutchison has started working on these, and you can expect to see the additional templates soon in the POT Submission Form. Here are a few work-in-progress screenshots from Michael:
Forest Template with cobblestone:
Forest Template without cobblestone:
Swamp Template with cobblestone:
Swamp Template without cobblestone:
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest – January Janus Creation Contest features Cataclysm or Survival Themes!
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- Daily War Time PVP Event (Daily, 8pm CST – 9pm CST)
- Invitation to all guilds, PK hunters, PVP’rs or players interested in PVP training to come to Chaos Crossroads (Located at the crossroads outside of Kingsport on the road to Owl’s Head). PVP Event rules: None! Use whatever spells you want, kill in mobs or solo, group with new allies and defend your territory, lure newbies into the town and wack them! (details)
- EVL Hat Master Weekly Grand Tour Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Have you ever wanted that cool looking release hat you’ve seen around town? Well now is your chance! It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting < EVL> would like to announce a new weekly event aimed at anyone who wishes to grab the current release hat but needs a little help and direction to do so. (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
- /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Pip Squeak PvP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle or Jade; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Otherwise known as “Spend Stryker’s Gold” – Stryker will open a bar tab at one of the local Novia taverns for an hour or so for drinks, stories, news, critique of the arts, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk or watch this thread for locations each week!
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- EVL Capture the Flag (Fridays, 7:00pm CST)
- It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting would like to invite everyone to our weekly capture the flag event. This is a two team PvP event where each team competes for control over three bases; the team who captures all three bases wins. (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, February 6
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 12:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
- 8:00pm CST 1v1 Tournament
- The longest running Player vs Player tournament in Shroud of the Avatar. (Player Owned Town of Vengeance, Novia)
Sunday, February 7
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 26 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
This Week In the News
February 4 – The State of Shroud of The Avatar: A Backer’s Perspective
Upcoming Events
2016.02.09 – Dania Games Open Development Day
2016.02.10 – Lecture Series at Lulea University of Technology
2016.02.12 – Norrbotten Media Week
2016.02.22 – Shooter Jennings Album Release Party
2016.02.25 – Release 27
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.26 – Release 30
2016.06.30 – Release 31
2016.07.28 – Release 32Recommended Projects to Back
From the creators of Wasteland 2 and Torment: Tides of Numenera comes The Bard’s Tale IV. Thirty years ago, The Bard’s Tale put Brian Fargo and Interplay on the map and launched a storied career crafting some of the most beloved cRPGs in gaming history.
Today, we return to Skara Brae for the long-awaited dungeon-crawling sequel to the Bard’s Tale trilogy — the games that helped define the genre. The Bards Talke IV it is a single-player, party-based cRPG with dynamic phase-based combat, challenging puzzles and riddles, and a game set to beautiful Gaelic music, where the Bard’s songs and melodies affect gameplay.
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Please join us Friday, February 5th at 3:00 PM Central (20:00 GMT) for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! Richard, Starr, and Chris will be chatting about Release 26 and looking ahead to Release 27! And as usual, FireLotus will be taking your questions and feedback live in the chat-room and also in advance right here in the comments section.*
We will be giving out some really awesome prizes during the 90 minute extended Hangout, and all you have to do to qualify for one is to come hang out with us in the IRC chatroom during the broadcast. Be sure to join us!
*Please keep in mind that questions and feedback related to Release 26 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.
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Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Play Release 26 Now!
- The FireLotus Release 26 Party!
- R26 Patch Notes
- SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Final Wipe and Lot Selection
- Shooter Jennings’ In-Game Worldwide Premier of New Album “Countach”
- The Entrance to Artifice
- Valentine Goodies
- New Player Homes
- Checkers Anyone?
- The Giant Yew Tree
- In-game Community Events
- This Week In the News
- Upcoming Events
- Recommended Projects to Back
Play Release 26 Now!
Release 26 successfully launched yesterday, January 28, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, logging in, and checking out the new changes! Lots of new content to explore, including:
- Full Wipe to allow for fundamental changes to several systems, including crafting and quests
- New Summon Chaos Daemon Spell, plus polished/balanced dozens of existing spells & skills
- New Consider System to show level difference between player and enemy
- Points of Interest polish added to 16 existing scenes
- 5 New scenes including Resolute, Aerie, North Varisalla Foothils, Sanctus Spine, and Dysborg Ruins (PVP zone)
- New Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year items
- New Grasslands Biome Template for Player Owned Towns
- 21 New Player Owned Towns
- New Crafting System that allows for material modifiers, gear naming, components, etc.
- Agriculture System Balance/Polish
- Performance Imrovements
- Language Translation Progress
- …and more!
Check out the Release 26 Instructions update for detailed information about all the newcontent.
The Final Grand Tour QuestWe introduced the Grand Tour Quest in Release 10 in september 2014, with the Cavalier Hat quest reward! Now here we are in Release 26, and it is with bittersweet feelings that we announce our final Grand Tour Quest, designed to guide you through all the new content. The Bowler Hat will be the final Grand Tour Quest reward, and can only be unlocked during this Release (did someone say rares?), so be sure to log in soon and talk to all the Tour Guides!
If you need help with the R26 Quest, community member E N V Y has provided this helpful video walk-thru (Thanks Envy!):
We need all your help with testing the new patches, putting more stress on our multiplayer servers, and testing the new game content, so please join us in playing Release 25!
If you have not backed the game yet, you will need to register and login at www.shroudoftheavatar.com, select the “Pledge or Send Gift!” button in the right side-bar, and purchase a pledge at the $45 Adventurer level or above. The basic Adventurer level pledge is also available on Steam Early Access.
Release 26 Player Instructions
Release 26 Known Issues
Avatars Radio Presents: The FireLotus Release 26 Party!
This month’s traditional FireLotus Release Party, the first of 2016, was held in Phoenix Fields! Fireworks and Cupid Wings were in abundant supply! Here are a few screenshots:
R26 Patch Notes
Thanks to all our community members that jumped right into this Release and started reporting bugs. We’ve already fixed quite a few of them and pushed out several patches. Click here for the most up-to-date Patch Notes.
January 29, 2015
Build Number 370, 6:30 PM
Changes:
- Now able to use the “Enter” key to confirm a pop-up message
- Picking up the key in East Perennial Trail no longer makes the entire house disappear
- Heart cloaks names updated to match add-on store
- Food buff channels now working
- Aerie NPCs now working properly
- Polish pass on male 2-handed blade animations
- Fog is now working properly with smoke visual effects
- Fixed water lot placement in the POT Grasslands template
- Aerie Town Crier now responds to double click, really.
- Lowering the water level 1 foot to keep waves out of the shore in Aerie
- Fixed / polished materials on Plate armor and Clockwork pets
- Fixed the bug that caused blank recipe book upon learning a recipe
- Fixed timing on fire damage over time visual effects
- Summon demon swap out to low poly version.
- Fixed a small transform error on the daemon pet.
- Attached light to flying watcher (the light did not previously rise along with the watcher while it flew)
- Removed extra Ardoris map from the Novia Map Atlas Pack
- NPCs can now move about under the Yew Tree decoration
- Various performance optimizations
- All inventory bundles pushed to players from pledges or add-ons now have the word “Reward” in them for easier finding and context
- Removed developer only and pledge items from some merchants
- Grand tour guides now properly give quest credit
- Fix for most of the see through houses when viewed at range.
- Fixing the LODs on the lord marshall house to not cull as soon.
- Character names still show up in social UI (friends/party/guild) even if character is deleted
- Fix combat shop npc building
- Fixed improper cloud layers on island skies
- Error message now displayed if attempting to promote a player to leader, but target character has been deleted.
- Knights of Norgard now properly exit conversation upon saying goodbye, and offer to open the keep gates when appropriate.
- Chest Armor now shows up properly on Alchemy Table
- NPCs will no longer force-open a conversation if other players are in the same scene.
- Fixing conversations for animals and oracle minions
- Arabella in Resolute now responds properly
- Fixed certain Aerie NPCs so they display their name overhead when asked
- Fixed dialog for elf child in Blood River Massacre
- Fixed animation hold / alignment issues with the Daemon holding his Trident of Chaos
- Fixed typo in Oracle dialog
- Dye Preview fixes: Changed the character sheet to prevent equipmant changes while in preview mode and made it display a message if attempted to make it clear. This prevents a lot of odd use-cases from happening. Also, the equipment tab in the inventory will no longer break the preview UI.
- Fixed issues with turning in Stanley’s notes to Cugel in Ardoris
- Added more keywords to complete Cai Lau / Sheng Lau quest
- Various fixes / polish in Aerie (floating objects, stuck spots, etc.)
- Fixed rusty weapons not being able to be salvaged
- Fixed bows/wands/staff salvage producing leather
- Fixed wands and staves to work as bludgeons (really, we mean it this time)
- Crystal ore nodes now properly update their collision when harvested
- Fixed dialog for minor prisoners in the Clink
- Now able to fire off a ranged free-attack when auto-selecting a target
- Disabled heat distortion effect throughout our game for R26. It destroys the frame rate even in small doses.
- Removed half the Oracle crawlers and fliers from Ardoris for performance
- Fixing journal entry for Brigid in Resolute to denote that Path of Courage currently ends in Resolute.
- Changed confusing reference to boat location in Blood River tutorial
- Fixed buff and debuff icons not disappearing when the effects expire
- Chairs: Added interactive text to many chair prefabs (some already had this text) and updated the “can’t sit here” error message players see to include these interactive text labels (so players will, for example, soon see messages saying they can’t sit on “Wooden Chair” instead of “?borg_chair01?”)
- Fixed Night Vision effect cutting out randomly
Known Issues:
- The Castle Wall Sets are not being delivered properly yet.
- Quest to take message from Resolute Lord Marshal to the Captain in Ardoris is not working
- Summoned Daemon is invisible except for trident and visual effects
- We do not yet officially support Windows 10. If you have upgraded to Windows 10 you may experience instability
- Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
- Weather has not been propagated to all scenes yet so there may be mismatches
- Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
- Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
- If you upgrade from a property owning pledge between data wipes you will receive extra lot deeds.
- Time is not in synchronized between scenes that have the new sky vs. the old sky
- If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
- Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
- Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
- The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
- Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
- Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
- ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Final Wipe and Lot Selection
Greetings Avatars,
We are incredibly excited to announce that we have scheduled final lot selection and our final wipe, including all social data (names, friends, guilds), for Release 32, July 28, 2016! After Release 32, we will no longer be wiping the game state. Your characters and your properties will be persistent from that date forward.
Please understand that final wipe is not “launch”. We will continue to be working to finish the game’s story content well past final wipe, while we remain in Early Access. Until then, the game is neither “launched” nor complete, but as mentioned below, the concept of “launch” may not even be applicable to this development model. Launch will be when we pull the game out of Early Access and we start marketing / public relation campaigns to pull in new customers. We have no plans to do those things in July. We know that this plan will generate a lot of questions and stir up plenty of emotions, but we firmly believe this is the best possible course of action for the project.
By Release 32, our goal is that the virtual world and economy will be fully functional and reasonably balanced. Additionally, the Love storyline will be polished and playable from beginning to end, with all characters and quests complete. The Truth and Courage storylines will also be completely playable from beginning to end, although not in as polished a state as Love. We are purposely holding the finale part of the storyline that ties the three threads together until the entire plot has been polished. This allows us to really focus on the new user experience and one storyline instead of spreading that effort out too thinly. ***Please note that the story is nonlinear and non-exclusive. It is designed to allow free movement between the three storylines and it is only until all three are complete that you move to the finale (this structure will be very familiar to Ultima players). So just because you finish the Love story, you are not excluded in any way from experiencing the other plots.
As part of all of this, we are also announcing the 2016 Spring and Summer Expiration Events.
We are expiring approximately half of the currently available pledges during the Spring 2016 Expiration Event, which occurs at 10:30 AM CST, May 2, 2016 (following the next wipe during Release 29). We are then expiring all of the remaining pledges and Player Owned Towns during the Summer 2016 Expiration Event, which occurs at 10:30 AM CST, August 1, 2016 (following the final wipe during Release 32). After August 1 a purchase of the game on our website or through steam will only include access to the game, it will not include any pledge rewards.
We are also expiring the Stretch Goal Store on February 29th at 10:30 AM CST. After that date, those items will no longer be available and we will no longer be considering those stretch goals as part of Episode 1. As part of that, we have changed these items so they can be re-gifted now. Additionally, Release 26 is officially the final Grand Tour for Episode 1 (so you better log in to get the very last Grand Tour quest reward!).
Finally, we are going to be making almost all the add-ons and pledge rewards (except tax free lots) available through gameplay in single player offline mode. Players will still have to earn enough gold to purchase them, or gather enough resources to craft them in-game. For reference, the cost to purchase a Castle Deed in Offline Mode will be at least $120 million gold and it will have a very high tax rate. Players that purchased add-on items and received pledge rewards will start the game with them, just like they do now.
We have decided to do all of this because wiping player progress decreases player engagement and prevents us from getting the economy of the game started. It has also caused us to push polish until later in the project which is a traditional approach to development, but we are not approaching this traditionally. We are also going to stop using the terms “Alpha” and “Beta.” Our product is in a constant state of development and we have been live since November 2013, so using those terms no longer makes sense. Starting with Release 26, we are going to adopt the term “Early Access,” instead.
Here is a list of all the work going in between Release 27 (February) and Release 32 (July). Please note that we will not be posting a revised Q1 schedule, but you can expect the Q2 schedule at the normal time when we launch Release 28 in March.
Pre-Wipe Schedule:
- Performance: We will be spending a great deal of each release making improvements to performance via optimizations and fallback routines.
- New User Experience: This part of the game will be much more guided and instructive. It will also be better paced with a bigger feeling of accomplishment when leaving the starting areas and having completed the beginning of the game.
- Story: The Love storyline will be polished and playable from beginning to end, with all characters and quests complete. The Truth and Courage storylines will also be completely explorable.
- Character Art: Major focus will be put on upgrading the visuals of the characters, with special attention paid to wearables, skin, hair, and face.
- Animation: Polish passes will be done across all animations in the game with emphasis on speeding up the combat animations to feel MUCH more responsive.
- Combat Balance: Through a combination of regular internal play sessions, community feedback, and metrics analysis, we will be balancing combat across all levels of difficulty, magic/combat schools, gear equipped, PVP, and PVE. We will also finish the last few gaps in skill trees (Shields, Ranged, and Chaos) and will add the ability for unlearning skills from trainers.
- Economy / Crafting / Loot Balance: Through a combination of regular internal play sessions, community feedback, and metrics analysis, we will be balancing crafting across all levels of difficulty and crafting schools. This includes tuning resource generation (with higher yields in PVP areas), vendor pricing, success chances, and loot. We will also flesh out the crafting skill trees for more breadth and depth to allow for more specialization within schools (ex. Weaponsmith vs. Armorsmith).
- NPCs: Polish passes will be made across the characters and creatures, with special emphasis on human NPCs. You can expect much more polished heads (for example, starting with Arabella). The Wisp will also finally make an appearance as the second support pet (Water Elemental was the first).
- Fast Travel: Crafted magical fast travel items created through crafting will appear in the game to replace the /zone currently in game.
- Item Use Logging: Players will be able to view which players have used interactive items on their player property including doors, chests, and perhaps books.
- Single Player Offline Features: Single Player Offline will differ from Online play in the following ways.
- Companions: Various characters will adventure with you.
- Pause / Save: Players will at least be able to pause game play, but we hope to also allow the creation of multiple save games.
- NPC Economy: The economy in offline mode will be tuned so that creating and selling items to NPCs will be profitable.
- Spawn Rules: In Offline Mode, some scenes will never respawn creatures and resources (clearing a dungeon for example). The scenes that do respawn may do so on a very slow timer, or only if there is a game state change that requires them to respawn (ex. a Town Siege by the Undead). We will balance this to make sure the game feels like it is reacting to the player but is also providing enough resources for crafting.
- All Items Available: After positive response from a recent poll with our backers, we have decided to make all items from pledges and add-ons available in game through crafting or gold purchase.
- Sorting Algorithms for Multiplayer: Algorithms to support sorting players into instances with “people they know” will be polished and iterated.
- Novia Overworld: A major polish pass will be made across the Novia Overworld map to better align locations and shapes to the original cloth map drawing, while simultaneously normalizing the scales of objects.
- Tier Markers and Enemy Consider System: All adventure scenes that are directly accessed from the overworld will have tier markers near the entrance to indicate difficulty. We will also be introducing a consider system for enemies so you will know approximately how hard they are in relation to your level.
- User Interface Polish: A pass will be made through the UI to make improvements on visuals, usability, and customizability
- Lot Selection Sequence: This will allow us to sequence players for lot selection without having to limit who can play the game. Players will be able to view their group and start time on their account page. See separate post for the details about how lot selection sequence will work and the start times for each group.
- Physical Goods: As soon as the Novia Overworld task listed above is complete we will begin manufacture and shipping of the physical goods with the goal to have this completed by the end of 2016.
Pre-Wipe Feature / Content:
This is a complete list of all content and features that will be present in the game by Release 32.
- Combat
- Use Based Advancement.
- Classless System with fully customizable builds from all schools.
- 7 Combat Schools with 65+ Combat Skills.
- Blade
- Bludgeon
- Heavy Armor
- Light Armor
- Polearm
- Ranged
- Shield
- 9 Magic Schools with 85+ Magic Spells.
- Air
- Chaos
- Death
- Earth
- Fire
- Life
- Moon
- Sun
- Water
- 4 Strategy Schools with 35+ Skills.
- Focus
- Subterfuge
- Tactics
- Taming
- Free Attack and Auto Attack options.
- Fixed Hotbar and Dynamically Dealt Deck options.
- 20+ Weapon Types: Swords, Daggers, Polearms, Axes, Hammers, Bows, Staves, Wands, etc.
- 12+ Armor Types: Cloth, Leather, Augmented Leather, Chain, Plate, Epic Plate, etc.
- Movement: Walk, Run, Sprint, Jump, Swim, Tumble.
- World & Story: 150+ scenes.
- 75+ Outdoor Adventure Scenes.
- 25+ Dungeons & Sewers: All connected as one vast Underworld.
- 40+ Towns.
- 6 Control Points that block access to different parts of the map until taken (or snuck through).
- 10 Open PVP Areas: Obsidian Ruins, Shardfalls, etc.
- 2 Overworld Scenes.
- 12+ Random Encounters.
- 100s of unique NPCs with names, conversations, and schedules.
- 10+ Merchant Types.
- 100s of quests.
- Love Storyline Complete and polished.
- Truth and Courage Storylines fully explorable
- Minimaps for starting scenes and the Love storyline scenes.
- Journal.
- Creatures: 30+
- Bosses: Dragons, Trolls, Phoenix, Daemons.
- Magical: Elementals, Golems, Chest Mimics, Barrel Mimics, Imps, Wisps, Slimes, Maneaters, Flesh Flayers
- Undead: Skeletons, Zombies, Liches, Ghosts.
- Humanoids: Elves, Kobolds, Bandits, Satyrs, Fauns, Reshapers.
- Creatures/Animals: Bears, Wolves, Corpions, Spiders, Deer, Rabbits, Cats, Dogs, Horses, Llamas, Chickens, Donkeys, Turkeys, Ravens, Eagles, Automaton Cats/Dogs/Ravens, Crocodiles, Pigs, Sheep
- Character Customization
- Facial Feature Morphing, Hairstyles, Skin Tone, Eye Color, Hair Color.
- 65+ Emotes including emotes that can be taught/traded between players.
- 9 Slots for Gear: Head, Chest, Arms, Legs, Feet, Finger, Neck, Back, Musical Instrument.
- 100s of Wearables including dresses, masks, hats, cloaks, and armor.
- 20+ Pets including eagles, rabbits, cats, dogs, lynx, etc.
- Crafting
- 100s of recipes for gear, decorations, potions, food, etc.
- 100s of modifiers on crafted gear based on materials, critical success, location, and enchantments.
- Recipes that can be found, purchased, or discovered.
- 50+ materials to be gathered.
- Classless crafting system that can be freely mixed with combat skills.
- Public and Player Vendors to sell goods.
- Purchase Order system to buy goods through vendors.
- Specialized Trainers to teach skills.
- Regional Economies with relative abundance/scarcity of goods.
- Player created books and book printing.
- 6 Schools of Gathering with 20+ Skills.
- Agriculture
- Field Dressing
- Fishing
- Foraging
- Forestry
- Mining
- 5 Schools of Refining with 5+ Skills.
- Butchery
- Milling
- Smelting
- Tanning
- Textiles
- 5 Schools of Production with 15+ Skills.
- Alchemy
- Blacksmithing
- Carpentry
- Cooking
- Tailoring
- Housing
- 6 Lot Sizes: Row, Village, Town, City, Keep, Castle.
- 50+ different houses.
- 50+ different basements.
- 100s of decorations including furniture, walls, fences, paintings, rugs, food, trophies, statues, trees, etc.
- Detailed decoration system to make your place truly unique.
- Land Tax System.
- Housing Permissions so multiple players can share the same land.
- Dynamic Player Owned Towns where owners can customize lot placement and town decorations.
- Servants and house pets.
- Public Cache Chests.
- Social / Misc
- Friends.
- Guilds.
- 5 Musical Instruments (Lute, Drum, Piano, Harp, Flute) with songs played via ABC/MML files including ability to play as a synched group.
- Text Chat with multiple channels (guild, party, private).
- Radio linked to customizable webstreams.
- Banking System.
- DnD 1 playable on a teletype machine.
Post-Wipe Schedule
By now you might be asking yourself “but what about feature X?” With this focus on polish and functionality, it is indeed true that some features and content will be going live after the final wipe. We intend to continue monthly updates for the life of the project, so nothing about that will change with the wipe. Please rest assured that we are still planning on getting the content and features below in those monthly releases. Here is the list of Post-Wipe features and content. As before, we will be releasing quarterly schedule updates for when these will go live. Please note that our plan is to complete all of the below before starting work on Episode 2.
- Player Housing
- Magic Movers: Store/move a house/basement with all decorations intact.
- Fencing/Wall Tools: Snapping together automatically and selecting complete sets to surround your lot.
- Gear Decorations: Placing armor, weapons, etc., as decorations in your home.
- Spawner Decorations: Placeable items that spawn a certain number of creatures like spider eggs / webs that spawn spiders and coffins that spawn skeletons.
- Renting Rooms: Players can rent rooms to other players within their homes and basements.
- Player-Owned Towns: Please note that following R26 we will have a thread in the forums to discuss PoTs and address specific questions about Static vs. Dynamic (among other things).
- Multiple Templates for each Biome: For the final wipe, we will have 1 template for each biome. Post-wipe, expanding each biome to have 2-3 template options will be our highest priority for housing. As more templates come online, we will also create tech that allows us to swap a biome in a town without deleting everyone’s stuff.
- Custom Static Player Owned Towns: As soon as we have multiple templates, we will begin working down the list of players who wish to have custom static towns. Order will be based on size and purchase date (i.e. the oldest and biggest will be built first). Please note that as long as you have filled in your form with a town name and template selection by 10:30 CST on May 27, 2016, your POT will be in the game as a dynamic POT.
- POT Blessings: Blessings from objects placed in the town that scale based on occupancy.
- Dynamic Overworld Indicators: Dynamic visuals that reflect occupancy (total and current) including the presence of nested PoTs.
- Dynamic Resource Spawners: Spawners that scale based on total population. The more lots placed the less resources (critters, minerals, and plants).
- Offline POT: Ability to access your POT in offline mode
- Tools
- Snap-to-Adjacent-Lot for Lot Markers: Tool to allow you to place lots directly adjacent to each other and have them align automatically (useful for row lots in particular).
- Start Point Selection Tool: Allows owners to pick from a set of start points.
- POT Connection Tool: Allows players to define connections between adjacent POTs.
- “Lawn Mower”: Clears foliage and trees.
- Water Lot Placement on Docks: Allows placement of water lot markers on manmade structures like docks and waterfronts (not just beaches).
- Island Water Lot Placement: Allows placement of Duke and Lord of the Manor Island lot markers.
- Player Customization
- Armor Enamels and Leather Dyes: Ability to add enamels of different colors to metal armor and dye leather armor.
- Custom Duke and Lord of the Manor Heads: As soon as we finish with overall character polish, we will begin work on these custom heads and the tech to allow them to be used instead of the heads from character creation.
- Custom Family Crest (aka Heraldry): Unique art that can be displayed in game on shields, cloaks, and banners.
- Multiple Characters: Multiple characters on a single account with shared property ownership, bank inventory and reputation.
- Crafting
- Alcohol: Brewing beer and distilling liquor which has mixed effects on the player.
- Teachable Crafting Recipes: Teaching recipes to other players, much like emotes.
- Public Gardens: Rentable planting beds in public areas for those who don’t own land but want to do agriculture.
- Player Made Items in Loot: Crafted gear sold to NPC Merchants will have a chance to appear as loot on humanoid enemies.
- Combat
- Item Reputation & Affinity: Items will gain a reputation and affinity to the player wielding them after repetition of certain actions. That reputation will be represented by a name and an effect. For example, after killing 1000 dark elves, your trusty long sword is now called “Elf Bane” and deals an extra 2% of damage against dark elves.
- Castle Defense Scenarios: PVP variations of control points.
- Town Sieges: Story-related towns will periodically come under siege by the Cabalists. While under siege, the town’s functions will be affected.
- Cover: The cover system will modify attack and defense values when you (or your target) are behind cover.
- World/Story
- Weather Game Effects: Weather will affect game conditions including watering plants for agriculture, damaging gear (rust), and slowing movement rates when raining or snowing.
- Roving Encounters: Roving encounters (patrolling creatures) on the overworld map can be engaged (pulling you into a scene) or avoided if you wish to sneak past.
- Shipping Lanes: Boats will become more than just teleporters to different scenes. They will have schedules and a chance to have random encounters while at sea.
- Theater System: Rentable theater spaces with paid seating and audience rules.
- Unique Scene Visuals: Once we get Novia filled with all the needed scenes (some created by cloning existing scenes), we will circle back and start modifying all cloned scenes to be visually distinct.
- Unique NPCs: Once we get Novia filled with all the story-related NPCs and generic clones for all other NPCs (guards, merchants, etc.) we will circle back and add unique names and conversations for all the non-story-related NPCs
- Player-Designed NPCs: Some of these will be present by the final wipe, but this backer reward won’t be entirely fulfilled until we complete the “Unique NPCs” task above,
- Place Items Anywhere: Being able to drop items anywhere in the world, not just player property is a hallmark of Ultimas and we hope to support this as well. Please note that this may only be available in offline mode.
- Truth and Courage Storylines: Truth and Courage will be fully explorable by wipe, but not in a polished state.
- Shroud Finale: The culmination where all three storylines come together
- Minimaps: While the system will be complete and in place, we may not have maps generated for every scene prior to wipe. Pre-wipe priority will be placed on starting scenes and Love storyline scenes. Post-wipe we plan to have minimaps for every scene.
- Social
- Voice Chat: We will integrate something like Teamspeak into the game to allow for voice chat between players
- Leaderboards: These track player rankings in PVP, Guild Warfare, House Decoration (determined via voting), etc.
- Name on Tombstones: Player names displayed in the Brittany graveyard and on the Ancestor pledge reward.
- Name in Domesday Book: Player names displayed in the Domesday Book.
- Mail: Players will be able to mail each other (or themselves) items for a fee. This might also be the way we deliver some content like vendor sale proceeds.
Thank you for everything you do for us including your monetary support (without which this wouldn’t even be possible), your feedback, and, of course, your patience. It has been a long road, but we are finally getting there.
Sincerely,
Starr Long
aka DarkstarrPostscript: LOT SELECTION SEQUENCE
This is the final Lot Selection Sequence, including exact start times for each group. This is our attempt to come up with a fair system that is easy to communicate and rewards both early backers and the Kickstarter promise that extra pledge dollars would influence lot selection. This lot selection affects ALL lot placement including NPC towns and Player Owned Towns.
What will be the SORT ORDER?
- Tier
- Era (Royal Founder, Founder, Benefactor)
- Pledge Amount
- Era (Royal Founder, Founder, Benefactor)
What will be the NUMBER OF LOTS?
- The final number of lots (outside of Player Owned Towns) for final wipe will be locked at midnight on July 27 and will be based on pledges sold, plus Add-On Store lot allocations, plus 30% more for in game gold purchase.
When is START OF LOT SELECTION?
- Final Lot selection begins on July 28, 2016, at 11:00 CDT (NOTE: All times are given in 24 hour format).
Where is the LOT SELECTION LOCATION?
- Lot selection will happen in game.
- All lots will be available, but please note that you will have to complete the first two starting scenes (Island of Storms and Highvale/Solace Bridge/Bloodriver) before you can proceed to lot selection in game; which is why start times are 30 minutes after the start of Release 32.
- Lots in Player Owned Towns won’t be available until the owner puts down the appropriate markers. Once that is done, lot selection in PoTs will be governed by all the same rules
What will be the LOT SELECTION METHOD?
- Each pledge tier will get a LOT SELECTION WINDOW of time to select a SINGLE lot.
- Inside the tier window, the amount of time available to each sub-group will be based on their pledge era (Royal Founder, Founder, Benefactor) and total pledge contribution.
What is the LOT SELECTION WINDOW DURATION?
- Each Pledge Tier will get 64 hours total, with each subgroup starting in 5 hour increments, before the next group begins selection
- The lowest subgroup in a tier will get 24 hours to pick their lot before the next tier window would start.
- Lot selection for a group continues from their start time until the start of Release 33 on August 25, 2016, 10:30 CDT when we will begin selling lots inside the game and allowing those to be placed.
MISC:
- Add-On purchases do not factor into the dollar total that affects lot selection priority.
- EDIT: Many backers have inquired how to add dollars to their pledge.
- Option 1: Start and cancel a payment plan
- Option 2: Purchase a $25 Service voucher and send a request to support@portalarium. We will then add that $25 plus whatever amount of available store credits or gift coupons you wish to your pledge.
- Only 1 pledge allowed per account. If you have multiple pledges on a single account you will need to convert any extra pledges to add on store credit or move them into separate accounts prior to lot selection.
- You can change your mind and claim another lot at any time but there will be a time limit on how quickly you are able to do this.
- Only 1 Lot can be claimed per account until the start time for Group 91 (Add Ons and 2nd pledge lots)
What is the TIER ORDER?
- Tier order would start at the most expensive tiers and work backwards.
- Dollar amount over minimum pledge amount will grant priority by being sorted into groups (i.e. NOT literally per dollar, but rather greater/less than).
- Total dollar amount will never get you sorted before another tier nor before another era (i.e. it is the last sort variable).
- TIER ORDER Sequence:
- Lord of the Manor 1 and 2 (Castle Lots and below)
- Duke (Keep Lots and below)
- Barons 1, 2, and 3 (City Lots and below)
- Lord and Lord Marshal (Town Lots and below)
- Knight and Knight Marshal (Town and Village Lots and below)
- Edelmann and Edelmann Digital (Village Lots and below)
- Citizen (Village Lots and below)
- Developer (Row Lots)
- Navigator (Row Lots)
- Ancestor (Row Lots)
- Add-On Lots plus Secondary Lots (Lord and above): These will not have any sub groups and would all go at once (but still before general public)
- SUB TIER ORDER Sequence and Duration
- ROYAL FOUNDERS: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
- Group 1 = 64 hours
- Group 2 = 59 hours
- Group 3 = 54 hours
- FOUNDERS:(Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
- Group 4 = 49 hours
- Group 5 = 44 hours
- Group 6 = 39 hours
- BENEFACTORS: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
- Group 7 = 34 hours
- Group 8 = 29 hours
- Group 9 = 24 hours
- ROYAL FOUNDERS: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
OFFICIAL START TIMES FOR LOT SELECTION:.All times are in 24 hour format. These times will appear on your account page no later than June…
[Click here for the full schedule of Lot Selection Start Times…]
Shooter Jennings’ In-Game Worldwide Premier of New Album “Countach”
[From a Release 26 Events Forum Post by Amber Raine]
Shroud of the Avatar
and
Avatars Radio
PresentsJoin Shroud of the Avatar and Avatars Radio for what will without question be the Ultimate Concert of the decade!
SHOOTER JENNINGS with Marilyn Manson, Lord British and many other artists in his newest album Countach!
Join us in game for events: quests, parties and a world premier first time listen
February 22nd 2016. 7pm NBTGroups from around New Britannia are joining forces to bring you the party you will never forget.
Thanks To:
Shooter Jennings – For the opportunity to bring you this party!
A (possible) live in-game performance of Shooter’s songs via ABC files! (thank you Eniko for the coding to make this possible!)
The New Britannia Theatre Troupe – For the stage performances and quests
Minerva et Team – Decorating the establishment the whole thing will take part on
Kazyn Phoenixfyre, Eclipse Maiden, and the entire variety of Twitch and Youtube Streamers
Wake Up New Britannia – The Pre-show!Prizes from various groups as well could be yours including:
Pink Vinyl physical copies of Countach
In-Game Wax Cylinders of Shooter Jennings Tracks!IF you only plan to attend one party in R26
THIS is the party you do not want to miss!The Entrance to Artifice
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Scottie Jones]
As most travelers and pilgrims to Xenos know,…across the rolling plains of Elysium,… several day’s journey beyond the River Fall,… and perched in a crook of the craggy northern arm of the aptly-named Rumor Peaks,… lay the mysterious and legendary destination known as Artifice. Though there are a variety of tales that claim to know the truth behind why it was created, and by whom,…the only rumors that draw hopeful visitors from across the world to gather with needy abandon in the halls of Xenos are the stories told of the dreams and wishes that can come true for those lucky enough to win the lottery granting permission to enter Artifice’s secluded depths.
This lottery, open to the rich and poor alike, grants the holder the power to pass beyond the glimmering golden door, and to feast one’s eyes finally upon those things which are close to any pilgrim’s heart. The lame, it is said, will be healed. The hungry, it is said, will be fed. The lonely, it is said, will find love. There are some who complain that those who are wealthy and affluent seem to win the lottery more often than those who are poor and in need of its miracles… But, honestly, who can truly judge the mercurial whims of whatever powerful forces created this mystical place? Surely, only the MOST worthy can hope to share in the miracles offered in Artifice, and if the groveling masses are kept at bay, allowing only the best of us to pass within its walls, then one can be assured that the rewards within must be truly fabulous,…and justly deserved.
Here is a little teaser of my work on the entrance of Artifice… My goal is meant to be a mix of the mythic gardens of Babylon and some ruined garden of earthly delights… Based loosely on an early concept by Stephen, and composed of existing props and set pieces,… the views of waterfalls, crumbling columns, and lush plants contrasted with the sparse and somewhat barren scenery below should make this place a fun little area to explore, and an interesting enigma to experience once players gain access to the marvels within. As soon as I have the chance I’ll throw a few more images your way! Enjoy!
Scottie ^_^
Valentine Goodies
We have a variety of new items just in time for your Valentine’s Day celebrations, including the Valentine Card 5-Pack, Cupid Ensemble, Cupid Heart Cloak, and Valentine Hearts Cloak. Available now in the Add-On Store!
New Player Homes
We have several new homes available, including:
Kobold 2-Story with Rooftop Deck Village Home
In our new line of Kobold architecture is this 2-story, 3 room, village home that includes a roof-top deck.
Stone 2-Story Keep with Courtyard Town Home
This spacious 2-story, 16 room, town home also includes 4 corner towers with roof-top decks, and a large, central courtyard.
Stone 2-Story Round Tower Village Home
This unique 2-story, 4 room, tower village home also includes two second story decks and a rooftop deck.
Checkers Anyone?
Now you can invite your friends over for a friendly (or not so friendly) game of checkers. We’ve added a tabletop version and a life size version of these decorations, which come complete with board, 12 black checkers and 12 red checkers.
Yew Tree
This giant tree was originally designed for the Duchy of Dara Brae player owned town, but is now being made available to all. Requires a Castle sized lot (as shown in image below), or equivalent sized area on a player owned town. Available now in the Add-On Store.
In-game Community Events
Our amazing community has another great lineup of in-game events planned for this weekend. Special thanks to community member SpookyJenny (aka Jenny Phoenixfyre in-game) for her help in compiling the schedule of player events from the Avatar’s Circle Community Events calendar and the Events of the Avatars community calendar:
Recurring Events
- RPOTA Monthly $170 Writing Contest – January Janus Creation Contest features Cataclysm or Survival Themes!
- Here ye! Here ye! Biographers, Historians, Diplomats, Journalists, Story Writers, Quest Designers and Videographers! RPOTA is in dire need of your amazing talents! Role-Players of the Avatar is hosting a monthly contest to award those most famous with their quill or camera! (details)
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- The Unreliable Travel Guide
- The Unreliable Travel Guide, created at the SotA Writing Round Table, is not an event, but a collection of hilarious short stories published by two drunken layabouts who have nothing better to do than try to derive a dishonest income from newly arrived avatars. (details)
- Avatars Radio (Daily Programming)
- Welcome New Britannians to Avatars Radio – Radio of the Avatars. Rocking your socks off from the town of Radio City with the Terrestrial and New Britannian bards together under one roof through the power of the Moon Towers. Check out their daily program of amazing DJs: http://avatarsradio.info/schedule.php
- NBNN Lunch with Laz & Jack (Weekdays, 12pm CST)
- Join NBNN every weekday for Lunch With Laz & Jack. They will be covering the daily goings on in SOTA. Calendar updates, Relevant issues happening in the days news. Come chat with us about upcoming events and general information. http://nbnn.info
- Daily War Time PVP Event (Daily, 8pm CST – 9pm CST)
- Invitation to all guilds, PK hunters, PVP’rs or players interested in PVP training to come to Chaos Crossroads (Located at the crossroads outside of Kingsport on the road to Owl’s Head). PVP Event rules: None! Use whatever spells you want, kill in mobs or solo, group with new allies and defend your territory, lure newbies into the town and wack them! (details)
- EVL Hat Master Weekly Grand Tour Quest (Mondays, 7pm CST)
- Have you ever wanted that cool looking release hat you’ve seen around town? Well now is your chance! It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting < EVL> would like to announce a new weekly event aimed at anyone who wishes to grab the current release hat but needs a little help and direction to do so. (Soltown Tavern, /zone Gnick Gnack; details)
- “The Tavern Respite” RP Event (Mondays, 8pm CST)
- The tavern door opens before you, and the scent of pipe and stew waft outwards with a wall of warmth from the hearth. Join in with the patrons of the Bear Tavern as they share tales of their adventures amid endless mugs of ale, legs of mutton, and merriment unbounded (The Bear Tavern; /zone Elgarion De’Khali; details)!
- Order of Vengeance Guild Meeting (Mondays, 9pm CST)
- Held at the Guild Hall in Vengeance
- Challenge Dungeon Run (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am & 7pm CST)
- This is a self-host event that meets at the Braemar Cemetery. Join whoever can make it for a dungeon run, adventure or something along those lines. Come prepared for combat. Learn how to set up your combat system if you need help.
- PaxLair Town Manager Hour (Tuesdays, 2:00pm CST)
- Join PaxLair’s Town Manager, Sean Silverfoot, to ask questions about PaxLair, being a Citizen, holding a lot and any other questions concerning PaxLair or any of it’s boroughs (Dragons Watch, Tenakill, Lockbrier, Island of Wonders, Knowhere, Sea Nymph Grotto & Serentiy Isle)
- Novian Academy – New Citizen Outreach (Tuesdays, 6pm CST)
- /zone Kazyn Phoenixfyre of Novian Academy in Soltown as they provide guidance to those new to the world of New Britannia.
- EVL Dungeon Crawl (Tuesdays, 7pm CST)
- Every Virtue is Lasting will be holding a dungeon crawl every Tuesday to provide fun and experience for our members and guests. All are welcome! The meeting point is in Owls Head at the center of town near the trainer.
- Wednesday Knights (Wednesdays, 6pm CST)
- This will be mainly an impromptu event but on occasion I may plan on doing something ‘knightly’. All will be welcome. Some possibilities include RP, boss hunts, gathering materials & crafting, hat quests, hanging out or whatever people feel up for. (Caer Dracwych; /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- EVL Pip Squeak PvP Tournament (Wednesdays, 7pm CST)
- Looking to break into the PVP scene but don’t want to be placed against established god-like players? We have you covered with two divisions, one for the newer, less experienced player, and one for the cream of the crop who have something to prove! (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle or Jade; details)
- Stryker Sparhawk’s Happy Hour Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 8pm CST)
- Otherwise known as “Spend Stryker’s Gold” – Stryker will open a bar tab at one of the local Novia taverns for an hour or so for drinks, stories, news, critique of the arts, dancing, and otherwise unplanned mayhem. Zone /Stryker Sparhawk or watch this thread for locations each week!
- Phoenix Republic PVE Nights (Thursdays & Fridays, 7pm CST)
- Join the Phoenix Republic as we send our weekly foray into the control points, dungeons and other of the most dangerous locales. Each week we will depart to a different PVE locale to help train our combatants. Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre or Malakas for more info!
- Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) a PVP Event
- PvP fight night – Come Watch or Participate. Team and individual fights. This is a no pressure event. This is for fun and for people to try their hand at PVP. The group matches allow newer players a chance get a taste of battle. Jam out as Apollox Evanheart plays the hardest music on Avatars Radio from ringside. (Obsidian Caverns; details)
- Novian Academy – Role Play Courses (Fridays, 4pm CST)
- Luka Melehan is hosting RP classes and practice sessions. (/zone Luka Melehan)
- Shardfall Madness (Fridays, 6pm CST)
- A PvP event. Contact Wind Silvermoon for details.
- Vengeance Madness (Fridays, 7pm CST)
- This is an Open PvP event where everyone fights it out in a royal rumble to see who the ultimate death dealer is! (City of Vengeance; /zone Bambino LudoVate)
- EVL Capture the Flag (Fridays, 7:00pm CST)
- It is with great pleasure that Every Virtue is Lasting would like to invite everyone to our weekly capture the flag event. This is a two team PvP event where each team competes for control over three bases; the team who captures all three bases wins. (The Underworld, /zone Jar Laxle)
- Astronomy Event (Fridays, 7:30pm CST)
- Interested in New Britannia Astronomy? Just enjoy gazing at the stars? Join us every week as we explore the night sky above New Britannia. (Player Town of Caer Dracwych, /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
Saturday, January 30
- 6:00am CST Wake Up New, Britannia!!! With Woftam and Selene
- Woftam and Selene Noctua broadcast on AvatarsRadio from the Wake Up New Britannia Studio in Owlshead (right behind the crafting pavillion). Includes Interviews with the Community, Contests for in-game Gold, What’s new for the week in New Britannia, and your Best Bets for SotA weekend events! (details)
- 9:00am CST PaxLair Working Hours
- Come to PaxLair and see what’s happening! For two hours (more or less) we work together on projects, create ideas and have fun together. It’s sort of a weekly time to gather and do things together. Everyone in Novia is welcome! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield or Sean Silverfoot)
- 11:00am CST Church of the Dark Star – Saturday Service
- High Priestess of Chaos, Amber Raine, and the Dean of the Novian Academy, Kazyn Phoenixfyre, welcome you to the Church of the Dark Star. A shared project, built upon equality, where all are welcome. Services range from what is Chaos and Order to how they affect different aspects of our life. The path you choose is yours. (PaxLair)
- 12:00pm CST Welcome Quest R26
- Welcome Quest showcases many of the Player-owned and Player-ran towns in New Britannia. Come for unique events in each town. We rotate towns between each Welcome Quest. (/zone Dara Brae)
- 12:00pm CST Beran League Construction – Harvest & Craft
- A weekly craft & harvest event for the purpose of supporting all towns, guilds and player run establishments within the Beran League! All harvested materials, crafted items and decorative items purchased will be collected and sorted in a specially designated warehouse. Town owners, guild leaders and proprietors of the Beran League (and those designated by them) will have access. (Meet at the Bear Tavern in High Rock or /zone Bowen Bloodgood; details)
- 6:00pm CST Port Phoenix: Social Nights
- Come out and join the republic in one of many potential events (chosen new each week). Each week we get together for everything from fishing, to music, to gustball to PVE duneoneering and adventuring. (Contact Kazyn Phoenixfyre for details)
Sunday, January 31
- 5:30am CST Explore Novia! with royalsexy
- Starting at the entrance to Owl’s Head, come explore the wide world of Novia – for people on our side of the clock!
- 8:30am CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield; teamSpeak: 43.245.163.15:10099)
- 2:30pm CST Gustball Training
- Want to learn how to play Gustball? Need some tips on how to improve your deck or hone your skills on the field! Join Coach Sheamus McGuinness of EVLs for a 30 minute Gustball lesson and practice session just before the big game at 3pm (/zone Sheamus McGuinness)
- 3:00pm CST Gustball
- The game of Gustball is a great community event, not dissimilar from soccer or football, where Avatars of all levels & skill can compete in a fun, friendly game that uses the Gust skill (1st level Air Magic spell) to blow a Gustball into your opponents goal. (/whisper or /zone Sand, Sheamus McGuinness, or Bambino Ludovate, details)
- 5:00pm CST BMC Grid Iron Feast and Registration
- Register to compete in the BMC Gridiron and mingle with other participants and spectators before the big fight! (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 5:30pm CST BMC Gladiator’s Grid-Iron
- The BMC is proud to present the nastiest, the foulest, the most feared arena in all of New Britannia! The Grid-Iron is equipped with a pit-style arena, locker rooms, a VIP round-table, betting & vendor booths, and all the blood-sport you can handle. (Blackrock Cove on Novia near Etceter Crag Mines, details)
- 7:00pm CST PaxLair Meeting
- Come see what PaxLair is up to in Novia and other town areas! Many people also attend from towns and guilds for a bit of a weekly wrap-up and what’s happening. Good discussions! (PaxLair, /zone Winfield)
- 8:00pm CST Fishing with Winfield
- Come sit with Winfield on a log or rock to hear some fish tales or tell your own. Chat about anything from the moons to the earth worms. Spend a relaxing day in nature near a stream or lake — bring insect repellent or a sword. (some fishing spot or pond, /zone Winfield; details)
Be sure and check out the Release 26 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events that may not be included here.
This Week In the News
January 28 – MMORPG: Column: Release 26: It’s the Final Countdown
Upcoming Events
2016.02.25 – Release 27
2016.03.16 – GDC 2016
2016.03.17 – SXSW Gaming
2016.03.31 – Release 28
2016.04.22 – PAX East
2016.04.28 – Release 29
2016.05.26 – Release 30Recommended Projects to Back
Torment: Tides of Numenera Now on Steam Early Access
Torment: Tides of Numenera launched on Steam Early Access on Tuesday, January 26! One of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time, it is the thematic successor of Planescape: Torment.
A single-player, isometric role-playing game, set in Monte Cook’s Numenera, and with original team members like Chris Avellone, Colin McComb and Mark Morgan involved, inXile is looking to deliver a deep story-driven experience reminiscent of the original Torment. If you haven’t already backed the game, then check it out on Steam Early Access!
“I don’t want to build a game.
I want to build a universe.”From the mind of Chris Roberts, acclaimed creator of Wing Commander and Freelancer, comes STAR CITIZEN, a living, breathing science fiction universe with unparalleled immersion… and you’re invited to follow every step of development!
More than a space combat sim, more than a first person shooter and more than an MMO: Star Citizen is the First Person Universe that will allow for unlimited gameplay.
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The Final Grand Tour Quest
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My Name Is Sunlara – Written by Apollox Evanheart – Narrated by Sunlara - Echoes from the Caverns
in Echo of The Caverns Podcast
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Hello Everyone! Here is a wonderful poem written by Apollox Evanheart and narrated by Sunlara. Very heartfelt work here! Great reading Sunlara!
http://thecaverns.net/Podcasts/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/My_Name_Is_Sunlara_Written_by_Apollox_Evanheart_Narrated_by_Sunlara.mp3?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rssThe post My Name Is Sunlara – Written by Apollox Evanheart – Narrated by Sunlara appeared first on Echoes from the Caverns.
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