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Name

 Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues 

 

Developer

 Portalarium 

 

Publisher

 Portalarium 

 

Tags

 

RPG 

 

Singleplayer 

 

Multiplayer 

 

 Co-op 

Release

 2018-03-27 

 

Steam

 € £ $ / % 

 

News

 498 

 

Controls

 Keyboard 

 

 Mouse 

 

Players online

 38 

 

Steam Rating

 Mixed 

Steam store

 https://store.steampowered.com/app/326160 

 

SteamSpy

Peak CCU Yesterday

  

Owners

 100,000 .. 200,000 +/-  

 

Players - Since release

  +/-  

Players - Last 2 weeks

  +/-  

Average playtime (forever)

 13  

Average playtime (last 2 weeks)

 0 

Median playtime (forever)

 16 

Median playtime (last 2 weeks)

 0 

Public Linux depots

 Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Linux Depot [13.28 G] 




LINUX STREAMERS (6)
exapiperrpg_rulestheblakeridgwayacupandalip
thearzuonpenguinpropaganda




Play Release 124!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 124 (R124), we offer many traditional spring signs of life but also a reminder of death.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Join the Annual Easter Egg Hunt!
* Scottie's Work on the New 2024 DarkStarr Metronome
* Release 124 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A in the Second March Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 124 Subscriber Login Rewards
* April Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2024-03-28 14:13:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 123!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 123 (R123), we offer a little space and a lot of water.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Build a Bazaar With the New Market Lots!
* Live Free on the Sea: POT Tax Free Water Deeds
* Release 123 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A in the First March Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 123 Subscriber Login Rewards
* March Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2024-02-29 15:35:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 122!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 122 (R122), we offer a chance to put your best foot forward and a hope that no one heard it.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* See and Don't Be Seen in Sneak Scene
* Strut Your Stuff in Mount Midir
* Our Community Made a Difference in 2023
* Release 122 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A January Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 122 Subscriber Login Rewards
* February Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2024-01-25 15:31:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 121!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 121 (R121), we offer frigid and feathered little ankle-biters.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Mysterious Portal Appears in Novia
* Sneak Scene Preview
* Release 121 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A December Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 121 Subscriber Login Rewards
* January Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-12-14 15:26:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 120!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 120 (R120), we offer bronze and golden threats.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Ten Years of Monthly Releases
* Release 120 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A November Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 120 Subscriber Login Rewards
* December Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-11-16 17:21:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 119!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 119 (R119), we offer treasure for the coffers, treasure for the mind, and a nice place to go back to when you're done gathering them.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Find a Treasure Map and Set Off for Adventure
* Be Transported to a New Tutorial Encounter
* Build Diverse Neighborhoods with New Row Markers
* Release 119 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A October Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 119 Subscriber Login Rewards
* November Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-10-26 21:37:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 118!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 118 (R118), we offer an improved shopping experience, but not in Jotungrund.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Support Breast Cancer Research with New Make a Difference Items
* Improvements to the Vendor Listings in Zone Window
* A New Helm in the Jotungrund Ice Crevasse
* Release 118 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A September Livestream (the Second)
* Release 118 Subscriber Login Rewards
* October Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-09-28 15:15:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 117!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 117 (R117), we offer challenges and coins. En Garde!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Courage Club: New Arena, New Challengers, New Rewards
* Release 117 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A September Livestream (the First)
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 117 Subscriber Login Rewards
* September Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade's 3rd Anniversary Party
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streaming Program
* Upcoming Release Dates


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-08-31 15:14:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 116!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 116 (R116), we offer intruders that are not supposed to be in the water and animals that are.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Something is Amok in Port Harmony Cistern!
* New Creatures Spotted in Swampy Areas!
* Release 116 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A July Livestream
* Release 116 Subscriber Login Rewards
* August Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streamer Program
* Upcoming Release Dates

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-07-27 15:08:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 115!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 115 (R115), we offer more words, floating beacons of menace, and birthday cake.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Lord British Birthday Bash: R115 Livestream
* The Great New Britannia Mapping Project Update
* Release 115 Patch Notes
* Latest News, Q&A, and Birthday Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 115 Subscriber Login Rewards
* July Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streamer Program
* Upcoming Release Dates

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-06-29 15:07:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 114!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 114 (R114), we offer a few new quests in Port Harmony and a few old beings who resent have been awakened.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Release Day Work Window Changes
* Blood River Outskirts and Vermillion Lens Quest Items
* The Great New Britannia Mapping Project Continues
* Release 114 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A May Livestream
* Remembrance Sale
* Release 114 Subscriber Login Rewards
* June Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streamer Program
* Upcoming Release Dates

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-05-25 15:09:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 113!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 113 (R113), we offer the new scene of Port Harmony and newly-tameable reef spiders.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* New Scene: Port Harmony
* 2023 Roadmap Update
* Preparation and Announcement of Dev Events
* The Great New Britannian Mapping Project
* New Pets: Reef Spiders
* Release 113 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A April Livestream
* May Day Sale
* Release 113 Subscriber Login Rewards
* May Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streamer Program
* Upcoming Release Dates

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-04-27 16:05:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 112!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 112 (R112), we offer a preview of Port Harmony, where is not appropriate to throw eggs at your friends.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Sneak Preview: Port Harmony
* Release 112 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A March Livestream
* Release 112 Subscriber Login Rewards
* April Login Rewards
* Crown Store Updates
* Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
* Streamer Program
* Upcoming Release Dates

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-03-30 16:06:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 111!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 111 (R111), we offer wildlife: fish to find and keep in fishtanks and new Brigade bugs to collect.

Please note that the incremental client patch going from build 1633 to 1635 may not apply correctly on Windows clients. This is a known issue. If this occurs, the game client will apply the core patch from 0 to 1635. We will publish the patch as soon as possible after R110s closing so players may begin downloading and applying the update immediately.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Go Fish and Catch a New Friend!
* New Bug Brigade Rewards
* Release 111 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A February Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 111 Subscriber Login Rewards
* March Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-02-23 16:04:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 110!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 110 (R110), we offer a roadmap for 2023, a couple of new craftables, and more new event trophies.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* State of the Game and Roadmap for 2023
* New Lava-Fishing Trophies
* Release 110 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A January Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 110 Subscriber Login Rewards
* February Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2023-01-26 16:07:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 109!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 109 (R109), we offer a hidden Obsidian valley behind a maze of tunnels in Vikland.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Explore Viklands Obsidian Valley!
* New Treasure-Hunting Trophies
* Release 109 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A December Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 109 Subscriber Login Rewards
* January Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-12-15 16:04:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 108!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 108 (R108), we offer a way to get rid of premium items you dont want and a better way to dance in celebration after.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements

* Place Emotes in the Hotbar!
* Discard Unwanted Items Into Garbage Bins!
* Release 108 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A November Livestream
* Release 108 Subscriber Login Rewards
* December Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-11-17 16:18:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 107!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 107 (R107), Vikland is open to Outlander visitors!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* Visit Vikland!
* Release 107 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A October Livestream
* Release 107 Subscriber Login Rewards
* November Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-10-28 16:22:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 106!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 106 (R106), we offer bug fixes, the deactivation of the Heritage flag (for real this time), and a small upcoming scene preview.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* Vikland Preview
* Release 106 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A September Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 106 Subscriber Login Rewards
* October Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-09-29 15:14:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 105!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 105 (R105), we offer bug fixes, the deactivation of the Heritage flag, and a small upcoming scene preview.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* Vikland Preview
* Heritage Flag Deactivation
* Release 105 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A August Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 105 Subscriber Login Rewards
* September Login Rewards
* Bug Brigade Second Anniversary Party

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-08-25 16:11:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play R104 Now!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 104 (R104), we offer a host of bug fixes and a couple of notes from our developers.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* Unity 2021 Upgrade Status
* Ravaloxs Upcoming Plans
* Portalarium Reference Replacement
* Release 104 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A July Livestreams
* Release 104 Subscriber Login Rewards
* August Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-07-28 17:26:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play R103 Now!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 103 (R103), we offer a new underground scene, Grusk Factory, and the return of the Make a Difference store.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* New Scene: Grusk Factory
* The Return of the Make a Difference Store
* Release 103 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A July Livestreams
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 103 Subscriber Login Rewards
* July Login Rewards

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-06-30 16:07:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play R102 Now!

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 102 (R102), we offer expanded character customization!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

* New Character Customization Options
* Release 102 Patch Notes
* Latest News and Q&A Friday Livestream
* Sales and Bonus Events
* Release 102 Subscriber Login Rewards
* June Login Reward

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-06-03 05:21:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 101 Now!

Greetings Fellow Avatars![/b]Release 101 goes live April 28th at 10:30 AM CDT.Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 101 (R101), our range of mounts has been extended to big cats!For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.News Announcements

[ 2022-04-28 16:38:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 100 Now!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Welcome to Release 100! The Catnip Games development team marks this 100th monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 100 (R100), a new adventure scene has been added to the game: Grusk!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

News Announcements



For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-04-01 07:58:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 99 Now!

FEBRUARY 24, 2022
Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Welcome to Release 99! As many of you might have noticed, next release is a huge milestone for us. Release 100! Due partially to us wanting to make Release 100 extra special and the short month, Release 99 is largely polish and just a handful of new features! The headliners items for this release are some much-needed quest journal improvements and the final entries into the big cats family along with unique ROAR effects for all tamed big cats! The new town of Grusk was very close to making it for this release as Sannio has been working hard on fleshing out the NPCs and expanding the quests in the scene but we decided to save it for next months exciting celebration release!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-04-01 07:41:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 98 Now!

JANUARY 27, 2022
Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 98 (R98), our primary focus was bugs but we did manage to sneak in a number of new game elements! First off, more large cats (black panthers, jaguars, snow tigers) have been added, most of which can be tamed! Players will find these new creatures scattered through many scenes throughout New Britannia! Also, a entirely new category of powerful but fragile artifact has started to appear in some scenes.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2022-04-01 07:38:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 97 Now! Lions, Lionesses & Tigers! Wyvern Eggs!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 97 (R97), players will experience a large variety of changes to the game. First off, large cats have been added, most of which can be tamed! Players will find these new creatures scattered through many scenes throughout New Britannia! Also, wyvern eggs have also been added as loot to the game. These eggs can be utilized as decorations or even used in a new cooking recipe! Further uses for these eggs will be added in the future.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 97 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: New Town-Sized Home, Enchanted Wvern Eggs & More!
  • January Login Reward: Caduceus Wand!
  • Release 97 Subscriber Login Rewards: Caduceus Staff & Lion Cub Pet!
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Updates
  • Project to Support: Ghostbusters: The Gates of Gozer
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-12-17 01:07:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 96 Now! Castle Atos! The Ancient Undead!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 96 (R96), players will experience a large variety of changes to the game. First off, players can now explore a new social hub scene called Castle Atos! This scene will be the focal point for providing many social in-game events, content, and rewards in the future, and already weve populated this new scene with many activities and items to keep players entertained. The reward blessing present there even scales in power with the number of players in scene!

The Ancient Undead attack! This ancient race of creatures are appearing throughout New Britannia. Will you be able to defeat them?

Dread Artifacts can now be patterned, and evictions no longer push items to a players bank, theyll instead cause your property to move to the Property Manager window! SO many changes, so what are you waiting for? Get in there and play Shroud of the Avatar!

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 96 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: Statues, Xenossian Helmets, Wax Cylinders & More!
  • December Login Reward: Snow Goggles!
  • Release 96 Subscriber Login Rewards: Wood-Burning Stove, Snowy Pine Trees, Labrys Axe!
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Ghostbusters: The Gates of Gozer
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-11-18 21:04:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 95 Now! Pet Equipment! Platform & Trap Decorations!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 95 (R95), players will experience a very LARGE variety of changes to the game. Pet equipment has arrived! The first 6 gear items and 6 subcomponents are now available to create at your crafting stations!

A new decoration concept called platforms allows players to place decorations on uneven terrain! Lava Pools are the first line of traps that actually damage players, which can be utilized for concepts like PvP arenas or lava fishing endeavors!

The Conversationalist system has been greatly expanded with new functions! The Lua system has been greatly expanded with new functions! SO many changes, so what are you waiting for? Get in there and play Shroud of the Avatar! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 95 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Halloween Sales Event!
  • Crown Store: Fall Elm Trees, Cannibal Stew Cauldron, Haunted Dolls & More!
  • November Login Reward: 1-Story Fall Elm Tree 3-Pack!
  • Release 95 Subscriber Login Rewards: Witch Doll, Cauldron, 2-Hand Xiphos Sword!
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-10-28 22:37:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 94 Now! Zone-Wide Vendor Listings!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 94 (R94), shoppers in New Britannia can now search for player vendor contents by zone! A robust number of changes to fishing have occurred which affects bait recovery, bait scarcity, and fishing artifacts! More than 70 additional gear patterns have been added to the game. So many Loot, Quality of Life (QOL), and User Interface (UI) improvements await thee, Avatar! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 94 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: Shields, Furniture, Wax Cylinders & More!
  • October Login Reward: Lei Flower Necklace!
  • Release 94 Subscriber Login Rewards: Xiphos Sword, Tiki Demon Mask, Tall Tiki Statue!
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-09-30 23:07:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Play Release 93 Now! New Adventure Scenes, Quests, Potions, Recipes & Artifacts!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The Catnip Games development team now brings the players of Shroud of the Avatar another round of new content and improvements. For Release 93 (R93), two new adventure scenes have been added to the game, Jotungrund and The Outlaws Run! 12 new potions and potion recipes have arrived! 2 new artifacts! New quests! MANY new craftable items, and a long list of UI improvements and bug fixes are also live as of R93.. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Adventure Scene: Jotungrund!
  • New Adventure Scene: The Outlaws Run
  • Release 93 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Labor Day Sales Event!
  • Crown Store: Planting Areas, Tents, Virtue Recalibration Kits, Time Machines & More!
  • September Login Reward: Wizards Wand!
  • Release 93 Subscriber Login Rewards: Wizards Hat, Kopis Sword, & Backpack!
  • New Bug Brigades 1st Anniversary Party!
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-08-26 19:42:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #427: Play Release 92 Now! Potion System Update!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 92 is upon us, and the potion system revamp has begun! Potions of Health, Focus, and Restoration have received the initial changes for the new system, with many more potion system updates in the works for R93! The User Interface (UI) has received many improvements, and a considerable amount of new crafting recipes have been introduced into the game! A large number of bug fixes and quality of life improvements are now live! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 92 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: Turbines, Invisible Walls, Turbines, Gothic Furniture, Seasonal Items & More!
  • August Login Reward: Water Lantern 3-Pack!
  • Release 92 Subscriber Login Rewards: Fancy Ice Box, Mini Ice Elemental, & Xenossian Spear!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-07-29 19:56:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #426: Play Release 91 Now! Storage House Container Daily Quests!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 91 has arrived! Happy Birthday Lord British! A large variety of premium items are now on sale until July 5th! A new type of daily turn-in quest has been added to the game in the form of Store House Containers. Visit 9 different towns to explore the turn-in options available for up to 5 additional daily rewards. Imbued Gems and Jewels have been added with crafting and gathering bonuses which can be extracted by salvaging crafting and gathering related artifacts. MANY bug fixes, UI improvements, and quality of life improvements are now live! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Store House Container Daily Turn-In Quests!
  • Release 91 Patch Notes!
  • Lord British Birthday Sales Event!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: Lord British Birthday Cake 2021, Ruined Walls, Transformation Potions & More!
  • July Login Reward: Beach Umbrella!
  • Release 91 Subscriber Login Rewards: Lord British Telescope, Xenossian Bracers & Shield!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-06-24 19:31:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #425: Play Release 90 Now! Imbued Gems & Jewels Now Available!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 90 is upon us! Imbued Gems! Imbued Jewels! Combat balance improvements! User Interface improvements! MANY bug fixes and quality of life improvements! Log in to check out this amazing update! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 90 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crown Store: Baroque Furniture, Summer Seasonal, Darkstarr Items & More!
  • June Login Reward: Gothic Tall Vanity!
  • Release 90 Subscriber Login Rewards: Xenossian Greaves, Marble Console, Crystal Chandelier!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-05-27 18:28:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #424: Play Release 89 Now! Obsidian Panopticon Revealed!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Another amazing game release has arrived, Avatars! Head to Mistrendur and enter the Obsidian Panopticon, a brand new adventure scene added for Episode 2 Access holders! Also, The Rise adventure scene has been expanded significantly. Players will discover amazing new challenges whilst delving deeper into this sinister labyrinth! Artifact changes and balance have begun, and crafted gear items have received their initial round of improvements in an ongoing series of changes to increase the appeal of crafted gear! So many fixes and UI improvements are live, Avatars! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Obsidian Panopticon Revealed!
  • Release 89 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • Crown Store: Stargazer Lilies, Stacked Construction Timbers, Darkstarr Items & More!
  • May Login Reward: Large Fancy Vase of Multicolored Lilies!
  • R89 Subscriber Login Rewards: Xenossian Armor Leggings, Jewelry Box 3-Pack, Lily Vases!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Updates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-04-29 22:27:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #423: Play Release 88 Now! New Quests! New Food & Fish Types!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

So many changes, fixes, and improvements have happened in the game this round, Avatars! Loot improvements! New crafting recipes! New fish! Fixes, fixes, fixes! Head on into the game and experience it for yourself! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 88 Patch Notes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • New Store Additions: Shogun Armor, Pink Dyes, Ambient Sounds, & Holiday Items!
  • April Login Reward: Magical Pink Glowing Dye 12-Pack!
  • R88 Rewards Program Login Items: Ancient Xenossian Chest Armor, Cherry Blossom Pavers, Cherry Blossom Dress!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-03-25 19:09:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #422: Play Release 87 Now! Crafting System Changes!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Significant changes to the Crafting System have been implemented! Players can now enjoy increased success and exceptional chances during crafting! The recently announced food and drink changes are live as of Release 87. Every food and drink consumable now has a specific purpose and each is scaled and balanced with all foods and drinks available. Also, 23 additional food recipes will arrive to the game for Release 88. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Crafting System Changes!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • Weekly Update & Release Cycle Changes!
  • Food & Drink Revamp!
  • Additional Game Updates!
  • New Store Additions: Circling Dragons, String Lights, Ambient Sounds, & Holiday Items!
  • February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
  • R86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentines Day & New Year Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-02-25 19:09:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #421: Food & Drink Revamp & Balancing Inbound!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The time has come, Avatars! So many fantastic community members have shined in the past year, many of which have never received recognition for their hard work and dedication. Well, now the recognition program is back! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Food & Drink Revamp and Balancing Inbound!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • New Store Additions: Flowerbeds, Blank Ornate Scrolls, & Valentines Day Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
  • R86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentines Day & New Year Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-02-19 21:26:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #420: Community Recognition Program Returns!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The time has come, Avatars! So many fantastic community members have shined in the past year, many of which have never received recognition for their hard work and dedication. Well, now the recognition program is back! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Community Recognition Program Returns!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • New Store Additions: Blank Ornate Scrolls, Awnings, & Valentines Day Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
  • R86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentines Day & New Year Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-02-12 19:51:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #419: Upcoming Developer Community Events!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

The developers of Shroud of the Avatar will be making some changes to the fishing tourney events which we have held weekly for the past 40 weeks, and we'll be introducing 2 additional developer community event concepts. Lots of fun and prizes inbound! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Upcoming Developer Community Events!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Support the Family of CatherineRose!
  • New Store Additions: Wooden Awnings, Arrow Groupings, Water Lilies, & More!
  • New Vault Round!
  • February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
  • R86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentines Day & New Year Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-02-05 21:31:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #418: Play Release 86 Now! The Well of Aldur Unveiled!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

To herald in 2021, the first release of the new year brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a robust offering of wonderful new content items, decorations, and other game updates. A new adventure scene has been been added, an extensive revamp of how gear patterns function is now live, a new decoration type that buffs players with magical attunement is now available, dragon eggs now drop as loot which can be crafted into Baby Dragon Conversationalists, and Public Cache Chests have received additional variations! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Adventure Scene: The Well of Aldur!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Gear Pattern Flexibility!
  • Shrines of Attunement!
  • Weather Control Devices Incoming!
  • Dragon Eggs & Baby Dragon Conversationalists!
  • New Public Cache Chest Varieties!
  • Lord of the Isle Bundles (9-16) 25% Off!
  • New Store Additions: Arrow Groupings, Water Lilies, Armchairs & More!
  • February Login Reward: Fancy Vase of Multicolored Roses!
  • R86 Rewards Program Login Items: Valentines Day & New Year Theme!
  • New Vault Round!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Amanitas Adventures
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-01-28 17:58:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #417: Public Cache Chest Varieties Incoming!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Many players of Shroud of the Avatar utilize Public Cache Chests as a means to provide other players easy access to resources, loot, prizes, and even player quest rewards. In Release 86, the first batch of new public cache containers are set to arrive! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Public Cache Chest Varieties Incoming!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Ultima Online Podcasts with Lord British!
  • Homes & Lord of the Isle Bundles (9-16) 25% Off!
  • New Store Additions: Dragon Bones & Holiday Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • January Login Reward: Ice Trident!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Community Events & Resources
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-01-22 20:25:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #416: Upcoming Gear Patterns Flexibility!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Gear Patterns in Shroud of the Avatar will receive a plethora of adjustments, Avatars! Expect them to become far more flexible with Release 86! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Upcoming Gear Patterns Flexibility!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Ultima Online Podcast #20 with Darkstarr!
  • Lord of the Isle Bundles (9-16) 25% Off!
  • New Store Additions: Dragon Bones & Conversationalists!
  • New Vault Round!
  • January Login Reward: Ice Trident!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Upcoming Community Events
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-01-15 18:54:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #415: Homes & Lord of the Isle Bundle Sales Continue!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Lord of the Isle Bundles and Player Homes remain on sale for a limited time! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Homes & Lord of the Isle Bundle Sales Continue!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Homes and Lord of the Isle Bundle Sale!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Statues & More!
  • New Vault Round!
  • January Login Reward: Ice Trident!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles (9-16) 25% Off!
  • Upcoming Release Dates
  • Upcoming Community Events
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-01-08 20:36:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #414: Happy New Year, Avatars!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

As many within community and the development team take a break during the holidays, we wish everyone a happy, safe, and restful time! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Happy New Year, Avatars!
  • Crowns, Homes, Deeds, Deed Upgrades & Two-Hour Flash Sales!
  • New Store Addition: Skull Pile, Conversationalists & Statues!
  • New Vault Round!
  • January Login Reward: Ice Trident!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles (9-16) 25% Off!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Yearly Snow Walker Migration
  • Community Event: Jade Valley Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Mysteria Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Defectors & Curses Storyline Continues
  • Community Event: Mingos White Raven Inn
  • Community Event: Shroud of the QAvatar
  • Community Event: New Timeslot for DJ Asclepius
  • Community Event: Black Rose Chronicles Continues
  • Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2021-01-01 19:14:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #413: Seasons Greetings from the Development Team!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

As many within community and the development team take a break during the holidays, we wish everyone a happy, safe, and restful time! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Seasons Greetings from the Development Team!
  • Crowns, Homes, Deeds, Deed Upgrades & Two-Hour Flash Sales!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Mounts, & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 20202 3-Pack!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Defectors & Curses Storyline Continues
  • Community Event: Knightmare Falls Winter 2020 Gift Exchange
  • Community Event: A Not So Scary Story
  • Community Event: Mingos White Raven Inn
  • Community Event: Shroud of the QAvatar
  • Community Event: New Timeslot for DJ Asclepius
  • Community Event: Jade Dragons New Years Eve Party
  • Community Event: Winter Ball & New Years Livestream Bash
  • Community Event: Black Rose Chronicles Continues
  • Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-12-25 19:07:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #412: Play Release 85 Now! Well of Aldur Update!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Adventurers, ready your weapons! Shroud of the Avatar has just placed the Well of Aldur onto QA for player testing! Expect this new adventure scene to go fully live on Release 86. Sales, sales, and even more sales events are live! Dont miss out! Also, more information has been revealed about the new collectible framed maps! And be sure to check out all the new bone decorations so many to choose from and to discover! These exciting updates and more are outlined below for Release 85! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Well of Aldur Update!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Crowns, Homes, Deeds, Deed Upgrades & Two-Hour Flash Sales!
  • Decorative Framed Maps!
  • New Bone Decorations!
  • Craftable Zombie Conversationalists!
  • Supply Bundle Decorations!
  • Patterns & Cabalist Hoods!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Mounts, & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 20202 3-Pack!
  • R85 Rewards Program Login Items: Holiday Theme!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Yuletide Tea Party
  • Community Event: Defectors & Curses Storyline Continues
  • Community Event: Knightmare Falls Winter 2020 Gift Exchange
  • Community Event: Autumn Rising Brewery Dance Party
  • Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-12-17 18:27:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #411: Patterns & Cabalist Hoods!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Adventurers rejoice! The brave souls of Shroud of the Avatar possessing Cabalist Hoods will soon be able to alter their hoods appearance by applying patterns. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Patterns & Cabalist Hoods!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Mounts, & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 20202 3-Pack!
  • R84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Holiday Themed!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streamer Rewards Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Defectors & Curses Storyline Continues
  • Community Event: Knightmare Falls Winter 2020 Gift Exchange
  • Community Event: Autumn Rising Brewery Dance Party
  • Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-12-11 19:30:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #410: Streamer Reward Program Update!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Attention! More information about the Streamer Rewards Program has been released for streamers of Shroud of the Avatar! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Streamer Rewards Program Update!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • December Login Reward: Yule Stockings 2020 3-Pack!
  • R84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Holiday Themed!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Orchestral Stones Rendition Released
  • Community Event: Autumn Rising Brewery Dance Party
  • Community Event: Rajazel Spotlight
  • Community Event: Indestructible Hunting Club
  • Community Event: Islands of Wonders Quest
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-12-04 18:50:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #408: Play Release 84 Now! Butchery Update!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Cooks and butchers rejoice! The talented crafters of Shroud of the Avatar will notice some splendid changes to their butchering endeavors. Also, for those salvaging artifacts, expect some more Ancient Essences and Patterns to come your way! And for all those Avatars out there that have collected maps from the original map system, get those over to your crafting tables! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Butchery Update!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Artifact Salvage Improvements!
  • Crafted Bone Pile Decorations!
  • Crafted Framed Maps Incoming!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers!
  • Release 84 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British and Holiday Themed!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Defectors & Curses RP Storyline
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Decoration Techniques by Wilfred
  • Community Event: Friendsgiving 2020
  • Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-11-19 18:09:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #407: Player-Owned Town Light Limit Increase!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Governors, stewards, and Player-Owned Town (POT) residents in Shroud of the Avatar can now enjoy a much larger limit for POT light decorations. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Player-Owned Town Light Limit Increase!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday the 13th Livestream!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers!
  • R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Jackal Hunt
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-11-13 18:19:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #406: Foal & Tamed Horse Exchange Details!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Recently, players of Shroud of the Avatar were introduced to the long awaited Mount System! Now players who are tamers or possess stretch-goal foals can turn-in their horses and foals for rideable versions of those animals! Also, the coming weeks will address bug fixes and quality of life improvements! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Foal & Tamed Horse Exchange Details!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers!
  • R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: VulcanJedis Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Browncoats Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Ironhall Victory Ball
  • Community Event: Jackal Hunt
  • Community Event: Mounts of New Britannia
  • Community Event: Island of Wonders Monthly Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: The Beast Weaver
  • Community Event: Haunted Inn and Dungeon Adventure
  • Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-11-06 18:38:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #405: Play Release 83 Now! Mounts of New Britannia Revealed!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 83 brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a plethora of new features, content, and fixes! The new Mount System is available! A new adventure scene known as The Breach is ready to challenge battled-hardened adventurers! The changes to the Player-Owned Town Teleporters are now live! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Mounts of New Britannia Revealed!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Adventure Scene: The Breach!
  • Player-Owned Town Teleporter Update!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • 20% Off Crowns! 20% Off Deed Upgrades! 2 Hour Flash Sales!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists, Drinking Glasses & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • November Login Reward: Autumn Leaf Pavers!
  • R83 Rewards Program Login Items: Spooky, Autumn, & Lord British Themed!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: VulcanJedis Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Browncoats Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Inky Script Training
  • Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest
  • Community Event: Halloween in Immortal City
  • Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-10-29 16:56:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #404: Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a bit of information about Release 84, which will focus primarily on bug fixes rather than new features and content. Wed also like to extend an enormous thank you to all those participating in the Bug Brigade! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask!
  • R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Inky Script Training
  • Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall
  • Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan
  • Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-10-23 20:18:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #403: New Mini-Maps Available!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a very large number of additional mini-maps! New and old players alike will have a map to guide them in more adventure and town scenes! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Mini-Maps Available!
  • Special Guest Friday Livestream!
  • Jenn Gilbert Memorial Fund
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask!
  • R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Terrifying Tea Tales
  • Community Event: The Shield of Ironhall
  • Community Event: Halloween Party at Port Titan
  • Community Event: BMC Fangtastic Halloween Deco Contest
  • Community Event: SotA Tales Episode 1
  • Community Event: Novia Market Spotlight
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shard RPG
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-10-16 19:53:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #402: Upcoming Adventure Scene The Breach!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar details about The Breach! The Breach is an upcoming new adventure scene featuring team-oriented boss mechanics. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Upcoming Adventure Scene The Breach!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask!
  • R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Extra Life Charity Event
  • Community Event: Terrifying Tea Tales
  • Community Event: Nets Diary
  • Community Event: Kobold Invasion Event
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-10-09 20:12:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #401: Teleporter Revisions Continue!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar details about additional teleporter revisions coming shortly! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Teleporter Revisions Continue!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Store Additions: Conversationalists & Seasonal Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask!
  • R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Mystic Isle Spotlight
  • Community Event: Crafters Town Shopping Spree
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Auction
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-10-02 19:35:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #400: Play Release 82 Now! New Scene: Lord Britishs Castle!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a new adventure scene! Now, adventurers can delve into Lord Britishs Castle, the newest Episode 2 scene to be released! Among other amazing updates, the food system got a very significant improvements! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Adventure Scene: Lord Britishs Castle!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Food & Drink System Update!
  • Agriculture Trophies: Pumpkins & Jack OLanterns!
  • Maps and More Maps!
  • Player Dungeon Creature Spawner!
  • New Town Sizes Available!
  • Lord of the Isle Fishing Expedition!
  • New Store Additions: Faun Conversationalist, Ornate Round Setees, & More!
  • New Vault Round!
  • October Login Reward: Blood Spurting Headless Mask!
  • R82 Rewards Program Login Items: Lord British & Spooky Themed!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: Belly of the Snake Spotlight
  • Community Event: The Poets Circle Returns
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-09-24 18:10:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #399: Crafting Station Decoration Surfaces!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings crafters and decorators of Shroud of the Avatar wondrous news! Now, players can decorate the surfaces of all 4 categories of crafting stations. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Crafting Station Decoration Surfaces!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Castle Wall Decoration Surfaces!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Ornate Round Setees, Golden Oracle Guardian Statue & More!
  • September Login Reward: Dyeable Fishing Rod!
  • R81 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Farming Items!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Screenshot & Video Contest
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Latest Video from Skeggy Media
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Market Day and Auction House
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-09-18 20:21:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #398: Well of Aldur Sneak Peek!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a small sneak peek at an upcoming new scene known as Well of Aldur! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Well of Aldur Sneak Peek!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Ornate Round Setees, Golden Oracle Guardian Statue & More!
  • September Login Reward: Dyeable Fishing Rod!
  • R81 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Farming Items!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Screenshot & Video Contest
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Birthday Scavenger Hunt
  • Community Event: The Prince of Brittany
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-09-11 19:12:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #397: Decorative Wall Update! Public Garden Blossoms!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar some changes to the craftable stone walls with more updates soon coming to other wall and fence varieties! The Public Garden Player-Owned Town decoration has been revamped to feature decorative flowers! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Decorative Wall Update!
  • Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Public Garden Blossoms!
  • New Store Additions: Ornate Round Setees, Golden Oracle Guardian Statue & More!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Screenshot & Video Contest!
  • Crowns, Deed Upgrades, & Two-Hour Flash Sales!
  • September Login Reward: Dyeable Fishing Rod!
  • R81 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Farming Items!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: WRFB Dance Party at Autumn Rising Brewery
  • Community Event: TheAvatar.Express Needs You
  • Community Event: More Orations at Caverns.net
  • Community Event: Happy Bridge Troll Day
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-09-04 19:36:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #396: Play Release 81 Now! New Town Scene: Tanglemire!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players of Shroud of the Avatar a new town scene for Episode 2 Access holders! Tanglemire is located on the new continent of Mistrendur! Four new species of lava fish have been added, and many more lava fishing locations have also been added! Additionally, a sneak peek on the upcoming rideable mounts has been revealed, and building blocks now have a much more flexible behavior as decorations! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Town Scene: Tanglemire!
  • Guest Speaker Friday Livestream!
  • Four New Species of Lava Fish!
  • Rideable Mounts Sneak Peek!
  • Flexible Building Block Placement!
  • Screenshot & Video Contest!
  • Crowns, Deed Upgrades, & Two-Hour Flash Sales!
  • September Login Reward: Dyeable Fishing Rod!
  • R81 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Farming Items!
  • The Bug Brigade Rides Again!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Leather Flame Armor Set, 6 Building Block 110-Packs & More!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: WRFB Dance Party at Autumn Rising Brewery
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Team Fishing Contest!
  • Community Event: Show Your Stats, Win Your Stacks Raffle
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Project to Support: Shadow of Valhalla
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-08-27 17:03:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #395: New Player Town Signpost Functionality!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings details new functionality for the recently created Player-Owned Town Signposts! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Player-Owned Town Signpost Functionality!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Leather Flame Armor Set, 6 Building Block 110-Packs & More!
  • August Login Reward: Giant Potted Sunflower!
  • R80 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Flame Items!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Lord British Mac & Cheese Recipe Revealed
  • Community Event: Drizz Ds Birthday Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: lf Lore the Fate of the True Elves
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Team Fishing Contest Contest!
  • Community Event: Show Your Stats, Win Your Stacks Raffle
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-08-21 19:34:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #394: Property Deed Price Reduction!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings players some wonderful news about deed prices! Theyre being reduced! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Property Deed Price Reduction!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Leather Flame Armor Set, 6 Building Block 110-Packs & More!
  • August Login Reward: Giant Potted Sunflower!
  • R80 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Flame Items!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Team Fishing Contest Contest!
  • Community Event: Show Your Stats, Win Your Stacks Raffle
  • Community Event: Mythical Dance Party in Sparrowfall
  • Community Event: Release 80 Dance Party in Knightmare Falls
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-08-14 19:36:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #393: New Lava Fish Preview!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings us a preview of new Lava Fish which are soon to arrive to molten hot pools of magma near you! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Lava Fish Preview!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Store Items: Leather Flame Armor Set, 6 Building Block 110-Packs & More!
  • New Vault Round!
  • August Login Reward: Giant Potted Sunflower!
  • R80 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Flame Items!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Team Fishing Contest Contest!
  • Community Event: Black Rose Chronicles 10
  • Community Event: Show Your Stats, Win Your Stacks Raffle
  • Community Event: Mythical Dance Party in Sparrowfall
  • Community Event: Release 80 Dance Party in Knightmare Falls
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-08-07 19:08:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #392: Play Release 80 Now! New Player-Owned Town Teleporters!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update reveals all the new Player-Owned Town teleporters! In addition to wagons, governors and stewards will also be able acquire and place teleportation Balloons, Hatches, Boats and Signposts! Also, seven new building block sets are currently in design and will become available soon! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Player-Owned Town Teleporters!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • New Building Blocks Preview!
  • August Login Reward: Giant Potted Sunflower!
  • R80 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Flame Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Stiletto Heels & More!
  • World & UI Changes
  • Crafting & Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance & Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Team Fishing Contest Contest!
  • Community Event: New Stream Announced by Oriayan!
  • Community Event: Alphaine the Decoration Master Strikes Again!
  • Community Event: Lys & Novia Market Enigma
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-07-30 18:54:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #391: PvP Queue System Sneak Peek!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update gives us a quick look at whats coming our way for the PvP Queue System. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • PvP Queue System Sneak Peek!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Stiletto Heels & More!
  • July Login Reward: Picnic Table & Bench Set!
  • R79 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Summer Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Christmas in July
  • Community Event: New Stream Announced by Corlag the Bard
  • Community Event: Interview with the Dragon Part 11
  • Community Event: Lys & Novia Market Enigma
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-07-24 19:53:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #390: Player-Owned Town Teleporters Preview!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings a sneak peek into whats coming your way in R80! Player-Owned Town Interconnection Teleporters are soon to arrive which can be customized and placed by players! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Player-Owned Town Interconnection Teleporters Preview!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Stiletto Heels & More!
  • July Login Reward: Picnic Table & Bench Set!
  • R79 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Summer Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Whyte Roc Museum Features New Art Pieces
  • Community Event: Orchestral Stones Rendition Revealed
  • Community Event: New Stream Announced by Shaner9er
  • Community Event: Lys & Novia Market Enigma
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-07-17 19:39:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #389: Lord British Castle Preview!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update offers a quick look at Lord Britishs Castle! Located in Mistrendur, this upcoming high paced adventure scene is for Episode 2 Access holders, and will feature ever increasing difficulty as you progress through the scene. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Lord Britishs Castle Preview!
  • Latest news Q&A Friday Livestream!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Lord British 2020 Birthday Cake, Stiletto Heels & More!
  • July Login Reward: Picnic Table & Bench Set!
  • R79 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British & Summer Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Catnip Games PvP Collections Tourney
  • Community Event: Berans Reach Artwork Revealed
  • Community Event: Lord Britishs Birthday & Release 79 Celebration
  • Community Event: Lys & Novia Market Enigma
  • Community Event: Beat of Novia in Crystal Cove
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-07-10 19:36:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #388: Tanglemire Sneak Peek!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update takes us into a sneak peek at Tanglemire! Located in Mistrendur, this new town/adventure scene is for Episode 2 Access holders, and will be the first new town scene for Epsiode 2! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Tanglemire Sneak Peek!
  • Lord British Birthday Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Crowns, Deeds and Two Hour Flash Sales!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • New Vault Round!
  • New Store Additions: Lord British 2020 Birthday Cake, Stiletto Heels and More!
  • July Login Reward: Picnic Table and Bench Set!
  • R79 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British and Summer Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Black Rose Chronicles 9
  • Community Event: Lord Britishs Birthday and Release 79 Celebration
  • Community Event: Fireworks, Giveaways, and Fun!
  • Community Event: Virtue Radio Weekly Schedule!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-07-03 19:25:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #387: Play Release 79 Now! New Adventure Scene: Spindelskog!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings us an entirely new adventure scene Spindelskog! Located in Mistrendur, this new scene is for Episode 2 Access holders, and features a new quest and several new creature variants! Also, many changes are coming to how we process Player-Owned Town vouchers. Dynamically scaled scenes have received a new style tier marker, and subscriber reward login items will receive more varied themes going forward. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Adventure Scene: Spindelskog!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Player-Owned Town News!
  • New Scene Difficulty Tier Markers!
  • Reward Item Collections!
  • Crowns, Deeds and Two Hour Flash Sales!
  • New Store Additions: BBQ Smoker Cooking Station and More!
  • July Login Reward: Picnic Table and Bench Set!
  • R79 Reward Program Login Items: Lord British and Summer Theme!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Double EXP Continues!
  • World and UI Changes
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance and Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Special Celebration
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: The New Lys and Novia Market Lottery
  • Community Event: The Beat of Novia Returns
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: Fireworks, Giveaways, and Fun!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-06-25 18:01:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #386: Dynamically Scaled Scene: Myrkur!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update highlights the introduction of a new dynamically scaled adventure scene based upon the existing dungeon known as Despair. Myrkur, the name for the spin-off version, will be available to Episode 2 Access holders shortly! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Dynamically Scaled Scene: Myrkur!
  • Lord British and Atos QA Friday Livestream!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Additions: Steam Pipe Sets and Town Improvement Items!
  • Double EXP Returns!
  • June Login Reward: Floppy Beach Hat!
  • R78 Reward Program Login Items: Beach Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Summer Showdown Group Combat Event
  • Community Event: Gixtravaganza Jubilee 2020
  • Community Event: The New Lys and Novia Market Lottery
  • Community Event: The Snugs Harbor Sashay with DJ Darkstarr
  • Community Event: 6th Annual Soldiers Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: The Beat of Novia Returns
  • Community Event: Wander in the Woods Tea Party
  • Community Event: Fireworks, Giveaways, and Fun!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-06-19 20:36:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #385: Armor Durability Changes! New Ability: Provoking Shout!




Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update spotlights some significant changes to Armor Durability! Durability Multiplier is a new stat introduced to differentiate armor durability damage between the armor types. Also, Provoking Shout is a new ability in the Heavy Armor skill tree which greatly increases the aggro tanks generate during combat. For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Armor Durability Changes!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • New Ability: Provoking Shout!
  • Episode 2 Access update!
  • New Store Items: Steam Pipe Sets and Town Improvement Items!
  • New Vault Round!
  • Double EXP Returns!
  • June Login Reward: Floppy Beach Hat!
  • R78 Reward Program Login Items: Beach Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Release 78 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Summer Showdown Group Combat Event
  • Community Event: The New Lys and Novia Market Lottery
  • Community Event: The Snugs Harbor Sashay with DJ Darkstarr
  • Community Event: 6th Annual Soldiers Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-06-12 20:51:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #384: Vault Round Automation!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings you some great news about the Vault! Not only will the vault be automated soon, it will be packed with MANY more items in the coming months. Also, for those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Vault Round Automation!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Latest Store Items: Male and Female Shopkeeper Outfits, Electric Katanas and More!
  • June Login Reward: Floppy Beach Hat!
  • R78 Reward Program Login Items: Beach Theme!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Summer Showdown Group Combat Event
  • Community Event: 6th Annual Soldiers Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-06-05 19:06:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #383: Play Release 78 Now!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This weeks update brings you some great news about a new concept coming to Episode 2 adventure scenes called Dynamically Scaled Difficulty! Soon after release, players will be able to experience the first scene enabled with this new tech. Also, take a sneak peek into the new Shadow Creatures effects coming to encounters near you! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Dynamically Scaled Difficulty!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Shadow Creatures Preview!
  • June Login Reward: Floppy Beach Hat!
  • R78 Reward Program Login Items: Beach Theme!
  • Packaging Items for Trade Available!
  • Latest Store Items: Male and Female Shopkeeper Outfits, Electric Katanas and More!
  • Obsidian and Island Vault Round!
  • Packaging Items for Trade Available!
  • World and UI Changes
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance and Changes
  • Updated Player Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Giant Lich Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney
  • Community Event: Silverdale Market Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Celtic/Irish Celebration
  • Community Event: 6th Annual Soldiers Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: Concert by the Sea
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-05-28 19:00:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #382: Official PvP Event Trophies!

[previewyoutube=8tDu7psO5EE;full][/previewyoutube]
Greetings Fellow Avatars!
This weeks update brings you some great news about new PvP trophies slated as unique rewards for upcoming Official Catnip Games PvP related events. Also, 3 types of sales will be active over the holiday weekend! For those wishing to participate in any community activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Official PvP Event Trophies!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Crowns, Deed Upgrades and Two Hour Flash Sales!
  • Obsidian and Island Vault Round!
  • New Store Items: Male and Female Shopkeeper Outfits, Electric Katanas and More!
  • May Login Reward: Greenery Day Potted Plant!
  • R77 Reward Program Login Items: May the Fourth Theme!
  • Packaging Items for Trade in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Giant Lich Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Release 77 Dance Party!
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney!
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Community Event: Streaming with Dinheru
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-05-22 20:42:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #381: Female Shopkeeper Outfit Preview!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Check out whats new this week! Flash Sales! These new short duration sale frenzies will be going live this weekend! Also, were providing a sneak peek of the new Shopkeeper Outfits due into the store soon. For those searching for social activities, new one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Female Shopkeeper Outfit Preview!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Two Hour Flash Sales!
  • Latest Store Items: Dark Shogun Armor, Electric Katanas and More!
  • Riding Outfits and Pack Animals Vault Round!
  • May Login Reward: Greenery Day Potted Plant!
  • R77 Reward Program Login Items: May the Fourth Theme!
  • Packaging Items for Trade in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Giant Lich Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Mythical Dance Party in Ordinis Mortis!
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney!
  • Community Event: Mad Splatter Tea Party!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Community Event: Lunch With Laz and Jack
  • Community Event: Podcasts and Poetry on Virtue Radio
  • Community Event: Virtue Radio Weekly Schedule
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-05-15 21:04:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #380: Gathering and Meticulous XP Update!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Check out whats new this week! Gathering XP has received a HUGE update! A new Vault round has arrived Riding and Pack Animals! New one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Also, be sure to also review the Players Guide and Known Issues list for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes. Now, lets see what we have for you in this weeks edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Gathering and Meticulous XP Rewards Update!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Riding and Pack Animals Vault Round!
  • Latest Store Items: Dark Shogun Armor, Electric Katanas and More!
  • May Login Reward: Greenery Day Potted Plant!
  • R77 Reward Program Login Items: May the Fourth Theme!
  • Packaging Items for Trade in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Streaming the Player Test Environment (QA) Now Permitted!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Giant Lich Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney!
  • Community Event: Riptown Creek Rat Race!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Community Event: Fish Finder Contest
  • Community Event: Podcasts and Poetry on Virtue Radio
  • Community Event: Lunch With Laz and Jack
  • Community Event: Virtue Radio Weekly Schedule
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-05-08 19:27:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #379: Play Release 77 Now!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • New Adventure Scene: Bunker C!
  • Latest News Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • Dark Shogun Outfit!
  • New Store Items: Electric Katanas, Ivy and More!
  • May Login Reward: Greenery Day Potted Plant!
  • R77 Reward Program Exclusive Login Items: May the Fourth Theme!
  • Sky Navy Vault Round!
  • Spindelskog Adventure Scene Preview!
  • World and UI Changes
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance and Changes
  • Updated Player Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Double Experience Points Continue!
  • Packaging Items for Trade in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Streaming the Player Test Environment (QA) Now Permitted!
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Giant Lich Statue (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney!
  • Community Event: Black Sails Saga From the New Lands
  • Community Event: Fish Finder Contest
  • Community Event: Podcasts and Poetry on Virtue Radio
  • Community Event: Lunch With Laz and Jack
  • Community Event: Virtue Radio Weekly Schedule
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-04-30 17:47:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #374: Release 76 Details!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:

(Originally published at shroudoftheavatar.com on March 26, 2020)


  • The Lord of the Isle Statesman Outhouse!
  • Q and A Friday Livestream!
  • April Login Reward: Bunny Ears!
  • Release 76 Reward Program Exclusive Login Items: Springtime Theme!
  • Springtime Vault Round!
  • New Store Items: Tulip Flower Arrangement and Dyable Lepus Masks!
  • An Old Favorite Returns!
  • Interactive Fancy Toilet Paper Holder!
  • The Arch Lapin Returns!
  • Deed Upgrades 30% Off!
  • Double Experience Points Continue!
  • Mistrendur: Land Rush Underway!
  • Megalopolis: New Town Size Available!
  • Packaging Items for Trade in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Party Size Increase in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Bard Skills in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • Streaming the Player Test Environment (QA) Now Permitted!
  • World and UI Changes
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance and Changes
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Updates
  • Meretz: Win a Pirate Galleon Dry Dock Town Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Britannian Mining Company Recruitment Event!
  • Project to Support: Jar Wars
  • Project to Support: Dragonfight
  • Project to Support: Rodasurf
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-04-28 21:57:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #370: Release 75 Details!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:

(Originally published at shroudoftheavatar.com on February 28, 2020)


  • Universal Broadcast Orb Transformed!
  • Land Rush Q and A Livestream with Atos Today!
  • New Store Items: Dyable Heraldry Gustball Uniforms and More!
  • Mistrendur: Land Rush Update!
  • Darkstarr Vault Round!
  • March Login Reward: Leprechaun Hat!
  • Release 75 Reward Program Exclusive Login Items: St. Patricks Day Theme!
  • Bard Skills in Player Test Environment (QA)!
  • World and UI Changes
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • Combat Balance
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Updates
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home (No Trade)
  • Community Event: Podcasts and Poetry Return to Virtue Radio!
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Pantheon
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-04-28 21:18:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #366: Release 74 Details!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:

(Originally published at shroudoftheavatar.com on January 31, 2020)


  • Release 74 is Live!
  • Exploring The Clink Livestream Today!
  • Valentines Day Vault Round
  • February Login Reward: Breathe Hearts Emote
  • Release 74 Reward Program Items: Valentines Day Theme
  • Story and Scenes Changes
  • Teaser Pictures of Episode 2 Overworld Map
  • New Tamable Creatures!
  • User Interface
  • User Interface and Player Scripted NPC Dialogue System
  • Crafting and Economy Changes
  • New Store Items
  • Combat Balance
  • Bard Skills Inbound!
  • Updated Player-Owned Towns
  • Bug Fixes
  • Streaming Reward Program
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Dry Docked Huge Pirate Galleon (Vault Edition)
  • Community Event: Reaching Out-Rising Up Support Group!
  • Community Event: Festival of the Avatar Heraldry Contest!
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Project to Support: Pantheon
  • Project to Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players

For more details about this update, read the full article at the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2020-04-28 20:43:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #363: Release 73 Livestream Today!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 73 Livestream Today
  • Lot Upgrades & Crown Sales + New Winter Vault Round
  • December Login Reward: Holly Wreath Hat with Sparklers
  • Release 73 Reward Program Items: Winter Holiday Theme
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Sneak Peeks & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Viking Three-Story Stronghold (Vault Edition)
  • Community Event: Release 72 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Immortal City Annual Yule Ball
  • Community Event: Hit me with your Best Shot Holiday Giveaway
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Novia Market Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event: 5th Annual New Years Eve Party
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-12-20 17:37:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 73 Livestream



The Release 73 Livestream is set for this Friday, December 20, at 3 PM Central Time! All Avatars from around the world are welcome to join us in the livestream activities.

Read more here.


[ 2019-12-16 23:29:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #362: Play Release 73 Now!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Play Release 73 Now!
  • Sneak Peeks: Episode 2 Map, Bards, etc. Livestream Today
  • Lot Upgrades & Crown Sales + New Winter Vault Round
  • December Login Reward: Holly Wreath Hat with Sparklers
  • Release 73 Reward Program Items: Winter Holiday Theme
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Player GM Tools & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Viking Three-Story Stronghold (Vault Edition)
  • Community Event: Release 72 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 73 - Ordinis Mortis
  • Community Event: Hit me with your Best Shot Holiday Giveaway
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Novia Market Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event: 5th Annual New Years Eve Party
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



Read all the details here.


[ 2019-12-13 17:45:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 73 Instructions



Release 73 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, December 12, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). Release 73 includes some exciting updates including Player Game Master Tools (Phase 1), Lua Integration (Phase 1.1), Tartarus and Soltown polish, Release 73 Winter Themed Rewards, and more!

Tartarus Polish: A general polish pass was made to one of our newest dungeons including the addition of discoveries, more resurrection ankhs, adjustments of creature locations, improved lighting, improved sound effects, additional thematic decorations (including lootable dead bodies), and the removal of some inappropriate quest-related loot.



Player Game Master Tools (Phase 1): We have our first phase of Player Game Master Tools live! These include changing weather, teleporting, summoning monsters, changing time speed, and more!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-12-11 19:58:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Community Livestream Sneak Peeks: Episode 2 Map, Bards, etc.



Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is today, Friday December 13, at 4 PM CT on Twitch! This week we are going to give a few sneak peeks of upcoming content including the Episode 2 map, Bards (a new skill tree), and maybe more if we have time! We will also be answering questions and as always handing out prizes!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-12-11 17:33:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #361: R73 on QA!

Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Release 73 on QA
  • Player GM Tools Livestream Today
  • Lot Upgrades & Crown Sales + New Winter Vault Round
  • December Login Reward: Holly Wreath Hat with Sparklers
  • Release 72 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme 2
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 72 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Hit me with your Best Shot Holiday Giveaway
  • Community Event: 2nd Annual Novia Market Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event: 5th Annual New Years Eve Party
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-12-06 16:57:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #360: Lot Upgrades and Crown Sales! December Login Reward!



This week's update has all sorts of amazing content including:


  • Lot Upgrades & Crown Sales
  • December Login Reward: Holly Wreath Hat with Sparklers
  • Release 72 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme 2
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 72 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Hit me with your Best Shot Holiday Giveaway
  • Community Event: What happened at River's Cross in Jade Valley?
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-11-29 16:18:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #359: Crown Sale! Play Release 72 Now! R72 Livestream Today!



Greetings Fellow Avatars! We have tons of great content in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:


  • Play Release 72 Now!
  • R72 Livestream Today
  • Crown Sale & 11/22 Crown Shop Updates
  • November Login Reward: Turkey Statue
  • Release 72 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme 2
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Lua & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: What happened at River's Cross in Jade Valley?
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





[ 2019-11-22 19:09:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 72 Instructions



Release 72 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, November 21, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). Release 72 includes lots of exciting updates including Lua Integration (Phase 1), Krampus Returns, Unicorn cooking Recipes, Reagent Agriculture balance, POT Animals, and more!

Krampus Returns: Each winter the Krampus wakes from hibernation. It is said that he makes his home in East Sanctus Forest and it is rumored that he derives much of his power from his army of naughty brats (zombie children) that surround him. Watch out for a roving encounter full of those naughty brats who will ambush you before you even reach the home of the Krampus! Young Clara in Northwood knows first-hand how monstrous those naughty brats can be they stole her precious chess piece! Are you brave enough to venture into Krampus territory and recover her one-of-a-kind keepsake?

Lua Integration (Phase 1): Phase 1 of Lua Integration is now live! Lua is a full-featured but simple to use scripting language that can be used to create new features, UI, or other client side add ons with just a few lines of code. Players now have a way to query an ever growing set of data via a console. Join the Lua Discussions and Player Created Scripts discussion in the forums to find out what everyone is making! Also, those on Discord can join the Lua-scripting-api channel for real time chat and information!

Unicorn Stews: What kind of horrible monster kills and eats unicorns?!?!? The answer is people! Unicorns can now be harvested for either light or dark unicorn meat (depending on the Unicorn type). There are three recipes that use these meats that give a varying degree of Intelligence bonus.



and much, much more! Read all the details here.


[ 2019-11-20 17:47:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 72 Livestream



The Release 72 Livestream is set for this Friday, November 22, at 3 PM Central Time! All Avatars from around the world are welcome to join us in the livestream activities. We will be showing off player made Lua scripts, learning about the return of Krampus, getting a display of the Sword of Midras rewards, answering questions, and handing out prizes.

Join us on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! Read all the details here


[ 2019-11-19 14:30:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #358: R72 on QA! LUA Livestream Today!



Check out this week's update for the latest news!

Highlights include:


  • Release 72 on QA
  • LUA Livestream Today
  • 11/15 Crown Shop Updates
  • November Login Reward: Turkey Statue
  • Release 71 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 71 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 71 Dance Party
  • Community Event:Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: What happened at River's Cross in Jade Valley?
  • Community Event: 1st Annual Skalabrekka Feast Party of Einherjar
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Check out all the details here.


[ 2019-11-15 19:12:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #357: R71 Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars! This week's update has all sorts of awesome news! Highlights include the following:


  • Release 71 Livestream Today with Lava Fishing Contest!
  • 11/8 Crown Shop Updates
  • November Login Reward: Turkey Statue
  • Release 71 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Q&A & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 71 Dance Party
  • Community Event:Mad Splatter Tea Party
  • Community Event: What happened at River's Cross in Jade Valley?
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.




[ 2019-11-08 17:27:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #356: Play Release 71 Now! QA Livestream Today!



This week's update has tons of great content including:


  • Play Release 71 Now!
  • Questions & Answers Livestream Today
  • Release 71 Livestream
  • 11/1 Crown Shop Updates
  • November Login Reward: Turkey Statue
  • Release 71 Reward Program Items: Fall Theme
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Haunted Homes Tour & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Immortal City's Annual Halloween Ball & Costume Contest
  • Community Event:Halloween Party - Britt Mart
  • Community Event: What happened at River's Cross in Jade Valley?
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details click here.




[ 2019-11-01 15:35:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 71 Livestream on Twitch!



The Release 71 Livestream is set for Friday, November 8, at 3 PM Central Time on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! All Avatars from around the world are welcome to join us in the livestream activities. We will be touring Tartarus and Despair dungeons, having a Lava Fishing Contest, answering questions, and handing out prizes.

Livestream Schedule (Central Time Zone)


  • 3 PM: Introductions
  • 3:30 PM: Scenes Tour: Tartarus (new content), Despair (polish)
  • 4:15 PM: LavaFishing Contest
  • 5 PM: Ending Announcements


To participate in the Lava Fishing Contest go to Oracle Colossusand start fishing at 4:15 PM (you can also try whispering one of the devs for a teleport). The best trophy fish (longest) caught by 5 PM will win a prize! NOTE: We will be verifying location and time!



Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-30 18:55:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 71 Instructions



Release 71 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Wednesday, October 30, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). Release 71 includes lots of exciting updates including the Decoration Palette, Wyvern Trophies, Gold and Silver Scrap, new content and polish for the dungeons Tartarus and Despair, Winter Holiday recurring items, Economy balance for Agriculture, and more!

Highlights of the Release 71 include:

Tartarus: The new levels that appeared in Release 70 received polish. We also added lots of new content including two wave battles, new bosses, and 5 new artifacts! Additionally a second entrance to the bottom level of the dungeon (that leads directly to the mines area) was added in the Savrenoc Stronghold scene.



Despair: This dungeon is getting some upgrades! Now it has wave battles, defeat boss or solve mystery requirements to open some doors, and some treasure chests that restock upon defeating all defending enemies.

Gold and Silver Scrap Salvage: Gold and Silver Scraps can now be obtained when salvaging Gold and Silver Items, most notably crafted rings and amulets and jewelry caught while fishing.

Wyvern Trophy: Players can finally craft the head of the Wyvern into an amazing trophy!

Decoration Palette: The Decoration Palette is a new tool that helps players collaborate while decorating a lot. Since no-trade items can now be placed on a lot, we want to help players share decorations, regardless of no-trade status. A no-trade item on a lot cannot be picked up by anyone except for its owner, but anyone with proper permissions on the lot can move the item. Hiding or un-hiding an item to/from the deco palette will be treated the same as moving it. Also, a player could add a no-trade item directly to the decoration palette as a hidden item for others to use as a decoration as they wish.



Multishot: This ranged skill is getting a boost for R71. Again, to help compensate from the extra pain archers suffered from the damage resistance on NPC fix. Initial hit will do an extra 33% more damage, while second and third hits remain the same

Solar Flare: Sun Magic Specialization now provides a Sun Resistance debuff that stacks with the debuf from Searing Ray. Also, damage has been increased dramatically along with focus cost.

Pirate Airship Home: Piracy is no longer just something to be feared at sea! Pirates have taken to the air as well! Some of these fearsome airships have been converted to luxurious homes for the wealthy and can be purchased from the Crown Shop.


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-29 20:03:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Community Livestream Questions Answers (Nov 1)



Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday Nov 1, at 4 PM CT on Twitch!This week we are going to focus on answering throughout the livestream, so submit them inTwitch Chat during the livestream and put!Question at the beginning of your text.

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-28 21:44:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #355: Schedule Updates! Release 71 on QA! Haunted Homes Tour!



Greetings Avatars!

This week's update has tons of great stuff in it including:


  • Q4 & 2020 Schedule Updates
  • Release 71 on QA (Live next Thur!)
  • Haunted Homes Tour Livestream Today
  • 10/25 Crown Shop Updates
  • October Login Reward: Skull Mask
  • Release 70 Reward Program Items: Spooky!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Haunted Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event:5th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Event
  • Community Event: Halloween Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Murder in Blackrock Cove
  • Projectto Support: Crowfall
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-25 18:49:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Community Livestream Haunted Homes Tour (Oct 25)



Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday Oct 25, at 4 PM CT on Twitch!This week we are going to tour player properties that are decorated with a haunted theme to celebrate Halloween! Please submit your location for the tour in the forum post

Read all the details
here.


[ 2019-10-21 22:18:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #354: Release 71 on QA this Weekend!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!



Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 71 on QA this Weekend
  • Freshwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today
  • 10/18 Crown Shop Updates
  • October Login Reward: Skull Mask
  • Release 70 Reward Program Items: Spooky!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Shroud Convention & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Haunted Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event: Release 70 Dance Party
  • Community Event:5th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Event
  • Community Event: Halloween Fishing Contest
  • Community Event: Shroud International Convention Pics & Vids
  • Projectto Support: Pantheon Rise of the Fallen
  • Projectto Support: Avatar Express
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-18 22:04:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Community Livestream Freshwater Fishing Contest (Oct 18)

Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday Oct 18, at 4 PM CT on Twitch!This week we are going to have another Fishing contest! This time it will be a Freshwater Fishing contest in Celestis!



To participate in the contest go to Celestisand start fishing at 4:15 PM. The best trophy fish (longest) caught by 5 PM will win a prize! NOTE: We will be verifying location and time!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-14 20:51:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

SOTA International Convention Live!



Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday October 11, at 4 PM CT on Twitch! This week we are going to be broadcasting live from theSOTA International Convention!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-08 20:49:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #352: Player Made Quests Livestream Today

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Player Made Quests Livestream Today
  • 10/4 Crown Shop Updates
  • October Login Reward: Skull Mask
  • Release 70 Reward Program Items: Spooky!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Shroud International Convention Next Weekend!
  • Projectto Support-Through the Moongate Part II Kickstarter
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-04 16:29:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Player Made Quests Livestream

Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday October 4, at 4 PM CT on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! This week we are going to look at player made quests, highlighting Lilybird's latest quest: "The Stone Dragon" in the Player Owned Town of Jade Valley.

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-10-01 16:42:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #351: Play Release 70 Now! R70 Livestream Today!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!



Release 70 successfully launched yesterday, September 26, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, and logging in to check out the changes! There's lots of new content to explore, including:


  • Ulfheim Rework
  • Nightmares
  • Pumpkin Head Returns
  • New Skills: Taming Frenzy, Solar Flare, Rainbow Blast Combo
  • Will-o-Wisp & Phoenix summons balance
  • POT Water Type Changers
  • Spooky Recurring Items Return
  • Skull Masks
  • R70 Rewards Program Items: Spooky Theme!
  • Performance Improvements
  • More Bug Fixes
  • and more!


Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 70 Now
  • Release 70 Livestream Today
  • 9/27 Crown Shop Updates
  • October Login Reward: Skull Mask
  • Release 70 Reward Program Items: Spooky!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Projectto Support-Through the Moongate Part II Kickstarter
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




Check out all the details here.


[ 2019-09-27 16:43:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 70 Instructions

Release 70 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, September 26, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). Release 70 includes lots of exciting updates including the return of Pumpkin Head, Ulfheim scene rework, Nightmares (new creature), new decorations, Spooky recurring items, new skills, and more!

Ulfheim: Ulfheim is now a completely original Tier 8+ scene (i.e. no longer a clone of another scene with slightly different enemies)! It is now a proper home for the barbarians (like New Britannians have Brittany, Norgarders have Valhold, and plunderers have Penmawr Island). They have got living spaces, crafting areas, tree houses, and even a full village with viking-style buildings. There are three multi-stage wave battles designed for repeat play by high-end players. Enterprising players may discover the side activities that can change some of the enemies in the boss fight, and increase the number of enemies on the way to that final battle. As a bonus, all the special enemies from the classic Ulfheim are there including high tier wolves, bears, boars, wyverns, and the Reapers. Additionally, it has all the same resources plus additional resource types (such as crystals) and nodes.



Pumpkin Head and his Minions Return: Pumpkin Head returns! Each harvest season, Novians warn their children not to go into the fields at night because of Pumpkin Head! Kinga or Ronin in Castle Brittany have two quests: slay Pumpkin Head and steal a pumpkin head item from him or his foot soldiers. This heinous villain and his minions are rumored to dwell in a pumpkin patch in East Vauban Foothills. Slay Pumpkin Head and you might gain a powerful Skull Staff artifact.




Nightmares: Arriving just in time for Halloween, these new rare boss level equines are full of fire and death! Beware unwary Avatars, for your doom may await! Youll find these rare enemies in some random encounters in Novia and Hidden Vale.



Solar Flare (new skill): The Sun Magic School was lacking a second attack of any type until now. Solar Flare is a new Area of Effect cone attack spell in the Sun Magic School.

Spooky Seasonal Recurring Items: With Halloween coming up we have brought back all of the Spooky Seasonal Recurring items to the Crown Shop for a limited time! Get them before they expire onNovember 8, when they will go into hiding again until next year!


and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R70 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-09-25 16:19:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 70 Livestream

The Release 70 Livestream is set for this Friday, September 27, at 3 PM Central Time on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! All Avatars from around the world are welcome to join us in the livestream activities. We will be talking about all our Spooky Stuff (Pumpkin Head, Nightmares, etc), touring scenes, answering questions, and handing out prizes. In addition we will have a special guest (and old friend) Rustic Dragon on the livestream to talk about the Kickstarter forThrough the Moongate Part II!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-09-24 15:51:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #350

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:




  • Release 70 on QA (Live Next Thursday)
  • Saltwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today
  • 9/20 Crown Shop Updates
  • September Login Reward: Dragon Statue with Flames
  • Release 69 Reward Program Items: Hot Stuff!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Dragon Tour & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Projectto Support-Through the Moongate Part II Kickstarter
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-09-20 18:40:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Saltwater Fishing Contest Livestream

Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday September 20, at 4 PM CT on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! This week we are going to have a Saltwater Fishing Contestin the Fishing Expedition!

Read all the details here.


[ 2019-09-18 19:11:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #349

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • 9/13 Crown Shop Updates
  • September Login Reward: Dragon Statue with Flames
  • Release 69 Reward Program Items: Hot Stuff!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Dragon Tour & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 69 Dance Party
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-09-14 15:26:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Community Livestream QA

Another content packed weekly Community Livestream is this Friday September 13, at 4 PM CT on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar! This week we are going to focus on answering questions!

For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-09-12 19:31:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #347: Play R69 Now, Labor Day Sale, Dragon Tour Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 69successfully launched yesterday, August 29, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, and logging in to check out the changes!

Labor Day Sale: In honor of Syndcon (the Syndicate guild's annual conference) and Dragon Con we are having a Labor Day sale! All Crown Packages on the Web Store are on sale for 20% off the regular prices though Monday September 2! Dragon themed items are also more likely to be on sale in the Crown Shop (in-game) through Labor Day so be sure to login each day and check the sale section of the crown shop!

Other highlights of this week's update include:


  • Dragon Tour Livestream Today!
  • 8/30 Crown Shop Updates
  • Release 69 Livestream
  • Make a Difference and Stretch Goal Stores Closed
  • September Login Reward: Dragon Statue with Flames
  • Release 69 Reward Program Items: Hot Stuff!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Despair Dungeon Tour & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun City Water Home
  • Community Event:Beran's Reach Market Day
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 69
  • Resources: Players Helping Players






For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-08-30 16:20:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 69 Instructions



Avatars,

Release 69 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, August 29, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). Release 69 includes lots of exciting updates including the return of the Comet (as well as the associated Aether Creatures), a new dungeon: Despair, Grandmaster Item Enchantments / Masterworks, Performance Improvements, Maps Stored Locally (for stability and performance), No-Trade Items placeable on Player Lots, and more!

Despair: Our newest dungeon is rumored to be the most challenging area in the game. It is full of the highest tier Spiders, Polar Bears, Dragons, and Obsidians. This includes two new variants: Polar Mutilator Bears and Ferocious Warp Spiders! You have been warned!Despair can be reached via boats in Dysborg Ruins, Fishing Expedition, Fortus End, Mud, or Noreach.

Comet: The comet has returned and with it a number of unusual side effects on local fauna. The creatures of many regions have become bolder and more ferocious, including unicorns, wyverns, and the like. Further, several variant anomalies have appeared including Aether Dragons, Aether Liches, and Aether Corpions. If traveling across the wilderness was mildly dangerous before, now it will be swiftly fatal for most adventurers! Various townsfolk are talking about this phenomena now.



Grandmaster Item Enchantments and Item Masterworks: Achieving Grandmaster status in Item Enchantment and Item Masterworking (100+) unlocks major item stat effects that are +3.

and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R69 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-08-28 18:43:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

September Login Reward: Dragon Statue with Flames



Next week is the first week to login and obtain the September login reward! To celebrate Dragon Con, and the imminent end of the heat of the summer, every player who logs in during the month of September will receive a unique foyer sized Dragon Statue with flame visual effects!

To receive the rewards simply login to the game before the end of September and check your rewards tab!

NOTE: You still a few days left to receive the August login rewards (Fire Potions)!


[ 2019-08-27 19:36:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 69 Reward Program Exclusive Items: Heat Theme!



Record temperatures mean hot times so we decided to make the Rewards Program items for Release 69 heat themed! Reward Program members will receive these exclusive items immediately upon logging in during Release 69!


  • Lava Hot Tub
  • Flaming Top Hat
  • Mini Flame Elemental Pet






TheShroud of the Avatar Rewards Programlets you earn the best rate on purchasing Gold Crowns, AND receive exclusive monthly reward items!

For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:


  • 900 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians every month
  • Exclusive Monthly Reward Items (3 per month)
  • Exclusive Title every 3 months
  • 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith
  • 6 Months: Keeper of the Word
  • 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow
  • 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame
  • 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath
  • 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge
  • Pick any Dye 12 Pack every 6 months
  • Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including:
  • Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity
  • Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance
  • Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills
  • Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills
  • Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage
  • Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills


[ 2019-08-27 19:35:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #346: Labor Day Sale, R69 on QA, Dungeon Tour Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

In honor of Syndcon (the Syndicate guild's annual conference) and Dragon Con we are having a Labor Day sale starting today! All Crown Packages on the Web Store are on sale for 20% off the regular prices though Monday September 2! Dragon themed items are also more likely to be on sale in the Crown Shop (in-game) through Labor Day so be sure to login each day and check the sale section of the crown shop!

Other highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 69 on QA (Live Next Thursday)
  • Despair Dungeon TourLivestream Today!
  • 8/23 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • August Login Reward:Fire Potions
  • Release 68 Reward Program Items: Lord British!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Fetid Water Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun City Water Home
  • Community Event: CHAOS CHECKERS Tournament
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 69
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-08-23 18:54:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #345: Fetid Water Fishing Contest Livestream Today, Vault Updates



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Fetid Water Fishing Contest Livestream Today!
  • 8/16 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • August Login Reward:Fire Potions
  • Release 68 Reward Program Items: Lord British!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 68 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun City Water Home
  • Community Event: Release 68 Dance Party
  • Community Event: CHAOS CHECKERS Tournament
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-08-16 16:50:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #344: Housing Mannequins Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Housing & Mannequins Livestream Today!
  • 8/9 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord Britishs Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • August Login Reward: Fire Potions
  • Release 68 Reward Program Items: Lord British!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 68 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun City Water Home
  • Community Event: Release 68 Dance Party
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-08-09 17:45:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #343: New Scenes Livestream Today, Vault Updates



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • New Scenes Livestream Today!
  • 8/2 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • August Login Reward:Fire Potions
  • Release 68 Reward Program Items: Lord British!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 68 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Shogun City Water Home
  • Community Event: Shogun Ridge Chronicles - Savage Assassinations Event!
  • Community Event: Release 68 Dance Party
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-08-02 16:38:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #342: Play R68 Now, R68 Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 68 Now!
  • Release 68 Livestream Today!
  • 7/26 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • Last Week for July Login Reward:Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buff
  • Release 68 Reward Program Items: Lord British!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Tech Talk & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Turreted City Home
  • Community Event:Party In Club Zero
  • Community Event:Lily's Summer High Tea in the Garden
  • Community Event: Shogun Ridge Chronicles - Savage Assassinations Event!
  • Community Event:2019 Summer Fashion Show Contest!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-07-26 17:22:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 68 Exclusive Rewards Program Items: Lord British Themed!



Lord British's birthday was July 4th so we decided to make the Rewards Program items for Release 68 be Lord British themed in his honor!Reward Program members will receive these exclusive items immediately upon logging in during Release 68 (starting July 25)!


  • Lord British Round Shield
  • Lord British Leather Helm
  • Lord British Silver Serpent Spear






TheShroud of the Avatar Rewards Programlets you earn the best rate on purchasing Gold Crowns, AND receive exclusive monthly reward items!

For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:


  • 900 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians every month
  • Exclusive Monthly Reward Items (~ 3 per month)
  • Exclusive Title every 3 months
  • 3 Months: Keeper of the Faith
  • 6 Months: Keeper of the Word
  • 9 Months: Keeper of the Vow
  • 12 Months: Keeper of the Flame
  • 15 Months: Keeper of the Oath
  • 18 Months: Keeper of the Pledge
  • Pick any Dye 12 Pack every 6 months
  • Pick any three of the 7 Obsidian Potions every month, including:
  • Potion of Capacity: Increases carrying capacity
  • Potion of Conservation: Reduces reagent use chance
  • Potion of Expedience: Swift gathering on all gathering skills
  • Potion of Precision: Increases Meticulous Collection to all gathering skills
  • Potion of Preservation: Reduces armor and weapon damage
  • Potion of Reclamation: Increases Salvage and Repair to all production skills


[ 2019-07-22 18:38:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #341: Release 68 on QA, Tech Talk Livestream Today, Summer Crown Shop Updates



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 68 On QA
  • Tech Talk Livestream Today!
  • 7/19 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • July Login Reward:Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buff
  • Last Week for Release 67 Reward Program Items: Heroes!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Deck Building & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Turreted City Home
  • Community Event:2019 Summer Fashion Show Contest!
  • Community Event:Lily's Summer High Tea in the Garden
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-07-19 17:28:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #340: Deck Building Livestream and R67 Dance Party Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Deck Building Livestream Today!
  • 7/12 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • July Login Reward:Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buff
  • Release 67 Reward Program Items: Heroes!
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Release 67 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Turreted City Home
  • Community Event: Release 67 Dance Party Today (last one on Avatars Radio!)
  • Community Event:Lily's Summer High Tea in the Garden
  • Community Event:Chateau du Lys Picture Contest!
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-07-12 17:59:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #339: Last Day for Crown Sale, Web Store Price Drops, R67 Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Last Day for Lord British Birthday 20% Crown Sale and Lord British Rares!
  • Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!
  • R67 Livestream Today! (Lord Britsh Birthday)
  • July Login Reward:Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buff
  • Release 67 Reward Program Items: Heroes!
  • 7/4 Crown Shop Updates
  • In the News: Arcade Attack Interviews Starr Long
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • New User Experience & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Turreted City Home
  • Community Event: Release 67 Dance Party
  • Community Event: 2019 BMC Fair
  • Community Event: Gustball Games (Rescheduled)
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-07-05 18:14:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Lord British's Birthday Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Stores 50% Price Drop!



To celebrate Lord British's birthday on July 4 we have reduced the prices on every item in the Make a Difference and Episode 2 Stretch Goal Store by 50%! Check out the stores for all the amazing items including the Reaper Sapling Pet, Water.org Glowing Mug,Pink Dual Wax Cylinder Phonograph with Emotes,Barn Two-Story Village Home and more!



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-07-04 03:29:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

July Login Reward: Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buff



We are excited to announce the the July login reward! To celebrate Lord British's birthday on July Fourth every player who logs in during the month of July will receive a set of 8 Lord British Cake Slices that when consumed convey a unique buff (two hours ofincreased focus and health regeneration plus a 100% speed learning buff)!

To receive the rewards simply login to the game before the end of July and check your rewards tab!


[ 2019-07-01 20:45:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #338: Final Week for Crown Sale, Play R67 Now, New User Experience Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Final Week for Lord British Birthday 20% Crown Sale!
  • Play Release 67 Now
  • July Login Rewards:Lord British Cake Slices with Unique Buffs
  • Release 67 Reward Program Items: Heroes!
  • New User Experience Polish Livestream Today
  • 6/28 Crown Shop Updates
  • R67 Livestream July 5 (LB Bday)
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Freshwater Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Stone Dragon Statue - Town Size
  • Community Event:Midsommarblot Events (heavy RP)
  • Community Event: Gustball Games
  • Community Event: Shroudoftheavatar.net's Monthly Raffle
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-06-28 16:08:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 67 Instructions

Avatars,

Release 67 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, June 27, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 67 is the third and final release in which we were planning to focus on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q2 2019 Schedule Update), however we have deviated significantly from that strategy. While we made some progress on these priorities we are also working on a major overhaul to the New User Experience as part of a capture and recapture email campaign that has caused us to pause and/or delay some of the originally planned for R67 deliverables. Additionally we have been transitioning our development to a continuous integration model of development where we are pushing content out weekly, sometimes even daily. This of course disrupts the concept of a regular monthly update and is why you will see many items below with tags like This was patched into Release 66. or We actually brought these back in Release 66 for extra evil!

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Battle of Solace Bridge (New User Experience Polish): Edvard the Wanderer is now found only at the boat launch and does not require an escort across the bridge. Additionally an Adventurer Trainer Automaton is now a part of the starting experience to help new players understand the basics of obtaining new skills. His training is required in order to progress in this scene, and following his instructions will be the only way to unlock the Solace Bridge gate.



Summoned Pet Skills: Last release tamers got a number of new skills to enhance their tamed pets. For R67 magic summoners get a similar treatment. There are three new skills that can enhance the power of summoned pets.

Gustball Improvements: Gustballs now have movements that are more realistic (physics based) so that they will now behave more like actual balls when Gusted. Additionally Charged Gust now pushes gustballs farther!

Material Bonuses for Crafted Rings and Necklaces: Rings and necklaces can now be crafted out of metal materials and have bonuses based on the metal type. The existing ring and necklace recipes have been renamed to Metal Ring and Metal Necklace. Updated recipes for these items require less ingredients than previously. There are recipes for each item and material type. Recipes for metal, iron, bronze, gold and silver items can be purchased from Blacksmiths. Recipes for advanced metals can be found in supply bundles dropped from humanoid creatures.

Release 67 Rewards Program Items: Players really loved our hero-themed stretchgoals from Release 65 so we decided to make the Rewards Program items for Release 67 be some of the items we did not reach during Release 65. Reminder to receive these exclusive rewards all you need to do is join the Rewards Program during Release 67 and login to the game during Release 67.

and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R67 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-06-26 17:15:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #337: R67 on QA, Freshwater Fishing Contest Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 67 On QA
  • Lord British Birthday 20% Crown Sale!
  • Final Week for June Login Rewards
  • Freshwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today
  • 6/21 Crown Shop Updates
  • Rewards Program Update (+ R66 Rewards)
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • New User / New Dungeons & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Stone Dragon Statue - Town Size
  • Community Event:Midsommarblot Events (heavy RP)
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Community Event: Grandmaster Tutoring Event for PRIDE
  • Community Event: 5th Annual Soldier's Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: Shroudoftheavatar.net's Monthly Raffle
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players






For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-06-21 18:38:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Lord British Birthday 20% Crown Sale!



In celebration of Lord British's birthday on July 4th we are putting all crown packages on sale for approximately 20% off through July 5th! This is the deepest discount we offer on crowns and crowns only go on sale rarely so get them while you can!

As a reminder there are also Lord British themed items that are currently available in the Crown Shop only until July 5th.


  • 2019 Lord British Birthday Cake
  • Lord British Basement Hatch
  • Lord British Shield
  • Lord British Fur Cloak
  • Lord British vs. Darkstarr Battle Banner
  • Red, White, & Blue Fireworks (Various)






[ 2019-06-20 19:38:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

June Login Rewards: Potion of Guidance 250K XP

As a special limited time promotion we are rewarding all players who login by the end of June with two rewards! Every player who logs in will receive an Obsidian Potion of Guidance (increases how fast your skills use experience out of our experience points pool) and 250,000 Adventuring Experience Points!

To receive the rewards simply login to the game before the end of June and check your rewards tab!


[ 2019-06-14 21:56:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #336: Castle Keep Sized Homes, New User Experience New Dungeons Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Castle and Keep Sized Homes!
  • New User Experience & New Dungeons Livestream Today
  • 6/14 Crown Shop Updates
  • June Login Rewards
  • Rewards Program Update (+ R66 Rewards)
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • R66 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Stone Dragon Statue - Town Size
  • Community Event:Midsommarblot Events (heavy RP)
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 66
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Community Event: Concert by the Sea (rescheduled)
  • Community Event: Grandmaster Tutoring Event for PRIDE
  • Community Event: 5th Annual Soldier's Memorial Ball
  • Community Event: Shroudoftheavatar .net's Monthly Raffle
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-06-14 19:55:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #335: Release 66 Livestream Today!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • R66 Livestream Today
  • 6/7 Crown Shop Updates
  • Rewards Program Update (+ R66 Rewards)
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • New Houses & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Stone Dragon Statue - Town Size
  • Community Event: Midsommarblot (heavy RP)
  • Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 66
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents Daggers In The Dark The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-06-07 17:18:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #334: Play R66 Now, Rewards Program Update, New Houses Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 66 Now!
  • Rewards Program Update (+ R66 Rewards)
  • New Houses Livestream Today
  • 5/31 Crown Shop Updates
  • R66 Livestream June 7, 2019 (Dance)
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • New Skills & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Stone Dragon Statue
  • Community Event: Release 66 Dance Party
  • Community Event:Midsommarblot (heavy RP)
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 66
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-05-31 19:09:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 66 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 66 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, May 30, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 66 is the second release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q2 2019 Schedule Update). While we made some progress on these priorities we are also working on a major overhaul to the New User Experience as part of a capture and recapture email campaign that has caused us to pause and/or delay some of the originally planned for R66 deliverables.

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

New User Experience Polish & New Starting Sequence: We have been doing long term data analysis of incoming new players. We realized that many new players quit the game during Isle of Storms. We believe this is because the content in Isle of Storms is not representative of the best parts of the game as a whole. We have begun an iterative process to improve the new player experience, with a focus on ensuring that the new player experience is representative of the best parts of the game as a whole. We now start players with Character Creation, skip Isle of Storms, start all players on the Path of Love (most polished path), and we have done a bunch of polish on the starting areas of the Path of Love.



Luminous Atavist Returns (SPOILERS): The Luminous Atavist has returned from hiding! Some residents of Novia are not pleased with the sudden and voluminous influx of Outlander immigrants. The Atavists of Purity have vowed to rid Novia of the Outlander scourge. Their houses crowd our fair towns! Their wares compete with those of native Novian merchants! yells their leader, the Luminous Atavist. He and his lieutenants, the Knight Purifiers, have been known to ambush unwary Outlanders on the road. They are even swelling their ranks with common folks who call themselves Unifiers. He is rumored to be in the Southern Grunvald Desert. Speak to Ranees Binders in Desolis to learn more.



Wardings: Nine new warding skills have been added! Each school of magic (except Chaos) has a new Warding passive skill in it. The skill in each tree is aimed at suppressing the magic of the opposing school. It grants a positive boost to the resistance number and a negative attunement penalty resulting in a net positive resistance.

New Taming Skills: Five new taming skills have been added that let you level up various aspects of your tamed pets.

Top Tier Tameable Creatures: We have added Top Tier tameable creatures similar to the Obsidian Destroyer which is currently the highest health and overall the most powerful tameable creature. We also made a pass on the visuals of these creatures making sure these were set correctly and synced with loot drops. This is preparing for moving animal heads over to use decoration scaling similar to fish trophies. These new Top Tier creatures will be slowly added to scenes over time. For Release 66 you will find at least one example of each of these in one scene.

Young Dragons Tameable: All young dragons are now tamable!



Artifact Combining: Going forward Artifacts will come in four types: Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary. Like the totems, you can combine 4 of the same type to get the next tier up. Over time we will update the older artifacts to be of the Uncommon type so they can be upgraded as well.

Clockwork Dragon Trophy: Clockwork Dragons finally have a chance to drop a head when killed which can then be used to craft a trophy head to mount on your wall. This has long been the only full-sized dragon that does not have a trophy head.

Release 66 Reward Program Items:For Release 66 the Rewards are Disco themed and Reward Program members will receive them during Release 66immediately upon logging in! See the Rewards Program Update for details.

and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R66 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-05-29 17:50:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #333: R66 On QA, Last Week for Login Rewards, New Skills Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 66 On QA
  • Final Week for May Login Rewards
  • New Skills Livestream Today
  • 5/24 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Fishing Contest & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ancient Columned City Home
  • Community Event:Midsommarblot (heavy RP)
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 66
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-05-24 16:31:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #332: Saltwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • May Login Rewards
  • Saltwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today
  • 5/17 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Deco Contest Finals & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ancient Columned City Home
  • Community Event:Concert by the Sea
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players









For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-05-17 17:20:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #331: May Login Rewards Deco Finals Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • May Login Rewards
  • R60 Livestream Reward: Construction Set Update
  • Deco Contest Finals Livestream Today
  • 5/10 Crown Shop Updates
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • R65 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Ancient Columned City Home
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-05-10 17:50:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

May Login Rewards: Mini Greyhound 3-Story Row Home



As a special limited time promotion we are rewarding all players who login by the end of May with two rewards! The first reward is a miniature greyhound pet, inspired by the lovable "Mojito" (pet of Chris "Atos" Spears). The second reward is a 3-story Wood & Plaster Row Home which is an extra floor upgrade from the default home that comes with the free row lot that all players receive.

To receive the rewards, simply login to the game before the end of May and check your rewards tab!


[ 2019-05-09 19:30:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #330: Release 65 Livestream Today, Deco Contest Dance Party Tomorrow



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 65 Livestream Today
  • 5/3 Crown Shop Updates
  • Deco Contest Livestream Tomorrow
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Taming & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event: Release 65 Dance Party
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players







For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-05-03 16:39:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #329: Play R65 Now, Taming Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 65 Now!
  • Taming Livestream Today
  • Release 65 Livestream
  • 4/26 Crown Shop Updates
  • Deco Contest
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Deco Contest Preview & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event: Beware - Obsidians are Coming
  • Community Event:Wylde Safari 1-yr Anniversary Party
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players








For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-04-26 16:51:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 65 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 65 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, April 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 65 is the first release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q2 2019 Schedule Update). While we made some progress on these priorities we had to spend a significant amount of time patching issues with Release 64 related to our upgrade to the latest version of Unity compounded with the vacations of two of our engineers. This caused us to have to delay some of the goals for Release 65 to a later date.

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Tamed Pet Balance: Last release work was done to bring summoned pets up to a more respectable level. For R65 we took a pass at evaluating tamed pets. The primary thing that stood out was their lower than expected DPS in combat. All tamed pets should see roughly a 25% increase in DPS. Additionally, the Wyverns poison attack now also adds a weakness effect and drains a small amount of focus.

Young White & Black Dragons: We added the two remaining color variations of the young dragons to the Plains Encounters. When the Novia version of the dragon wave starts, there is a very rare chance to spawn a young white dragon. In the Hidden Vale version, there is a very rare chance to spawn a young black dragon.

Wave Battle Improvements: Some wave battles may now have one or more waves that repeat for a specific time. If one of these timed waves is defeated too early, it will repeat until the time requirement is satisfied. Also, the timing of wave battle activities should be better synchronized for all players involved.

New Rare Random Encounter Merchants: There are now two new rare random encounter merchants who will sometimes appear after the boss is defeated and will sell the players items for in-game gold. There is a Sculptor who sells tabletop versions of the Greco-Roman style statues seen around Xenos as well as wooden versions of our creature and elf statues. There is also a Peasant Clothing merchant who sells the clothing worn by female peasants of Novia.

Batch Consumable Recipes: We added batch versions of recipes for some consumables (Found on alchemy merchants). These include: Recall Scroll, Teleport Scrolls, Lesser Healing Potions, Lesser Focus Potions, Healing Potions, and Focus Potions.

Taming Simplifications: We made various changes to Taming to make it more easily understood and used, especially for new players.

The Vault: Players will now be able to purchase items from the Vault section of the Crown Shop which will feature rare, previously-expired items that will be available for a limited time at a premium price.

Decoration Scaling: After numerous player requests, we now allow select decorations can now be scaled slightly (plus or minus 20%). Note that trophies that already have a scale factor (such as for trophy fish) and many items that are interactive (crafting stations, beds, chairs, etc.) cannot be scaled.

Deep Ravenswood: A pass was made to revitalize this once popular scene without dramatically changing its personality. Spawn counts in the scene were greatly increased in the woods surrounding the stone outcropping. The undead area in the middle has also been reworked slightly to move more spawns closer to the ruins that are a popular camp. Additionally, rare higher level spawns were added including a new mini-boss that has 2 new artifacts.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R65 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-04-24 22:29:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #328: R65 on QA, Deco Contest Preview Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 65 on QA
  • Deco Contest Preview Livestream Today
  • Deco Contest
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • R64 & Various Other Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event:Spring Dance Party in Elementum
  • Community Event:1st Annual Novia Market Spring Equinox Egg Hunt!
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents -- Daggers In The Dark - The Video!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-04-19 21:21:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #327: R64 Livestream Today Various Livestreams from last week (Youtube)



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 64 Livestream Today
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Various Livestreams (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Pirate Galleon City Water Home
  • Community Event:R64 Novia Market 1st Annual Fishing Contest!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-04-12 16:34:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #326: R64 Livestream Now April 12



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 64 Livestream: Now April 12
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Ask Us Anything (+ Atos Livestreams) (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: R64 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Daggers in the Dark
  • Community Event:R64 Novia Market 1st Annual Fishing Contest!
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-04-05 19:02:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #325: Play R64 Now, Ask Us Anything Livestream Today, Q2 2019 Update



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 64 Now!
  • Ask Us Anything Livestream Today
  • Release 64 Livestream: Dark Spring
  • Q2 2019 Update
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Arch Lapin Livestream (+ Atos Livestreams) (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: R64 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Daggers in the Dark
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-03-29 14:20:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 64 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 64 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, March 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 64 is the final release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q1 2019 Schedule Update). We made progress on many of these priorities including Quality of Life (Player-Owned Town Message of the Day, Guild Message of the Day, Universal Trade Channel), User Interface Polish (In-Game Crown Shop Improvements), Seasonal Content (Arch Lapin, Spring Items), bug fixes, and more work on Player-Made Dungeon Encounters!

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Arch Lapin: Spring is in the air and brings with it the smell of death! The smell of Death Bunny that is! Rumors abound of the return of this nasty foul creature who perhaps can only be slain by the fabled Sacred Orb of Obliteration? The return of our very first seasonal boss is made even more exciting with the addition of two new loot items: Confection Eggs and Confection Bunnies!

Spring Equinox Items: Now that spring has sprung we have surrounded you with delightful confections and eggs to celebrate! You can craft a dyeable egg or purchase one of the many new spring themed items like the Spring Equinox Replenishing Confections Platter.



Player-Made Dungeons: Player-Made Dungeon encounters were originally scheduled for this release and we did an early iteration in Release 63. Release 64 includes a larger variety of encounters and totems. We also added ramps to the Natural Cavern set as requested by players.

Quality of Life Improvements: Various improvements to player quality of life were made including numerous bug fixes, giving town owners the ability to set a Player-Owned Town Message of the Day, giving guild officers the ability to set a Guild Message of the Day, the addition of a new Universal Trade Channel, better in-game quest/task bug reporting, and crown shop improvements.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R64 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-03-27 15:48:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #324: R64 on QA, Arch Lapin Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 64 on QA
  • Arch Lapin Livestream Today
  • Portalarium Resuming Worldwide Support and Publishing
  • After Purchase Gifting on Web Going Away with R64
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Row Homes Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-03-22 16:55:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #323: Spring Equinox Items, Row Homes Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Spring Equinox Items
  • Row Homes Livestream Today
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • R63 Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-03-15 14:00:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #322: Release 63 Livestream Today, Darkstarr Recurring Items



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 63 Livestream Today
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Envy Angel Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Welcome Quest Release 63
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players






For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-03-08 16:39:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #321: Play Release 63 Now, Envy Angel Livestream Today, Pirate Treasure Decorations



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 63 Now!
  • Envy Angel Livestream Today
  • Pirate Treasure Decorations
  • Release 63 Livestream: Darkstarr
  • Darkstarr Recurring Items
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Player-Made Dungeon Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: R63 Dance Party with DJ Darkstarr
  • Community Event: NBTT Presents Daggers In The Dark
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
  • Project to Support: Mechanica (LAST DAY!)
  • Resources: Players Helping Players






For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-03-01 18:56:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 63 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 63 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, February 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 63 is the second release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q1 2019 Schedule Update). We made progress on almost every single priority including Quality of Life (Automatic Reward Claiming, Reduced Item Prices, POT Deco Limits Increased, Lot Deed Upgrading with Crowns), User Interface Polish (In-Game Crown Shop Improvements), Seasonal Content (Envy Angel), Systems Polish (Pronged Weapons), bug fixes, more Player-Made Dungeon pieces, and the first work on spawning in Player-Made Dungeons!

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Envy Angel: Our latest seasonal boss monster missed Valentines Dayor Sequannas Day, as it is known in Noviaand shes not happy about it. Well, The Envy Angel is never quite happy about anything really, except perhaps attention from her admirers. Rumor has it that her bow is a powerful artifact. Anyone who wants more information about her should find Hyun the courier in the Necropolis Barrens. Kinga and Ronin, in Brittany Castle, say he was supposed to be delivering love letters but was waylaid as he tried to take a shortcut through the Envy Angels home! The courier offers a quest to recover the letters for him. In fact, he may ask avatars to perform a similar quest on a daily basis!

Pronged Weapons (aka Tridents): This new one-handed polearm type is a little slower and less damaging than other polearms but it triggers damage and effects three times per hit! This means effects like Push, Pull, and Poison get applied up to 3 times each hit! As of R63, you will find Pitchforks, a Basic Trident, an Ornate Trident, and the Daemon Trident (a rare and powerful artifact).



Player-Made Dungeons: The first round of Player-Made Dungeon encounters are going live in Release 63, including a system to level-up these dungeon encounter rooms! For this first release, were adding one encounter type, but itll be added to multiple different rooms. It may be a proof of concept encounter, but any effort you put into leveling-up the room will be saved. Additionally, a new set of prison-themed Player Dungeon rooms are coming into the game. For the initial release for R63, the scene will be in place and liches will drop the items needed for them but we will not enable totem creation. Totem crafting will be turned on in a patch a few days later once things have some more testing.



Quality of Life Improvements: We have made a lot of improvements to Quality of Life in Release 63 (some even got patched into R62). Rewards from the Rewards Program, livestream prizes, and other web store purchases are now automatically delivered with an on-screen notification, so the Claim Rewards button is no longer needed in the Rewards interface. We also have done a massive price reduction across the entire store where most items are now at approximately 50% of their original price. We continued polishing the in-game Crown Shop and moved most web store items to this store. Lot Deeds and Player Owned Towns can now both be upgraded with Crowns inside the game, and lot deeds can now be upgraded to tax free deeds! We also increased the POT Decoration limits and reduced the costs of placing large lots in POTs.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R63 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-02-27 23:48:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #320: Release 63 on QA, Player Dungeon Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 63 on QA, Goes Live Next Thur
  • Player Made Dungeons Livestream Today
  • Notable Changes in Recent R62 Patches
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Store & Crowns: Please read about important upcoming changes!
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 63
  • Freshwater Fishing Contest Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
  • Project to Support: Mechanica (Kickstarter)
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-02-22 19:40:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #319: Crown Store Buff, New Decorations, Freshwater Fishing Contest Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Crown Store Buff & New Decorations for Release 63
  • New Pirate Items for Release 63
  • Freshwater FishingLivestream Today
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Store & Crowns: Please read about important upcoming changes!
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 63
  • Player Quest Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
  • Project to Support: Mechanica (Kickstarter)
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-02-15 15:52:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #318: Player Quest Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Player Quest Livestream Today
  • Lord Forged Items now Duke Dungeon Throne Room & Duke Heraldry Paver
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Crown Store and Web Store Changes in Early 2019
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns
  • Release 62 Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-02-08 22:23:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #317: Play R62 Now, R62 Livestream Today, Winter Rares Recurring Items Expire Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 62 Now!
  • Release 62 Livestream Today
  • Lord Forged Items now Duke Dungeon Throne Room & Duke Heraldry Paver
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Crown Store and Web Store Changes in Early 2019
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns
  • Shipping Phase 2 Update - December 2018
  • Winter 2018 Items Expire Today!
  • Winter Recurring Items Expire Today!
  • UPDATED: Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 63 (was 62)
  • Player Quests Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: R62 Dance Party
  • Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players





For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-02-01 17:13:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 62 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 62 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, January 31, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 62 is the first release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q1 2019 post). We made progress on almost every single priority including Quality of Life (Reduced Lot Deed Taxes), Improved Reward Cycle (Row Lot Deed for completing Outskirts, Village Lot and House Deeds for Story Completion), User Interface Polish (In-Game Store Improvements), Seasonal Content (Valentines Items), Systems Polish (Back Slot Item Enchanting/Masterworking, Mask Patterns, Pet Balance), bug fixes, more Player-Made Dungeon pieces, and hundreds of Collectors Boxes were shipped before the holiday break.

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Lot Deed Quest Rewards: One of the strongest features in Shroud of the Avataris our Player Housing system. Previously, we rewarded players with a Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed for completing the entire story, approximately 40 hours of gameplay (less if you watch YouTube!). After collecting lots of feedback and data from our players we have decided to move that reward to much earlier in the game experience. Now players will receive a Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed for finishing any of the Outskirts quest lines! We have also upgraded the story completion reward to a Player Owned Town Village Lot Deed and a Shingle-Roof (Village Home) house deed.



Back Slot Items Patterns, Enchanting & Masterworking: Previously, the only back slot item that had any stats associated with it was the Shroud of the Avatar item. Now all back slot items can be Masterworked and Enchanted. They also now use the Patterns system. There are four basic types of back slot items: Backpacks (Strength & Carry Capacity), Cloaks (Defense & Attack Speed), Wings (Dexterity & Move Rate) and Quivers (Dexterity & Ammo Recovery).



Quality of Life Improvements: We have lowered property taxes for all Lot Deeds larger than Row (which were already lowered in a previous release), especially the largest lot deeds, to reduce the burden of property ownership. We also increased the prepayment time of taxes, made it so lot deeds can be upgraded with Crowns, lowered some lot deed prices and made various improvements to the in-game store.

Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 100 issues including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes.

and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R62 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2019-01-30 17:48:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #316: Player Created Quests Livestream Today, Release 62 on QA (Live Next Thur)



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Player Created Quests Livestream Today
  • Release 62 on QA, Goes Live Next Thur
  • Lord Forged Items now Duke Dungeon Throne Room & Duke Heraldry Paver
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Crown Store and Web Store Changes in Early 2019
  • Last Weekend to Login for free R61 Respec!
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns
  • Shipping Phase 2 Update - December 2018
  • Winter 2018 Items
  • Winter Recurring Items (now with Yule Hat)!
  • UPDATED: Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 63 (was 62)
  • Ask Us Anything Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-01-25 15:18:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #315: Release 62 on QA, Ask Us Anything Livestream Today, Lord of the Isle Ep. 2 Bundles



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 62 on QA
  • Ask Us Anything Livestream Today
  • Lord Forged Items now Duke Dungeon Throne Room & Duke Heraldry Paver
  • Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
  • Crown Store and Web Store Changes in Early 2019
  • Login during R61 for free Respec!
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns All Weekend
  • Winter 2018 Items
  • Winter Recurring Items (now with Yule Hat)!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 62
  • Player Housing Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-01-18 18:50:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #314: Player Housing Livestream Today, 50% Holiday Sale Extended!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Player Housing Livestream Today
  • Crown Store and Web Store Changes in Early 2019
  • In the News: How Lord British Works
  • Login during R61 for free Respec!
  • 50% Items and 20% Crowns All Weekend
  • Winter 2018 Items
  • Winter Recurring Items (now with Yule Hat)!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 62
  • Ask Us Anything Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Keep Dragon Statue
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2019-01-11 18:11:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #311: Release 61 Livestream Bundles Expire Today, Free R61 Respec, 50% Weekend Sale





Greetings Fellow Avatars!


  • Highlights of this week's update include:
  • Release 61 Livestream Today
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expire Today!
  • Login during R61 for free Respec!
  • 50% Items All Weekend (through Monday Dec 24) & Final Friday for Crown Sale
  • Winter 2018 Items
  • Winter Recurring Items (now with Yule Hat)!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 62
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns Ends Today!
  • Boxed Editions Sales: Signed Final Day, Amazon $19.99 through New Years!
  • Caroling Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Dance Party Playlists
  • Community Event:Advent Calendar 2018
  • Community Event:Daily Yule-Market at Dracheninsel
  • Community Event: Grinch's December Pacu Fishing Adventure
  • Community Event: 3rd Annual Holiday Party for All!
  • Community Event: Novia Market R60 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event: Novia Market 1st Annual Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event: Jade Dragons 4th annual New Years Eve Party
  • Community Event: Ark Angels Christmas and Gift Giving
  • Meretz: Win a Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
  • Projectto Support:Underworld Ascendant (items expire today!)
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-12-21 16:40:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Login during R61 for free Respec!



Players who login December 20th through January 30th will receive a complementary item entitled "Obsidian Item of Greater Unlearning (Expires Soon)" that when used allows them to to reset all skills in a skill tree to minimum levels and move 100% of the experience to the experience pool for spending elsewhere. Alternatively, they can use it to set all adventurer or crafting skills to their minimums and return 100% of experience to your pool for reapplying in a new way. This effectively grants players a full respec to rebuild their character however they choose.

NOTE: This item must be used by January 30!

Additional identical items entitled "Obsidian Item of Greater Unlearning" can be purchased from the Crown Merchant interface.The purchased version has no expiration.


[ 2018-12-20 22:23:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #310: Play 61 Now, Q1 Schedule, 50% Weekend Sale Caroling Livestream Today!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 61 Now!
  • Caroling Livestream Today
  • Q1 2019 Schedule Update
  • Release 61 Livestream Dec 21 (Dark Winter)
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations FINAL WEEK!
  • 50% Items All Weekend (through Monday Dec 17)!
  • Winter 2018 Items Appear
  • Winter Recurring Items Return!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 62
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21) FINAL WEEK
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Player Dungeon Tour Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 61 Dance Party
  • Community Event: Obsidian Trials "No-Risk PVP" event!
  • Community Event:Advent Calendar 2018
  • Community Event: 4Bait - Fishing event May 555
  • Community Event:Daily Yule-Market at Dracheninsel
  • Community Event: Grinch's December Pacu Fishing Adventure
  • Community Event: 3rd Annual Holiday Party for All!
  • Community Event: Novia Market R60 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event: Novia Market 1st Annual Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event:Jade Dragons 4th annual New Years Eve Party
  • Community Event: Ark Angels Christmas and Gift Giving
  • Community Event: Midvinterblot at Helheim in Kahli
  • Meretz: Win a Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
  • Projectto Support:Underworld Ascendant
  • Project to Support: Avatars Radio
  • Project to Support:Lore Finder
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-12-14 18:12:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 61 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 61 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, December 13, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC). What? Already? you might ask. As noted in our Q4 2018 post The last two releases of the year (Nov/R60 and Dec/R61) will be very early in their respective months so that they are released well ahead of the US winter holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas).

Release 61 is the final release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q4 2018 post). We made progress on several of these priorities including various quality of life fixes (automatic redemption of rewards & teleport to zone), bug fixes, seasonal content (Krampus!), more Fishing Phase 2 (lava fishing, lava fish, fishing skills), and more rooms for Player-Made Dungeons.

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Fishing Phase 2: Fishing Phase 2 launched in Release 59 and was expanded in Release 60. In Release 61 we continued that expansion with the final water type: Lava! Yes that is correct, you can now fish in molten rock using a Lava Fishing Rod and lures crafted from gems as bait. We have also expanded the fishing skill tree to add skills related to all of the water types (including lava) and we added new recipes for the rare fish.



Quality of Life ImprovementsWAs part of our ongoing mission to improve the moment to moment life of every player we made a couple of improvements in Release 61. Instead of being limited to teleporting to your lot or a single town crier you now automatically collect the entrance locations of most scenes you visit and can use a new teleport scroll to revisit those scenes whenever you wish. We also streamlined the types of Obsidian Crowns into a single type: Gold Crowns to make purchasing of crown items easier. Additionally we have introduced a way to completely respec your character with a Book of Tabula Rasa which we are giving as a free gift to all players who login for Release 61!

Krampus: The Krampus is the latest in our seasonal recurring bosses and takes advantage of the new nearby power boss behavior, so be sure to pay attention to his gang of naughty brat zombie children before trying to take him down! We recommend not confronting this vile monster before first going to the castle in Central Brittany and getting more information about him from Kinga or Ronin. Mention Krampus to either and get a quest that will send you to his home in East Sanctus Forest. But dont forget North Paladis can be a dangerous region: watch out for a roving encounter full of his naughty brats wholl ambush you before you reach the home of the Krampus!



Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 150 issues including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R61 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-12-12 20:05:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #309: Release 61 on QA Dungeon Tour Livestream Today!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 61 on QA
  • Player Made Dungeon Tour Today
  • In the News: Shroud as Parkinson's Therapy
  • Crown Migration for Release 61
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Winter 2018 Items Appear
  • Winter Recurring Items Return!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 62
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Release 60 Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Sale: Winter
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event:Advent Calendar 2018
  • Community Event: Boogie Nights Christmas Style
  • Community Event:Daily Yule-Market at Dracheninsel
  • Community Event: Grinch's December Pacu Fishing Adventure
  • Community Event: 3rd Annual Holiday Party for All!
  • Community Event: Novia Market R60 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event: Novia Market 1st Annual Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 60
  • Meretz: Win a Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
  • Projectto Support:Underworld Ascendant
  • Project to Support:Lore Finder
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-12-07 21:28:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #308: R60 Livestream Today + Viking, Kobold, Spooky Expirations Last Day!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 60 Livestream Today (Cornucopia)
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations (Last Day!)
  • Spooky Expirations (Last Day!)
  • Crown Migration for Release 61
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Winter 2018 Items Appear
  • Winter Recurring Items Return!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Sale: Patterns
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Grinch's December Pacu Fishing Adventure
  • Community Event: 3rd Annual Holiday Party for All!
  • Community Event: Novia Market R60 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event: Novia Market 1st Annual Yuletide Giveaway
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 60
  • Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
  • Meretz: Win a Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
  • Projectto Support:Underworld Ascendant
  • Project to Support: Moustache of the Avatar
  • Project to Support:Lore Finder
  • Resources: Players Helping Players



For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-11-30 17:36:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #307: Black Friday Sale + Final Week for Viking Kobold Bundles!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Black Friday Sale!
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations (1 week left!)
  • Release 60 Livestream Nov 30 (Cornucopia)
  • Winter 2018 Items Appear
  • Winter Recurring Items Return!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Beach Party & Fishing Contest Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Titanforge's Monster Catch Fishing Tournament!
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 60
  • Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Underworld Ascendant
  • Projectto Support:Lore Finder
  • Project to Support: Moustache of the Avatar


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-11-23 15:23:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 60 Patch Notes: November 21, 2018

November 21, 2018

Build Number 877 11:30 AM

Updates


  • Elemental and magic resist potions can now be added to combat bar.

  • Fix "Poison potion" reduced reagent use from subterfuge specialization.

  • Fix issue with Death Shield duration with Specialization.

  • Fix Cash register player vendor nameplates.

  • Fixed an issue where Magic Cancellation Field would incorrectly calculate attunement.

  • Fixed an issue with resource node highlighting for survey skill.

  • Northwest Blackblade Mountains - put Darkstarr corpions back in.

  • Fix bug that prevented picking up items via drag-and-drop in some cases.

  • Solace Bridge: fix issues with water.

  • Battle of Highvale: Updated some combat-related tutorial text to be skillset-agnostic.

  • Battle of Solace Bridge: Updated some combat-related tutorial text to be skillset-agnostic.

  • Brittany Fields - adjusted LOD settings on a bridge.

  • Ardoris: Emma the barmaid now has a response for "love."

  • Red Stone Dungeon - deleted erroneous geometry.

  • Fixes for various Unity warnings caused by switch to Unity 2018.2.

  • Sunless Barrens - extended water trigger to encompass entire seaside.

  • Aerie: The "Open Arms" now uses weapon shop decorations (instead of blacksmith decorations). Henry Steel's occupation is "weaponsmith" (instead of "blacksmith") but his inventory remains the same.

  • Solace Bridge: The quest from Emily in Soltown to find evidence of Quincy's fate can now be continued in both the Battle of Solace Bridge ("before") and Solace Bridge ("after") versions of the scene.

  • Matchmaking and multiplayer mode switching improvements


Known Issues

  • Crashes may occur when running the game in MacOS Mojave. A workaround is to launch the game with -force-glcore (which can be added to the Launch Arguments box in the launcher options)

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns cannot be placed on docks.

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


[ 2018-11-21 20:32:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 60 Patch Notes: November 20, 2018

November 20, 2018

Build Number 876 10:45AM

Updates


  • Quantity sliders should now only validate values once the input field is deselected.

  • Frostgeist skulls can now be placed on tables and exterior floors.

  • AOE spells no longer apply damage multiple times if other people are in the same instance.

  • Previously inaccessible ore nodes in Elysium Mines, Etceter Crag Mines, Graff Gem Mines, and Plains Encounter are now accessible.

  • Clearing task "Drag Potion of Health into Hotbar" has been improved.

  • Ore node in Lost Whitegard Silver Mine is now easier to access.

  • Text related to banks and control points have been updated in New Player Handbook.

  • Using the boat to teleport to Brittany Fields from Brittany Fort will now place you on the docks of that scene.

  • Emily in Soltown no longer produces an error with the keyword Quincy, along with other errors fixed in her quest.

  • Stan Clark in Soltown no longer produces errors in his "how to sing" response.

  • More decoration surfaces are added for the marble dungeon rooms.

  • Berit in South Drachvald Spur no longer produces errors with his lucky leather response.


Known Issues

  • Crashes may occur when running the game in MacOS Mojave. A workaround is to launch the game with -force-glcore (which can be added to the Launch Arguments box in the launcher options)

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns cannot be placed on docks.

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


[ 2018-11-20 18:41:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 60 Patch Notes: November 16, 2018

Build Number 871 5:30PM

Updates


  • Improvements made to player and monster synchronization.


Known Issues

  • Crashes may occur when running the game in MacOS Mojave. A workaround is to launch the game with -force-glcore (which can be added to the Launch Arguments box in the launcher options)

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns cannot be placed on docks.

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


Build Number 870 10:00AM

Updates

  • Rope ladders on Baron Frigate and Galleon homes function again to reach crow's nests.

  • The Talk to Mischievous Child task in Isle of Storms can now be cleared in all cases.

  • Removed the automatic goodbye from Anais's responses about gear in Isle of Storms.

  • The Enter the Lunar Rift task in Isle of Storms can now be cleared in all cases.

  • Fixed an issue where some recipes were not on some recipe book categories.

  • FitzOwen Legacy Leather Helm now matches the rest of the FitzOwen armor.

  • Dragon Egg Decorations can now be rotated vertically

  • Party mode instancing issues have been resolved.

  • Added fish trophies for Pacu and Tarpon.

  • Mushroom death-cloud VFX improvements.

  • Fixed party nameplates being pink.

  • Fixed missing vendor nameplates.


[ 2018-11-17 00:37:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #306: Play Release 60 Now Beach Party Fishing Contest Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 60 Now!
  • Beach Party & Fishing ContestLivestream Today!
  • Release 60 Livestream Nov 30 (Cornucopia)
  • Winter 2018 Items Appear
  • Winter Recurring Items Return!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Sandbox Roleplay Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Harvest
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 60 Dance Party
  • Community Event:Welcome Quest Release 60
  • Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Underworld Ascendant
  • Projectto Support:Dragons & Dragonkin - The Coloring Book!
  • Project to Support: Moustache of the Avatar


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-11-16 17:57:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 60 Patch Notes: November 15, 2018

Build Number 869 6:15PM

Updates


  • Decorations can now be hung from ceilings in Stone Two Story Keep.

  • Marlin's journal can now be placed on surfaces such as tabletops.

  • Fixed stairs collision on Kobold Two Story Alcove Row homes.

  • Skull Staff can now be placed as a decoration.

  • Root spell VFX no longer appears all black.

  • Moustache Shields and Heraldry Shields can now be rotated vertically when placed on flat surfaces.

  • 2016 Yule Trees now sway in the wind.

  • Play Dead emote no longer T-poses the character.

  • Increased resource drop for Granite nodes.

  • There is no longer a naked character model in the Forest Siege scene.

  • Fixed party member names missing from the Party UI.

  • Fixed a typo in the data for Gus's conversation in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Moved two fishing hotspots in Fishing Expedition because they were previously inaccessible.

  • Fixed an issue with some skill-use positions being incorrect.

  • Fixed floating boxes in Spectral Peaks.

  • Fixing bad water in Spectral Peaks.

  • Reduced lights in caves of Spectral Peaks.

  • Added glow to red spiders.

  • Added a boat in Novia at the docks of Fortus End.

  • Added a safety feature in Highvale to clear Nena's tasks from the Battle of Highvale if she was never given her child's note.

  • Fixed an issue in Isle of Storms where NPCs were moving through some of the stone walls.

  • The bait recovery portion of the Humility devotional buff is now persistent.

  • The magical barrier in Malice can now be opened both by looting the 3 skeletons or already having the 3 gems in your inventory.

  • Fixed an issue in Solania Catacombs where some players weren't able to access the chest in the Grand Hall.

  • Oracle tip no longer gives outdated information.

  • Bundles purchased from crown merchants now note that they do not include Episode 2 access.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns cannot be placed on docks.

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


[ 2018-11-16 01:34:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 60 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 60 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, Nov 15, at 10:30 AM US Central Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Fishing Phase 2: Fishing Phase 2 launched in Release 59 and in Release 60 we continue to expand it with a new Fishing Expedition scene, a rotating fishing bonus for Player-Owned Towns, fishing while sitting, recipes for the new common and uncommon fish, and fishing holes in the Snowy Mountains Player-Owned Town templates.



Quality of Life ImprovementsWe increased salvage rates for patterns and components as well as dramatically increased the drop rate for player made items in loot. There is also now a shopping interface that allows you to purchase a selected set of gold crown items from anywhere in the game. Additionally, we performed a much needed balance pass on Bludgeons.

Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 85 issues with over 75 of them highlighted in the google spreadsheet, including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes. NOTE: We have purposely not shown issues related to exploits, security, and customer service issues.

Spectral Peaks T10+: For R60, Spectral Peaks received several major updates. This scene should run more smoothly now and with improved visuals. Additionally, the previous inhabitants of this scene have fled and been replaced by some of the most challenging creatures to be found in all of Novia. This scene is for brave adventurers only and has an entirely new boss fight in what were the abandoned mines. All of these changes have resulted in the scene being upgraded to a Tier 10+ scene!

2018 Winter Rare Items: In Release 60 we have added a ton of 2018 Winter Rare Items to the Add-On Store that will only be available until February 1, 2019 (and will then expire forever). This year we added functionality to the Menorahs where they now light the correct number of candles per day during Hanukkah (note this is retroactive for all Menorahs).



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R60 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!



[ 2018-11-14 18:09:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #305: Sandbox Livestream Today R60 on QA



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Sandbox Roleplay Livestream Today!
  • Release 60 on QA
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • R59 Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Deeds!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Put Up Yer Dukes! Get your fight on in Stormsong Vale!
  • Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
  • Community Event:Novia Market R59 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event:Design the S Mart Heraldry contest
  • Meretz: Win a Circle of Stones Rift Dungeon Entrance
  • Project to Support: Underworld Ascendant
  • Projectto Support:The Dreams in Garys Basement
  • Projectto Support:Dragons & Dragonkin - The Coloring Book!


For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-11-09 17:10:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #304: R59 Livestream Today, Moustache of the Avatar, Fishing Expedition



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Fishing Expedition & Alpine POT Fishing Hole
  • R59 Livestream Today!
  • Automatic Redemption of Rewards Release 61
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Shipping Phase 2 - Check Your Shipping Address by Nov 2!
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • Ask Atos Anything Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Movember
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: The Stone Dragon Player Quest
  • Community Event:Novia Market R59 Grandmaster Bundles
  • Community Event:Design the S Mart Heraldry contest
  • Projectto Support:The Dreams in Garys Basement
  • Projectto Support:Dragons & Dragonkin - The Coloring Book!




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-11-02 15:33:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 59 Patch Notes: October 30, 2018

October 30, 2018

Build Number 857 11:00AM

Updates


  • Added trophy recipes for all active fishing trophies to all players.

  • Fishing Trophy decorations added.

  • Fixed bad stairs collision on Haunted Ship on Penmawr Island.

  • Flechier Formal Jacket no longer causes female upper chest to be invisible.

  • Siege and encounter scenes are now always open-multiplayer.

  • The overworld party UI is only interactive if you can actually travel to that player's instance.

  • The overworld party UI takes you to the town if player is in a basement.

  • Characters no longer glide when following another player.

  • Interactive Fountain VFX has been corrected.

  • Doors triggered externally now consider if the door is locked for the triggering player.

  • Added Smelting Dungeon recipes to proper recipe book classification.

  • Fixed an issue where remote players would be in the incorrect position when not moving.

  • Fishing loot messages now shown in "Loot" chat filter rather than "Misc".

  • Trophies now properly display their data.

  • Fixed the tooltip for placed Player Owned Town Oracle Confirmatory.

  • Fixed audio on the Viking Palisade Wall long gate.

  • NPC children waving was fixed.

  • Reduced gold and item drops on all Control Point elf creatures.

  • Fixed audio on decoration arrow trap.

  • Decoration arrow trap arrow is now oriented correctly relative to the trap when shot.

  • Updated the old tutorials to display with better timing.

  • Fixed an issue where some of Edvard's emotes on the bridge in Battle of Solace Bridge were creating errors.

  • Players being sent to Battle of Solace Bridge from the Isle of Storms will now always start at the lunar rift.

  • No longer showing confirmation dialog to change matchmaking mode if not needed.

  • Fixed the name of the Owl's Head boss and added his blueprints.

  • Fixed bait icons.

  • Cleaned up curing salt icon.

  • A journal from Anais's combat lesson in Isle of Storms better clarifies how to enter and exit combat mode.

  • Anais's combat lesson in Isle of Storms now better describes equipping weapons.

  • Fixed an issue where players could sometimes get stuck in Anais's "inventory" lesson in Isle of Storms.

  • Improved the way in which the compass marker appears on Anais in Isle of Storms.

  • In the "Fall of the Epitaph" in Lost Vale replaced some melee elves with ranged versions.

  • Sauted Bass, Baked Trout, and Baked Salmon now buff intelligence.

  • Moved spawner inside Skrekk Entrance tent that was causing NPCs to get stuck there.

  • Added an ankh in Ruins of Ravenmoor.

  • Solace Bridge Starter map performance increase.

  • Passive Stance tooltip now indicates it removes one bleed effect.

  • Earthquake tooltip now indicates that with specialization the cast time is reduced.

  • Updated the dragon's nest in Southern Grunvald Barrens to fix an issue when players tried to mine the ore at the nest.

  • Updated icons for common Mounted fish.

  • Updated Hilt loot to include spider room drops.

  • Loading screen tips were updated.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


October 28, 2018

Build Number 855 11:00AM

Updates

  • Fixed lingering collapsed buffs icon from previous targets.

  • Players given the task to meet Samael in Brookside will now have a blue compass marker directing them to him.

  • Fixed various rendering issues on OSX.

  • Improved the ambient crying at Charlotte's house in Battle of Solace Bridge to activate/deactivate more consistently.

  • Removed the map exit from the river in Battle of Solace Bridge.

  • Enemies in the default version of the "Fall of the Epitaph" side room in Lost Vale are now control point versions.


[ 2018-10-30 17:25:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #303: Play Release 59 Now, Deck Building Livestream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 59 Now!
  • Deck Building Livestream Today
  • R59 Livestream: Fish Themed!
  • Upgrading Bundles with Crowns (ends 12/21)
  • 50% Item Fridays & 20% CrownWeekendsHoliday Sales
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Shipping Phase 2 - Check Your Shipping Address by Nov 2!
  • Shroud of the Avatar Boxed Editions $40 off Holiday Sale!
  • New User Experience Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Water
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event:R59 Dance Party with DJ Darkstarr
  • Community Event:Fishing Derby this Saturday (Oct 27)
  • Community Event:Halloween Ball in Immortal City
  • Community Event:Design the S Mart Heraldry contest
  • Community Event:Halloween Dance Party & Costume Contest
  • Projectto Support:The Dreams in Garys Basement
  • Projectto Support:Dragons & Dragonkin - The Coloring Book!




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-10-26 18:33:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 59 Patch Notes: October 26, 2018

October 26, 2018

Build Number 853 10:30AM

Updates


  • Fishing trophies now match descriptions in Release 59 post.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented the Oracle Confirmatory from appearing in scene tooltips for Player-Owned Towns.

  • Player vendor items are no longer sent to the bank when picking up vendors or when moving vendors to the bank.

  • Rotting pumpkins now look rotten.

  • Fixed an incorrect icon on Marlin's Journal.

  • Fixed issues with some artifacts not dropping with their maximum primary durability.

  • Removed multiple "double-click" prompts from fishing bait tooltips.

  • Loading text in the Rewards user interface has been centered.

  • Added a link to the Universe Broadcast Orb in add-on store from chat window.

  • Edvard in Battle of Highvale no longer refers to Nena as "Tracy".

  • Fixd a typo in Edvard's "Tracy" response in Battle of Highvale.

  • The note that Nena in Battle of Highvale sends you to find is now marked as a Quest item.

  • Fixed some logic issues in Battle of Solace Bridge with Edvard's responses and journal entries.

  • Updated the first journal entry for the Pumpkin Head quest in Central Brittany.

  • Code fix for hitching problem.

  • Added mild, short-term poison field to anyone near a rotting pumpkin as it's broken.

  • Rotated water trigger in Tenebris Harbour slightly to fix overlap into dry dock areas.

  • Extended box collider of block piece in Ruined Keep to prevent stuck spot.

  • Moved a spawner that was inside a cliff in Superstition Canyon.

  • Adjusted rocks to fix stuck spot in Superstition Canyon.

  • Removed collision from background rocks and mountains for performance

  • Vulture material updates.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an items name is in Runic, its flag as Private Property will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the E interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


October 25, 2018

Build Number 852 6:45 PM

Updates

  • Fixed graphical issues on summoned Skeletons.

  • Added tooltips to fishing baits.

  • Added Hopper bait to wild cotton nodes, increasing drops during the summer and reducing drops during winter.

  • Added a small chance for worms to drop from agriculture plants except for Cotton, Barley, Hops, and Reagents.

  • Fishing merchants now sell red worms and minnows.

  • Hotkeys added to allow equipping decks 11 and 12.

  • Expanded use of "Dyed" tag to all non-equipment items.

  • Now displaying spell "Execution Time" with only one decimal place.

  • Fixed an issue where Kobold Ranseur and Royal Elven Spear would be visible while stealthed.

  • Fixed an issue that prevented instrument playing when on the overworld.

  • Fixed collision on floating water platform decorations.

  • Tooltips on Buff bars are now showing the correct Stacked Value of the buff.

  • Allowed resize of deck selection window.

  • Pumpkin Head boss now animates correctly.

  • Fixed an issue where trees in Northwest Blackblade Mountains were white.

  • There is now feedback for attempting to drop items into the Rewards window.

  • Removed common Tuna.

  • Added uncommon Bluefin Tuna.

  • Now blocking young characters from sending mail as is done with trade.

  • Adding new recipes to allow crowns to be used to increase dungeon stairs yields.

  • Adding recipes for creating extra copies of dungeon hallways by adding 1 to 3 extra crowns.

  • Tomas Cucu in Aerie no longer responds to his name as though he were talking about someone else.

  • Tomas Cucus keywords in Aerie no longer appear as highlighted text.

  • Jack in Braemar no longer welcomes you to Spite.

  • Some beggars in Desolis will no longer share their names with outlanders.

  • The beggars in Desolis and elsewhere in the game will now call out for coins if they haven't been given any lately.

  • Moved an inaccessible cotton bush in East Perennial Trail a little.

  • Fixed an issue in East Vauban Foothills where a switch was trying to move something that didn't exist.

  • Fixed an issue in Etceter Crag Mines with an ore node that couldn't be harvested.

  • Fixed collision in Hilt Rotunda.

  • Fixed an offset to a new dungeon room.

  • Moved an inaccessible ore node to one side in Hilt Fortress.

  • Added a note about clicking underlined keywords in conversations in Isle of Storms.

  • Fixed an issue in Isle of Storms where the "Ask Anais About Gear" compass marker wouldn't go away.

  • Fixed a bug in Isle of Storms with killing flying watchers and hints to do so.

  • Improved some areas in North Majestic Forest for better AI navigation.

  • Removed an extra access point for Player Town S Mart Factorium in Novia.

  • Removed the buildings in the old Blumdel location in Novia.

  • Ordinis Mortis has returned to the proper size of City.

  • Added additional Chaos ankhs in Ruins of Ravensmoor.

  • Scooched pumpkin patches in Solace Bridge.

  • Adjusted spider webs in Hilt Interior that were crashing through a floor.

  • Removed overlapping coffins and skeletons in Hilt.

  • Deleted a floating torch in Westend.

  • Deleted an erroneous wall segment in Dungeon Redstone foyer.

  • Moved and rotated a buggy stool in Hilt Fortress.

  • Moved some rocks in Jaanaford to fix a stuck spot by the waterfall.

  • Adjusted water in Mud to fix gap.

  • AI navigation updated in Nightshade Pass to prevent trolls crashing into rocks.

  • Fixed green ends of branches on certain pine trees.

  • Added vultures.

  • Added collider wall to plug stuck spot in Isle of Storms.

  • Performance adjustments made to Ardoris, Owls Head, and Yew.

  • Moved Edvard's starting location in Solace Bridge further from the gate so Charlotte doesn't get trapped on the wrong side of the gate.

  • Players now get teleport scrolls and recall scrolls as they finish the starter scenes and not when they enter them.

  • Wyvern damage was increased.

  • Fixed an issue in Verdantis Foothills where AI navigation wasn't building up steep stairs.


[ 2018-10-26 18:11:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 59 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 59 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, October 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

New User Experience Revamp: For Release 59, we have revamped and improved the New User Experience by separating the tutorials from the story spaces in the three starting areas (Battle of Solace Bridge, Battle of Highvale, and Blood River Massacre). We have also built a new focused tutorial space in the Isle of Storms that walks you through the game basics in a gated fashion (i.e. you cannot advance to the next room until you prove you can swing a sword). Another change is that choosing your story path is now independent of your starting decks!



Fishing Phase 2: Fishing Phase 2 launches with Release 59 and includes 3 different water types, over 25 new fish, trophy data on fish, different baits and group fishing XP bonus!



Quality of Life ImprovementsWe made several key improvements to the quality of life to increase connectivity between players in Release 59 including the addition of a Universal (game-wide) chat channel and the automatic selection of Open Multiplayer instances when entering towns, overworld, and Outskirts maps. We also created a new Rewards interface that lets you claim rewards anywhere. Additionally we have removed the previous gameplay restrictions of story, trade and lot ownership from our free players. Finally we have removed decay of experience upon death!

Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 100 issues with over 60 of them highlighted in the google spreadsheet, including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes. NOTE: We have purposely not shown issues related to exploits, security, and customer service issues.

Performance: Yet again huge improvements were made to performance, especially in scenes with large numbers of players.

Pumpkin Head and Nearby Power: The latest addition to our menagerie of seasonal creatures is Pumpkin Head who uses the newest boss behavior: Nearby Power. This behavior allows bosses to draw power from nearby objects and/or other creatures. Pumpkin Head draws his power from the pumpkins in his pumpkin patch.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R59 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!




[ 2018-10-24 23:16:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatars Update #302: New User Livestream Today, Bundle Expirations, Holiday Sales, R59 on QA



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • New User Experience Livestream Today
  • Release 59 on QA Server
  • 50% Fridays & Crown Holiday Sales
  • Elven, Obsidian, & Shogun Expirations
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Shipping Phase 2 - Check Your Shipping Address by Nov 2!
  • Shroud of the Avatar Signed Boxed Edition
  • Scaling & Trophies Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Spooky
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event:4Brain - Where is Net?
  • Community Event:Novia Market R58 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Project to Support: Immortal Darkness




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-10-19 18:56:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #301: Signed Box Sale, Lava Fish, Scaling Trophy Stream Today



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Fishing Phase 2 Updates: Trophies & Lava Fish
  • Starting Scenes & New User Experience Rework
  • New Website
  • Scaling & Trophies Livestream Today
  • Viking & Kobold Expirations
  • Physical Goods Address Verification Update
  • Shroud of the Avatar Signed Boxed Edition on Sale!
  • Oct 5 Weekly Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Dyes
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event:4Brain - Where is Net?
  • Community Event:Novia Market R58 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Project to Support: Through the Moongate




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-10-12 19:17:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #300: More Fish!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Fishing Phase 2 Updates: New Fish & Scaling
  • Release 58 Livestream: YouTube & Stretchgoals
  • Physical Goods Address Verification Update
  • Signed Boxed Edition (limited time)
  • Taming Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event:4Brain - Where is Net?
  • Community Event:Novia Market R58 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Project to Support: Through the Moongate
  • Project to Support: Kings Dinner at SOTACON




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-10-09 16:51:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #299: Play R58 Now, Taming Livestream Today, Signed Box Edition (Limited Time!)



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 58 Now!
  • Wyverns
  • R56 Livestream Items
  • New Weapons
  • More Dyeable Decorations
  • Taming Livestream Today
  • Release 58 Livestream: Dragon Theme
  • Q4 2018 Schedule Update
  • Signed Boxed Edition (limited time)
  • UO 20th Anniversary GDC Postmortem (video)
  • Player Made Books Livestream (YouTube)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Weapons
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Release 58 Dance Party
  • Community Event: The Serpent's Watch Race Challenge!
  • Community Event: Dance Along the River
  • Meretz: Win a Gothic Village Inn
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Project to Support: Through the Moongate
  • Project to Support: King’s Dinner at SOTACON




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-09-28 17:54:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 58 Patch Notes: September 27, 2018

Build Number 838 5:00 PM

Updates


  • Removed giant pillars of blue smoke from Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • The campfire flames in Solace Bridge Outskirts no longer float.

  • Viking Brazier flames no longer poke out of bottom of the brazier.

  • Fixed a number of objects that appeared too shiny.

  • Satyrs now move their heads properly while tracking.

  • Fixed an issue that allowed players to play an instrument while crafting.

  • Adding distance culling to the Lost Vale crystal ball.

  • Royal Elven Shield textures were polished.

  • The tooltip for an item that's been dyed with Aether dye now displays correct text.

  • Increased granite yield from tier 5 ore nodes.

  • Added a chance that elves will drop emerald fragments which are needed to craft elven decorations

  • Added new Guide Book covers.

  • Upper rooms no longer show through the ceiling of 3x3 dungeon rooms.

  • The Player Owned Town boats that lead to Brittany Alleys and Central Brittany will now send players to the docks of those locations.

  • Adjusted terrain in Shaminian Hills.

  • Adjusted bridge sight distances in Solania to avoid abrupt texture popping.

  • Adjusted floating maple tree in Hidden Vale swamps.

  • Lowered floating rib-cage prop in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Scooched an ore node in Verdantis Mines to be reachable.

  • Lowered floating nightshade node.

  • Adjusted rocks in The Crags to allow access to some ore nodes.

  • Adjusted floating board and the terrain around it in Upper Tears.

  • Moved a fence piece in Crag Foothills that was causing players to get stuck.

  • Moved a floating axe in North Majestic Forest.

  • Fixed some floating props in Etceter Crag Mines.

  • Improved wall geometry in Bunker T.

  • Fixed tower geometry in Ibris Ruins.

  • Adjusted fences and terrain in East Vauban Foothills to fix floating posts.

  • Plugged several gaps of North Shattered Hills in geometry with rocks.

  • Adjusted dry docks ground in Tenebris Harbor to fix floating posts.

  • Moved rubble in South Fetid Swamp that was in the interior of structure

  • Moved a lamp off of a destructible crate in Hallowed Plains.

  • Toggled off doors in a house in Tenebris Harbor that contains combat.

  • Increased the interactive range on chandeliers in Brown Marble Foyers.

  • Fixed an issue with broken AI navigation in Verdantis Mines.

  • Fixed issues with batch agriculture skills not applying in certain situations.

  • Fixed an issue that would allow a player to create open spaces in dungeons where you could fall out of the world.


Known Issues

  • Avatars cannot stay seated at and play pianos.

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


[ 2018-09-28 00:04:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Q4 2018 Schedule Update



Greetings Avatars,

As 2018 comes to a close we can reflect on what an amazing year it has been! We moved out of Early Access in March and Collector’s Boxes shipped in Q3! As we have finished our Kickstarter promises we have been able to focus on polish and serious improvements to quality of life! The final quarter of 2018 is going to be amazing with Player Made Dungeons, Fishing Phase 2, Seasonal Content, and more polish!

PLEASE NOTE: The last two releases of the year (Nov/R60 and Dec/R61) will be very early in their respective months so that they are released well ahead of the US winter holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas).

Q4 is just a warmup for 2019 which will be an amazing year for Shroud of the Avatar players! Crafting specializations (choose your effects!), Grandmaster Craftsman only effects, more loot improvements, more expansions to the fishing system, better boss fights and more! 2019 will of course culminate with Episode 2 which will have a new story, new lands, a revamp of the Quest and Journal system, a Theater System, Treasure Hunting with treasure maps that show up as loot, Item Affinity, Taming system expansions, Customizable NPCs, and expanded permissions for containers and doors!

Here are some Q4 Highlights:

RELEASE 59, October 25, 2018: Each harvest season, Novians warn their children to not go into the fields at night because of Pumpkin Head! The starting areas will be improved with the addition of a new tutorial focused area on the Isle of Storms.



RELEASE 60, November 15, 2018: We will continue expansions to the fishing system. We will also dramatically increase the salvage rates for in-game patterns (common patterns will be almost 100%). Additionally we will continue systemic and game-wide upgrades to the quality and quantity of loot.



RELEASE 61, December 13, 2018: Have you been naughty or nice? The Krampus doesn’t care! He and his captured minions will eat you either way! Also back slot items (cloaks, wings, backpacks, etc.) will now be able to have stats, enchantments, and masterworks associated with them.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire Q4 2018 Schedule Update post!

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-09-26 21:48:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 58 Instructions

Avatars,



Release 58 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, September 27, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Wyverns: These dragonkin are generally smaller than their full-size cousins and the smaller versions can be tamed. Rumors abound that the Dragon clan of the Norgard Barbarians has tamed some wyverns to help waylay travelers in the northwest, so beware if you encounter them!

Player Made Dungeons: Players can now begin practicing laying out their player made dungeons using the craftable versions of the dungeons. The blueprints and recipes for these will start appearing as loot and merchant sale items in Release 58 and increase each release going forward. We have also started adding pre-built dungeon foyers for purchase (including the ones that come with the Dungeon Entrance Patterns).



Dyeable Decorations: Over 30 items have been updated in Release 58 to support dyes, including Elven Furniture, Tents, Awnings, and Beds.

Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 100 issues with over 80 of them highlighted in these notes including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes. The biggest issue that was fixed was the Linux version of the in-game map system!

New Weapons: We added 9 new weapons (and corresponding pattern packs) to the Add-On Store including a Royal Elven Longbow, Ornate Scythe (Spooky Recurring), shields, and hammers.



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R58 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-09-26 21:31:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #298: Final Friday for R57 Stretch Goals, R58 on QA, Player Books Livestream



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Fishing Phase 2 Updates: Lava Fishing Rod
  • Release 58 on QA Server
  • Player Made Books Livestream (take 2!)
  • Release 57 Livestream: Last Friday for Stretch Goals
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Dyes
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Grand Opening of Ambrosia night club
  • Community Event: 4B - Where is Riya? - forum event
  • Community Event: Novia Market R57 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Meretz: Win a Gothic Village Inn
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Project to Support: New Beginnings Comic No. 2
  • Project to Support: King’s Dinner at SOTACON
  • Project to Support: AERIE Fund – Cult of Bob – Direct Relief Fundraiser




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-09-21 16:36:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #297: Collector's Boxes Shipping Phase 2 Weekend Music Sale



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Collector's Boxes Shipping Phase 2
  • Player Made Books Livestream
  • Release 57 Livestream: Dungeon Themed (current progress)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Music
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: 4B - Where is Riya? - forum event
  • Community Event: Novia Market R57 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Meretz: Win a Gothic Village Inn
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Project to Support: New Beginnings Comic No. 2
  • Project to Support: King’s Dinner at SOTACON
  • Project to Support: AERIE Fund – Cult of Bob – Direct Relief Fundraiser




For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-09-14 18:04:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #296: R57 Livestream Today Spooky Items Return!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Release 55 Livestream Items (cont.)
  • Shroud at Dragon Con
  • Commission Free Vendors, Expert Crafting Stations (+ more) in the Store!
  • Water Lot Conversions
  • Spooky Recurring Items Are Back!
  • Community Livestream (Aug 31): Tier Markers
  • Release 57 Livestream: Dungeon Themed (current progress)
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Dungeons
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Wylde Safari presents “My Song of the Day”
  • Community Event: Novia Market R57 Grandmastery Bundles
  • Community Event Recap: R57 Dance Party
  • Meretz: Win a Gothic Village Inn
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Project to Support: New Beginnings Comic No. 2
  • Project to Support: King’s Dinner at SOTACON
  • Project to Support: AERIE Fund – Cult of Bob – Direct Relief Fundraiser






For all the details, please read the entire Update


[ 2018-09-07 17:55:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #295: Play R57 Now! Collector’s Boxes Shipping Arriving!



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Play Release 57 Now!
  • Release 54 Livestream Items (cont.)
  • Collector's Boxes Shipping & Arriving!
  • Shroud at Gamescom
  • Release 56 Stretch Goals: Final Results
  • Release 57 Livestream: Dungeon Themed
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program: Titles Announced
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Weapons & Armor
  • Community Event: shawn’s “Sell and/or buy all the things” Challenge!!!
  • Community Event: Water Items
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Town Dragon Statue
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Project to Support: New Beginnings Comic No. 2




For all the details, please read the entire Update

The "Shroud of the Avatar" Team


[ 2018-08-31 18:02:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 57 Patch Notes: August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018

Build Number 825 10:30 AM

Updates


  • Fixed Artifact sound and visual effects.

  • Skeletons in crafted 50-point dungeons are no longer labeled “footman”

  • Tier 3 Archer Skeletons now have more hit points than mages.

  • NPCs in Caverns of Skrekk can now walk up and down the stairs in the House of Korribar.

  • Fixed issues with the "Free Sir Patrick" task in Kobold Expeditionary Camp not clearing for some players.

  • Raised the volume of Pipe Organs.

  • Dungeon Entrance item display names now match store descriptions.

  • NPCs can now sit on toadstool chairs.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


August 30, 2018

Build Number 823 4:00 PM

Updates

  • Added Eastmarch in-game map support.

  • Tier3 control point Skeletons were added.

  • Heraldry Tabard Leather Boots are no longer invisible on female avatars.

  • Avatars now correctly play the teleport animation and visual effects when going through lunar rifts.

  • Fixed a typo in a Battle of Solace Bridge quest compass marker.

  • Bears no longer drop non-matching heads as loot.

  • Townsfolk in Crooked Shank now refer to the "mutton stew" at the Golden Carp instead of "venison."

  • Moved a floating garlic node in Ferig's Battle Camp on to the ground.

  • Fixed low level caster NPCs having a high tiered weapon.

  • Fixed Tier 10 Obsidian Golems having a Tier 5 weapon.

  • Keeper of the Faith title added.

  • Fixed an error that occurred when players tried to ask Anais in Lost Vale for an additional Lost Vale Crystal Ball.

  • Attack ranges for weapons were normalized.

  • Combat formula evaluation process was optimized.

  • Emily's quest in Soltown to collect Quincy's Broken Sword now has additional journal entries and compass markers.

  • Adjusted tier marker in Wyrmsands and on Hidden Vale overworld to 4-plus.

  • Adjusted visual effects on rising towers in East Vauban Foothills to not loop and last forever.

  • Replaced hard skeletons in 50 point dungeons with control point tier 3 skeletons.

  • Moved an unreachable cotton bush in South Fetid Swamp to an accessible location.

  • Walter and Hamtooth in The Clink now properly display their names after you learn them.


[ 2018-08-31 17:57:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 57 Instructions



Avatars,

Release 57 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, August 30, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Quality of Life Improvements: This was the main focus of Release 57. Our goal here was to improve moment to moment and daily gameplay. Siege skipping, Control Point skipping, Global banks, removed NPC slowdowns, double XP as the new normal, reduced Roving encounter awareness and other similar changes should all make very noticeable improvements to every Avatars play experience by removing continual inconveniences and slow-downs.

User Interface Polish: To support the above improvements we made several changes to the UI to improve daily use. For example, we added a “Vendor” button to all vendor NPC types (trainers, merchants, bankers) that gives Avatars immediate access to their function. We also added status indicators to the health and focus bars. Additionally, we made a more compact loot window, polished the auto-selection of ingredients at crafting tables, and implemented a host of other UI improvements.

Player Made Dungeon Preview: Player Made Dungeons are previewing in Release 57 with 5 dungeon entrances and 5 static example dungeons! Players can place these examples on their property to get a feel for how the real system will work when it launches in Q4.



Decoration Dyeing: We now have technology and user interface support to allow the use of dyes to change the colors of decorations including banners, beds, couches, sofas, and more! For now, only a few items can be dyed but we will be expanding the numbers of items as quickly as possible.



Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count. We addressed over 100 issues with over 70 of them highlighted in these notes including fixes to various scenes (typos, stuck spots, etc.), crafting fixes, combat fixes, and various user interface fixes.

and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R57 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-08-29 18:47:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #294: Dyeable Decorations, R55 Livestream Items, R57 on QA



Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:


  • Dyeable Decorations (starting in R57!)
  • Release 55 Livestream Items
  • Release 54 Livestream Items (cont.)
  • Last Day for Release 56 Stretch Goals
  • Release 57 on QA Server
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Cosmos Double XP Weekends
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Weapons & Armor
  • Community Event: shawn’s “Sell and/or buy all the things” Challenge!!!
  • Community Event: Bear Tavern Brawl Aug 25
  • Meretz: Win a Topiary Town Dragon Statue
  • Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Project to Support: Tortoise & Hare Creations Patreon


We hope to see you next week for another update!

For all the details, please read the entire Update

The "Shroud of the Avatar" Team


[ 2018-08-24 18:10:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #293: R54 Livestream Items Player Made Dungeons Sneak Peek



NOTE: Our apologies for the interruption in posting links to our weekly updates to Steam since Update 289. We will endeavor to not let this happen again.

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Highlights of this week's update include:

Release 54 Livestream(s) Items
Player Made Dungeons Sneak Peak
Release 56 Stretch Goals Update
Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
Cosmos Double XP Weekends
Community Event: shawn’s “Sell and/or buy all the things” Challenge!!!
Community Event: Bear Tavern Brawl Aug 25
Meretz: Win a Topiary Town Dragon Statue
Meretz: Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
Upcoming Events Calendar

We hope to see you next week for another update!

For all the details, please read the entire Update

The "Shroud of the Avatar" Team


[ 2018-08-21 16:13:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

R56 Restart and Rollback

We have to restart Release 56 and rollback to the game save state before we launched it this morning. We unfortunately skipped a step during the launch this morning and did not run a data migration for brewing which means that all brewing items might be in a corrupted state unless we rollback and relaunch. We apologize for the interruption.


[ 2018-07-26 17:52:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 56 Instructions



Avatars,

Release 56 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, July 26, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

Bug Fixing: We dedicated a significant portion of the release to working solely on fixing bugs and reducing our overall bug count.

Performance: Ongoing performance work this release should show some improvement across the performance spectrum.

Obsidian Trials: In Release 56, we have completed the first playable version with multiple features including timed matches, a poisonous boundary that reduces the play area, a revamped PVP scoreboard, two new currencies, and new rewards including emotes, potions, and titles. Best of all, when you are killed you do not lose any items, nor trophies, to the person who killed you!



User Interface Polish: We made a huge amount of polish adjustments to the user interface, including finishing the work on making most windows borderless, adding a sound cue to whispers, removing the miscellaneous messages from NPC chat, and expiring old mail.

Global Visual Improvements: We have started overhauling some of our global systems to dramatically improve the visual quality throughout the game. To see the difference, simply toggle between “Good” and “Best” in an outdoor scene.

Before:

After:


The Comet and its Influence: The comet will be closest during August and is already influencing the creatures of New Britannia. In some cases it is merely increasing their power, but in a few cases it is actually mutating them into entirely new creatures: Aether Dragons, Aether Corpions, and Aether Liches. It is rumored that there are rare rewards for defeating these new creatures…



and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R56 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-07-25 21:26:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #289: Solace Bridge Rework, Obsidian Trials, Episode 2



This week's Update #289 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...


  • The Reworking of Solace Bridge
  • The Making of The Obsidian Trials (cont.)
  • R53 Livestream Sky Navy Themed Items (cont.)
  • Release 55 Livestream Part 2 Update
  • Episode 2 Early Access & Player Owned Towns
  • Episode 2 Stretch-Goal Store: Barn Two-Story Village Home
  • Release 56 on QA Server
  • Shooter Jennings "Shooter" Album Release Party!
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Lord British Birthday Double XP Weekends
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Lot Deeds & Homes
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Grand Duke Event
  • Welcome Quest Release 56
  • Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Relics by Rild on Meretz: Win Shroud Swag!
  • Project to Support: Descent Underground
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-07-21 03:02:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Shooter Jennings "Shooter" Album Release Party!



You are invited to another historic album premier inside the realm of Shroud of the Avatar! Rolling Stone lists Shooter Jennings' latest album: "Shooter", which releases on August 10, as one of the most anticipated albums of 2018!

"For his latest album, the follow-up to his adventurous tribute to Giorgio Moroder, Countach (For Giorgio), country-rock-electronica mad scientist Shooter Jennings looked to his outlaw lineage, cutting an album of stripped-down classic country in the vein of his dad Waylon and one of his heroes, Hank Williams Jr. He also returned to where it all began, re-teaming with Dave Cobb, who produced Jennings’ 2005 debut, Put the ‘O’ Back in Country – the first album the Grammy-winning Cobb ever produced too. Simply titled Shooter, the LP will be released sometime this year via Cobb’s Low Country Sound imprint on Elektra. Says Jennings, “It’s the most country album I’ve ever done.” J.H."

The event will kickoff through a series of quests that will appear in Release 56 which goes live on Thursday July 26. The quests will lead to the party at 7:00 PM CDT on July 31st inside Shroud of the Avatar, in the Player Owned Town of Ordinis Mortis. The first players to collect the clues and finish the quest will receive prizes from Shooter himself! Those prizes will include exclusive items with Shooter’s heraldry in the game (armor, brewing casks, etc), wax cylinders with songs from Shooter’s new album, and framed art of Shooter’s heraldry that they can decorate their home with. At the party you will get an advance listen of the new album, among other festivities!

Get all of the details of the event on the game's website.


[ 2018-07-13 21:24:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #288: Shooter Jennings Release Party, Aether Creatures, R55 Livestream 2



This week's Update #288 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...


  • Aether Creatures Sighted in New Britannia!
  • Shooter Jennings "Shooter" Album Release Party!
  • Release 55 Livestream Part 2
  • Episode 2 Stretch Goal Store: New Items
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Lord British Birthday Double XP Weekends
  • NPC Submission Requests: Brittany Alleys
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Masks & Pets
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Relics by Rild on Meretz: Win Shroud Swag!
  • Project to Support: Crowfall
  • Resources: Players Helping Players




Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-07-13 21:17:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #287: Episode 2 Stretch Goals, Rewards Program, R55 Livestream Results



This week's Update #287 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...


  • Episode 2 Stretch Goal Store
  • Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program
  • Release 55 Livestream Results
  • R54 Livestream Missed Questions Part 1
  • Lord British Birthday Double XP Weekends
  • NPC Submission Requests: Brittany Alleys
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Brewing & Taverns
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Relics by Rild on Meretz: Win Shroud Swag!
  • Project to Support: Portrait of Scottie for Shroud of the Avatar




Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-07-07 02:50:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 55 Patch Notes: July 2, 2018

July 2, 2018

Build Number 800 11:00AM

Updates


  • Aerie overworld entrances are now named correctly.

  • All glowing portal teleporters in Halls of Artifice should now function properly.

  • You can now unlock the option to spawn into Highvale at the north archway entrance.

  • Fixed party member health/focus bars.

  • Players who wish to turn in their Ecology Survey to Eretria Moonglow in Aerie may now do so.

  • Zombie female no longer T-poses from the waist up.

  • Moved teleporter target in The Obsidian Trial to not have camera clip into rocks.

  • Made an improvement to Vivienne's "Bank Key" quest in Aerie to help ensure tasks clear properly.

  • Royal Gardener Title was added.

  • Moved treasure chest in Desert Encounter so lid doesn't clip into cliff.

  • Deleted floating plant in Norgard Fens.

  • Updated Umberjack's conversation in Broochash to improve responses when turning in a task.

  • Corrected rock Collison in East Vauban Foothills to avoid people floating on rocks.

  • Added Obsidian Boar Meat recipe to Butchery merchants.

  • Replaced unreachable bedrolls in Norgard Fens with furs.

  • Elven mages can again be looted.

  • Cloth simulation updated for cloaks.

  • Fixed an issue where the Reflection Quality value was not getting saved properly.

  • Fixed an issue with new pet foals not being able to be dismissed

  • Adding variations to tree chopping audio.


Known Issues

  • The client may default to full screen when the options menu is first used.

  • Linux clients may experience certain types of trees being rendered incorrectly

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.



June 29, 2018

Build Number 799 9:00PM

Updates

  • Tree chopping sound now plays on every hit.

  • Added more chances for elf spellcasters to randomly spawn in Verdantis Mines.

  • Server logging updates.

  • Fixed a bug that caused players to be naked and missing inventory after leaving Isle of Storms the first time.

  • Clan of the Stag chest armor no longer incorrectly changes skin color.

  • Fixed icon for Luminous Atavist Robe.

  • The quest to deliver Kinsey’s report to Stanley in Soltown has been fixed.

  • Fixed chest mimics in Dragonbone Crypt.

  • Updated cursed skeletons in Soltown Catacombs to spawn dynamically.

  • Fixed a typo in the Skeleton Prince's dialogue in Soltown Catacombs.

  • Fixed Corpse Explosion not hitting any targets.

  • Crag Foothills and Port Phoenix no longer get stuck on loading.

  • Corrected date formatting used for the date column in vendor listings.

  • Frame rate performance updates in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Ignite Weapon VFX is now much less extreme while running.

  • Updated the exit to Blood Bayin K'rul.

  • Improved the ability for NPCs in Hills Encounter to climb on top of climbable rocks.

  • String light decorations can no longer be placed indoors.

  • Arrow recipe now outputs 500 arrows instead of 100.

  • The climbable rope on the main bridge in Verdantis Mines can now be selected from all angles.

  • Avatar feet no longer sink in rocks in Norgard Fens.

  • Bear Plaque/Trophy updates were made.

  • Added mud rock to cover up clipping paver in Norgard Fens.

  • Adjusted a staircase in Norgard Fens for a smoother walking transition to platforms.

  • Updated the tier markers in Ruined Keep and in Hidden Vale to reflect its new "Tier 10+" nature.

  • Updated a task name in Oracle Temple to clarify you need to speak with the Oracle and Arabella.

  • The Tome of Greatness in Shaminian Hills is now properly named.

  • Fixed an issue with stalactite trap in Verdantis Mines interfering with looting bodies.

  • Jumping during fireworks usage now correctly cancels the fireworks without displaying the effect.

  • White Sky Navy Helmet is now visible when worn.

  • Removed the compass labels from the exit compass discoveries in Storms Reach.

  • Reduced the range of audio on Tesla tower in Ardoris.

  • All ranged skills now return 100% experience when using Scrolls of Unlearning.


[ 2018-07-02 22:29:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #286: Play Release 55 Now!


This week's Update #286 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...


  • Play Release 55 Now!
  • R55 Dance Party - July 2
  • Release 55 Livestream - July 6, 2018 (Lord British's Birthday Themed!)
  • Q3 2018 Schedule Update
  • R55 QA Testing Incentive Winners
  • Lord British Birthday Double XP Weekends
  • NPC Submission Requests: Brittany Alleys
  • Lord British Birthday Game Sale: $19
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Lord British's Birthday
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Royal Gardeners Contest Winners
  • Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Relics by Rild on Meretz: Win Shroud Swag!
  • Project to Support: Portrait of Scottie for Shroud of the Avatar




Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.












[ 2018-06-29 19:56:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 55 Patch Notes: June 28, 2018

Build Number 796 6:30 PM

Updates


  • Replaced the commoners in the homestead of Norgard Fens with rabbits and wolves.

  • The bedrolls in the kobold camp of Norgard Fens are now functional.

  • Character sheet UI was updated.

  • Attacking a PvP player as non-PvP will no longer ask if you want to flag as PvP.

  • Fixed an issue that would prevent skill VFX from being played.

  • Adjusted stonework underneath town crier and banker at main docks in Player Owned Town islands.

  • There is now feedback when interacting with a full cask of incomplete brew.

  • Players can no longer catch fire from an unlit brazier in East Vauban Foothills.

  • Moved a pine tree in Snowy Mountains Road Encounter to a location where it can be better harvested.

  • Fixed an error when breaking crates.

  • Some icons were updated.

  • Fixed a bug that could allow placement of more than the allowed number of player vendors on a lot.

  • Now preventing the addition of new player vendor listings if there are too many on a lot.

  • Fixed an issue where moving a player vendor would cause them to sit even though they have recent listings.

  • Fixed an error while batch brewing.

  • The Oracle no longer has a pink cone on top of her head.

  • Optimization of load times.

  • Can no longer enter into Caverns of Skrekk from K'rawl.

  • Adjusted lighting to make alpine scenes not super-bright but still brighter at night than they were before.

  • Patch client UI was updated.

  • Removed trees that were causing players to get stuck in Grannus Colossus.

  • Smelling Salts and Knightsgrace will no longer remove the PvP state change stun effect.

  • Fixed an issue where Elysian Illumination would spam PvP players with 0 damage messages.

  • No longer applying change PvP rune in PVP scenes.

  • Wedding dress no longer incorrectly tints skin color on chest and arms.

  • Ring of Frogkin and Ring of Cuttlekin now change skin color.

  • Improved exits and audio in East Vauban Foothills.

  • Removed a lasting effect for Healing Grace.

  • Added a platform on a walkway in Verdantis Mines to allow for AI navigation.

  • Adjusted collision on a chandelier that was blocking a ramp in Central Brittany.

  • Updated the factions of adult and foal unicorns to be "Red Sash" faction.

  • Excluded fountain in Westend town center from theft flag.

  • Updated spawners in Northwest Blackblade Mountains so that Leader/Follower can be auto-set.

  • AI navigation in Obsidian Trial was updated.

  • All NPCs in Forest Road Encounter should now spawn properly.

  • The Kobold Expeditionary Camp is now only accessible from one hex on the Novia map.

  • Exiting the Player Owned Town “Organized Chaos Sanctum” into Novia will now place the character on the nearby shore.


Known Issues

  • The client may default to full screen when the options menu is first used.

  • Linux clients may experience certain types of trees being rendered incorrectly

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


[ 2018-06-29 01:41:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 55 - Live June 28!



Avatars,

Release 55 is our third release since launching out of Early Access. As promised, we are continuing our cadence of monthly releases, just as before. Release 55 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live this Thursday, June 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

There is a ton of new content going live this release including:

New Reward for Story Completion (SPOILER): All Avatars who complete the entire story will receive a Player-Owned Town Row Lot Deed (Taxed) from the Oracle!



Brewing: Avatars can now harness the process of fermentation to create beer, wine, and whiskey!



User Interface Polish: We have done a complete art overhaul of the user interface background and border art. We have replaced the gold borders with a more neutral stone and are in the process of removing as many borders as possible.

New and Polished Scenes: In Release 55, we rebuilt two more adventure scenes: East Vauban Foothills and Norgard Fens. We also created a new PvP scene called the Obsidian Trial that is helping us test systems and content for Castle Defense Scenarios.





New Enemies: We added a whole menagerie of new enemies to Novia in Release 55, including Light & Dark Unicorns, Child Zombies, Ebon Dawn Cultists, Swamp Reapers and the Atavists of Purity!









and much, much more!

For all the details, please read the entire R55 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-06-28 00:10:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #284: The Making of East Vauban Foothills



This week's Update #284 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of East Vauban Foothills
  • The Making of Norgard Fens (cont.)
  • Heraldry Items (cont.)
  • R53 Livestream Sky Navy Themed Items
  • R54 Livestream Results and Videos
  • (SPOILER) POT Row Lot Deed Reward for Completing Story (R55)
  • NPC Submission Requests: Brittany Alleys
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Musical Instruments
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Royal Gardeners Wanted! New Decoration Contest
  • Spotlight: Beran’s Reach
  • A Grandmaster Crafting Tutoring Event
  • Wild Safari Presents ‘Boogie Nights’
  • Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Concert and Birthday Celebration
  • AERIE Fund – 24-hour Streamathon, Primal Nature – June 23
  • Win a Pair of SOTACON 2018 Tickets!
  • Relics by Rild on Meretz: Win Shroud Swag!
  • Project to Support: Portrait of Scottie for Shroud of the Avatar


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-06-15 20:44:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 54 Patch Notes: June 5, 2018

Build Number 790 June 5 1:15 PM CDT

Updates


  • Changed name in Soltown quest task text to more commonly used Stan Clark to avoid rabid fans of Bill Collins.

  • Fixed a gap in floor on staircase in Obsidian Keep to prevent players falling through.

  • Slowed down VFX on Water Elemental bindings.

  • Added a valve wheel to the lid of the Nautical Basement Entrance hatch.

  • All random encounters now list as "Tier 3+," except for the Troll encounter which lists as Tier 10+.

  • All siege encounters now list as "Tier 4+."

  • Talking mirror no longer has the ability to move.

  • Fixed error on breakaway scaffolding bridge in Verdantis Mines.

  • Fixed error on wooden palisade gate teleporter in Brittany Fields to Brittany Alleys and Novia.

  • Changed name of R54 raffle tickets to R55.

  • Fixed an issue where some summoned creatures had incorrect health.

  • Added defense to tamed creatures.

  • Fixed a choppy animation on a sarcophagus in crypts throughout the game.

  • A chat message is now received if a song played on an instrument is too long.

  • Fixed texture coordinates on Heraldry Chests to prevent decal from showing up on bottom sections.

  • Fixed trade window notifications for remote clients being less than adventuring level 15.

  • Increased party experience bonus to 50% base and 25% per extra member.

  • Strength of Earth VFX no longer goes through Throneguard shield.

  • Containers with 16 or more containers in them can now be moved.

  • Using the interact hotkey when a player property container is open will no longer take all items from it.

  • Vigilante loot has been updated.

  • Fixed a typo in a backer NPC name in Central Brittany.

  • Fixed an error in the devotional caretaker conversation in Jaanaford that prevented players from turning in the "Defeat Nefas" quest.

  • Hazy appearance of some blazons on Heraldry Banners has been corrected.

  • Greatly reduced the time to drop out of combat mode once sheathed.

  • Reduced the hit time on all bludgeon weapons to match the majority of blades.

  • You no longer have to wait 60 seconds to loot breakable crates and barrels.


Known Issues

  • The client may default to full screen when the options menu is first used.

  • Linux clients may experience certain types of trees being rendered incorrectly

  • Low client performance and bad framerates can influence resurrection timers, making them last longer than their intended duration.

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.



Build Number 789 June 4 12:00 PM CDT

Updates

  • Vigilantes in Blood River Outskirts had their loot updated.

  • Weapons and shields gained from companion quests are now correctly denoted as quest items.

  • Fixed minor text issues in conversations.

  • Fiona's lute buff was updated.

  • Festering Potion ingredients were updated.

  • Ambient audio in Skrekk is now linked to volume sliders.

  • Issues with Companion gear have been corrected.

  • In-game maps now appear correctly immediately after scene load.

  • The male avatar thumb no longer goes through goblets.

  • All rocks now have collision in Port Graff.

  • Fixed the rotation for the Skull Goblet.

  • Light levels were adjusted in Elysium Mines and Spectral Mines.

  • The book "Lord British Sings Work Songs" will now properly appear if placed as a decoration.

  • Obsidian Wizard clothing can now be dyed.

  • Ruins of Ravensmoor had animation, interactive, and AI navigation updates.

  • Fixed doe/stag walk and run animation playback.

  • The four alcoves behind sluice doors in Grand Artificer no longer have the chance of trapping players.


[ 2018-06-05 21:32:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #282: Play Release 54 Now!



This week's Update #282 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 54 Now!
  • Double XP for Week 1 & 2 of Release 54!
  • Release 54 Livestream – June 4
  • Release 54 Dance Party Today!
  • Release 54 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
  • NPC Submission Requests: Brittany Alleys
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Obsidians
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Livestream: The Companions Revisited
  • R54 Welcome Quest – Lux Sanctuary – Saturday, June 2 at 12pm CT
  • AERIE Fund – Community Cause – Primal Nature – June 2018
  • Project to Support: Midboss


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-06-01 21:20:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 54 Patch Notes: May 31, 2018

May 31, 2018

Build Number 785 8:30 PM

Updates


  • Elven home fireplaces are now associated with the volume slider.

  • Recorder SFX volume adjusted.

  • Puzzles in Shaminian Hills were updated.

  • Jars have had their names updated.

  • Fixed the default sort of items and purchase orders in Manage Inventory and Manage Orders tabs on vendors.

  • Decorations can no longer be moved while magic casting.

  • Fixed clipping on the companion gear hood for male avatars and added cloth simulation to skirts.

  • Fixed an issue where dyed decorations would not show their magical properties.

  • Fixed an issue where instrument buffs could be applied to non-party members.

  • The Large Fountain decoration can no longer have large objects placed on it.

  • Lowered the lip on boundary of Ornate Gustball Field.

  • Fixed an unnecessary alpha channel on the bark texture for Elven Basement Hatch.

  • Fixed an issue with masterworking the Punishing Vile Flail.

  • Avatar pupils no longer fade until invisible when the camera is zoomed out.

  • Fixed decoration placement issues in Benefactor Baron City House.

  • Fixed issues with Elven Guard Tower decoration.

  • Server status messages on website were updated.

  • Epic Leather Chest Quarter Armor no longer changes male avatar skin tone.

  • Fixed a mesh collider error in Libris Vault.

  • Set Mardi Gras Garland decorations to allow stacking.

  • Fixed orientation of blazons on Heraldry Basement Hatches.

  • Fixed an issue with Pewter Cups.

  • Fixed incorrect art on the Novia map tapestry.

  • Heraldry Gloves and Boots can now be used as decorations.

  • Linked Cast Iron Fireplace fires to audio mixers.

  • Fixed an issue with summoned creatures having less total hit points.

  • Fixed Player Owned Town Town Crier conversations were corrected.

  • Fixed pattern removers used on non-equipable items.

  • Skin-matching seam on female avatar necks was corrected.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented the displayed durability of the crafting tool from updating at a crafting station.

  • Fixed material for Ladies Riding Boots used as a decoration.

  • Fixed rain colliders for Baron Founder Frigate player home.

  • Fixed a bug that caused a deed used from a nested container to claim a lot to appear to remain in the player's inventory.

  • Fixed a stealth field issue.

  • Fixed an issue with the Companion Crossbow.

  • Fixed incorrect visuals for Elven Basement entrance.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Elven Guard Towers.

  • Virtue Dirndl Shoes are no longer invisible on male avatars.

  • Removed an extra teleport platform in Boreas Colossus.

  • Updated portals in Boreas Colossus.

  • Central Brittany residents no longer complain about their lives constantly.

  • The King's Dinner community cloak can no longer be rotated as a decoration.

  • Fixed the water plane in Ruined Keep.

  • Fixed incorrect equipment type on companion staff.

  • Fixed large rockslide so damage area is only active during rock slide animation.

  • Crossbows on Kobolds no longer have pink textures.

  • Fixed non-interactive rope "ladder" in North Drachvald Spur signal tower.

  • Skeleton with key in Penmawr Island now has loot respawn.

  • Updated Captain Kennet's treasure chest respawn time in Penmawr Island.

  • Player spawn points in Ravensmoor were fixed.

  • Targetting issues in Ravensmoor were fixed.

  • A handful of random floating objects in Ravensmoor were corrected.

  • Reduced the difficulty of removing root, stun, and knockdown spells.

  • Decreased the restock timer on the main halls key chest in Resolute Sewers.

  • Swapped out non-functional Wishing Well in Shaminian Hills for a working one.

  • Removed non-interactive beds from Upper Tears.

  • Moved an Ankh in Upper Tears that was resurrecting players within range of enemies.

  • Plugged some sticky spots in Upper Tears with more rocks.

  • Heraldry Chain Armor no longer shows up as slightly blue when dyed black.

  • NPC dialog in Highvale Outskirts had typographic errors corrected.

  • Obsidian Order Mage Robe sleeves have been corrected.

  • Elite Elven Archer Bracers no longer make female avatar hands invisible.

  • Heraldry Leather Boots and Heraldry Plate Boots are no longer invisible on male avatars.

  • Orator in Soltown Catacombs now handles quest items correctly.

  • Dialog errors were corrected in Soltown Catacombs, Soltown, and Soltown Catacombs

  • Removed errant name tag for Stan Clarke the Bard in Soltown dialog.

  • An error when commanding companions to attack has been fixed.

  • The Black Skull now drops from Ichor Witch in Solania Catacombs if the player is on Whiteguard Helena's quest.

  • Bloodbone skeletons in Solania Catacombs are now properly named.

  • Bloodbone NPCs in Soltown Sewers now drop Heart Stones when the player is in the correct area.

  • Lunar Blessing glyph and name are no longer invisible.

  • Fixed missing material on Kobold Crossbows.

  • Fixed some equipment not showing when joining a new scene.

  • Stun, root, and knockdown spells can be removed again.

  • Fixed a non-interactive cot in the hospital in Westend.


Known Issues

  • Some bedrolls placed throughout scenes may no longer be interactive. Please report these as individual scene reports.

  • The client may default to full screen when the options menu is first used.

  • Tool durability may not visibly update as expected when viewed from the crafting table UI.

  • Linux clients may experience certain types of trees being rendered incorrectly

  • Low client performance and bad framerates can influence resurrection timers, making them last longer than their intended duration.

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.

  • Some virus programs with outdated libraries may attempt to quarantine essential game files, mistakenly identifying them as threats. This can have significant effects, including the client not starting at all. We recommend keeping antivirus programs updated frequently as they address problems. Workarounds include reinstalling and launching the client with the aggressive antivirus software disabled, or whitelisting the game directory in the antivirus list of exceptions.


Build Number 783 2:00 PM

Updates

  • Hotbar skills no longer stop working for unlocked combat decks.

  • Fixed an issue with avatar animations not staying in sync when standing on platforms.

  • Using AFK while sitting and writing a book no longer turns the book vertically.

  • Moving items between containers in rapid succession no longer causes errors.

  • Player vendors now go to their correct location when placed.


[ 2018-06-01 03:41:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 52 Patch Notes: March 27, 2018

Build Number 750 5:00PM

Updates


  • Avatar eyes now blink when treading water.

  • Fixed invisible waist on female nurse blouse.

  • Updated bedrolls, NPCs, and navigation AI at Jaanaford camp for NPC access to bedrolls at night.

  • Updates to localization of in-game books architecture.

  • Turned on Cabalist Robe Gloves appearance when wearing cabalist robes.

  • Pale Blue Female Shopkeeper no longer appears distorted.

  • Water can no longer be taken from the dry fountain in Quel Shardfall.

  • Fixed floating trees in Blood River Forest.

  • Heraldry banners updated.

  • Updated collision on new Brittany buildings on Novia to help keep players from getting stuck.

  • Updated the medium skin tone for female avatars.

  • Quel Shardfall battle royale spawning was updated.

  • Basement hatches are no longer sold on Crown Merchants.

  • Image optimization.

  • Faun merchants in South Midmaer Way now work properly.

  • Bertha is once again Jabbering, our apologies.

  • Fixed invisible blocker in center of Epitaph battle royale dais.

  • Boiling Oil traps now affect NPCs as well as players.

  • Fixed an issue where equipped items would be shown when completing a resource gathering action.

  • Smoothed camera movement when harvesting wood.

  • The Bear Headdress mask no longer blinks along with your avatar.

  • Fixed an issue with waypoints in Blood River Forest.

  • Fire Dancer chest equipment visuals were corrected.

  • Flechier outfit visuals on female avatars was corrected.

  • Clan of Stag Leggings are no longer invisible on female avatars.

  • Fixed shields not being allowed as decorations after Heraldry patterns are applied.

  • Updated scouts in siege encounters to ensure players always receive their quest rewards.

  • Ghostly Echoes and Mystical Mirrors quest sparkles no longer appear when the quests are complete.

  • Additions to Crown Merchants.

  • Unresponsive NPC conversations corrected.

  • Matchmaking updates for when reloading into the same scene.

  • Corrected some code exceptions.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination no longer damages undead, and has a broken range for applying heals.

  • Spellbinder’s Stance does not buff Spell Critical Chance as expected.

  • Companions (Offline Mode feature) continue to be worked on for both dialogue and balance/skill usage.

  • It’s possible to enter a state where weapon trails will be visible even with no weapon drawn. Relogging corrects this.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-03-28 00:23:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Launch is Here! Release 52 This Tuesday



Avatars,

Welcome to the launch of Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues (Episode 1)! After a successful Kickstarter and several years of amazing open development with our community we are finally ready to leave Early Access! The launch build (aka Release 52) goes live this Tuesday, March 27, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 52 is the third, and final, release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities for Launch (from Q1 2018 post). Once again, we were able to address almost every single item on that list in some fashion. We made incredibly strong progress on performance, player direction, story polish, enemy behaviors, and UI polish. We also finished more physical goods, including the certificates and runic card. Simultaneous to all of this, we had our launch event and participated in SXSW with a booth and numerous talks.

For all the details, please read the entire R52 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring New Britannia!


[ 2018-03-27 02:17:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #272: Launch is Next Week!



This week's Update #272 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Northwood (cont.)
  • The Making of South Boundless Forest (cont.)
  • The Making of Blood River Forest (cont.)
  • The Companions of Truth, Love, and Courage (cont.)
  • Co-op and World Launch Videos
  • Launch Event Photos
    MassivelyOP Celebrates with Portalarium the Launch
  • Release 52 on the QA Server with Special Rares!
  • The Ambassadors Program: How You Can Help
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Pets!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Event: Release 52 Dance Party – March 30, 5-8pm CT
  • Charity: AERIE Fund – Ripple Effect Streamathon
  • Spotlight: S Mart Factorium – Player Owned Town
  • SOTACON 2018 Convention Announced! Oct. 11-13, 2018
  • Greyhaven’s Complete Regions Guide to Novia


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-03-23 19:51:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #271: We're at SXSW This Week!



This week's Update #271 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of South Boundless Forest
  • The Observatory Home
  • Vendor Variations & Improvements (cont.)
  • The Companions of Truth, Love, and Courage (cont.)
  • Making of Northwood (cont.)
  • Making of Blood River Forest (cont.)
  • Release 52 on the QA Server
  • SXSW Booth Photos!
  • Win a Game Key with Loot to Shroud of the Avatar!
  • NPC Submission Request: Graff Island
  • The Ambassadors Program: How You Can Help
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Vendors, Signs, Numbers & Letters!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • SOTACON 2018 Convention Announced! Oct. 11-13, 2018
  • Charity: AERIE Fund – Community Cause – Ripple Effect
  • Event: Sheamus McGuinness’s BARE KNUCKLE BRAWL
  • Did You Know: Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Bug Reporters?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-03-16 16:35:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #270: The Companions of Truth, Love, and Courage



This week's Update #270 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Companions of Truth, Love, and Courage
  • Making of Northwood
  • Making of Blood River Forest
  • R50 Postmortem Rewards: Mardi Gras!
  • R51 Postmortem YouTube Video & Missed Questions
  • Journey Onward by Richard Garriott
  • Win a Game Key with Loot to Shroud of the Avatar!
  • NPC Submission Request: Graff Island
  • URGENT: Confirm Your Physical Rewards Shipping Address!
  • The Ambassadors Program: How You Can Help
  • AERIE Fund Live with Water.org and Starr “Darkstarr” Long
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Weapons & Armor
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Charity: AERIE Fund – Community Cause – Ripple Effect
  • Event: Vyrin & Womby’s Grand Opening in Soryn Field
  • Getting Started Video: The Leather Chest Armor of Love


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-03-09 21:50:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #269: Trophy Room Contest Winners Announced!



This week's Update #269 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Spring 2018 Items (cont.)
  • Release 51 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • Win a Game Key with Loot to Shroud of the Avatar!
  • Dev+ Asset Pack Program Take 2: Cabalists, Boars, Norgard Outfits
  • NPC Submission Request: Graff Island
  • URGENT: Confirm Your Physical Rewards Shipping Address!
  • Community Livestream: Playing Release 51
  • AERIE Fund Live with Water.org and Starr “Darkstarr” Long
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Magnificent Trophy Rooms Contest Winners
  • Event: AERIE Fund – Community Cause – Ripple Effect
  • Community Spotlight: The Library of Spiritual Knowledge
  • The Return of Tech Talks!
  • Did You Know: Shroud has a Virtuous Quest System


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-03-03 02:36:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 51 Patch Notes: February 28, 2018

Build Number 742 4:30PM

Updates


  • Fixed a bug that caused some recipes to display an incorrect skill level requirement.

  • Simone von Eglinger in Ardoris will now accept help from players.

  • Changing your title now updates the UI immediately.

  • Updates to PvP state are now reflected in the UI immediately.

  • Switching between training and maintaining multiple skills should now work more clearly.

  • Offline mode no longer has sieges on player owned towns.

  • Added support for buying emotes from Crown Merchants.

  • Environmental damage will no longer remove spawn protection.

  • Reducing the PvP damage bonus now that the damage balance has shifted closer to neutral.


Known Issues

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


Build Number 740 10:30AM

Updates

  • Some previously invisible NPC merchants in player owned towns are fixed.

  • Area-of-effect ranges have been corrected.

  • Fixed NPCs not spawning in certain maps.


Known Issues

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-03-01 04:12:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 51 Patch Notes: February 27, 2018

February 27, 2018

Build Number 737 12:00 PM

Updates


  • Focus Specialization is no longer giving the wrong amount of fizzle modifier.

  • Fixed the Lesser Staff to be held like a staff instead of a bludgeon.

  • Fixed an issue where the right bracelet for Strength of Earth would not be hidden while using a stealth ability.

  • Fixed an issue with tooltips where stacked effects would only show the first effect.

  • Harcourt Drumplemouth in Aerie will no longer initiate tasks before players have started the related quest.

  • Fixed an issue where artifact instruments would not apply effects while in first person view.

  • Removed the blood minions from the fresh zombie dynamic spawner.

  • Fixed an issue where the /knighting emote would activate the Ignite Weapon light.

  • Fixed invisible Clan of the Bear boots equippable.

  • Indigno's teleport effect no longer applies after he is dead.

  • Robert Villines in Blood River will once again initiate the Path of Truth quest line for avatars who have completed the tutorial.

  • Fixed incorrect material on Torn and Tattered Tuxedo Jacket when placed as a decoration.

  • Polearms will now receive a sixth rune when the user has mastered Polearm Specialization.

  • Fixed pink artifacts in icons for Bear Heads.

  • Fixed LOD issue with the interior of Magic Shop NPC buildings.

  • Fixed LOD issue with Bone Chest armor.

  • Fixed specialization skills turning off that was introduced in previous build.

  • Fixed dragons not reacting to players in certain spots.

  • Corrected visual issues on top floor and roof of Magic Shop buildings.


Known Issues

  • Path of Truth quests can only be started through the tutorial.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


February 26, 2018

Build Number 736 11:15AM

Updates

  • Fixed Frostgeist animation issue.

  • Fixed LOD issues with barbarian dragon armor.

  • Sunless Barrens in-game map created.

  • Verdantis Mines in-game map created.

  • Fixed rain falling inside of the Knight Founder Village player home.

  • The Primal Bear Headdress is now visible when worn.

  • The Clan of the Dragon Boots are no longer invisible when worn.

  • Fixed issue with female NPC skirts.

  • Some wall lights are now allowed as player town decorations.

  • Commoner NPC updates.

  • Frostgeists in Highvale Outskirts are now appearing correctly.

  • The confused skeleton at the entrance of Lost Vale will no longer reveal its name.

  • Fixed characters getting more than two specializations set to train or maintain.

  • More items now appear on decoration and equipment Crown Merchants.

  • Trial users on the Path of Courage may now enter the post-tutorial version of Highvale.

  • The overheadclap emote was set to be teachable.

  • Expanded the AI in Grannus Colossus to cover all places where harvestable nodes exist.

  • Enrage effect was incorrectly set to last 10 minutes, this has been changed to 10 seconds.

  • Brittany Central performance updates.

  • Brittany Alleys performance updates.

  • Patch notes completed.


[ 2018-02-27 19:24:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #268: Play Release 51 Now!



This week's Update #268 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 51 Now!
  • The Making of South Midmaer Way (cont.)
  • Spring 2018 Items
  • SXSW Latest News: Booth Details and Book Signing!
  • NPC Submission Request: Graff Island
  • R51 QA Testing Incentive Winners
  • URGENT: Confirm Your Physical Rewards Shipping Address!
  • Release 51 Postmortem Telethon
  • Community Livestream: DJing & Questing
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Magnificent Trophy Rooms
  • Contest Final Weekend!
  • Event: R51 Welcome Quest in New Haven
  • Getting Started Video: Movement, Skills, & Combat Tutorial
  • Recommended Project to Support: Crowfall


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-02-23 20:36:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 51 Patch Notes: February 23, 2018

Build Number 735 12:15PM

Updates


  • SFX for breaking wood was updated.

  • Fixed Virtue Dirndl shoes changing female skin tone.

  • Fixed invisible Primal Bear Headdress.

  • Fixed typo in Light Armor description.

  • The Obsidian Forge in Hilt no longer has waves of creatures trying to attack players in single-player mode.

  • The Obsidian Elf Sniper quest in Highvale Outskirts now handles the compass item correctly.

  • Error while talking to Esmerelda about ghostly echoes has been fixed.

  • Healing Ray and Healing Touch will now correctly decrease the cast time.

  • Fixed an issue with the Lord Servant pattern applying wrong visuals.

  • Strength of Earth will now grant the correct additional capacity with specialization.

  • Douse will now give the correct amount of fire resistance.

  • Fixed a problem on Aerie Castle elevators that caused players to be scaled incorrectly.

  • Fixed scaling issues on Mushroom Men.

  • Containers no longer sort to the top of the list in merchant windows.

  • Rain emote SFX was updated.

  • Sneak attack now has an animation when using 2-handed hammers.

  • The Bear Headdress no longer blinks along with female avatar eyes.

  • Sick emote liedown animation is now level with the ground.

  • South Drachvald Spur in-game map was created.

  • Text for Lost Vale exit to Novia discovery now reads 'Exit'.

  • Fixed a typo in Fortify Defenses.

  • Shield of Air and Shield of Ice no longer lose their attunement bonuses when zoning.

  • No longer showing unimplemented skills at all, instead of blank icons.

  • Updated secret door SFX.

  • Caelestis Canton player owned town connections updated with Dragons Watch, Islands of Wonders, Lockbrier, and Serenity Isle.

  • Improved pathfinding in West Ravenswood to improve ability to loot corpses.

  • Dogs now have head tracking to look at things they walk past.

  • Fixed broken-looking Dragon Clan Boots.

  • Fixed secret doors in Epitaph so that brick switches reach beyond wall colliders.

  • Your own ghost is now visible when you die.

  • Chess and Checkers game board renamed to contain the game names for inventory searching.

  • Added 100 items to the equipment crown merchant.

  • Players with specialization to master level 80 will now receive one additional glyph for each school in the tree.

  • Purify and Purify Burst lasting effects from specialization can now be dismissed.

  • Aimed Shot will no longer show a fizzle rate.

  • Banish undead should now correctly damage players wearing the Lich Ring.

  • Blinding Shot will now add a parry debuff when specialized.

  • Disabling Shot will now add a dodge debuff when specialized.

  • Rapid Fire will now increase the effective skill and increase the chance for an additional arrow when specialized.

  • Clarified the description for the Pull skill.

  • Forest Metropolis player owned town performance optimizations.

  • Fixed an issue where specialized Bolster Balance was not applying the Dexterity bonus.

  • Spiders no longer slide in place while dancing.

  • Fixed an issue where a player using Knockdowns would be knocked down instead of the intended target.

  • Fixed an issue where certain combat effects would not use an old position to calculate range.

  • Some NPCs in Xenos that had lost their conversations have been fixed.

  • Player Vendors are no longer invisible.

  • Patch notes completed.


Known Issues

  • Trial users on the Path of Courage cannot currently re-enter Highvale.

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • It is possible for moving platforms to appear out of synchronization with others.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-02-23 19:33:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 51 Patch Notes: February 22, 2018

Build Number 733 5:30PM

Updates


  • Fixed an issue with some flying pets having nameplates in the ground.

  • The cauldron in Grannus Colossus is no longer invisible.

  • Fixed an issue in the Love Gloves Quest where turning in a Prayer Card would sometimes activate a trade window at the wrong time.

  • Updated collision on some rivers in Drachvald on Novia.

  • The Guild Registrar in Jaanaford will now respond properly when asked for their name.

  • Bandit corpses are no longer missing in Longfall Woods.

  • Grand Artificer doors in Lost Vale no longer have art that does not move with the doors.

  • Removed "NPC scheduling under construction" message for Jaanaford.

  • Updated the respawn rate on the puzzle reward chest in South Fetid Swamp.

  • Increased the interaction range on block puzzle blocks in Boreas Colossus.

  • Adding appropriate hover icons for the loot rolling interface.

  • Some issues with the Obsidian Forge were fixed.

  • Fixed some armor decorations that appeared flat.

  • Fixed an issue where decorations could be placed mid-air in Stone Ruins.

  • Fixed pink colors on bear head icons.

  • Fixed rain falling inside of the Knight Founder Village player home.

  • Removed the last two “Under Construction” signs.

  • Fixed missing collision on a handrail in Yew.

  • Fixed missing collision on floor of a log cabin in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Fixed rain falling inside of the Two Story Hollow Log player home.

  • Fixed the Oracle not animating when asked some questions.

  • Removed double text notification when gold is looted.

  • Removed PvP flag from Player Owned Town “Malficium”.

  • Added new hover icons for Loot Roll buttons.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented you from claiming your own ransom stone on PVP death.

  • Removed stamped labels of battle camps from Novia in-game map.

  • River graphics fixed in Owls Head and elsewhere.

  • Fixed an issue that caused the character sheet character's eyes to be white.

  • Fixed an issue where weapon game effects could execute 100% of the time.

  • Performance work on “Island Metropolis” Player Owned Towns.

  • Visual effects for charging on Ghosts now appear on the correct hand.

  • Removed skeleton bones loot from dropping in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Adjusted animation for Dragon Gust attack.

  • Fixed issue with Lava Golem resistances

  • Added teeth to male player vendors.

  • Fixed male vendor NPC eyes not blinking.

  • Performance work in Ardoris.

  • Shadowform will no longer overwrite movement skills.

  • Fixed a gray line on the icon for the wand.

  • Fixed undead factions having loot delay when killed.

  • The lava caves at the bottom of the Etceter Crag Mines are now home to only fire elementals.

  • Fixed an error in New You merchant conversation keywords.

  • Patch notes completed.


Known Issues

  • The in-game map (M key shortcut) cannot be accessed on Linux clients.

  • Linux is using an older version of Unity until known performance issues can be addressed.

  • Fire is visible when dead.

  • Charging skills may not visually appear to reach a sixth stack, but will fire the sixth charge successfully.

  • It is possible for moving platforms to appear out of synchronization with others.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-02-23 00:44:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 51 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 51 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, February 22, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 51 is the second release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities for Launch (from Q1 2018 post). Once again we were able to address almost every single item on that list in some fashion. We made incredibly strong progress on performance, clarity of direction, new user experience polish, story polish, and UI polish. We also finished more physical goods, including the D&D notes. Meanwhile, we continued to make steady background progress on launch readiness (example: EU data compliance & server monitoring upgrades) and localization. We did all of this while also planning our launch activities around SXSW.

For all the details, please read the entire R51 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring this latest release!


[ 2018-02-21 20:32:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #267: Vendor Variations and Improvements



This week's Update #267 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Vendor Variations & Improvements (cont.)
  • New Harvestable Trees
  • The Making of South Fetid Swamp (cont.)
  • Heraldry Items (cont.)
  • Release 49 Telethon Items
  • URGENT: Confirm Your Physical Rewards Shipping Address!
  • Release 51 Postmortem Telethon
  • Release 51 on the QA Server
  • For Rent Flier (and Boards)
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Flash Sales: Hollow Log House, Trees & Plants
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Virtue Marathon 2018 This Sunday
  • The Magnificent Trophy Rooms Contest
  • PaxLair’s Campground Sleepover
  • Congrats to The Syndicate Guild’s 22nd Anniversary!


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-02-16 22:21:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #266: The Making of South Midmaer Way and South Fetid Swamp, and New Bears!



This week's Update #266 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of South Midmaer Way
  • The Making of South Fetid Swamp
  • New Bears to Roam New Britannia
  • Vendor Variations & Improvements
  • The Making of The Lost Vale (cont)
  • Heraldry Items (cont.)
  • R50 Postmortem Telethon YouTube Video & Missed Questions
  • NPC Submission Requests: Xenos & Yew
  • The Adventures of Lord British & Lars Janssen
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Flash Sales: Viking & Wolf Items
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Magnificent Trophy Rooms Contest Returns!
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • Sequanna Brasserie – Valentine’s Day Dinner – February 14 – 3-7pm CT
  • Getting Started Videos: How to Learn New Emotes!
  • Did You Know: The Forests of New Britannia are Fraught with Danger!


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-02-09 21:56:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #265: The Making of The Lost Vale



This week's Update #265 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of The Lost Vale
  • Heraldry Items Revealed
  • R50 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • NPC Submission Requests: Xenos & Yew
  • Shroud of the Avatar Launch Event
  • Livestream: The Making of Physical Goods
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Magnificent Trophy Rooms Contest Returns!
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • Crossroads ‘Palisades Mall’ Monthly Flea Market
  • Getting Started Videos: The Mail System
  • Did You Know: Sun Magic Spells Strengthen Depending on the Daytime?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-02-03 02:29:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

A New Magnificent Trophy Rooms Contest

Get started here!


[ 2018-02-02 18:41:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 50 Patch Notes: January 29, 2018

Build Number 725 11:00AM

Updates


  • Added missing fizzle chance effect to Lesser Staff.

  • Corrected display name for Highvale discovery on Novia.

  • Improved item sorting for quest items, they now sort to the top of lists in loot and quest delivery.

  • The text “Agro Boost” has been updated to “Aggro Boost”

  • Improved NPC pathing in Plains Encounter to help prevent leashing.

  • Fixed all phonographs and radios so that their lights are correctly off when placed and the item is turned off.

  • Removed movement delay after spawning.

  • When using magic on an enemy, the higher of the caster’s Dex or Int will now be used to counter the dodge chance of the target.

  • Load screen optimizations.

  • Preparing map data with Siege information.

  • World items only respawn in multiplayer matchmaking modes.

  • Updated AI pathing in Hills Encounter to correct mining ore on the edge of the map.

  • Micsere's task in Yew to gather ten ingots for him now completes upon giving him the ingots.

  • Performance optimization for compass updates in large towns.

  • Conversations will no longer fail if the player is too close to the NPC.

  • Fixes to quest pointers for a scout within Highvale.


Known Issues

  • It is possible to debuff enemies when out of reach due to environment positioning.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-01-29 18:03:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #264: Play Release 50 Now!



This week's Update #264 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 50 Now!
  • Release 50 Postmortem Telethon
  • Shroud of the Avatar Launch Event
  • SXSW Schedule Latest News
  • R50 & R51: Skill Unlearning 100% Return
  • R50 QA Testing Incentive Winners
  • Community Livestream: Wild Boars & Wolves
  • Free Trial: Choose Any Path!
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Last Chance for Shroud Perks via BrightLocker CrowdEquity
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • Prism and Diamond Fields Present a Grandmaster Tutoring Event
  • Getting Started Videos: ‘Crafting Complete’ Series by Datendrache
  • Did You Know: Shroud of the Avatar Features Dedicated Community Playwrights?
  • Recommended Project to Support: Midboss


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-01-26 21:21:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 50 Patch Notes: January 26, 2018

Build Number 723 4:30PM

Updates


  • PVP damage was increased by roughly a third to balance out new defensive options (no impact to PVE)

  • Deflect, Dodge, Glancing Blow, and Parry now all have at least a 30 second duration once proficiency is reached.

  • Magic that generates a partial hit will now say "...partially resisted..."

  • Performance improvement for player character rendering.

  • Added 250 arrows to the reward for Obsidian Elf Sniper quest in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Mackey is back from vacation in Etceter Crag Mines.

  • Bandits in Etceter Crag Mines will no longer stop talking after the first sentence.

  • Fixed Ice Gloves being the incorrect armor type.

  • Increased masterwork bonuses from 3 to 5 on Wayland Loop, Maple Band, and Thimble of Evelyn artifacts.

  • Hamstring damage will no longer be affected by a targets strength.

  • The NPC chat window background darkness was increased to make text more legible.

  • Dirt piles can no longer be destroyed with ranged attacks in South Drachvald Spur.

  • The distance allowed for digging up dirt piles has been increased.

  • Address verification on account page was updated for functionality.

  • Ballet Leotard no longer clips at the chest when dancing.


Known Issues

  • It is possible to debuff enemies when out of reach due to environment positioning.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.



Build Number 722 10:30AM

Updates

  • Fixed line-of-sight issues with numerous creature skills.

  • Another try at fixing Cloth Chest Armor making avatar skin too dark.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented the displayed weight of a container from updating when its contents changed.

  • Fixed incorrect texture tiling on Duke and Lord of the Manor islands in Tropical Island player owned towns.

  • Obsidian Scrolls of Unlearning will now also return 100% of experience.

  • Sitting players no longer appear odd to others loading into a scene.

  • Quest POI marker for turning in the bow to Horatio in Highvale Outskirts now goes away after completing.

  • Fixed an issue with Offhand Attack that caused VFX to appear on the top of the screen.

  • The Light spell will now follow the player more quickly when moving up and down.

  • Overworld creatures will now give chase.

  • Fixed death visuals for elementals.

  • Players are no longer launched into the skies in Sunless Barrens when near a certain location.

  • Optimization for "Good" quality mode that will increase frame rates significantly for GPU bound scenes.

  • Crooked Shank in-game map created.

  • Fixed not being able to loot dragons.

  • The Virtue Ice Skirt cloth simulation has been disabled on male avatars.

  • Some issues with the Ice Gown have been corrected.

  • Female peasant NPCs no longer teleport around a scene when trying to move.

  • Updated line-of-sight checks to ignore certain types of colliders.


Known Issues

  • Mackey in Etceter Crag Mines is not appearing which blocks that quest from completing.

  • It is possible to debuff enemies when out of reach due to environment positioning.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-01-26 17:37:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 50 Patch Notes: January 25, 2018

Build Number 721 7:30PM

Updates


  • Fixed a bug that could prevent players from being able to load the game if they died in certain scenes.


Build Number 720 3:00PM

Updates

  • Some NPCs may not update their positions properly if playing in scenes with others.

  • Sheet music for equipped instruments can now be heard by remote clients.

  • Fixed elevators in Sequanna Colossus and Libris.

  • Female peasant NPC updates.

  • Yew optimizations.

  • Fixed wisps disappearing after death.

  • Fixed ladder placement in Sunless Barrens.

  • The last login date of guild members is now correct.

  • Female Avatar skin coloring was corrected.

  • Moved Novia wagon to other side of indistinct road near central teleporter signpost in Forest 02 player owned towns.

  • Numerous icon fixes.

  • Divided spawn groups in Nightshade Pass to improve occlusion performance.

  • Added address check if account address updated was the same but not confirmed.

  • Quest pointers are now complete for all stages of the main storyline.

  • Day of the Dead Mask eyes no longer pop out.

  • Added bear and boar dance animations.

  • Fixed quest pointers in two Resolute/Highvale quests.

  • Heal Creature will now only cast on pets.

  • Fixed display issues with ransom timer.

  • Fixed idle wisps trying to move to resource nodes.

  • All equipped items will now contribute to Max Resistance percent.

  • Update wisp death collider, allow corpse to remain.

  • Aldorn's amulet in Highvale can once again be found.

  • Quest compass indicators no longer lose data for NPCs at a distance.

  • Setup loose brick switches within each of the Kingsport Sewers prison cells, allowing players to escape justice.

  • Fixed charged attack interface persisting after scene changes.

  • Updated exit discovery names in South Drachvald Spur with compass directions.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the mouse cursor to not appear in the center of the screen when toggling modes.

  • Fixed an issue that caused stealthed players to disappear.

  • Moved down a large shard that was sticking out of the Pool of Destiny in Desolis Underground.

  • Fixed missing collision in Hallowed Plains.

  • Fixed bug that allowed players to attempt to batch craft using locked items which resulted in errors and red items.

  • Fixed AI healing using incorrect ranges, which fixes reported elemental healing issues.

  • Now showing lock icon for locked items in crafting and merchant interfaces.

  • Fixed an issue where a weapon could be the incorrect size.

  • Added feedback for attempting to use locked repair kits, dyes, and engraving kits.

  • Ensured Novia map painting is using the most up to date version of the art.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Elysium Mines.

  • Fixed rock collision in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Crafting materials in the main backpack are now used before materials in sub-bags.

  • Players that finished Blood River Outskirts quests can see Alberic and use the keyword 'help' to remove leftover tasks.

  • Fixed issue with rune charging not working correctly when using the mouse with locked runes.

  • Wisps now have the correct death visuals for looting.

  • The quest data POIs in Blood River Outskirts now clear once they are completed.

  • Mage teleports now require line-of-sight.


Known Issues

  • Using emotes while seated may result in the avatar’s position shifting.

  • It is possible to debuff enemies when out of reach due to environment positioning.

  • There are ongoing issues with being able to target, heal, and flag in parties of mixed PVP-flagging.

  • Juggle emotes do not properly sync hand/item movements in low performance environments.

  • Crafting UI will not properly recognize Gold Ingots to fulfill Metal Ingot recipes.

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2018-01-25 22:03:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 50 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 50 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, January 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 50 is the first release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities for Launch. We made incredibly strong progress on performance, improved reward cycles, clearer direction, new user polish, story polish, and UI polish. We also have finished key elements of our physical goods like the cloth map!

For all the details, please read the entire R50 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun exploring this latest release!


[ 2018-01-25 00:20:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #263: New Wolves Attack!



This week's Update #263 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • New Wolves Attack!
  • Making of Sunless Barrens (cont.)
  • Introducing the Watermill Home
  • Valentine’s Day Items
  • Release 49 Postmortem Missed Questions
  • Release 50 on the QA Server
  • DJ Darkstarr’s Revenge: The Sequels (Holiday Party & Release 50)
  • Last Chance for Shroud Perks via BrightLocker CrowdEquity
  • New Free Trial Continues!
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Signs, Numbers & Letters
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue Contest: Winners Announced!
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • UO Forever 5th Anniversary: Richard and Starr Live Video Conference
  • PaxLair 20th Anniversary – Jan. 21
  • Did You Know: Shroud of the Avatar Features Taming Skills?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-01-19 21:47:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #262: The Making of Sunless Barrens and South Drachvald Spur



This week's Update #262 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Making of Sunless Barrens
  • Making of South Drachvald Spur
  • Making of Yew (cont.)
  • R48 Telethon Items (cont.)
  • R49 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • New Clasped Gauntlets Cloak Option for Community Events
  • Markeedragon Interview: Something About Bob
  • Livestream: New Log Homes Revealed!
  • Last Chance for Shroud Perks via BrightLocker CrowdEquity
  • New Free Trial Continues!
  • Job Opening: Executive Assistant
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Party Supplies
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue Contest: Final Weekend!
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • UO Forever 5th Anniversary: Richard and Starr Live Video Conference
  • Weihnachten Holiday Party – Jan. 14
  • Did You Know: You Can Get Combat Trophies?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-01-12 20:13:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #261: New Log Homes



This week's Update #261 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • New Log Homes
  • Making of Yew (cont.)
  • R48 Telethon Items (cont.)
  • R49 Postmortem Telethon
  • New Free Trial Continues!
  • Job Opening: Office Admin / Executive Assistant
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Clocks
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Creative Writing Contest Winners Announced!
  • The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue Contest: Weekly Winners!
  • Spotlight: The Metropolis of Moonglade
  • Virtue Marathon 2018: Children’s Miracle Hospital Network
  • Did You Know: Shroud Features Moondials?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2018-01-06 00:47:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #260: Shroud of the Avatar in 2017



This week's Update #260 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Shroud of the Avatar in 2017
  • R49 Postmortem Telethon
  • New Free Trial Continues
  • Job Opening: Office Admin / Executive Assistant
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Fireworks & Music
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Contest: The New Britannia Carolers Creative Writing Contest
  • Contest: The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue: Weekly Winners!
  • The Little Book of Gratitude 2017
  • Recommended Project to Support: BrightLocker CrowdEquity Campaign
  • Resources: Players Helping Players


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-12-30 00:06:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #259: Happy Holidays Community!



This week's Update #259 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Making of Yew
  • Map System Updates
  • Wild Boars
  • R48 Telethon Items (cont)
  • New Movember Items (cont)
  • R49 Postmortem Telethon
  • New Free Trial Began This Week!
  • Job Opening: Office Admin / Executive Assistant
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Winter Holidays
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • AERIE Fund Dev Crafting Competition & Charity Auction Results
  • Contest: The New Britannia Carolers Creative Writing Contest
  • Contest: The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue: Weekly Winners!
  • Recommended Project to Support: Denis Loubet Patreon


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-12-22 18:08:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Patch Notes: December 20, 2017

Build Number 716 10:00AM

Updates


  • Fixed an issue in Sanctus Spine where the control point was not repeating its last wave.

  • Hamstring has had its damage over time effect moved to match Rend.

  • Rend Power and Duration item effects now also help Hamstring.

  • Trip and Rend have been added to the 100% unlearn experience return list.

  • The path forward to progressing in the Path of Courage quest beyond Brigid in Resolute is now clearer.

  • Flattened an area in grassland Player Owned Towns where decorations sunk into the ground.


Known Issues

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-12-20 17:57:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Patch Notes: December 19, 2017

Build Number 715 11:00AM

Updates


  • More emotes than ever are now able to be used while sitting.

  • Restored missing chat log messages for crafting.

  • Quest assistance now active for Kobold Expeditionary Camp during the Path of Courage.

  • Disappearing objects in shop in Brittany Estates have been fixed.

  • Defensive stance modifier now effects Fortify Defenses.

  • Hamstring debuff icon will no longer remain on targets once its duration has ended.

  • A previously unobtainable ore node in North Midmaer Way is now accessible.

  • Prevented the skills UI from adding things in the editor when it should not.

  • Adjusted collision volumes around logs in East Longfall Wetland to make them match visuals more closely.

  • Cabalists should once again be using their evil effects on people.

  • Fixed skeletons periodically not exiting ambush mode even if taking damage.

  • Fixed invisible geometry at Oracle Ruins areas.

  • Quari in Aerie will once again create guilds for avatars requiring this service.

  • Lowered floating trees in Verdantis Shardfall.

  • Expanded access locations in Novia surrounding Paladis Sharfall.

  • Moved the exit targets from Paladis Shardfall to Novia.

  • Quest data in HIghvale Outskirts for the main story line is now complete.

  • A floating hoe in Blumdel has been corrected.

  • Players are no longer able to bypass the mirror puzzle in Elysium Mines.

  • Decreased the delay for first using interactives when loading into a new map.

  • Removed search and toolbar from in-game maps view.

  • Ice Bow virtue symbol was fixed.

  • The experience soft-cap is now working as described.


Known Issues

  • Control Point 'Endless Wave' functionality is not functioning in Sanctus Spine.

  • Loading into scenes may get stuck at 94%, we are reviewing the causes of this issue

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-12-19 18:16:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Patch Notes: December 18, 2017

Build Number 714 10:45AM

Updates


  • Fixed players not being able to attack or use skills when standing in glowing river in Elysium Mines.

  • Fixed AI navigation issues in Elysium Mines.

  • Fixed creatures freezing before returning to spawn point.

  • Fixed raining inside of Duke Benefactor player house.

  • Fixed collision errors in Jaanaford.

  • Brigid in Resolute now properly appears as a quest destination for the Path of Courage. We mean it this time. Really.

  • Khary in Harvest will now advertise that he is part of a quest to those avatars on the Path of Courage.

  • Quest progression data was updated in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Fixed the Water Elemental not healing.

  • Gatekeeper in Estgard will correctly advertise when ready to advance Path of Courage progress.

  • Toned down the following long-term buff VFX to reduce busy visuals: Air's Embrace, Celestial Blessing, Chaotic Feedback, Spellbinder Stance, and Enlightenment.

  • Enlightenment is now more distinct from the Shroud of the Avatar’s visuals.

  • Fixed an issue where current health display could get out of sync.

  • The appearance of terrain in the distance is now higher quality in Mountain Player Owned Towns and Resolute.


Known Issues

  • Loading into scenes may get stuck at 94%, we are reviewing the causes of this issue

  • Cabalists debuffs affect themselves instead of players

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Time-of-day compass indicators may not correctly match the sky's visuals.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-12-18 17:42:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Patch Notes: December 15, 2017

Build Number 713 4:45PM

Updates


  • Player Owned Town and Player Run Town performance adjustments were made.

  • Khary is now easier to find in Harvest, and has resumed his job as a ferryman after a brief detour into fishing.

  • Fixed an issue where shadows were not being attenuated when using Stealth.

  • Performance adjustments were made to various lights.

  • Bookshelves that were shifted have now shifted back.

  • The persistent VFX for Air's Embrace has been toned down so that it gently pulses.

  • Correction made to the wizard bookshelf size.

  • Fixed stuck spots, various collision problems, and the wooden walkway in Elysium Mines.

  • Reduced the weapon damage bonus on Gauntlets of Courage.

  • Fixed various decorations that accidentally had their rotations changed.

  • Reconfigured the office coffee machine.

  • Fixed a Festering Poison Potion name discrepancy between the recipe and its crafted item

  • Reduced the combat radius of skeleton fighters in some areas of Elysium Mines.

  • Restored Shift+Drag controls to adjust merchant item quantity.

  • Fixed a problem where the black and gold rug sorted poorly with the floor.

  • Puncture will now hit up to two targets.

  • Fixed creatures freezing before returning to their spawn point.


Known Issues

  • Possible for health values on nameplate to appear broken after using buffs Enlightenment and Strength of Earth

  • Elysium Mines - May be unable to attack when standing in pools of water.

  • Cabalists debuffs affect themselves instead of players

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Time-of-day compass indicators may not correctly match the sky's visuals.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.



Build Number 711 11:07AM

Updates

  • Fixed ambushed creatures and zombie eating corpses not being interrupted when players attack.

  • Interior building props in Central Brittany and Aerie no longer disappear when moving the camera.

  • Fixed a bug that caused NPC quest visuals to be shown when they should not be.

  • Adjusted base map resolution and base map distance in Nightshade Pass to improve terrain texture quality.

  • The Vengeful Bogman in East Longfall Wetland will no longer drop a key as loot.

  • Fixed visual quality and performance of Duke and Lord of the Manor islands.

  • The Obsidian Equipment Wagon now has anti-theft protection on its belongings.

  • A stuck-spot near the Obsidian Equipment Wagon has been corrected.

  • The Virtue Ice Bow had its VFX restored.

  • Fixed incorrect icon settings for virtue ice weapons.

  • Refined timing for pickaxe hit during mining and adjusted volume and pitch settings.

  • Creature Heal spells now have a chance of failure.

  • The bounty masters in Courage Glove quest now properly give their actual names when asked.

  • Fixed an issue where most of the spell effects for Spellbindner Stance were missing.

  • Fixed Cabalist Artifact weapons not creating an essence on masterworking/enchanting breaks.

  • The town crier in Jaanaford will now accept undelivered packages without error.

  • Performance work on Estgard, and Aerie

  • Ice weapons now have virtue symbols.

  • Set the default state of Three-Stemmed Candle to on.

  • Fixed audio loop points on old fire SFX.

  • Terrain optimization and beautification pass for all player owned towns.

  • Fixed some control points not having endless spawning.


Known Issues

  • Possible for health values on nameplate to appear broken after using buffs Enlightenment and Strength of Earth

  • Enemy AI stalls for a short period of time when their leash is triggered. They will appear to stand still for several moments before returning to their spawn.

  • NPC Khary in Harvest not currently functioning. Will not properly guide players across water to Estgard.

  • Elysium Mines - May be unable to attack when standing in pools of water.

  • Cabalists debuffs affect themselves instead of players

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Time-of-day compass indicators may not correctly match the sky's visuals.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-12-15 18:51:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Patch Notes: December 14, 2017

Build Number 710 6:00PM

Updates


  • Added two new Crown Merchants to Ardoris, Central Brittany, Resolute, Aerie, and Owl's Head.

  • Crown Merchant inventories expanded to include many things from the Add-On Store.

  • Replaced non-functional braziers in Estgard with functional ones.

  • Narrowed the size of Price column in the Crown Merchant UI.

  • Fixed map arrow direction to align with the compass.

  • Corrected an issue with bad spawn target names for exits in Blood River Outskirts and Psilocybin Lair.

  • Now only showing discovered spawn points in teleporter selection list if you are in an overworld scene.

  • Fixed an issue where the steam in the lava rift on Novia would not render.

  • Frame rate performance pass on Highvale Outskirts that will also likely help others maps.

  • Lowered doors on Adobe Stables to help AI navigation.

  • Fixed a bug that caused companion names to be incorrect on their HUD nameplate.

  • Fixed AI navigation issues with the Upscale Stables.

  • Fixed incorrect tooltips on taming signs.

  • Improved the AI navigation on and near the bridge outside Highvale in Battle of Highvale.

  • Map directional indicators updated.

  • Scroll wheel support for Video options.

  • The bounty hunter conversation in Desert Encounter now correctly spells "Valhold”.

  • Adjusted grass draw distance in plains encounter.

  • Fixed snow clipping through a floor in Highvale Outskirts

  • Fixed a bug that caused utility bar hotkeys to be displayed incorrectly.

  • Adjusted a Pyramid LOD in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Aetherial Storm music used in Isle of Storms now fades so that it doesn't cut off abruptly.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the window behind a custom book/letter to be clicked instead of the publish or options button.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the guild name displayed in the social UI to persist between accounts.

  • Texture performance pass made on Battle of Highvale.

  • Fixed bad textures on Viking Guard chest armor.

  • Renamed choke emote to choking.

  • Fixed invisible torso and bloody material on the Wedding Dress.

  • Made the Skull Cloak un-dyeable.

  • Changed it so self-inflicted damage no longer forces you into combat.

  • Fixed visual issues with Oracle Confirmatory.

  • Fixed a grammar error in a Highvale journal entry.

  • Fixed an issue where the charging UI and VFX for charging a skill or free attack would remain after sheathing your weapon.

  • Fixed Satyr bark text.

  • Satyr collision now includes their horns.

  • Fixed an issue where Ring of Fire's VFX were drawing incorrectly.

  • SotACon Cloak no longer emits purple light.

  • Polish pass on Battle of Highvale items.

  • Fixed bad material on ruins in Highvale.

  • Made default behavior when dragging items on merchants to shopping cart to drag only one item.

  • Dash speed was corrected.

  • Virtue Fur Hat no longer causes hair to flip up on female avatars.

  • Fixed an issue where the facepalm emote made the character sit.

  • Fixed an issue where Air's Embrace's VFX were being rendered while using stealth.

  • Elysian Illumination VFX no longer persists after respawn.

  • Improved the terrain quality of Nghtshade Pass.

  • Fixed a bug that caused many video resolution options to no longer be available in the options menu.

  • Brigid in Resolute now properly appears as a quest destination for the Path of Courage.

  • Fixed an ugly floor texture on several ruins.

  • Vertas tooltip no longer lists a Truth Devotional.

  • Female legs no longer clip through the backs of Cloth Boots of Truth when running.

  • Fixed bad scaling on several display item container decorations.

  • Improved rain collision for Duke Benefactor player home.

  • Fixed rain collision for the Viking Inn.

  • Fixed collision on Obsidian Wagon.

  • Fixed misaligned secret door in Knight Marshal Benefactor Village home.

  • Raised Butterfly dance animation to fix ground clipping issue.


Known Issues

  • Elysium Mines - May be unable to attack when standing in pools of water.

  • Cabalists debuffs affect themselves instead of players

  • Cabalist Artifact weapons do not properly create Ancient Essences if broken from Masterworking or Enchanting

  • Spellbinder Stance is missing most expected spell effects

  • POT Owners/Stewards are no longer able to place Wax Cylinders inside Broadcast Automated Phonographs

  • Enemy mages are healing too rapidly in combat.

  • Quest NPCs will not accept inexact stacks of quest items. Items must be exact quantity requested at time of turn-in to be recognized as valid.

  • Party/Companion nameplates can be visually obscured if enough buffs are added for icons to wrap to three rows.

  • Visual quest indicators may be missing from compass. Adding the data to support them is an ongoing design process.

  • Time-of-day compass indicators may not correctly match the sky's visuals.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-12-15 01:01:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Q1 2018 Schedule Update



Greetings Avatars,

We are excited to announce a candidate launch date for Shroud of the Avatar! On Tuesday March 27, 2018 (Release 52), we are planning to launch out of Early Access!

So what does that mean exactly for a game that has been both persistent for over a year and been doing monthly releases for over 4 years? Well, for us it means that we are delivering the list of features, including physical goods, promised during the Kickstarter albeit with a few exceptions and/or replacements (see below). It also means that we are going to grow our community through marketing campaigns

As we have stated previously, we intend to publish quarterly schedule updates detailing our monthly releases and those monthly releases will continue. Even though the goals outlined in these schedules are likely to change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to periodically provide you with an updated roadmap.

Our priority continues to be to deliver new content to our backers regularly, so that you can give us feedback that will help us iteratively improve Shroud of the Avatar. This collaborative process continues to benefit the game, and often results in sweeping changes such as the recent polish passes to the user interface. As you have seen in previous releases, the flexibility inherent to this process means that we sometimes push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

Most recently we have been collaborating with our partner Travian to survey our backers on their experience with the game so we can correlate feedback scientifically with the metrics we are collecting in the game. Thank you everyone who has participated, your survey answers have helped guide our Top 10 priorities for launch and our Q1 schedule.

Check out the Q1 2018 Post on the main website to see what's coming up!


[ 2017-12-14 19:53:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 49 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 49 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, December 14, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 49 is the fourth release in which we focused on our Top 10 Priorities for Launch. We continued to make strong progress on load time reductions, story polish, and creation of new scenes. We also created more side quests and tons of other new content, including virtue armor and holiday content.

For all the details, please read the entire R49 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun in New Britannian's latest release!


[ 2017-12-13 20:37:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #257: The Making of East Longfall Wetland



This week's Update #257 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of East Longfall Wetland
  • The Making of Elysium Mines (cont.)
  • Soltown Inn Remodel
  • Make a Difference: 2017 Charitable Giving Report
  • Free Trial (aka Visitor System) Updates
  • R49 on QA Server
  • BrightLocker’s Crowd Equity Campaign Shroud of the Avatar Perks
  • Community Wellness with the Meretz Fitness App
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Cozy Up by the Fire
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • R49 Dance Party: Special Guest DJ Darkstarr
  • Spotlight: Whyte Roc – Player Owned Town
  • AERIE Fund Dev Crafting Competition & Charity Auction
  • Contest: The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue: 1st Weekly Winners!
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12
  • Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Support: The Saga of Lucimia MMORPG


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-12-08 20:59:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #255: Armor of Truth Full Set



This week's Update #255 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Armor of Truth Full Set
  • The Making of East Longfall Wetland
  • Norgard Barbarians
  • New Maps Added: Blood River Outskirts & Solace Bridge Outskirt
  • 2017 Spooky Items & Crown Bonus Extended to Dec. 1
  • R47 Postmortem Missed Questions
  • Reminder: Release 48 Postmortem Telethon – Dec.1
  • Survey: Your Shroud of the Avatar General Experience
  • BrightLocker’s Crowd Equity Campaign Shroud of the Avatar Perks
  • Community Wellness with the Meretz Fitness App
  • Harvest Weekend Sale
  • New Free Trial Begins! Runs thru Dec. 13
  • Livestream: Artifacts & Virtue Gear
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
    Spotlight: New Fawn – Player Owned Town
  • AERIE Fund Dev Crafting Competition & Charity Auction
  • Contest: The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-11-24 20:46:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 48 Patch Notes: November 21, 2017

Build Number 702 3:30PM

Updates


  • The Cabalist Robe no longer causes performance issues when cloth simulation is turned on.

  • Decay will now apply to ghosts in the overworld map.


Known Issues

  • Halberd of the Sun auto-attacks will force a global cooldown timer on all abilities with every swing.

  • Some extreme resolution options are not possible due to an inability to scroll the video resolution list.

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


Build Number 700 11:30AM

Updates

  • The chat window is now cleared when exiting to the main menu.

  • Fix issue where skills like Soothing Rain and Elysian Illumination could sometimes cause performance issues due to VFX stacking.

  • Fix issue with teleport scrolls not working after the first use.


Known Issues

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Combat resistances may not be applying as expected - notably against Fire Mages in The Rise

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-11-21 22:33:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 48 Patch Notes: November 20, 2017

Build Number 699 6:30PM

Updates

  • Decorations with particle effects should now display correctly on scene load.
  • Fix graphical issues with Rain weather
  • Fix issue with party member nameplates not showing through other objects
  • Fix conversation issue with Skitter the Faun in Jaanaford
  • Corrected an error with a gate in Blood River
  • Battle of Solace Bridge: "Escape the Battlefield" task now correctly clears when finishing the scene.
  • Fix information displayed in skills UI after logging into a different account
  • Enlightenment health debuff will now persist when changing scenes.
  • Improve performance with Night Vision effects
  • Kobold Expeditionary Camp: The arena battle to free Sir Patrick will restart if the player is disconnected or leaves during the battle.
  • Fix Celestis boat tooltip
  • Frozen Tear, Gaia's Heart, Conflagration wand, and Heart of Vrul are now all enchantable
  • Fix stray pillar object in Solania Catacombs
  • Fix issue where you could get stuck in buildings on Novia when exiting certain scenes.
  • Fix stuck spot in Understorm Gold Mine
  • Corrected colors on some Yule items that were more pink than red
  • Halberd of the Sun will no longer trigger a global cooldown


Build Number 698 11:00AM

Updates

  • The in-game map UI was updated.

  • The monkey room monkeys in K'rul will no longer stay at their spawn location.

  • Fixed a hitching animation for female avatar sitting.

  • Charlotte in Battle of Solace Bridge is no longer interrupting her own cry animations.

  • Timothy in Ardoris will now perform the "Love Salute" emote without error.

  • The Wealthy Merchant Coat no longer has a gap in the midsection.

  • Removed a sight-blocking tree in Brittany.

  • Cabalist loot now has a larger chance to drop, including a small chance for Legendary loot

  • Improved the description for the fireflies spell.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination and Soothing Rain have the potential to break and cause rapidly deteriorating performance in large groups.

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Combat resistances may not be applying as expected - notably against Fire Mages in The Rise

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.



[ 2017-11-21 01:35:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 48 Patch Notes: November 17, 2017

Build Number 697 6:30PM

Updates


  • Fixed an issue where buffs and resistances were using incorrect values in some cases.

  • Fixed visible seams on blanket horse textures.

  • Removed incorrect quest visual cue from Abigail in Soltown.

  • Fixed the description on Eagle Eye modifier.

  • Torpor will now correctly grant damage avoidance during the root portion of the spell.

  • The Hacked Oracle Eye pets is no longer invisible when placed or summoned.

  • Fixed Virtue Armors rewarded to players with low durability.

  • Fixed an issue where unarmed free attacks would not start charging.

  • Lightning will now also include a -10 air resistance effect on each hit.

  • Corrected a typo in the "Secret Understorm Note" letter in Understorm Gold Mine.

  • The "My Dearest Sada" letter in Lost Whiteguard Silver Mine can now be destroyed if desired.

  • Devotional caretakers will no longer mistakenly inform players that they spoke about Honesty with someone in Fortus End.

  • Fixed an issue where attack charge state could be incorrect after interacting with resource nodes.

  • Game stability improvements.

  • Fixed masterwork modifier focus regeneration issue.

  • Devotional caretakers will now confirm when you've talked to them about their respective virtues.

  • Fixed an issue where the male avatar was sliding forward when sitting and fidgeting.

  • In-game map architecture updates.

  • Replaced hand-placed trees with terrain painted flora so that the town tree remover tool can remove them. WHO SPEAKS FOR THE TREES!?

  • More artifacts should now be enchanted and masterworked.

  • Fixed an issue that caused charged attacks to be cancelled after casting a skill.

  • When switching between Jaanaford and Broken Echoes Silver Mine while a siege is ongoing, players will no longer be forced into the siege.

  • Supply Bundles will now have a greater artifact drop rate.

  • Localization updates.


Known Issues

  • Elysian Illumination and Soothing Rain have the potential to break and cause rapidly deteriorating performance in large groups.

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Combat resistances may not be applying as expected - notably against Fire Mages in The Rise

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.



Build Number 696 11:00AM

Updates

  • Cabalist hoods now can be masterworked and enchanted.

  • Fixed a breakable barrier in Understorm Gold Mine that wasn't functioning.

  • Edited pond water and terrain underneath in Solace Bridge Outskirts which improves its appearance.

  • Returning to combat idle animations no longer interrupts preexisting charged attacks.

  • Changed interconnection with Formosa from via wagons to via boats in Player Owned Town Light City.

  • Players now play fidget animations properly while sitting in a chair.

  • Fixed incorrect icons for ornate garlands.

  • Purify now has updated VFX.

  • Fixed scale of dragons.

  • The task for the Page of Pride in Path of the Oracle is now correctly cleared when the page is recovered.

  • Fixed sand elementals death animation.

  • Enabled major repairs on artifacts.

  • Fixed an issue where Heavy precipitation was not showing rain.

  • Pushed exit volume in Storm's Reach farther back so it wouldn't place you back into Understorm Gold Mine as you tried to zone in.

  • Deleted a tree encroaching on fallen tree bridge in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed an issue where 2017 Yule Card rendered as transparent black when placed upside down.

  • Fixed several swords that were not able to be placed as decorations.

  • Fixed lich being able to use death magic without needing LOS.

  • Fixed colliders on 2017 Yule Gift Boxes.

  • Made the Staff of Anarchy useable as a decoration.

  • Lighting fixes in Kiln Cistern.

  • Regenerated the conversation for Elon the devotional caretaker in Fortus End to help with his "goodbye" response.


Known Issues

  • Some artifacts may be missing recent changes for repair, masterwork, or enchanting. Please report any of these edge cases for review and resolution.

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Combat resistances may not be applying as expected - notably against Fire Mages in The Rise

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-11-18 01:50:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #254: Play Release 48 Now!



This week's Update #254 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Winter 2017 and R47 Telethon Items
  • Release 48 Postmortem Telethon – Dec.1
  • Release 48 Major Artifact Changes Clarifications
  • Survey: Your Shroud of the Avatar Gameplay Experience
  • BrightLocker’s Crowd Equity Campaign Shroud of the Avatar Perks
  • Community Wellness with the Meretz Fitness App
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Russian Version Launch Sale Week 3: Home and Outdoor Decorations
  • Livestream: Scottie’s Yuletide Gifts
  • R47 Raffle Winners
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Contest: The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue
  • Party: Portalarium Studio Grand Holiday Party – Jan. 12
  • Event: R48 Welcome Quest in Veritas Sanctuary


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-11-17 22:04:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Avatar’s Guide to Knowledge and Virtue – A Video Creation Contest

Click here for the details of the contest, including what you can win!


[ 2017-11-17 19:02:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 48 Patch Notes: November 16, 2017

Build Number 695 8:30PM

Updates


  • Fixed Kobold/Satyr/NPC creature spell animation issues.

  • Julie and Lilly's quest in Solace Bridge Outskirts now uses the correct query.

  • Added support for mouse scroll wheel to EULA and TOS UI.

  • The Splintering Strike attack no longer hits “nothing” on a successful strike.

  • Cabalists in sieges now reflect what is shown on a moondial.

  • Fixed an issue where Icy Thrust would not hit enemies.

  • The Row Stone Prison 5-Story and 2-Story Basement’s collision data was updated.

  • Some Shogun Lanterns that were duplicated have been corrected.

  • Shock Monkeys in K'rul are no longer trapped outside of the map.

  • Removed ugly water form Lost Whiteguard Silver Mine.

  • The task to open the gate in Battle of Solace Bridge now properly clears.

  • Fixed LOD issues on pillars in Spectral Mines.

  • Fixed z-fighting textures on wooden footbridge.

  • Removed a silent brazier from Highvale Outskirts.

  • Players can no longer talk to NPCs when using coconuts.

  • Added some variation and length to Satyr noncombat idle.

  • Fixed masterwork and enchantment issues with TorqDawl weapons and artifact wands.

  • Removed TorcDawl weapons from masterwork/enchant listing.

  • Non-hostile kobolds in Kobold Expeditionary Camp will no longer join in on last fight of Battle Royale.

  • Samael in Malice will now close his conversation correctly when waiting on player to talk to Sequanna.

  • Fixed stairs collision in the Pristine Gothic Mansion.

  • The Oracle is no longer missing voice audio in offline mode.

  • Added an option to show or hide Words of Power.

  • The town-sized pirate galleon player home had its mast decoration collision updated.

  • Boreas' Bonesteel Crown VFX now appears correctly and disappears correctly once the crown is taken by the player.

  • The town-sized pirate galleon water home now renders reflections on water.

  • Updated the content of Player Events in-game book to not require updating with each release.

  • Set up rain collision for Elven Hill Village home.

  • Fixed missing terrain footsteps in Braemar.

  • Massive optimization for Blood River Outskirts which will have benefits in some other maps as well.

  • Added rain collision to several ancient city modular prefabs, will prevent rain inside building in Highvale Outskirts and more.

  • Chaotic Feedback now has unique VFX instead of using Ice Shield.

  • Shield of Ice, Shield of Air, and Shield of Crystal VFX have been toned down a bit for better visibility in first-person mode.

  • Fixed an error with quest visuals in Artifice.

  • Leafy piles in Solace Forest and other maps no longer create graphical errors.

  • Fixed animation issues with batch sowing, watering, and harvesting.

  • Torn and Tattered Wedding Blouse no longer appears as a normal blouse on male avatars.

  • Falling for zero damage will no longer remove stealth.

  • Torn and Tattered Wedding Veil no longer clips through male avatar necks.

  • Blood River no longer has incorrect footsteps SFX while walking on the stone bridge.

  • Watcher spiders once again have scanning VFX.

  • Shield of Attraction and Shield of the Wicked King can now be masterworked.

  • Fixed Lord and Lady Langston in Solace Bridge Outskirts addressing the player when speaking together.

  • Fixed satyr and kobold underdwellers having improper animations.

  • Fixed an error in Kinsey's conversation in Solace Bridge Outskirts that blocked her from performing the Formal Love Salute emote.

  • Highvale Village fires now cull at better distances.

  • Fixed an error in Horatio's "hello" response in Highvale Outskirts that blocked him from performing the Formal Courage Salute emote.

  • New Braid hairstyle no longer is clipping through the Wealthy Merchant Hat.

  • No more rain inside the stone ruins of Highvale Outskirts.

  • Fixed many low-res issue with icons.

  • Locked Glyph stacking will now be properly interrupted when getting stunned or knocked down.


Known Issues

  • Some artifacts may be missing recent changes for repair, masterwork, or enchanting. Please report any of these edge cases for review and resolution.

  • Elements of tree curtains used in many scenes will appear to be rendered black.

  • Dazzling Rays, and other caster-based AOE spells, have difficulty hitting nearby enemies in confined spaces (like narrow hallways)

  • The animation for "kicking something open" puts away weapons and torches.

  • Death Shield does not mitigate damage from critical hits

  • Combat resistances may not be applying as expected - notably against Fire Mages in The Rise

  • The crafting window does not have proper messaging to indicate when a tool is broken, and will simply say that there is no recipe found.

  • Dynamically spawned NPCs may have delayed spawn in scenes that are dense with player homes and decorations.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like “Options” or “DeckBuilder”

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.


[ 2017-11-17 02:08:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 48 Instructions

[/img]

Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 48 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, November 16, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 48 is the third release in which we focused on our Top 10 Priorities for Launch. We continued to make strong progress on load time reductions, story polish, and creation of new scenes. We also created more side quests and tons of other new content, including virtue armor and holiday content.

For all the details, please read the entire R48 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun in New Britannian's latest release!


[ 2017-11-15 21:51:20 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #253: Armors of Courage and Love



This week's Update #253 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Armors of Courage and Love (Full Sets)
  • Scottie’s Yuletide Objects of 2017 (cont)
  • Winter 2017 and R46 Telethon Items (cont)
  • Movember Bundle Additions
  • Community Wellness with the Meretz Fitness App
  • Release 48 Major Artifact Changes Reminder
  • UO 20th Postmortem at GDC 2018 + Care & Feeding of Wild Fansites Video
  • Portalarium at SXSW 2018
  • Free Trial Test – Nov. 1-15
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Russian Version Launch Sale Week 2: Homes & Basements
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Event: Bare Knuckle Brawl
  • Extra Life – Virtue vs Chaos – Results!


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-11-10 22:17:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #252: New Low-level Mines!



This week's Update #252 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • New Low-level Mines
  • Truth, Love, and Courage Armor
  • Scottie’s Yuletide Objects of 2017
  • Winter 2017 and R46 Telethon Items
  • R47 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • Movember: Moustache of the Avatar
  • UO 20th Postmortem at GDC 2018
  • Portalarium at SXSW 2018
  • Free Trial Test – Nov. 1-15
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Russian Version Launch Sale Week 1: Wearables and Property Deeds
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Halloween Contest Winners!
  • Extra Life Charity Livestreams This Saturday, Nov. 4!
  • WANTED! The Hispaniola Treasure Map Hunt


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-11-06 22:11:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 47 Patch Notes: October 30, 2017

Updates


  • Fixed an issue where the blacksmithing station colliders are rendered as white boxes while being placed as a decoration.

  • Fixed minor clipping with female hair through Nurse’s Hat.

  • Facial animation added to Satyr rig.

  • Fixed an issue where negative heals would not get applied at full health.

  • Fixed an issue that would cause the left arm to shake while casting certain skills.

  • Fixed an issue with "On Hit" enchantments that would significantly reduce the chance to hit.

  • Fixed interactive collider for post mounted mailboxes.

  • Bears are now less likely to move out of weapon range while fighting them.

  • Performance testing updates.

  • Added collision to prevent camera from popping out of ceiling in Epitaph.

  • Fixed the gate to the child's pen in Halls of Artifice so that the gate can be unlocked and opened once again.

  • When in free-mouse mode the reticle will now show while the right mouse button is held down.

  • Merchant window now closes when the merchant dies.

  • Setup entries for new scene scenarios in Kobold Expeditionary Camp.

  • Minor modifications to the resource gathering UI in response to player feedback.

  • Fixed pillars at wrong scale in Elads.

  • Fixed inaccessible ore nodes in Blackblade Foothills.

  • Merchants no longer exit conversation after using the "buy" keyword.

  • Removed rocks blocking entrance in Epitaph.

  • Fixed an issue with Horatio's conversation in Highvale Outskirts that was giving an error when talking about the new Formal Courage Salute emote.

  • Corrected several leashing range issues with non-combat NPCs in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Demig will now close his conversation when completing his quest in Demig's Battle Camp.

  • Fixed decorative brazier so it no longer causes fire damage.

  • Fixed an LOD issue with Midras Ruins on Novia overworld map.

  • Fixed bug that caused NPC chat bubbles to appear long after they said something.

  • Added audio mixers and their corresponding audio sources so that SFX will be affected by the master volume slider.

  • A Denis Loubet art piece was added to crown merchants.

  • Mace of Unsummoning now has the correct damage stats.


Known Issues

  • Some weapons may salvage for incorrect types of scrap.

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas for Windows 10 users. Playing in Windows 8 compatibility mode may fix this.

  • Sheet music played on instruments will cause background music to start skipping noticeably. Restarting the client may fix this.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R47 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-30 17:44:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #251: Play Release 47 Now!



This week's Update #251 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 47 Now!
  • The Making of the Oracle Temple [SPOILERS!]
  • Release 48 Major Artifact Changes
  • More Make a Difference and Fall Item Screenshots
  • Make a Difference Expansions
  • R47 Postmortem Telethon – Nov. 3
  • Portalarium at SXSW 2018
  • Nightmares of New Britannia – Halloween Contest Ends Next Week
  • Introducing Kory “Kor” Kirk – Portalarium’s New Web Developer!
  • Free Trial Test – This Nov. 1-15
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Livestream – The Oracle Temple
  • Extra Life Schedule and Livestreamers Needed – Nov. 4
  • Think Pink 24 Hour Stream-A-Thon Results
  • R47 Welcome Quest in Moonglade – Oct. 28
  • EVL Presents: 2017 Halloween Fashion Show – Oct. 29
  • Mynwent Haunted House Dance Party – Oct. 31


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-10-28 00:20:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 47 Patch Notes: October 27, 2017

Updates


  • Load time performance updates.

  • Signage SFX is now linked to audio sliders.

  • Adjusted heavy and medium wind volumes for alpine weather.

  • Fixed an issue where Shroud aura could remain after swapping equipment.

  • Fixed pivot point of Landscape Painting.

  • Markup codes for keywords no longer appear in NPC barks.

  • Courage Helms and Truth Hoods are no longer missing icons.

  • Made brown rabbits brown and spotted rabbits spotted.

  • Fixed brazier decoration counting as an NPC building for Player Owned Towns.

  • Fixed collision and decoration issue on second floor of the Elven City Home.

  • Players will now always appear in the correct location when entering Artifice.

  • Ardoris Guard Armor icons are now the correct color.

  • Removed non-quest related decorative wine bottles from Blood River Outskirts.

  • Virtue Dirndl Shoes now show the correct skin tone.

  • The Player Owned Town of Rinzai has been upgraded to Crossroads Village.

  • Snowy Mountain Road Encounter will now list as a tier 10 scene and not as Tier 2.

  • Updated headwaters of a river near Sanctus Spine on the Novia Overworld map.

  • Replaced lava in Hellfire Rift on the Novia Overworld map.

  • Updated name for Ornate Hospital Bed.

  • Lifted a corpse in Battle of Highvale above the ground so the head and all appendages are revealed.

  • The Blood River Outskirts quest for elven wine is now repeatable.

  • NPC mages are no longer using archery skills.

  • Horatio in Highvale Outskirts added keyword variations to "formal courage salute": formalcourageformalcourage saluteformalcouragesalute

  • Stinging Tree Hollow Cloak now has the correct colors.


Known Issues

  • Kobolds are missing from the Kobold Expeditionary Camp.

  • Cannot enter Epitaph due to rocks blocking the entrance.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-27 22:12:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 47 Patch Notes: October 26, 2017

Updates


  • Avatar sprinting now includes animated arms along with moving encumbered with weapons drawn.

  • Summoned daemons no longer damages themselves.

  • Added a small chance for tier-8 skeletons to spawn near the ruins in Sequanna Colossus.

  • Run and walk animation tweak was made to fix shields poking through arms.

  • Desolis now includes more interactive items, updated bank signs, stuck areas blocked, and a hidden Easter egg.

  • Fixed sign placement in Brittany Estates.

  • Players who use a quest reset will now be able to start the Battle of Highvale correctly.

  • A skeleton hand in Ruins of Ravensmore had its color corrected.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Epitaph.

  • Corrected tier of copper ore nodes in Vauban Pass.

  • Particles and lights VFX and SFX from traps now cull properly.

  • Fixed an issue where consumable item cooldowns would not show properly.

  • Ancient Staff of Anarchy no longer triggers global cooldown on every swing.

  • Adjusted Doctor’s Pants to fix clipping.

  • Fixed visible red line at the seams of the Doctor's Pants.

  • The Abundis River, which lets out into the Naryad Channel at Harvest, now has custom collision.

  • Removed durability from Jabbering Bertha preventing durability issues.

  • A public vendor in Estgard no longer has mismatched skin tones.

  • Added SFX to Gate Gold Plated Iron fence.

  • All one-handed rune weapons are now set to use both arms to fix twitching shield-hold when attacking.

  • Added cloth simulation to Nurse's Skirt.

  • Zangoff now properly gives XP reward for "Bound by Love" quest resolution.

  • Fixed a minor collision error in The Fall.

  • The Oracle now properly unlocks the lunar rift discovery point during character creation.

  • Fixed a graphical error on water in North Ravenswood.

  • Load balancing updated.

  • Fixed an issue that would cause audio to stutter after playing or listening to an instrument.

  • Fixed several issues with interactive items in The Epitaph, also blocked stuck spots and increased lava damage.

  • Ensured the chest in Charlotte's house in Battle of Solace Bridge doesn't spin 180 degrees upon interaction.

  • Clock SFX is now adjusted with the master slider.

  • Novia river headwaters updated.

  • Moved a painting in The Clink that was blocking access to a doorway.

  • Realigned walls and floors in The Clink to have correct alignment with the main grid of the scene.

  • Signs SFX are now linked to the master slider.

  • Fixed a bug that caused some nested Player Owned Towns to be labeled as "besieged".

  • Fixed an issue where Dodge Power Masterwork was not contributing to Combat Dodge Modifier.

  • Rotated the weapon on bludgeon attacks to accommodate shield poses.

  • Fixed pivot point of Oktoberfest Banner.

  • Adding all skills impacted by the stacking change to the 100% return on unlearn list.

  • Fixed losing Devotional buffs when changing maps.

  • Fixed NPC SFX continuing to play after death.


Known Issues

  • Virtue Dirndl Shoes make avatar skin lighter in some cases.

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-26 22:21:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 47 Instructions

[/img]

Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 47 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, October 26, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 47 is the second release in which we focused on our Top 10 Priorities for Launch. We continued to make strong progress on load time reductions, story polish, and scene rebuilding. We also created more side quests and tons of other new content, including a whole new set of Make a Difference items.

For all the details, please read the entire R47 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun in New Britannian's latest release!


[ 2017-10-25 20:33:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #250: SotAMap Now Under Official Development!



This week's Update #250 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • SotAMap Now Under Official Development
  • R47 Postmortem Telethon – Nov. 3
  • R46 Postmortem Missed Questions
  • SotA Con Austin 2017 Recap
  • Nightmares of New Britannia – Halloween Contest Extended!
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Trees, Bushes, Cacti
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Event: Shooter Jennings Meet n’ Greet
  • Extra Life Schedule and Livestreamers Needed – Nov. 4
  • Mynwent Haunted House


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-10-21 01:15:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #249: R46 Postmortem Telethon Results and SotA Con Weekend



This week's Update #249 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • More Make a Difference, R45 Telethon, Halloween, and SeedInvest Item Screenshots
  • R46 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • SotA Con Austin 2017 This Weekend
  • Nightmares of New Britannia – A Spooky Halloween Contest
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Community Livestream: North Quel Way First Look
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Event: Think Pink – Organized Chaos Grand Capture Fair


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-10-13 20:41:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #248: R46 Postmortem Telethon and SotA Con Next Week



This week's Update #248 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Making of North Midmaer Way and North Quel Way
  • Updates to New Content Threads: More SeedInvest Items, Bierkrugs and New Fall Items
  • R46 Postmortem Telethon Next Week
  • Nightmares of New Britannia – A Spooky Halloween Contest
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus Continues
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Weapons
  • SotA Con Austin 2017 Next Week
  • Richard Garriott’s Interview and Panel at IgroMir Expo
  • Livestream: Celebrating Release 46
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Spotlight: Veritas Sanctuary Player Owned Town
  • Event: R46 Welcome Quest in FinDupre


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-10-06 19:44:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Patch Notes: October 4, 2017

Build Number 672

Updates


  • Restored missing dead oak trees in Solace Bridge Outskirts, Blood Bay, and Elad's Lighthouse.

  • The game will no longer become unresponsive in select scenes such as Halls of Artifice.


Known Issues

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-04 22:27:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Nightmares of New Britannia – A Spooky Halloween Contest

[/img]

BOO! Spooky content abounds in New Britannia this Halloween season, some of old, some of new! Here’s your chance to show it off to the rest of the community in your own unique style!

We’re announcing today a two-part challenge of decorating a home or property in a spooky theme, or wearing a themed costume. You can submit an entry for both segments, though you are only eligible to win in one of them. As we get entries, we will announce on social media the latest entries in a Facebook gallery. You will also be able to view the entries as they are posted in the forums.

Submit your entries in a single post reply to this forum thread. Deadline to submit is Tuesday, October 24 at 12pm (Noon) CT, so get those spooky ideas started now!

Visit the Main Shroud Website for contest details.


[ 2017-10-03 23:40:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Patch Notes: October 3, 2017


  • Lowtax Gogan the Town Crier in Estgard will now accept only one undelivered package for a reward.

  • The Clink is currently locked to its post-riot scenario pending further review of issues in the map.

  • Created a different lake material for lake water in Solace Bridge Outskirts which is more opaque.

  • Sow Seeds agriculture bonus description no longer repeats "radius" twice.

  • Updated Nach's dialogue in Highvale Outskirts to introduce the rumors he talks about in his earlier conversations.

  • The steam puzzle in Brittany Sewers will now properly reset.

  • Fixed navigation issues where NPCs could walk through some gates in Brittany Sewers.

  • The Blacksmith in Crooked Shank no longer has expired recipes available.

  • Removed unnecessary flag for refugee aid quest from bedrolls and wheat sacks in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Updated Lt. Simone and Cap. Burnes' conversations in Highvale Outskirts.

  • The secret door to the secret passage in Spectral Mines is no longer blocked.

  • Frost material in Highvale Outskirts two-stone crypt area was adjusted.

  • Added an ankh within the Geistesser's lair and one at the entrance stairs of the crypt in Highvale Outskirts.

  • The Shroud of the Avatar is no longer a decoration item, which it cannot be while also being a quest reward.

  • Diplomatic Note for Korabar that is given to players after completing the associated quest is no longer flagged as a quest item.

  • Dhalia Lock in Desolis will now close her conversation correctly.

  • Fixed an incorrect decoration surface inside rooftop room of Prison Row House.


Known Issues

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-03 23:17:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Patch Notes: October 2, 2017

October 2, 2017

Build Number 667

Updates


  • Fix exception when casting Purify

  • Now close conversation window immediately when buying from a merchant, opening a bank, or training during a conversation

  • Huntsman Sven in Highvale Outskirts will now only accept "Special Animal Hides" for blanket and bedroll making. These "Special Animal Hides" only rarely drop from Highvale Outskirts wolves and bears because of their special hide thickness as a result of the extra cold that permeates the region. This also makes the hides useless for any other purpose other than Sven's handiwork.

  • Esmeralda, of Highvale Outskirts, appreciates getting Herbal Tea Leaves, but not as much as she used to. Rewards are lowered.

  • Battle of Highvale: Hooked up fire SFX to volume sliders

  • Solace Bridge Outskirts: Added proper sound controllers to grave

  • Entering Etceter Crag Mines while grouped will no longer result in a black screen, but correctly load the version of the mines with hostile bandits.

  • Brookside : Fixed schedule variable error for overnight devotional caretaker Raimi.

  • Solace Bridge Outskirts: Ackerley now only gives his "fever medicine" one time.

  • Increased treasure chest re-spawn default to be 15 instead of 3 minutes in certain scenes.

  • Aerie: Corrected a reward bundle issue with Ayen the Obsidian Alchemist.

  • Estgard: Corrected a reward bundle issue with Svanhild the Town Crier.

  • Lunar rifts no longer cause errors when looping back on themselves.

  • Fix an error that occurs when moving off a player lot while holding a vendor decoration.

  • Estgard: Fixed NPC-operated gate switch errors in scene.

  • Prevent vendor UIs from causing an exception when cancelled.


Known Issues

  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-10-02 23:27:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Patch Notes: October 2, 2017

Release 46Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 46! "How to Play" instructions and game update notes on Release 46 are available here

October 2, 2017 Build Number 666

Updates

  • Fixed a missing material in The Crags
  • Fix seam in Viking Merchant Shirt sleeve
  • Fix visual issue with arrows in Elven Quiver
  • Fix door permission issue when a user's character name changes.
  • Fixed an issue where you could not cycle to certain enemies.
  • Mark old R45 Raffle Tickets as trade-able
  • Golden Clockwork Raven Decoration Pet is now labelled correctly
  • Merchant Shirt and Skirt are now masterwork-able
  • Fix bug that caused all equipment to be removed when swapping decks for the first time after logging inChanging the behavior of Defensive stance. Now instead of boosting damage absorption it boost defensive skill modifiers. See the following link for a full explanation: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/chris-daily-work-blog.85584/page-5#post-882703
  • Made Battle Scythe placeable as a decoration.
  • Fixed blacked out window on Blue Tile Roof two story row home.
  • Fixed floating objects in Highvale Outskirts
  • Fix agriculture for Tenants
  • POT Iron Gate: Interconnection (with Bearskin Grotto)
  • Improved visuals for Jaanaford bonfire
  • Northwest Blackblade Mountains: Added additional ankhs, fixed sky rotation, reworked some NPC spawning
Known Issues
  • Casting Purify Burst in underground scenes (e.g. Mines) will cause error spam and lead to performance breaks.
  • Player Vendors may go missing if dragged while stepping off a lot, reloading the map will fix this.
  • Skill values will appear to carry over between accounts on the same client.
  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.
  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.
  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.
  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"
  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.
  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.
  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.
  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.
  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.
  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.
  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.
  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards
  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.
  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.
  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.
  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.
  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.
  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.
  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.
  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.
  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.
  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.
  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store
  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.
  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.
  • Some spell VFX do not play properly
  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)
  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings
  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
  • 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.


[ 2017-10-02 20:41:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #247: Play Release 46 Now!



This week's Update #247 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Blackblade Foothills, North Midmaer Way, & North Quel Way
  • Q4 2017 Schedule Update
  • R46 Postmortem Telethon
  • Cyber Monday Crown Bonus
  • R45 Raffle Winners Announced
  • SotA Con Austin 2017 Schedule
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Play: Hungry Eyes in The Darkness
  • Event: Veritas Sanctuary R46 Welcome Events
  • Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Support: Numenera 2: Discovery and Destiny


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-09-29 20:58:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Patch Notes: September 29, 2017


  • Enemies no longer continue to spin to face you despite being stunned/knocked down.

  • Corrected exit hex and player spawn location for Kobold Expeditionary Camp.

  • Grounded floating cotton resource node in Kobold Expeditionary Camp.

  • Lich idle animation updated.

  • Fixed incorrect stats on barbarian caster.

  • Kormag in the Kobold Expeditionary Camp will accept an answer for his offer to free his prisoner,

  • Kobolds in the Kobold Expeditionary Camp will give a task to speak to Kormag if appropriate.

  • Fixed an issue where you could overlap wall decorations.

  • Fixed an issue in the character sheet where the model could be scaled incorrectly on some resolutions.

  • Healing debuff now has a max cap of 75% reduction. Players will always be able to keep at least 25% of their healing effectiveness.

  • Fixed an issue where fog would not be applied to distant terrain.

  • Purify will no longer remove the negative effects of Chaotic Feedback (Purify will not remove effects which can be used on friendly targets)

  • Added a Banner of Truth keyword in Blood River Outskirts to Alberic's dialogue for a more direct route to get the banner after turning in the vigilante manifesto.

  • More items are marked as quest items.

  • Dread artifact reagents can now be destroyed if unwanted.

  • Courage and Honor dialog typos in Highvale Outskirts have been corrected.

  • Dying the Elven Elite Archer Quiver now works.

  • Fixed context menu issues that caused a context menu to appear when the player did not intend for it to appear.

  • Fixed decoration placement issues on second floor of Ornate Shogun Crafting Pavilion.

  • Corrected display name for "Large Headless Horseman Grim Reaper Statue 2017"

  • Fixed a bad icon for the Ornate Prison Cage.

  • Prison Ground signs can now be placed on Player Owned Towns.

  • Fixed collision on Ornate Prison Cage so items placed on top no longer float.

  • Fixed misplaced colliders for Blue Tile Roof 2-Story Row Home.

  • Created a smaller Headless Horseman Grim Reaper statue, suitable for smaller locations like entryways.

  • Ysaranth the Curious in Boreas Colossus has had enough of the imps' taunting and has driven them off, It should be much safer to approach her now.

  • Fixed blend shapes for female avatar head to fix eyes sorting with eyelids.

  • Fixed door frame collision on gothic inns.

  • Added an ankh in Highvale Outskirts near the target dummies in the monastery.

  • Added a "hyla" keyword and dialogue in Esmeralda's converation in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Swapped out Vertas elves reference for Obsidian Elves. Guards by the player default start in Highvale Outskirts.

  • In Highvale Outskirts removed Horatio's question about why the player is there.

  • Made the basic prison sign interactive.

  • Hand of Naturamans decoration place the item in their homes.

  • Small fire with light on ground near guard corpse by gate from Solace Bridge Starter now culls at a correct distance.

  • Fixed missing textures on the ornate quiver.

  • Fixed an issue where certain decorations could not be placed on walls.

  • Removed the repeatable quest in Highvale Outskirts for finding and turning in bedrolls and wheat sacks, the quest is now one-shot to return items to Lieutenant Simone in the monastery.

  • When you look through the round window of the Gothic Haunted Inn widow's walk, you can no longer see through to the other side.

  • Fixed missing textures on Orate Leather Quiver decoration.

  • Added three more resurrection ankhs in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Added a fallback conversation line to Haratio in Highvale Outskirts after the player speaks to Captain Burnes.

  • Dot duration for Puncture has been shortened but the damage per tick has been increased.

  • Made a decoration version for the Think Pink cloak.

  • Made small leashes for major quest givers like Captain Burnes in Highvale Outskirts so players can't drag them away from their designated spots.

  • Refined the collision on the Prison Row Home to prevent camera clipping issues.

  • Merchants once again will not sell to players when they are off duty.

  • Simplified the collider on a hanging cage prop in North Varisalla Foothills.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Highvale Outskirts.

  • Deleted a floating banner in Soltown.

  • Removed an errant debug character model from Alpine Player Owned Town.

  • Removed empty bark references.

  • Corrected NPC identities in Crooked Shank so names display correctly.

  • Redid the streams in Nightshade Pass to make them "flow" and added sound effects.

  • Distract skill now lures skeletons in ambush mode.


Known Issues

  • Ring of Cuttlekin turns avatar skin grey instead of translucent.

  • The Elven Mage Staff incorrectly salvages for metal scrap.

  • Pets cannot follow players onto moving platforms.

  • Hitching may occur when using UI windows like "Options" or "DeckBuilder"

  • Phonograph audio cannot be heard if approached while it is already playing.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R46 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-09-29 18:37:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Q4 2017 Schedule Update



Greetings Avatars,

As we have stated previously, we intend to publish quarterly schedule updates for our monthly releases. Even though the goals outlined in these schedules are likely to change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to periodically provide you with an updated roadmap.

Our priority continues to be to deliver new content to our backers each and every month, so that you can give us feedback that will help us iteratively improve Shroud of the Avatar. This collaborative process continues to benefit the game, and often results in sweeping changes such as the upcoming addition of the Outskirts scenes. As you have seen in previous releases, the flexibility inherent to this process means that we sometimes push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

Top 10 Priorities: We keep a running list of our Top 10 priorities at all times that we use when building our schedule and prioritizing where to allocate our team’s resources. We often refer to it when making decisions about the project. While it has a VERY strong influence on what we work on at any given time, it does not mean that we only work on something that is on the list. It just means that if someone can assist with something that will help address an item on the list, then we will make sure they do that first before working on anything else. Sometimes team members cannot assist with anything on our top priorities, so they work on other tasks such as visual polish, combat balance, or content that helps us raise funds.

Until now we have only used this list internally and we have not shared it externally with you, our backers. However, we felt that as we approach launch we definitely should share this list, especially because our current Top 10 list consists of everything that we need to address BEFORE we are ready to launch.

Reduce Load Times: There are a lot of benefits to being a game that is divided up into multiple scenes, including everyone playing on one server and the ability to dynamically update scenes at will. However, being a scene-based game means that our load times MUST be mere seconds or the entire experience of playing the game is destroyed. Right now scene loads can still be over a minute on physical media drives (HDs) and up to 30 seconds even on solid state drives (SSDs). Reducing load times to seconds on both drive types is our number one goal for Q4 because the entire game experience depends on it.

Client Performance (FPS): Once we have reduced load times, we can focus on improving client performance. We will work on improving framerate, minimizing hitching, and lowering the game’s memory footprint.

Improved Reward Cycle: Right now, our reward cycle for play is completely unsatisfying. The loot is infrequent, not exciting, and requires multiple steps to gain a reward (ex. salvaging followed by crafting). We are going to add more immediately gratifying items (artifacts and gear with stats that can be salvaged for unique components). We are also going to slowly increase the amount of resources available in the world while carefully monitoring the game balance. Finally, we are going to add more unique quest rewards, especially items related to the virtues (ex. banners with virtue symbols).

....and more! Read the complete Q4 2017 Post on the main website.


[ 2017-09-28 19:08:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 46 Instructions

[/img]

Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 46 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, September 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 46 is the first release where we are starting to truly focus on our Top 10 Priorities for Launch. While we were able to make considerable progress on our targeted work of scene rebuilding, side quest creation, new creature addition, and more, we also began to spend more time on performance than ever before.

For all the details, please read the entire R46 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun in New Britannian's latest release!


[ 2017-09-27 20:33:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar’s Update #246: Top 10 Priorities for Launch



This week's Update #246 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Blackblade Foothills
  • Updates to New Content Threads: More Halloween and Oracle Items
  • Top 10 Priorities for Launch (Sept 2017 Edition)
  • Free Trial Test #6 (Sep 7-27) Continues!
  • Testing Incentives Program Reinstated (as a Lottery)
  • In The News: Dragon Con Interview Part 2 and More
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Water Homes, Water Lots, and Ship Decos
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Livestream: Northwest Blackblade Mountains
  • Spotlight: Knight’s Watch Player Town
  • Event: Trial of Chaos – Are You Brave Enough?


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-09-22 23:40:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #245: Tons of New Item Screenshots!



This week's Update #245 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Northwest Blackblade Mountains
  • New Content Threads: SeedInvest, Telethon Rewards, Halloween
  • R45 Postmortem Missed Questions Answered
  • SeedInvest Next Steps – Awarding of Perks
  • Free Trial Test #6 (Sep 7-27) Now Live!
  • In The News: Richard and Starr Dragon Con Interviews
  • Berek’s Panel at Austin Game Conference
  • Lord British and Blackthorn at UO 20th Anniversary
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Pets, Clocks, & Moondials
  • Make a Difference: Exodus by Helen Garriott
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Spotlight: Serenite Crafting Museum
  • Event: AERIE Fund – Community Cause – Think Pink
  • Recommended Project to Support: BrightLocker CrowdEquity Campaign


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-09-15 20:39:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Patch Notes: September 13, 2017


  • Fixed missing LOD meshes for ornate shogun crafting pavilion.

  • Offline reward delivery asset path bugs were corrected.

  • Helen Garriott art support for Children and Family Charities store sales.

  • Game client language is now set system default language, this setting can be changed in game options.

  • Updated Unity game engine to new patch version.

  • Plate chest armor is no longer missing when equipped.

  • Plate gauntlets are no longer mangled when equipped.


Known Issues

  • The equipable Shroud of the Avatar may display visual issues on both Male and Female avatars.

  • Equipment functionality breaks if armor is equipped that was contained within an equipable container that is also equipped at the same time. Examples include the Elite Elven Archer Quiver and the Ornate Backpack.

  • Enemies may continue to spin to face you despite being stunned/knocked down.

  • Quest Tasks that should update after looting a container may not progress if another player loots the container before you.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Gawain, the wounded knight in the Battle of Highvale, will incorrectly stand up when spoken with.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R45 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-09-13 19:19:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Avatar's Update #244: More News with a Fresh Title!



This week's Update #244 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of South Longfall Wetland
  • The Making of Crooked Shank (cont.)
  • The Making of North Shattered Hills (cont.)
  • New Title for Weekly Update
  • Free Trial Test #6 (Sep 7-27) Now Live!
  • R45 Postmortem Telethon Results
  • Dragon Con 2017 Cosplay Contest Winners!
  • In The News: Richard Garriott and Starr Long Interview at Dragon Con
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Viking Items!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • New Novia Map for Release 45
  • Giveaway: Grand Opening of Vyrin & Womby’s Bookwyrm Apartments


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-09-08 22:07:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Patch Notes: September 6, 2017


  • Hoods will now be hidden when using the New You character editor.

  • Merchants without specific dialog no longer randomly report themselves incorrectly off duty.

  • Added a chain clasp to the Norgard guard cloak.

  • Changed Robert Townsend’s name in his conversation to Robert from an incorrect entry.

  • Fixed a floating tree in Middle Downs.

  • Fixed a typo in the journal after meeting the vigilante leader Phineas the first time.

  • Moved "Dismiss" to the bottom of the list of pet commands.

  • Journeys End player owned town name was updated to fix letter case inconsistency for overworld tile loading.

  • Fix exceptions when moving decorations that contain an interactive.

  • Sheathed equipment no longer shows while using interactive objects.

  • Added decoration layer ceiling surface to the Elven Dome 2-story player house.

  • Adjusted the light intensity of Frosted Glass Chandelier.

  • Fixed an issue in South Broken Road where the exits were sending players to the wrong location in Novia.

  • Moved a cotton plant in South Celestial Wetlands outside of a poison field.

  • Fixed missing LOD meshes for Plate Leggings and Plate Boots.

  • The SyndCon 2017 cloak can no longer be rotated as a decoration.

  • Adjusted Carved Decorative Fountain collision to prevent players from getting stuck inside.

  • Further subdivided period-of-day scheduling on Service NPCs to ensure they only turn lights on during night periods and off during day periods.

  • When on the "Meet Lord Macsen in Castle Aerie" task, Lord Macsen in Aerie should now clear this task when you say "hello" " or tell him your name.

  • Removed an overworld tile template reference from hex at previous location of Ferig's Battle Camp.

  • Fixed a problem where items stacked on top of a wooden table decoration would get scaled smaller and smaller.

  • Norgard NPCs will now have different skin tones.

  • Adjusted stair collision in Kingsport NPC building.

  • Fixed the scale of the Master of the Mint painting.

  • Fixed scale of visuals in character sheet.

  • Nameplate health listing no longer flickers.

  • Moongate Travelers cloak updated.

  • Fixed cloth simulation on the Shroud of the Avatar.

  • Fixed gaps in doorways between the interior and exterior of certain NPC buildings.

  • Fixed door that was poking through ceiling underneath in an NPC building in Ardoris.

  • Fixed camera clipping into ceiling material in Wood and Plaster NPC structures.

  • Fixed an issue with Lord British Helmet losing durability.

  • Fixed an issue with not being able to enchant/masterwork the Miner's Helmet.

  • Planting Pots and Planting Barrels no longer render cubes while in decoration placement mode.

  • The lid of each sarcophagus once again will switch from open to closed, and closed to open, when you interact with it.

  • Nameplates on the overworld no longer flicker.

  • Added the border back to overworld names for better readability.

  • Fixed a material disappearing on a building roof in Vertas Pass.

  • Item icon fixes.

  • Leg equipment sorting polish.

  • Removed producer XP from daily bonus.

  • The male Tavern Customer decoration NPC will no longer appear invisible.

  • Teleporter arches throughout the Halls of Artifice now operate as expected.

  • The Courage Club Key now breaks after each use.

  • Fixed an issue where guards that provide Courage Club keys were not giving them after the first time.

  • Visual targeting indicator for fishing now uses a fixed mesh to allow rendering on water.

  • Fixed the barrier puzzle in Etceter Crag Mines so that the barrier goes down for all players.

  • Removed “decay on death” from all cities, all player-run towns, all player-owned towns, all basements, and the Courage Club.

  • Fixed an issue where looting a weapon could replace an already equipped weapon.

  • Restored the Lunar Rift and other missing points-of-interest (POI) to Brookside.

  • Fixed the scale of the paper doll in the character sheet.

  • Friendly Gust spells no longer hit party members in PVP.

  • Dragon behaviors have been adjusted so that they will spend less time staying in the air.


Known Issues

  • Players may experience difficulty claiming rewards in Offline mode from accounts that are receiving Lord British Birthday Bash Telethon Rewards>

  • The equipable Shroud of the Avatar may display visual issues on both Male and Female avatars.

  • Equipment functionality breaks if armor is equipped that was contained within an equipable container that is also equipped at the same time. Examples include the Elite Elven Archer Quiver and the Ornate Backpack.

  • Enemies may continue to spin to face you despite being stunned/knocked down.

  • The Ornate Shogun Crafting Pavilion is missing visual LODs, causing the structure to appear invisible at a short distance away.

  • Quest Tasks that should update after looting a container may not progress if another player loots the container before you.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Gawain, the wounded knight in the Battle of Highvale, will incorrectly stand up when spoken with.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R45 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-09-06 20:13:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Patch Notes: September 1, 2017


  • Updates to ensure that NPCs only turn on lights during night periods, and off during day periods.

  • Various cloth-simulation leggings polish updates.

  • Replaced some buggy trees in the Hidden Vale Plains Encounter map.

  • Updated trees in Forest Road Encounter to current trees, fixing improper collision and rendering.

  • Fixed a case where an item failed to sync properly when placed on property from a stack in the player inventory.

  • Fixed emissive pond fog in Middle Downs and adjusted some other environmental settings.

  • Fixed a problem with Shogun light decorations becoming invisible when moving them.

  • Armor no longer sorts through the Ornate Floral Kimono.

  • Made the Lord British helm usable as a decoration.

  • Created sitting variation for /scowl, /smile, and /frown emotes.

  • The Bandit Leader's Note can now be looted in Longfall Woods.

  • The endlesscloth emote has been renamed to mouthcoil.

  • The mouthcoil emote now displays from all camera angles, even when camera is zoomed up close to the avatar's face

  • Added a splash of color to discord chat in game.

  • Portions of the Shogun Wall and Streetlamp are no longer invisible.

  • Decoration layers in the Shogun Crafting Pavilion house are now set to interior.

  • Chainmail Chest Quarter Armor no longer overlaps the Long Skirted Bodice.

  • Adjusted a wall in the Ornate Shogun Crafting Pavilion so that lamps and wall decorations don't show through.

  • Made the SyndCon 2017 cloak usable as a decoration.

  • Fixed missing facial hair when wearing the Lord British helmet.

  • Dancing pets will no longer always face their owner when dancing.

  • Disabling cloth physics no longer breaks capes.


Known Issues

  • The player owned town Journey's End is inaccessible from the Overworld. Access is still possible from neighboring interconnected scenes.

  • Decorations placed on top of basic tables will inherit the table's scaling and appear to shrink in size.

  • Quest Tasks that should update after looting a container may not progress if another player loots the container before you.

  • Squirrels and rabbits will not dance when instructed to do so.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • The avatar may appear too tall when viewed in the Character Sheet UI.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Gawain, the wounded knight in the Battle of Highvale, will incorrectly stand up when spoken with.

  • Some NPC prefab mouths will not properly animate when talking.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Some world items will be equipped immediately upon looting, replacing previous equipment.

  • Wearable Cabalist Robes will stretch awkwardly when running

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • Party members with active PvP flags will also be affected by a friendly-fire Gust spell.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar’s body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R45 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-09-01 21:33:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #243 – 2017.09.01: Play R45 Now!



This week's Update #243 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 45 Now!
  • Making of The Crags
  • North Shattered Hills
  • R45 Postmortem Mini-Telethon – Sep. 6
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Shroud at Dragon Con
  • Dragon Con 2017 Cosplay Contest
  • In The News: Conversations With Giants Ep. 39 – Richard Garriott
  • New Pet Dance Emotes!
  • R44 Raffle Winners
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Livestream: South Broken Road
  • Events: Prism and Diamond Fields Presents…


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-09-01 21:28:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Patch Notes: August 31, 2017


  • Non-refreshing treasure chests will now always have their loot.

  • Paintings are no longer sorting behind beams in the Greenhouse row home.

  • Fixed floating LOD group for the Isabelline Fountain.

  • Cloak decorations no longer rotate.

  • Fixed collision mesh error in the Halls of Artifice.

  • Fixed the male avatar Arabella Cloak clipping with Epic Plate Armor.

  • Norgard Guards mouths now open when talking.

  • Update a washed out icon for the Elven Inn.

  • Fixed erroneous "You cannot leave items here" message in bag mode containers.

  • Texture loading performance changes were made.

  • Blocked several locations in Hidden Vale near the coast where players could sometimes access the ocean.

  • Moved Lord Macsen's spawner in Aerie away from his desk to help ensure he spawns in the middle of his office.

  • Added NPC interactions on lamps in Resolute to prevent NPCs from turning off lights outside the bank entrance from inside the bank.

  • Fixed a typo in Lord Macsen's responses in Aerie.

  • Lord Macsen's display name will properly update when he tells you his name in Aerie.

  • Improved the introduction that guards in Aerie say when telling players to go meet Lord Macsen.

  • Added music to Oracle Temple scene.

  • Fixed stuck spots in Middle Downs along with map edge polish and waterfall updates.

  • Various fixes to cloth drape leggings.

  • Norgard NPC eyes now appear correctly.

  • Party cloaks updated.

  • Property boundary decoration checking now includes previous values.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the chat tab options cog to be disabled.

  • Fixed a Malice conversation between Samael and Sequanna.

  • Repaired visibility of shutters on bank buildings.

  • Fixed interactivity on Wood and Plaster NPC building shutters.

  • Fixed bad stretching for Cabalist Robe equipment.

  • Corrected the keyword highlighting for Min Liang Tan in Ardoris.

  • Sinar in Vertas now respects line-of-sight for conversations and barks.

  • Turned on daily experience bonus.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Middle Downs.

  • Map UI window popup text no longer remains after mouse leaves the window.

  • Removed quest attract emote for Akiel von Strife in Ardoris.

  • Arabella no longer refers to Sequanna as the Titan of Truth.

  • Plugged a hole in the Colossus's hand in Oracle Colossus.

  • Covered up a seam in Blood River Outskirts river.

  • Disabled a tooltip from Pyramid Crypt in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed collision on Blood River Outskirts pyramid stairs.

  • Fixed stretched terrain textures in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed bad grass rendering in Deep Ravenswood.

  • Fixed a typo with Miriam Healy in Aerie.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the utility bar to be available immediately when a new character was created.

  • Raised terrain to alleviate a stuck spot in Ulfheim.

  • Fixed a stuck spot along the river in Ulfheim.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Spectral Foothills.

  • Fixed a gap between stairs and wall in Knight Founder village home.

  • Fixed a stuck spot with climable vine in Midras Ruins.

  • Fixed a typo with Kiakis.

  • Fixed an item crashing into a wooden wall in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed NPC schedule goal position errors in Resolute.

  • Fixed a typo with Anapa in Malice.

  • Fixed a stuck spot alongside bridge in Ardoris.

  • Ghosts no longer have generic "I don't understand you" responses in Confluence Chamber.

  • Fixed item name text color in tooltip.

  • Fixed the transparency rendering of ice wings decoration.

  • Fixed floating lantern lights in Malice.

  • Toggled off sarcophagus blocking entrance pipe to Kiln Cistern in Kiln.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Hilt Exterior,

  • Changed decoration layers in Shogun Crafting Pavilions from exterior to interior.

  • Sigil Stone light beams no longer disappear when looking at them from above.

  • Fixed tree removal for plots with offset collision.

  • Adjusted arms on antique chairs to minimize clipping.

  • Fixed typo with Greedy Pilgrim in Xenos.

  • Raised terrain by the moongate in Isle of Storms to alleviate a stuck spot.

  • Updated the "Save Mildryd" quest in Resolute and Middle Downs to remove errors and improve responses.

  • Wilmer's display name will now correctly update when you first talk to him.

  • The troll stomp should now always play its animation.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Xenos.

  • Upon being given the quest to meet with Lord Macsen in Aerie, the player will now also be given the compass discovery for Castle Aerie.

  • Smoothed some bumpy terrain in Tenebris Harbor.

  • Fixed target for ladder in Westend.

  • Fixed an issue where Forgotten Prisoner in The Epitaph would walk through cell door when player initiated conversation.

  • Fixed a floating Skrekk skull tier marker.

  • Fixed an issue where after placing a decoration it would look incorrect.

  • Player no longer gets stuck when playing a song while the Dig In skill is active.

  • Renamed magic trick emotes Mouthcoil and Flowerwand.

  • Added sitting versions of emotes yes, no, judgeyes, and judgeno.

  • Fixed an issue where you could not stack more than two cards together with the mouse.

  • Fixed an issue with ivy in an abandoned house in Middle Downs.

  • Fixed an issue where you could not play sheet music at stationary instruments.

  • Fixed a rock blocking players in Longfall Woods.

  • Fixed a fire trap damaging players before the trap is activated in Longfall Woods.

  • Fixed chat option in window selector drop-down menu.

  • Fixed a mismatched material on Burled Wood Round Table.

  • Increased font size on utility bar glyphs.

  • Increased font size on HUD health and focus bars.

  • Adjusted shooting auto-ballista in Middle Downs.

  • Game resolution no longer resets to maximum screen resolution in certain circumstances.

  • Shroud of the Avatar equipment VFX no longer "look like rain" when character is running.

  • Timed activators now have a random delay to avoid writing their states all in the same frame.

  • Rapid Fire can now get critical on hits after the first hit.

  • Ornate Tansu chest now interactive when placed as a decoration.

  • Removed some spike traps from a series in Ruins of Ravensmoor to create safe gaps between them.

  • Players again will incur decay on death.

  • Changed crafting recipe list text color to improve readability.


Known Issues

  • Quest Tasks that should update after looting a container may not progress if another player loots the container before you.

  • Logging off will not clear previous party associations. UI will show previous party members.

  • If an item’s name is in Runic, its flag as “Private Property” will also appear in Runic.

  • The avatar may appear too tall when viewed in the Character Sheet UI.

  • Adventurer Levels, when viewed from the Character Sheet, do not properly update values based on equipment.

  • Gawain, the wounded knight in the Battle of Highvale, will incorrectly stand up when spoken with.

  • Some NPC prefab mouths will not properly animate when talking.

  • Players with Tenant permissions on a Lot cannot place their own Player Vendors.

  • Many rugs and Sigil decorations can be placed beneath existing pavers, making them inaccessible.

  • Kindred players can place deco Flyers on other players’ private Bulletin Boards

  • Some world items will be equipped immediately upon looting, replacing previous equipment.

  • Rapid Fire (Ranged) only crits on the first shot.

  • Auto-Ballista traps may trigger and fire at players through walls and barriers.

  • Wearable Cabalist Robes will stretch awkwardly when running

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • Party members with active PvP flags will also be affected by a friendly-fire Gust spell.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar’s body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R45 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-09-01 01:20:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Instructions

[/img]

Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 45 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, August 31, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 45 is our first release after reaching the Story Complete milestone last release. We are now able to focus on polishing the game experience. This release, we have rebuilt multiple scenes, added more quests, polished the user interface, and continued to balance combat.

For all the details, please read the entire R45 Instructions and Updates Notes post, as well as the linked Instructions and Known Issues within the post to ensure a smooth update to your game client.

Have fun in New Britannian's latest release!


[ 2017-08-30 23:20:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #242 – 2017.25.08: Free Trial Ends Aug. 30!



This week's Update #242 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Making of Crooked Shank (cont.)
  • New Norgard Garments (cont.)
  • Magic Tricks!
  • R45 Postmortem Mini-Telethon – Sep. 6
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Free Trial Test #5 Ends on Aug. 30!
  • QA Server Access Now Open to All Players
  • Shroud at PAX Dev
  • Shroud at Dragon Con
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Elves
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Trailer Contest Winners Announced!
  • Livestream: Exploring Longfall Woods
  • Spotlight: Arx Draconis Player Town
  • Event: August’s RPOTA Monthly Writing Contest


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-08-26 01:06:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 45 Postmortem Mini-Telethon Announced



Greetings Avatars,

Release 45’s Postmortem Mini-Telethon is going to be Oktoberfest themed in honor of our new Munich, Germany based publishing partners – Travian Games! They will be helping us kick off the livestream. As we announced last month, they are partnering with us to bring Shroud of the Avatar to other regions around the world. Travian Games is lucky enough to be headquartered where THE Oktoberfest happens every year in September, hence our choice of the theme.

Head over to the official Shroud website for details on this upcoming event, including what stretch goals are included, what you can win as prizes, and to send us your gameplay questions!


[ 2017-08-24 16:18:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #241 – 2017.11.18: Making of Crooked Shank



This week's Update #241 Newsletter is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside...

  • Making of Crooked Shank
  • New Norgard Garments (cont.)
  • Middle Downs Sneak Peek Video
  • R44 Postmortem Missed Questions Answered
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Web Developer
  • Free Trial Test #5 (Aug 9-30) is Now Live!
  • gamescom devcom Panels Announced
  • Shroud at PAX Dev
  • Shroud at Dragon Con
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Rent
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Trailer Contest Ends Aug. 22!
  • Spotlight: Lake Cusabo Player Town
  • Events: BMC Crafting Fair and Kaz Phoenixfyre Welcome Home Roast


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-08-18 22:03:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #240 – 2017.11.08: Making of Longfall Woods and South Paladis



This week's Update #240 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Making of Longfall Woods
  • Making of South Paladis Scenes: Middle Downs and South Broken Road (cont)
  • Post Episode 1 Content Plan – Initial Draft
  • R44 Postmortem Mini-Telethon Results
  • SeedInvest Campaign Success!
  • Status and Priority of Pledge Rewards & Kickstarter Stretch Goals
  • Update on Pre-Placed Keep & Castle Lot Walls
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Sound Designer
  • Free Trial Test #5 (Aug 9-30) is Now Live!
  • DragonCon Schedule: Yet Even More Panels Announced!
  • PAX Dev Schedule is Live!
  • Shroud In the News: Massively Overpowered Needs Advice
  • Weekend Flash Sale: SyndCon, Dragons, and Hot Tubs Oh My!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Trailer Ends Soon! Deadline Extended
  • Livestream: Etceter Revisited with Scottie
  • Event: Trials of the Avatar PVP Tournament


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-08-11 22:35:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #239 – 2017.04.08: New Scene Updates, Travian Games Partnership, and More!



This week's Update #239 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Etceter Polish (cont.)
  • New Norgard Garments (cont.)
  • Making of South Paladis Scenes: Middle Downs and South Broken Road
  • Travian Games Partnership
  • Portalarium is Hiring: Sound Designer
  • R44 Postmortem Mini-Telethon Aug 7!
  • Free Trial Test #5: Aug 9 – 30th
  • DragonCon Schedule: More Panels Announced!
  • PAX Dev Schedule Update: Starr’s Crowdfunding Panel
  • Shroud In the News: Ideate TV, VentureBeat
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Elven, Clockwork, and More!
  • SeedInvest: Minimum Exceeded! Last Chance to Invest!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • ‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest
  • Livestream: Celebrating Release 44
  • Events: RPOTA’s August Writing Contest and Mad Hatter’s LAN Party


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-08-04 21:50:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 44 Patch Notes: August 1, 2017


  • Cloth equipment now scales correctly in the character sheet.

  • Fixed some bugs with supply bundles.

  • The Elven Elite Archer Quiver can now be placed as a decoration.

  • Ensured both dead guards in the burning inn of Battle of Solace Bridge have loot.

  • Players will no longer get betrothal bands from vigilantes in Blood River Outskirts after turning in a band to Paeon.

  • Moved both the monkey and bottle of wine to different spots in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Changed the conversation for the trainer inside the tree in the main elven camp of Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed an issue where a switch in Rhun Ruins wouldn't open a "trap" door.

  • Portals are now linked to audio sliders.

  • Village and Keep sized moondials now clear terrain when placed as decorations.

  • Giant crystals in Sequanna's crystal cage now draw correctly.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented changes to door permissions from being updated for remote players.

  • The Boletusporis Infans at the elven worship tree in Blood River Outskirts are once again dropping loot, but not weapons, thankfully.

  • Hephaestus in Artifice no longer tries to give his final reward twice.

  • Created new Short Assassin's Leggings to support length of outfit.

  • Alberic in Blood River Outskirts will once again reward helpful players of the refugees without the expectation of turning in the unrelated vigilante manifesto.

  • Added pre-placed light fixtures to Shogun City Ships.

  • Fixed exit volumes reporting they will take you into a siege even when it is completed.

  • Many objects Xenos for all objects that were suffering from the "Background View" Error.

  • Old Elven Heirlooms named “unknown item” should now be fixed.


Known Issues

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • Mature agriculture plants may not appear in the correct visual state when placed back down from Magic Movers

  • Approaching the glowing doors in Halls of Artifice may leave a white overlay on the screen, changing maps or moving completely through the doorway should resolve this.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • Party members with active PvP flags will also be affected by a friendly-fire Gust spell.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Indoor lights in the Duke Benefactor City Home will frequently appear as Exterior lights when placed.

  • Water Lot Island Keeps may experience difficulty placing decorations on open terrain. This is caused by a bug that visually removed trees from this terrain, but did not remove their collision.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • When a Journal entry’s title is long and wraps to a new line, it may unexpectedly overlap the entry’s body text.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R44 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-08-01 22:40:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Travian Games and Portalarium Partner for Shroud of the Avatar as it Reaches Story Complete Milestone

[/img]

AUSTIN, Texas, July 31, 2017 — Portalarium®, an Austin, Texas based game developer, and Travian Games, a Munich, Germany based publisher and developer, are pleased to announce today a formal partnership to bring Shroud of the Avatar™, the much-anticipated fantasy role-playing game from legendary game designer Richard “Lord British” Garriott to Europe, South America, Central America, the Middle East and North Africa. Travian Games will be coming on board as a partner immediately as Shroud is moving closer to the game’s commercial launch later this year.

“We were looking for the best upcoming MMORPGs in our industry as well as a strong cultural fit, so we are truly excited about the opportunity to work with Richard and the Shroud of the Avatar team on bringing another great game to our community,” notes Lars Janssen, CEO of Travian Games. “Portalarium’s vision is very similar to ours and we believe this is the start of a long-term relationship between our two teams.”

“Europe has always been a strong market for the Ultima games so we wanted to be sure we found the very best partner who could who truly understands what we wanted to accomplish with Shroud,” explains Richard Garriott.

“Travian Games is that partner because they really understand community and development which has allowed them to build a huge base of millions of players.”

To date, backers of Shroud have logged more than three-million hours of game testing, and the latest update, Release 44, now permits backers to complete the entire Episode 1 story, from beginning to end.

Shroud of the Avatar, the spiritual successor to Garriott’s Ultima series of fantasy role-playing games, is a “selectively multiplayer” game, and includes a deep story crafted by Garriott and New York Times bestselling author, Tracy Hickman ( Dragonlance series). The game combines a detailed sandbox style Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) with a single player narrative mode. With Release 44, players can now complete the paths of Truth, Love and Courage and ultimately discover the secrets of the Shroud of the Avatar.

“The story craft is not at an end,” said Garriott. “More side quests and revisions to improve quality, will continue to be added to the game month after month, yet this is the first time the full plot has been playable, and is among the last major milestones needed for a commercial launch later in the year.”

The remainder of the game is already in what would traditionally be considered a beta state. There are some skill trees and recipes still needing to be completed, and plenty of balance and debugging remains, but Portalarium is now shifting its team and company into the stance of a publisher as the commercial release approaches.

“This marks the 44th monthly release for Shroud of the Avatar,” exclaimed Garriott. “And these updates have occurred on the last Thursday of the month on time, and the servers have had nearly four years of continuous software stability. In Release 45, players actively testing the game will receive the ability to ‘reset’ their story status, and thus be able to get a fresh run through the now completed main quests, without having to start a new character.”

Shroud of the Avatar’s original crowdfunded campaign began in 2013. Currently with more than $11.8 million in crowd funding, Shroud is the second highest fully crowd funded game ever. More information about the crowdfunding campaign and the game can be accessed at www.ShroudoftheAvatar.com .

Recently Portalarium extended their crowdfunding efforts to include equity crowdfunding using the SeedInvest platform. This allows people to invest in Portalarium while backing the project. To learn more go to www.seedinvest.com/portalarium/series.b .

At this year’s Gamescom in Cologne, journalists have the opportunity to interview Richard “Lord British” Garriott and Lars Janssen about the game and the new partnership.

Disclaimer: Portalarium is offering securities under Regulation CF and Rule 506© of Regulation D through SI Securities, LLC (“SI Securities”). The Company has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained here:https://www.seedinvest.com/portalarium/series.b .

About Portalarium

Portalarium was formed in September of 2009 in Austin, Texas. The company was co-founded by legendary game developer Richard Garriott, who created Ultima, one of the longest running and most successful fantasy role playing game series ever. The company is currently developing its next game, the crowd funded Shroud of the Avatar.

About Travian Games GmbH

Travian Games GmbH, based in Munich, is a world-renowned, self-publishing developer of online games. The company offers complex, multi-layered adventure worlds that inspire players with their gaming depth and guarantee long-lasting enjoyment. A motivated team develops and markets online entertainment for all age groups. Travian Games currently services the following games: Crowfall, goalunited Legends,goalunited PRO, Miramagia, Rail Nation, Travian: Legends, Travian: Kingdoms and UnitedGP. They are translated into up to 40 languages and can be enjoyed by fans of long-lasting gaming entertainment all around the world. More information: http://www.traviangames.com

Press Release also published on the official Shroud of the Avatar website.


[ 2017-07-31 21:36:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #238 – 2017.28.07: Play R44 Now! Story Complete



This week's Update #238 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Play Release 44 Now!
  • Dragon Polish
  • Making of Grannus Colossus (cont.)
  • Dev+ Asset Pack Program Reinstated
  • R44 Postmortem Mini-Telethon Aug 7!
  • R43 Raffle Winners
  • Free Trial Test #5: Aug 9 – 30
  • DragonCon Gaming Schedule Announced
  • Shroud at PAX Dev Next Month – Starr’s Crowdfunding Panel
  • Shroud In the News: The Gaming Gang, Austin Chronicle
  • Origin PC’s July Bundle Promo – Free Copy of Shroud!
  • SeedInvest: Time is Running Short to Join Portalarium!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • ‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest
  • Community Livestream: A New Look to Aerie and Vertas Scenes
  • Community Events: Rift’s End Festival and R44 Welcome Quest
  • Community Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Support: VISITOR in Blackwood Grovet


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-07-29 00:49:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 44 Patch Notes: July 28, 2017


  • Fixed broken item reference for sword in Celestis.

  • Set proper item type and fixed tooltip crash on Heart Of Sorrows.

  • Residents of Ardoris that have a title will continue to display their title after you learn their name.

  • Fixed an issue with the Ground Pound animation.

  • Missing wood strip component have returned.

  • The washed-out icon for "The Dirae Prophecy of Evard" item looks nicer now.

  • Fixed a typo in the phrase "Shroud of the Avatar" in the “Helpful Guide to Deck Building” book.

  • Extended entrance hallway in K'rul, adjusted the exit volume, and decreased the awareness range of spawners.

  • All auto-ballista now has far more precise firing capabilities!

  • Blast of Dread has had its range doubled to 20 meters.

  • The “Unknown Item” in Blood River Outskirts relating to Elven Heirlooms has be fixed.

  • Clockwork cats on patrol in K'rul can no longer get you at the spawn-in point.

  • Korabar's dialog in Skrekk has been made clearer when discussing past events in Valhold.

  • The Scepter of Dread should now be rotated during main hand usage.

  • Pinky finger while wearing Epic Cloth Gloves now looks correct.

  • Bows animate when firing and charging up again.

  • The slime stuck in a tree in Blood River Outskirts has been released and is now free to slime anyone that comes its way.

  • Fixes for Arabella armor.

  • FX for Puke emote no longer continues after the character has risen and is wiping his or her face.

  • Fixed carpentry merchant in Owl’s Head that was missing inventory.

  • Fixed animation hold pose for hands on two-handed blades.

  • Gus in Blood River Outskirts now explains more about the monkeys when a player clicks on the automaton monkey keyword.

  • The confluence chamber now has music.

  • Boleusporis Infans in Blood River Outskirts will no longer be carrying concealed weapons.

  • Now showing permissions on container window for containers placed on housing lots.

  • Fixed invisible stairs on Duke Founder City Water Home.

  • Applying a sparkly dye to Assassin Chest secondary color no longer affects the primary color.

  • Elven Elite Archer Quiver is becoming a backpack.

  • Doors are no longer disabled in arena basement.

  • Woman in Sequanna Colossus tent no longer sits on an invisible chair.

  • The Ornate Gazebo is no longer missing its icon.

  • Fixed offset wall tile in the Crypt of the Avatar.

  • Lenses and pages can be collected during the Path of the Oracle by everyone who is on the quest in multiplayer scenes.

  • Icon added for Shogun Ship City Home.

  • Fixed stats on the Shroud of the Avatar quest item.

  • Minor updates to user-interface elements.

  • VFX for breathing emotes now have the correct duration and no longer last too long.

  • Turning elf scalps in to Phineas in Blood River Outskirts has been refined.

  • Paeon in Blood River Outskirts no longer triggers a journal entry for Alberic.

  • The player-owned town “Ullr Ridge” has an updated location.

  • Improved the AI pathing in Jaanaford which will help the devotional caretakers access their shrine.

  • Fixed bug that prevented plants from appearing watered when they are watered.

  • If the note in the Grannus Colossus is never read during the “Path of the Oracle”, the task it completes is cleared once the Confluence Podium is used.

  • The “Path of Love” task "Find a way to reach Sequanna" now clears correctly.

  • Updated shared patcher code.

  • Fixed the minecart light in Serpents Spine Mines.

  • Healing Blast now has a unique icon.

  • Assassins armor now split at the waist to have coattails.

  • The “Shroud of the Avatar” icon was updated.

  • Fixed sorting issue and improved the visuals of the blood fountain in the Crypt of the Avatar.

  • The “Shroud of the Avatar” hood is no longer disabled after changing maps, and is now enabled by default when equipped.

  • Grannus now correctly plays his transformation animation.

  • Modified runes to say "Courageous" on the Ornate Viking Short Sword.


Known Issues

  • Overworld map terrain may appear missing or flattened in areas. Reloading the scene appears to fix this in many cases.

  • Mature agriculture plants may not appear in the correct visual state when placed back down from Magic Movers

  • Approaching the glowing doors in Halls of Artifice may leave a white overlay on the screen, changing maps or moving completely through the doorway should resolve this.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • Party members with active PvP flags will also be affected by a friendly-fire Gust spell.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Indoor lights in the Duke Benefactor City Home will frequently appear as Exterior lights when placed.

  • Water Lot Island Keeps may experience difficulty placing decorations on open terrain. This is caused by a bug that visually removed trees from this terrain, but did not remove their collision.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • When a Journal entry’s title is long and wraps to a new line, it may unexpectedly overlap the entry’s body text.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R44 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-07-28 19:24:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 44 Patch Notes: July 27, 2017


  • Fixed issue with dread artifacts not being repairable.

  • Fixed improper sorting of airship balloon against sky.

  • Fixed an improper sky rendering in Blood Bay.

  • Fixed an issue with the Scepter of Dread initially having zero durability.

  • Grasses fixed and optimized in Sanctus Spine.

  • Added sitting version of fan emote.

  • Fixed an issue with elemental attacks sometimes not playing animations.

  • Adjusted terrain in Blood Bay to fill in a stuck spot by waterfalls.

  • Restored missing geometry rendering to Lord of the Manor Keep from a distance.

  • Updated Nogard guard spawners with new visuals in Valhold and Valhold Palace.

  • Fixed a bug that caused hidden tasks to reappear.

  • Changed "The Shroud of the Avatar" to "Shroud of the Avatar" for item display text.

  • Domentzia in Jaanaford no longer uses gender-specific language when thanking.

  • Cleared bandit faction overrides on cat and dog spawners in Highvale.

  • Early hint in Isle of Storms tutorial has been clarified.

  • Re-stacking of bank items no longer causes errors.

  • Gambeson and Gambeson Legs equipment no longer create duplicate skirts.

  • Fixed potion descriptions in utility bar.

  • Special "XXX" keyword is now filtered out of conversation hyperlinking.

  • Demig no longer has text overhead when spawning in Skrekk.

  • Red Dress bottom no longer whirls around like a cloak.

  • Deleted collision on spikes on spike traps in Blood River Outskirts so players would not get stuck.

  • Added pipes within the pools in Brittany Sewers to allow living and dead avatars to better exit the pools.

  • Decreased interaction range on cage door and cage door lock in Ardoris.

  • Fur collared cloaks no longer float over female augmented plate armor.

  • Avatar head no longer clips through the top and back of the Epic Cloth Helm.

  • Arabella cloak hood no longer invisible on female avatars.

  • Raised the terrain in Novia to ensure the bottom of mountains are buried fully.

  • Wave of Sorrow was not correctly applying its stun effect.

  • Norgard Guard armor stretching and sorting issues have been corrected.

  • Fixed an issue where the flute could play more than one note at a time.

  • Upgraded the Player Owned Town “Elementum” to a Metropolis.

  • Deleted an unnecessary pressure plate attached to the spike trap in Kas.

  • Rain will no longer fall inside the castle in Aerie.

  • Fixed tree and crane sorting errors in Hallowed Plains.

  • Corrected improper sky sorting issue with the Large Windmill Power Generator decoration.

  • Removed a problematic bed/cot in Verdantis Mines.

  • Fixed an issue where Blast of Dread only hit one target with some of the effects.

  • Corrected scaling of all garlic resource nodes in Verdantis Shardfall.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented a single decoration being automatically taken off of a stack while standing on property.

  • All Grannus responses in Valhold Palace that trigger a "talk" emote no longer cause him to stand up.

  • Players should no longer be able to open the doors between rooms in Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering except by killing all enemies in each room.

  • Items and patterns for “Elven Elder” now have the correct naming to match the store.

  • Filmore in Solace Bridge Outskirts will now only give one set of feathers, ever.

  • Fixed a tooltip in the door permissions UI.

  • The two travelers in Sequanna Colossus no longer play their lutes very close to each other.

  • Fixed an awkward hold pose for female NPCs.

  • Blast of Dread VFX now correctly matches the size of its combat effect.

  • Death Touch & Death Ray effects no longer appear so pixelated.

  • Death charge-up effect on hands no longer lasts much too long.

  • Moved NPC Structure in Aerie that was colliding with player row homes.

  • Updated the paths used by the orphans and urchins in Brittany Alleys.

  • The vulture flock background/far view has been corrected.

  • Missing material of a Libris wall piece was corrected.

  • Repositioned a floating banner in Central Brittany.

  • Fixed a floating pillar in Sequanna Colossus.

  • Snip-Snip will now properly respond to the "buy" request in Etceter.

  • Updated spawners in many scenes to use the new Norgard guard visuals.

  • Fixed tenant decoration placement bug that allowed tenant items to be placed on non-tenant surfaces.

  • Fixed a bug that allowed players to place items with higher permission than their own.

  • Corrected sky sorting issues in Brittany Alley.

  • Assorted decoration fixes.

  • Naturamans in Blood River Outskirts can now be looted.

  • The “Shroud of the Avatar” item no longer has pink lines.

  • Fixed salvage and data issues with Arabella armor.

  • Added a new dialogue in Blood River Outskirts for Phineas with the "elf scalps" keywords.

  • Made the keyword "Naturamans” for "Undying Corruption" in Blood River Outskirts always listed.

  • Fixes for the decoration permissions UI.

  • The female avatar's right thigh was clipping through all the canvas beds in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed an issue with the Rusty Hammer' trail looking too long.

  • Updated compass discoveries in Novia to better indicate where their respective targets are located.

  • Fixed chest items logging for tenants.


Known Issues

  • Mature agriculture plants may not appear in the correct visual state when placed back down from Magic Movers

  • Approaching the glowing doors in Halls of Artifice may leave a white overlay on the screen, changing maps or moving completely through the doorway should resolve this.

  • Lord of the Manor Keep homes may have broken LoDs which will cause some walls to appear missing when viewed from a distance.

  • When a client first logs in as a trial visitor then relogs as a full account, many Trial permissions will still be present (inability to trade) until the client is restarted.

  • Party members with active PvP flags will also be affected by a friendly-fire Gust spell.

  • The Piercing Breeze combo ability does not do damage to Dragons as expected.

  • When a party member dies while targeted, the target focus is reset.

  • When moving NPC Buildings, it’s possible to crash the client by overlapping structures/boundaries during placement.

  • Indoor lights in the Duke Benefactor City Home will frequently appear as Exterior lights when placed.

  • Water Lot Island Keeps may experience difficulty placing decorations on open terrain. This is caused by a bug that visually removed trees from this terrain, but did not remove their collision.

  • Chat content from one account may be visible by a second account if logged in from the same client.

  • When a Journal entry’s title is long and wraps to a new line, it may unexpectedly overlap the entry’s body text.

  • Some game maps do not properly display the moons, weather based clouds, and constellations in the sky..

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R44 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-07-27 21:34:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 44 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 44 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, July 27, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Forsaken Virtues Story Complete: We have now completed the Path of the Oracle with the introduction of the Destiny Pool, Confluence Chamber, and the final audience with the Oracle. This means that players can now play through the entire Episode 1 story from beginning to end including all three paths of virtue: Truth, Love, and Courage. In Release 45 we will add the Outskirts scene for the Path of Courage (Highvale Outskirts), some additional side quests along the Truth and Courage paths, some visual polish, and of course general bug fixes. That is when we will also provide the story reset token so that players can start the story over while preserving their character.

Dread Artifacts and the Shroud of the Avatar (SPOILERS): As players complete all four paths, they will gain possession of four powerful artifacts. These include the Shroud of the Avatar as well as the three Dread Artifacts: the Bone Steel Crown, the Heart of Sorrows, and the Scepter of Dread. The Dread Artifacts each grant a unique and powerful spell that allows the Avatar to wield great power but over time will require great sacrifices (see details below). The Shroud of the Avatar will visually display the Avatar’s current state of virtue but rumors abound that the Shroud conveys other powers as well…

[/img]

New Scenes & Scene Polish: A huge amount of work went into worldbuilding and scene polish this release. We rebuilt the final Colossus map, Grannus Colossus. This, along with the Destiny Pool and the Confluence Chamber, completes the Path of the Oracle. The Hallowed Plains was also rebuilt this release and features an ancient haunted battlefield that is being resettled by Kobolds. Three of the towns along the Path of Truth (Aerie, Jaanaford, and Vertas) were polished to better represent that path. Blood River Outskirts was also polished significantly. Additionally, guards in many scenes will now fine players who are caught stealing.

Rent: Property Owners can now add an additional “Tenant” permission for users of their lot. This permission can be added for any permission level from Guest through Co-Owner, and allows users to securely place items on a lot without fear of losing them. Items placed as a Tenant will be owned by that Tenant and only they may pick them back up off the lot. If a Tenant loses permission for any reason, or the lot contents are sent to the bank due to a house deed change, those items will go back to the Tenant’s bank. Additionally, we have added the ability for permissions to be set on individual doors so that renting can be done room per room (or the entire building).

...and so much more in this release. Click here for the complete Instructions and Game Update Notes!

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.


[ 2017-07-26 23:29:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 44 Postmortem Mini-Telethon Announced



Greetings Avatars,

Traditionally our Telethons have been held quarterly and lasted 12 hours (and in some extreme cases 24 hours!). While these lengthy telethons allowed us to cover a very wide range of subjects, they also led to a bit of meandering at the end due to fatigue (and maybe a bit of overindulgence). Recently we had a much shorter telethon (6 hours) for Lord British’s birthday, discovering that we spent more time answering questions and remained much more focused and alert. Your response was also quite positive in both pledges and feedback after the telethon!

So, starting with Release 44, we are going to experiment with extended Postmortems that are also Mini-Telethons. This will increase the frequency of our telethons to monthly but also keep them short (4 hours). We are confident that this will both allow us to focus more time on development while at the same time provide a higher frequency of direct interaction with you, our community.

Since this is a shorter telethon we want to make sure as many people can participate in the stretch goals. We are going to extend the amount of time that your purchases can be eligible for the stretch goals to be 12 hours from 12:00 PM CDT to Midnight. NOTE: We will still stop tracking towards stretch goals at the end of the telethon at 7:00 PM CDT, but everyone will have another 5 hours to spend $5 to get the stretch goals.

We hope you find this change an improvement!

Head over to the official Shroud website for details on this upcoming event, including what game items are expiring, what you can win as prizes, and to send us your gameplay questions!


[ 2017-07-26 02:12:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #237 – 2017.21.07: Norgard Clothing, Scene Polish, Trailer Contest, and More!



This week's Update #237 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • New Norgard Garments
  • Etceter Polish
  • Vertas Polish
  • Making of Hallowed Plains (cont.)
  • Making of Grannus Colossus (cont.)
  • Free Trial 4 Ends July 26!
  • Ethereum-Based NEVERDIE & Teleport Gaming Tokens
  • Explore/Create Panel at Comic-Con San Diego Saturday
  • Shroud at PAX Dev Next Month – Starr’s Crowdfunding Panel
  • Shroud In the News: Interviews and Livestream with Starr Long
  • Origin PC’s July Bundle Promo – Free Copy of Shroud!
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Comic-Con San Diego Cosplay Wearables Sale
  • SeedInvest: Time is Running Short to Join Portalarium!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • ‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest
  • Community Livestream: Hallowed Plains and Grannus Colossus
  • Community Spotlight: Shadow’s Rest – Player Owned Town
  • Community Events: Kahli Writing Contest and Treasure Hunt


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-07-22 00:21:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #236 – 2017.07.14: New Scene Polish, Free Trial, Key Giveaway, Events, and More!



This week's Update #236 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Aerie Scene Polish
  • Making of Hallowed Plains
  • Making of Grannus Colossus
  • ‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest
  • Shroud at Comic-Con San Diego Next Week – Panel Times & Locations
  • Shroud at PAX West in September – Starr’s Crowdfunding Panel
  • Photos From Last Week’s RTX Event
  • Lord British’s Birthday Bash Telethon: YouTube Version and Missed Questions Answered
  • Shroud In the News: VentureBeat, KXAN, Fox7, MMORPG
  • Free Trial 4 Continues!
  • Origin PC’s Steam Key Giveaway
  • Weekend Flash Sale: RTX ‘Returning Home’ Part 2 Home Decorations Sale
  • Make Your SeedInvest Reservation Official!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: July’s RPOTA Monthly $155 Writing Contest


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-07-14 19:15:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest



Get those eye popping video ideas ready, Avatars! Like last year’s trailer design contest, this is your chance to show that Shroud of the Avatar is both the game, and community, that new players will want to play to launch and beyond.

The ‘Welcome to New Britannia’ Community Trailer Contest kicks off!

You have from July 13, 2017 (Now) to August 18, 2017 (11:59 PM CT) to design a video trailer for all New Britannians to admire. Capture shots of key city districts, bustling player-owned towns, luxurious houses, intense combat, majestic outdoor scenes, crafting valuable goods, or any of the other amazing features of our game that you think will help sell the game to other players.

Visit the official website for contest details and to submit your entry!


[ 2017-07-14 19:13:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #235 - New Elves, Scene Polish, Event Updates, and More!



This week's Update #235 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • New Elves & Elven Outfits
  • Boreas: The Titan of Truth
  • Jaanaford Scene Polish
  • Shroud at RTX 2017 This Weekend!
  • SeedInvest Updates: New Perks, New Perk Levels, Perk Images
  • Lord British’s Birthday Bash Telethon Results
  • Summer Telethon 2017 Missed Questions Answered
  • Free Trial 4 Now Live!
  • Shroud In the News: Spanish AIAS Honorary Award, GameReactor, The DeanBeat
  • Weekend Flash Sale: RTX “Returning Home” Sale
  • Comic-Con Panels with Richard Garriott and Starr Long
  • Rock Me Avatarus Contest Winners Announced
  • Community Livestream: Exploring Release 43
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Isla de Muerta Opening Day + Birthday Bash!
  • Community Resources: Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back: SotA Con Austin!


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-07-07 19:31:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 43 Patch Notes: July 5, 2017


  • Fixed some weapons appearing pink.

  • Fixed name inconsistency with Summoning Whistle Necklace recipe.

  • Robert Villines in Blood River, and Edvard in Solace Bridge, will now recognize if you have finished their quests.

  • Adjusted skeleton spawner groups in ruins in Sequanna.

  • Robert Villines no longer generates error messages during final conversation in Blood River Massacre.

  • Removed the collision from several troublesome roots in Brookside: that were making players stuck who tried to climb on them.

  • Added extra resurrection ankhs and chaos icons to Etceter Crag Mines.

  • Wealthy Merchant Boots no longer are A8clipping on avatars.

  • Fixed a bug that caused skill levels to be blank on the skill tree.

  • Athard in Demig's Battle Camp will now properly interrupt avatars visiting the camp.

  • Fixed Magical sparkling dye in secondary dye channel making the entire Epic Cloth outfit sparkle.

  • Players moving to crafting stations on lots should now operate smoother.

  • Demig in Demig's Battle Camp no longer force-closes conversation.

  • Failing to socket a gem no longer destroys the gem.

  • Ferig om Ferig's Battle Camp no longer force-closes conversation.

  • Added container scripts to renaissance bed when placed as a decoration.

  • Removed white glowing orbs from fire VFX in Highvale Village.

  • Corrected the overbright lighting on Character Creation Mirror interface.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the Nearby Players window to be shown instead of the PvP Stats window in PvP zones.

  • Fixed a stuck spot on the terrain in the Vigilante Camp in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed a lighting issue in Savrenoc Stronghold.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Verdantis Mines.

  • Fixed an error with a ladder in Vertas Pass.

  • Fixed low-health indicator appearing on first map load.

  • Restored moons and weather-based clouds to skies of Eastreach Gap, Southern Grunvald Barrens, Northern Grunvald Barrens, Savrenoc Timberland, and Brisach Maple Forest.

  • Updated water triggers in Graff Gem Mines to allow NPCs to pass through water.


Known Issues

  • Loading into scenes with previously opened/opening gates may display them in broken states, preventing players from using them.

  • The zombie emote does not produce the expected dance.

  • Players may experience combat lag when playing in scenes with others.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • The dread artifact Heart of Sorrows is currently held awkwardly by avatars.

  • Attempting to use stealth skills in the vicinity of undead corpses may prevent the spell from working.

  • Using the /drink or /toast emotes will activate intoxication effects, which results in the Avatar being locked in a walking state for a period of time.

  • Tabbing between targets may select neutral NPCs. Be wary of nearby non-hostiles if using auto-attack while tabbing!

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R43 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-07-05 18:53:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 43 Patch Notes: July 3, 2017


  • Incorrectly rotated skeleton in Dragon Bone Crypt has been corrected.

  • Phineas' documents in Blood River Outskirts were updated.

  • Fixed missing walls in the Great Hall in Resolute.

  • Fixed bug that caused target indicators to be invisible after character creation.

  • More skeletons that were rotated incorrectly in Ravensmoor were corrected.

  • Sitting animations for dragonfly and butterfly were added.

  • Fixed corrupted grass textures in Aerie.

  • Removed obsolete rug in Brookside Tavern

  • Fixed floating apple in Samael's house in Brookside.

  • Fixed non-matching bricks in the walls of MIdras Vault.

  • Set the default state to “on” for the flame table lamp.

  • Made the Spiked Club and the Long Club able to be placed on walls as decorations.

  • Updated scales and colliders on Oracle Minions in K'rul.

  • Updated terrain trees in Mariah Overlook.

  • Added ceiling decoration layer to Shogun Four-Story Town home 2nd and 3rd floor.

  • Fixed bad LOD group on exterior of Pristine Gothic Mansion.

  • Healing Grace VFX now lasts for the duration of the spell and also now appears similar to other healing spells.

  • Fixed font size for party member location text.

  • Visual anomalies for the Headless Mask have been corrected.

  • Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented sheep or cows from appearing in Plans Encounter and Plains Road Encounter.

  • Fixed camera clipping issues in Graff Gem Mines.

  • Moved the player spawn-in location at the docks of Celestis away from a pile of boxes.

  • Fixed the Eye of Naturamans in Blood River Outskirts lack of decoration capabilities, it can now be proudly displayed to keep an eye on things.

  • Naturamans' skills in Blood River Outskirts were updated.

  • Holiday 2017 Cloak visual errors were corrected.

  • Corrected an issue where the gate near the entry point of Battle of Solace Bridge was controlled by switches that weren't active in the scene.

  • Flame and Thorn Sword VFX trails now better align with curved blades.

  • Removed all water from basins on devotionals.

  • Fixed inaccurate collision on trees in Deep Savrenoc Timberland.

  • Fixed the missing moons in the sky of Deep Savrenoc Timberland.

  • Correction for cloth simulation and textures on Iron Maiden’s Cloak.

  • Removed doors on Krishach's escort path in Skrekk.

  • Oracle Minions in K'rul can now move around correctly.

  • Fixed collision error on debris inside tavern in Battle of Solace Bridge.

  • Immolation VFX now last for complete spell duration.

  • Lenses will now appear where they are supposed to in Path of the Oracle for players on the quest.

  • Highvale Defender's sword textures were corrected.

  • Soothing Rain VFX now lasts the entire duration of the spell.

  • Ornate Moondial VFX culling distances were extended.

  • Smokeship work-in-progress emote entry should no longer be seen on the emote list.

  • Added decoration version of virtue balloons.

  • Updated stools in Celestis to prevent NPCs from sinking while sitting.

  • Restored moons and weather system clouds to the Celestis sky.

  • Undead enemies can now be regularly looted.

  • The housing decoration merchant Albert Lock in Aerie will now properly sell his wares.

  • Krishach in Skrekk will accept the diplomatic note even if not previously shown to a guard at the front gate.

  • Daily bonus XP message is now delivered on the chat window.

  • The dragon spawner in Boreas Colossus was moved out of the water.

  • Fixed conversation camera angles for the dragon in Boreas Colossus.

  • Ysaranth the Curious in Boreas Colossus is no longer curiously passive but will fight back appropriately if attacked; you have been warned.

  • The nomads in the nomad camp of Sequanna Colossus are now somewhat more talkative and may have a clue or two.


Known Issues

  • The zombie emote does not produce the expected dance.

  • Gold values do not update in inventory across accounts on the same client: the value of the first account's gold will be reflected in the second account's gold value. This is only a visual issue.

  • The Virtue Cloak is visibly broken, and does not look like it should.

  • Players may experience combat lag when playing in scenes with others.

  • Swimming in underground scenes like mines or sewers may cause the combat hotbar to become nonfunctional upon exiting the water.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • The dread artifact Heart of Sorrows is currently held awkwardly by avatars.

  • Attempting to use stealth skills in the vicinity of undead corpses may prevent the spell from working.

  • Using the /drink or /toast emotes will activate intoxication effects, which results in the Avatar being locked in a walking state for a period of time.

  • Tabbing between targets may select neutral NPCs. Be wary of nearby non-hostiles if using auto-attack while tabbing!

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R43 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-07-04 01:50:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Free Trial Test Starts Now! Runs From July 3-26

[/img]

We are excited to announce the third test of our Free Trial Test system, running live now through July 26! This will be the longest test so far of the system so that we can gather even more data on uptake, drop-off, conversions, etc.

If you know anyone who would like to try the game for free, then send them to the Download page. These tests are invaluable for us in order to improve the New User Experience and the Free Trial System itself.

Free Trial Test access during the game’s current Early Access period allows you to play the entire game in any of the Online modes with a few key differences in game play:

  • Free Trial Test Current Time Period: July 3-26, 2017
  • The term (Visitor) is appended to your Character Name
  • Cannot give items to other players via Trade
  • Cannot purchase nor sell items via Player Vendors nor Public Vendors
  • No ownership of property nor use of lot signs
  • Cannot interact with public chests
  • Cannot move/interact with items on a plot even if they are given permissions
  • Cannot flag as Open PVP
  • Cannot gain nor do they create any ransom items when they kill or are killed in PVP (in Open PVP zones)
  • Character data may be deleted after Free Trial period is over if character is not upgraded to a paid account
  • Items purchased in the Add On Store cannot be accessed after the Free Trial Period is over unless you purchase Game Access
  • Cannot play in Offline Mode
  • Can only start on the Path of Love

You can still explore hundreds of scenes, talk with thousands of players, adventure through the opening quests, and gain experience and skills as you get used to the world of New Britannia!

If you wish to continue playing after the free trial concludes, you can obtain an Early Access account here.

For those in the Free Trial Test, we would love your feedback! We have opened up our Release Feedback Forums. If you have a constructive comment about this release that will help the game to improve, please post it there.

Also be sure to say hello in the New Player Forum!

Have fun, and thanks for trying out Shroud of the Avatar in Early Access!


[ 2017-07-03 19:52:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #234 - Play Release 43 Now!



This week's Update #234 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Play Release 43 Now!
  • Q3 2017 Schedule Update
  • Free Trial 4 Starts Monday!
  • Shroud at RTX 2017 Next Friday!
  • Alienware Arena Steam Key Giveaway
  • Shroud In the News: Antwand Pearman, MMORPG, Massively OP Podcast
  • Weekend Flash Sale: Lord British Birthday Party Supplies!
  • Pre-Telethon Flash Sales: The Lord British Collection
  • Lord British’s Birthday Bash Telethon Next Thursday!
  • R43 Lot Deed Raffle Prize Winners
  • New Store Content
  • Movember Make a Difference Items
  • Comic-Con Panels with Richard Garriott and Starr Long
  • Community Contest: Rock Me Avatarus! – Party Showcase Contest
  • Community Livestream: Questing in Bloodriver Outskirts
  • Make Your SeedInvest Reservation Official!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Events: R43 Welcome Quest Festival and Putt Putt Golf Charity Drive


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-07-01 04:39:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 43 Patch Notes: June 30, 2017


  • Charlotte's clothes and hair are no longer white.

  • Blood River Outskirts performance tuning.

  • Fixed clipping issues with the canvas cot bed.

  • Added discoveries in Boreas Colossus and replaced the final exit to Novia with a portal.

  • Added collision to pillars in Boreas Colossus on colossus platform and final portal platform.

  • Moved Samael in Crypt of the Avatar out of the entrance hallway where he would get trapped

  • Samael in Crypt of the Avatar initial greeting is now cleaner and less abrupt.

  • Owl's Head Lunar Rift now properly loops back to Isle of Storms.

  • Updated Phineas' conversation in Blood River Outskirts to reflect player poisoning elves.

  • Made some adjustments to the navigation in Celestis to better help NPCs travel.

  • In Blood River Outskirts, fixed a typo in Phineas' dialogue.

  • Light spell now produces more light.

  • Restored the connections to Isle of Storms for lunar rifts in Brittany, Brookside, Highvale, and Westend.

  • Changed some of Naturamans' spells in Blood River Outskirts.

  • The wayward smoke over the Fire Lotus Tavern in Owl's Head has been moved to be above its chimney.

  • Fixed transparency issues on the Oak Display Cabinets.

  • Adjusted culling range on the Ornate Kobold Backpack decoration.

  • Lunar Rift in Isle of Storms tutorial no longer has incorrect tooltips.

  • Fixed a small piece of wood sticking through a blanket on the renaissance bed.

  • Fixed an issue where standing on crates in a Solania Catacombs hallway would push the player's camera through the roof.

  • Blood River Outskirts now has a reward after poisoning elves.

  • Fixed incorrect icon for Flame Stained Glass Table Lamp.

  • Players no longer get a task to take the non-existent boat in Solace Bridge to Soltown in the non-tutorial version.

  • Fires in Blood River no longer have white orbs.

  • Increased the culling distance for fires in Blood River.

  • Set “ship smoke” emote to show pipe in hand.

  • Created sitting variations for the sneeze, burp, belch, and cough emotes.

  • Fixed room of black furniture in the Epitaph.

  • Altered the giant mushroom in Blood River Outskirts to stay stationary and still have ranged attacks.

  • Created a new weapon for the giant mushroom in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Adjusted Naturamans' skills and added a reward to Phieas in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Partial fix added for merchants moving during conversations while behind a counter.

  • Added blocking volumes to prevent escape from map in chess room of Boreas Colossus.

  • Performance optimization for North Majestic Forest.

  • Some weapons showed trails all the time, this has been corrected.

  • Fix for Oracle room door interruptions.

  • Assassin's Bracers now have the correct display name.

  • Added LODs to the Golden Ornate Greenhouse 4-Story Row House.

  • Healing Touch visual effects now move correctly with the avatar.

  • Fixed error with May-May's journal entry in Kiln.

  • Missing mailboxes throughout the world were updated.

  • The animatronic merchant in Soltown can again be used to purchase goods and services.

  • Fixed ladders in NPC watchtower in Blood River Outskirts that was causing players to fall and die.

  • Fixed summoned phoenix getting a fake copy at its point of origin.

  • Disabled distortion effect on Death Ray.

  • Removed tree growing out of tower in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Added tooltip text to teleport by statue in Boreas Colossus.

  • Changed owner of “Ordinis Mortis” player owned town.

  • Samael's wandering to heal Gawain in Highvale is no longer easily interruptible.

  • Fixed water elemental attack crash.

  • Mountain collision in Sequana Colossus updated.

  • Mideval tunic textures have been updated.

  • Decreased interact range on valve wheel in Kiln Cistern.

  • Corrected the scale of garlic nodes in Wyrmsands.

  • Improved distance leash on elf at back of tent in Battle of Highvale, and adjusted furniture and spawners in tent.

  • Alberic's dialogue in Blood River Outskirts went missing but has now returned.

  • A check was put in Marcus' dialogue in Blood River Outskirts to measure knowledge about the elves.

  • Made the spider lair trigger in Blood River Outskirts much bigger and added directions to the lair in Phineas' conversation and journal entry.

  • Added missing wood board recipes

  • Piercing breeze has been modified to be more effective against more targets and also had the buff for the target removed.

  • Removed collision volumes from equipable papers, scrolls, books, and quills.

  • Adjusted specular values on textures in the ancient environment assets.

  • Many white oak trees were updated to correct collision issues.

  • Deleted terrain and grass clipping onto stone structure in Ardoris.

  • Performance pass on Hallowed Plains.

  • Removed an extra sword in Celestis.

  • Trees on the Plains Road random encounter maps were updated to fix improper collision.

  • Added a little fence to ledge in Boreas Colossus.

  • Fixed crashes that can occur when using various skills such as Death Touch.

  • Fixed persistent buffs not loading correctly when starting the game and entering the first map.

  • Fixed bug that caused target indicators to be invisible after character creation.


Known Issues

  • Wearing a Cabalist Robe will disable visuals for equipped gloves/back equipment.

  • Equipment that changes the Avatar's body visuals (ring of the cuttlekin) may cause the avatar to appear pink and transparent.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • The dread artifact Heart of Sorrows is currently held awkwardly by avatars.

  • Attempting to use stealth skills in the vicinity of undead corpses may prevent the spell from working.

  • Using the /drink or /toast emotes will activate intoxication effects, which results in the Avatar being locked in a walking state for a period of time.

  • Tabbing between targets may select neutral NPCs. Be wary of nearby non-hostiles if using auto-attack while tabbing!

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Number keys do not activate hotbar skills if set to auto-hide from game settings.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R43 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-06-30 23:45:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 43 Patch Notes: June 29, 2017

Build Number 617, 6PM


  • Magical sparkling dye in secondary dye channel no longer makes the entire Epic Cloth outfit sparkle.

  • Fixed a visual bug in Verdantis Shardfall.

  • Fixed grass poking through floorboards in Celestis.

  • Fixed animation bug with falling platforms.

  • Fixed an issue where the player could get locked into the swimming state preventing them from activating skills.

  • Fixed some shiny materials from the arctic castle set.

  • Added weapons and armor to the Brittany merchant for offline, removed recipes from this merchant.

  • Basement offline prices updated.

  • The “teleport to” UI now forces the cursor to be shown.

  • Summer Telethon 2017 balloons are now set up for physics.

  • Fixed stretching on all fur-mantled cloaks that stretched badly with emotes that raise arms.

  • Fixed typo in Ebon Dawn speech on death.

  • Added missing decoration surfaces in Twin Spire Lord of the Manor player home.

  • Fixed typo in generic crafting trainer conversation.

  • Light from smelting stations no longer causes beards to turn gray.

  • Fixed typo in Hyland Xaan conversation in Spite.

  • Fixed eye bulging during character customization.

  • Barry the Banker in Owl’s Head no longer refers to NPCs that have moved out of his building. They're dead to him now.

  • Fixed typo in Jacob Corey conversation.

  • Fixed wall decoration surface imperfections in the Knight Founder Lighthouse.

  • Lord Robinson in Resolute now sits on his designated throne as is fitting of a Lord Marshal.

  • Fixed second-floor stairwell asymmetry in Pristine Gothic Mansion.

  • Fixed firedancing outfits and coconut bra that changed skin tones.

  • Various localization corrections.

  • Can now learn Joseph Sepp's name in Jaanaford.

  • Removed blank letter from Resolute Sewers.

  • Fixed typo in /writescroll emote.

  • Fixed typo in Necropolis journal entry.

  • Fixed broken keyword hinting for these Ardoris NPCs: Chantik, Sarah, and Caroline Sjolund.

  • Jumping no longer clears the global cooldown for Rapid Fire.

  • Arabella's cloak is no longer stiff and stuck to her legs.

  • Flattened out the decoration version of augmented chainmail leggings.

  • Fixed ceiling collision in the Grand City Chateau.

  • Fixed broken keyword hinting for Sequanna in Malice.

  • Fixed bad ceiling decoration surface in the Lord of the Manor Keep.

  • Fixed bug that caused hidden tasks to reappear on the HUD when changing scenes.

  • Fixed levels-of-detail for the small bag decoration.

  • Bear trap damage area is off by default now.

  • Fixed lunar rift issues in Highvale.

  • Disabled cloth physics no longer breaks many capes, turning them into a single rigid body.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the top-right encumbrance icon to disappear when changing scenes.

  • Updated party member HUD nameplates when changing scenes.

  • Allowing italics on overworld location names.

  • Fix for terrain not casting shadows in Dracheninsel.

  • Resurrection timer now goes away if you change scenes while dead.

  • A hint now appears the first time you die, no matter where you may be.

  • Fixed standing stones near lunar rifts not showing up.

  • Lot permissions UI updated.

  • Initial states of banners are now set correctly.

  • Fixed collision error in Elad's lighthouse.

  • Patterns added for Assassin's armors.

  • Fixed missing carpentry recipes for Post Mailbox and Grand Piano.

  • Made the Ornate Kobold Backpack useable as a decoration.

  • Adjusted the height of the renaissance bed.

  • Added the correct collision mesh to Ornate Grand Piano.

  • Toned down physics simulation on held balloons.

  • Animated VFX on top of Tesla Towers are now visible at a distance.

  • Lava and cloud VFX on Novia map now draw correctly at a distance.

  • Added sitting versions for boo and clap emotes.

  • Adjusted particle cull distances on Estgard Waterfall.

  • Generated mail letters are now allowed to be traded, which allows these letters to be placed in chests.

  • Changed the icon for Eye of Naturamans in Blood River Outskirts to a (well used) spider eye icon.

  • Fixed "name" settings in various dialogues in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Created the "Eye of Naturamans" that the player may collect after defeating the anti-druid in Blood River Outskirts mushroom cave.

  • Updates for a handful of seated verisons of emotes.

  • Updated several blocking objects in Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering to improve NPC navigation.

  • Fixed an issue with texture on bridges in Desert and Forest Player Owned Town templates.

  • Fixed a typo in Corpion Poison.

  • Clarified the effect of the Fireflies spell.

  • Fixed a typo in Opportunity Strike.

  • Fixed missing water textures in Estgard.

  • Increased the collider radii for Daemon NPCs, and updated navigation data on many maps containing a Daemon.

  • Reduced size of overly large water lilies in the Soltown inlet area to ensure they don't clip through one another.

  • Replaced double fire trap in The Fall with one that works.

  • Set up drink and toast emotes for sitting.

  • Devotional buff areas have been reduced.

  • Shogun Three-Story Town Home deed updated to "Four-Story".

  • Fixed pivot position on the Ritter Shield.

  • Edvard's initial spawn path in Battle of Solace Bridge allowed him to walk through walls and the gate –his wandering rights have been revoked.

  • Fixed floating assets in Ardoris and smoothed some terrain.

  • Fixed unreachable bed in Blood River Outskirts, filled in empty space, added collisions to Mushrooms, and fixed stuck spots.

  • Smoothed out several terrain areas in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed stuck spots and Chest Mimic acting strangely in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed tree clipping wall and torch that was non-interactive in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Alberic and Elliana in Blood River Outskirts dialog was odd depending on who you met first, they now behave themselves.

  • Fixed steps in Harvest.

  • Multishot running animations adjusted.

  • Updated the Brittany Castle stand-in.

  • Removed two-way teleporter component from deliberately disabled ladder in Vertas Pass.

  • Blocked ladder visual in Vertas Pass to prevent player confusion over non-interactive ladder.

  • Unresolved tasks in Blood River Outskirts now flag to complete correctly.

  • The Blood River Outskirts Anti-druid will now come out to play.

  • More quests added to Blood River Outskirts map.

  • Fixed typos in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Leaving Blood River Outskirts now has a corrected auto-exit location.

  • Many bugs fixed in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Black Aeronaut Leggings texture no longer appears black.

  • Now allowing use of hotbar hotkeys while the hotbar is auto-hidden.

  • More UI elements have been localized.

  • Changed compass indicators to respect vertical distance for location and ankhs.

  • Created decoration versions for Obsidian War Hammer and Obsidian Spear.

  • Fixed collision in Elad’s lighthouse.

  • Fixed an issue with gems not being consumed during socketing.

  • The lava in Novia no longer flows the wrong way.

  • Lava in the Artifice forge now damages anyone who stands in it.

  • Fixed an issue with the lava in Artifice that made it scroll too fast.

  • Adjusted the player quantity from 8 to 64 in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Changed keyword Bloodriver to accept Blood River as an alternative in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Fixed another incident in Blood River Outskirts where Yliana thinks she's Eiliana.

  • Yliana in Blood River Outskirts has a new journal entry to reflect her name, rather than a copy of her sister Eiliana 's – we think there's a rivalry there.

  • Turned on ankh in Boreas Colossus that was toggled off temporarily.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Boreas Colossus.

  • Fixed a bug preventing bears from patrolling in Boreas Colossus.

  • Epic Cloth Sparkle Dye has been fixed.

  • NPCs in Etceter that had been running overzealously during their "shift changes" will now be less enthusiastic to get to work or home.

  • Fixed an issue where Siege Guard Scouts in Forest and Hills Sieges weren't always offering the quest to kill cabalists.

  • All arched metal double doors in Halls of Artifice now have the proper open and close sounds.

  • Added mailboxes to the bank stalls in Jaanaford and Kiln.

  • Localization updates.

  • When entering a siege encounter while exiting or entering Virtue Oasis, players should now always be sent into a Forest Siege.

  • Quest items updated.

  • Added mailbox to bank in Soltown.

  • Lowered the terrain inside well in Sequana Colossus to see the water.

  • Ankhs now display further away.

  • Fixed typo in tooltip in Sequana Colossus.

  • Adjusted rocks and the ground in Sequana Colossus to hide missing texture.

  • Lowered grass and adjusted trees in Sequana Colossus.

  • Added blocking volume to prevent stuck spot in Isle of Storms.

  • Spice stall in Xenos updated.

  • Fishing now allowed in Sequana Colossus.

  • Adjusted collider on large tower in Vertas Pass so players can't run through it.

  • Removed visual seams in Isle of Storms.

  • Fixed sticky spot on stairs in Blood River Massacre.

  • Crash when using Ring of Fire fixed.

  • Fixed visual seam on water in Blood River Outskirts.

  • Walking on water in Blood River Outskirts has been banned.

  • Wizards Hat texture has been fixed.

  • Satyr guards in Xenos will now always tell you their proper name when asked.


Known Issues

  • HUD UI elements such as the task list and the skill tracker may remain active when changing accounts.

  • Equipment that changes the Avatar's body visuals (ring of the cuttlekin) may cause the avatar to appear pink and transparent.

  • Disabling cloth physics may result in capes/cloaks appearing completely flat, rigid, and disconnected from the Avatar's body

  • It is currently difficult to find harvest resources in scenes with the Surveying skill. This will be revisited after a VFX review of this system.

  • The dread artifact Heart of Sorrows is currently held awkwardly by avatars.

  • Attempting to use stealth skills in the vicinity of undead corpses may prevent the spell from working.

  • Using the /drink or /toast emotes will activate intoxication effects, which results in the Avatar being locked in a walking state for a period of time.

  • Tabbing between targets may select neutral NPCs. Be wary of nearby non-hostiles if using auto-attack while tabbing!

  • Target indicators may not be visible when selecting Hostile or Friendly NPCs.

  • Linux: Adjusting shadows may resize the resolution of the game client.

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Number keys do not activate hotbar skills if set to auto-hide from game settings.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R43 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-06-30 00:13:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Q3 2017 Schedule Update



Greetings Avatars,

As we have stated previously, we intend to publish quarterly schedule updates for our monthly releases. Even though the goals outlined in these schedules are likely to change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to periodically provide you with an updated roadmap.

Our priority continues to be to deliver new content to our backers each and every month so that you can give us feedback that will help us iteratively improve Shroud of the Avatar. This collaborative process continues to benefit the game, and often results in sweeping changes such as the upcoming addition of the Outskirts scenes. As you have seen in previous releases, the flexibility inherent to this process means that we sometimes push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

Performance: One of our biggest priorities for the third quarter will be to improve performance. A significant portion of each release will be spent on improving client stability, framerate, memory usage, and load times.

New User Experience (NUE): Another large priority for the third quarter will continue to be about improving the new user experience. These efforts will include adding the final two Outskirts maps and polishing the User Interface.

Story Complete: Our goal is to complete the story no later than the end of Q3 (most of it will actually be done in R44 minus one Outskirts map), so story efforts in Q3 will be focused on finishing the Path of the Oracle (aka the finale) as well as polishing the paths of Truth and Courage (including adding side quests along those two paths), and refining the last two Outskirts map. Since the story will be complete in Q3, we plan to allow all players to make a one-time-only reset of the story status for their character (so they can start fresh with their current character) at some point during Q3.

To repeat what I said in the Q1 post:

“We believe that we have reached the final 20% of development before Commercial Release, at which point we will transition out of Early Access. The next two quarters will be the most exciting and challenging times for the project so far. This will be when we get the final features and content in the game and make the last important balance changes. The changes will be fast and furious, and they may occasionally be hard to understand when you become accustomed to the way things were before. Please trust that we firmly believe that every change we make is best for the long term health of the project.”

As always, all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change as we adjust our designs based on direct feedback from you, our backers.

RELEASE 44, July 27, 2017


  • Story: Polish will continue on the Path of the Oracle (aka the Finale) including work on the Destiny Pool and the Grannus Colossus (which is getting completely rebuilt). This will make the core of the story for Episode 1 complete and playable from beginning to end along all three paths (Truth, Love, and Courage). Blood River Outskirts, the new scene that players start in after Blood River Massacre, will get a polish pass. Also the first three cities along the Path of Truth (Aerie, Vertas, and Jaanaford) will get visual polish passes to better show off the fact that they are cities of Truth and to generally improve visuals (terrain, flora, etc.). Finally some adventure scenes in the northwest regions of Novia will be rebuilt from scratch, including Hallowed Plains.


  • Performance: Significant focus will continue to be made on performance including stability, framerate, memory, and load times.

  • Player Towns: Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

  • Combat: Avatars will be able to wield the Dread Artifacts (Heart of Sorrows, Bone Steel Crown, Scepter of Dread) for the first time and unleash their powers, if they dare. We will also continue our polish pass on all the visual effects related to combat. Additionally work will continue on overall combat balance.


  • Character: We will begin creating Viking-inspired clothing for the NPCs in the Norgard and Verdantis areas of Novia to better define that region, including outfits for Royalty, Guards, Citizens, and Merchants.

  • Looking For Group: A tool to help players find a group to adventure with will appear in the game.

  • Economy: Loot on mid-level creatures will be adjusted to be more rewarding while still maintaining game balance.


RELEASE 45, August 31, 2017

  • Story: Highvale Outskirts, a new scene that players start in after the Battle of Highvale Village, will come online for the first time. We will also focus on adding sidequests and polish to the Paths of Truth and Courage. Finally some adventure scenes in the northwest regions of Novia will be rebuilt from scratch, including Longfall Woods.


  • Performance: Significant focus will continue to be made on performance including stability, framerate, memory, and load times.

  • Single-Player Offline Combat Balance: We will adjust and balance combat for play in offline mode with companions.

  • Player Housing: Players will be able to claim property in Blood Bay, in our first Open PVP housing area. Additionally, updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

  • Combat: We will continue to polish visual effects related to combat, and we will continue work on overall combat balance.

  • Character: At least one new creature will appear in the game as well as several new weapons.

  • Crafting: More recipes and more patterns in gear that is dropped from enemies will appear in game.

  • User Interface Polish: Time will be spent polishing the user interface.  This will include the ability to separate chat tabs into separate windows.


RELEASE 46, September 28, 2017

  • Story: Highvale Outskirts will get a polish pass and the Paths of Truth and Courage will keep growing with additional sidequests. We will also continue rebuilding adventure scenes in the northwest regions of Novia, including Crooked Shank.

  • Performance: Significant focus will continue to be made on performance including stability, framerate, memory, and load times.

  • Offline Spawning Rules: The rates and rules for how creatures and resources respawn will be adjusted to work differently in Offline mode so that while some areas (wilderness) can be “farmed” with regular respawns (just like in online mode), and other areas can be cleared/conquered (dungeons and story-related areas).

  • Crafting: Polish will be done on Agriculture and Fishing including the additions of new skills and functionality like Batch Planting. Additionally the ability to brew and consume Alcohol will come online.

  • Character: At least one new creature will appear in the game as well as several new weapons.


  • Player Housing: Tools for Player Owned Town Owners will come online to assist with building and maintaining their towns includings a lawn mower. Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

  • Combat: We will continue our polish pass on all the visual effects related to combat and continue work on overall combat balance.


We continue to be incredibly thankful for the support we receive from this amazing community. While the funding you provide makes all of this possible, it pales in comparison with the faith you have in us, the feedback you provide us, and the content you are making for everyone to enjoy. We are humbly grateful, and we cannot wait to see you again in New Britannia!

Before I go, I wanted to include an excerpt from my original post about our Early Release Schedule that is important to set the framework for our ongoing schedule:

As a crowd funded and crowd sourced project, we feel it is incredibly important that we provide our backers with information and access well before game studios would normally do so in a traditional development model. Traditionally, the players are given information and access only after the development team has already decided exactly how things will be done, and at times, even after it has already been implemented. By the time the public normally has access to the product, there is usually no time to meaningfully react to the public feedback. Shroud of the Avatar is different than the traditional model, as we intend to offer our backers extremely early access to information and even the game itself.


Our strategy over the next few months is to provide you with focused and iterative releases of content. Your feedback during these releases will be critical to making the final product the best it can be, and we appreciate that you are all so willing to devote your time to helping us.


It is important to note that all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change.


Sincerely,
Starr Long
Executive Producer
Shroud of the Avatar

 


[ 2017-06-29 20:28:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 43 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 43 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, June 29, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 43 contains both a huge amount of new content and a major improvement in performance that will generally improve everything about playing the game (and I do not exaggerate). Framerates have been improved in every scene, doubled in some! This really will make playing the game feel so much better in every way. Additionally, one of our biggest and most complicated scenes ever, Blood River Outskirts, goes live this release. Three scenes got completely rebuilt and four more scenes got major polish passes. Finally, we are expanding the mail system to allow player-to-player mail as well as expanding and balancing the Offline Economy!

On top of all this new content, we also launched our SeedInvest Crowd Equity campaign to raise funds for our commercial launch later this year. Speaking of later this year… stay tuned tomorrow for our Q3 Schedule Update to find out what we will be working on for the next three releases!

Performance: The programming team spent three weeks focusing most of their efforts on improving performance. We looked at every aspect of how we run the game to find everything that could be changed to improve performance. We are happy to report that we made significant progress! Frame rate is getting very close to where we want it to be, and is now almost double where it was previously (our long term goal is 30 fps on minimum spec. computers playing in Ardoris). Load times are also better, but there is still more work to be done.

Story: The Path of the Oracle continues to expand greatly with two more Colossus scenes: Sequanna Colossus & Boreas Colossus. We have also improved the Path of Truth by adding Blood River Outskirts, which is the zone that new users are sent to directly after Blood River Massacre. This scene makes extensive use of the Factions system introduced in Release 42. We are also now directing players to move back and forth between the three paths so that their level stays on pace with the challenge of each path. Additionally, several scenes were rebuilt, polished or expanded, including Celestis, Libris Ruins, Graff Gem Mines, Isle of Storms, and Crypt of the Avatar.

[/img]

Offline Economy: Merchants in Offline Mode now have a different “Buy Price” for player-crafted items than merchants in Online Mode. This allows players to sell crafted goods for a profit to NPC merchants in Offline Mode. Additionally, Merchants in offline mode now have an additional stock list that will eventually include all items from the Add-On Store, Pledges, Bundles, etc. In Release 43 many of those items are now listed for sale and more will be added over time.

Click here for the complete Instructions and Game Update Notes.

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.


[ 2017-06-28 21:43:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #233 – 2017.06.23: Lord British's Birthday Events, and More!



This week's Update #233 is out! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Isle of Storms Before & After Polish
  • Crypt of the Avatar Polish
  • Graff Gem Mines New Cavern Area
  • The Making of Celestis (update)
  • Lord British’s Birthday Bash Telethon – July 6th
  • New Free Trial Coming Up! July 3-26
  • Successful Reddit AMA with Richard Garriott and the Team
  • Richard Garriott at Barcelona Gamelab
  • Comic-Con Panels with Richard Garriott and Starr Long
  • Community Contest: Rock Me Avatarus! – Party Showcase Contest
  • Community Livestream: A New Look to Celestis
  • Tech Talk Tuesday: Tech Talk Tuesday #8: Continuation of the AMA
  • Weekend Flash Sales: The Lord British Collection
  • Make Your SeedInvest Reservation Official!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Ordinis Mortis Shopping Extravaganza and After Party!
  • Community Event: Just 1 Life – 48 Hour Streamathon


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-06-24 00:21:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

Lord British’s Birthday Bash Telethon – July 6th

[/img]

Avatars, get ready for a birthday bash like no other! Today, we are announcing a special mini-telethon around Lord British’s birthday! Event begins on July 6th and runs from 3-9pm CT. Lord British’s birthday is on July 4th, a couple of days before the telethon.

Telethons are livestreamed on Twitch and include a complete schedule of developer Deep Dives, answers to your gameplay questions, community activities, prize giveaways, sales on items, and more!

Celebrate with the community as the telethon approaches in one of the many soon-to-be-announced party contest celebrations!

For complete telethon details, including prizes, developer Q&As, flash sales, and cool new stretch goal items, visit the main Birthday Bash Telethon Announcement on the official website.


[ 2017-06-22 23:56:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

Rock Me Avatarus – Party Showcase Contest Begins!

[/img]

Get your party spot ready for a contest that’s sure to wow all the guests! Over the next two weeks, you will have the opportunity to show off your party hosting skills in today’s contest – Rock Me Avatarus – Party Showcase Contest. Contest begins now and runs until 12pm (Noon) CT on July 5th, a day after Lord British’s birthday on the 4th!

While we encourage you to take screenshots with a full party scene, you don’t need individuals attending in order to submit and win, though we do encourage you to invite the community to fill up the space! If the spot is decorated really well with a fun party theme and the bar/dance floor/whatever space is empty, please still submit an entry.

Examples of some party themes include: dances, holidays (such as Halloween), a classic bar scene, birthdays, cultural (including marriages and other similar celebrations), seasonal, midnight rave, pool party, etc. etc.

Get all the details and enter into the contest HERE!


[ 2017-06-22 01:06:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Reddit AMA - June 20th From 11am-2pm EDT

[/img]

Get your Qs ready for next week’s AMA! Richard “Lord British” Garriott and other team members will be hanging out on Reddit on Tuesday, June 20th from 11am-2pm EDT to chat with you. We will announce the AMA link on /r/SotA_Official which will point to the discussion.

We are focusing this AMA on questions related to the equity crowdfunding campaign currently running through SeedInvest, though will take questions about the game’s development. Please know that we will do our best to get to as many questions as possible, but we may not be able to answer everything in the time allotted.

Thanks Shroud of the Avatar redditors for allowing us to promote the AMA! We can’t wait to have a great chat with you.


[ 2017-06-19 20:42:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #232 – 2017.06.16: Reddit AMA Next Week! And We're Headed to Comic-Con!



This week's Update #232 is out! Stick around for next week's Reddit AMA, read about updates to our SeedInvest campaign, see a new uncloned scene, check out the new Arabella NPC art...

... and we're headed to Comic-Con next month!

Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • A New Look to Celestis Scene
  • The Making of Arabella NPC
  • Upcoming Reddit AMA with Richard Garriott
  • SeedInvest Webinar Q&A with Richard Garriott
  • Comic-Con Panels with Richard Garriott and Starr Long
  • Community Livestream: Libris Ruins Tour
  • Weekend Flash Sales – Pets & Property
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Prism’s Grandmaster Tutoring Event
  • Community Contest: RPOTA Monthly $155 Writing Contest
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back: Wing Commander Orchestral Recording Vol. 2


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-06-17 01:39:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Recording of SeedInvest Webinar QA with Richard Garriott

[/img]

Yesterday we held a Webinar about our equity crowdfunding campaign through SeedInvest. Many questions by the community were answered after Richard "Lord British" Garriott gave a brief introductory presentation.

To watch the recording, sign in here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2735149906524740355

Stay tuned next week for another exclusive Q&A with Richard and our team, but this time on Reddit!


[ 2017-06-15 16:54:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #231 – 2017.06.09: New Scene Screenshots Videos!



This week's Update #231 is out! Get another look at Libris Ruins in a new video, learn more about the Colossi and Titans, read an interview with Richard Garriott, check out all of the cool in-game emotes on sale this weekend, and more! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • New Libris Ruins Screenshots & Video!
  • New Boreas Colossus Screenshots
  • Story: What “Colossus” and “Titan” Terms Mean
  • In the News: Massively Overpowered Interview with Richard Garriott
  • Make Your SeedInvest Reservation Official!
  • Community Spotlight: Kahli – Player Owned Town
  • Summer Telethon Recording Now on YouTube
  • Weekend Flash Sales – Emotes!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: Boat Emote Party
  • Community Contest: RPOTA Monthly $155 Writing Contest
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back: SotA Con – Austin 2017


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-06-10 01:01:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #230 – 2017.06.02: Summer Telethon Success and New Flash Sales!



The Summer Telethon was a success, thanks to all of you that make this game possible! Here is a complete list of what's inside this newsletter...

  • Boreas Colossus Scene (Unclone)
  • Libris Ruins Scene Update
  • Announcing Equity Crowdfunding Campaign
  • Summer Telethon Success! Thank You Community!
  • Weekend Flash Sales – Telethon Favorites! Moondials & Statues
  • Community Livestream – Oracle Colossus
  • Trophy Room Contest Winners Announced!
  • Tech Talk Tuesday #6 – Decoding the Oracle
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: A Fishing Derby for the Trevor Project
  • Community Cause: AERIE Fund – Just 1 Life Community Cause
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back: SotA Con – Austin 2017


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-06-03 00:52:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Announcing Equity Crowdfunding Campaign

Greetings Avatars,

Shroud of the Avatar is at a very exciting time in development. As you know, we are in the process of putting the finishing touches on the story, polishing the new user experience, and a host of other efforts to prepare the game for a commercial launch of Episode 1 – Forsaken Virtues later this year.

We are forever grateful to our backers who have helped us to reach levels of support that we never dreamed of having. That support has brought Shroud of the Avatar to where it is today. And with a commercial launch now in sight, it’s time to focus more on marketing and user acquisition as we scale up our player base and the service.

As part of that effort, we are transitioning from being exclusively a developer to also being a publisher. This means we need to begin focusing on marketing and user acquisition, as we scale up users and the service. These efforts of course require funds beyond just development.

This has led us to this moment where for the first time we get to offer you the chance to invest in Portalarium through the power of Equity Crowdfunding (aka Regulation CF).

To learn more about how you or someone you know can be part of our future, please visit the SeedInvest website.

Sincerely,

Lord British and the Portalarium Team

*Disclaimer: Portalarium is offering securities under Regulation CF and Rule 506(c) of Regulation D through SI Securities, LLC (“SI Securities”). The Company has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained here: https://www.seedinvest.com/portalarium/series.b


[ 2017-06-02 23:51:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 42 Patch Notes: May 31, 2017

Release 42
Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 42! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 42 are available here.

May 31, 2017

Build Number 614, 10:30AM

Fixes


  • Ambient audio effects in South Naryad Pinelands have been fixed.

  • Audio effects in Ardoris Sewers have been fixed.

  • A Research Note in Oracle Colossus has had its text updated for spelling errors.

  • Constellations have been enabled in the Hidden Vale Overworld.

  • Broken doors have been removed from PvP Castle Arena (Teams) scenes.

  • Eyeballs will no longer bulge forward and clip through the lower eyelid when settings are at max.

  • Fixed Palisade Gates in Brittany Alleys.

  • Gaps between platforms in Opalis Ruins have been updated to allow for NPC AI to properly path across.

  • Conversations will now automatically close if the targeted NPC has a schedule change based on time of day.

  • The Braids hairstyle on male avatars have been improved to avoid clipping through certain armor types.

  • Skin color is now consistent when wearing Firedancer Leggings

  • Root will no longer cause AI leashing behaviors under rare conditions.

  • Labels for the exits in the Halls of Artifice have been corrected for the Lyceum and the Forge of Hephaestus.

  • Compass directions have been fixed for the following scenes: Ardoris Sewers, Blackblade Pass, Spectral Mines, Caverns of Skrekk, Valhold Palace, Elysium Mines, Brittany Sewers, Crypt of the Avatar, Verdantis Mines, K'rawl, Serpent's Spine Mines, Owl's Head Sewers, Kingsport Sewers, Solania Catacombs, The Fall, The Clink, Midmaer Passage, Kiln Cistern, and K'rul.

  • Khary will now reliably recognize when you are ready to move between Harvest and Estgard as part of the Path of Courage questline.

  • Equipment that alters skin tone (e.g. Ring of Cuttlekin) will no longer cause body parts to disappear completely.

  • Mail messages/letters can now be stored in chests/containers.

  • A mailbox has been added to the interior of the bank in Elad's Lighthouse.

  • Mailboxes in PoT Bank Buildings can now be accessed by residents; not only PoT Owners and Stewards

  • All letters generated by vendor activity now include the location of the vendor.

  • Extra doors blocking Decoration Shops have been removed, restoring access.

  • Resurrect Creature will no longer work to resurrect other players.

  • Resurrect Creature will now appropriately resurrect dead pets when targeting self.

  • Avitas's dialogue in Etceter will now clearly indicate what is needed for Passage, as part of the Path of Truth questline.

  • Edvard's dialogue in Battle of Solace Bridge will appropriately reference the journey to Solace Bridge Outskirts instead of Soltown.

  • A scavenger hunt letter container has been restored in Brittany Fields.

  • Audio for a number of runes have been fixed (Light, Dash, etc.)

  • Item Count/Limits for containers will now be visible while stored in a bank.

  • All generic merchants and trainers should now respond to the "buy" and "train" keywords respectively.

  • Players that killed the alpha wolf in Solace Bridge Outskirts but couldn't turn in the quest to Filmore the farmer should now be able to talk to him again to clear that task.

  • Cooldown time for Locked Decks will no longer be calculated on post-cast heat levels, which made them overly long.

  • The max cooldown penalty for Locked Deck heat is now capped at 2 seconds, a reduction.

  • Female Avatar eyes will now animate properly when lying down.


Known Issues

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Linux: Binding keys to the keypad’s period (.) key results in the key being bound to the keypad’s forward slash (/) key.

  • Linux: Playing on Fullscreen in desktop environments other than Ubuntu’s Unity (Gnome3, KDE, Cinnamon, etc.) may result in being unable to click on anything. If the client is started in windowed, then adjusted TO fullscreen, it may then work.

  • Grass will not always be cleared when using the roadway pavers, resulting in grass poking through. We are looking into a reliable solution to this issue.

  • Number keys do not activate hotbar skills if set to auto-hide from game settings.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • Backgrounds may remain blurry after leaving conversations if resolutions are on lower settings.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R42 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-31 17:47:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #229 – 2017.05.26: Play R42 Now!



Release 42 is live! Here's just some of what's been included in this release:

  • New Mail System!
  • Path of Truth First Pass Playable
  • Path of the Oracle Playable
  • Oracle Colossus Final Polish
  • Battle of Solace Bridge, Battle of Highvale, and Bloodriver Massacre Tutorial Polish
  • Solace Bridge Outskirts Improvements
  • Starting Scene Polish
  • POT Signpost Teleport Networks
  • Decoration Additions and Improvements
  • Advanced Skill Training
  • Combat and Skill Balance
  • Enemy AI and Pathing Tweaked
  • New Crafting Recipes
  • New NPC Building Decorations
  • New Equipable Decorations
  • Weapon Decorations Now Wall AND Floor Placeable
  • New Items, Both Craftable and Store
  • Numerous Scene Fixes
  • General Performance Improvements
  • …and much more!


A complete list of what's inside this newsletter...
  • New Mail System and Player Town Teleporter Signposts!
  • Libris Ruins Scene First Look
  • Final Free Trial Weekend!
  • R41 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
  • Summer Telethon is Nearly Here!
  • Community Livestream – Magic Movers!
  • Tech Talk Tuesday #5
  • Localization Progress Update
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Event: R42 Welcome Quest
  • Community Cause: AERIE Fund – Just 1 Life – Artwork Contest
  • Trophy Room Contest Ending Next Week!
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back: SotA Con – Austin 2017


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-05-27 00:29:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 42 Patch Notes: May 26, 2017

Build Number 612, 4:30PM

Fixes


  • Windermere Charcoal “Grey” furniture is now "Gray" furniture.

  • Changed "Durham Off-White" furniture to "Durham Gray" furniture.

  • Fixed issues with Path of the Oracle journal entries.

  • Hooked up siege functionality for player owned town Isle of Ghosts.

  • Fixed issues with trainers and bankers not working in Spite, Owl's Head, and Etceter.

  • Fixed issue with Edwin in Soltown not opening the merchant window.

  • Added siege visuals to overworld for player owned town Dawn's Keep.

  • Adjusted the size of oversized water plants throughout Hidden Vale to be smaller and scaled more consistently.

  • Fixed invisible font bug (recipe book, journal, etc.)

  • Fixed a typo in Sedgewick's conversation in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Ackerley, Filmore, Lord Langston, Sedgewick, and Sigourney all refer you back to Kinsey when you finish all their tasks.

  • Kinsey no longer suggests you help the farmer or alchemist if you are on (or have completed) their respective quests.

  • Connections now exist between The Fall and Graff Gem Mines, Brittany Sewers, and Serpent's Spine Mines with door teleporters instead of exit volumes.

  • Changes made to help prevent players from spawning inside the docks of many island player owned towns.

  • Posted a note outside entrance to Kiln Cistern stressing the danger of the cistern in a way that ties in with the quest narrative.

  • Added eternal pattern to Leather Guard Armor

  • Player owned town merchant veils are now the correct color.

  • Change the appearance of the mouse cursor when hovering over the character in the magic mirror or character sheet in order to indicate that the character may be rotated

  • Change default character rotation in magic mirror to make it easier to see changes to hair styles and facial features

  • Water foam in Nightshade Pass no longer has a rectangular pattern.

  • Changed the name of a note in Oracle Colossus.

  • Made the elemental gate in Oracle Colossus harder to bypass without solving its puzzle.

  • Name blacklist updated.

  • Removed ambush mode for undead creatures on overworld map.

  • Changed Solace Bridge Outskirts to eight players maximum.

  • Highvale Tutorial exit marker now leads to the correct exit.

  • Players who did not have their task cleared after talking to Lieutenant Corliss in Solace Bridge Outskirts about the utility hotbar can talk to her again to clear that task.

  • Fixed typos in Garridon's conversation in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Added a gathering quest to Filmore the farmer in Solace Bridge Outskirts.


Known Issues

  • An avatar's body can go visually missing due to certain body-mesh adjusting equipable items. (e.g. Ring of Cuttlekin)

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Linux: Binding keys to the keypad’s period (.) key results in the key being bound to the keypad’s forward slash (/) key.

  • Linux: Playing on Fullscreen in desktop environments other than Ubuntu’s Unity (Gnome3, KDE, Cinnamon, etc.) may result in being unable to click on anything. If the client is started in windowed, then adjusted TO fullscreen, it may then work.

  • Grass will not always be cleared when using the roadway pavers, resulting in grass poking through. We are looking into a reliable solution to this issue.

  • Number keys do not activate hotbar skills if set to auto-hide from game settings.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • Backgrounds may remain blurry after leaving conversations if resolutions are on lower settings.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R42 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-26 23:14:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 42 Patch Notes: May 25, 2017

Build Number 610, 8:30PM

Fixes


  • Fixed a stuck spot in Verdantis.

  • Fixed floating trees in South Valeway.

  • Localization updates.

  • Recipe for Moondial.

  • Windermere sofa & chair setup and LODs.

  • Clockwork creatures now have a chance to drop mechanical parts.

  • Book patterns added to merchants.

  • Steel in Etceter can once again be talked to.

  • Fixed an instrument input bug that caused two notes to be played when only one should be played.

  • Tools no longer appear lit on fire after multiple swings.

  • Ice field no longer stops the avatar from moving while casting.

  • Fixed Cleansing Rain damage type.

  • Water will no longer count as cover.

  • Linking malice entrance ambient audio to volume sliders.

  • Enabled additional decoration rotation axis flag on Edvards notes.

  • Instruments are now stored as soon as a harvesting interaction is started.

  • Autumn Fairy Dress no longer clips through skin when dancing.

  • Firedancer Leggings now reflect avatar skin color correctly.

  • Fixed initial tutorial task not clearing when speaking to Arabella in Isle of Storms.

  • Various mounted heads can now be placed on walls.

  • Updated audio issues with Ducks.

  • Fixed squirrel audio issues.

  • Adjusted four-story greenhouse row home to fit on a 10x15 footprint.

  • Made Copper Vile Chekan placeable as a decoration when stood upright.

  • Douse can now be cast on allies.

  • Adjusted collision for the keep-sized ornate moondial.

  • Moved the Obsidian Chest in Dysborg Vault so it is no longer underwater.

  • Removed explosion-like noise from fire burning.

  • Perennial Coast Farmer Leggings are no longer the incorrect color.

  • Avatar skin color no longer affected when wearing the Coconut Bra.

  • Mohawk no longer sticks out of the Top Hat.

  • Performance updates.

  • Added crossbow recipes.

  • Adjusted dungeon doorway piece collision to prevent stuck spots.

  • Fixed a gap on the exterior steps of the Knight Founder village home.

  • Fixed stuck spots in doorways of Knight Founder home.

  • Fixed invisible Caretakers in player towns.

  • Fixed stuck spot in 2-story elven row home.

  • Fixed stuck spot in Viking town-sized stronghold player home.

  • Fixed a dark triangle on the floor of the Elven city home.

  • Navigation updated for the Pristine Gothic Mansion player home.

  • Adjusted the Small White Crafting Sigil so that it rotates on its center axis.

  • Turning cloth simulation off no longer causes equipped cloaks to bounce as you move.

  • Fixed stats on cloth helm.

  • Fixed stuck spots on the sides of some rope bridges.

  • You can no longer get “too close” to the Oracle.

  • Minor fix to Oracle dialog.

  • Fixed recipe book visibility issues.

  • Fixed an issue with talking with Stanley about Edvard in Soltown.

  • Beatrice Arrondale, the estate merchant in Ardoris, will now respond to "buy" requests.

  • Renamed “Guard Armor” to "Leather Guard Armor" items.

  • Fixed a bug that caused the amount of focus consumed when using a glyph to be greater than the focus cost indicated in the tooltip.

  • Added hinges to roof hatch of obsidian two-story row home.

  • Removed two-way teleporter scripts from ladder pieces in Blood Bay.

  • The decoration shop building in Central Brittany has returned, and the mounted heads within have been slightly rearranged.

  • Fixed interaction on all bedrolls in Ferig's Battle Camp.

  • Fixed focus cost shown in skill tooltip.

  • Long times for deck swaps has been fixed.

  • Correctly positioned teleport targets for all ladders in the Lycaeum in Halls of Artifice (yes... ALL of them.)

  • Inventory window now comes up automatically when interacting with bankers and public vendors only, not all merchants.

  • Normalized and increased the length of the duration of most magic buffs.

  • Updated navigation for Paladis Shardfall with better values, and it now encloses the entire area.

  • Player level being significantly higher than a creature will no longer cause the creature to auto miss.

  • Swapped locations of signposts in Forest 01 player owned town template, for Town Boundary 3 and Town Boundary 4.

  • Added a discovery and a signpost in Mountain 01 player owned town template, to Town Boundary 4 location.

  • Blocked interaction on potted plant ceramic bowls in island metropolis player towns.

  • Added discoveries to Savrenoc Timberland, including all exits and several POIs.

  • Defeating siege engineers and cabalists in sieges will now send messages to chat windows, letting players know how many of each type have been defeated.

  • Kinsey in Solace Bridge Outskirts has you take her report to Stanley in Soltown after you tell her about the Ebon Dawn Ritual Master.

  • Removed the Stanley quest that's blocking the boat exit.

  • Made the boat require the player be on the Path of Love (which happens as soon as Edvard crosses the bridge with you and you speak to him.)

  • Chesterfield group of furniture updated.

  • Added snow in Vertas to all of the tree houses, fixed palisade crashing through rocks, and flowers intersecting with candles.

  • Utility bar glyphs will no longer use crazy amounts of focus when used out of combat.

  • Character name blacklist was updated.

  • Teleporting pets near the breakaway bridge in Verdantis Mines now behave correctly.

  • Wooden pole torch decorations should now be able to be placed.

  • Equipping the One Man Band instrument no longer makes hair pink.

  • Grave Robber in Ruins of Ravensmoor was given the correct appearance and faction.

  • To avoid confusion about enemy difficulty: targeting reticles are now more visible, added highlights around health bars, and name colors no longer change.

  • Added an interactive seat to the Edwards armchair.

  • Fixed LODs on the Black Leather Chesterfield Sofa.

  • Fixed visual blue artifacts on Durham Chesterfield furniture icons.

  • Changed Chesterfield furniture icons to match other furniture icons.

  • Gavin and Laura in Kingsport will once again train players.

  • Added contextual help for task list.

  • Fixed an issue with Edvard's gate not opening when unlocked in Blood River Massacre.

  • Moved one of three crafting merchants in Brittany Wharfs from the book crafting shop to the nearby crafting pavilion.

  • Improved readability of text in the chat window.

  • Improved visibility of SotA Map in faded-out state.

  • Removed grass that was floating off the side of a mountain in Novia.

  • Changed the generic name for Hartley in Solace Bridge Outskirts from "Sullen Bandit" to "Outskirts Fence."

  • Updated Hartley’s conversation in Solace Bridge (and that of the Langston's) to reference his new job.

  • Hartley’s shack in Solace Bridge now unlocks if you use a key you can take from his corpse, rather than automatically opening when killing him.


Known Issues

  • An avatar's body can go visually missing due to certain body-mesh adjusting equipable items. (e.g. Ring of Cuttlekin)

  • Interrupting sheet music with another song may result in the music breaking for remote clients listening.

  • Text and visual elements of the Recipe Book may appear missing. The recipes should still work, however.

  • Linux: Binding keys to the keypad’s period (.) key results in the key being bound to the keypad’s forward slash (/) key.

  • Linux: Playing on Fullscreen in desktop environments other than Ubuntu’s Unity (Gnome3, KDE, Cinnamon, etc.) may result in being unable to click on anything. If the client is started in windowed, then adjusted TO fullscreen, it may then work.

  • Grass will not always be cleared when using the roadway pavers, resulting in grass poking through. We are looking into a reliable solution to this issue.

  • Number keys do not activate hotbar skills if set to auto-hide from game settings.

  • Deleting a character will reset the local settings for the entire client. Other accounts, or offline/online characters will also have their settings reset.

  • Ring of Fire VFX will appear distorted when displayed against walls and water surfaces.

  • Avatars do not go back to idle animations after walking with an instrument being played.

  • Backgrounds may remain blurry after leaving conversations if resolutions are on lower settings.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R42 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-26 02:54:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 42 Instructions



Avatars,

Thank you for being a loyal backer of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 42 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, May 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 42 (R42) is another significant step forward in progress with a staggering amount of new content as well as a ton of balance and polish. The Path of the Oracle is finally revealed, along with the Oracle herself, starter scenes have seen an amazing amount of polish, more gear can be placed as decorations, Mail is seeing its first iteration, many weapon decorations are now able to be placed on both walls and floors, combat got lots of balancing including additional functionality for Locked Decks and adjustments to Experience Decay, and enemies have been beefed up with new abilities and smarter behaviors!

The Path of the Oracle: For intrepid Avatars that have succeeded in the Paths of Love, Truth, and Courage, an audience can be sought with the Oracle herself. What awaits as you approach her throne in the heart of Brittany? R42 will set the Avatar upon the final path to untangle the meaning of the Dire Prophecies and discover the Avatar’s purpose in New Britannia.



Starting Scene Polish: We have continued to focus on steady improvements to the new user experience by polishing the three primary starter scenes: Battle of Solace Bridge, Blood River Massacre, and Battle of Highvale. Players exploring these scenes for the first time will experience significant improvements to quest flow, task management, NPC behaviors, Points of Interest, and enemy encounters.



Decoration Additions and Improvements: We have expanded the list of available decorations this release to include nearly 120 pieces of gear that can now be placed as decorations. This includes all Chain, Plate, Bone, Clockwork, and Founder’s Heavy Armor sets as well as many equipable offhand items and miscellaneous cloth gear missed in R41. Additionally, many weapon decorations can now be placed on BOTH walls and floors, rather than just one or the other. We are also introducing Ceiling decorations in the form of chandeliers and hanging light decorations. We are excited to see how players will use this improved flexibility to decorate their homes in a variety of new and interesting ways!



Mail: It’s finally here! After countless feature requests, we’re excited to show off the initial iteration of our Mail system. With Release 42, players will be able to receive mail notifications based on vendor transactions. When a vendor item is sold, expired, or removed, players will receive mail that notifies them of the event. The mail will also include the proceeds or refund from the transaction. Mail can be accessed at mailboxes, which are located at all banks throughout New Britannia. Mailboxes can also be crafted and placed at your house. Work is ongoing to eventually allow players to send mail to each other in future iterations.

Combat Balance: Significant improvements were made to combat systems in R42. Locked Decks now support the successive use of the same skill/spell based on the number of available glyphs determined by skill level. This will be balanced with the addition of a new Locked Deck “Heat” system, which will build up after rapid use of the same skill and cause increased focus consumption. Noteworthy changes have also been made to Experience Decay and Boss Loot tables.

Enemy AI: A lot of work this release has gone into fleshing out enemy AI behaviors, as well as arming enemies with new abilities. Most mages will now have an increased arsenal of spells, including roots, buffs, debuffs, and teleportation. Additionally, enemies will no longer stand idly by as their friends are attacked or killed. Most NPCs will now properly react, panic, and investigate the area of the kill and actively search for the aggressor.

Click here for the complete Instructions and Game Update Notes.

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.


[ 2017-05-25 05:33:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #228 – 2017.05.19: Ornate Moondial First Look Video!



This weekly update is chock full of news! A complete list of what's inside...

  • Moondial Effects First Look Video
  • The Making of Sequanna Colossus (Unclone)
  • Blood Bay Puzzles & Treasure
  • Article: A Community Like No Other
  • Free Trial Test 3 Continues!
  • Summer Telethon is Nearly Here!
  • Localization Progress Update
  • Weapons, Shields, & Helmets Weekend Flash Sale
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Trophy Room Contest Nearly Over!
  • Community Event: Prism Presents a Grandmaster Tutoring Event
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back – Crowfall


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-05-19 21:13:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #227 – 2017.05.12: Free Trial Begins, Play This Weekend!



This weekly update is chock full of news! A complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Oracle Colossus
  • Moondial Madness (updates)
  • R41 Postmortem Recap
  • Free Trial Test 3 Live Now!
  • Partnership with Black Sun Game Publishingl
  • Localization Progress Update
  • Public Stats API
    Furniture, Statues, & Pets Weekend Flash Sale
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Trophy Room Contest Continues!
  • Community Project: AERIE Fund is Ready to Serve


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-05-12 22:00:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

Free Trial Test Starts Now! Runs Thru May 31st

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We are excited to announce the third test of our Free Trial system, running live now through May 31! This will be the longest test so far of the system so that we can gather even more data on uptake, drop-off, conversions, etc.

If you know anyone who would like to try the game for free, then send them to the Download page. These tests are invaluable for us in order to improve the New User Experience and the Free Trial System itself.

Free Trial access during the game’s current Early Access period allows you to play the entire game in any of the Online modes with a few key differences in game play:

  • Free Trial Current Time Period: May 10-31, 2017
  • The term (Visitor) is appended to your Character Name
  • Cannot give items to other players via Trade
  • Cannot purchase nor sell items via Player Vendors nor Public Vendors
  • No ownership of property nor use of lot signs
  • Cannot interact with public chests
  • Cannot move/interact with items on a plot even if they are given permissions
  • Cannot flag as Open PVP
  • Cannot gain nor do they create any ransom items when they kill or are killed in PVP (in Open PVP zones)
  • Character data may be deleted after Free Trial period is over if character is not upgraded to a paid account
  • Items purchased in the Add On Store cannot be accessed after the Free Trial Period is over unless you purchase Game Access
  • Cannot play in Offline Mode
  • Can only start on the Path of Love

You can still explore hundreds of scenes, talk with thousands of players, adventure through the opening quests, and gain experience and skills as you get used to the world of New Britannia!

If you wish to continue playing after the free trial concludes, you can obtain an Early Access account here.

For those in the Free Trial, we would love your feedback! We have opened up our Release 41 Feedback Forums. If you have a constructive comment about this release that will help the game to improve, please post it there.

Also be sure to say hello in the New Player Forum!

Have fun, and thanks for trying out Shroud of the Avatar in Early Access!


[ 2017-05-10 18:27:29 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #226 - New Telethon Item Reward Preview Images!



This weekly update is chock full of weapons and other items to show you! These are the items that we've already achieved as stretch goals for the Spring Telethon, as well as what's coming up in the Summer Telethon.

Tons more news is included in the update! A complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Bloodriver Outskirts (update)
  • Spring Telethon Weapons Update: Thorn Mace, Staff, Wand, and 2 Handed Sword
  • Free Trial Test 3: May 10 – 31
  • In the News: Getting2Alpha, Pong to Pokemon Exhibit, UbiTalks
  • Summer Telethon 2017 Part 1 Update
  • Music Weekend Flash Sale
  • Join the Localization Team!
  • Community Livestream: The Outskirts, Part 1
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Trophy Room Contest
  • Community Event: RPOTA Writing Contest
  • Community Spotlight: Novia Market
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back – Torment: Tides of Numenera


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-05-05 20:01:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Patch Notes: May 4, 2017

May the Fourth, 2017

Build Number 602, 12:30PM

Patch Notes:


  • Be they reset, renaming lot deeds will no longer create a blank entry.

  • With the Virtue Cloak equipped, it is no longer invisible on male avatars.

  • You can now adjust ocean audio SFX in Kingsport by using the volume sliders.

  • Compass indicator is now brighter.

  • Players can no longer enter Artifice via the waterways alongside the entrance.

  • Wind and water droplet sounds in Highvale are now linked to volume sliders.

  • Resurrect Creature no longer fails to resurrect pets.

  • Fixed various issues with certain skills not being able to hit anything.

  • Fixed an issue with Corpse Explosion where it would fail line of sight testing in certain situations.

  • Reduced the duration on the life attunement debuff from Tap Soul from 120 to 60 seconds.

  • Fixed the spell fizzle rate on Fireflies to match other Lunar spells.

  • Added six new PVP artifacts to loot in The Fall.

  • Updated stats on new Assassin's Blade artifact to be even more PVP focused.

  • Double clicking will no longer release your current target.

  • Some cloaks that appeared visually broken when worn are now fixed.


Known Issues:

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some enchantment effects trigger visually 100% of the time instead of the expected 5% rate.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Quick-keyword conversation selections do not work properly for localized text.

  • It is possible to get into a bad conversation state if attempting to enter a new conversation before the last conversation’s UI window fully closes.

  • Female avatar skin tones will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R41 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-04 19:27:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Patch Notes: May 2, 2017

Build Number 601, 12:00PM

Patch Notes:


  • Fixed an issue with attachments not rendering during emotes.

  • Ignite Weapon spell lights no longer persist after spell wears off.

  • Release 41 emotes are now teachable.

  • Fixed server errors related to duplicate door scripts in multiple scenes.

  • Moved some resources in Artifice into non-quest scenario alongside hostile spawners.

  • Patrol emotes for Sara Wells in Aerie have been updated - she will now properly pick her nose.

  • Deleted strange woman from Kas Ruins.

  • Stats on Thorn Bow are now similar to other reward bows.

  • Lava and various fire sounds in Verdantis Mines have been updated.

  • Fixed black and blocky foliage in Graff Gem Mines Entrance map.

  • Corrected respawn rates for dragon and other hostiles in Southern Grunvald Barrens.

  • Fixed sieges asking players if they want to restart a new instance once a siege is complete.

  • Fixed sideways rugs in many scenes – the “Rectangle Rug (Black and Gold)" decoration may need to be removed and placed again by players.

  • Large Ornate Cordovan Harp can now be placed on bottom floors.

  • The account add-on of "Brown Nomad Hat" now rewards the correct hat in the bank.


Known Issues

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some enchantment effects trigger visually 100% of the time instead of the expected 5% rate.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Quick-keyword conversation selections do not work properly for localized text.

  • It is possible to get into a bad conversation state if attempting to enter a new conversation before the last conversation’s UI window fully closes.

  • Female avatar skin tones will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R41 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-02 19:13:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Patch Notes: May 1, 2017

Build Number 600, 12:00PM

Patch Notes:


  • Altered volcano VFX in Blood Bay, lava sprites with obvious bottom of texture were shooting into the air.

  • The tiphat emote no longer causes Virtue Cloak to deform.

  • Bonesteel Crown and Heart of Sorrow are now repairable.

  • Intro song now plays before the intro movie.

  • Corrected interconnectors linking to Etceter from Xenos and the Player Towns Ogygia, Brickceter, and Blue Rose Isle.

  • Leaving basements now longer redirects players into Sieges.

  • Fixed highlighting of moused-over items in context menus.

  • Made the information popup dialog modal.

  • Fixed collision errors on various props in Valhold, including the Moontower.

  • Stag Hat can now be masterworked and enchanted.

  • Moondial size was slightly decreased.

  • Separated Satyrs and Fauns and Kobolds into separate spawn groups in Elysium Mines.

  • Conversation barks for Antonio in Spite have been updated.

  • Hjama and Theodoric in Valhold now report their names correctly when asked.

  • Fixed poor collision on large rock in Spectral Mines.

  • Updated text confirmation popup on entering sieges.

  • Fixed interactive note in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Turned on localized conversations again, and the keyword “hello” should now work.

  • Removed door interest from several NPC spawners in Etceter to stop their obsessive focus on doors.

  • New fur collared cloaks no longer stick to player legs.

  • Added agriculture merchant in Brittany Fields who works the wheat field.

  • You are no longer asked to hand in zero diplomatic notes for Korabar in Skrekk.

  • Arvid Westerhold in Resolute will now offer to open the gate he is watching when greeted.


Known Issues:

  • Many Release 41 emotes are not properly set to be teachable.

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some enchantment effects trigger visually 100% of the time instead of the expected 5% rate.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Quick-keyword conversation selections do not work properly for localized text.

  • It is possible to get into a bad conversation state if attempting to enter a new conversation before the last conversation’s UI window fully closes.

  • Female avatar skin tones will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R41 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-05-01 18:43:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #225 – 2017.04.28: Play R41 Now!



Play Release 41 Now! Also mentioned in this week's update, check out the changes to the Moondials, get an update on upcoming new scenes, R40 raffle winners have been announced, and a bunch of other news!

A complete list of what's inside the update...

  • Play Release 41 Now!
  • Moondial Madness
  • The Oracle (update)
  • The Making of Highvale Outskirts (update)
  • The Making of Bloodriver Outskirts (update)
  • New and Improved Store Purchasing Interface
  • Autism Awareness Month Sale – Final Weekend
  • City+ Property Weekend Flash Sale
  • R40 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
  • Join the Localization Team!
  • Community Livestream: The Rise of The Fall
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Trophy Room Contest
  • Community Events: Welcome Quest R41 and May Day
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back – The Bard’s Tale IV


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-04-28 19:33:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Patch Notes: April 28, 2017

Build Number 595, 10:30AM

Patch Notes:


  • Fixed bug in Artifice where one of the final task list entries may not be cleared if done out of sequence.

  • Fixed several typos and missed responses in Artifice and Xenos.

  • Teleporter mages now have clickable answers in Eastreach Gap when asking whether or not you would like to pay their fee.

  • NPCs can no longer run through the gate in Verdantis mines.

  • Meteor Shower now requires a skill of 40 in Fire Flies.

  • Fixed an issue where pipe smoke VFX was disconnected while sitting.

  • Katana resting position now animates correctly.

  • A pass was made on player home and NPC building door sounds to connect proper audio mixers and correct spatial blending.

  • Cotton Cloth Chest Armor sleeves are back to green color.

  • Gave pewter plates a similar look to other pewter items.

  • Updated several chairs to help ensure NPCs sit properly within them.

  • Stag Hats are now brown instead of black.

  • Players can no longer get into a bad state by casting a fishing line while jumping.

  • Darkened skill tooltips background to make them more readable.

  • Streamlined font settings of skill tooltips for a more appealing aesthetic.

  • Restored collision to the fallen pillar over lava in Verdantis Mines.

  • Fixed NPCs improperly leashing when dropping in on NPCs from above.

  • Added a pit at the back of the prisoner cells in The Fall to allow players to suicide out of a stuck area if a friend cannot free them.

  • Steel correctly clears the "Gain passage to Xenos" task list entry when ferrying players to Xenos. (Players with this task list entry can remove it by purchasing passage to Xenos from Steel again.)

  • Many equippable decoration bugs were fixed.

  • Fixed Ant Cloak sorting with cloth torso armors.

  • Items equipped in the left hand will no longer be put away when sitting in a chair.

  • Tabs with quantity text on vendor tabs polished.

  • Localization errors corrected.

  • Fixed dividers being transparent in right-click menu for decoration permissions.

  • Darkened the crafting UI background for improved readability.

  • Improved some of the NPC conversations and journal entries in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Fixed an issue with Resurrect Creature where it would not resurrect creatures.

  • Changed Resurrect Creature so experience is only applied when successfully resurrecting a creature.

  • Entrances into and within Artifice now work correctly.

  • Removed chair interest from bartender Margot in Jaanaford and assigned random patrol path with emotes.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented tamed creatures from being renamed.

  • Fixed scrolling overflow bug in Bank Vendor List for "Locate Player Vendor Items”.

  • Talking while having an offhand weapon equipped will no longer animate the left arm.

  • Baron's cloak (and other cloaks) now fit properly with bodice and yule bodice.

  • Players will no longer get quest credit in Solace Bridge Outskirts for killing an Alpha Wolf when they kill a Beta Wolf.

  • Fixed a sideways rug in Ardoris.

  • Cut back hostile spawners in immediate vicinity of Cyannis in Highvale.

  • Tweaked respawn rates and max populations for numerous spawn groups in Highvale.

  • The reticle now shows in the overworld.

  • Aether Aeronaut Helmet decorations no longer disappear when viewed at a distance.

  • Darkened the quit UI background.

  • Harvest town crier once again accepts mail and will reset your current task list.

  • Emma the barmaid in Soltown will no longer accept Japeth's poem more than once.

  • The waist of both the Long and Short Skirt Bodices no longer have an uneven edge along the waist.

  • Buff and debuff timer overlay is now visible.

  • Fixed a typo in Ackerley of Solace Bridge Outskirts conversation.

  • The Tavern Counter with Gate decoration can now have other decorations placed on it.

  • Players who arrive in Xenos from booking passage with Cpt. Steel in Etceter now properly appear at the docks.

  • Interactive teleporters no longer send players to random locations.

  • Adjusted spawners and patrol paths in Ardoris for Issan the Guard.

  • Players and NPCs in Xenos should now sit in the proper locations on the benches within the Hall of Boreas.

  • Modified keys on the piano and lute no longer cause notes to repeat.

  • The damage volume in the "poison room" of Chillblain's has been adjusted to only affect those standing in the water.

  • All fountain decorations now require a full surface for placement.

  • Fixed a visual bug on "Buy More Slots" button in bank UI.

  • Improved responses from Filmore in Solace Bridge Outskirts to "hello", and added one for "undead."

  • Adjusted where the beta wolves walk in Solace Bridge Outskirts to help keep them attackable.

  • Added additional "hello" dialogue for Lord Langston in Solace Bridge Outskirts that relates to whether or not you have the painting he seeks.

  • Chest gear with mend effect will now only work 1 in 20 times as designed.

  • Giant arrows in Ardoris have been removed.


Known Issues:

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some enchantment effects trigger visually 100% of the time instead of the expected 5% rate.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Quick-keyword conversation selections do not work properly for localized text.

  • It is possible to get into a bad conversation state if attempting to enter a new conversation before the last conversation’s UI window fully closes.

  • Female avatar skin tones will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R41 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-04-28 19:22:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Patch Notes: April 27, 2017

Build Number 594, 2:30PM

Patch Notes:


  • Fixed an NPC keyword bug that caused keywords to alternate between highlighted and dimmed while scrolling.

  • Emotes for leanback, leanright, and leanleft now echo in chat when used.

  • Tesla towers now linked to audio sliders.

  • Fixed stairs collision in 4-story Wood & Plaster Row Home.

  • Linking ambient nature sounds in Kas to audio sliders.

  • Fixed shininess of Copper Chainmail Armor.

  • Linked fire in Verdantis Mines to audio sliders.

  • Fixed opacity of equipment status icons on HUD.

  • Fixed pressed state of equipment status icons.

  • Fixed issue with Brown Fur Hat recipe producing wrongly named item.

  • Made Fire Elementals immune to fire again.

  • Added missing crossbow recipe to carpentry merchant.

  • Removed catapult-breaking audio because it's already broken.

  • Fixed interactivity of torches found in Rhun Ruins and other areas.

  • Wolves no longer playing idle sounds during walk animation.

  • Fixed visual bug on cancel button in housing lot tax payment UI.

  • Fixed misaligned hatch in Lord of the Manor home.

  • Music sheets no longer have invisible backsides.

  • Many navigation fixes to prevent NPCs from getting stuck descending hills.

  • Sigil Fur Cloaks are no longer missing "fur" in their names.

  • Increased Armor decay and decreased weapon decay.

  • Increased the effectiveness of Meteor Shower.

  • Revised the quest related to Fresh Zombie Olfactory Glands in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Adjusted collision on the Tansu Chest.

  • Player name highlighting in chat was polished.

  • Banana Tree LODs no longer rotate the plant.

  • Making ghosts less nasty by reducing magic resistance and also armor.

  • Fixed seams in sewer kit pieces.

  • Adjusted dungeon kit pieces in Dysborg Ruins to help NPC AI navigation.

  • Made a pond in Solace Bridge Outskirts deeper to better allow for fishing.

  • Color updated on Chainmail Copper Vest.

  • Fixed position of discovery for North Drachvald Spur in Novia.

  • Sigil Fur Cloaks icons have been updated to match their items.

  • Party member now receive loot notifications when someone uses "take all".

  • Fixed patrol functionality on mushrooms in Serpent's Spine Mines.

  • Improved the collision along the river running alongside Vertas in Novia.

  • Fix for mushroom walk being too fast.

  • Changed merchant in Owl’s Head carpentry shop into a carpentry merchant.

  • Added discoveries in Brittany Sewers for exits to Serpent's Spine Mines and The Fall.

  • Fixed an issue with idle stance while having the lute equipped.

  • When resurrecting a pet, the pet no longer comes back at full health but with an empty health bar.

  • A rock in Solace Bridge Outskirts no longer has missing collision.

  • Leveled the terrain beneath an outhouse in Solace Bridge Outskirts.

  • Lutes now correctly play guitar notes instead of harpsichord notes.

  • Lute strings can now be played quickly as well as letting them ring out.

  • Cornucopias can no longer be taken from Halls of Artifice.

  • Players will now play the correct animation while lying on the left side of a bed.

  • Fixed an issue with wands not getting moon attunement enchants.

  • Fixed container interactivity on the standard-backpack decoration.

  • Fixed the sorting of vendor inventory by weight.

  • Fixed the pivot point of bloody trophy rabbit and trophy arctic wolf wall decorations.

  • Fixed an issue with the Stag Mask not being able to be masterworked/enchanted.

  • Slightly reduced the value of animal head hats.

  • Corpse Explosion will now only work 3 times per corpse.

  • Reduced cooldown time on Corpse Explosion since it now has limited fuel.

  • Added Corpse Explosion to the 100%-return-on-untrain list.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented range from being displayed in combo skill tooltips.

  • Added all death tree skills to the unlearn list.

  • Moving Attunement effect curve to be more powerful than initial release but slightly less steep than R40.

  • Redid Paladis Shardfall navigation meshes in an attempt to improve player pathing to resources.

  • All pavers now require a full surface to be placed on, they can no longer be placed to hang partially off what they are placed on.

  • Fine White & Gold Upholstered Furniture Set can now be claimed.

  • Fixed an Artifice quest bug that allowed players to exit the scene prematurely.

  • Ackerley in Solace Bridge Outskirts will now accept a Fresh Zombie Olfactory Gland even if you weren't on his quest when you obtained it.


Known Issues:

  • The barrier in Etceter Crag Mines has been removed temporarily, there are issues with the primary puzzle triggering the removal.

  • Some enchantment effects trigger visually 100% of the time instead of the expected 5% rate.

  • Some decorations placed in basements may shift through walls and end up in inaccessible locations.

  • Quick-keyword conversation selections do not work properly for localized text.

  • It is possible to get into a bad conversation state if attempting to enter a new conversation before the last conversation’s UI window fully closes.

  • Female avatar skin tones will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R41 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks

  • 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.


[ 2017-04-27 23:15:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 41 Instructions

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



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 41 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, April 27, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 41 (R41) is another leap forward in progress with an incredible amount of new content (5 new scenes!) as well as a ton of balance and polish. The Path of Truth is now playable from beginning to end, including the twisted Halls of Artifice, Solace Bridge Outskirts now eases new players into the game at a much better pace, more gear can be placed as decorations, combat got lots of balancing including Taming, and Localization has resumed.

Truth and Artifice: The Path of Truth is now playable to completion with the addition of the Halls of Artifice. In this single-player, plot-driven experience, the avatar will delve into the mystery of why the satyrs of Elysium are welcoming pilgrims into a life of bliss... Of course, I am sure that a place called Artifice along the Path of Truth would not be filled with lies, right?



Verdantis Mines: The Verdantis Mines are in the northern tip of the Mariah Mountains in the Verdantis region which can be found in the northwest of Novia. The elves of the region have been mining these mountains for many years and recently they broke through to an ancient underground city full of rich ore nodes and other treasures. Unfortunately, it is also full of undead and, in its deepest places, Fire Elementals. The Verdantis Mines started as a clone of Graff Gem Mines but has been completely rebuilt for Release 41. Based on feedback received regarding resources in Serpent’s Spine Mines, we have increased the ore resource node counts as part of the scene unclone.



The Fall: No one is quite sure who built this mysterious dungeon beneath Blood Bay, but it is filled with an incredible array of dangers and rewards. The Fall gets its name from the giant vertical open space that defines the middle of the dungeon with crisscrossing bridges and elevators. This dungeon is an Open PVP area, so enter at your own risk!



Kas Ruins: The Kas Ruins are one of the six ruined cities found in Novia that date back to the period in Novian history in which the Obsidian Order rose to power. (As described in the Sword of Midras prequel novel by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott). The exact history of some of these cities has been lost to time, but it is rumored that some of them may have been abandoned even before the rise of the Obsidians. Kas is the site of the ruins of an ancient Paladin fort high atop a mountainside. At the foot of the mountain is an abandoned village with a small graveyard. The entire area has become overrun by the undead. Kas started as a clone of the Opalis Ruins, but has been completely rebuilt this release to have a unique layout and visuals. Like all the other Ruins and Shardfalls, this is an Open PVP area so we are expressly focusing on being sure the map has interesting setups for PVP conflict, with plenty of space for hiding, escaping, ambushing, and skirmishing.



Rhun, Kas, Dysborg, & Midras Ruins Vaults: There are six ruined cities found in Novia that date back to the period in Novian history in which the Obsidian Order rose to power. (These were first described in the "Sword of Midras" prequel novel, by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott). The exact history of some of these cities has been lost to time, but it is rumored that some of them may have been abandoned even before the rise of the Obsidians. These ruins include Opalis, Libris, Rhun, Midris, Kas, and Dysborg. Deep beneath these ruins lie Underground Vaults that rumors hint are somehow linked to the Dire Prophecies. Rumor also has it that the vaults are not only connected to the ruins above, but also the vast underground network of dungeons and sewers that crisscrosses Novia below. In Release 41, the Vaults beneath Rhun, Kas, Dysborg, and Midras are now connected.



Solace Bridge Outskirts: For several years now our backers have been providing us feedback that the first few hours of our game have several major issues. Those issues include too many loading screens, scenes that are too small, and starting towns that include player housing/vendors. As we shift our focus to improving the New User Experience (NUE), and as we are able to measure new player progress through events like our recent free trial, we realize that we must address these issues sooner versus later. As we announced during the Spring Telethon, our solution to this is to add three new maps to the game that we are calling "Outskirts." These scenes will be very close to the three starting scenes and players will go directly there after finishing those starting scenes. Outskirts will be very large scenes, similar in scope to some of our recent big scenes like Blood Bay. This will allow them to be large enough that players can base themselves in a single scene for adventuring, resupply for their first couple of hours without having to go through multiple scene loads, or having to use the Overworld. Each scene will have a small outpost that will include some shopkeepers, trainers, crafting stations, and a few quest givers (and no player housing!). The scenes will also include plenty of adventuring areas (forests, ruins, bandit camps, etc.). Our first Outskirts scene is Solace Bridge Outskirts. It is downriver from Solace Bridge where the Solace River meets the ocean. The small army that was defeated at Solace Bridge has retreated here and sent the villager refugees to Soltown. They have made camp in a ruined tower overlooking the swampy shoreline. However, they are not getting to rest in their retreat, for a nearby bandit camp is preying on them, stealing supplies. Plus, across the river lie the ruins of an ancient village infested with the very undead they just retreated from! NOTE: This the first iteration of the scene and it contains 6 quests. We plan to add at least one more quest and do a few polish passes on this as we get data on players using the scene.



Combat Balance: Improving balance in combat was a major focus for Release 41. We made major improvements to Taming, Summoned Creatures, the entire Bludgeons combat school, creature resistances, and more. We also added two new Moon Spells, new weapons, and our first new ranged weapon since ranged combat was introduced: Crossbows.



Information Button: We have added an information button “?” to many of our interfaces that when clicked on brings up a window containing more information about that interface and/or the system that interface interacts with. This text often replaces the pop-up tutorial text (and often uses that same text).

Decorations: What you can decorate your home with got yet another dramatic expansion this release with over 200 new pieces of gear now placeable as decorations. This includes all shields, tools, and headgear (as well as some additional weapons). We also expanded the Patterns/Reshaping system to work with decorations so that custom covers may be applied to books.

Localization: We are very excited that localization has started again with our amazing international community using the Zanata platform.

And much more including more weapons, wearable backpacks, more furniture, tons of bug fixes, new crafting recipes, UI polish, etc.! Click here for the complete R41 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


[ 2017-04-26 23:02:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #224 – 2017.04.21: Final Story Reveal! Meet the Oracle and Grannus



Meet the Oracle and Grannus of the final story in this week's Update of the Avatar #224!

Also in the update, Spring Telethon weapons are revealed, new outskirts details posted, a trophy room contest kicks off, and a bunch of other news!

A complete list of what's inside this update...

  • The Oracle and Grannus
  • Spring Telethon Weapons: Leaf Shield & Spear, Thorn Bow & Sword
  • The Making of Highvale Outskirts
  • The Making of Bloodriver Outskirts
  • The Making of The Fall (update)
  • Autism Awareness Month Sale
  • Decorations Weekend Flash Sale
  • Tech Talk Tuesday Episode 4
  • Join the Localization Team!
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Trophy Room Contest Begins!
  • Community Spotlight: Port Phoenix – Player Owned Town
  • Community Event: Prism Presents a Grandmaster Tutoring Event
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Recommended Project to Back – HoBLotH IV


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-04-22 01:37:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

The Magnificent Trophy Room Contest Begins!

[/img]

Get your houses ready for the most intense contest yet this year! Over the next several weeks, you will have the fun opportunity to show off your hunting heroism, crafting coordination, and trophy triumphs in this new three part contest kicking off today.

PART 1: Hunt down a creature, kill another player (to get their skull), or catch a fish!

PART 2: Craft the trophy from that creature (human skulls come as-is, no preparation needed…)

PART 3: Display your trophy triumphs in a single room of a house you have access too!​

WINNERS & PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded on a tier basis:

  • 1st Place: 100 in-game COTOs and three developer skulls of your choice.
  • 2nd Place: 50 COTOs and two developer skulls of your choice.
  • Two Runner-ups: 25 COTOs and one developer skull of your choice.
  • All valid entries will receive a custom title in-game (exact title yet to be decided… community suggestions are welcome! Should refer to the contest in some way, and not be a title that we would use for other hunting/trophy purposes.)

As we receive contest submissions, they will be announced in the forums and on social with eventually a gallery of all submissions put together. Winners will be announced at the start of the Summer Telethon on May 31 around 12:30pm CT.

Read more about the contest and submit your entry in the forums!


[ 2017-04-21 21:13:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #223 – 2017.04.14: R40 Postmortem Recap, Solace Bridge Outskirts Update, Autism Awareness Month, Patterns Flash Sale, New Job Openings, Community Events, and More!



This week's Update of the Avatar #223 recaps the R40 Postmortem Livestream and your questions!

A complete list of what's inside this update...

  • The Making of Solace Bridge Outskirts (update)
  • Release 40 Postmortem Recap
  • Autism Awareness Month Sale
  • Telethon Goal: New Flame Pattern Stained Glass Oil Table Lamp!
  • Patterns Weekend Flash Sale
  • Upcoming Events Calendar
  • Community Livestream: The Making of Verdantis Mines
  • Community Event – The Great Wood Duck Hunt
  • Community Event – Prism Presents a Grandmaster Tutoring Event
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • New Job Openings!
  • Recommended Projects to Back


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-04-14 20:25:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Free Trial Test Starts Now! From April 6-10

[/img]

We are excited to open up our second test of the Free Trial System! This latest trial begins now and will end on April 10. If you know anyone who would try the game for free, please send them to the Download Page. These tests are invaluable for us in order to improve the New User Experience (NUE) and the Free Trial System itself.

Free Trial access during the game’s current Early Access period allows you to play the entire game in any of the Online modes with a few key differences in game play:

  • Free Trial Current Time Period: April 6-10, 2017
  • The term (Visitor) is appended to your Character Name
  • Cannot give items to other players via Trade
  • Cannot purchase nor sell items via Player Vendors nor Public Vendors
  • No ownership of property nor use of lot signs
  • Cannot interact with public chests
  • Cannot move/interact with items on a plot even if they are given permissions
  • Cannot flag as Open PVP
  • Cannot gain nor do they create any ransom items when they kill or are killed in PVP (in Open PVP zones)
  • Character data may be deleted after Free Trial period is over if character is not upgraded to a paid account
  • Items purchased in the Add On Store cannot be accessed after the Free Trial Period is over unless you purchase Game Access
  • Cannot play in Offline Mode

You can still explore hundreds of scenes, talk with thousands of players, adventure through the opening quests, and gain experience and skills as you get used to the world of New Britannia!

If you wish to continue playing after the free trial concludes, you can obtain an Early Access account here.

For those in the Free Trial, we would love your feedback! We have opened up of our Release 40 Feedback Forums. If you have a constructive comment about this release that will help the game to improve, please post it there.

Also be sure to say hello in the New Player Forum!

Have fun, and thanks for trying out Shroud of the Avatar in Early Access!


[ 2017-04-08 00:41:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #222 – 2017.04.07: Free Trial Test 2 Begins, R40 Postmortem, Summer Telethon, Weapons Flash Sale, Job Openings, and More!



This week's Update of the Avatar #222 features new screenshots of The Making of Solace Bridge Outskirts!

Also in the update, we've got a new Free Trial Test kicking off this weekend, the R40 Postmortem next Tuesday, the Summer Telethon, new jobs here at Portalarium, and more!

A complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Solace Bridge Outskirts (update)
  • Release 40 Postmortem
  • Summer Telethon 2017 Part 1
  • Free Trial Test 2: April 6 – 10
  • Weapons Weekend Flash Sale
  • Tech Talk Tuesday Episode 3
  • Community Livestream: TRAMMUCCA!
  • Upcoming Events
  • Community Events of the Week
  • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
  • Job Openings
  • Recommended Projects to Back


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-04-08 00:29:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: April 7, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

April 7, 2017

Build Number 587, 6:00PM

Fixes:


  • Player Town “Home Shop” decoration building is no longer invisible.

  • Visual updates to the Wood Duck.

  • Fixed various server and client exceptions.

  • Server logging messages were added.


Known Issues:

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-08 00:05:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

Free Trial Test Starts Now! From April 6-10

[/img]

We are excited to open up our second test of the Free Trial System! This latest trial begins now and will end on April 10. If you know anyone who would try the game for free, please send them to the Download Page. These tests are invaluable for us in order to improve the New User Experience (NUE) and the Free Trial System itself.

Free Trial access during the game’s current Early Access period allows you to play the entire game in any of the Online modes with a few key differences in game play:

  • Free Trial Current Time Period: April 6-10, 2017
  • The term (Visitor) is appended to your Character Name
  • Cannot give items to other players via Trade
  • Cannot purchase nor sell items via Player Vendors nor Public Vendors
  • No ownership of property nor use of lot signs
  • Cannot interact with public chests
  • Cannot move/interact with items on a plot even if they are given permissions
  • Cannot flag as Open PVP
  • Cannot gain nor do they create any ransom items when they kill or are killed in PVP (in Open PVP zones)
  • Character data may be deleted after Free Trial period is over if character is not upgraded to a paid account
  • Items purchased in the Add On Store cannot be accessed after the Free Trial Period is over unless you purchase Game Access
  • Cannot play in Offline Mode

You can still explore hundreds of scenes, talk with thousands of players, adventure through the opening quests, and gain experience and skills as you get used to the world of New Britannia!

If you wish to continue playing after the free trial concludes, you can obtain an Early Access account here.

For those in the Free Trial, we would love your feedback! We have opened up of our Release 40 Feedback Forums. If you have a constructive comment about this release that will help the game to improve, please post it there.

Also be sure to say hello in the New Player Forum!

Have fun, and thanks for trying out Shroud of the Avatar in Early Access!


[ 2017-04-06 22:30:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: April 6, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

April 6, 2017

Build Number 586, 12:30PM

Fixes:


  • Fixed an issue with the stun camera effect where it would render incorrectly and cause errors.

  • SotAMap window can now be resized to smaller sizes.

  • SotAMap will now be hidden when in conversations with NPCs.

  • SotAMap now fades if not hovering over or being interacted with.

  • Fixed Chain of Elemental Power recipes that were consuming rings.

  • Added a spawn delay for the daemons in the catacombs.

  • A fix for combat not correctly interrupting runes when stunned.


Known Issues:

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-06 19:29:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

Announcing the Summer Telethon 2017!

[/img]

Avatars! Get ready to soak up the summer sun with us. Today, we’re announcing the Summer Telethon 2017 Part 1! Telethons are livestreamed on Twitch and include a complete schedule of developer Deep Dives, answers to your gameplay questions, community activities, prize giveaways, sales on items, and more!

Summer “Hot Air” Expirations Sale Begins

In honor of the waves of hot air that will be blowing over us this summer we are expiring all of our hot air Aeronaut items. At Midnight CST, May 31, 2017 (5:00 UTC, June 1, 2017), we are expiring the following content from the Add On Store (and the in-game Crown Merchants). This means that these items will no longer be available at all after this date.

Before the following items expire for good, we have put them on sale at approx. 20% off*. Check out what’s now on sale:

  • Ornate Black Leather Aeronaut Helmet Pattern Pack (digital)
  • Black & Chrome Ornate Aeronaut Outfit Pattern Pack (digital)
  • Black & Chrome Ornate Aeronaut Outfit (digital)
  • Ornate Black Leather Aeronaut Helmet (digital)
  • Aeronaut Wearable Pack (digital)
  • Aeronaut Hot Air Balloon Pack (digital)
  • Hot Air Balloon (digital)
  • Airship City Home (digital)
  • Star Citizen Aeronaut Helmet Starter Bundle (digital)
  • Star Citizen Airship City Home (digital)


Check out the complete Summer Telethon Announcement on the main website that lists prize giveaways, developer deep dives, Q&A, and more. See you on Twitch on May 31st!


[ 2017-04-05 21:29:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: April 5, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

April 5, 2017

Build Number 585, 12:30PM

Fixes:


  • Fixed bad texture stretching on River Birch SpeedTree trunks on Isle of Storms and elsewhere.

  • Avatars now play Flame Arrow charge and fire animations while running.

  • Fixed the position of where avatars sit on chairs.

  • Fixed an issue with crafted longbow and elven woodwind longbow losing their visuals.

  • Fixed a bug where an avatar's arm is too stiff when attacking with 1-handed blades.

  • Enemies should no longer get stuck on the fallen tree in Forest Siege overworld entrance.

  • Instrument and equipped melee weapon no longer both visible while playing instruments.

  • Prevent lich spawning in Sieges when Cabalists spawn.

  • Fixed an issue that would prevent players gathering water from a fountain on a lot if fountain was set to private.

  • The Night Step ability will now be greyed out if the player is over encumbered.

  • Edvard in Solace Bridge will again prompt you if Charlotte Gray is too far away from you to get credit for saving her.

  • "Auto Decline Duels" game option no longer requires a map change to be recognized.

  • Fixed an issue that could allow players to access restricted homes via resurrection ankh.

  • Added bottom-floor decoration surfaces to the Lord houseboat town-sized player house.

  • Fixed non-textured desert backdrop mountains in scenes throughout Novia and Hidden Vale.

  • Remote game clients no longer lose combat functionality after being stunned.

  • Robert Villines in Blood River will no longer try to speak to you and end the sequence while you are still in combat.

  • Artifact instruments will no longer break stealth.

  • While work continues on the New User Experience, help entries now display more text in old-style windows to be less intrusive or overwhelming.

  • MML song files can now be heard and observed by remote players.

  • Whirling Blades plays the correct animation for 2-handed swords again.

  • Target selection and leashing improved.

  • Main menu and character screen backgrounds have been updated.

  • Fixed flora in Artifice Entrance map to prevent it from rendering completely black on initial map load.

  • Corrected errors with player town Magic Shop NPC buildings.

  • After auto-declining a duel you can now participate in another duel.


Known Issues:

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-05 19:24:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: April 4, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

April 4, 2017

Build Number 584, 11:15AM

Fixes:


  • Fixed collision on a canopy in Vauban Pass.

  • Added strafe animations for combat running with bow.

  • Updated bow weapon idle animations.

  • Updated rotation bow weapon file.

  • Optimized asset loading time.

  • Updated alignment of bow shooting animations.

  • Offline crafting now works.

  • Toned down the joker-face smile on the female giggle emote.

  • Cleared grass from a player lot in Brittany Alleys.

  • Linked audio in the obsidian forge to the correct mixer.

  • Fixed some floating items in Blood River Massacre.

  • Setting proper crafting flags on Cabalist Boots, now set to blacksmithing.

  • Fixed VFX problem where flaming hands charge effect would last too long after igniting weapon.

  • Fixed an issue with the ballet outfit incorrectly dropping a pattern.

  • Removed a floating crate in Blood Bay.

  • Fixed collision on dead mushroom men.

  • Updated loot on Temna.

  • Fixed crash on Linux and OSX when loading into player town Iron Gate.

  • The missing skeleton from the airship in Blood Bay has returned from the ether.

  • Devotionals tooltips updated to note “dramatic” increase in siege possibility when placed.

  • Mounted animal head decorations are now closer to the walls they are placed on.

  • Fixed the position of chandeliers in Wizard Tower player home.

  • Adjusted a rock's collision in Brightbone Pass.

  • Adjusted stairs collision in Small Old Keep player home.

  • Fixed an issue where getting interrupted via damage could cause you to lose the ability to cast skills.

  • Restored lights on Star Citizen Airship player home.

  • Removed schedules from crown merchants in Central Brittany.

  • Fixed a ladder that can be lowered for multiplayer in Kiln Cistern.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented staves from being masterworked.

  • Fixed loom attachment animations.

  • Fixed a typo in the Ring of Cat's Grace artifact.

  • Created decoration versions of Khopesh and Obsidian Sword.

  • The knighting emote can now be used with 1-hand blades, 2-hand blades, 1-hand bludgeons, and 2-hand katanas.

  • The Autumn Fairy Dress can now be equipped with leg equipment.

  • Fixed a stuck spot on the fireplace in 4-story stone row house.

  • Quest and tutorial tasks that trigger from double clicking objects in the world will now also work by dragging the item to yourself to take them.

  • Updated NPC AI navigation in Solania.

  • The description of clearing a player's current tasks at a town crier clearer has been made clearer.

  • The side quest to find a missing report in the Crypt of the Avatar now correctly has an evaluation of danger appropriate for the monsters found within. (Note that this is a 5-skull tier dungeon and exploration of the dungeon is entirely optional for purposes of story completion.)

  • Removed a bench that was intersecting the decorative planter in front of the bank in Broochash.

  • Fixed a stuck spot in Serpent's Spine.

  • Sivals Fel in Ardoris will no longer try to give out spare Necropolis Keystones.

  • Fixed an issue with incorrect placement for the Ornate Rusted Iron Fence corner piece.

  • Fixed an issue with keyword display for shine caretakers in Fortus End.

  • NPC wisps seen while you are dead no longer have small black circles in the middle.

  • Updated visuals for wood duck wings.

  • Fixed a bug in the crafting UI that prevented the % chance to succeed from being shown when an item had a long name.

  • Samael now knows his left from his right within Necropolis.

  • Fixed corn turning black.

  • A delay was added when meeting Edvard with Robert in Blood River so he doesn't wander off to open the gate in mid conversation.

  • The weight on Blank Sheet Music was decreased to .1 from 1.

  • The Oracle Orb of Obliteration is operational again.

  • Increased the damage on environmental fire effect areas.

  • Targeting will no longer choose the best target last.

  • The angle for targeting will now be taken into account less for calculation of best targets.

  • Fixed the visuals for watered soil within the agriculture system.

  • The "Large Ornate Cordovan Harp" and "Ornate Kettle Drum" instruments now have the correct display names.

  • Update to Spring Fountain w/ Candles for sorting issues.

  • VFX from water elementals now renders correctly.

  • Fixes for many tasks that were not clearing correctly. For more info on how to fix tasks that were bugged previously, please see this forum thread: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/forum/index.php?threads/tasks-not-completing-more-info-collecting-same.85359/

  • Torches in Bloodbay now have the correct flame and smoke VFX.

  • Attempted a fix for smokeheart and smokehearts emote visuals.

  • Night Vision now correctly modifies ambient light levels for scenes that use the Color ambient mode.

  • Fixed a typo with Alaina Post's keyword set in Ardoris.

  • Fixed some issues with the dread rabbit of Etceter Crag Mines. Your hearty slap on the back reward awaits! (You will need to kill the dread rabbit again to register credit.)

  • Fixed a possible issue with taking Charon's ferry to Malice from Spite.

  • Added keyword hints to Eileen's request for money in Braemar.

  • The light spell orb no longer appears behind the coals of blacksmithing stations.


Known Issues:

  • Night Step is not functioning properly.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-04 17:54:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hangout of the Avatar - Release 40 Postmortem

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We have been extremely happy with the community’s reaction to Release 40 so far, and want to hear more of your valuable feedback! Join us Tuesday, April 11th at 3:00 PM Central (20:00 UTC) on Twitch for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar. We will be answering your questions and looking ahead at what’s on the development schedule in Q2 2017!

Once you get a chance to check out Release 40, post your questions in the main announcement's comment section linked here. Only one post submission per player please, and keep questions to 3 or less. This will allow us to get to as many questions as possible.

As always, we will be giving out rare artifacts of immense power and glory. For a chance to win an artifact, or to speak your voice on the latest game changes, be in Discord chat during the livestream. There will be multiple chances to win throughout the broadcast!

Follow @ShroudofAvatar to keep updated as the postmortem approaches!


[ 2017-04-03 22:43:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: April 3, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

April 3, 2017

Build Number 583, 11:30AM

Fixes:


  • Added decoration surface to the deck above the balcony in the Lord Founder boat home.

  • Removed cloned-scene message in North Drachvald Spur from scene information.

  • Fixed tooltip text colors for damage-over-time and debuff effects (now red instead of green)

  • Adjusted stairs collision in Rustic 3-story water village home.

  • The growth rate on the top floor of the Ornate greenhouse row home has been increased.

  • Fixed decoration wall surfaces in the Shogun lighthouse.

  • Cleaned up stairs collision in 2-story Blue Tile Roof row house.

  • Fixed some width disparities in large roadway pavers.

  • Updated Elementals to use new resistances system, this fixes an issue with Sand Elemental resistances.

  • AI navigation in Nightshade Pass updated.

  • Changed the biome, owner, and interconnections for “Isle of Xee” player town.

  • Devotionals now contain a tooltip to describe that they increase the frequency of siege attacks.

  • Fixed boulders with missing collision in South Broken Road.

  • Toned down smoke VFX and made smoke more consistent on some torches and braziers.

  • Updated visuals for the Medieval Carved Table and the Fancy Writing Desk.

  • Removed schedule from master subterfuge trainer Birko Babbage in Ardoris.

  • Assigned a tai chi schedule to Jeffrey Post in Ardoris.

  • Moved flesh flayer spawner in Dysborg Ruins away from a tree limb.

  • All fire within the keep in Battle of Solace Bridge now does damage.

  • Deleted duplicated spawners for NPCs in Brittany Sewers that were popping up behind walls.

  • Internal logging messages updated.

  • The Vile Crossbow will now register as a ranged weapon instead of a blunt weapon.


Known Issues:

  • Night Step is not functioning properly.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-03 18:27:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: March 31, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

March 31, 2017

Build Number 582, 6:00PM


  • Ant Cloaks have knitted textures again.

  • Changed collision on the Mace so it can be placed vertically.

  • Fixed a SotAMap bug that would load the overworld map before loading the proper map.

  • Linked the volume of the ocean in Port Graff to volume sliders.

  • Fixed disappearing boulder in Vauban Pass.

  • Attempted a fix for incorrect LODs on the banana tree.

  • Death audio should now play for kobolds.

  • Fixed ferry boat teleporter in Ardoris to prevent player from teleporting ankle-deep into the dock.

  • Fixed an overly reflective material on Kobold bench.

  • Adjusted LODs on kobold statue.

  • Eliminated floor seam in Deep Ravenswood to prevent enemies from falling through floor.

  • Fixed NPCs that are holding the Katana to now hold it correctly on their shoulder.

  • Adjusted NPC building collision for better AI navigation.

  • Updated several walls in Nightshade Pass and Desolis to stop NPCs from moving through them.

  • Positioned spawners in Deep Ravenswood to better help prevent stags and does from getting stuck in a tree.

  • Moved an elemental off a rock to keep it from getting stuck in Northern Grunvald Barrens.

  • Moved a problematic ore node in Brightbone Pass so it can be mined.

  • Fixed a bug that prevented the target's name color from changing when the Animal Charm skill is used.

  • Fixed an issue in Central Brittany where the crafting trainer, crafting merchant, and bankers would end up teleporting out of position.

  • Adjusted collision on garden shed to prevent decorations from being placed in walls.

  • Fixed cabalists spawning into the siege after reconnect.

  • Geometric Stained Glass Oil Table Lamp icon now matches the lamp itself.

  • Adjusted stairs collision in stone 4 story row house.

  • Confetti Egg throw emote now has a basket in the other hand.

  • Removed non-functional duplicate doors from village-sized tower player house.

  • Made the Longsword weapon decoration able to be placed in a vertical position.

  • Fixed an issue that prevented the Spring Fountain w/ Candles from being placed near the edge of a lot.

  • Reduced the frequency that Player Towns with devotional decorations will come under siege.


Known Issues:

  • Night Step is not functioning properly.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-04-01 00:41:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: March 31, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

March 31, 2017

Build Number 581, 12:00PM


  • The Fishing Supply Merchant by the docks in Brittany Fields will no longer run back and forth haphazardly.

  • Egg Baskets no longer stack in inventory.

  • Elder Elven Mage Robes visuals fixed.

  • Added some collision to alien plants in Rhun Ruins.

  • Added 'Bottom Floor' decoration surface to boat player houses.

  • Fixed significant decoration placement issues in pirate galleon player house.

  • Fixed some beds in Central Brittany.

  • Fixed missing ladders in Lord of the Manor Keep.

  • The Cabalists have been empowered!

  • Fixed a bug that allowed party nameplates to overlap the HUD task list when a party member was in a different scene.

  • Pure Black Dye no longer appears faded on Epic Cloth Helm.

  • Updates to the names of Geometric Stained Glass Oil Lamps.

  • Added common loot bundle to chest in Crag Foothills.

  • Smoke VFX now appears to correctly emerge from Soltown Inn's chimney.

  • Fixed the position of Small Old Keep player house on lots.

  • Added fire damage to furnace in Caverns of Skrekk and added collision to eliminate stuck spots within.

  • Set water trigger in Ardoris Sewers to move with water visuals.

  • Wizard Tower player house bottom floor decoration layer is now working properly.

  • Adjusted stairs collision in blue-tile roof 4 story row home.

  • Set default of floor oil lamp to the “on” state.

  • Set default for Frosted Glass Floor Lamp to the “on” state.

  • Fixed bench in Xenos to prevent player from clipping through bench while sitting.

  • Grounded a floating mandrake resource node in Savrenoc Stronghold.

  • Adjusted stairs collision in shingle roof 3 story row house

  • Fixed an exception with the Magic Mover user interface.

  • Fixed a note that was crashing through a barrel in Kiln Cistern.

  • GrandMaster/apprentice buffs will no longer stay active when the Grandmaster leaves the instance.

  • Fixed some issues with Roadway/Walkway Paver recipes.

  • The “nearby players” window now updates properly.


Known Issues:

  • Night Step is not functioning properly.

  • Chaotic Clone is not distracting enemies.

  • All 8 Cabalists are showing up in Sieges instead of their numbers being based on celestial alignment.

  • Easter Baskets are invisible during /tossconfettiegg throw emote

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-03-31 19:04:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Q2 2017 Schedule Update



Greetings Avatars,

As we have stated previously, we intend to publish quarterly schedule updates for our monthly releases. Even though the goals outlined in these schedules are likely to change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to periodically provide you with an updated roadmap.

Our priority continues to be to deliver new content to our backers each and every month so that you can give us feedback that will help us iteratively improve Shroud of the Avatar. This collaborative process continues to benefit the game, and often results in sweeping changes such as the upcoming addition of the Outskirts scenes. As you have seen in previous releases, the flexibility inherent to this process means that we sometimes push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

New User Experience (NUE): A large priority for the second quarter is going to be improving the new user experience. For several years now, our backers have been providing us feedback that the first few hours of our game have several major issues. Those issues include too many loading screens, scenes that are too small, overloading the user with too many options, and starting towns that include player housing/vendors. As we shift our focus to improving the New User Experience, and as we are able to measure new player progress during events such as our recent free trial, we realize that we must address these issues sooner rather than later.

As we announced during the Spring Telethon, one of our solutions to these issues is to add three new maps to the game that we are calling "Outskirts." These scenes will be very close to the three starting scenes, and players will go directly there after finishing those starting scenes. Outskirts will be very large scenes, similar in scope to some of the recently added big scenes like Blood Bay. Each Outskirt scene will have a small outpost that will include some shopkeepers, trainers, crafting stations, and a few quest givers (and no player housing!). The scenes will also include plenty of adventuring areas (forests, ruins, bandit camps, etc.). The large scale of the Outskirts, as well as the variety of experiences and services that they provide, will allow new players to base themselves in a single scene for adventuring and resupply for their first couple of hours of gameplay without needing to go through multiple loading screens or needing to use the Overworld.

In addition to Outskirts, we plan to improve the new user experience by delaying more advanced features until later in the game (which we began doing in Release 40). We also plan to implement Contextual Help, Improved Tutorial Systems, and a Polished Skill Training Interface.

Polish: In addition to the focus on the first few hours of gameplay, Q2 will include a lot of work on polishing the overall experience of playing Shroud of the Avatar. A large focus of this work will be on performance and stability, which is why you may see fewer new features than in previous quarters as you scan the list below. However, we will be adding some new features that are aimed at polishing the game. These include Mail, Looking for Group, and a Raid System. Additionally, continual passes will be made each release to address overall balance issues, especially in the first few hours of game play.

Story Complete: Our goal is to complete the story by Release 44 (July), so story efforts in Q2 will be focused on bringing the Paths of Truth and Courage to a playable and polished state. We also plan to unveil the game’s Finale. Since the story will be complete in R44, we plan to allow all players to make a one-time-only reset of the story status for their character (so they can start fresh with their current character) in Release 44 (July).

To repeat what I said in the Q1 post:

“We believe that we have reached the final 20% of development before Commercial Release, at which point we will transition out of Early Access. The next two quarters will be the most exciting and challenging times for the project so far. This will be when we get the final features and content in the game and make the last important balance changes. The changes will be fast and furious, and they may occasionally be hard to understand when you become accustomed to the way things were before. Please trust that we firmly believe that every change we make is best for the long term health of the project.”

As always, all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change as we adjust our designs based on direct feedback from you, our backers.

RELEASE 41, April 27, 2017


  • Story: We will begin polishing the Path of Truth with the Dungeon of Artifice coming online for the first time. We will also polish visuals of the final sequence with the Titan Grannus in the Path of Courage. The incidental NPCs and side quests along the Path of Courage will also be worked on in locations like Estgard and Harvest. Verdantis Mines and the Kas Ruins scenes will both be uncloned. The Fall, a new PvP dungeon underneath Blood Bay, will appear in the game. Solace Bridge Outskirts, a new scene that players start in after the Battle of Solace Bridge will come online for the first time.

  • Performance: Significant focus will be made on performance this release with emphasis on stability, framerate, memory, and load times.

  • Player Towns & Player Housing: Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game. Additionally Shields, Tools, and Helmets will become place-able as decorations.

  • Combat: We will continue our polish pass on all the visual effects related to combat as well as make major improvements to the new user experience with combat.

  • Character: The Titan Grannus will get his own unique art for the first time. Wounded variations of our guards and soldiers will appear in game. We will also be polishing the medieval peasants.

  • Contextual Help: A contextual help system will come online that allows players to hover over content (interface elements, items, etc.) in the game and get information about it.

  • Game Balance: Major efforts will be devoted towards game balance.

  • Crafting: More recipes and more patterns in gear that is dropped from enemies.


RELEASE 42, May 25, 2017

  • Story: We will do final polish on the Path of Truth including incidental NPCs and side quests in areas like Xenos and Etceter. We will polish visuals of the final sequence with Titan Boreas in the Path of Truth. Highvale Outskirts, a new scene that players start in after the Battle of Highvale Village, will come online for the first time.

  • Player Housing: Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

  • Combat: We will continue our polish pass on all the visual effects related to combat.

  • Character: The Titans Sequanna and Boreas, as well as Arabella, will get their own unique visuals. We will also do some polish work on Player Customization.

  • Crafting: More recipes and more patterns in gear that is dropped from enemies.

  • Raid System: Tools will come online for large groups, and groups of groups, to go on adventures together.

  • Looking For Group: A tool to help players find a group to adventure with will appear in the game.


RELEASE 43, June 29, 2017

  • Story: Polish will begin on the Finale of the plot including work on the Destiny Pool and the Oracle Chamber. Blood River Outskirts, a new scene that players start in after Blood River Massacre, will come online for the first time.

  • Character: The Oracle herself will appear for the first time in the game as will the Shroud of the Avatar. We will be doing polish work on various creatures in the game, such as the Troll. We will also begin creating Viking-inspired clothing for the NPCs in the Norgard and Verdantis areas of Novia to better define that region, including outfits for Royalty, Guards, Citizens, and Merchants.

  • Performance: Significant focus will be made on performance this release with emphasis on stability, framerate and load times.

  • Bug Fixes and Game Balance: Much of this release will be spent on fixing bugs and balancing game systems.

  • Mail: Players will be able to send mail to each other through an in-game interface.

  • Offline Combat and Economy Balance: A pass will be made through the game to adjust combat balance for play in offline mode with companions. Additionally, the economy in offline mode will be tuned to be better balanced for single-player. For instance, NPC merchants will buy player-crafted items at a profit to the player. Also, pledge and Add-On Store items will be available from NPC merchants for purchase with in-game gold.

  • Player Housing: Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game. Additionally the ability to rent rooms in a player home will start to become available to homeowners.


We continue to be incredibly thankful for the support we receive from this amazing community. While the funding you provide makes all of this possible, it pales in comparison with the faith you have in us, the feedback you provide us, and the content you are making for everyone to enjoy. We are humbly grateful, and we cannot wait to see you again in New Britannia!

Before I go, I wanted to include an excerpt from my original post about our Early Release Schedule that is important to set the framework for our ongoing schedule:

"As a crowd funded and crowd sourced project, we feel it is incredibly important that we provide our backers with information and access well before game studios would normally do so in a traditional development model. Traditionally, the players are given information and access only after the development team has already decided exactly how things will be done, and at times, even after it has already been implemented. By the time the public normally has access to the product, there is usually no time to meaningfully react to the public feedback.
Shroud of the Avatar is different than the traditional model, as we intend to offer our backers extremely early access to information and even the game itself. With that said, we also want to be very careful that we only provide access to portions of the game when they are ready for a wider range of feedback. If we can play it internally and we know it is not ready, then there is nothing to be gained by having a wider audience come to the same conclusion. In fact, it could be quite damaging to do so.

Our strategy over the next few months is to provide you with focused and iterative releases of content. Your feedback during these releases will be critical to making the final product the best it can be, and we appreciate that you are all so willing to devote your time to helping us. After each release we will review the results and reevaluate the plan including the duration of availability of each release.


It is important to repeat that all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change.​"


Sincerely,
Starr Long
Executive Producer
Shroud of the Avatar

 


[ 2017-03-30 21:40:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Patch Notes: March 30, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 40! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 40 are available here.

March 30, 2017

Build Number 577, 1:15PM


Fixes:


  • Male and female Cabalist wearable robes are now fitted correctly.

  • Eye bulge clipping during character creation has been fixed.

  • Missing collision on palisade walls in Kingsport has been added.

  • High-level creature weapon loot added.

  • Kobold Champion in Skrekk Test of Courage instance now displays the proper nameplate.

  • Kobolds in Skrekk should now make some noise.

  • Adjusted collision for elven greenhouse to allow for more lenient decoration placement inside.

  • Ghost Corpion is transparent again.

  • Fixed a bug that caused hints and help messages in the chat window to appear in the wrong order.

  • Fixed a decoration wall surface in Stone 2-story Keep w/ Corner Turret village home, decorations no longer go through wall.

  • Fixed Kobold Statue level-of-detail meshes.

  • Fixed stray geometry crashing through ceiling in Owl's Head NPC Building.

  • Added a context menu option to clear a locked glyph in the combat hotbar.

  • Female avatar legs no longer disappear if wearing leg armor along with the Short Skirted Satin Bodice.

  • Ornate Elven Longbow shaft is no longer rotated incorrectly when equipped.

  • Walls now block the camera correctly in the Wizard Tower.

  • Founders Cloaks no longer appears all white.

  • Male-avatar hand finger-spacing was updated.

  • Turned shadowcasting off on windows of Greenhouse deco.

  • Playing sheet music from the chat command /play now works properly.

  • Shadow will no longer be rendered while stealthed.

  • Duck models updated.

  • Brown Suede Sofa sitting position was updated to not sit so far forward.

  • Grammar fixes for some task list entries.

  • Ornate Elven Mage staff is now usable as a decoration.

  • Fixed stair ramp colliders in Viking two story stronghold village home.

  • In the Battle of Highvale, Edvard no longer stands as close to the gate (thus fixing conversation issues in some situations)

  • In the Battle of Highvale, Nena's initial request correctly registers as a task.

  • Avatars can once again talk with NPCs that have a required response.

  • Lord Demig is no longer invisible in Caverns of Skrekk.

  • Introduced new guard models for Ferig and Demign

  • NPC in Harvest now holds his staff correctly.

  • Fixed airship wheel that was missing a material in Blood Bay.

  • Fixed an issue where on-and-off states for Geometric Stained Glass Floor Lamps did not affect level-of-detail meshes.

  • Made on-and-off states more obvious for Frosted Glass Floor Lamps.

  • The player is no longer stopped when talking.

  • Carved Oak Furniture recipes are now teachable.

  • Scrolling the camera all the way in no longer blurs the screen.

  • Missing icons for pavers, fountains, and other decorations added.

  • Fixes for some transparent grass.

  • Adjusted a few crafted item values based on ingredient cost.

  • The Obsidian Crown Alchemist merchant in Aerie no longer goes off duty.

  • The Fishing Supply Merchant in Brittany Fields by the docks will no longer run back and forth haphazardly.

  • Most merchants in Brittany Fields now have a small-but-comfortable wander area.

  • Fixed interaction on door in Brittany Sewers.

  • Corrected compass orientation in Brittany Sewers and several other underground scenes.

  • Fixed some ladders sometimes not being able to be traversed by NPCs and pets.

  • Fixed missing Vile Shield mesh.

  • In Harvest, the names of Aldis Adisson and Dagmar, Bjorn's Wife, now correctly update after you learn them.

  • Fixed player being blown through wall from rockslide in Serpent's Spine Mines.

  • Material updates for good equipment.

  • New tiling patterns to enhance materials.

  • Extended the water trigger in Metropolis Island Player Towns to prevent players from falling through the ocean before zoning out via the east exit volume.

  • Corrected location of exit discoveries in Metropolis Mountain Player Towns and removed erroneous south exit discovery.

  • The Cabalists themselves are now personally leading their sieges into battle!

  • Water in Blood River Massacre is no longer invisible.

  • Made corrections to transparency material on tree walls .

  • Missing materials on fences in Spite added.

  • Added missing water into Brookside.

  • Resolution increased for generic fabric and leather textures.


Known Issues:

  • Easter Baskets are invisible during /tossconfettiegg throw emote

  • Not all items listed in R40 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

  • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

  • Some of the Obsidian Cabalist abilities are still placeholder

  • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

  • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar’s body

  • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

  • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

  • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

  • Some spell VFX do not play properly

  • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

  • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

  • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

  • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

  • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

  • 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 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


[ 2017-03-30 20:36:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 40 Instructions

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



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 40 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, March 30, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (15:30 UTC).

Release 40 is full of so many important changes that it is hard to know where to begin! The Obsidian Cabalists are now spreading their vileness throughout New Britannia, weapons can now be placed as decorations, we have shifted more of our focus to improving the new user experience (NUE), there are tons of new patterns (both in-game and out), and we finally upgraded to Unity 5.5 (which should address some major AMD issues).

New User Experience & User Interface Polish: We are now shifting a large amount of our effort towards improving the New User Experience. For several years, our backers have been providing us with feedback about the NUE. For example, our backers have pointed out that having to open the journal to view their active tasks/quests feels cumbersome, and that we overload the player with too many options at the beginning of the game (too many skills, too many different hotbars, etc.). This feedback has been affirmed by metrics gathered during our recent Free Trial. In R40, we have implemented improvements for both these issues as well as other improvements to the NUE. There is now an on-screen task list, we start players with fewer skills, we now delay introducing the player to some more advanced features until later in the game, and we have begun integrating SotA Map into the game client to aid with navigation.

Obsidian Cabalists: These vile beings who follow the Anti-Virtues will now be laying siege to towns throughout Novia, including Player Owned Towns that harbor devotionals to the Virtues! Each Cabalist dons a unique hood artifact bearing the symbol of their anti-virtue, and also wields a unique weapon artifact. These artifacts, along with Cabalist Robes and Cabalist Plate Boots, can be looted from Cabalists if you manage to defeat them. Players can then choose to either wield the Vile artifacts or salvage them for patterns that can be applied to other equipment.



Obsidian Cabalist Vile Weapons: Each Cabalist wields a unique artifact weapon made from Obsidian and bearing their anti-virtue symbol. We made sure that each weapon type (including shield) was represented so that players would have a chance to get a weapon of the type they favored.



Rhun Ruins: The Rhun Ruins are one of the six ruined cities found in Novia that date back to the period in Novian history in which the Obsidian Order rose to power. (As described in the Sword of Midras prequel novel by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott). The exact history of some of these cities has been lost to time, but it is rumored that some of them may have been abandoned even before the rise of the Obsidians. Rhun was a city devoted to Compassion but has since been overrun with the undead. It is located in the Drachvald region in the northeast of Novia. Rhun started as a clone of the Dysborg Ruins, but was completely rebuilt this release to have a unique layout and visuals. Since this is an Open PvP scene (as are all the Ruins) we expressly focused on being sure the map has interesting setups for PvP conflict, with plenty of space for hiding, escaping, ambushing, and skirmishing.



Serpent's Spine Mines: The Serpent’s Spine Mines are located in the northern end of the Serpent’s Spine mountain range in the North Paladis region of Novia. Kobolds have ranged farther east than normal to exploit the rich ore veins and crystal deposits in this vast mine. This is one of our most vertically oriented mines to date with a large central chamber featuring deep vertical shafts, elevators, and mine carts. This scene started as a clone of Graff Gem Mines but was completely rebuilt in Release 40. We also relocated these slightly to the south so they are actually in the Serpent’s Spine Mountains!



Skrekk: The capital of the Kobold empire is now populated with City Kobolds, and King Korabar now has his own unique art and animations!



Town Sieges: There is now much better messaging about stage completion (e.g. flags next to each catapult disappearing when the catapult has no engineers) and lifting the siege (namely, a UI messaging stating the current state of the siege). Additionally, placed Devotionals in NPC towns and Player Owned Towns now attract Sieges...so watch out!

New Weapons and Shields: In addition to the Cabalist gear we added other new weapons and shields to the game including a Khopesh (curved Egyptian style sword), Kobold Electric Axes, Norgard Axes, Heater Shields, and Bucklers.



100+ New Patterns: We added over 100 new patterns to the game including in game patterns that can be salvaged from looted gear like the Obsidian Vile Weapons.



Weapons as Decorations: We started in Release 39 with making equippable items decorations using the musical instruments as our first test. In R40, we are going bigger and now almost all weapons can now be placed in your home as decorations.



Magic Visual Effects Polish: We have begun a major polish pass on the visual effects on all magical spells starting with the lowest level spells and working our way upwards. R40 spells polished include Fire Fist, Fire Arrow, Ice Arrow, Ice Fist, Ice Arrow, Stone Fist, and Searing Ray.



Unity 5.5: We have finally upgraded to the latest version of Unity. This should result in better overall performance and numerous fixes to longstanding issues including the longstanding AMD incompatibility!

And much more including more player outfits, tons of bug fixes, new crafting recipes, UI polish, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R40 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


[ 2017-03-30 00:26:24 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #220 – 2017.03.24: New Vile Weapons, The Making of Verdantis Mines and Other Scenes, Easter Flash Sale, Community Livestream, Player Town Spotlight, and more!



In this week's update, get a first look at some of the Obsidian Cabalist Vile Weapons that are about to make their first appearance in the game next week in Release 40! A complete list of what's inside this update...

  • The Vile Weapons of the Obsidian Cabalists
  • The Making of Verdantis Mines
  • The Making of Solace Bridge Outskirts
  • The Making of Kas Ruins (update)
  • 2017 Easter Content Weekend Flash Sale
  • R39 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
  • Supporting World Water Day – A Letter of Thanks
  • Community Livestream: Boss Fight!
  • Community Spotlight: Owl Sky City – Player Owned Town
  • Upcoming Events


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-03-25 02:20:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #219 – 2017.03.17: Making of Kas Ruins, Spring Telethon Recording, Decorations Flash Sale, World Water Day, and more!



Missed the Spring 2017 Telethon? We now have the recording up on YouTube! Also in this week's update, explore the Making of Kas Ruins. A complete list of what's inside...

  • The Making of Kas Ruins
  • NPC submissions requested for Harvest
  • Spring Telethon Updates: Missed Questions Answered, Rewards Update, YouTube Upload
  • R39 Decorations Weekend Flash Sale
  • World Water Day Make a Difference Sale
  • R39 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
  • Community Spotlight: Knightmare Falls – Player Owned Town
  • Upcoming Events


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-03-17 18:07:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #218 – 2017.03.10: City Kobold Weapons, Obsidian Cabalist Wearables, Making of New Scenes, Bigger Bundles, Music Weekend Flash Sale, Rare Map Bundle, and more!



City Kobold Weapons and Obsidian Cabalist Wearables dominate this week's Update of the Avatar #218!

A complete list of what's inside...

  • City Kobold Weapons
  • Obsidian Cabalist Wearables
  • The Making of Serpent’s Spine Mines
  • The Making of The Fall
  • NPC submissions requested for Harvest
  • Spring Telethon 2017 Results
  • Making the Bundles Bigger
  • Music Weekend Flash Sale
  • Lord British Original Shroud Cloth Map Prototype #1 Bundle
  • R39 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
  • Spring 2017 Crafter’s Competition Winners
  • Upcoming Events


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-03-11 00:51:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: March 10, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

March 10, 2017

Build Number 572


  • Fix gustballs not reacting properly to gust.


[ 2017-03-10 23:00:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: March 3, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

March 3, 2017

Build Number 571, 9:00 PM


  • Artifact instrument buffs now end properly.

  • Fixed an issue where nighttime was too dark in some situations.

  • Add-on store button in game now directs to the correct web address.

  • Starting emotes now available to trial users.

  • Trial users can now open treasure chests and breakable containers that are not on property lots.


[ 2017-03-04 04:09:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #217 - 2017.03.03: The Obsidian Cabalists, Free Trial Test, Spring Telethon Next Week, King Korabar, Underground Vaults, Patterns Weekend Flash Sale, and More!



Obsidian Cabalists wield their anti-virtues in this week's Update of the Avatar #217! Also in the update our Free Trial Test, Storing/Moving a Decorated Lot, the Making of Undeground Vaults, 20% Patterns weekend sale, and more!

A complete list of what's inside...


  • Obsidian Cabalists
  • Free Trial Test: March 3 - 9
  • Storing and/or Moving a Decorated Lot
  • King Korabar
  • The Making of Underground Vaults
  • The Making of Serpent’s Spine Mines
  • The Making of The Fall
  • NPC submissions requested for Estgard
  • Spring Telethon Next Week!
  • Patterns Weekend Flash Sale
  • Origin PC Steam Key Bundle
  • R39 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
  • Spring 2017 Crafter’s Competition
  • Upcoming Events


Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-03-04 03:41:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: March 3, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

March 3, 2017

Build Number 568, 11:30 AM


  • Fixed broken access to playable area in Wynton's Folly.

  • Pet scorpions and companions will now register cover properly.

  • Adding [Visitor] flag to free trial players.

  • Temporarily updated wealthy non-Perennial Coast merchant to use non-wealthy appearances.

  • Trial account messaging from server.

  • Riei no longer has double magic resistance.

  • Fixed a Player Town weapon shop NPC building.


[ 2017-03-03 18:39:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: March 2, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

March 2, 2017

Build Number 567, 11:00 AM


  • Fixed a bug that allowed some row lots to be set to "empty lot." They will no longer be empty and will use the default row house for that lot.

  • Property Manager UI now shows "Default Row House" instead of "Empty Lot" if using the default row house for a lot.

  • Guards at the front gate to the solo instance of Skrekk are now talking to one another and will acknowledge your having clearance to pass.

  • Fixed an issue with Devotionals that was causing performance issues in some towns.

  • Rumors say that Riei Firefeather has risen from the ashes as a more powerful foe with new effects.

  • Torc'Dawl the Broken has leveled up from all the adventurers he has slaughtered.

  • Accepting and then un-accepting a trade no longer prevents trade completion.


[ 2017-03-02 18:18:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: February 28, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

February 28, 2017 Build Number 566, 5:30 PM

  • Fixed an issue with the female avatar's ghost where it would not animate the upper body.
  • Fixed a stuck spot in North Drachvald Spur.
  • Fixed a stuck spot in Ulfheim by raising terrain around rock crags.
  • Deleted some trees that were obstructing a player lot boundary in Central Brittany.
  • Fixed several stuck spots in Upper Fortus by adding collision cubes, raising terrain, and adjusting rock meshes.
  • Devotionals now preserve their blessing state on scene change.
  • Devotionals now give small, medium, or large blessings for towns of 1-10, 11-20, and 21+ claimed lots. Both time and values are set.
  • Plugged a stuck crevice in Deep Ravenswood with a rock.
  • Reduced some overly large textures in Xenos.
  • Fixed a crash when using shield of the wicked king and Shield of Air.
  • Shield of Air will still give attunement but will no longer convert health damage into focus damage while shield is in use.
  • Removed the excessive glow from weapon props in player town weapon shop buildings. Also revised remaining props, including adding a smelting station.
  • Making the Anti-Aliasing toggle great again.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented a newly equipped tool from being displayed in the inventory list.
  • Added Ornate Post and Roper Water Fence to crown merchant.
  • Adjusted sound levels between phonograph and town music.
  • Devotionals now correctly replace the oldest blessing when adding a new one.
  • Steam trap in K'rul now linked to volume slider.
  • K'rawl watcher enemies can no longer go through a ceiling in the hallway.
  • Removed and Incorrect message when ransoms resolve.
  • Fixed the Oracle in player towns not responding in some cases.
  • Fixed camera and player position when talking to player town Oracles.
  • Mind Wipe no longer places Glyphs on cooldown.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the guild UI from updating properly when a player's rank within the guild changed.
  • Fixed a bug that may have caused context menus to be unresponsive in some situations.
  • Fixed an issue with Chain Lightning where it would fail on uneven ground.
  • Fixed an issue with weapon trails where they would not properly get turned off when sheathing your weapon.
  • Fixed an issue with Corpions, Lich Fighters, and Shock Monkey Alpha that caused them to register most attacks as behind cover.
  • Fortified Cloth Gloves no longer broken on male avatars.
  • Lord's Cloak no longer appears invisible.
  • Fixed an issue with crafted shields not being able to be reshaped.
  • Fixed a Masterwork/Enchant UI window resize bug.
  • Clockwork creatures no longer run at low health.
  • Fixing locks no longer breaks an entire stack of keys.
  • Added Ornate Water Platform to Water Home Crown Merchant.
  • The water at the bottom of the pit in the Caverns of Skrekk now does poison damage instead of fire damage.
  • Treasure chests in Caverns of Skrekk no longer refresh themselves.
  • Duel messaging added.
  • Fixed lights triggered by switches.
  • Fixing loot location for all mushrooms.  Also fixed XP rewards for higher tier mushrooms.
  • Updated the collision for most of the Hills Siege scaffolding.
  • Fixed both exit discoveries for K'rawl.
  • K'rawl monsters no longer walk through walls.
  • Added an ankh to interior of K'rul shock monkey arena and expanded spike trap coverage within.
  • Fixed several wheel switches throughout K'rul that had erroneous delays or missing actions.
  • Fixed a K'rul switch which once interacted with would not correctly set its states for other players entering the scene.
  • Incremented max population for T10 spiders in Necropolis Barrens and added a few T9 spiders; increased respawn rates slightly for both.
  • Poison will now scale in duration based on the player's level in Poison Weapon.
  • Players should now be able to select enemies and objects normally in Resolute Sewers.
  • All waypoint-based emotes in Restless Woods now have a minimum and maximum time.
  • Fixed locations where players could get themselves stuck on support beams in Basement scenes.
  • Fixed error spam with NPCs interacting with beds, chairs, and catapults.
  • Fixed NPCs walking on top of catapults.
  • Fixed stuck location on stairs of Ornate Greenhouse Four-Story (Row Home).
  • Fixed problems with placement of floor decorations in the 2, 3, and 4 story Shogun Row Houses.
  • The stealthed shock monkey is no longer invisible after death.
  • Deleted a Central Brittany tree that was invading a player lot.
  • Fixed some issues that were preventing proper placement of Tall Ivy Covered Stone Fences.
  • Removed a duplicated Bell Tower building from Central Brittany.
  • Took out extra left arm toss on flowerleap emotes.
  • An Upper Fortus ladder is now functional.
  • Tooltip performance updated.


[ 2017-02-28 22:22:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: February 27, 2017

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

February 27, 2017 12:00 PM

  • Fixed some asset errors and warnings in the Battle of Solace Bridge scene.
  • Adding more information to the error log.
  • Fixed the nameplate wobble! Nameplates are no longer parented to the camera.
  • Disallowed trap activation by ghosts.
  • Decreased the cooldown on Healing Touch and Healing Ray.
  • Shield of the Wicked King has had its defensive capabilities upgraded.


[ 2017-02-27 19:15:30 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: February 24, 2017

Another game patch has made its way to Release 39! In addition to the patch notes, How to Play instructions on this release are available at shroudoftheavatar's website.

Build Number 563, 7:30 PM CST

  • Modified handle on lich axe to be straight so it matches other axes.
  • In Blood River, Edvard gives clearer instructions when greeted without a sword.
  • Improved flow of journal/task entries in Blood River when Edvard asks you to find the bonesteel dagger.
  • Fingers Slate no longer gives incorrect directions in Blood River when greeted without a sword.
  • Combat effects now require line of sight in more situations.
  • Chaotic Clone now correctly copies the caster's body.
  • Umbrella now stays equipped while performing sit emote.
  • Trails in VFX will no longer be left behind when the effect ends.
  • Ant and Ants cloaks no longer hover over shoulders.
  • Unnamed blacksmith supplier in Ardoris now has a proper name.
  • Minerva in Aerie no longer wanders into her own cooking fire only to die horribly.
  • Simone von Eglinger in Ardoris now properly gives feedback when her quest is finished.
  • Emma in Soltown will properly highlight when participating in Japeth's poem quest.
  • Fixed inaccurate Points of Interest in Blood River.
  • When the Broadcast Automated Phonograph is empty the music now defaults to built-in scene music
  • Avatars will no longer turn back around when getting up from chairs.
  • Glowing White Dye on Epic Cloth Armor has been toned downed.
  • Removed mesh collider from  general bust deco so that it can be placed at any rotation.
  • An issue that may have prevented renaming some NPC pets or summons has been corrected.
  • Ardoris navmesh updated.
  • ChainLighting, Discharge, EarthQuake, Lighting, and Obsidian Arrow have had their damage bonus for Str or Dex moved from being linear to being based on the Sqrt of the value, like most other elements.  The change in math will mean that those with a Strength under 100 for Earth spells or Dexterity under 100 for Air skills will see an increase in damage.  Those with stats over 100 will see diminishing returns on damage bonus.
  • Corrected an error with dramatic ambient music not turning off when required.
  • Fixed a stuck spot in Upper Fortus.
  • Multishot improvements: after significant play testing, multishot is finally getting a much needed rework.  Previously it picked up to 8 targets in the forward arc and each had a 75% chance to get hit by one full damage arrow.  The new version picks up to 8 targets in the forward arc and each will get hit 0-3 arrows, on average, each will get hit by 2 arrows and each will do 75% of melee damage. The net result is on no armor targets, this will double the effective damage.  On high armor targets, this will likely still do significantly more damage.  To compensate for the significant improvement in power of this shot, the cool down time is being moved from 6/12 to 10/20.  Also, Arrow usage chance is now 12 but now Ammo Scavenger chance will apply to help reduce arrows.  Previously it did not.
  • Fixed mask on female avatar during Macarena animation to fix upper body.
  • Discharge and Lightning sounds linked to sliders.
  • Shogun home lights and other SFX added.
  • Watcher enemy electricity attack now linked to volume slider.
  • Fixed a Central Brittany stuck spot.
  • Fine oak furniture updates.
  • Made sure Village Lot in Spite was at the proper ground level.
  • Healing spells SFX updated.
  • The old poison potion will now work as a consumable to poison your weapon.  To use it, just put it in your combat bar or utility bar.
  • Added two Chaos resurrection icons along the Upper Fortus river, and added several ladders and stairs in the bandit town to help them navigate their home
  • Fixed a minor error with the Upper Foruts elevator.
  • Crafted items with material overrides will now render correctly when equipped in the left hand.
  • Spawning from lunar rifts now uses the correct animation
  • Auto attack will only attack a breakable until it is broken.
  • Darkstarr Blood and Clasped Gauntlets cloaks no longer have missing override materials
  • Apply pooled experience to Poison Weapon when a Poison Potion is used.
  • Brittany Fields bed are no longer out-of-reach.
  • Castle Stone Arena Basement and Keep Stone Arena Basement now have lamps in the stairwells and entrances turned on by default.
  • A fix for the female avatar magic dance.
  • K'Kong stats corrected and giving a more worthy loot bundle.
  • Improved combat text performance.
  • Stealing from the stall in Kiln will now be considered a crime and adversely affect one's Virtue.


[ 2017-02-25 01:39:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Update of the Avatar #216 – 2017.02.24: Play R39 Now, New Scenes, Weapon Polish, Weekend Homes Flash Sale, Lot Raffle Winners, Telethon, and More!



Welcome to Release 39! In this week's update, see what's all in this latest release, check out upcoming scenes, new lot deed raffle winners announced, a new weekend flash sale on homes and basements, and more!

A complete list of what's inside...

  • Play Release 39 Now!
  • The Making of Serpent’s Spine Mines
  • The Making of The Fall
  • Ignite Weapon Polish
  • NPC submissions requested for Estgard
  • R38 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
  • Spring Telethon and Expirations Reminder
  • Homes and Basements Weekend Flash Sale
  • Origin PC Steam Key Bundle
  • Alienware Steam Key Giveaway
  • R39 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
  • Spring 2017 Crafter’s Competition
  • Community Livestream – Crawling to K’rul
  • Upcoming Events

Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


[ 2017-02-24 21:50:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

Release 39 Patch Notes: February 24, 2017

Another game patch has made its way to Release 39! In addition to the patch notes, How to Play instructions on this release are available at shroudoftheavatar's website.

Build Number 561, February 24, 2017 at 12:00 PM

  • Added sound effect to Gated Green Leaf Box Hedge Fence.
  • Fixed bug that caused a glyph to get stuck in a slot in the deck building interface.
  • Fixed an error during equip item via context menu.
  • Fixed an error during salvage that could occur if multiple salvageable items were placed on the crafting station.
  • Corpse explosion no longer affects breakable objects.
  • Updated some weapon icons.
  • Now using the bounds center rather than adding the y-extent for interactive reticles.
  • Linked audio with the proper mixers in K’rul.
  • Fixed issues with the “More…” dialog prompt where it would often display incorrectly. Also, the “More…” dialog prompt no longer blocks input.
  • Can now progress Path of Love past Crypt of the Avatar if player has Samael in their party and chooses to speak to Miles Shepard instead of Eris.
  • Fixed issue where targeting some NPCs shows the blue crosshair at their feet.
  • Fixed seam in the interior of NPC building in Brittany Alleys.
  • Fixed bad LODs on bell tower in Brittany.
  • Fixed collision on Ardoris castle stairs to allow for cleaner navmesh baking.
  • Fixed a typo in concept art rug name.
  • Made collision shorter on Medium Ivy Covered Stone Fence deco to prevent floating stacked decorations.
  • Added cutouts in collision of gothic water mansion bridge arches to allow players to swim through them.
  • Changed name from Roadway to Walkway for new paver recipes.
  • Fixed a stuck spot on doorways of baron benefactor home.
  • Fixed colliders on Epic Bamboo cluster decorative tree to make it able to be placed.
  • Weapon and armor procs no longer initiate global cooldown.
  • Adjusted LOD ranges on table top elder bush.
  • Recipe names in the recipe book can now wrap to a second line in order to be more legible.
  • Reduced the wood rewards from catapult engineers
  • Fixed gap between wall and doorway frame on front door of the obsidian city sized keep.
  • Fire VFX now correctly aligned on wands when ignited.
  • Fixed candle VFX LOD distances – also made candles look better with better performance.
  • Moved Ardoris Crown Merchant to bank area.
  • Moved Ardoris blacksmith near crafting pavilion.
  • Removed dynamic Doe spawners in an Ardoris pond.
  • Swapped out non-interactive book on counter in Ardoris “New You Salon” for a new one with unique text.
  • Collision on several Brittany Fields buildings has been updated, allowing beds and other interactives within them to be used.
  • Fix for patterns in character sheet and on remote players.
  • Fixed duplicate skill records.
  • Fixed a spelling mistake in the Pax Ring Artifact description.
  • Imported correct quill for the “reading” emote on male avatar to align pivot.
  • Added several lights in K’rul that toggle on when hatch is opened via switch.
  • Lighting the North Drachvald Spur signal tower’s fire will catch the attention of powerful enemies and draw them to the tower.
  • Replaced temporary Novia collision along the shore from Ardoris to south of
  • Brightbone Pass with collision that better follows the shoreline.
  • Changed Player Town name from Silverston to Knight’s Watch.
  • Preventing patterns from being consumed on reshape failure.
  • Removed colliders from equipable quill, book, and paper.
  • Fixing NPC animations during use of instruments.
  • Lute SFX updated to lower octave.
  • Updated bagpipes SFX notes and tone.
  • Fixed floating items in Brittany Fields and architecture poling through gole on a hut.
  • The “Reclining Figure Relief” decoration now has the correct icon (not a bucket).
  • Changed the display name of “Cobblestone Roadway Pavers” and “Rough
  • Stone Roadway Pavers” to “Cobblestone Walkway Pavers” and “Rough Stone Walkway Pavers”.
  • Fixed bugs in Brittany Central involving missing flora, LODs, and seams and gaps in floor pieces in Brittany Castle and Brittany Docks.
  • Fix for practice dummies not taking damage from attacks.
  • Weapon icon for Vile Falchion updated.


  • [ 2017-02-24 20:52:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

    FIXED: WARNING: Do not attempt to use Eternal Patterns!

    There is a bug that causes you to lose your Eternal Pattern when attempting to Reshape. Until you hear from us that this issue is resolved DO NOT use Eternal Patterns!

    If you have lost an Eternal Pattern due to this bug please submit a support ticket to support@portalarium.com and we will replace it as soon as we can.

    UPDATE: 8:20 PM We have now fixed the issue


    [ 2017-02-24 03:20:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 39 Patch Notes: February 23, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 39! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 39 are available here.

    February 23, 2017

    Build Number 559, 5:00 PM

    Fixes:


    • Modified handle on Lich axe to better fit avatar grip

    • High Tier Elven Mages now drop Elven Staff

    • Fixed an issue with stealthing effects and using the /visible command.

    • Removed duration from Dig In tool tip display

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Added Post and Rope Water Fence to Water Home Crown Merchant

    • More weapons added to high level enemies including Vile Falchion, Norgard Spatha, Kobold Chain Swords, etc.

    • Recipes for Greco / Roman decorations

    • Fixed naming incosistancy between potion and recipe for Potion of Restoration, Imbued

    • Added "Highlight Quest NPCs" option

    • Fixed an issue with umbrella's open state for remote players.

    • Fixed various sounds that were not connected to the volume controls including wind, crickets, owls, frogs, leaky pipes, running water, water wheels, fire, city noises, swinging signs, looting sound, and tree chopping.

    • Removed no trade flag from R38 raffle tickets

    • Abigail in Soltown will now properly show as an active quest NPC if Charlotte has been saved in Solace Bridge.

    • Fixed an issue with weapon trails showing up when they shouldn't.

    • Fixed collider on K'konng so he can't run through small doors anymore

    • Expired Glyphs lo longer have cooldowns applied. Fixed issue where discarded runes would not get recycled back into the hand.

    • Added short bow to blacksmith in Soltown for quest reasons

    • Gust no longer affects dead characters.

    • Fixed inconsistencies with Guard Abe's dialog in Ardoris

    • Added locked target indicator on nameplates

    • Night vision now correctly modifies the ambient light levels.

    • Summoning a phoenix no longer causes an error.

    • PoT Magic Merchant Female is no longer invisible

    • Create diversity for new roaming shopkeeper clothes - applied new materials with different colors to wealthy merchant prefabs

    • Fixed Poison Weapon skill advancement

    • Beauty pass on poison weapon trail

    • Fire weapon trail fixes

    • Elysian Illumination - fixed problem with rune

    • Elysian Illumination beauty pass - effect no longer resembles a giant cloud of urine

    • Pipe smoke now appears in front of player's head instead of behind

    • Added a recipe to high end loot table.

    • Aerie: Fixed the chairs at (-154.3, 30.7, 262.9) so characters can sit in them.

    • Ardoris: Fixed issues with lovers at (117.4, 53.3, -273.2)

    • Blackblade Foothills, East Vauban Foothills, Northwest Blackblade Mountains, Rumor Peaks, Spectral Peaks, Verdantis Foothills, North Varisalla Foothills: Fixed the climbable rope at (-132.3, 55.3, -165.1) so players can climb all the way up.

    • Brittany Estates: The stool used in the tavern at (150.1, 78.0, 423.8) now seats characters properly.

    • Brittany Fields: Fixed beds that weren't accessible.

    • Brittany Fields: Fixed the collision for the building at (25.7, 42.8, 258.0), and similar buildings in the game, so that NPCs can't pass through the walls. S

    • Changed the Shield of Attraction stats

    • Hilt Fortress: Moved copper ore from (65.2, -44.9, 25.0) to (62.76 -44.788 33.72).

    • Fixed floating crate in North Drachvald Spur

    • K'rawl - Fixed Floating objects.  Added ceiling to a ceilingless chamber. Fixed a hole between rocks in the large blue chamber.

    • Polish Magic Mover UI

    • POT Desert 01 template: fixed issue where NPCs would get stuck in cracks in the docks

    • POT Underground template: Added a fix to block off a "stuck spot" at (268.1, 89.6, -292.0).

    • Ruined Keep, Spindrift Passage, Upper Fortus: Added new mushroom monster spawners

    • Sequanna Colossus: Ensured all compass discoveries are in place and labelled correctly.

    • Show server status as offline when in "Dev Only" mode

    • Soltown Catacombs: Slowed down respawn of all bandits. Added waypoint paths for some spellcasters in the "bandit camp" area. Changed name of "Well-Worn Key" to "Soltown Catacombs Key."

    • Soltown: Harvey, a child in the refugee camp, now has his own bedroll to sleep in at night. Removed weapon rack from (-29.7, 27.1, 4.5).

    • Adjusted floating wall deco in Brittany Estates.

    • Skrekk: fixed collision issue with large rock piece. Adjusted crashing deco objects.

    • Fixed some overly intense bloom settings on alpine weather scenes

    • Superstition Canyon: Partial fix for players being able to attack enemies from below in Superstition canyon.

    • Fixed an overly reflective rock wall material that was noticed as a bug while in the Sequanna Colossus map, but the fix will affect all locations with that asset

    • Material refinements to the Cloud Imperium Airship to compensate for environmental reflections that were recently enabled

    • Shogun Homes: added "Lights On" SFX

    • Added colliders to alien plant visible in Rhun Ruins

    • Improved tooltip for Poison Weapon

    • Fixed NPCs visibly teleporting during schedule changes.

    • Brittany Central: Fixed several stuckpots.

    • Brittany Central: Fixed issues involving seams in architecture, floating props, broken doors, and misplaced props.

    • Fixed watchers not scanning players

    • Clockwork pets: Fixed gears SFX not stopping upon death

    • Fix for NPCs sometimes popping on top of the player during collision.

    • Fix for NPCs not using beds and chairs when instructed.

    • Fixed gigantic table floating above Central Brittany

    • Fixed player vendor, deco automatons, and deco servants t-posing.

    • South Celestial Wetlands: Updated the names for letters and compass POI discoveries in this scene to better represent the local factions.

    • Tower of the Shuttered Eye: Improved the titles of several ambiguously-named letters. Also, all prison benches in the scene are now sittable.

    • Valhold: NPCs should no longer walk through walls in the town's buildings. Also, removed the extra door at (15.9, 85.0, -134.3). Beds in the town should all be usable.

    • Wooden Piers: Fixed a collision issue with a commonly-used pier that should help NPCs walk on them without issue.


    Known Issues:

    • Not all items listed in R39 Instructions are yet in the game or Add On Store

    • Eternal Patterns can be lost when Reshaping. DO NOT USE Eternal Patterns.

    • Cover System is not applying to magic spells

    • You can only see your equipped grayed out tools in your inventory if they were equipped when you loaded into the scene. Any attempt to equip new tools will cause them to appear missing (they won't appear greyed out) until the scene changes.

    • When casting the Charm Animal spell on a mob it will turn it's health bar white/grey and the animal becomes passive, but it's not properly updating the health bar when left clicking the mob as shown below. The health bar on the left is in the animal's passive state but the spell has already worn off, and the spider's name should be in red again.

    • Some Devotionals do not allow for two devotional buffs at the same time

      • Honesty

      • Honor

      • Humility

      • Justice

      • Sacrifice

      • Spirituality

      • Valor



    • Mushroom monster corpses are hard to loot

    • New "More..." convo system is sometimes incorrectly blocking conversations

    • Brittany Fields has some pathfinding issues

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • Some SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2017-02-24 01:03:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 39 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    Avatars,

    Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.


    Despite February being a short month and therefore Release 39 being a short release, we have a ton of new content in this release; including more story, new scenes, and major new systems such as Patterns, Town Blessings, and Magic Movers!

    Path of Courage Polish: Various changes were made to the Path of Courage, including new NPC conversations in Valhold, proper journal/task support for the ending sequence, and experience rewards for finishing the Path of Courage commensurate to the Path of Love.



    Blood River Polish: Various changes elaborating on the massacre that happened here, along with better tutorial support for new users. Additionally, players are no longer sent to Soltown after the sequence is complete. Support for sidequests in Aerie and Vertas similar to Soltown and Ardoris will come in future releases, but for now we continue to recommend new players begin with the Path of Love for the best experience.

    Quest Discovery & Navigation Improvements: We are working on improving the ability to find characters who have quests and/or who you have active tasks to complete for quests. Characters who have quests for you, or who have current active tasks, will now have a blue glow. The character's glow will turn off once you complete all quests assigned to it. Additionally, as long as you are on a quest for a character, they will appear as a Point of Interest on your compass. These will be options you can turn off if you wish to continue to play “old school.” We lovingly call this system “Totally not an !”.

    NPC Conversation Interface Improvements: Work continues on polish and bug fixes. This release we focused on the order of keyword sorting (so that once you use a keyword it sorts to the back of the list) and added pagination (so that you can step through longer text without having to scroll back using a "More.." prompt).

    Journal Improvements: If a quest sends you into an area that requires combat (such as a dungeon or hostile area), the journal entry will warn you if the difficulty of the area is more than you can currently handle. As your skills grow in power, the evaluation in your journal will change. This is not exact, but should warn avatars a bit too eager to head to their certain doom. We will be adding many combat-related tasks going forward and this will help you be aware of which are currently appropriate for your character.

    K’rul: Underneath Blood Bay, far from the prying eyes of the Oracle, top Kobold researchers work in the Kobold Research Underground Laboratories: a.k.a. K'rul. In this vast underground facility, Kobolds build ever larger and more dangerous automatons and craft mysterious weapons. K'rul will be filled with top tier Kobolds and automatons to battle, as well as dangerous technological traps and puzzles.



    K’rawl: This long tunnel system connects Skrekk to K’rul and consists of long tracks and mine carts that can be ridden! However, regular checkpoints by Kobold sentries and traps make traversing this underground quite risky. So that groups can travel the K'rawl to K'rul, Skrekk can now be entered by parties. (The Path of Courage instance of Skrekk remains limited to solo players.)



    North Drachvald Spur: North Drachvald Spur is located near the Sirens mountains in the Drachvald region in the northeastern section of Novia. It started as a clone of the Whiteguard Foothills and got completely rebuilt as a new scene for Release 39. The area is home to a group of bandits who have been ambushing supply convoys using rock slides. The area will also feature the remnants of an abandoned mine and a mysterious watchtower. The rock slides take advantage of our new traps technology. SPOILERS: Combat in the center of the main bandit headquarters has a good chance of drawing out enemies which are more challenging than the rest of the area! The mysterious watchtower is part of our new efforts to add higher tier enemies (Tier 6+) to maps that players can discover and/or trigger. In this case there is a signal fire that will trigger a high level bandit attack.



    Upper Fortus: The Fortus River runs south-to-north through a large canyon in the North Paladis region to the east of the Sanctus Spine Control Point. Kobolds have established a mining facility here using steam to soften the terrain. Bandits have a camp nearby and have been raiding the shipments of ore and therefore, the Kobolds have been ramping up their defenses of the mining facility. Expect strong resistance when trying to raid the Kobold mining camp; and the bandits are not going to be too friendly either! This scene started as a clone of North Varisalla Foothills but has been completely rebuilt for Release 39.



    Fire Visuals in Starting Scenes: We upgraded and replaced all the fire visual effects in the three starting scenes (Blood River, Highvale, and Solace Bridge) to what we consider competitive standards.

    Tier 6+ Enemy Additions: Inspired by the Liches in Deep Ravenswood we are going to be adding pockets of higher level enemies (Tier 6-10) to all 5 Skull (aka Tier 5) maps. Some of these will always be present but some will only be there when triggered by an event or interaction (like lighting a signal fire). Each release we will add these to a few maps until all Tier 5 maps have been covered. Scenes covered in R39 include: Ulfheim, Sequanna Colossus, Necropolis Barrens, and Verdantis Shardfall.

    Chaos Bosses: Several new chaos focused Bosses have been added to the Ruins and Shardfalls. Because they are chaotic, they are also quite rare because they show up when they feel like it...

    Traps and Interactions Additions: With Release 38 we added new traps and interactive functionality to the game, including moving platforms, pressure plates, flame jets, arrow shooters, gas fields, etc. Going forward we will be adding this functionality to existing maps each release until they have been propagated across the entire game. We will be also expanding the functionality of our existing interactions and/or adding new ones each release. New R39 interactions include Moving Platforms with Switches, Exploding Barrels, Landslides, and Electric Damage Fields. Scenes covered in R39 include: South Fetid Swamp, North Fetid Swamp, South Longfall Wetland, Resolute Sewers, Soltown Sewers, Solania Catacombs, and Kingsport Sewers.

    Decorated Lot/Decorated Basement Moving & Saving (aka Magic Movers): Players can now save a fully decorated lot or basement to their local bank and reload it later onto that same lot or onto a different lot in that same scene (as long as that lot is the same size). Players will start with 5 slots and, in future releases, will be able to purchase more for Gold Crowns. In a future release, we will expand this feature to allow movement of a fully decorated lot/basement between separate scenes for an, as yet, undetermined cost.

    Town Blessings: Owners of Player Towns now have the ability to place 11 different Devotionals to the 8 Virtues and 3 Principles in their towns. Each Devotional offers a different blessing and the power of the blessing is based on how many people live in the town. To receive a blessing you merely need to stand near a Devotional that has been placed in a POT or NPC town. Players can only have two blessings active at any time so visiting a Devotional while other blessings are active will overwrite the oldest blessing. These Devotionals also attract the attention of the Cabalists and there is a chance that your town will come under siege if you have them placed (starting in R40). You can read more here.



    Combat Cover: Being behind cover now decreases the amount of damage taken in combat. Cover is considered any object that blocks, or partially blocks direct line of sight between you and a target.

    “Utility” Bar: The non-combat bar will now stay visible during combat and consumable items in that bar can be used from that bar. This should allow players who actively use potions and foods a much better alternative than allocating space in their deck. Consumables used from this bar will have the same cool down values that the combat bar uses. Note that we are experimenting with allowing a few spells we consider “utility” spells to be useable from here as well. For now these include Summoning Spells, Light, Night Vision and Resurrection.

    Moving While Fighting Animations: We rebuilt the animation rig to better support animations for combat while moving. This should make animations during combat look much, much better.

    Ignite Weapon Effect Polish: We performed a major visual upgrade to the visual effects for Ignite Weapons. Your flaming sword has never looked more incredible than now!

    Poison Refactor: The Poison Weapon skill is now a passive skill. Additionally, there are now multiple poison types with different effects that can all be crafted.

    Catapults and Engineers: Catapults in Sieges are now attended by a team of Tier 8 engineers and guards who defend and operate the catapult. Only when three waves of engineers are killed will the catapult cease firing. Additionally, killing those engineers has a chance to yield a recipe for a tabletop catapult decoration and lots of lumber as loot. Note that killing the engineers is now what triggers the appearance of the liches, not destroying the catapults.

    More Artifacts: More than 30 new artifacts have been added to the game, along with the first epic artifact! We wouldn’t want to spoil it for you by telling you what they are, however…

    City Kobolds: In Release 39. we have begun working on what we are calling our “City Kobolds.” These are the Kobolds that live in Skrekk and other places like K'rul. They are much more advanced than anyone else in Novia, and the source of almost all of the technology that you see in the game; including clockwork creatures and aether vibration amplifiers. City Kobolds use advanced armor and weaponry including chainswords, electric axes, gas guns, electric blunderbusses, grenades, etc. In some cases, City Kobolds are friendly to players (depending on story elements) and there are rumors of City Kobold Merchants who sell rare Kobold technology to players. The other Kobolds players have interacted with until now have been what we now call Village Kobolds, and will remain what players encounter in outdoor zones and small Kobold habitations. In Release 39, you will be able to find our first round of City Kobolds in K'rul. In Release 40, we will be updating Skrekk with City Kobolds, including a new unique visual for King Korabar.



    Attack Clockworks: The City Kobolds defend their territories fiercely and part of their defenses are an army of Clockwork beasts. Players have already seen some of these in previous releases including the Shock Monkey and Clockwork Dragon. In R39, the Clockwork menagerie expands to include Attack and size variants of some of our existing Clockwork beasts. The Clockwork Attack Dogs and Cats (which are the size of mountain lions) are used by Kobold guard patrols to knockdown and tear up trespassers. The Clockwork Attack Ravens have confusion fields that make fighting them especially challenging. We have also introduced giant versions of the Shock Monkey that have stomp and throw attacks, as well as a scaled-down version of the Clockwork Dragon that works well within interior spaces. Finally, there are giant versions of the Oracle Flyers and Oracle Crawlers that shock and stun players who try to fight them.



    Mushroom Monsters: These fungal creatures have weak melee attacks that are mostly annoying until they get in large groups. However, if you kill them, they can unleash devastation with clouds of noxious spores that poison and confuse opponents.

    New Weapons on High Level Enemies: High level enemies wield a variety of new weapons that can sometimes be looted and salvaged for patterns (see Patterns below). New weapons include Kobold Chain Swords, NOgard Lucerne Hammers, Norgard Spathas, Satyr Bardiches, Vile Flachions, and Katanas.

    Patterns: This system will allow players to change the visual appearance of many items in the game while preserving the functionality and data associated with the item the pattern is being applied to. In the case of a weapon, that means that it will still retain all of its stats, including damage range, durability, enchantments, etc., even though it looks different. Patterns are used to reshape existing pieces of gear in much the same way you would enchant that gear at a crafting station. To do this, take a weapon or a piece of armor to the appropriate station (ex. Longbow to a carpentry station) and then use a pattern to reshape that item into something visually different. Patterns can be obtained through purchase and from inside the game. You can read more about how the system works here; including Eternal Patterns (patterns salvaged from Add On Store gear)



    And much more including more player outfits, tons of bug fixes, new weapons, new patterns, UI polish, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R39 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2017-02-23 01:27:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #215 – 2017.02.17: Clockwork Attack!, Town Blessings, Rhun Ruins and K’rawl, Crafter’s Competition, and More!



    Clockwork pets invade this week's Update of the Avatar #215! Also in the update, introducing Town Blessings, ride along in the new minecart K'rawl scene, crafter's competition begins, see what's 20% off in this weekend's flash sale event, and more!

    A complete list of what's inside...

    • Clockwork Attack!
    • Town Blessings Update
    • The Making of Rhun Ruins
    • The Making of K’rawl
    • Spring Telethon and Expirations Reminder
    • Clockwork Pets & Shogun Bundle / Decorations
    • Weekend Flash Sale
    • Origin PC Steam Key Bundle
    • Alienware Steam Key Giveaway: Lowered to Level 4
    • R38 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
    • Spring 2017 Crafter’s Competition
    • Boss Battle of the Avatar – Screenshot Contest Winners
    • Community Livestream – Exploring Rhun Ruins
    • Doug’s (IronMaiden) Chemo Relief Fund
    • Upcoming Events

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2017-02-17 20:46:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Spring 2017 Crafter's Competition - Gear Design Contest

    [/img]

    Fire up those kilns and ready your hammers! The Spring 2017 Crafter’s Competition has begun! This first event will be a Gear Design Contest with other events, possibly quarterly, kicking off throughout the year.

    In the last contest segment we had you capture a fight with a boss monster in the game. To survive such an intensive fight, a great deal of armor and powerful weaponry must be wielded! In this follow-up contest, we want you to design the most powerful weapons and armor you can muster.

    As we receive submissions, they will be announced on Twitter and Facebook with eventually a gallery of all submissions on Facebook. If we get enough of them, we may make this a regular quarterly crafting event!

    More about the contest and how to show off your gear at:
    https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?p=69027


    [ 2017-02-17 00:47:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #214 – 2017.02.10: City Kobolds, Item Reshaping, Upper Fortis, Rhun Ruins, K’rul Crawl, Kobold Flash Sale, Alienware Steam Giveaway, and More!



    For Release 38's latest Update of the Avatar post, see more of the Making of K'rul, check out the latest polish on Rhun Ruins (related Community Livestream was today!), browse all the new Kobold content and specials, and more!

    A complete list of what's inside...

    • City Kobolds and Kobold Chests
    • Patterns: Gear and Decoration Reshaping
    • The Making of Upper Fortus
    • The Making of Rhun Ruins
    • The Crawl to K’rul
    • R38 Postmortem Recap
    • Kobold Weekend Flash Sale
    • Origin PC Steam Key Bundle
    • Alienware Steam Key Giveaway: Lowered to Level 4
    • R38 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
    • Boss Battle of the Avatar – Screenshot Contest
    • Community Livestream – Exploring Blood Bay
    • Community Spotlight: Saint Haley – Player Owned Town
    • Doug’s (IronMaiden) Chemo Relief Fund [Update: Telethon with Dev Crafted Gear Auction]
    • Upcoming Events

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.

    P.S. - Careful exploring the new Blood Bay scene! Here there be dragons...


    [ 2017-02-11 00:49:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: February 6, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    February 6, 2017

    Build Number 554, 5:30 PM

    Fixes:


    • Fixed issue with players getting stuck in the water in Owl's Head

    • Fix /roll command not showing the same numbers for everyone.


    Known Issues:

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2017-02-06 23:18:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: February 3, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    February 3, 2017

    Build Number 553, 5:30 PM

    Fixes:


    • Water Decorations are now placeable on any water in Player Owned Towns by owners and stewards

    • Fixed stuck spot on long arched stone bridge

    • Fixed incorrect icons on new water boats

    • Fixed issue blocking accesiblity to some towns with player lots introduced with Patch 551


    Build Number 551, 12:30 PM

    Fixes:

    • Fixed a crash that was occurring on Mac and Linux when some players would walk onto heavily decorated player lots

    • Decreased scene loading times

    • Fixed issue where conversations with Satyr NPCs would break the game


    Known Issues:

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2017-02-04 00:28:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Patch 551 rolled back due to inaccessible scenes (ex. Dawn's Keep)

    There was a problem with Patch 551 that blocked players from entering some scenes with player lots (ex. Dawn's Keep) so we rolled it back for users who had not already patch and we are working on a fix ASAP.


    [ 2017-02-03 21:28:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: February 2, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    February 2, 2017

    Build Number 550, 1:30 PM

    Fixes:


    • Holly in Resolute has returned and her associated quest can now be completed.

    • Fixed incorrect locations of For Sale signs for two row house lots in Resolute

    • Gustball now works again with Gust


    Known Issues:

    • There are some player lots that cause players to crash on Mac & Linux

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2017-02-02 19:40:10 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: February 1, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    February 1, 2017

    Build Number 549, 1:30 PM

    Fixes:


    • Fixed Ice Field and Ring of Fire VFX appearing vertical instead of horizontal to the ground

    • Fixed Dig In (Shields) skill not providing buff to other players in range

    • Fixed Glowing Black Dye not glowing

    • Fixed white glow dye being too bright on ant cloaks

    • Clasped Gauntlet Community Cloaks should no longer show up in Ransom.

    • Fixed issue where Avatars were regularly turning to face most recent damage source

    • Fixed Black Sparkle Dye affecting both primary and secondary fields on Epic Cloth armor

    • Fixed /r chat command not working when you hit enter without a space

    • Fixed bug that prevented the News of the Day from being shown in the chat window after logging in

    • Added new paintings to Crown merchant and set prices.

    • Fixed bad LODs on Blood River massacre NPC Robert Villines so that he will no longer disappear at a short distance.

    • Changed statue names from "Foo Dog" to "Guardian Lion"

    • "Shogun Village Keep" bundle will now deliver two Guardian Lion statues instead of one, if previously claimed will get the new one on next claim

    • Decreased fizzle chance of all spells by 5%

    • Potion drop rate decreased by 50% to improve crafter market.

    • Fixed issue where emote VFX were not showing up properly

    • Fixed music in scenes not looping and replaying (would only play one song and then stop)


    Known Issues:

    • Gustball does not respond to Gust

    • One of the new player quests in Resolute does not work

    • There are some player lots that cause players to crash on Mac & Linux

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2017-02-01 20:37:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: January 31, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    January 31, 2017

    Build Number 548, 1:00 PM

    Fixes:


    • Fixed animation issue with the umbrellas when male avatars opened them it appeared from other plays viewpoint to be pointing down at their feet.

    • Fixed bug with a settings wipe and new character where Full Screen had no game cursor

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fixed an issue where you would get stuck in First Person View if you left a scene to Novia in First Person View

    • Fixed crafting recipes for Potion of Deftness and Potion of Wolf Speed

    • Fixed issue where certain animations were disabling cloth simulation

    • Fixed masterwork/enchant error that occured when an item had max durability of 40

    • Fixed failed vendor transaction when attempting to fulfill multiple purchase orders

    • Fixed an error that could occur when splitting a stack of items to sell to a merchant.

    • Added localized text for error message when trying to cast an abliity while dead

    • New feature:  slash command:  /roll [number]Rolls a random number in the range [1, number], sends result in the chat log to nearby players.

    •  An option is now given when speaking with merchants, bankers or trainers to continue their conversation further if a player wishes to speak with them.

    • Players will now be able to turn in the report found in the Crypt of the Avatar and complete the quest there.

    • Ardoris: Quest keyword with Cugel made clearer

    • Changed auto attack to only select a hostile target that has targeted the player.

    • Fixed bug that caused at most two chat tabs to be shown after rezoning

    • Fixed coconut bra not removing underwear top for female

    • Fixed iron maiden cloak floating above chest armors: founder's mail, royal founder's mail, clockwork armos, benefactor's tunic, founder's cloth tunic

    • Added piano recipe to carpentry merchants

    • Fixed alchemy station recoginizing obsidian chips as valid ingredient

    • Fixed missing absorption stat from Knight Marshall's Winged Helm

    • Fixed incorrect fizzle chance on Elder Elven Archer Gloves

    • Fixed female firedancer top and leggings not removing underwear

    • Fixed bug that caused resource nodes to stop respawning when harvested by a non-master client

    • Fixed female bodice bottoms removing underwear - players are able to get the camera low enough to see way too much with underwear bottoms removed while wearing a bodice skirt (nasty avatarses!)

    • Fixed incorrect icon size for many icons

    • Fixed incorrect item description on Potion of Health, Imbued

    • Added milling recipes to carpentry merchants

    • Fixed incorrect names on a few new potion recipes

    • Fixed bug so player can no longer see clockwork dragon's glowing eyes when player is dead.

    • Fixed Searing Ray issue showing square visuals

    • Added SFX for Chopping of Trees, updated from previous sound

    • Celestial Blessing should now show the correct information in the tooltip.

    • Dropping the focus regen in combat to 1/5th the non-combat regen. This is 1/3rd the current value on live. Tested this at level 40 and 80 with stats set to 40 and 80 with a magic build and melee build and this value felt good without food.

    • Fix bug that prevented you from seeing your items listed on vendors if your character name or sex changes.  (Bug still exists if you delete your character and make a new one.)

    • Gust cooldown had been set to 1 for testing and accidentally checked in that way.  Changing it back to 4 seconds.

    • Ring of Fire properly attached to volume sliders

    • Added new Longboat water decoration to the game

    • Isle of Storms fire sfx volume turned down

    • Novia: Players using a boat in Novia to enter Blood Bay will now be given a choice of which Blood Bay dock to arrive at.

    • Potion of Deftness should now be craftable

    • Blood Bay - Plugged a large hole in the cliff on the east side of island,  adjusted LODs on several structures (to not pop/in/out so abruptly).

    • All old raffle ticket decorations (R33 - R37) can now be stacked in inventory

    • Both kinds of R37 raffle tickets can now be traded and used as decorations

    • Fire Arrow and Fireball now stack up to 3 times again instead of 2

    • Clockwork Dragon sounds added for the pets

    • Automaton Pets sounds now properly linked to volume sliders and should no longer play gear loop sound after death

    • Diagnal Muntin Light is no longer off by default

    • Fix for not being able to un-equip taming necklace when pet is permadead.

    • Breakaway Walls SFX updated to rock breaking sound

    • Fixed an animation bug on Jump_Landing that was causing a stutter in the feet.

    • The Epitaph: Added additional spawn location at the start of the scene to compensate for spawn-in errors.

    • Village Mine 5-Story Basement: Adjusted spawn-in target to help players appear in the center of the tunnel.

    • ARTIFACT SPOILERS: Read no further if you don't want artifacts spoiled for you. Shh! Secrets!

      • Fixed icons on Ankh artifacts

      • Fixed bug with Ring of Lich Kind not affecting arm skin color with Elven Robes

      • Fixed various issues with Ring of Cuttlekin: Fixed it making all Avatars lightest skin tone on paperdoll. Makes female on character sheet topless. Fixed issue that would hide the Fire Dancer Top.




    Known Issues:

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2017-01-31 20:34:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: January 30, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    January 30, 2017

    Build Number 547, 12:00 PM

    Fixes:


    • Radios now properly linked to Master Volume controls

    • Added new items to Water Home Crown Merchant including the Small Longboat and Gondola water decorations

    • Fixed an animation issue when casting Healing Ray while having a bow equipped and unsheathed.

    • Fixed sitting animations that were twisting the Avatar's torso

    • Autumn Leaf Leggings now no longer remove underwear.

    • Fixed issue with moving platforms where anytime someone would do an emote with a VFX it would duplicate on every avatar.

    • Fixed z-fighting on clockwork dragon wings

    • Fixed various errors and exceptions

    • Fixed an issue where Gust would only effect the targeted NPC and no others

    • Edvard in Blood River will not send you to Soltown if you have already begun the Path of Love quest.

    • Added better logging for exceptions

    • Added Recipe for Small Plain Longboat water decoration to Carpentry

    • Central Brittany: The patroller who strolls past (198.0, 64.3, 249.7) will now only attempt to perform emotes that actually exist.

    • Clockwork Dragon: Fixed issue with VFX not appearing from correct locations (hopefully)

    • Final polish work on Xenos including fixing some stuck issues, collision issues, and some final decorating

    • Fixed formatting error in known issues book

    • Added Pristine Gothic Mansion Town Water Home to the game

    • Fixed broken rope ladders to crows nests on Baron Frigate and Baron Galleon

    • Made adjustments to Clockwork Dragon's head tracking to fix the head flipping around incorrectly when he is tracking the player.

    • misc. SoundController update to hopefully have audio files playing through the audio source pool use the correct mixer.

    • Added Gondola and Small Longboat water decorations to the game

    • Pallas Cat item renamed to "Pallas's Cat"

    • Added 2 new routes to get to the upper level path on the back of Blood Bay (involving fumaroles and platforms)

    • Fixed window issues with the Rowhouse Greenhouses.

    • Fixed collision on arched stone bridges so players will no longer "levatate" above it as they walk across.

    • Adjusted collision in Stucco 4-story w/Right Alcove Rowhouse so that tooltips will display on wall decorations.

    • Made LOD water material for Cinereous Stone 2 tier fountain more transparent to alleviate popping.

    • Fixed several visual issues with the Pirate Galleon city sized water home.

    • Shogun 4-story Rowhouse: fixed missing railing on stairs that lead up to the third floor.

    • Elven two story w/ left alcove Rowhouse: fixed fake duplicate door

    • Fixed collider on Diagonal Muntin Wall Light decoration so that it can be placed correctly.

    • Adjusted colliders and pivots on Ornate Iron & Glass Wall Light decoration so that it may be properly placed on walls without sinking into the wall.

    • Remade LODs for clockwork dragon to address popping issues.

    • Attempted fix for Elven 4-story Rowhouse exteriors disappearing at a distance.

    • Fixed Ornate Circlet going through bob hair

    • Fixed misaligned doors in Elven four story city home.

    • Fixed various bugs with dry docked version of the pirate galleon city home.

    • Adjusted LOD ranges on two story shogun rowhouse.

    • Fireworks now properly connected to volume sliders

    • Wizard Tower portals now properly connected to volume sliders

    • Shogun town and city homes name change update to include size

    • Updated 3 new boat decos to support reflections on water


    Known Issues:

    • Some of the new potion recipes are not working correctly

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2017-01-30 19:01:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #212 – 2017.01.27: Play Release 38 Now!, Valentine’s Goodies, Making of K’rul, R37 Deed Raffle Winners, Perennial Polish, and More!



    For Release 38's first Update of the Avatar, see more of the Making of K'rul, check out the latest Solania polish located along the Perennial Coast, new content is now craftable, and more!

    A complete list of what's inside...

    • Play Release 38 Now!
    • Release 38 Addendum
    • The Making of K’rul
      Perennial Coast Improvements (Solania Polish)
    • Wealthy Merchant Outfit
    • Valentine’s 2017 Gift Boxes and Card
    • R37 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
    • R38 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
    • Community Livestream – Exploring Canyon Siege
    • Doug’s (IronMaiden) Chemo Relief Fund
    • New Stuff: Pirate Ships, Dragon Pets, Shogun Bundles, and more…
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.

    P.S. - Careful exploring the new Blood Bay scene! Here there be dragons...


    [ 2017-01-30 18:24:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: January 27, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    January 27, 2017

    Build Number 546, 6:00 PM

    Fixes:


    • Fixed an animation issue where having the bug sprayer or spyglass equipped would lead to a pumping arm

    • The current durability of an item is now increased when its maximum durability is increased via masterwork

    • Facial Hair should display properly now.

    • Plague Doctor Hat should now be dyeable

    • Fixed stats on Phoenix Bites food

    • Ardoris Guard Armor now has armor stats

    • Re-added pressing "T" to toggle between Auto and Free attack.  Removed option from Game Settings.

    • Minimum time between NPC barks raised from 10 seconds to 45.

    • Fixed typo with town crier dialog

    • Demig's Battle Camp: Guards at the gate will now accept Essen's writ of passage if the player has it.

    • Guards at the front gate of Skrekk will talk to player as intended.

    • Kobolds no longer advertise in keyword hinting that using obscenities with them will anger them into attacking you. (You still should probably not do that.)

    • Set minimum crafting durability to 30+

    • Campfire is now properly connected to volume sliders

    • Blood Bay water is now appropriately dangerous!  Swimmers beware!

    • Xenos:

      • Foliage removal to improve frame-rate

      • Fixed several floating assets

      • Fixes to stone mural placement due to changes in prefabs after LOD addition



    • Tame Heal now only works on pets. Description has always said "Heals a tamed creature" and we had at first let it also heal players but it was being used to bypass all the Life school restrictions so it was effectively an exploit. Our apologies if you have built your deck around this exploit.

    • Deep Ravenswood: Increased chances of running into a Ferocous Red Spider in this scene.

    • Graff Gem Mines: Shock Monkeys in this scene will now display their correct names.

    • Improving the fire vfx on Torch of Jerik slightly

    • Minor tweaks to make male run cycle a little less "prancy".

    • Quick tweak to Blood Bay terrain to fix floating pearl beds along shore (they were floating after I smoothed the shoreline)

    • Blood Bay spawn and deco improvements including smoothing out shore along Judge's Watch

    • Fixed down rotation of Pirage Galleon walking plank

    • Added Pristine Gothic Mansion Water Home to game

    • Dialed down the rotation on hips on female walk.

    • Fixed visual distortion on windows in the shogun row homes.

    • Fixed scale and brightness issues with the prebuild lights in the Shogun homes

    • Fixed bugs in Shogun City Home

    • Tapsoul now also adds a 2 minute stacking Life Attunement debuff

    • Balance pass on some existing Artifacts, possibly more Artifacts added....


    Known Issues:

    • Some of the new potion recipes are not working correctly

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • When you watch another avatar swim the animations look broken.

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    Build Number 544, 12:15 PM

    Fixes:

    • Fixed bug with Dig In skill where it would drain shield durability for the duration of being active

    • Fixed Dig In skill so it once again provides buff to other players in range

    • Added Shogun Lighthouse to Shogun Crown Merchant

    • Added 3 missing Hilt treasure chests related to Obsidian recipes. This should solve the mystery of the missing Obsidian Sheet, Spear, Axe Head, and Boots recipes.

    • Fixed issues related to players getting stuck loading into heavily decorated scenes (like POTs)

    • Holding Right-Mouse-Button should remove the cursor and allow players to pan the camera. However, it seems in some scenes, players were observing that the cursor would force itself active again (similarly to opening a UI window) when in active scenes with other players in combat multiplayer. This issue is now fixed.

    • Reduced food buff combat regeneration rate

    • Added a bottom covering area to the female Firedancer leggings

    • Kiln: Dion now correctly gives Blackblade Pass key

    • Fireplace in Shogun Rowhouses now properly hooked up to volume sliders

    • Spider webs now cause Avatars to get stuck again

    • Fixed issues with tents that was causing players to get stuck in the flaps

    • Blood Bay:

      • Volcano VFX: reduced colliding particle frequency for performance

      • Adjusted chairs in Scoundrel's Hold (Blood Bay)

      • Changed clockwork dragon respawn time from 4 minutes to 8 minutes

      • Fixed collision and navigation on wooden platforms, stairs, and bridges



    • Bell Tower decoration now clears foliage on the terrain while being placed

    • Tuned the head tracking on the Dragon and Clockwork Dragon so they don't break their pretty little necks

    • Fixed death collider on dragons which made them extremely difficult to loot, not perfect but much better

    • Fixed duplicate shutter on Shogun City Home.

    • Harvest: Set up banker to stay in place, and allowed deeds merchant to wander a short distance to reach nearby chair (should sit after navmesh rebuilds)

    • Added Dry Docked Pirate Galleon to the game

    • Fixed scale of Black Wings wearable

    • Fixed scale of Barrel decoration

    • Novia Overworld: Replaced temporary collision with permanent version for mountain north of South Varisalla Foothills, mountains between Vertas Pass and Superstition Canyon, and river south of Vertas Pass.

    • Pickpocket cooldown now decreases with skill level.

    • Round Wide Brimmed Hat is now correctly named "Brown Plague Doctor Hat"

    • Adjusted window materials so they are back to being more transparent (hopefully)

    • Attempted fix on 2-story Obsidian Rowhouse crashing into neighboring rowhouses.

    • New user registration is now direct, and doesn't require getting credentials from email

    • Added pre-built lighting to Shogun Homes.

    • Fixes for Forced Conversation mode getting players stuck in bad state.

    • Shock Monkeys can now be looted if they die with stealth active

    • Icons for the new valentine's day gift boxes are now correct

    • Chained Obsidian Shard can now be placed on floors (inside and on top of buildings)

    • The two Gallows decorations can now be used in Player Owned Towns

    • Yew , Kiln: lowered terrain a bit under Groceries Merchants to prevent their heads from sticking through the stall roofs

    • Xenos: Various framerate and visual fixes

      • Fixed stuck locations

      • Removed half of all grass in all areas

      • Added butterfly VFX

      • Restored correct materials to 3 greco roman statues

      • LODs for greco-roman statuary

      • Fixed statue LOD popping in xenos

    [ 2017-01-27 23:33:50 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Patch Notes: January 26, 2017

    Release 38
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 38! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 38 are available here.

    January 26, 2017

    Build Number 543, 5:00 PM

    Fixes:


    • Xenos: Fixed various issues around Xenos including:

      • Brought bedroll back down to earth.

      • Fixed some breakable vases that were not reachable

      • Fixed a tent that players were getting stuck in

      • Added/improved signage for shops along perimeter of central stage/plaza, including some tooltip customization; also added a few weapon racks outside combat shop.

      • Added a few additional discoveries to scene.

      • Terrain edge and seam paint pass



    • Novia Overworld:

      • Updated travel speed for roads near (-423.9, 13.6, -62.2) and (-420.3, 12.9, -68.4).

      • Added box collider around the Tower of the Shuttered Eye so players cannot wiggle up the side of it.

      • Raised the sailing boats by a small amount to help avoid ocean water splashing through the hull.

      • Fixed a typo in the spelling of "Port Graff" in its Discovery location.

      • Restored access to the South Varisalla Foothills



    • Blood Bay:

      • Lava polish

      • Fixed collision that was too big on the trees in the swamps

      • Adjusted locations of enemy spawners and player spawn-in targets to reduce chances of players being attacked while spawning into the scene.

      • Adjusted LOD distances for some of the taller buildings in the town

      • Fixed missing effect icons found in Blood Bay (Fire Damage and Confusion Field)

      • Added missing flora

      • Fixed stuck spots

      • Added a Stealth Field



    • Fixed LODs on Cinereous Stone 2 tier fountain

    • Adjusted exterior of 2-story Obsidian Rowhouse to prevent crashing with neighboring rowhouses.

    • Fixed issue where player corpses would stand back up after dying while under the Knock Down effect

    • Obsidian Crown merchants no longer discuss potions.

    • Added 2017 Valentine's Gift Boxes and 2017 Valentine's Card to the game

    • Fixed distances on avatar sitting animations so they sit correctly in chairs.

    • Added some additional logging

    • Updated in game events and known issues books to be R38

    • Updated some materials on the Pirate Galleon and made various other fixes

    • No longer can you rudely do business with bankers, merchants and trainers while clapping coconuts in their face. The reign of coconut terror is OVER.

    • Soltown: Blacksmith now properly exits conversation when off duty

    • Fixed issue where baby clockwork dragons were flapping their wings too fast when landing and taking off

    • Modified cull distance on Oracle Confirmatory eyes so they don't disappear before the building does

    • Fixed issue where melee combat attacks would disrupt mouse movement controls

    • Regeneration potions will now last a full 10 minutes.

    • Fixed bugs with craftable Shogun 1 Room Bungalow

    • Updated male and female walk cycles including walk backwards. Also added new encumbered animation.

    • Fixed Masterwork bug that prevented an item from being Masterworked more than 3 times

    • Tower of the Shuttered Eye: Adjusted Awareness and Help radii for all basic enemies and now they won't dogpile on players going up the stairs.

    • Fixed bodices not removing underwear

    • Naryad Moors: All garlic resource nodes are once again correct size and not overly large.

    • Fixed various issues with the Shogun Lighthouse Village Home

    • Added recipes for the Perennial Coast Farmer and Peasant Outfits

    • Fixed Equipment not receiving durability bonus displayed and expected

    • Set Masterwork Grandmaster Durability item bonus to be static (30 bonus durability) versus variable

    • Fixed LOD issues on craftable fountain

    • Fixed incorrect durability on Shogun Armor helm

    • Ardoris: Re-positioned barrels at this location and swapped one out for indestructible version. Loc: (-274.7, 84.9, -99.4)

    • Website: New landing page and new background

    • Fixed issue where arrows were firing half a foot away from the left shoulder instead of from the bow

    • Ardoris: Fixed broken ladders in guard towers. Fixed missing collision on walls of bridges leading into the city

    • Vertas Pass: All cotton resource nodes are now scaled to proper proprotions.

    • Dreadlocks hairstyle should now properly display hair color (not so dull)

    • South Celestial Wetlands and North Celestial Wetlands: Spiked-skull markers are once again present at each exit archway.

    • Fixed broken Aerie Merchants

    • Fixed issue where Grandmaster Buffs remain applied to party members even when GM logs out

    • Harvest: The Housing Deeds Merchant at (130.8, 38.1, 162.0) no longer wanders.

    • Fizzle bonuses were being applied inconsistently for staves/wands vs open hand due to an order of operations issue in the math.  The math has now been corrected and they should now be consistent but the result is players will likely see a change a change in total fizzle chance. Since we had to change the math for fizzle we also fixed a few lingering issues. 2 handed weapons were only counting as one for fizzle chances. They will now count as 2 full hands. The empty hand bonus was reduced to 10% (from 15%) per hand. Wands are still 15% bonus in either hand and staves are 30% fizzle bonus. The result is players who were wielding 2 handed weapons will see about 10-20% increase in fizzle chance for spells depending on the school.

    • Fixed issue in Soltown Catacombs where enemies could be Gusted through walls.

    • Superstition Canyon: The tree at (299.8, 56.6, 230.9) is now sitting properly at ground level. Elementals near (225.5, 51.9, 316.6) are no longer spawning within the rocks.

    • Nightshade Pass: Cleaned up shrubs in area and fixed ladder at Loc: (-19.5, 64.3, 215.9). Removed problematic fishing hotspot at (35.7, 19.3, 16.0).

    • Changed the name of the Poi Dog Statues to Foo dogs

    • Fixed various issues with the Shogun City Keep

    • Fixed bug where the Ghost corpse was not visible when killed and could be seen upright and alive when rezoning.

    • Fixed stuck spot in Vauban Pass )

    • West Perennial Trail: Grounded floating letter at this location. Loc: (-74.9, 33.5, -44.2)

    • Made a few skinning tweaks to Clockwork Dragon.

    • Fixed issue with decorations not being able to be placed in various locations of the 2-story Obsidian Rowhouse

    • Fixed problems with baby clockwork dragons VFX not showing up correctly

    • Fixed an issue where players would spawn into certain maps floating in the air

    • Adjusted pet collider sizes to improve pathing so hopefully they will get stuck less

    • Adjusted colliders on various wall decos to enable more consistent displaying of tooltips.

    • Adjusted collision on 3-story bamboo cluster deco.

    • Resolute Sewers: Turned off treasure chest functionality on several crates to allow access to resource nodes within.

    • Savrenoc Stronghold: Moved nodes to better locations. Loc: (-235.7, 35.8, -184.4)

    • Fixed empty merchant in Ferigs battle camp

    • Improved perimeter details in Forest 01 POT Templates

    • Fixed practice dummy LODs

    • Shogun Crown Merchant Updates: Blue Tile Roof row homes replaced with the new Shogun Row Homes, Two new Foo Dog Statues added, Existing Foo Dog statue lowered in price (10), Added Potted Bamboo 3-Pack, Added Ornate Shogun Room Dividers

    • POT Aelasar's Forest: Upgraded to Village.

    • Fixed issue where swimming with the Firedancer outfit would make the avatar appear naked

    • Fixed various bugs with Shogun Rowhouses.

    • Earthquake now has visible VFX again

    • Fixed Ardoris Priestess robes and headpiece icons

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Playing the phonograph now properly fades down scene music

    • Fixed Bone Armor icons

    • Kingsport: There were actually 3 NPCs using the same path, the third being a non-lamp-lighting guard. Split the path into 3 separate segments and assigned each NPC their own. Also added lamplighter schedule to guard, because why not?

    • North Ravenswood: Moved skeleton near (-160.7, 27.6, -139.8)  away from the nearby tree to help keep him from spawning within the tree.

    • Fixed bug where Rend (Blades) created two DoT stacks on a single hit.

    • Changed Pirate Galleon crown price (350->300)

    • Fixed location of multi-selection item count when selecting items

    • Blood River: Edvard's "unlock" keyword hint made more obvious.

    • Solania: Mark the craft supplier properly ends conversation when player says goodbye.

    • Redmill no longer has two town criers, but instead has a town crier which no longer acts as a banker and a separate banker similar to other player run towns.

    • Fixed short and long skirted bodices not removing underwear

    • Fixed issues with the ornate wooden street lantern.

    • Elementals will now also do some amount of hand to hand damage along with their elemental damage. This should fix exploitable issues with using Elemental pets to distract wild Elementals.

    • Fixed issue where players already sitting/dancing in a scene when you join will appear to only be standing idle instead

    • Added more magical artifacts! Go find them!

    • Fixed issue with ranged auto-attack projectile being very, very slow

    • Fixed bankers not opening the bank

    • Added a few quacks on Duck anim tracks.

    • Zombie Raven Sound Added

    • Wisp Sounds and Catapult sounds sfx

    • Remote bank access device display name updated (from "Bank Access Device" to "Remote Bank Access Device")

    • Added Dye Remover to Obsidian Potion Crown Merchant: 12 pack for 8 gold cotos

    • Fixed missing textures and scale issues on copper baby clockwork dragon

    • Jabbering Bertha's name appears correctly when heckling.

    • Fixed Clockwork Dragon disappearing on death

    • POT Templates: Grasslands 01, 01a,  Forest 02: Increased flat areas in several locations for more easily placed castle lots. I left a subtle little patch of dirt on both ends of each intended lot space to help guide in placement.

    • Fixed male Firedancer outfit not removing underwear, woohoo

    • North Midmaer Way, North Hulenholt, South Naryad Pinelands, Solace Forest, Ulfheim: For Ulfheim and all related clones, fixed issue where Bear Patriarch was spawning inside rocks.

    • Fixed a typo in the description of the potion of might

    • Improved Earthquake VFX

    • Crag Foothills: Moved stag spawners to prevent the stags getting stuck in rocks

    • Fixed various issues with moving platforms related to not seeing other players properly

    • Fixed damage calculation on tooltips.

    • Fixed issue where Ground Pound range increased with skill level, but not reflected in range of targets hit


    Known Issues:

    • Facial Hair transparency is showing big opaque squares ironically

    • Some Add On Store items listed in the Release Instructions post are not yet available (Dry Docked Pirate Galleon, Squirrel Pets, Baby Clockwork Dragon Pets, Ornate Circlet, etc.)

    • Some of the new potion recipes are not working correctly

    • Some NPCs are not holding items correctly (mugs, brooms, etc.)

    • When you watch another avatar swim the animations look broken.

    • Cloaks will often sort through the avatar's body

    • Some scene instances may be bugged in which it is easy for players to fall through the ground. An existing workaround is to reload the scene.

    • A new Conversation interface has been introduced and may introduce various issues with resolving quests and talking to NPCs.

    • Players may be unable to interact with objects via double-click if their framerate is poor. A workaround is to use the “E” interaction key.

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2017-01-27 01:00:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    Avatars,

    Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

    Release 38 is one of our larger releases because some of the work was started before the holiday break and some of the content has been worked on for several releases (Xenos, Blood Bay, Scaled Crafting).

    Perennial Coast Improvements (Architecture/Flora): In Release 38, we are moving through all the scenes along the Perennial Coast and updating the flora and architecture to match the new Asian influence we first showed in Ardoris during Release 37. This includes replacing all the exit arches, adding in more bamboo (along with other flora), adding or swapping out Asian architectural elements, along with other details. The only scene we are not touching in R38 is Celestis, which is getting its own specific un-cloning task in a future release.



    Perennial Coast Improvements (Character): All NPCs along the Perennial Coast are now using custom regional Asian influenced outfits including the Guards, Citizens, Farmers, Merchants, and Nobility. Additionally all Guards along the Perennial Coast are now equipped with Katanas. This, of course, includes Ardoris itself.

    Solania: The small town of Solania is located in the Perennial Coast region in the southeast of Novia. Solania is located on a high point in the Celestial Swamp that lines the southern shore of Celestial Lake, so getting there can be quite dangerous. Like the other Perennial Coast scenes, Solania got a polish pass to incorporate the Asian influence. This included updating all of the NPC buildings with new rooflines (blue tiles) and wall textures, putting in a new perimeter Shogun style wall, updating the foliage, and adding in various other details. As with all polish and un-clone passes we make on maps we do NOT change lot placements. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.



    Brookside: Brookside is located in the Drachvald region in the northeast of Novia directly south of Spite. It is the hometown of Samael and was overrun by the Undead armies of Anapa not long ago. Starting with Release 38, players will encounter this town when following their quests along the Path of Love. Brookside started as a cloned scene using one of our PRT/POT templates based off of the Forest 02 POT template (a forested variation of the Grasslands POT template). In Release 38, it is was rebuilt with new flora, new atmospheric settings like permanent fog, a graveyard, and other unique features for the plot including Samael’s farm. Note that when we un-clone these scenes, we do NOT change lot placements. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.



    Highvale Polish: Various changes were made to this starting scene on the Path of Courage. The scene in general has been given a level of polish with the addition of many more difficulty-appropriate monsters in previously unused areas, fixing of outstanding bugs, fixing pathing errors, etc., so that it is comparable to the other two tutorial areas. A new optional quest has been added to the tutorial as well—visit the central keep to begin.

    Courage Path Polish: Various changes were made to the Path of Courage. In addition to other bugs addressed with quests in Resolute and post-tutorial Highvale, players who were unable to progress the Path of Courage due to a certain uncommunicative NPC within Valhold Keep will find the path open to them now.

    Vauban Pass: Vauban Pass is one of the numerous Control Points that limits travel between regions in Novia. It is located between the Grunvald and Drachvald regions and is controlled by the Undead armies of Anapa. Vauban Pass started as a clone of Sanctus Spine but now has been completely rebuilt for Release 38; making all the Control Points unique scenes.



    Xenos: Right before we went persistent, we uncloned Xenos and made some modifications to it for specific plot points. However, we were not satisfied with the level of polish, so we chose to do a major rebuild of this scene to bring it up to the quality it needed to be at. Xenos is on the island of Elysium, southwest of Novia, and is a critical juncture on the Path of Truth. The modifications focused on bringing out the Greco-Roman character of the region as well as highlighting the various aspects of the Lottery of Artifice—including pilgrim encampments, an ancient caravanserai, and the temple of Boreas. We also greatly expanded the aqueduct system, rebuilt the dock area, and added a Lagoon of Pleasures.



    Blood Bay: Blood Bay is a tropical island that was smashed by shards of the moons during the Cataclysm. These shards triggered a massive volcanic event that is still happening today. Toxic minerals in the lava have stained the water red, giving the island its distinctive name. Obsidian Shards in the area make the Protection of the Oracle impossible, making the entire island an Open PvP zone where Outlanders slaughter each other at will. Due to the incredibly unstable nature of the island, only the most desperate and dangerous individuals dare live there: Pirates, Brigands, Thieves, etc. In response, some others who follow a more virtuous path have taken it upon themselves also reside here to keep a watchful eye on the miscreants of the island. Both groups have formed their own settlements on the highest cliffs opposite the volcano above the bay. These two settlements represent opposite ends of the spectrum of virtue and are known as Scoundrel’s Hold and Judge’s Watch, respectively. In future releases if your virtue is high, the townspeople of Judge’s Watch will interact with you, but if your virtue is low, they will refuse to have any business with you. The opposite will be true for Scoundrel’s Hold, where they will only interact with you if your virtue is low. For R38, the NPCs work just like other towns and the virtue mechanic does not yet factor in. Outside the towns, the island is filled with dangerous beasts and a landscape just as dangerous, filled with quicksand (slows you down), fields of poison gas, magic-boosting shards, magic nullifying shards, fields of confusion, and other hazards. This map is a testing ground for many of these new systems, features and ideas that we will then propagate out to other maps over the next several releases. Player housing is not yet available in Blood Bay but should be available in the next few releases.



    Canyon Siege: We created another scene for use in the Town Sieges. This scene is a bridge across a canyon for use in towns near mountainous areas.



    Control Points: Mages in control points now have spells that manipulate player position (much like the Daemon). Additionally, during the final wave there is a small chance a boss-level NPC will show up, of a type appropriate for the NPCs of that control point.

    Non-Hostile Overworld Encounters: Roving Encounters on the Overworld now have the ability to be flagged as Non-Hostile. We can use this flag for prey animals like Deer or domestic animals like Sheep as well as wandering merchants (when we add that encounter). This means that these particular encounters will no longer attack you on sight (we are very sorry if you enjoyed being chased by aggressive deer).

    Traps and Puzzles: We have implemented a set of new traps and puzzles for the game. Release 38 will include Pressure Plates (these can open doors as well as trigger traps), Flame Jets, Arrow Shooters, and updated versions of the old Spike Traps. We will begin propagating these throughout the game over the next several releases. In R38, you can find Arrow Shooters and Flame Jets in the Brittany Sewers.

    Keys & Locks: As you adventure throughout Novia and the Hidden Vale, you'll find that many keys now have a chance to break on each use. Keys may have a good chance to break (such as the keys for the locked passages that interconnect underground scenes and the cages found in wilderness scenes throughout Novia), while others break about half the time (such as the key for the Kiln Cistern Alchemist's Workshop), and some will never break (such as special keys required for quests).

    Moving Platforms: We now have the ability to move players on platforms for things like elevators, mine carts, etc. Our first example is an airship patrol of Blood Bay. We will be adding many more examples in upcoming releases.



    New NPC Conversation Interface: We have updated the conversation window used for interacting with NPCs to make it both more immersive and easier to use. For immersion, we are hiding almost all of the other interface elements, including all other chat and the hotbar. We are also placing the chat in the very middle of the screen where you are looking at the NPC in order to keep you focused on the interaction. We have also tried to keep the interface itself as minimal as possible, with very few borders and as much transparency in the elements as we can. For ease of use, we are placing all the keywords in a toolbar at the bottom of the window. This toolbar will include every keyword you have uncovered with the NPC, including keywords relating to quests you are currently on and keywords learned from past conversations with that NPC. This saves you from having to scroll back to find keywords you might not remember. Players who preferred the older text-based conversation interface will find that still works as well, and in some cases will discover hidden secrets.



    Scaling Masterworking and Enchanting: The higher your skill level in Masterworking and Enchanting the higher the power of the effect you add.

    Proportional Masterworking and Enchanting: The power of the effect added is now directly proportional to how many levels of masterworking/enchanting have been applied to better balance risk versus reward. So the power of the first effect added is much weaker than the sixth effect added.

    Weapons and Armor Enchanting Skills: There are now two specialization skills in Enchanting: Weapons and Armor. You will need to level these up in order to gain access to higher level enchantments (aka Major Enchants). The addition of these is to further our efforts to rewards specialization in crafting.

    Grandmaster Masterworking Maximum Durability: If you are a Grandmaster at Masterworking, you have a chance to add Maximum Durability back to the item you are working on instead of adding an effect.

    Grandmaster Enchanting Durability Hardening: Grandmaster Enchanters now have the ability to add an enchantment that hardens weapons and armor against durability reduction.

    Attunement and Resistance Enchantments: There are now attunement (weapons) and resistance (chest armor) available to enchanters where the effects are tied to the gem used.

    Food Buffs in Combat: Buffs and bonuses from food now work during combat as well as out of combat.

    Bone Armor: Bone Armor has been greatly increased in power. As a reminder, Bone Armor is classified as Light Armor but offers a level of protection similar to Plate while still being very light in weight and low in Fizzle. For R38, we increased the Damage Avoidance, increased Durability, and added some Damage Resistance.

    Obsidian Armor and Weapons: Obsidian Armor and Weapons have been greatly increased in power as well. Both weapons and armor have had their maximum durability raised to match other gear and had their weight reduced. Armor also had its Fizzle chance reduced greatly and Damage Resistance was increased. As a reminder, Obsidian Armor comes with a damage reflection bonus and Obsidian weapons have a high critical damage chance.

    Over 20 New Crafting Recipes: Including torches, Perennial Coast Outfits, Circlets, and new combat potions.



    Clockwork Dragon: Kobold scientists at the K’rul (Kobold Research Underground Lab) unleashed these gigantic mechanical terrors on Novia to invoke panic among humans. Their program appears to be succeeding… You can find one in Blood Bay, if you dare.



    Shock Monkey: Shock Monkeys are another mechanical nightmare from K’rul, developed for covert missions. These mechanical monkeys are a terrible version of their cute organ grinder cousins, with sharp claws and teeth plus a shocking electrical attack. They also have stealth abilities that allow them to completely disappear from view. They are rumored to have been found in Skrekk, Blood Bay, Sanctus Spine, and a few other location in Novia.

    NPC Preferential Targeting: We now have the ability to set preferences on creatures for which kinds of targets they prefer. Starting with Slimes who prefer metallic targets (players wearing metal armor) and Flesh Flayers who prefer fleshier targets (players wearing cloth and leather).

    NPC Stealth: Creatures now have the ability to go into stealth mode like players. The first creature to take advantage of this ability is the Shock Monkey (see above).

    NPCs Attack While Rooted: NPCs will now continue to attack while rooted (just like players).

    New Potions: Including Healing and Focus Potions of various strengths, stat boosts, regeneration boosts, and resistance boosts.

    Rare Loot: Players can now find rare Artifacts (non-craftable magical items) as loot on high level creatures they fight. They can also find recipes starting with the new potions we created this release (more recipes will follow). Here's a brief list of some of these artifacts:


    • Ring of Brittle Brawn: Reduces hit points by 40% but adds significant (20-50) strength.
    • Ring of the Frogkin: When worn you are able to jump slightly higher. However your skin turns green.
    • Torch of Jerik: This large iron basket torch can be wielded as a mace.
    • Belt of the Ox: Cuts your move speed in half but quadruples carrying capacity.
    • Ring of Luck: Gives a small wishing well bonus.
    • Slipshod Shooter's Sash: This belt gives a bonus to your Rapidfire skill, gives a small bonus to Rapidfire power, but decreases your Ammo Scavenger. So you can shoot more arrows but you lose more arrows…
    • Lavalliere of the Lagomorph: This necklace of the rabbit greatly decreases your strength but increases your movement and attack speed.


    And much more including more player outfits, tons of bug fixes, new pets, inventory and UI polish, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R38 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2017-01-25 23:51:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #211 – 2017.01.20: R38 Character Work, North Drachvald Spur, Xenos Polish, K’rul, Offline Character Preservation, LB’s Game Critic Legend Award, and More!



    This week's Update of the Avatar #211 reveals exciting upcoming R38 character work, multiple scene polish and new scene reveals, an important update about offline characters, and sneak peek videos to go along with these updates!

    Here is a complete list of what's inside...

    • Release 38 Character Work
    • The Making of North Drachvald Spur
    • Xenos Polish
    • The Making of K’rul
    • Moving Platforms – Blood Bay Air Patrol
    • Richard Garriot Receives NY Game Critics Legend Award
    • R38 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice
    • Doug’s (IronMaiden) Chemo Relief Fund
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Spotlight: Fallin’ Green
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2017-01-21 01:25:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 38 Offline Data Format Change – Character Preservation Notice

    Greetings Avatars,

    For Release 38, the Offline Mode save game format is changing to support new and upcoming gameplay features.

    Hereâ


    [ 2017-01-19 00:11:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #210 – 2017.01.13: IronMaiden’s Chemo Relief Fund, New NPC Conversation Mode, Keys Locks Update, Spring Telethon, Origin PC Steam Promo, and More!



    This week's Update of the Avatar #210 announces a new NPC conversation mode! Bard and Darkstarria have a chat to show off how the mode works.

    Also included in the update are changes to Keys & Locks, attend Richard Garriott's book signing event, register for Origin PC's game key giveaway, and check out the new Shogun bundles!

    Here is a complete list of what's inside...

    • New NPC Conversation Window
    • The Making of Brookside
    • Important Update to Keys and Locks in Release 38
    • Richard Garriott Explore Create book signing at Austin Book People
    • Spring Telethon of the Avatar 2017 (and Expirations)
    • Origin PC Steam Key Promotion
    • New Shogun Bundles and Expiring Item Sales
    • Doug’s (IronMaiden) Chemo Relief Fund
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Spotlight: Chateau du Lys
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2017-01-14 03:27:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Announcing the Spring Telethon of the Avatar 2017!

    [/img]

    Avatars! Join us on Twitch and get ready to shrug off the winter blues and welcome back fun in the sun. Today, we’re announcing the Spring Telethon of the Avatar 2017!

    At Midnight CST, March 9, 2017 (6:00 UTC, March 10, 2017), we are EXPIRING the following content:

    • Viking Village Home
    • Wizard Tower Village Home
    • Tower Village Home
    • Windmill Village Home
    • Druid Town Home
    • Tower Town Home
    • Brown Nomad Hat
    • Red Fez Hat
    • Brown Chaperon Hat
    • Brown Pilgrim Hat
    • Brown Pilgrim Bonnet
    • Sigil Cloaks 3 Pack
    • Lord British Cloak

    During the telethon, get a chance to win the above expiring content and other great prizes! Visit the official website for more information about the telethon. See you on Twitch on March 9th, Avatars!


    [ 2017-01-13 01:35:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: January 11, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    January 11, 2017

    Build Number 538, 2:00 PM


    • Fixed issues with character positions getting out of synch


    Known Issues

    • Ornate Katana is missing its ornate hilt

    • Ornate Katana is titled simply "Katana"

    • Shogun houses have swinging doors but should have sliding doors

    • Ranged (Bow) players experiencing combat desyncs. Attacks not being registered the longer they play with others. This will happen if the player who is Master is having connection issues or is on a low end machine.

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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




    [ 2017-01-11 20:55:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #209 – 2016.01.06: SotA Voted #1 Crowdfunded Game 2016, Canyon Siege, Brookside, Perennial Coast, Blood Bay, and More!



    Get a peek at the amazing work our world builders have been doing on a bunch of scenes this week, vote for Shroud at MMORPG, and be sure to attend the holiday party next week!

    Here is a complete list of what's inside...

    • The Making of the Canyon Siege Encounter
    • The Making of Brookside
    • Perennial Coast Improvements (cont)
    • Xenos Polish
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • Pre-order Richard Garriott’s memoir Explore/Create to receive $20 off Shroud of the Avatar
    • MMOGames: Shroud Wins Best Crowdfunded Online Game of 2016
    • MMORPG: Shroud nominated for The Most Wanted MMO of 2017
    • New Shogun Bundles
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Spotlight: Styx – Player Owned Town
    • Community Holiday Party at Portalarium!

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2017-01-07 05:47:51 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: January 6, 2017

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    January 6, 2017

    Build Number 536, 3:30 PM


    • Matched speed of waves respawning in Control Points to the speed that NPCs respawn in other scenes

    • Added some Shogun Bundle Items (Ornate Katana, Tansu Chest, Shogun Wall Lamps)

    • Fixed issue with some Skills/Spells not always firing successfully (Rapid Fire being the most obvious example)


    Known Issues

    • Ornate Katana is missing its ornate hilt

    • Ornate Katana is titled simply "Katana"

    • Shogun houses have swinging doors but should have sliding doors

    • Ranged (Bow) players experiencing combat desyncs. Attacks not being registered the longer they play with others. This will happen if the player who is Master is having connection issues or is on a low end machine.

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2017-01-06 22:33:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Get $20 off Shroud of the Avatar by Pre-ordering EXPLORE/CREATE

    [/img]

    Don't have Shroud of the Avatar yet? When you pre-order Richard Garriott's memoir, Explore/Create, you’ll receive $20.00 off the game!

    Submit your proof of purchase before Explore/Create goes on sale January 10th, to be eligible to receive a $20 coupon off your purchase of the game.


    [ 2017-01-03 22:33:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 23, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    December 23, 2016

    Build Number 534, 2:45 PM


    • Added mantle for placing decos to fireplace in Shingle roof 4-story rowhouse.

    • Lowered volume of Blood River Massacre water sound yet again (really, seriously, we did it this time)

    • Fixed weapons being visible when dead

    • Fixed female shogun wearable clipping

    • Fixed issue where teleport window would appear underneath other windows

    • Fixed broken collision in Oracle Confirmatory POT building

    • Fixed stuck spot in Solace Bridge

    • Fixed Merchant Shirt and Skirt defaulting to green and purple

    • Fix arrow trails not appearing after a while

    • Fixed some sorting issues with Shogun and Priestess outfits

    • Fixed issues with enchanting Wizard's Hat

    • Removed symbol from Empress headpiece

    • Fixed gap between door and door frame on the Rustic Three Story Water House

    • Fixed extreme contrast issues in dungeons and basements

    • Fixed receiving the wrong painting when purchasing the Curmudgeon painting in the Ardoris Art shop

    • Fix for Anti Aliasing not working in some scenes

    • Fixed Siranto sigil still showing a bit on banners of the Shogun player wearable


    Known Issues

    • Ranged (Bow) players experiencing combat desyncs. Attacks not being registered the longer they play with others. This will happen if the player who is Master is having connection issues or is on a low end machine.

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-12-23 21:29:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 22, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    December 22, 2016

    Build Number 529, 11:45 AM


    • Fixed some incorrect information on Loading screen tips

    • Aerie: Music added to the scene

    • Main Menu: Music changed to Stereo. Was playing through left speaker only

    • Raised Overall Mixer Volume by +5db

    • Fixed z-fighting on 2-story Obsidian Rowhouse

    • Fixed antennae wearable appearing white

    • New Butterfly / Dragonfly sounds hooked up

    • New wolf footsteps

    • New Crocodile SFX

    • Fixed bad stretching at brisket of reindeer pets

    • Fixed dye bug that caused colors to erroneously change on certain areas of various pieces of equipment

    • Fixed stuck spot in Solace Bridge

    • Fixed female eyebrow textures

    • Added Elven 2-Story Globe Home to Elven Crown Merchant

    • Obsidian Merchant: Fixed issue with Juniper Topiary Tree 6-Pack delivering incorrect trees

    • Wisps no longer bleed

    • Novia Overworld: Fixed issue where players leaving Ardoris would spawn high up in the air

    • Fixed various exceptions and errors

    • Fixed bug where copying books displayed incorrect number of actual copies made in chat window message

    • Raffle tickets for R35 and R36 can now be placed as decorations

    • Changed some spell effects to "lasting" effects in order to make them go away when canceled (Sheild of Ice, Spellbinder Stance, Shield of Air, etc.)

    • Books: Various books had incorrect titles. These have now been fixed.

      • A copy of Cave Fables 3 that was mislabeled as Cave Fables 4 has been corrected

      • The Shepherd and the Sea series of two books was pointing to Weasel in the Granary stories, that has been corrected.

      • A book titled "Midras" that should be titled "The Destiny Pool" has been corrected




    Known Issues

    • Multiple spells (Distract, Blink, Corpse Explosion etc.) have broken ground target validation. Cannot be cast.

    • Taming creatures fails 100% for remote clients. Only works while as master.

    • Ranged (Bow) players experiencing combat desyncs. Attacks not being registered the longer they play with others.

    • Bloom slightly too intense.

    • Brightness slider not working

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-12-22 18:56:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 21, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    December 21, 2016

    Build Number 528, 5:00 PM


    • Major update to game camera and overall lighting:

      • Fixes antialiasing

      • Increased contrast and saturation

      • Improved light and shadow quality



    • Fixed barrel LOD popping in tower of the shuttered eye interior scene.

    • Valhold: Fixed collision issues with castle wall crenelations that would cause players to float in the air when jumping on them

    • Adjusted collision on red and silver rectangle rug to fix some decoration issues

    • Added collision to curly extensions on the roof of Blue Tile Roof Rowhouses

    • Ardoris: Chantik, Damai and Pintar have more to say on their views of love.

    • Etceter: Ezb Krohon is no longer utterly fascinated with the door to his shop.

    • Forest Siege: Scout correctly closes conversation on farewell.

    • Necropolis: fixes to Samael's conversation

    • Epic Cloth Armor: color adjustments to match hood

    • Spite: Multiple fixes associated with the plot links between Spite and Malice

      • Path from Spite to Malice made much clearer

      • Agathon and Thetis will no longer try to sell adventurers ways into Malice that don't actually help.

      • Charon will only give passage to Malice if adventurers have made arrangements.

      • Malice cannot be entered unless the Path of Love has been completed to that point.

      • Many other minor changes and clarifications to associated dialogs.



    • Music: Added and replaced Music in a bunch of scenes. This should fix the issue with login music continuing into any scene without ambient music, since they should all have music now. Affect following scenes: Spectral Foothills, Crag Foothills, Graff Gem Mines Entrance, Southern Grunvald Barrens, Wyrmsands, Eastreach Gap, Grunvald Shardfall, Verdantis Shardfall, The Clink, Plains of Righ Inis, Northmarsh, Southmarsh, Mysterious Swamp.

    • Fixed icons in Bag Mode being blacked out (for real this time we swear!)

    • Fixed bad LODs that affected many player houses

    • The PVP confirmation now shows up properly when using a teleport scroll

    • Polished textures on Epic Cloth Armor

    • Fixed obsidian cloak floating too high over shoulder of male fortified leather armor

    • Fixed various exceptions and errors

    • Fixed issue with Coconut Mounts where mount speed persists despite unequip until avatar stops completely

    • Deleted unused plot fences, team pvp portal, and empty triggers from Soltown

    • AOE targeted spells are now treated like Blink.  If you can't walk to the spot, you can't cast there. This is to close some loopholes and exploits associated with AOE spells

    • Deleted unusued, disabled objects from Braemar scene (plot fences, teleporters, triggers)

    • Novia Overworld: Moved the houses and lamppost in the center of Ardoris away from the center to help ensure players spawning in from an Ardoris siege encounter will spawn on the ground and not in the air.

    • Switched the opening song to load into memory so it doesn't pause and stutter.

    • Fixed bad ladder in Obsidian City Keep

    • Added decoable mantle to Shingle Roof 4-story Rowhouse

    • Added trim to goal section of the Ornate Gustball Field.

    • Fixed Printing Press Bug where copied books would have "Blank Book" as Title

    • Moved Elven 2-story Globe home door to the front of the entry way.

    • Adjusted the deco wall surfaces in the 4-story greenhouse to sit directly on the walls to fix some issues with deco placement

    • Adjusted LOD ranges for trees on top of elven village hill playerhouse.

    • Fixed z-fighting on Obsidian 2-story Rowhouse.

    • Increased the distance we clear grass around plots (trees not affected) to fix issue where sometimes grass would sometimes still show inside houses

    • Made adjustments to collision of rock formation in Vauban pass

    • Fixed bug where Fire Elemental and Phoenix overhead glyphs persisted after summoning completed

    • Fixed issue where items could be stacked beyond 5 item stacking limit

    • Fixed issue where sometimes moving a container between inventory and lot could cause errors

    • Fixed issue that was blocking Offline delivery of recipes and titles

    • Turned down volume of water in Blood River Massacre (for real this time)

    • Fixed Elven Armor and Long Bow not disappearing during stealth

    • Fixed NPC overhead chat text getting cut-off by in-game 3D objects

    • Children in various places will react appropriately to Oracle minions.

    • Allow uppercase letters to be used for chat slash commands like /l, /L, /g, /G, /p, /P, etc

    • Fixed linked equipment not switching properly when swapping decks

    • Fixed issue that was causing graphical glitches with window glass on various assets like the 4-story Greenhouse Rowhouse

    • Set craftable Merchant Outfit and Wizard Hat to be enchantable

    • Edited pop-up help regarding conversations and journals so they aren't as overwhelming.

    • Dynamic plots now clear trees/grass up to and including their plot marker, instead of just the offical plot space

    • A new NPC in Brightbone Pass will teach the /shiver and /warmhands emote.

    • Fixed pink floors on guard towers in Port Graff

    • Fixed bug that was blocking players from receiving the Heart of Sorrow and experience from Sequanna in Malice.

    • Fixed missing cloth physics on obsidian cloak

    • Fixed male avatar's mouth lips not closing

    • Fixed flat blue ardoris guard player wearable legs icon

    • Fixed various errors and exceptoins

    • Fixed stuck spot in Ulfheim

    • Fixed Auto-run persisting between scene loads

    • Greatly increased fishing catch rate - doubled chance contribution from fishing skill

    • Fixed plot container UI bug that allowed the player to attempt (and fail) to add to an existing stack in the container without permission to modify/remove items from the container

    • Fixed pet Black Stag

    • Brittany Sewers: Fixed an issue with the ladder in the puzzle room to keep players from getting stuck in the water. Rearranged barrels in the same room to keep players getting stuck betweem them.

    • Recipe for Twirling Baton

    • Merchant Robes: Fixed dyeable area (again!)

    • Epic Cloth: Polished textures

    • Fix negative scale box colliders on Tavern counter

    • Darcy of Paxlair in Ardoris teaches /batonthrow and /batontwirl if asked about being a troubador.

    • Turn off graphics jobs for OSX/Linux

    • Fixed Enchant recipe

    • Aaron Denbo in Etceter teaches the /golfclap emote when asked about Artifice.

    • Karl Rognoff in Braemar will teach /burp when asked about beer.

    • Fixed issue where altitude was not being factored into combat calculations which was causing AOE attacks to hit players regardless of elevation differences.

    • Resolute: Various fixes involving the Lord Marshal and seneschal conversations/quests.

    • Fixed female avatar mouth doesn't close completely

    • Ruined Keep: Fixed customized ladders throughout scene, such as at (256.8, 38.8, 293.2) and (250.2, 38.8, 276.5), to ensure their interactions work correctly and they send players to the correct target locations.


    Known Issues

    • Bloom slightly too intense.

    • Brightness slider not working

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2016-12-21 23:20:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 19, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 37! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 37 are available in the forums.

    December 19, 2016

    Build Number 523, 11:45 AM


    • Fixed bug that caused AOE skills to fail in certain situations

    • Fixed Autumn Fairy outfit's pinkness in the material (saturation/brightness/contrast set to high in the shader)

    • Taming xp awarded now awarded with failed attempts.

    • Fixed terrain tree problems in Far Hinterlands that was causing black squares (also effects all clones)

    • Level up sound and Radio Filter now tied to Volume control

    • Jaanaford: The bonfire in the center of town now does fire damage to anyone who stands within it.

    • Multiple Obsidian Wall Lights and Streetlights can now be stacked in inventory

    • Valhold: There is now a tier marker at both archway exits.

    • Novia Overworld: There is now a tier marker at the Valhold entrance.

    • Fixed various exceptions and errors

    • Ardoris: Adjusted Cherry Tree blocking Merchant Sign.


    Known Issues

    • Inventory icons in Bag Mode are blacked out

    • Linked equipment in decks is sometimes not showing up when switching decks

    • Various gear (Elven Armor, Long Bows, etc.) are visible when stealthed

    • Skills/Spells that change player position (Gust, Knockback, etc.) are not properly updating player position

    • Twin Foothills POT is inaccessible

    • Targeting: Beneficent spells hit un-selected pets, not the caster

    • Resurrection does not update player position correctly

    • If you are patching R37 for the first time you will be going from 0 > 522 due to overall size of R37. This is as designed.

    • Dig In Skill has no cooldown timer

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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





    [ 2016-12-19 18:16:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Apologies for our Mess. ETA on Patch 522: 10 PM CST

    We are so very sorry about the messiness of this release. The performance changes we made introduced a lot of unfortunate side effects that did not manifest themselves during internal testing that we are slowly working through.

    We had a build failure but we are back on track.

    This build has fixes for player position errors, stability problems, offline rewards and a host of other minor issues.

    Check out details on the

    [ 2016-12-17 02:59:01 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #207 – 2016.12.16: Play R37 Now!, Vauban Pass, LB on Exploding Dice, Raffle Winners, Numinous Gleann Spotlight, and More!



    In this latest Update of the Avatar #207, get a look at all the new content added in R37, see the beautiful polish work on several scenes, check if you won in the latest lot deed raffle, and watch a couple of developer videos!

    The complete list of what's inside...

    • Play Release 37 Now!
    • 17 Days Left for 10% Holiday Bonus!
    • Xenos Polish
    • The Making of Vauban Pass
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • Richard Garriott on Exploding Dice
    • R36 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
    • Community of the Avatar Livestream – Clockwork Monkeys Strike!
    • Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 37 Postmortem: Next Week
    • More Obsidian Bundles and Add-On Store Goodies!
    • Community Spotlight: Numinous Gleann – Player Owned Town
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Holiday Party at Portalarium!

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2016-12-17 01:41:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 16, 2016

    Release 37
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 36! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 36 are available in the forums.

    December 16, 2016

    Build Number 521, 11:30 AM


    • Fixed issue where weapons were being held incorrectly on male Ardoris guards

    • Added Novia Overworld art for Kas Ruins and Libris Ruins

    • Spite: Fixed oddly stretched bottles, and adjusted material on Flowers in Mortuarium  Vases.

    • Spooky Cat and Dog rewards in Obsidian Bundles are now being delivered correctly

    • Obsidian City Keep in Obsidian City Bundle is now being delivered correcly

    • The icon for the Frozen Fountain is now correct.

    • Fixed various exceptions and errors

    • Fix crafting tool durability bug that caused crafting to fail when the tool appeared to have 1 durability

    • Fixed missing material on insect leg table

    • "Ornate" has been removed from the name of the 2016 snowball box.

    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various areas on roads that were slow spots that visually should not have been

    • Adjusted Autumn Leaf Crown so it does not sort as much through hair

    • Ardoris: Added discoveries, adjusted or added ankhs, and positioned player spawn locations for east and west gates; also adjusted some spawners in the scene that were not ideally positioned. Boats to/from west docks were active, but expanded collider and interaction ranges; also added teleporters to boats to/from east docks.

    • The icon for the Insect Leg Table is now correct.

    • Frozen Fountain can now be used to harvest water

    • Fixed transparency issue with player avatar eyelashes that made them look solid black

    • Fixed "broken" text for equipped tool in crafting window

    • Fixed Jabbering Bertha hair (yellowed it up a bit as it's a decaying head)

    • Siege Encounter: The exit by the fallen log will send players to Novia. The exit at the archway will send players to the associated town.

    • Fixed issue where party nameplates were not showing up if they were not nearby

    • Fixed graphical errors on water in Far Hinterlands

    • Fix small text for "South Broken Road" on Novia

    • Removed Kobold Masks from Kobold Crown Shop

    • Ardoris: Fixed floating bamboo.

    • Samael will now follow the player through the Crypt of the Avatar (including helping them in the lower levels).

    • Highvale Village: Replaced the wooden stairs leading up to the Lunar Rift with stone versions that better allow NPCs to climb them.

    • Port Graff: Corrected the compass discovery label for the Town Crier.

    • Fixed Z-Fighting effect on tables and bookshelf in the Battle for Solace Bridge scene

    • Fixed low resolution on the Ardoris guard outfits

    • Fixed sticky stairs in Graff Gem Mines. Adjusted stairs and platforms for a smooth climb


    Known Issues

    • Some rewards are being delivered in Offline Mode but some are still missing including emotes, titles, bank slots, homes, and recipes.

    • Ardoris Guards are missing skin texture

    • All Ardoris Guards are using the same model, missing Siranto and Khasi guards

    • Player positions are not updating properly in some scenes causing odd results

    • Some spell VFX do not play properly

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-12-16 18:46:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Patch Notes: December 15, 2016

    Release 37
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 36! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 36 are available in the forums.

    December 15, 2016

    Build Number 520, 4:50 PM


    • Fixed water being too loud in Blood River Massacre

    • Fixed some issues with water gathering and sick animations

    • Fixed type in Player Instructions for Overworld Map

    • Fixed hand disappearing when Jabbering Bertha equipped

    • Fixed a few foods that could not be eaten

    • Alt+Click now self casts again

    • Fixed issue with Clockwork Monkey run cycle

    • Fixed front door position in Obsidian Tower village home

    • Fixed odd indentation on Pine trees (was visible in Elad's Lighthouse)

    • Fixed z fighting on Obsidian 2-story rowhouse

    • Fixed gap in between wall and back door frame of Obsidian City Keep.

    • Adjusted deco layers on built in fireplaces in player homes to fix various bugs with trying to place items on the mantels

    • Fixed missing collision on lower part of Knight's Lighthouse bridge.

    • Fixed door frame gap in Tailor Shop in Soltown.

    • Fixed non functional door on NPC Bank POT building.

    • Fixed barrel LOD popping in Tower of the Shuttered Eye

    • Fixed issue with Inn in Etceter that made players float in the air when nearby

    • Fixed missing roof collision the curly roof details on Blue Tile Roof Rowhouses

    • Adjusted the deco layers in Stone Basements to fix issue with stones showing through placed decorations

    • Fixed missing floor collision in Rustic Village buildings in Soltown

    • Fixed issue with Chaos Bolt damage type

    • Fixed the issue with the tooltip on the crafted Music sign showing Carpenter

    • Added recipe for Large Porcelain Vase

    • Fixed issue where catapult was not lootable and setup death visuals for catapult

    • Added hatch to the roof of the Obsidian Village home

    • Fixed issue preventing placement of pavers beneath the lip of the Viking (Village) home

    • Fixed torch being un-linked from volume controls

    • Fixed loading screen cutoff on wider than 16:9

    • Fixed Rewards filter in bank not displaying any items in certain conditions

    • Novia Overworld: Updated height of Sequanna Colossus to that it doesn't z-fight with the terrain (349.7, 15.6, 18.9).

    • Eastreach Gap: Corrected issue with Control Point door at (-132.5, 130.0, -123.0) not opening properly.

    • Valhold: The cabinet at (90.1, 76.0, -94.8) now has a proper loot package.

    • Fixed various Exceptions and Error reports

    • Blood River: Fixed issues where players would fall through the ground in certain areas

    • Soltown Catacombs: fixed box of torches

    • Fixed catapult to replace missing ammo cup and added ammo props nearby

    • Obsidian City Keep now being delivered in game

    • Fixed bug that caused the player to stop auto-running when moving from land to water or from water to land

    • Fixed missing control point flag in superstition Canyon

    • Fixed stuck spots in Nightshade Pass

    • Fixed resolution issue with Epic Cloth Armor

    • Brittany Central: Fixed various issues with LOD popping and Z-fighting

    • Fixed issue where Guards appeared to be holding invisible torches

    • Fixed issue where the Targeting Reticle had translucent geometric shapes on it (texture compression artifacts)

    • Ardoris: additional dialog for Damai in Khasi's castle

    • Ardoris: Reston the trainer now uses new Ardoris guard armor

    • Spite: minor conversation fixes

    • Clockwork Monkeys are now properly scaled

    • Performance Optimization

    • Fixed Ant and Ants Cloak blurry icons

    • Fixed broken shoulder pad on Elder Elven Archer Armor

    • Adjusted floor deco layer in Stone Basements to fix issues with placing rugs

    • Fixed female braids clipping with wearables shoulders during combat idle

    • Created new combined mesh for grate used in Superstition Canyon and replaced it in scene

    • Siege Encounters: Fixed an issue where players would exit the siege through the "town" exit but be sent to Novia, instead. Players should now be sent into the correct town when exiting through the town exit. However this introduced new issue where you cannot access the Novia Overworld.

    • Superstition Canyon: Removed teleporter NPC


    Known Issues

    • Spooky Cats and Dogs for Obsidian Town and City Bundles are not being delivered

    • When towns are under siege you cannot access the Novia overworld from the town nor the siege encounter scene

    • Some textures may look incorrect due to optimizations (white, black, pink, low resolution, pixelated, etc.)

    • Clockwork Monkey is scaled incorrectly (much too large)

    • Inventory icons on some of the new assets are incorrect or blurry

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-12-15 23:50:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 37 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    Avatars,

    Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

    Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 37 access for all Early Access backers begins this Thursday, December 15, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (15:30 UTC).

    Performance: It has been far too many releases since we focused on issues related to performance, so we made the hard decision to push out some work on features in order to focus most of our programming team on performance. We have made a wide swath of changes that have improved just about every aspect of performance, including install size, load times, frame rate, and stability. We still have much work to do, and large cities with lots of characters and decorations can still cause some machines to struggle.

    Another Short Release: Normally our release cycle lasts approximately four weeks, giving us 3 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before the release goes live on the last Thursday of the month. However, November and December each have holidays that require us to do our release earlier in those months. That only gives us 2 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before we release. Despite that brevity and our focus on performance, we still managed to deliver a lot of new content.

    Superstition Canyon (Unclone): South of Resolute is Superstition Canyon, a control point connecting South Paladis and Verdantis. A friendly faction of elves settled in this remote valley to escape the conflicts their human-hating brethren so crave and have since become caretakers of an ancient, abandoned fortress. Unfortunately, the violent Vertas Elves heard rumors that items of power were buried beneath the crumbling fortress. They slaughtered their peaceful cousins, started their own excavations beneath the ruins, and now dominate the canyon's control point. Meanwhile, anyone unlucky enough to journey between Verdantis and South Paladis must fight their way through. Superstition Canyon started as a clone of Brightbone Pass, but has been completely rebuilt for Release 37. It's difficulty has been slightly upgraded; most notably the first few waves of the control points should be harder than other control points.



    Ardoris Polish: We continued fixing bugs and polishing conversations, quests, and NPC behaviors around Ardoris. Additionally, we focused time on upgrading the visuals of the scene and the characters. We recently purchased an Asian-themed asset pack from the Unity Asset store and we used that to polish the visuals of Ardoris. We are also going to propagate those assets throughout the Perennial Coast region. We also polished Shogun Siranto’s outfit and added a headdress to Priestess Khasi’s robes. Additionally, we created new Asian-themed guard outfits for the Shogun’s guards, city guards, and the Priestess’s guards. Finally, we created new Asian-themed outfits for the citizens of Ardoris. This now completes the regional character art for the Perennial Coast and we will be propagating these across various other scenes in the region. These visual changes to the architecture and characters will give the entire area a more distinct regional feel.



    Town Sieges: Towns are now coming under siege according to Celestial Mechanics. As the eight planets pass through the twelve sections of the sky representing the virtues, the cabalist(s) whose planets are in front of a given constellation join a siege that is set upon ANY towns that contain "devotionals" to that Virtue. Devotionals could include things like statues of the Titans of Truth, Love, and Courage, for example. When a town is under siege, catapults and signs of battle will appear outside that town on the overworld. When you try to enter that town, you will instead enter a Siege scene. These scenes will eventually consist of different biomes and scenarios depending on the location. Like Control Points, there will be a main path that takes you directly to a challenging (and rewarding) battle, and a side path for those who seek a less-challenging but longer route. NOTE (Experimental): This does mean that we will be experimenting with making POT Blessings linked to Town Sieges when POT Blessings come online in a future release.



    Stealth on Overworld: Players can now use Stealth skills on the Overworld to sneak past other players and avoid Roving Encounters.

    Damage Bonus Based on Elevation: A modest damage modifier is now applied based on elevation between yourself and your target. Note that this modifier only applies to melee and ranged weapons (not spells). A max modifier of 25% is achieved with around a 7 meter elevation difference, but even a 1 meter difference will give around 10% extra (so this is not just for archers). Having the higher ground and attacking down gives a bonus and likewise, attacking up will decrease your damage accordingly. So the most extreme case would be 2 archers exchanging fire, one is on the ground and the other in a 7m tower. The archer on the ground would be doing 75% of normal vs 125% for the archer in the tower.

    Floral Meadow POT Template: This new POT template was a suggestion from the players and is a variation of the Grasslands template. This flower carpeted plain has a river running through it. Like all Grassland templates, it has more available space for lot placement than any other templates. You will be able to preview the new template on the POT templates page or view it directly in game where it will be linked from Hometown. If you wish to switch to this new template we will begin those updates in Release 38.

    POT Water Lot Deeds: After repeated requests from the community, we are releasing a limited number of special Taxed POT restricted deeds that can be used to claim land AND water lots in Village, Town, and City lot sizes. The total numbers made available in the Add On Store will be smaller than other lot deeds because there are much fewer water lots available in POT templates than land lots. Next week, we will start adding new water homes to the game including water variations of existing homes as well as completely new water homes.



    Ardoris Guards plus Polish to Shogun Siranto and Priestess Khasi: Guards around Ardoris can now be seen wearing three different sets of armor including the Shogun’s guards, the Priestess’s guards, and the City guards. The city guard models will also replace other Perennial Coast guard models in future releases. We also polished the textures and colors on Shogun Siranto’s outfit. We also added a headdress to Priestess Khasi’s robes.



    Obsidian Bundles: These bundles include some unique Obsidian-themed items as well as an assortment of other new items to the game including Obsidian Sarcophagi, Ornate Vile Weapons, an Obsidian Cloak, Obsidian Rowhouses (with roof access!), and a sprawling Obsidian City Keep.



    Offline Reward Delivery: Reward delivery for Offline Mode is now available to players using this mode to play. This means that if you have a pledge, bundle, or any items purchased from the Add On Store, you will now finally be able to claim those rewards at a bank in Offline mode.

    Loading Screen Tips: Various tips on how to play the game will now appear on the loading screens. We are also finally going to show different random art backgrounds on the loading screens, so you will no longer have to stare at that same exact drawbridge battle over and over and over and over and over...

    Skill Decay Start at 40: Skill decay now does not apply to skills that are below level 40. Once a skill achieves Level 40 skill decay begins applying as before.

    And much more including more recipes, new Unique NPCs, more story polish, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R37 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]



    [ 2016-12-14 20:27:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Hangout of the Avatar - Release 37 Postmortem

    [/img]

    Join us Tuesday, December 20th at 3:00 PM Central (21:00 UTC) on Twitch for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! The team will be chatting about the upcoming Release 37, the recent holiday events, and looking ahead to what’s going on in the next year!

    As always, we will be giving out rare Lord British artifacts of immense power and glory, and answering your latest questions. For a chance to win an artifact, or to speak your voice on the latest game changes, be in Discord chat during the livestream. There will be multiple chances to win throughout the broadcast!

    Follow @ShroudofAvatar to keep updated on the latest SotA livestreams and game news!


    [ 2016-12-13 16:37:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #206 – 2016.12.09: Ardoris Polish, Making of Blood Bay, Community Spotlight – Aldwater Player Town, Obsidian Bundles, and More!



    See the beautiful polish work on Ardoris, continuation of the Making of Blood Bay, new Obsidian Bundles, and more in this week's Update of the Avatar #206!

    The complete list of what's inside...

    • Ardoris Polish
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • New Obsidian Bundles
    • Community Spotlight: Aldwater – Player Run Town
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Job Opening: VFX Artist

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2016-12-10 01:42:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #205 – 2016.12.02: Xenos Polish, Blood Bay, Telethon Success, Tips of the Avatar, Player Town of Bladewyke, Moustache Mania, and More!



    Community content galore in this week's Update of the Avatar #205! In the update, more on Xenos Polish, the Making of Blood Bay continues, submit your game tips, tour the town of Bladewyke, and watch the recording from Monday's telethon livestream!

    The complete list of what's inside...

    • Xenos Polish
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • Fall into Winter Telethon Results
    • Tips of the Avatar
    • Moustache of the Avatar
    • Community Spotlight: Bladewyke – Player Owned Town
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Job Opening: VFX Artist

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2016-12-03 00:00:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #204 – 2016.11.25: Black Friday Weekend is Here!, Superstition Canyon Blood Bay, Player Town of Dragomir, and More!



    Do you sometimes just want to toss up a bunch of leaves into the autumn air and watch them rain down around you? Well, now you can in Shroud of the Avatar!

    In this week's update, Black Friday weekend is here! Also, get a look at Superstition Canon and Blood Bay, tour the player owned town of Dragomir, and get the latest on the upcoming telethon.

    • Final Weekend for Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon
    • The Making of Superstition Canyon
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • 2016 Winter Holiday Wax Cylinder Soundtrack
    • Community Spotlight: Dragomir – Player Owned Town
    • Upcoming Events

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2016-11-26 05:00:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 36 Patch Notes: November 21, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 36! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 36 are available in the forums.

    November 21, 2016

    Build Number 510, 12:30 PM


    • Due to issues with quest completion, the ability to request forgiveness for lost mail deliveries has been reset for all avatars.

    • Added Elven Town and Elven City Homes to Elven Crown Merchant

    • Changed wallpaper in Pristine Gothic Mansion

    • Adjusted minimum number of claimed lots to show more than just foundations from 1 to 2 on Overworld POTs

    • Fixed issue where the Willkommen Ale mug was not showing up when equipped

    • Image quality for thumbnail icon of Epic Cloth Gloves and Feet fixed

    • Fixed issue with Passive Stance Focus Regen not being accurate

    • Fixed various exceptions and errors

    • Ardoris: Wander radius on Johann Morton was large enough that he could occasionally end up outside; took the opportunity to give him an emote path behind his counter.

    • Owl's Head Sewers: Fixed skeleton spawning issues at (66.8, 0.0, -17.4) and replaced ladder at (89.1, 19.9, -17.3) to be a fully-functioning 2-way ladder.

    • Brittany Alleys: Fixed wandering bankers

    • Turned on shadows on POT icons on Overworld

    • Fixed fog not showing properly on Linux

    • Awkward stairs in Crypt of the Avatar: Replaced pile of mesh rubble with a tiny little terrain and a few rubble elements

    • Fixed issue where VFX were not attaching to proper location on lots of creatures

    • Obsidian Arrow now properly animating again

    • Now properly turning off held items while eating.

    • Added VFX for Animal Charm

    • Yet another fix for the audio bugs with the German Automaton (we swear we think this fixed it)

    • Fixed invisible wall in Greenhouse Rowhouse.

    • Fixed stuck spot in Rustic Village Inn home

    • Some fixes related to party members and disconnects

    • Added Yule soundtrack to game


    Known Issues

    • Recipes purchase prior to R36 that are Teachable cannot be upgraded to Taught nor can they be upgraded to teachable

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-11-21 22:49:25 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #203 – 2016.11.18: Play R36 Now!, Blood Bay, Xenos, Game Balances, Lot Raffle Winners, Winter Holiday Goodies, and More!



    Update of the Avatar #203 is one giant gift wrapped present! What's inside? Festive holiday content now available in the game! We also cover scene polish and new upcoming scenes:

    • Play R36 Now!
    • The Making of Blood Bay
    • Xenos Polish
    • Game Systems Posts
    • Gift Boxes
    • R35 Lot Deed Winners
    • 2016 Winter Holiday and Assorted Add-On Goodies
    • 10-Day Countdown to Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon (now with schedule & prizes)
    • Upcoming Events

    Get all of the details of this week's update on the game's website.


    [ 2016-11-19 02:56:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 36 Patch Notes: November 18, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 36! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 36 are available in the forums.

    November 18, 2016

    Build Number 508, 11:45 AM


    • Chillblain's Compendium: A breakable wall at (312 -19.816 69) was unbreakable, but now there is simply a hole that players can pass through unhindered.

    • Fixed female avatar eyes clipping through eyelids in creator

    • In-game Known Issues book text updated

    • Fixed various exceptions and error messages

    • Graff Island: Removed unintentional exit location and added wicker fence asset to visually support blocking volume Loc: (-451.4, 65.2, -132.5) Added additional tall-grass and foliage to indicate more wild map border, but zone-out is intentional here at river source.

    • Fixed floating Lighthouse on Hidden Vale overworld map.

    • Also, increased terrain thickness value on Hidden Vale Overworld to help prevent falling through terrain

    • Graff Island: Set terrain thickness to 3 to help prevent falling through terrain

    • Set terrain thickness to 3 on all Brittany maps in attempt to prevent players from falling through terrain

    • Fixed Obsidian Plate Armor not appearing black (no really, seriously, for real this time)

    • Added Mantles to fireplaces in houses that have built in fireplaces

    • Added new glass component recipe to merchants to support recipe for Glass Roof Rowhouse

    • Added recipe for Glass Roof Rowhouse (carpentry)

    • Fixed bug where music from German Automaton was playing scene wide versus being a local source

    • Fixed stuck spot underneath 4 story Yule Tree.

    • The Epitaph: More fixes to help the spiders move around

    • Adjusted some LODs on the small fountains

    • Cocoon of Night now takes a reasonable amount of time to cast.

    • Fixed stuck spot in solace bridge

    • Added ankh to Elad's Lighthouse scene on the island with the Lighthouse

    • Fixed bricked-up windows on the outside of Small Old Keep Village Home

    • Fixed few items missing Tanning crafting tags (mainly related to trophy heads)

    • Fixed Practice dummy recipe: added unique name for bags to prevent crafting confusion

    • Fixed collision on 4-poster bed so that decorations will not float above the top of it.

    • Fixed merchant selling duplicate recipes of Fancy Merchant Gloves

    • Fixed bug with stairs and decorations in Gothic Mansion

    • Fixed journal entries not writing when the lich of Ravensmoor is slain.

    • PRT Forest 01 and PRT Island 01: No boats in these PRTs should have overlapping boats anymore (such as Port Titan).

    • Fixed non-functional secret door in Baron Frigate city home.

    • Fixed windows not having collision in Ornate Glass Roof Rowhouse

    • Shores of Malice: Added basic loot package to the corpses at (-23.9, 13.1, -99.7).

    • Fixed gap between door and door frame in 4 story Viking rowhouse.

    • Polished animations for /firedancespin emote.

    • Turned off mesh compression to resolve flashbulb effect on burnt elven hill house

    • Fixed bad stretching female braids hair style

    • Etceter: Added a compass discovery for the town crier at  (108.8, 20.7, -54.0).

    • Added collision to yule tree skirt to prevent yule boxes from crashing.

    • Fixed white boxes in stone & timber 5 story village basement.

    • Polished water in Wishing Well

    • Graff Island: Added collision to carts and tracks in factory and docks area

    • Ardoris: Added discovery for Town Crier.

    • Fixed green board crashing through floor in Elven Town Treehouse

    • Owl's Rest: Fixed issue that might have prevented access to this POT

    • Attempted fix for transparent beams in Ornate Greenhouse Rowhouse

    • Fixed naming issues with the Venison butchery recipes

    • Midras: Fixed issues involving stuck spots, no collision on assets, water, and invisible walls in various areas. Adjusted collision for the giant tree in the center

    • Fixed Charlotte's arm popping out of socket when celebrating

    • Graff Gem Mines Entrance: Fixed some issues with Kobolds pathing that might have caused them to not be responsive

    • Compressing and uploading the most recent unity log for crashes.  The patcher now specifies a logfile location, which it backs up every time the Launch button is pressed.  The client checks for a crash and if one is found it compresses and uploads the backed up log file.

    • Fixed issue that was preventing summoning the Gustball on the new Gustball field

    • Graff Gem Mines: Kobolds seemed to aggro as expected, however found that satyr spawners in room could spit out 2 fauns, which would just maintain distance from player and not fight without a leader - fixed this by swapping faun spawn chance for ranged satyr. Also found that patrolling earth elementals could aggro, and while taking circuitous route to reach player, lose aggro and go back to patrol. Fixed this by adding additional places for them to access water to reach player.

    • Set terrain thickness to 3 in Eastreach Gap in an attempt to fix instances of falling through the ground


    Known Issues

    • Some items on Public Vendors (like Ardoris) have disappeared. They will return in a future patch.

    • Combat Sound Effects are not playing properly and are not properly linked to volume controls

    • Items listed in the Release notes are not all yet listed in the Add On Store

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2016-11-18 18:00:39 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 36 Patch Notes: November 17, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 36! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    November 17, 2016

    Build Number 507, 9:30 PM


    • Added missing ladder to Glass Roof 4 Story Row House (craftable)

    • Hidden Vale PRTs now have proper town criers and bankers

    • Avatars will now properly animate when looting non-skinnable corpses (like humanoids)

    • Midras: Fixed interactive vine that lead to stuck spot.

    • Renamed crocodile size to prevent confusion with trophy head

    • Added extra mantel geometry in rowhouses that have built in fireplaces

    • Fixed incorrect crafting flags on few meats (like chicken)

    • Fixed bug that could cause the trophy/player name on skull candle to be lost - can no longer be stacked if the player names do not match

    • Fixed random lines showing up in terrain in numerous scenes.

    • Added recipe for Glass Roof Four-Story (Row Home) to carpentry

    • Isle of Storms: Adjusted collision at (35.0, 8.6, 58.2) and (21.1, 9.5, -62.6) to eliminate locations where players could "float" while against the collision.

    • Fixed issue that was blocking resource harvesting on vertical surfaces and also preventing interacting with breakable walls

    • Etceter: Removed the floating vials at (55.6, 23.7, 23.5).

    • Adjusted "terrain thickness" value  of Novia terrain from 1 to 3 to address players falling through terrain

    • Fixed issue with crafted repair kits displaying erroneous bonuses

    • POT Knightmare Falls: Overworld location change for POT Knightmare Falls was overwritten accidentally. Re-did location change.

    • Update to R36 Known Issues text

    • Corrected rendering issue on watered soil material.

    • Charlotte Gray now cries and is nervous as intended during the Solace Bridge tutorial.

    • Known Issues and Player Events books now updated for R36

    • Current task added to journal when speaking at first to Arabella in the Isle of Storms opening sequence.

    • Chaos Ankh now properly sends playes to random locations upon resurrection

    • Added sfx to doors in Elven Village Keep home

    • Fixed wrecked galleon collision errors (can be seen in Elad's Lighthouse scene)

    • Fixed missing geometry on roof of Lord Benefactor home

    • Removed deprecated Player Guide from starting inventories

    • Fixed icons for Gift Boxes

    • Update to Death Spell effects

    • Fixed issue with Cows and Sheep that was causing players to face backwards when skinning them

    • Added new Ice/Water Spell effects

    • Fixed collision issues with Round Tower Village home

    • Radiant Energy Capacitor and Radiant Energy Coil can now be used as Player Town decorations

    • Fixed various stuck spots and other visual errors in Brightbone Pass and Superstition Canyon

    • Fixed invisible floor in Lord Benefactor playerhouse.

    • Fixed issue where ABC files were not playing from start of file

    • Fixed issue where casting Chain Lightning while stealthed did not break stealth

    • Updated global Music Headrooom

    • Fixed issue where emote SFX would continue playing over ABC files

    • Fixed issue where dead players could still see emote VFX

    • Malice: Fixed issue where Spiders were moving through locked gates

    • Fixed issue where pet renames were being reset when resummoned

    • Crag Foothills: Fixed inaccessible ore node.

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Added function for embedded clickable links in for Message of the Day

    • Fixed issues with Four Story Ornate Glass Roof Rowhouse

    • Fixed bug that caused a skill to be interrupted when the player begins dragging a glyph from their hotbar

    • Fixed pet raven, eagle, and owl nameplates being too high

    • Brittany Central: Fixed floating book in the castle library.

    • Fixed female avatar's black teeth

    • Added a special hold pose for pipes to prevent the stems from stabbing you through the torso when running

    • Fixed typo in Fortified Cloth Boots recipe

    • Fixed bugs with Practice Dummy recipe

    • Resurrection Ankhs can now be placed inside

    • Display recipe teachability in recipe item tooltip

    • Chaos Resurrection Decoration now named "Resurrection Chaos" as per Lord British

    • Resolved various inconsistencies among the Shingle Roof series of craftable houses

    • Fixed female bob hair style

    • Fixed issue where the Portable Aetheric Amplifiers (aka Headphones) would randomly stop working

    • Fixed resource node bug that produced incorrect yield when meticulous collection was interrupted

    • Polished some table and chairs placement in Ardoris Castle

    • The Epitaph: Made adjustments to help the spiders move around more easily

    • Fixed issue that was causing the Fireball casting animation to not complete

    • Fixed issue that was causing house pets to sometimes follow players off of the lots

    • Novia Overworld: The floating grass at (-112.2, 15.0, -294.4)  has been removed.

    • East Perennial Trail: Fixed issue with tree sorting into the Bootleggers hut

    • POT Styx: Upgraded from Village to Crossroads Village.

    • Added interactive candles to 2016 yule trees, also fixed white bark bug.

    • Necropolis: Moved braziers and other objects on the floor around (-5.1, 0.0, 1.5) to have a better NavMesh so NPCs have an easier time getting through tight areas.

    • Malice: Corrected the spelling of Crematorium, the Discovery at (129.6, 5.1, 470.4).

    • "Yule Gift Box" recipe is now named "Gift Box" to match the item it creates

    • Don't allow taming necklace with active/summoned creature to be unequipped during deck swap

    • South Celestial Wetlands: Moved the cotton node from (96.7, 23.0, -133.7)  up the hill at (-20.03 -80.07 84.08) and rotated it so the harvest access point is sensible.

    • Brightbone Pass, Superstition Canyon, Eastreach Gap: Increased leashes for all Control Point NPCs to 100m, to ensure that all leashes are wide enough to include the Control Point area from the starting points.

    • Ardoris: Fixed some pathing issues with Jenn the NPC

    • Graff Island: Fixed a stuck spot

    • "Ornate Scarecrow" now has display name "Ornate Scarecrow 2016"

    • Fixed the bug that was causing all the trees and terrain to get blown out white appearance at sunset and sunrise

    • Emotes for /closeumbrella and /openumbrella now displaying in Emote menu

    • Improved crafting table performance

    • Added exterior floor flag to craftable potted topiary

    • Modified seat colliders on sofas to accomodate decos placed on sofa.

    • Removed debug directional text in Mysterious Swamp

    • Fixed issue where lamps and grass were causing flickering issues

    • Did a combination of skinning tweaks and idle animation adjusting to make tongue work well for all dog models.

    • Fixing text for Glancing Blow to match the skill.

    • Increased the reaction window for Aetheric Feedback from 2 to 3 seconds.

    • Discharge had an artificial delay of 1 second that has now been fixed.

    • Fixed grey hair color option rendering too white

    • Bankers in central Brittany no longer wander away from their station.

    • Strength of Earth can now be cast while moving.

    • Removed 2016 from regular gift box descriptions

    • Fixed invisible Knight of Norgard


    Known Issues

    • In the greatest of ironies ever Gustballs cannot be summoned on the new Gustball field

    • Some items on Public Vendors (like Ardoris) have disappeared. They will return in a future patch.

    • Combat Sound Effects are not playing properly and are not properly linked to volume controls

    • Items listed in the Release notes are not all yet listed in the Add On Store

    • Some recipes are not yet in the game like the Glass Roof Rowhouse

    • Hair is not properly working with lighting, fog, etc.

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain and Snow is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-11-18 01:22:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 36 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    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 36 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, November 17, at 10:30 AM US Central Standard Time (16:30 UTC).

    Short Release: Normally our release cycle lasts approximately four weeks, giving us 3 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before the release goes live on the last Thursday of the month. However, November and December have the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays which requires us to do our release earlier in those months. That only gives us 2 weeks of development time and 1 week of polish before we release.

    Major System Changes: We are making a lot of major changes to how the game works this release. Many of these changes are related to game balance, some are about making the game have a better pacing and reward cycle, while others are about making it so that greater effort and greater specialization will equal greater reward. In Combat, changes like the addition of Resistances aim to encourage players to vary the skills and spells that they use in order to maximize their effectiveness in various situations. In Crafting, changes to Discovery and the addition of Teachability is a first step towards making specialization in crafting more meaningful. Some of these changes are being tried as experiments (noted below). Through playtesting and feedback, we will determine whether we will keep them in the game and/or what tweaks we will make to these changes. We understand that some of these changes will be controversial, but we firmly believe they will make the game more healthy in the long term. A deeper dive into the reasons behind many of these changes can be found in a forum post made by Chris Spears.

    Graff Island: Graff Island is located in the Drachvald region in the Northeast region of Novia. Located across from Port Graff in the Spindrift Bay, this community is central to the gem trade of the region. It includes a factory that sculpts the gems for socketing into weapons, armor and other goods, as well as the home of the Graff family with their sprawling mansion. Originally a cloned scene based on our PRT/POT Forest 01 base template (aka “the PaxLair template”), it was rebuilt in Release 36 with completely different terrain and foliage types, along with adding the Graff family mansion and the Graff Gem Factory.


    Elad’s Lighthouse: Elad's Lighthouse is also located in Spindrift Bay directly across the water from Brittany. It is home to Elad, who retired to the island after an illustrious career as Lord British's shipbuilder and lighthouse builder. As with many of our scenes, Elad's Lighthouse started as a cloned scene based on our PRT/POT Forest 01 base template (aka “the PaxLair template”). It always had the unique feature of Elad's Lighthouse, which will continue to be a prominent feature. However, it now also has unique terrain featuring dramatic cliffsides, a dockyard, lumber mill, and many other unique changes.


    Midras Ruins (Open PVP): The Midras Ruins are one of the six ruined cities found in Novia that date back to the period in Novian history in which the Obsidian Order rose to power (as described in the Sword of Midras prequel novel by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott). The exact history of some of these cities has been lost to time, but it is rumored that some of them may have been abandoned before the rise of the Obsidians. Midras in particular is significant because it is the location of the Crypt of the Avatar. Note that all six of the ruins are Open-PvP zones. Midras started as a clone of the Opalis Ruins, but was completely rebuilt this release to have a unique layout and visuals. We especially focused on making sure the map had interesting setups for PvP conflict with plenty of space for hiding, escaping, ambushing, and skirmishing.


    Non-Tradeable & Quest Items Bankable: Items that are not tradeable (like Quest Items) can now be placed in your Bank. Note that they are still not able to be placed in other containers (chests on your lot for instance) to prevent exploitive workarounds to the no-trade flag.

    Magic Damage Types & Resistances: Starting in R36, there is now a more formal resistance system in place for players and creatures. Currently players can mostly gain resistances through gear, but skills and spells will appear in future releases to allow players to expand their resistances. The simplest way to describe how resistances work is to say they are Defensive Attunement. So if you have 50 Death Magic Resistance, that will counter the extra damage that a caster would get from having 50 Attunement. Finally, players who don’t want to use magic can have a way to resist casters! Creatures now also have Resistances. For simple, natural creatures, like bears and spiders, they will have a small amount of Resistance to all magic but generally be fairly easy to affect. Many of the more magical creatures have some very high Magic Resistances to specific schools. This means that if you were a player that only used a very limited set of skills on everything, you are likely going to have to change your strategy when fighting some creature types. As an example, Fire Elementals are almost completely immune to fire, and moderately resistant to all other types of magic except for water magic, which they have no resistances to. There are also a few creatures that are just highly resistant to most magic and will be difficult to kill now without the help of a weapon. For those who rely heavily on magic, this will make the game more challenging. There will probably be things you used to be able to kill that you can no longer kill. This is expected and just know that all other casters will be facing the same challenges.

    40 Meter Requirement for XP Gain (Experiment): We have constrained Experience Point gain so that you must be within 40 meters of other members of your party. Previously, you just had to be in the same zone and this was being used as an exploit where low level characters would wait at the entrance of a zone while high-level players would farm the area to level the low-level character safely.

    Stack Limits on Effects: Support was added to limit the number of effects on targets. Most effects like Firebolt, Fireball, Rend, and others will have a max of 3 concurrent effects. This means 3 per spell/skill; not total. So, a player could have 3 Rends and 3 Firebolt DOTs on a target at once. Repeat castings of spells will remove the oldest effect first.

    Fizzle Chance Increased: The amount of fizzle added by Armor when casting Air, Death, and Fire spells was increased slightly. The multiplier for armor penalty in most spells in those schools went up by either 0.1 or 0.2. This means that your armor has a base 30% fizzle, your fizzle chance for those schools went up by 3% or 6%. This was done to help differentiate light and heavy armor a bit more.

    Spell Casting Interruption Increased: In R35, the only interruptions were from stuns and knock down effects. In R36, most spells have a casting window which is shown on screen. During that window, hits can interrupt spell casting. NOTE: This does NOT increase the time to execute a spell

    Skill Decay Increased: For the next few releases, we will be increasing the maximum accumulated decay incrementally. For R36, the max accumulated decay is 12 hours. For example, if a player has around a million total experience, a death after 12 or more hours of not dying will result in around a loss of 1250 xp. The lost xp will be deducted from skills not set to maintain or train. If skills are set to maintain or train, the lost xp will be deducted from their pooled experience first.

    Targeting Cycling Improved: We fixed a major issue in the target cycling code. Previously, it appeared to be picking the worst possible target first and then the best target second. This has now been addressed and the logic improved for picking stuff close to you over distant stuff.

    Beneficial Targeting Improved: When in a party and using beneficial spells(like healing or buffs), if there is no hard target set, then the caster will be the target. If you wish to cast on a party member other than yourself, you must now select them by clicking on them or using the F2–F8 keys to select them. We know that Healing Targeting can still use more work, but this is at least a much needed great first step forward.

    NPC Health Adjustments: NPCs that are caster types have had their health reduced dramatically and damage output increased. Melee types have had their health increased. The goal is to give players an incentive to go after casters and archers first.

    POT Overworld Population Indicators: The visuals of a POT on the Overworld will now update based on how many lots have been claimed relative to the size of the town, starting with a simple foundation and working up to the full set of buildings we have been using up until now. Additionally, we will show smoke in the chimneys and lights in the windows to indicate if there are players online in the town.


    Holiday Content: We created lots of holiday content including Yule Trees, Stockings, Gift Boxes, Wreaths, etc. Some for the Add On Store and some are craftable in game.


    Crafting Recipe Discoverability Limited (Experiment): Discoverability on Recipes is no longer universal to all recipes. Currently we have removed Discoverability from all but the lowest-level recipes. This, along with Teachability, is part of a larger effort to reward specialization and advancement in crafting by having different levels of rarity in the recipes. We will not be removing any recipes that players already have. Those will be grandfathered in. Please note that this an initial pass on which recipes should or should not have Discoverability. If there are any recipes you feel should have remained discoverable (and therefore also Teachable) then please feel free to provide us that feedback and we will consider it. Note that by limiting recipes this way and not making them universally available we can start to increase the value and power of components and items.

    Crafting Teachable Recipes: The lowest level and most common recipes can now be taught to other players, and even be re-taught. The next tier of recipes can be taught but not re-taught. However, some rarer recipes (like Bone Armor) are not teachable nor re-teachable. This is part of a larger effort to reward specialization and advancement in crafting by having different levels of rarity in the recipes. We will not be removing any recipes that players already have. Those will be grandfathered in. However recipes that you currently own cannot be taught without being repurchased.

    Crafting Socketed Ward Gems: Gems can now be cut into Ward Gems which offer Resistances to magic damage types (see Resistances above). These are socketed just like Attunement based Gems, so you now can choose if you want to increase Attunement (offense) or Resistance (defense) when you add a Gem to an item.

    Scaled Full Durability Repair Cost (Experiment): As part of our commitment to having a Player Driven Economy, we want there to be a real possibility of items wearing out while balancing that with an understanding that for very rare items (+16 crafted gear), players want a way to preserve them. In order to support both, we introduced repair with Gold Crowns several releases ago. The cost to repair was only a single Gold Crown, however, and an item could be repaired infinitely. This lead to a stagnation in demand once players got an “ideal” piece of gear. For R36, we are going to experiment with scaling the repair cost based on the number of times you have repaired the item.

    And much more including more recipes, new Unique NPCs, more story polish, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R36 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]



    [ 2016-11-17 00:05:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #202 – 2016.11.11: Midras Ruins, Forest Town Siege, Xenos Polish, R35 Postmortem, Decoration Contest Winners, Beran’s Reach, and More!



    Greetings Fellow Avatars!

    Here is what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

    • The Making of Midras Ruins
    • The Making of a Forest Town Siege Map
    • Xenos Polish
    • R35 Postmortem Recap
    • Homes of New Britannia – House Decorating Contest Winners!
    • 17-Day Countdown to Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon
    • Community Spotlight: Beran’s Reach
    • Upcoming Events – 1st Bear Tavern Beast Brawl

    Get all of the details of today's update on the game's website!


    [ 2016-11-12 01:06:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Patch Notes: November 8, 2016

    Release 35
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 35! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    November 8, 2016

    Build Number 502, 5:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Updated to newer version of Unity (should address some visual anomalies but may create others)

    • Slowed down spawn rates on waves in Brightbone Pass and Superstition Canyon Control Points


    Known Issues

    • Fountains and Wells placed in POTs will only provide water to the POT owner

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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




    [ 2016-11-09 00:09:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #201 – 2016.11.04: World Toilet Day, Yule Stockings, R35 Postmortem, Elad’s Lighthouse Graff Island, Bay Lunaire POT, Lunar Rift Chronometer, and More!

    Greetings Fellow Avatars!



    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:


    • Happy Halloween from Portalarium
    • Make A Difference: World Toilet Day & Charitable Giving Report
    • 2016 Yule Stockings
    • Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 35 Post Mortem
    • The Making of Elad’s Lighthouse (cont)
    • The Making of Graff Island (cont)
    • 24-Day Countdown to Expirations, 15% Black Friday Bonus, and Fall into Winter Telethon
    • Community Spotlight: Bay Lunaire – Player Owned Town
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Bastion’s Point Lunar Rift Chronometer
    • Recommended Projects to Back


    Get all of the details in today's update at our website.


    [ 2016-11-04 22:25:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Patch Notes: October 31, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 35! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    October 31, 2016

    Build Number 500, 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed some deco wall surfaces on first floor of Gothic Mansion

    • Some fixes to the Firedancer outfit on the male avatar

    • Fixed some issues with the Viking Town Stronghold

    • Fixed sorting issues and missing gold color with Firedancer outfit

    • Ardoris Black Arrow quest convo additions

    • Website fixes

    • Increased falloff distance for NPC SFX so they can be heard from farther away

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fixed Obsidian Armor color again (hopefully we got it this time?)

    • Fixed bugs with Elven Village Keep

    • Removed duplicate shutters from Stucco Row Houses

    • Fixed 4th story wall gap in Stone 4 story Row House.

    • Yet another fix to address deco lights not providing light properly

    • Fixed odd texture square in bank ceiling

    • Fixed internal door frame texture in 4 story Wood & Plaster Row Houses.

    • Made ants in Ant Farm darker to be more visible.

    • Fixed incorrect compass rotation in Necropolis

    • Fixed planter box highlight bug

    • Fixed icon for music symbol that looked like a fish

    • Control Points: Modified leash ranges for NPCs

    • NPCs using the white male Owl's Head guard model can again be interacted with.

    • Bloodriver: Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause undead enemies to not spawn.

    • Fixed various Elven Town Tree Home issues

    • Removed duplicate recipes from Ardoris merchant

    • Fixed various Elven City Home issues.

    • Solania Catacombs: Restored loot bundles on corpses in scene.

    • Crypt of the Avatar: Removed the rusty sword from the arms of the Avatar skeleton at (90 25.997 291.799)

    • Spectral Mines: Unified faction of undead here with bandits so they will no longer kill each other

    • Fixed bug that would cause Flaming Bagpipes to endlessly spew flames (awwww!)

    • Fixed blocked rear entrance of Shingle Roof 3-story Open Plan Village Home

    • Fixed practice dummy being unplaceable.

    • Improved pets following on/off player lots.

    • Fixed windows with sorting errors in Ardoris carpentry shop

    • Fixed craftable water well collision and water material

    • Fixed male water gathering animation

    • Fixed Roving Encounters not starting due to npc state corruption when joining a running scene.

    • Fixed issue where Roving encounters were not matching location on Overworld

    • Another iteration on Enchantment Item Glow: slowed down the speed of pulsing, lowered the intensity and made the color more white, less blue


     

     

    Known Issues

    • Fountains and Wells placed in POTs will only provide water to the POT owner

    • /playsync not working for musical instruments

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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




    [ 2016-10-31 18:00:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Patch Notes: October 31, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 35! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    October 31, 2016

    Build Number 500, 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed some deco wall surfaces on first floor of Gothic Mansion

    • Some fixes to the Firedancer outfit on the male avatar

    • Fixed some issues with the Viking Town Stronghold

    • Fixed sorting issues and missing gold color with Firedancer outfit

    • Ardoris Black Arrow quest convo additions

    • Website fixes

    • Increased falloff distance for NPC SFX so they can be heard from farther away

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fixed Obsidian Armor color again (hopefully we got it this time?)

    • Fixed bugs with Elven Village Keep

    • Removed duplicate shutters from Stucco Row Houses

    • Fixed 4th story wall gap in Stone 4 story Row House.

    • Yet another fix to address deco lights not providing light properly

    • Fixed odd texture square in bank ceiling

    • Fixed internal door frame texture in 4 story Wood & Plaster Row Houses.

    • Made ants in Ant Farm darker to be more visible.

    • Fixed incorrect compass rotation in Necropolis

    • Fixed planter box highlight bug

    • Fixed icon for music symbol that looked like a fish

    • Control Points: Modified leash ranges for NPCs

    • NPCs using the white male Owl's Head guard model can again be interacted with.

    • Bloodriver: Fixed an issue that would sometimes cause undead enemies to not spawn.

    • Fixed various Elven Town Tree Home issues

    • Removed duplicate recipes from Ardoris merchant

    • Fixed various Elven City Home issues.

    • Solania Catacombs: Restored loot bundles on corpses in scene.

    • Crypt of the Avatar: Removed the rusty sword from the arms of the Avatar skeleton at (90 25.997 291.799)

    • Spectral Mines: Unified faction of undead here with bandits so they will no longer kill each other

    • Fixed bug that would cause Flaming Bagpipes to endlessly spew flames (awwww!)

    • Fixed blocked rear entrance of Shingle Roof 3-story Open Plan Village Home

    • Fixed practice dummy being unplaceable.

    • Improved pets following on/off player lots.

    • Fixed windows with sorting errors in Ardoris carpentry shop

    • Fixed craftable water well collision and water material

    • Fixed male water gathering animation

    • Fixed Roving Encounters not starting due to npc state corruption when joining a running scene.

    • Fixed issue where Roving encounters were not matching location on Overworld

    • Another iteration on Enchantment Item Glow: slowed down the speed of pulsing, lowered the intensity and made the color more white, less blue


     

     

    Known Issues

    • Fountains and Wells placed in POTs will only provide water to the POT owner

    • /playsync not working for musical instruments

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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





    [ 2016-10-31 17:59:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #200 – 2016.10.28: Play R35 Now!, R34 Raffle Winners, Elad’s Lighthouse Graff Island, Game Balances, Halloween Sale, and More!

    [/img]

    Release 35 is here and we're just 31 days from the Fall into Winter telethon!

    This week's #200 milestone Update of the Avatar gives you the latest on scene polish for Elad's Lighthouse and Graff Island, a complete list of the R34 Lot Deed Raffle Winners, an update on game system changes in this release, and more.

    Here is the complete lineup:

    • Play Release 35 Now!
    • R34 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
    • The Making of Elad’s Lighthouse (cont)
    • The Making of Graff Island (cont)
    • Game System Changes for R35
    • 31-Day Countdown to Expirations and Fall into Winter Telethon
    • Winter Holiday Goodies, Elven Bundles, Magical Dyes, Halloween Sale, and More!
    • Get Your 15% Black Friday Bonus Now!
    • Upcoming Events
    Get all of the details in this update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 35!


    [ 2016-10-29 02:17:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Patch Notes: October 28, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 35! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    October 28, 2016

    Build Number 498, 11:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Deleted an erroneous Ardoris boat teleporter.

    • Fixed broken Charlotte Grey NPC.

    • Novia Overworld: Removed control point palisade gates colliders (such as the one at Eastreach Gap) so players who log in next to them will no longer be in the air.

    • Fixed missing material on Harvest crafting pavilion.

    • Adjusted positioning of Ardoris stairs to try and prevent any potential tiny gaps an NPC could fall into.

    • Fixed rock in “Plains Road Encounter” that had no collision

    • Removed two trees obstructing player view of a player lot in Harvest that were added during uncloning.

    • Fixed fishing merchant in Central Brittany.

    • Fixes Owls Head bank z-fighting rug on cobblestones.

    • Fixed incorrect name on Xenos merchant.

    • Fixed grass growing through floor of Aerie building.

    • Fixed merchant visuals/signs versus inventory mismatch in Etceter, Brittany Wharfs, and Brittany Estates

    • Added missing kilt for flaming bagpipes reward.

    • Added Elven City Home to the game and fixed various issues with it

    • POT Spawn Point Selector Tool: Fixed maps on Alpine player towns so that all spawn points show up on player town spawn map.

    • Coconuts can now again be freely put into banks, traded, and destroyed. Coconuts for everyone! (See Nob the Stableboy in Owl's Head if you lost yours)

    • Fixed bugs with 3-story Elven Row Houes

    • Fixed various Roving Encounters that were not pulling players in

    • Fixed bug that caused an equipped item to remain equipped after being offered for trade.

    • Removed obsolete method of trading COTOs for potions from Obsidian Alchemists.

    • Fixed various deco layer issues in Gothic Mansion

    • Now whenever you talk to Harvey in Soltown, he will sell worms. Day or night, doesn't matter. Always gots worms.

    • Setup water-source functionality for two wells.

    • Reduced the overworld leash range for all Roving NPCs to prevent them from getting lured into clusters

    • Fixed various issues related to Snowballs including the timing of the visuals and who they can be thrown at

    • Moved the Novia skull tier marker near Whispering Woods down to ground level.

    • "Pyrotechnic Bagpipes" now correctly named "Flaming Bagpipes".

    • Did a pass through the world to make sure all Wells can be used to gather water and can be used as Wishing Wells except the well teleporter from Northwest Blackblade Mountains to Blackblade Pass.

    • Removed the rug outside the global Bank prefab building that was in multiple scenes that was sorting through terrain

    • The Elven 3 and 4 story row homes now have correct icons.

    • Fixed multiple issues with the Viking Town Stronghold.

    • Removed some global Combat Shop upstairs-wall candles and replaced them with a tall, standing chandelier.

    • The Etceter Crag Mines stone bridge has been rotated to properly reach over the lava.

    • Disabled ability to start Duels in the Overworld.

    • Pets can no longer enter combat on the Overworld (side effect of Duels).

    • Fixed the issue with lights above the Soltown tavern entrance so they no longer show the wall mount brackets.

    • Fixed bricked-up windows in the Twin Spire Manor.

    • Fixed bug that sometimes caused drawn glyphs in hotbar to flicker when used.

    • Fixed z fighting in dungeon piece in The Tower of the Shuttered Eye.

    • Fixed floating dagger in Tower of the Shuttered Eye

    • Fixed issue where Oracle watchers in Ardoris were going into a certain area too much

    • In Solania Catacombs the Daemon now respawns normally (600 seconds after he is defeated).

    • Moved an ore node in Spectral Foothills so it is now accessible.

    • Fixed various exceptions


    Known Issues

    • Emotes that require an item held in the off-hand not working properly (ex. /fan, /spyglass, etc.)

    • Fountains and Wells placed in POTs will only provide water to the POT owner

    • /openumrella does not work and the hold pose for Umbrella makes it clip through your head

    • /playsync not working for musical instruments

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-10-28 19:09:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Patch Notes: October 27, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 35! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 35 are available in the forums.

    October 27, 2016

    Build Number 497, 5:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed bug where if you started an emote while another emote that was supposed to be flagged as non-interruptable was playing you interrupted it

    • Turkeys SFX added

    • Fixed issue with players getting trapped in Estgard Bank

    • In-game Books: Edit and Imported R35 Event and Known Issues Content/Books

    • Security fixes

    • Added back in some trees to Aerie & Brittany that had gotten accidentally deleted

    • Obsidian Alchemists now selling Fireworks

    • Fixed textures and color replacement values for Obsidian Plate Helm

    • North Varisalla Foothills and its clones: NPCs can now walk through shallow water such as in many parts of the mines.

    • Fixed disappearing swap deck icon when it is right-cliicked

    • Fixed payment failure email, wasn't fetching user's last ip correctly

    • Fixed synching issues with Piano for multiplayer

    • Fixed male and female fancy riding outfit clipping

    • Updated Linux installer disk space usage

    • Fixed dyeable issue with Fancy Riding Pants

    • Fixed stuck spots in Desolis: Remembrance and Memorial Pond

    • Reverted to Original Fairy Wing Colours

    • Pets now share the player's temporary immunity when spawning into a scene

    • Umbrella emotes now visible in emotes list

    • Fixed some issues that were causing NPC emotes like "Cry" to be silent (they are still too quiet however)

    • Soltown: Reduced the difficulty level of the graverobber from "tier 1" to "tier 0."

    • Fixed issues with Firedancing outfit on Male Avatar

    • Fixed color of Ornate One Man Band shirt

    • Update SFX to NPC footsteps

    • Recipe for Umbrella

    • Highvale: Fixed stuck spot.

    • Central Brittany: Fixed stuck spot.

    • Added torch equipability to ALL emotes that make sense to hold a torch (almost all of them in total)

    • Fixed lots of exceptions

    • Fixed female Firedancer leggings sorting in the posterior area and fixed specular highlights

    • Names blacklist update

    • Martin in Ardoris no longer remembers names told him as "!".

    • Magic Shop nested prefab: Updated with many new decorations. Also, updated the compiled version. Added new version to Brittany Alleys, Brittany Estates, Etcter, Tenebris Harbor, Northwood, Resolute, Brookside, Eastmarch, and Noreach.

    • Duplicate master trainers removed from Brittany Wharfs

    • Fix to Ardoris Black Arrow quest dialog

    • Fixed stretching mouth for ardoris guards

    • Fixed graphical bugs in 3-Story Elven Row Houses

    • Added eggs to chicken loot to insure they drop somewhere in the world

    • North Varisalla Foothills, Spectral Peaks, East Vauban Foothills, Northwest Blackblade Mountains, Blackblade Foothills, Verdantis Foothills, Rumor Peaks: Fixed stuck spot caused by cage and ground.

    • Tuned visuals and immunity timing when players spawn in

    • Fixed timing for Soothing Rain VFX so they time with the healing effect

    • Brittany Central: Deleted grass inside buildings.

    • Fixed arm deformations on children NPCs

    • Added missing Tier 5 cooking recipes to merchants

    • Reduced amount of insects around lanterns and improved the visuals

    • Fixed bug that prevents the player from seeing their own title

    • Fixed timing for Shield Of Crystal VFX so they time with the shield effect

    • Elven Town Home: Added Tree to middle

    • Fixed Elven Tents so they can now be placed as decorations

    • Attempted fix for many lights not producing proper illumination

    • Improving text descriptions of sun and moon spells.

    • Aetheric feedback was not working as designed.  It would grant the bonuses every time instead of just after criticals.  Now fixed.

    • Fixed issue related to not being able to sit in Corpion Chair deco

    • Added more Agriculture Plants: Lettuce, Tea Leaves, Corn, Carrots, Potatoes

    • Critical chance was off by a factor of...100.  Fixed.

    • Fixed bug that caused all bank items to be selected when the bank window opens

    • Made wood on Corpion Chair darker

    • Fixed bug that caused a newly equipped tool to not be shown in the inventory list

    • Xenos: Added merchant package to innkeeper at (-15.2, 38.2, 72.5).

    • Fixed VFX timing for Break Weapon animation

    • Batch Salvage now keeps all resulting items on the crafting table in order to show the total result

    • Central Brittany: Added missing railing to staircase.

    • Owls' Nest: Ensured all resource nodes, such as the one at (-86.2, 0.0, 79.1), had their access points properly placed.

    • Added more events logging for various transactoins

    • Plots with extra land have higher loading priority to prevent terrain popping

    • Fixed issue with Guards holding torches not emitting any light and also made it so that if the NPC has a weapon out they don't also hold a torch since the animations can conflict

    • Fixed grim reaper mask not accepting dyes

    • Roving Encounters: The loot in treasure chests that appear in Random Encounters is now immediately available and no longer delayed by 60 seconds.

    • Added sounds for Automatons

    • Harvest: fixed lootable chest in the bank

    • Player Owned Towns:

      • Added new POT maps to POT owners and bookstore vendor

      • Caladruin: Changed biome (from Swamp 01a to Tropical Island 01a). Rotated to "Left". SOTA-35655

      • Temples of Syrinx: Changed biome (from Tropical Island 01 to Tropical Island 01a). Rotated to "Left". Interconnections (changed nested interconnection from within Central Brittany to within Desolis).

      • Trysull: Changed biome (from Forest 01a to Forest 01b). Changed location.

      • Tenebrae: Added new POT (nested in Aerie).

      • Serpent's Watch (POT_mountain_metropolis_01_template): Upgraded to Town. SOTA-36119




    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R35 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Some plants for Agriculture

      • Some of the new recipes

      • Elven City Bundle



    • Charlotte NPC model is broken

    • Emotes that require an item held in the off-hand not working properly (ex. /fan, /spyglass, etc.)

    • Some wells and fountains don't provide water

    • Fountains and Wells placed in POTs will only provide water to the POT owner

    • Firedance Outfit looks wrong when worn on male avatar

    • Leather Kilt not being delivered with Flaming Bagpipe

    • Hold pose for Umbrella makes it clip through your head

    • /playsync not working for musical instruments

    • Lot Deeds cannot be purchased in Offline Mode

    • Rewards are not yet being delivered in Offline Mode

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2016-10-27 23:30:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 35 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    Greetings Avatars,

    Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.



    Tower of the Shuttered Eye: This entire storyline has been reworked to be better balanced based on where the player will be level wise along the Path of Love. In addition, this is now a required step for players on the Path of Love, so that new players do not attempt to run straight from Soltown to Necropolis. Many issues with the scene have been fixed (although there is no longer free treasure at the top) and in general this should be a much more appropriate area for adventurers from low to medium skill levels. Lastly, we have created a unique NPC face for the chief antagonist of this quest, Min Liang Tan.



    Ardoris Polish: We continued polish work on the City of Love. We did additional decoration improvements across the scene, particularly around NPC buildings such as the Guard Barracks, PVP Arena, Peladjar Inn, Tavern, and much more. Many visual effects were added, including insects and schools of fish, and a number of NPC behaviors were further improved as well including a morning gathering for Tai Chi. We have polished the Black Arrow side quest, in which the Avatar must track down a soulless serial killer who is stalking and killing the children of Ardoris. There is also a new side quest involving the special “bonds” of a relationship; visit the very... focused Zangoff the Blacksmith to start this new quest. Additionally we polished many of the conversations (typos, missing keywords, journal entry errors, etc.).

    Harvest: Harvest is located in the Verdantis region in the Northwest region of Novia. Originally a cloned scene using one of our PRT/POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka the “PaxLair template”), it was rebuilt in Release 35 to show the plot specific elements of the Norgard occupation and to display a heavily agrarian theme.



    Brittany Sewers: Some of you already know that there's something evil going on deep in the heart of the Brittany Sewers. Without spoiling too much for those of you who haven't been there, I think it's safe to reveal that there have been a handful of high-level enemies in a central room, and one of them has a key that gives you access to their treasure room. Some of this is changing with Release 35. The fight is now a wave-based battle instead of a crowd of enemies. Kill all enemies in a wave to start the next one. Defeat all waves to achieve victory. (The number of waves may change in the future.)

    Better Directions: When asking NPCs such as guards for directions, they will not only tell you where something or someone is if they know, but also unlock the Point of Interest on your compass. We've added many points of interest (such as the Soltown Catacombs in Soltown) which NPCs will give directions to as well. For R35, the following towns will have the ability to ask NPCs for directions to points of interest: Aerie, Ardoris, Braemar, Desolis, Etceter, Kingsport, Solania, and Soltown. Support for the following towns will be added in future patches: Jaanaford, Kiln, Owl's Head, Resolute, Spite, Valhold, Vertas, and Xenos.

    Roving Encounters: Shroud of the Avatar already has random encounters -- you'll be walking across the Novia or Hidden Vale overworld maps and, without warning, you'll be teleported into a small encounter scene. We like the idea of running into unexpected threats on the overworld, but the "without warning" part is less than ideal…so, as of Release 35, we're changing how random encounters are triggered. You won't be blindly caught by a Random Encounter anymore. We're replacing that part of the encounter system with new overworld enemies who will trigger encounters when you get too close. These overworld enemies will be similar to the ones you've battled countless times in adventure scenes, except they can't be engaged in actual combat. Instead, if you approach too close to the new overworld enemies and they see you, they'll run at you. If they get next to you, you'll be pulled into the encounter associated with them. For example, bandits will pull you into bandit encounters, while wolves pull you into a scene full of wolves. Once you see the enemy, you can walk around it to avoid the encounter or run toward it to force the encounter. If the enemy has already spotted you and you're quick, you can try to run away before the enemy catches up and keep the encounter from ever triggering. Both overworld maps have encounters scattered about. They might be wandering in the woods, meandering along a shoreline, or patrolling along a road. Initially, we'll be adding in common encounters like wolves, bandits, and undead. Over time, dragon encounters will return and we'll include other rare situations like merchants. Please note this means we have removed ALL the random encounters that were previously placed in the game.



    Encumbrance: Encumbrance has now been made more realistic in its behavior. Previously, players could carry any amount and still move at a decent speed. Focus would slowly drain away at a constant rate, but running out of focus would not prevent movement. In addition to not being very realistic, this behavior was also enabling some unwanted behaviors such as players mining for hours on end without the need to ever go back to town. Also, this was making it trivial to transport any amount of goods across the world with little effort. Starting in R35, encumbrance will slow the player and use focus fairly proportionally with the amount they are overloaded. Carrying twice the amount you’re supposed to will cut your movement speed in half and drain focus at a slow rate. Carry ten times the amount you should will make you move around a tenth your usual speed and also use ten times as much focus. There is a lower cap to how slow players can move but focus costs continue to rise. Additionally, running out of focus will now prevent movement until the player has a chance to rest and regain some focus. It is advised that players who are carrying an extreme amount of goods stop by a bank or their house and unload some extra weight before the patch. Otherwise, players might be in for a long slow crawl home the day after the patch! The exact math behind this will no doubt receive some further tuning based on feedback but be aware this is intended to inconvenience players who are trying to perform what would normally be considered impossible feats of carrying far more than was intended. In any scene with player housing, the speed penalty will be applied but not the focus loss to make carrying very heavy loads within town scenes less painful.

    Start Point Selection for Dynamic POTs: Owners of Dynamic Player-Owned Towns will now be able to use an in-game tool to pick which start point they want players to appear at when they first come into the scene. The choice will be from a list of pre-placed options and will include some locations along the edge of the scene as well as a few near the center of the scene. Note that, for POTs flagged for Open PvP, there will still be some randomization of the exact location to deter camping.

    Water Harvesting: The Novian Mercantile Guild’s monopoly on Bucketed Water has been broken! For now, citizens are free to gather unlimited water from wells and fountains. Get it while it lasts! Water Harvesting will expand to include other sources, including lakes and rivers (with unlimited refill), however some water sources such as rain barrels, wells, and fountains will have refill-over-time tech added. When that tech comes online it will govern how much water can be gathered from rain barrels, wells and fountains over a certain amount of time and how quickly they will refill.

    New Plants for Agriculture and Other Gathered Ingredients: In order to ensure that almost all ingredients for cooking can be gathered or grown (at least after purchasing seeds), we have added more plants to Agriculture including Lemons, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Wheat, etc. We have also added nuts to tree harvests, mushrooms to gathering, and insured that all meats can be field dressed from animals. At this point, there are only a very few outstanding ingredients that still have to be purchased, milk for example.

    Higher Tier Cooking Recipes: In Release 34, we revamped the Cooking system to introduce Tiered Recipes with the effects generated by consuming the food being based on the amount and types of ingredients. There are 6 tiers (0–5). In Release 34, we only had Tiers 0–2, which only affected Health and Focus Regen rates. In Release 35, we are adding 25 new Cooking Recipes all the way up to Tier 5 which make Fantastical and Special Foods that give more magical effects and can last much, much longer (but may also have negative effects).

    And much more including more Elven Bundles, Harvest & Autumn themed items, Unique NPC faces, combat balance, etc.! Click here for the complete R35 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-10-26 21:23:59 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #199 – 2016.10.21: Roving Encounters, Elad’s Lighthouse, Harvest, Graff Island, Critical Hit Balancing, Gold Crown Merchants, and More!

    [/img]

    It's Harvest time! This week's Update of the Avatar #199 covers Elad's Lighthouse, Harvest, and Graff Island scene polishing. Also, there are new changes to combat and roving encounters, and a few policy updates.

    Here is the complete lineup:

    • Roving Encounters
    • The Making of Elad’s Lighthouse
    • The Making of Harvest (cont)
    • The Making of Graff Island (cont)
    • Critical Hit Change (R34) and Upcoming Interrupt Change (R35)
    • Encumbrance Changes (R35)
    • Gold Crown Merchants Update
    • Recent Bans for Botting and Exploiting
    • Get Your 15% Black Friday Bonus Now!
    • Upcoming Events
    Get all of the details in this update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 34 and prepare for next week's Release 35 debut!


    [ 2016-10-22 00:44:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 11, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 34 are available in the forums.

    October 11, 2016

    Build Number 493, 11:45 AM


    • Fixes for player "rubber banding"

    • Spellbinder's stance now correctly allows it to be cast along with Shield of Air but NOT with other Stances.

    • Fix for targets can't be reached

    • Fix bug that causes salvage to fail while the relevant skill level is at least 100


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)



    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-10-11 19:04:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #197 – 2016.10.07: 15% Black Friday Bonus!, Breast Cancer Charity, House Deco Contest, Community Cloaks, 12 New POT Templates, and More!

    [/img]

    It's time for another Update of the Avatar! Just announced: 15% Black Friday Bonus! Plus, House Deco Contest, Community Cloaks, 12 New POT Templates, how to help us support Breast Cancer Research, and More!

    Here is the complete lineup:

    • Get Your 15% Black Friday Bonus
    • Starting Now!
    • Homes of New Britannia – House Decoration Contest
    • Clasped Gauntlets Cloak for Community Events
    • Breast Cancer Month
    • GDC Europe Interview: Lord British on the Virtues of Shroud of the Avatar
    • Markee Dragon and the Museum of the Avatar
    • Fancy Hand Fans
    • Policy Changes: Unclaimed Bundles & Pending Gifts of Pledges
    • 12 New POT Templates Now Available
    • New Elven Bundles, Spooky Value Packs, and Add-On Store Goodies
    • Upcoming Events
    Get all of the details in this update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 34!


    [ 2016-10-08 04:09:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Clasped Gauntlets Cloak for Community Events

    We believe very strongly that community events that extend into the real world are very important and we have always worked hard to support them. We have been considering for a long time now how players who attend these real world events can display their attendance inside the game.

    With all that in mind we came up with the Clasped Gauntlets Cloak! Any Shroud of the Avatar community event, of any size, is eligible to receive a cloak for each attendee. The organizer will need to submit a request for approval and then once approved provide a list of backers who attended. Large events can request a customized version of the cloak with a unique color scheme and a custom name.

    The first approved use of these customized versions are SotA Con East 2016 and Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Party (see below on how to get these rare exclusive versions of the cloak).

    [/img]

    SotA Con East 2016

    [/img]

    Special Cross Promotion: Anyone who backs both Shroud of the Avatar and SotA Con East 2016 will get a special custom Clasped Gauntlets Cloak in Blue and Yellow that says "SotA Con East 2016".

    Portalarium is excited to participate in the first ever community organized convention for Shroud of the Avatar - SotA Con East 2016! SotA developers and players alike will be gathering together for a casual for a casual weekend filled with exciting activities, engaging panel discussions, and of course plenty of gameplay sessions.

    SotA Con East runs from November 4-6, 2016 in Baltimore Inner Harbor, Maryland. Registration is still open, so get your tickets by visiting the official event site links below!

    [/img]

    SotA Con is entirely planned and funded by the players, for the players and developers. This once again shows how our passionate and dedicated players are creating exciting opportunities for the rest of the community, and succeeding magnificently.

    Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Bash!

    Special Cross Promotion: Anyone who backs both Shroud of the Avatar and the Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary will get a special custom Clasped Gauntlets Cloak in Blue and Silver that says "Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary".

    [/img]

    February 25-27, 2017 Disneyland, California, USA

    [/img]

    Join the Ultima Dragons as they celebrate twenty-five years of one of the oldest online fan-created gaming clubs! More than just a party, the Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Bash is a celebration of an entire online culture. We were one of the first communities to emerge from the early Internet, and our roots go even further back! It is this beginning, as a gaming club of Prodigy, that we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of today. Many factions of Ultima fans formed there in 1992, but only the Ultima Dragons survived.

    "We're going to Disneyland!" This decision was as random as the UDIC itself. We're bringing together Dragons from all over the world, many of whom are friends but have never met in person before, at the Happiest Place on Earth. The party will be kid-friendly, and all Dragons, their friends and family, and fans of the Ultima Dragons are invited. Those who have made the games we're fans of have also been fans of US for almost as long as we've been around, so we're inviting everyone who worked for Origin Systems or who currently works for Portalarium, the company currently making Shroud of the Avatar, the Ultimas' spiritual successor.

    To that end we're renting a "Fellowship Hall" in the Disneyland Hotel for the weekend of February 25th and 26th. You'll get to meet Origin Systems veterans Richard Garriott, Denis Loubet, and Dr. Cat, play games with Dragons and by Dragons, try out various Ultima games, and participate in some Ultima-inspired activities.


    [ 2016-10-07 20:58:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 7, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 34 are available in the forums.

    October 7, 2016

    Build Number 492, 11:45 AM


    • Fixed issue (hopefully) that was causing SFX to arbitrarily cut out

    • Novia and Hidden Vale: Slightly increased size of teleport triggers for boat-to-Novia/Hidden Vale. Decreased the size of teleport triggers for boats that connect to POT islands. (Note: This should dramatically reduce the chances that players will accidentally click on the Jade Island POT boat teleporter when trying to click on the boat-to-Novia.)

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fix for players getting stuck when teleporting to chairs. We now save last valid position before laying in bed or sitting in chair and restore that when getting up.

    • Fixed issue with spells interrupting during casting and messing up Global Cooldown

    • Fixed hair sorting issues with One Man Bands

    • Fixed issue where attempting to Tame a creature breaks game inputs until scene reload

    • Fixed bug that caused the death location skeleton to appear where the player was resurrected rather than where they died

    • Fixed bug that caused a pile of skeletons to appear where a single death occurred

    • Elysian Illumination will no longer damage party members for 0 points of damage.  Duration has also been increased as well as healing amount

    • Increasing Shadow bias on sky boxes to remove shadow acne.  This seems to have gotten worse with 5.4 upgrade.


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)



    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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




    [ 2016-10-07 17:41:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 6, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 34 are available in the forums.

    October 6, 2016

    Build Number 491, 11:50 AM


    • Fixed issue where mail packets were not being issued for Brittany Wharfs. Reset everyone's "I lost my mail" flag.

    • Easier to discover how to get the /shrug emote from the Shish in Desolis if you've already spoken to her once.

    • Fixed female zombie masks sorting issues

    • Fixed issue where you sometimes would get a tamed creature even when taming failed

    • Fixed theft detection in Guard Towers

    • Elysian Illumination now reveals hidden and damages undead as the description states

    • Fixed male kilts sorting poorly with legs while running

    • Central Brittany: Ensured all horses and cows are outside of stalls and in open areas good for taming

    • Updated text for moon skills to be more clear about when they are active.

    • Piercing breeze no longer stops movement by caster

    • Fixed a null pointer exception on fish schools that was making fish invisible

    • Fixed Charlotte's broken arm during cheer emote

    • Novia Overworld: Reassigned some hexes on/near the road around (-55.7, 16.3, 106.6) to be road (or grass) hexes instead of forest.

    • Backed out latest change to destructible barrel prefab, which shrunk all instances of this barrel in the game.

    • Brightbone Pass, Superstition Canyon: 3 of the 6 ladders near the Control Point had their trigger volumes blocked by the collision of the walls they were against. I expanded the trigger volumes and all ladders now work correctly.

    • Fixed issue that was causing game lockups on Mac & Linux

    • Whiteguard Foothills and clones: Smoothed out the terrain at (33.6, 74.8, -114.9) to help ensure NPCs don't walk into a little dip that used to be there which was deep enough to think they were falling and cause them to jump. They now walk smoothly up the slope.

    • Flapping bats flap more


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)



    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-10-06 18:52:46 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 5, 2016

    October 5, 2016

    Build Number 489


    • Fixed decoration functionality of Large Knight Tent.

    • Fixed windows in Shingle-Roof Two Story w/ Overhang

    • Enter key should now work for "Do you want to quit?" dialog.

    • Solace Bridge: Fixed bed scaling and moved pillow.

    • Crafting tools should now appear in hand when crafting

    • Mariah Overlook: Swapped in properly configured snowy tents across the scene.

    • Stewards can now place/move PoT Broadcast Phonographs.

    • Brittany: Fixed bug in Castle Walls/Architecture.

    • Added /datafolder command to open file explorer to the AppData folder.

    • Vertas Pass: Tightened up the teleporter volume that are part of the Control Point, to ensure players who push against the related houses don't push into a too-large teleporter volume.

    • Fix bug that caused bags to turn red when you pick them up and drop them back into the same parent bag

    • Central Brittany: Floating bowl near (360.0, 46.0, 198.6) is now sitting on nearby table. Pavilion and adjacent building at (380.1, 29.9, 305.8) were moved slightly so that pavilion frame no longer crashes through adjacent buildings. Welcome mat at (392.1, 25.9, 313.1) now sits on the ground. Bookcase at (218.6, 96.4, 70.8) no longer clips into wall behind it.

    • More fixes for One Mand Band visuals

    • Allow "street" lamps to be placed on player house exterior floor surfaces

    • Increased effectiveness of passive skills that affect critical hit chance.

    • Fixed broken materials on female grim reaper mask 2016

    • Fix persistence of equipped decks when deleting an equipped deck while an alternate is set

    • Overworld party shield now works for random encounter scenes. Also "Resume on Overworld" works for random encounter scenes.


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)



    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-10-05 21:26:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 4, 2016

    October 4, 2016

    Build Number 488 7:00 PM CDT


    • Aerie town crier not giving mail rewards has been fixed.

    • Moving a player corpse along with ghost has been fixed.

    • Replaced Atmosphere material with a transparent material (Clear Alpha) for the Isle of Storms sky.

    • Updated icons for non-combat pets: Ghost Dog, Cat, and Raven; Zombie Dog, Cat, and Raven; Giant Monarch Butterfly

    • Fixed Cocoon of Night description typo

    • One-man band: Repositioned Gear01 and skinned it to rig. Fixed other skinning issues on all the LODs.

    • Fixed issues with Adobe Two-Story w/ Three Level Terrace player house

    • Fixed torso disappearing on female avatar.

    • Level loading navigation optimizations.

    • Fixed ladder targets in Haunted House.

    • Editing pass performed on all Ardoris guard dialogs for plot compliance and coherence

    • Added 5 skulls on a spike decoration at the entrance to Far Hinterlands on the overworld map.

    • Fix for player positions being out of sync. Updated remote player movement (increase send rate, alter interpolation/extrapolation method)

    • Small, medium, and large stone ruins can now have decoration items placed on them.

    • Fixed sleeping guards floating next to beds.

    • Plains Random Encounter did not have the "Random Encounter" flag, now it does.

    • Fixed impassable secret passage in haunted house.

    • Weapon miss sounds added.

    • Time bonus for fire passives now works on Immolation effect.

    • Fixed loot bug that caused the corpse or resource node to remain visible after it was looted.

    • Placed gear joint on one-man band over new gear and fixed all "lute" animations to work with new rig.


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)



    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-10-05 02:02:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 4, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! How to Play instructions and game update notes on Release 34 are available in the forums.

    October 4, 2016

    Build Number 487 11:45 AM CDT


    • Fixed performance issue with Soothing Rain

    • Fixed hold issue with Cordovan Harp for female avatars

    • Playing broken music files no longer causes client to freeze/crash

    • Hitting escape while playing an instrument now stops playing the instrument.

    • Added smoke loop to succeed the rings/hearts.

    • Fixed bug where smoke burst could be performed without a pipe.

    • Added cane/torch to smoke emote so they don't disappear when you smoke

    • Lord Robinson in Resolute will once again accept his scout's report.

    • Stanley in Soltown no longer asks for Edvard's notes if you've already shown them to him.

    • More current task support for Ardoris sniper quest added.

    • Flute is now on the correct side on One Man Bands

    • Fixed issue where summoned Skeletons/Liches would immediately lose a large chunk of their health

    • Various typo fixes in converslation dialogs in Clink and Blood River

    • Increased based durability on Bone Armor

    • Novia: Shadowmist buildings now sit solidly on the surface of Novia's terrain.

    • Spiderweb cloak names updated to reflect add-on store names corrrectly

    • Added SFX for Zombie pets

    • Fix for slime creatures failing to respawn.

    • Cugel once again accept's Stanley's notes from Soltown

    • Fixed a few incorrect animal head drops (for trophy heads)

    • Estgard: Made sure Duke Island Terrains were enabled, they were accidentally disabled in the scene.

    • Nyrond in Etceter Crag Mines once again drops copies of the Mors Ex Tenebris to people who are on the associated quest.

    • Set type on cinamon bark so it shows up under crafting tab in inventory

    • Fixed hair problems in One Man Bands

    • Fixed missing materials on Lute & Drum in One Man Bands

    • Fixed Slime spawn rates in Etceter Crag Mines

    • The Rise: Fixed stuck spot in Huge Statue.

    • More updates to Names Blacklist

    • Fixed error that occurred when trying to transfer a tax-free deed to another lot and was getting "need to pay Past Due Fee" message

    • Fixed rounding issue with current health at max that was showing player health not being at maximum

    • Saying "bye" or "farewell" to Edvard in Solace Bridge correctly ends the conversation if used before crossing the bridge.

    • Set Iolo's Lute to be repaired via carpentry - fixed other instruments that could not be repaired

    • Fixed invisible aeronaut helm for female avatar

    • Made Elven Elder Robes Dyable (seriously)

    • Flattened lots in Solania to correct errors related to fence placement. Made same corrections in Mud and West End

    •  Fixed incorrect notes and missing instrument sounds for One Man Bands

    • Added Miss Sounds to All Weapons

    • Fixed uneven terrain at a lot locaiton in Owls Head

    • Fixes for Wedding Dress

    • Fixed issue where the Damaged Armor icon was not disabling after repairing gear

    • POT Crag: Changed overworld exit hex coordinates for POT Crag - center of hex encompassing town deco is over water, so used adjacent hex. Also changed hex coordinates for Etceter, as it was exiting on top of deco for POT Bladewyke.

    • Set all instruments to durability 0 since they are not weapons used in combat (at least not until we have Bards!)

    • Added a check to make sure a decoration item is actually consumable before giving an option to pick it up and use it

    • Fixed oracle in PoTs not giving experience for quest

    • Changed tree clearing distance in towns back to how it was

    • Fixed mml song file playback for musical instruments.

    • Fixed issue where band files would end abruptly after the shortest track was completed

    • Fixed calculations and reporting of Inner Strength and Strength of Earth Modifiers

    • Fixed issue with banish undead weapon proc having extra effects triggering

    • Updated Street organ SFX and fixed bugs with clipping, added maschine loop

    • All Chests : SFX updated, new sounds

    • Removed house sign from a playerhouse prefab that shouldn't be there

    • Wynton's Folly: Adjusted the awareness, leash, and wander ranges of Riel Firefeather (phoenix) to better accommodate the local plateau and navigation rules. S

    • Made all customizable items (signs & gravestones) non-stackable since they would lose their customized text when stacke

    • Control Points: Added a fix to ensure perks always appear on final waves. Improved the ladders near the Control Point in Brightbone Pass and Superstition Canyon to ensure NPCs can use them. Fixed first cage door in Brightbone Pass to ensure it opens at the end of the second wave like it's supposed to.


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)



    • Female Avatar torso disapears at certain angles and distances

    • Avatar positions are sometimes out of synch and can even lead to unexpected death!

    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-10-04 18:42:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: October 3, 2016

    Release 34
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    October 3, 2016

    Build Number 485 11:45 PM CDT


    • Fixed it so that we no longer a apply "Crafted By" name to stackable crafted items (arrows, ingots, etc)

    • Chillblain's Compendium of Pain and Suffering: Swapped subdividing slimes with more challenging non-dividing slimes in room 7

    • Emma recognizes "poem" as a keyword when turning Japeth's poem in for her to critique.

    • Novia and Hidden Vale Overworld: Used correct overworld tier marker for Graff Gem Mines Entrance, as well as for one other Novia scene and a Hidden Vale scene.

    • Bloodriver Massacre (and Bloodriver Aftermath): Fixed non-interactive barn door and fixed stuck spot.

    • Fixed female black angel wings clipping at shoulders

    • Fixed Viking and Virtue cloak's fur mantle not showing light properly

    • Stone Ruins (all 3 sizes) added to game

    • Removed 2 Ardoris guards that were discovered to have no conversations.

    • Fixed disappearing hand while playing accordions

    • Adjusted lights in the 2016 Jack o Lanterns.

    • Fixed extra non-interactive door and graphics bug with balcony on 4-story Elven Rowhouse.

    • Oracle Watchers: Reduced the population in scenes where there were too many Oracle Watchers.

    • Aerie: Corrected position of evening trigger for Ship Captain Xander Elonson.

    • Added deco surfaces to shelves in haunted house so now items can be placed on them.

    • Sanctus Spine: Corrected issues with Control Point not having properly prepped default values.

    • Brittany Fields: Fixed the ladder teleport targets for the short palisade walls with ladders, ensuring players properly appear on the ground when going down.

    • POT Rift's End: Adjusted location of this POT post-Novia overhaul, 2 hexes to the west.

    • Brittany Fields: Made sure terrain on player lot was flat.

    • More additions to names blacklist

    • Ardoris: Expanded leashes of all guards in scene.

    • Fixed various exceptions and error messages

    • Fixed Kiln guard missing head.

    • Fixed placement issues on Stone Ruins decorations

    • Charlotte Gray in Solace Bridge no longer has an infinitely reverberating crying sound effect.

    • Fixed missing cloth physics on male Viking cloaks

    • Global adjustments to audio volume

    • Isle of storms minor bug audio fixed

    • SFX : Added audio to Pet Proxys

    • Fixed loot bundle on Ghost Corpion- gave him normal ghost loot bundle since skinning a ghost scorpion is crazy - fixed loot bundle tiers on other Corpions

    • Fixed issues with Tent Decorations that cannot be placed

    • Fixed fireworks volume not being linked to distance

    • PRT Grumridge: This town is no longer marked as "party only" and "return at start point." (It never should have been.) S

    • Fixed Spellbinder's Stance icon

    • Soltown SFX: all audio made to be 3d sources and linked to volume sliders

    • Fixed broken skeleton NPCs in Necropolis (and elsewhere

    • Fixed bent drumsticks on Lute & Drum One Man Band

    • Fixed translucent female eyebrows

    • Adjusted colliders on Gold Rug decoration to allow better placement

    • Caravassos in the Epitaph awards the Pontificate emote for avatars that may have been locked out from it earlier

    • Necropolis: Reworked the terrain at (112.9, -6.4, 366.8) to ensure NPCs can walk through this section of hallway.

    • Fixed decoration placement issues in Edelmann Benefactor home

    • Necropolis: Crystal resource nodes in area of (18.7, -11.1, 255.9) are now dynamically spawned, yellow (more appropriate for the region of the world), and respawn "extremely slow" (after 60 minutes, because there are no defending NPCs).

    • The Epitaph: Removed small duplicate light effect object at exit point, and adjusted positioning of valid one.

    • Fixed runic fonts on Overworld banners

    • Fixed the internal plaster material in the Shingle Roof homes

    • Resource Nodes: Fixed the global scale of the resource nodes so they should all appear noble (first reported in Whiteguard Foothills).

    • The Catpocalypse of 2016 has ended. (NPCs no longer attack cats)

    • Particle fix on light spell

    • Fix for resurrecting pet not being permanent.  Fix previously permadead necklace not allowing a new creature to be tamed.

    • Fixed specular shader materials for edges of mouth and eyes on avatars

    • Large Ornate Stone Fireplace 9-Pack (digital) no longer delivers contents for Large Ornate Stone & Wood Fireplace

    • Allen the Barman in Desolis correctly gives the "sigh" emote when talking about living in a swamp.

    • Fixed leashing distance on Troll in Obsidian Keep

    • Fixed SFX for the Ghost pets

    • Fixed Tanya Cumpston's dialog in Ardoris so she will be more likely to tell her troubles to a passing avatar.

    • Fixed equip slot definition for Street Organ for female avatars

    • Novia Overworld: Added overworld tile template to hex for Gladsheim - was somehow removed at some point. Also cleaned up the overworld terrain/town deco a little for Gladsheim while I was there - houses were sunk into the hillside a bit.

    • Removed displays of lot selection group number on Account Page as not relevant anymore

    • Made town tile types on Overworld have full movement speed.

    • Fixed issues with decorations in Shinge Roof Town Home

    • Fixed face on Zombie dog

    • Fixed Wolf Hat deforming when Avatar blinked

    • Added shutters to Wood & Plaster 4-story row-house and Shingle-roof 2-Story home

    • Fixed issue where home pets were not patrolling on house lots

    • Adjusted lighting intensity at starting area of Isle of Storms map

    • Kiln Cistern: Replaced all one-way ladders in scene with two-way ladders, including chain-suspended ladder.

    • Small Stone Ruins recipe

    • Fixed coal not being recognized in Alchemy for Astrolabe recipe

    • Fixed Copper ingots not being recognized in Carpentry for Street Organ

    • Gothic Mansion: Fixed walls not accepting decorations and visual bugs with front door

    • POT Brewood: Corrected exit hex coordinates for Brewood

    • Rectangular lamp props placed in POTs now produce light again

    • Fixed wall jutting out in Elven 4-Story Row House

    • Fixing Bow Interface Icons to make them more visible in the interface (especially the Paper-doll)

    • Fixed issue where "Out of range" atempts to tame targets caused 100% collar loss.

    • Restored missing shutters on Wood & Plaster 4 Story Row House

    • Fixed window rendering issue in Blue Tile Roof 4-Story Row House

    • Ardoris General store sells recipes for trophy heads (for now)

    • Restored interior windowpanes to Shingle-Roof Row Houses

    • Fixed scale of Campfire globally

    • Player vendors are once again accepting new listings

    • Extended the interactive collision on the Breakaway Cave Wall to make it easier to use these in tight spaces (like caves!)

    • LifeDrain and DeathRay visuals no better align to targets

    • Smoke emotes should now be visible on Mac and Linux

    • All player owned towns have had dedicated banker NPCs added; town criers in those towns have enough to do without juggling bank balances.

    • The Master Trainers in Brittany Wharfs have names that although are placeholder copies of other NPCs in Novia correctly denote what they train. Please note that for R34 other trainers do not know about these new Masters.

    • Many NPCs in Ardoris set to bark much less frequently and only when in sight.

    • Fix for Ardoris lover not having a name assigned

    • Ardoris merchants no longer try to walk around stalls to talk to players.

    • Fixed issue involving turning in pre-R34 mail to Desolis town crier. Added ability to reset whether one is delivering mail, once per month, to fix players caught with "lost" mail.

    • Party leader changing instances no longer causes other party members in different match-making mode to also switch instances.


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)

      • /sigh emote learnable from NPC



    • Oracle Confessions don't give gold in POT Confirmatories

    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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





    [ 2016-10-03 19:09:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #196: Play R34 Now, Q4 Schedule, R33 Lot Raffle Winners, R34 Postmortem, Telethon, Inside Portalarium, and More!

    [/img]

    This week's Update of the Avatar #196 is filled with all sorts of Halloween goodies! Also included are details about the Q4 Schedule, R33 Lot Raffle Winners, R34 Postmortem, Fall into Winter Telethon, and an inside looked at Portalarium by Markee Dragon!

    Here is the complete lineup:

    • Play Release 34 Now!
    • Q4 2016 Schedule
    • Release 33 Lot Deed Raffle Winners
    • Release 34 Postmortem Invite
    • Fall into Winter Telethon of the Avatar
    • Markee Dragon’s: Portalarium Inside Look + Shooter Jennings
    • New Halloween Goodies, Musical Instruments, and Fireplaces
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Get all of the details in this update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 34!


    [ 2016-10-01 16:16:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Fall into Winter Telethon - Nov. 28th at 12PM CDT

    [/img]

    Avatars! Are you ready to join us and continue celebrating the biggest event to hit New Britannia since the great cataclysm itself? Today, we’re announcing the ‘Fall Into Winter’ Telethon!

    What exciting events can you expect throughout the day? An array of fun activities and engaging content, many of which you can directly participate in with us in-game! We are also giving away a ton of fabulous prizes, and if the stretch goals shown below are met, we will add that amazing new content to the game.

    As usual, your questions will be answered throughout the event. You can pre-post your questions in the main announcement's comments section linked below, or post questions during the telethon in Discord chat.

    Visit the Fall into Winter Telethon main announcement for details!


    [ 2016-09-30 21:52:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Patch Notes: September 29, 2016

    Release 34
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 34! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    September 29, 2016

    Build Number 483 4:00 PM CDT


    • Changed name from "Letter_Default" to "Letter Default"

    • Fizzle rate on Bone Armor changed to be half way between Leather and Chain

    • Fixes to Black Arrow dialog and barks

    • Vyncent the Ardoris castle guard now responds to name requests

    • Interrupt fishing when taking damage.

    • Can now equip One Man Bands on Female Avatars

    • Fixed being able to cast friendly spells on dead friendlies.

    • Changed reticle to use friendly target icon for all friendly targets, not just ones that have an interaction.

    • Fixed display time on effects for skills to display properly (ex. Discharge)

    • Fixed music in front-end screens

    • Fixed Stovepipe hats creating bald spots

    • Fixed list filter input field bug - enter key now submits the input instead of adding a new line character

    • Cleaned up leg (a little bit) on female field dressing. Arm no longer intersects thigh.

    • Fixed one man band hats and shirts floating and texture issues

    • Fixed Abigail in Soltown referring to Charlotte's location.

    • Crank mechanism added to Ornate 5 Piece One Man Band

    • Fixed Ice Field visuals to center on targeted area properly

    • Set crafted gravestones to be POT decos

    • Fixed Avatars not updating for others in the scene when using ladders

    • Soltown worm salesman now has his own unique dialog.

    • Fixed animation issues with One Man Band

    • Ardoris: Added chairs in front of fireplace and set Samael and Kardan up to use them. Moved Fiona. Swapped out table for slightly smaller one, changed its orientation and swapped bench out for single chair. Removed chair interest from Fiona FitzOwen to keep her from trying to take Samael and Kardan's chairs.

    • Brittany Central: Fixed incorrectly shifted NPC house. Moved For Sale signs that were blocking doors to some Row Homes.

    • South Drachvald Spur: Fix for enemies going inside mountains due to skills that move enemies (Knockback/Gust/Push)

    • Recipes for Marching Band Outfit: 2 shirts, 2 hats

    • Brittany Sewers & Brittany Graveyard: Fixed teleporter door from crypt in Brittany Sewers to Brittany Graveyard.

    • Fixed related crafting flags

    • Recipe for Spider Leg Wearable Cloak

    • Recipe for Stovepipe Hat

    • Added raw meat to butchery merchants

    • Fixed Ornate Spider Legs wearable going into Chest slot instead of Back slot on Female Avatars

    • Fixed "E" interact hotkey bug - Now we only perform a Take All for open loot containers and chests on lots, not for open containers nested in the player's backpack

    • Auto attack now only happens for creatures that are hostile toward you, or are your selected target.

    • Fixed decoration issues with Edelmann benefactor house.

    • Fixed shutters eclipsing window panes in Rowhouses.

    • Brittany Wharfs: Covered up hole in terrain.

    • Fixed visual bugs with Elven 3 and 4 story Rowhouses.

    • Fixed missing stair collision in Stucco two story w/ alcove Rowhouses.

    • Fixed impassable space in Aerie tavern

    • Estgard: Fixed terrain bug preventing you from accessing bridge.

    • Fixed taming over a summoned pet - now removes summoned pet

    • Fix for Accordions not showing up on character sheet

    • Trophy Heads: Added Bear & Wolf Trophy Head recipes and those creatures now drop specific heads for the trophy decorations

    • Necropolis Entrance: Removed invisible wall

    • Crypt of the Avatar: Fixed bug where if you chose "Start on World Map" on return it would send you to Hidden Vale instead of Novia

    • Kingswood, Shadowmist, Highiron, Lochfield, Greyacre, Greystone, Holtrot, Righ Inis, and Valemark: Flattened player lots in 5 locations.

    • Owl's Nest Mine: Pushed table closer against wall to fix stuck spot

    • Fixed some typos on Wax Cylinders for Custom POT music for Rat's Nest

    • Players who purchased the "Ornate Stone & Wood Large Fireplace/Chimney" set should now start getting it

    • Fixed Lamp SFX generators to be 3D so they would not play on load and not create random loud noises during game play

    • Adjusted albedo color on guards, which was dimming materials too much

    • Added footstep events to bow run cycles so there are now footstep sounds for bow combat

    • Updates to Names Blacklist

    • Moved ladder in 3 story Viking Rowhouse to more realistic position.

    • Recipe for Training Dummy

    • 2016 Spooky Soundtrack


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R34 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • New POT templates in the POT Submission Form

      • Stone Ruins (recipe and Add-Ons)

      • Bagpipe Recipe

      • Some of the Fireplaces (Add-Ons)

      • Ornate Marching Band Shirt and Hat (Add-Ons)

      • Ornate One Man Band (Add-On)

      • Ornate Accordion (Add-On)

      • Ornate Spider Leg Wearable (Add-On)

      • 3 and 4 Story Elven Row House Bundles (Add-On)

      • /sigh emote learnable from NPC

      • 2016 Jack O Lanterns and Masks (Add-On)

      • Zombie and Ghost Pets (Add-On)

      • Elf Mask (Add-On)

      • Spider Web Cloaks (Add-On)

      • Dead Trees (Add-On)

      • Gallows (Add-On)

      • Dungeon Iron Cages (Add-On)



    • Oracle Confessions don't work in POT Confirmatories

    • Various visual anomalies with all versions of the One Man Bands

    • Various issues with Sound Effects and Music (sfx not effected by volume sliders, odd popping noises, no music in main menu, etc)

    • Portable Aetheric Amplifier (aka Headphones) will sometimes stop working

    • AMD A8 Graphics Chipsets do not work with Unity Games including Shroud

    • Crafted Street Organ does not work

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-09-29 22:51:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Q4 2016 Schedule Update

    [From a forum post by Starr "Darkstarr" Long]

    Greetings Avatars,

    As we have stated previously, our goal is to once-per-quarter post an updated schedule for our monthly releases. Even though these goals will likely change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to provide you an updated roadmap periodically.

    Our goal continues to be to deliver our backers content each and every month so that we can get feedback and use it to iterate improvements. This continues to benefit the game, sometimes with sweeping changes like the switch over to use-based advancement. Meeting that monthly goal is our highest priority, but we require flexibility in our deliverables in order to meet that goal. As you have seen in previous releases, sometimes we push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

    For the fourth quarter of 2016, we will continue to polish the Path of Love while moving on to the Path of Courage. We will continue to expand Crafting with focus on Cooking, Food, Agriculture, Alcohol, and Fishing in particular. Combat will continue to be balanced and will expand to include cover as well as a refactor of Damage Types and Resistances. Town Sieges and Roving Encounters will also come online to greatly expand our feature set.



    As always, all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change as we adjust our designs based on direct feedback from you, our backers.

    RELEASE 35, October 27, 2016


    • Story: The Path of Love will continue to be polished with a focus on the Tower of the Shuttered Eye along with continued work on Ardoris. We will also continue polish on the Path of Courage.

    • Multiplayer Combat Balance: A pass will be made through combat skills, creature stats, player stats, advancement rates, zone difficulties, and other values for continued balance of multiplayer combat. We may also create additional skills, spells, and combos.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing:  POT Owners will now be able to select from a set of start points for their town. Also, new housing content will appear; including new Elven homes for the Elven bundles and Testing Incentive Program decorations. Finally, updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

    • Offline Reward Delivery: Reward delivery for Offline Mode will become available to players using this mode to play.

    • Roving Encounters: Potential encounters (wandering merchants, monsters, etc.) will appear on the overworld for players to engage (or avoid).

    • Crafting: Cooking, Food, and Agriculture will be the focus of Release 35, with one of the major goals being the reduction in reliance on purchasing ingredients from NPC merchants to cook food. This means increasing the number of plants in Agriculture and polishing Agriculture itself, including the addition of features like water harvesting. We also hope to add Alcohol recipes and Teachable Recipes. Finally, the visual effect for items that have been Enchanted or Masterworked will be redone.

    • Character: Ardoris will be the first city where we begin adding region specific clothing (Japanese themed) for the residents, including unique armor for guards, clothing for citizens, and regalia for royalty. Work will also continue on Summer Telethon items, including Flaming Bagpipes and Firedancing.





    RELEASE 36, November 17, 2016

    • Story: Path of Love polish will continue but primary focus will begin shifting to the Path of Courage with special attention on Estgard. We also hope to have the new PVP area begin coming online with the town area first.

    • Combat: We plan to refactor how Damage Types and Resistances work to better balance different weapon types, spell schools, and creature types against each other. This will also improve the variety of crafted items.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing: Towns with player housing will now dynamically update their icon on the Overworld based on various data, including number of claimed lots and online population. Additionally we will continue to expand the Dynamic POT Tool set. Also Obsidian homes for the Obsidian bundles will come online. Finally, updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

    • Crafting: Crafting will be refactored to include the new Damage Types and Resistances. We will also add more Enchantments and Masterwork modifiers, including some related to Celestial Mechanics.

    • Character: We will begin work polishing the Kobolds and updating them to better reflect their lore (much of the technology in Novia can be attributed to them). We will also work on the Testing Incentives Program Wearables and Summer Telethon items.

    • Social: Guilds will now be able to form alliances with each other and we will be introducing a new default guild for all new players called the Outlander Guild.






    RELEASE 37, December 15, 2016

    • Story: The Path of Courage polish will continue with focus on Harvest and Resolute. We will also continue expansion of the new PVP area with the addition of the dungeons area. Finally, the NPC Conversation System will be getting a much needed refactoring and polish pass.

    • Town Sieges: The first iteration of Town Sieges will come online where periodically you will have to fight through battle lines to get into and out of a town under siege by the 8 Obsidian Cabalists.

    • Combat: The cover system will be introduced and will modify attack and defense values when you (or your target) are behind cover.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing: The first iteration of Player Owned Town Blessings will go live where monuments placed in POTs will grant long term buffs whose power and/or duration will be based on the population of the town. Also, more Obsidian homes for the Obsidian bundles will appear. The ability to Rent Rooms in a player home will start to become available to homeowners. Additionally, work will begin on the first Static POTs. Finally, updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

    • Crafting: Fishing will get an expansion and polish pass. We will also expand weapon recipes to include more visual variants (Elven, Norgard, Obsidian, Kobold).

    • Character: Valhold will be the second city where we begin adding region specific clothing (Viking themed) for the residents, including unique armor for guards, clothing for citizens, garb for merchants, and regalia for royalty. We will also begin introducing the first of the Obsidian Cabalists.





    We continue to be incredibly thankful for the support we receive from this amazing community. While the funding you provide makes all of this possible, it pales in comparison with the faith you have in us, the feedback you provide us, and the content you are making for everyone to enjoy. We are humbly grateful, and we cannot wait to see you again in New Britannia!

    Before I go, I wanted to include an excerpt from my original post about our Early Release Schedule that is important to set the framework for our ongoing schedule:

    As a crowd funded and crowd sourced project, we feel it is incredibly important that we provide our backers with information and access well before game studios would normally do so in a traditional development model. Traditionally, the players are given information and access only after the development team has already decided exactly how things will be done, and at times, even after it has already been implemented. By the time the public normally has access to the product, there is usually no time to meaningfully react to the public feedback.


    Shroud of the Avatar is different than the traditional model, as we intend to offer our backers extremely early access to information and even the game itself. With that said, we also want to be very careful that we only provide access to portions of the game when they are ready for a wider range of feedback. If we can play it internally and we know it is not ready, then there is nothing to be gained by having a wider audience come to the same conclusion. In fact, it could be quite damaging to do so.


    Our strategy over the next few months is to provide you with focused and iterative releases of content. Your feedback during these releases will be critical to making the final product the best it can be, and we appreciate that you are all so willing to devote your time to helping us. With each release, we will have specific tests we will ask you all to make. As we get closer, we will send instructions on how to download, install, report bugs, etc. After each release we will review the results and reevaluate the plan including the duration of availability of each release. Please note that game data will be wiped periodically during early access.


    It is important to note that all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change.


    Sincerely,
    Starr Long
    Executive Producer
    Shroud of the Avatar


    [ 2016-09-29 16:51:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 34 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.



    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 34 access for all backers begins this Thursday, September 29, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    Release 34 is our first chance since persistence to really analyze our current set of data and begin to execute major steps towards balancing and polishing Combat and the Economy. Additionally Crafting got a major expansion with 45 new recipes, including our first recipe built from difficult to obtain rares (Bone Armor) and a refactor of how food works that makes it much more relevant to game play.

    Economic Balance:As described in my forum post, we are making several changes to provide more gold to casual players. Those changes include Daily Oracle Confessions (500 gold), increased experience and gold rewards for Path of Love Quests, Outlander Tracking Program (100 gold per town), Mail Quests expansion, and First Bind Point reward.

    Combat Balance and New Skills: also received a lot of attention, with over 20 balance changes related to skills, taming, health / focus regen rates, and critical hits. We also added several new skills including new healing skills outside of Life Magic and new reactive skills.



    Bone Armor: Bone Armor, a new type of armor, is crafted at a Tailoring table from bones refined at a Carpentry station (the first armor to involve Carpentry). It has the attributes of Heavy Armor (high Damage Avoidance) but it is actually classified as Light Armor, so when Masterworked, your modifiers will be Light Armor modifiers and your skills used with it will be Light Armor skills. It also has very high durability, making it ideal for Enchanting and Masterworking. However, the bones needed to craft it are exceedingly difficult to acquire. In addition to the normal Tailoring, Carpentry, and Smithing ingredients (leather, cloth, thread, wax, metal etc.) Bone Armor requires parts from Dragons, Phoenixes, Demons, and Tier 5 Skeletons.



    Cooking and Food: We are finally making the eating of Food relevant to gameplay. Health and Focus regeneration have been slowed down (see Combat section below) and now eating Food is the primary way to increase those rates. We have also made it so food (and other consumables like Potions) can be used from inventory via double-click or right-click while you are not in combat. They no longer have to be used from the shortcut bar. In fact, food is no longer part of the deck system at all. We have also expanded the types of foods you can eat to include raw foods like fruit, not just prepared foods. These raw foods will offer very small, short buffs. Finally, foods will now be tiered in their effects based on the amount and types of ingredients. There are 6 tiers. In Release 34, we still only have Tiers 0–2, but we are planning to expand into the higher tiers in future releases. Normal Food will affect Health and Focus Regen rates while Fantastical and Special Foods will give more magical effects (but may also have negative effects).

    Path of Love Polish: We continue to polish the Path of Love to bring it up to the level of a Lord British experience. In Release 34, our main focus was on the Necropolis where we added an NPC at the entrance of the Necropolis Barrens to warn newer players to keep to the road. Said road now goes from the entrance of the Necropolis Barrens to the Necropolis itself and is properly marked, and safer than traveling through the other parts of the Barrens. We also added a new spirit named Lacey (after our fallen community member) to the entrance of the Necropolis. The spirit talker you hired in Ardoris will now accompany you through the Necropolis and fight alongside you (note: not all spirit talkers are created equal) and warn you if you veer into dangerous areas. The difficulty of some of the monsters has been toned down (the terror of the poison spiders will live on in memory). Additionally, the ending is clearer as to what is expected to happen next, and the player can exit if they wish directly into the next part of the story. We also continued polishing Ardoris as well.



    Halloween: Of course I have to mention our favorite time of the year: Halloween! We had to make sure that the game was filled with enough spooky content this year so we went over the top! The scary items range from ghostly pets to gross emotes, to ghastly costumes, all the way up to a Gothic (aka Haunted) Mansion!



    Estgard (Unclone Polish): Estgard is on the island of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene using one of our PRT/POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka “the PaxLair template”). In Release 33, we did an initial rebuild (aka "uncloning") of that scene where we added a plot-specific perimeter wall and a handful of other visual changes to have it more closely match the Viking like style of the island of Norgard. In Release 34, we did a more thorough rebuild of the area to bring it up to our visual standards. When we start focusing on the Courage Path in a future release, it will also get an NPC polish pass. NOTE: When we unclone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.



    R33 Lot Deed Raffle Winners: The drawing will be held right before R34 goes live and we will announce the winners on Friday September 30 in Update 196 for the 675 Lot Deeds.

    R34 Lot Deed Raffle: R34 will be our second Lot Deed Raffle and there will be another 675 Lot Deeds available. Raffle tickets will again be available for purchase. However in addition for those backers who do not yet own property, we are going to automatically enter you into both Raffles in Release 34! Anyone who has game access to Shroud of the Avatar, but does NOT yet own property at the beginning of Release 34 (September 29, 2016), will automatically be given a gift of 1 Raffle Ticket of each type to the R34 Raffle. To claim your tickets, simply login to the game, go to the nearest bank and claim your rewards. The drawings will be held on October 27, 2016 and winners will be announced shortly thereafter. Deeds will be delivered in Release 35.

    And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R34 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-09-29 02:16:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #195: The Passing of Lacey, More Estgard Polish, Hometown Returns, Spotlight: Bastion’s Point

    [/img]

    In this week's update we lead with our thoughts to the passing of a well known community member, Lacey, whom we will all miss. Also in the update, read more about the continued polish of Estgard, the permanent establishment of Hometown, and peruse a showcase of the variety of fireplaces and chimneys set for Release 34.

    Here is the complete lineup:

    • The Passing of Lacey
    • More Estgard Polish
    • Community Spotlight: Relaxing in Bastion’s Point – Player Owned Town
    • Hometown
    • Fireplaces & Chimneys Update: Ornate Iron Fireplaces
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Job Openings (3)
    Get all of the details in this update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 34!


    [ 2016-09-24 04:03:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #194: Richard Garriott Attending SotA Con, New Halloween Items, Estgard Polish Pass, and More!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #194 has arrived! Richard Garriott is confirmed to attend SotA Con, Estgard gets a complete polish pass, new content coming just in time for Halloween, and we're also attending the local Austin Game Conference next week!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • Estgard Polish
    • Lord British and Darkstarr Attending SotA Con
    • Shroud in the News
    • R33 Postmortem Recap
    • Shroud at the Austin Games Conference
    • Halloween Content
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Job Openings (3)
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 33!


    [ 2016-09-17 00:53:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    SotA Con – A Shroud of the Avatar Fan Convention – Nov. 4-6, 2016

    [/img]

    Hail Avatars!

    Portalarium is excited to participate in the first ever community organized convention for Shroud of the Avatar – SotA Con East 2016! SotA developers and players alike will be gathering together for a casual for a casual weekend filled with exciting activities, engaging panel discussions, and of course plenty of gameplay sessions.

    SotA Con East runs from November 4-6, 2016 in Baltimore Inner Harbor, Maryland. Registration is still open, so get your tickets by visiting the official event site links below!

    Developers Attending



    Richard “Lord British” Garriott
    Creative Director

    “I am humbled and thrilled to be speaking at SotA Con. It’s amazing how passionate our community is in supporting each other around such a great idea as this event, which is entirely organized and driven by the community itself. Even if you are not yet a player of Shroud of the Avatar but are interested in learning more about it, I encourage you to attend!”



    Starr “Darkstarr” Long
    Executive Producer

    “Talking directly to the players about the game’s development is super important to me, and what better way to do that than in person. I really look forward to getting to know everyone that can make it to SotA Con. If you haven’t already purchased your tickets to the event, do it! SotA Con is going to be a blast!”



    Mathew “Berek” Anderson
    Senior Community Manager

    “I am so impressed by this community! SotA Con is a magnificent face-to-face event that is going to be perfect to get players together for one fun weekend. I can’t wait to arrive and get to know everyone in person, play the game with others, and have a ton of fun celebrating what the community has built in the game so far!”

    About SotA Con

    SotA Con is entirely planned and funded by the players, for the players and developers. This once again shows how our passionate and dedicated players are creating exciting opportunities for the rest of the community, and succeeding magnificently.

    The event’s planning team had the following to say:

    “SotA Con creates a casual Shroud of the Avatar themed gathering so players and developers can come together, grow together, and share ideas. This is essentially a huge player gathering with the developers and lots of things to do, even for the whole family!

    We have a hotel conference room for the discussions, a board-game room, and a large hospitality suite open each evening. We are also planning a group King’s Tournament Dinner at Medieval Times: Baltimore Castle on Saturday night (Nov. 5th) — Lord British will be with us! Baltimore Inner Harbor is a great place with many museums, restaurants, attractions, sports and more, so bring your family too for a wonderful vacation. Take a look here about the Inner Harbor.

    You are encouraged to dress in medieval garb to add to the fun, though it is not required. Just dress casually to enjoy the weekend. Bring your Sword of Midras book and other collectables for Lord British and Darkstarr to sign! You can also bring a board game to hang out in the game room, or a laptop to play Shroud of the Avatar with others. How you want to have fun during the event is up to you!

    There are panel discussions, lots of Q&A, and plenty of hanging out with players and the devs. The main stage discussions will be:
    • Foundations of Shroud of the Avatar – Richard Garriott will describe the path he took to become the Creative Director of Shroud of the Avatar. His discussion includes the 400 years of backstory prior to the setting of Shroud of the Avatar (including some of the real world events between Ultima and SotA).
    • Building New Britannia – Starr Long will lead a discussion about building Novia systems and design and the making of Shroud of the Avatar. This covers using Unity and custom tools and also provides an overview of the creation of Shroud of the Avatar from concept to Early Access in three years. He will describe how crowdsourcing and crowdfunding has helped and hurt along with what Portalarium expects over the next three years. This session will be the ideal place for discussion around world design and essential game systems.
    • The Story of the Avatar – Richard Garriott will discuss the storyline and virtue within Shroud of the Avatar. This will be a focus on the single player and party narrative within Shroud of the Avatar and will likely include backstory spoilers and details. This session will be the ideal place for discussion around single player story and virtue.
    • The Heroes of New Britannia – Richard Garriott will discuss “encouraging and controlling the sandbox storyline.” He will describe how Portalarium is telling a multiplayer virtue narrative with a single player story. Find out about things that can affect your virtue and how that can change the world around you. This session will be the ideal place for discussion around multiplayer story and questing.
    • Framing the Box – Starr Long will talk about systems and community growth based on the sandbox side of Shroud of the Avatar. The focus will be on how developer interaction with the player community has led new capabilities for the community-at-large, such as making the gustball for Bambino and the battle banner for Violation to support community events. This session will be the ideal place for discussion around multiplayer systems and non-essential game design.


    See the full schedule-at-a-glance here.

    Join The Event!

    Here is how to join in on the fun this Nov. 4-6, 2016 in the Baltimore Inner Harbor, Maryland:
    • Schedule: See the ever-expanding schedule here: http://east.sotacon.org/schedule
    • Tickets and added donations: SotA Con organizers ask for a minimum of $25 for a ticket for all three days (Fri, Sat, Sun) and humbly request donations beyond that to help pay for all the fun things that can be done. Go to: http://east.sotacon.org/register
    • Donations (those who cannot attend): If you can’t attend yet want to contribute to a great event and help lower costs for attendees, please contribute directly via PayPal
    • Hotel and Travel: Get your hotel reservations at the group rate – they are going fast! Also see some travel ideas. Go to: http://east.sotacon.org/hotel-and-travel


    Since SotA Con East 2016 is the first SotA convention of its kind, be among the first to hear details on the proceeding and sure to be epic SotA Con Central 2017 event!”

    If you have any questions, you can reach organizers through the official website at http://east.sotacon.org/contact-us, and can discuss the event on the with other attendees.

    See you there Avatars!


    [ 2016-09-15 01:00:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: September 8, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    September 8, 2016

    Build Number 480 11:00 AM CDT


    • Added a way to set renamable items back to default name

    • Fixed some doors in Ardoris that were not opening that were blocking access to Skill Trainers


    Known Issues

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-09-08 18:25:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: September 6, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    September 6, 2016

    Build Number 479 12:30 PM CDT


    • /bloodrain now teachable (like all other pledge and bundle emotes)

    • Fixed Charm spell so charmed animals will no longer attack everything except caster (like the caster's pet, party members, etc.)

    • Added Farming section to recipe book

    • Fixed bug where when you would create a deck and drag the skills into the abilities bar, then remove the skill out of the bar, it  would stay in your deck counting towards the total glyph count. Now glyphs that cannot be drawn to any slot become slugs. They turn grey in the deck list and "(Slug)" is appended to their name. The tooltip for these glyphs explains why they are a slug. The tooltip for the slugs (drawn in combat) also explains why the slug exists.

    • Fixed missing roof, zfighting and other visual bugs on Blue Tile Roof Two-Story (Row Home)


    Known Issues

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-09-06 18:06:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: September 2, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    September 2, 2016

    Build Number 478 12:30 PM CDT


    • Fixed bug so minimum summoning skill is now required to summon higher level tamed creatures

    • Fixed transparency sorting issue on Cloud Imperium Airship

    • Bear/Wolf Hat fixes: Slightly reduced bear/wolf hat value by 20%. Slightly increased recipe fuel cost. Increased value on bear/wolf heads. Synchronized weight on all animal heads

    • Added option to toggle low experience pool icon

    • Taming Tweaks: Increased effectiveness of Concentration and Combat Training so the provide greater benefits at lower skill levels

    • Fixed animation issues with Bludgeons held in offhand (manifested most visibly when holding Royal Scepter)

    • Made some adjustments to Melee Weapons to try to address various reports of not hitting correct number of targets in arc

    • Minor fix for changing lot item permissions while standing outside of the lot.

    • Fixed "Prevent Movement While Casting" option so it does actually prevent movement

    • NPC attack tuning

    • All Spite Backer designed NPCs have now been added to Spite

    • Ornate Black & Chrome Aeronaut Outfit and Elaborate Tiaras added to Add On Store and now being delivered


    Known Issues

    • Charmed Animals are attacking anything other than caster

    • Fire Arrow icon not visible in tutorial

    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-09-02 18:19:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: September 1, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    September 1, 2016

    Build Number 477 12:30 PM CDT


    • The Soltown fire quest now has much clearer journal entries, and an error that would cause one suspect to not give vital information has been fixed.

    • Elysium Mines, Verdantis Mines, Serpent's Spine Mines, and Graff Gem Mines: An ore node that was under the floor is now accessible

    • Novia Overworld:

      • Replaced the temporary collision along the mountains to the west of Brightbone Pass.

      • Replaced temporary collision for North Paladis rivers with improved version

      • Replaced temporary collision with improved version for river along Midmaer-Grunvald border

      • Replaced the temporary collision along the mountains to the west of Brightbone Pass



    • More Spite Backer designed NPCs implemented

    • The letter from Emily to Quincy found in Solace Bridge can no longer be ransomed, traded, or destroyed.

    • Fixed Taunt targeting so it should work now finally (really, we mean it)

    • Fixed male tiaras sorting with hairstyles

    • Fixed water appearing light blue in Nightshade Pass

    • Fixed per-item permission default settings for add/remove from containers being reversed.

    • Fixed male and female wearable elven mage robes getting caught behind legs

    • Fixed invisible 4 Story Wood & Plaster Row House

    • Players can now put Scrap in Purchase Orders on Vendors

    • Dragons now have a longer leash distance!

    • Soltown: Made some terrain edits and reduced the max slope on the navmesh to help with kids sinking into hills. Shifted some waypoint positions for the path the kids use to help them avoid these problem areas altogether.

    • Sanctus Spine: Fixed an issue where the last "wave door" would open and shut repeatedly.

    • All Control Points: Reduced the time between waves. Adjusted the difficulty of wave-based enemies.

    • Fixed animation timeout errors with breakable walls

    • Don't play the interaction animation for torch lights in the challenge dungeon.

    • Fixed glow pulse on harvesting nodes

    • Added non-craftable rugs on deco merchants and made unique names for all rugs

    • Made Public Vendor listing text more explicit that your item will be destroyed if it expires

    • Fixed decorations being able to be placed in walls in Stone 2-Story Keep with Corner Turret Village Home

    • Fixed issue with Ornate Aeronaut Jacket not being gem socketable

    • Fixed math for Armor Procs for Sun/Moon that was causing them to be too powerful

    • first full pass of animation for OMB_lute equip/unequip and idle.

    • Fixing a bird infestation in someone's house!  I moved all bird flocks up 10m as they all looked low and would intrude on tower homes.

    • Fixed rotated sewer kit piece in Kingsport Sewers

    • Removed Slime SFX that sounded when you would hit Elves

    • Attempted fix on white limbs with eldermage armors (can't reproduce)

    • Brittany Sewers exit no longer shows outside world and fixed invisible wall in another area

    • Fixed bridge position in Hilt Interior

    • Fixed Bundle of Arrows weight


    Known Issues

    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:

      • Aeronaut Outfits

      • Tiaras



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-09-01 19:36:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: August 31, 2016

    August 31, 2016
    Build Number 476 3:15 PM CDT

    • Fixed stuck spot in Jaanaford Waterfall.
    • Aimed shot / Disabiling shot SFX added
    • Update breath fire emote sfx
    • Craftable Ornate Aeronaut Outfit added
    • Distract skill fixed
    • Midmaer Passage: Blocked off the corner at (14.6, 2.9, 105.6) which allowed players to get too close the ceiling and have camera issues.
    • Superstition Canyon: Adjusted terrain to smooth out stuck spot.
    • Added cutout in collision geometry for row houses to allow interaction with decos placed on the mantle of the fireplace.
    • Fixed repair issues with various items
    • Fixed Reindeer pet looking like a stag
    • Secret Dungeon Door: Updated this prefab (used in Tower of the Shuttered Eye and other scenes) to have correct collision on door.
    • Set proper flags on obsidian potion icons so they can be moved in bag mode
    • Spectral Foothills: Added additional large rock at this location, minor terrain changes as base. Stuck spot has vanished.
    • Harvest: Updated the boat to Estgard so it properly sends players to the docks.
    • Fixed white body parts on male avatar
    • Brightbone Pass: Adjusted terrain to smooth out stuck spot.
    • Fixed camera clipping in Brittany Sewers
    • Hilt Fortress: Shifted position of fumarole to prevent stuck spot.
    • Fixed stuck spot in diosphyros_hu1 tree
    • Tweak Merchant Buy Modifiers -merchant buy price is 80% of value for no tag match -merchant buy price is 100% of value for tag match
    • Novia: Fix collision along the shoreline and for the mountains near (-35.4, 13.1, 392.8) and west of Fortus End.
    • Sanctus Spine: Removed one of the two tightly-placed trees to eliminate stuck spot. Made the same change for Vauban Pass.
    • Novia: Fix collision for the river at (-119.4, 16.8, 205.9). Players should be able to walk between the river and the mountain now.
    • Novia: Fix collision on the shoreline from south of Brittany Bay to Libris Ruins.
    • Removed highlight strength option.
    • Fix door in Viking 3-Story Town Home
    • Changed the way we execute corpse explosion.
    • Brittany Sewers: Changed Red Sash bandits are now aggressive
    • Graff, Elysium, Verdantis, Serpent's Spine mines: Adjusted the resource node spawning rates for these scenes.
    • First round of Spite backer NPCs: Chuck Hamilton, Edward Rooney, Malek Cofrein, Melissa, Snag Baldrake, Solstice
    • Xavara the Fire Pillar is now slightly more dangerous and rare!
    • Change crafting skill terminology -remove proficiency from skill names -replace level with proficiency in crafting stat name -bonus:
    • Tweak description on collar consumption to explain that it only has a chance to work when you fail to tame
    • Tenebris Harbor: Pulled all crafting stations from scene.
    • Added info to Pavilion and Stone Circle player homes to prevent muting of outdoor sound effects
    • Fix external items in PoTs not being subtracted from item limit when removed
    • Reducing the damage on the dot of fireball to not grow over time.
    • Hilt Fortress: Enemies and resource nodes below tier 5 have been upgraded to tier 5. Enemies that had very fast respawn rates have been updated to match our standards. Accordingly, updated resource node quantity and respawn rate.
    • Fix crafting bug that occurred when a secondary tool broke during batch crafting. Resulted in a stuck state.
    • Increasing spawn timer on world loot
    • Fix for changing targets with "G" hotkey
    • SFX update to bows, new sounds added and implemented for Long bows
    Known Issues
    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
      • Aeronaut Outfits
      • Tiaras
    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
    • Local chat is failing in some situations
    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-31 20:20:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Hangout of the Avatar ~ Release 33 Postmortem

    [/img]

    Join us Friday, September 9th at 3:00 PM Central (20:00 UTC) for our monthly Hangout of the Avatar! The team will be chatting about Release 33 and looking ahead to Release 34.

    As always, we will be giving out rare Lord British artifacts of immense power and glory, and answering your latest questions. For a chance to win an artifact, be in Discord chat during the livestream. There will be multiple chances to win throughout the broadcast!

    Watch live on Twitch at www.twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar. You will also be able to watch directly on YouTube: www.youtube.com/portalarium! The final recording will be archived on YouTube after the event as well.

    If you wish to win prizes, be in Discord or IRC chat during the livestream! Post your questions in the comments below. Only one post submission allowed, and keep questions to 3 or less. This will allow us to get to as many players as possible.

    Questions and feedback related to this release’s specific topics will be given priority and really verbose questions may be skipped, as they can be a challenge to shorten and summarize live on the air. In brief… please keep your questions… brief.

    Tweet with us @ShroudofAvatar during the Hangout!


    [ 2016-08-31 00:41:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: August 29, 2016

    August 29, 2016
    Build Number 474 6:30 PM CDT

    • Fix for Glacial Glissade
    • Ruins of Ravensmoor: Improved the positions of objects near (8.4, -15.0, 54.3).
    • Fixed requirement on masterwork that was preventing initial use
    • Fix for Night Vision not improving visibility in some scenes
    • Restlesss Woods Fixed stuck spot.
    • Fixed Masterwork sometimes giving incorrect experience
    • Fix for Royal Scepter not working on other players' lots
    • Verdantis Mines: Set to "adventure" scene (which means it's now party-only).
    • South Ravenswood: Added discoveries to the scene, including at all exits and several landmarks.
    • Novia: Updated collision in Savrenoc area (271.9, 12.2, -122.3), especially to keep players from getting stuck in the river.
    • Elad's Lighthouse: Flattened a player lot area.
    • Novia: Improved spawn-in targets for Eastreach Gap, as well as collision in the same area. Players should not float in the air when exiting Eastreach Gap.
    • Verdantis Mines: Fixed a spot where players could get stuck
    • Central Brittany Cleared tree invading lot.
    • Brightbone Pass: Fixed terrain anomaly.
    • POT Wisteria Lane: Fix for boat exit
    • South Ravenswood : Fix location of a bad wolf spawn
    • Improved collision in some areas in Novia
    • North Brightbone Woods: Moved a tree that was growing in a rock.
    • Blackblade Foothill: fix for players getting stuck behind a locked gate.
    • Desolis: Fixed vials and placed them on alchemy shelves nearby, where they were intended to be.
    • Improve Z-fighting issues with Overworld nameplates.
    • Minor fixes to new Ardoris quest dialogs.
    • A loose brick behind one of the statues in Tower of the Shuttered Eye is looser now.
    • Fixed shifted stone bridge in Verdantis & Elysium mines.
    • Relocated a few misplaced player lots to accessible areas on Island PRT, Grassland PRT, and Inland Forest PRT maps. Players will find 3 more village lots on the Island (including Celestis), and an additional 1 each of town and village sized lots on the Grassland and Forest PRTs.
    • Remove invisible obstacle in Kingsport Sewers
    • The bag icon for "Reward Bundles" is now green to help identify regular bags that have been renamed
    • Fixed an issue with clearing trees on Island lots
    • Fixed minimum summoning skill required
    • Set fan to be delivered with full durability -set fan to be repaired via carpentry
    • Change display color of items that are renamed
    • Added SFX to breath emotes
    • Fixed a spot you could get stuck in Spindrift Passage
    • Relocated a misplaced Village lot in Celestis (also Island PRT)
    • Airship pet death animation improvements
    • Fix Brittany Estates south gate exit
    • Fixed stuck spots in Star Citizen airship
    • Fix for sounds that were not obeying volume controls
    • Remove invisible barrier in Etceter Crag Mines
    Known Issues
    • Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
      • Aeronaut Outfits
      • Tiaras
    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
    • Local chat is failing in some situations
    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-30 01:30:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: August 26, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 26, 2016

    Build Number 473 6:00 PM CDT

    • Fixed fading state of music after playing from the broadcast automated phonograph
    • Fixed Royal Elderberry being set to seed which was causing issue with Sow Plant
    • Fixed white limbs on male avatars
    • Fixed typo with facial hair rendering option
    • Changed flame fist to arc targeting.
    • Rotated chest in Plains Road Encounter to face forward
    • Fixed targeting your pet with friendly skills
    • Fixed Charlotte's arm dislocating during celebration at Solace Bridge
    • Fixed taunting having no effect
    • Increased the difficulty of the Phoenix
    • Navigation mesh rebuilt for Plains Road Encounter, Forest Road Encounter, and Swamp Road Encounter
    • Fixed NPC kneeling emotes
    • Disabled cloth chest armor LOD game objects
    • Changed flame fist to arc targeting
    • Forced LOD zero in character sheet and front end
    • Fixed issue with Estgard gatekeepers not recognizing Brigid's amulet
    • Reduced taming restrictions (now more powerful creatures at a lower summon skill)
    • Fixed new kobolds not having weapons with proper tiered damage levels
    • Spite Public Vendor is no longer ever off duty, and merchants in general go off duty less often
    • Blinding shot debuff now lowers dexterity of target
    • Fixed being able to auto-path to decorations in Eleven Greenhouse
    • Fixed incorrect experience points on low-tiered satyrs
    • Polish for Owls Head water
    • Fix issue where transferring a claimed lot deed to another lot would not refund prepaid taxes to tax credit

    Known Issues

    • Royal Scepters can’t be used to increase tax credit on other’s lots
    • Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
    • Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
    o Aeronaut Outfits
    o Tiaras
    • Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
    • Local chat is failing in some situations
    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-27 00:54:58 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: August 26, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 26, 2016

    Build Number 472

    • Fixed multiple props incorrectly placed in Port Graff
    • Fixed terrain holes in Brittany Wharfs
    • Adding Flechier Tapestry Formal Suit assets
    • Updated the banner for Owl's Nest in Hidden Vale so it says "Owl's Nest" and not "Owl's Nest Mine"
    • Added ability for items to ignore merchant dynamic pricing
    • Fixed chain helmets that are removing facial hair
    • Fixed required level on enchant to prevent error case
    • Added Nightshade Pass navigation mesh colliders along problematic ramp
    • Paladis Shardfall water type reverted until we can have multi-level support new water
    • Fixed Brookside merchant inventory referencing wrong merchant inventory
    • Fixed male steampunk goggles clipping
    • Fixed candlestick glow
    • Updated a Central Brittany bridge to better accommodate navigation
    • Fixing possible nonresponsive keyword with Edvard's conversation in Blood River tutorial
    • Fixed female zombie masks with gap at neck
    • Resource survey visuals updated
    • Made sure property lot in Xenos was flat
    • Fixed male clothing looking bad on character screen
    • Adjusted attunement bonus from rings and amulets
    • Fixed Verdantis Shardfall stuck spot
    • Fixed The Clink guards horrifying appearance
    • Replaced Novia collision on the shoreline from Harvest through Dysborg area to Player Town Caer Dracwych
    • Taenby Landing is now better positioned on Novia within its entrance volume
    • Fixed a Verdantis Shardfall floating tree
    • Fixed tiaras that were sorting into hairstyles too much
    • Fixed resolution discrepancy between Aeronaut hats and suits
    • Added minimum and maximum loop times for all emotes on NPCs in Brittany Alleys
    • Fixed scale issues with all resources in Norgard Fens
    • Logging out in Equitas Passage and then into Novia will now put players in a reasonable location at ground level and not in a floating or stuck location
    • Replaced the stairs in the "Hold of Virtue" with better ones
    • Flechier clothes added to a bundle
    • Fixed Charon's returning players to Spite from Malice
    • Removed matchmaking mode from HUD - replaced with "Scene Access Mode" on compass that indicates the mode of the current instance (solo, solo/party, multiplayer. or open pvp)
    • Bruno Martelli in Ardoris now properly responds to "work" and variations thereof to work his arcane magicks to create a New You
    • Water trigger volume in Broochash did not extend past exit volumes
    • Fixing issue with new Ardoris quest.
    • Fixed the rotations of two player lots in Estgard that were changed inadvertently, and rebuilt Estgard city walls in the vicinity to give more space between them and the nearby player lots.
    • Estgard terrain texturing and trees polish added
    • Fixed flowers emote to have the animation track on the "start" slot rather than the "loop" slot
    • Estgard navigation mesh changes
    • Fixed incorrect name on merchant inventory for raffle tickets

    Known Issues

    • Popping sound caused in scenes with Broadcast Phonographs
    • Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
    • Pets cannot be healed or resurrected
    • Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
    o Aeronaut Outfits
    o Tiaras
    o Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
    • Local chat is failing in some situations
    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-26 21:40:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Patch Notes: August 25, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 25, 2016

    Build Number 471 8:00 PM


    • Touched up shoulders and fingers on death anim for NPCs.

    • Fixed visual blending issues with Celestial Bodies during the daytime

    • Fixed issues where short range skills like Healing Touch had very long ranges

    • Fixed camera clipping in Blackblade Foothills

    • Soltown: Rebaked navmesh. Hopefully fixes child sliding through hill

    • Fixed issue with Male Avatar where limbs appeared disconnected and pure white when partially covered

    • Fixed unsnapped dungeonkit piece in Spectral Mines

    • Fixed camera clipping in Graff Gem Mines.

    • Fixed issue with Chain Lightning that was causing inordinate amounts of extra damage

    • Nightshade Pass: Tuned NavMesh to address Bears getting stuck

    • Brittany Fields: Fixed various stuck spots

    • Spite: Relocated tree that was intruding on player lot.

    • Bloom will now remember its settings between level changes

    • Double (again) the cost in gold to get your ransomed items back.

    • Fixed issue causing opaque fog issue on Mac and Linux

    • Eastreach Gap: Standing at (-123.1, 129.6, -163.7) placed characters too close to the Control Point's teleporter volume inside the doorway, so the volume was pushed back a little. Players standing here should not get teleported outside the gate anymore.

    • Fixed skewed skydome in Ulfheim

    • Water improvements

    • Allow a PVP player to heal their non-PVP party member.  Fix various other targeting issues involving pets.

    • Fixing the fish so they are visible again.

    • Fixed ambient lighting in Etceter Crag Mines so Night Vision should work now

    • Viking 3-Story Stronghold: Fixed rear door off frame

    • Fixed issue where rain was persisting over player even after rain storm stopped

    • Viking 4-Story Row House: fixed ladder to take you to attci

    • Novia Overworld: Improved the collision on the shoreline from Rhun Ruins to Eastmarch in Drachvald.

    • Shield of Crystal should now show correct values in the tooltips

    • Viking 2-Story Stronghold Village Home - Fixed wall seam above first-floor doors

    • Fixed issues with the Ghost Corpion bouncing back and forth even though he was aggro'd to players

    • The Necropolis: The trap components visible at (111.9, 0.1, 531.7)  were actually poking through from the tunnel above at (112 5 529). I moved the trap a little bit to (111 5 525) and everything should be good now.

    • Fix plant growth rate in basements - now the same as the growth rate inside of houses

    • Naryad Woods: Removed tipped chair at (107.0, 40.3, 95.5).

    • Naryad Moors: Corrected the tier markers (to "4 skulls") to better represent the difficulty of the scene.

    • Fixed preview for importing custom book text

    • Highvale Village: The Navmesh was outdated, so the settings were updated and it was rebuilt. The bear at (-114.8, 40.2, 34.4) should path better around the lake.

    • Various minor typo fixes

    • Island Keep Lots: Fixed issue preventing placement of pavers

    • Fixed issue where Knockback was pushing NPCs through walls on death

    • Changed name of Deed Lottery Tickets to Raffle Tickets

    • The Salvage button is now disabled while a Repair is possible with the current items on the crafting table.

    • Foliage now being cleared on Island Lots

    • Fixed bug that caused the free attack charge bar to get stuck on the hud when charging a free attack with a broken weapon

    • Eastreach Gap: Moved nightshade plant at (-88.3, 134.4, -121.5) down to ground level.

    • Fix Samuel escort not starting

    • Fixed bad skill school mappings for Train Dexterity and Parry - caused the wrong skill tree to open when clicking on these skills on the HUD, and possibly other minor bugs.

    • Fixed gender assignment for older NPCs for Localization purposes

    • The Sirens Foothills: Adjusted rocks and added collider; stuck spot should be clear.

    • Fixed error message when attempting to summon dead pet.

    • South Hulenholt: Fixed stuck spot

    • Recipes for Tiaras (Simple & Fancy) and set crafted tiaras to be enchantable

    • Fix interruption for recall/teleport when becoming  encumbered or removing your recall scrolls

    • Novia Overworld: Replaced the temporary collision along the shoreline from Point West to Harvest. Added a bridge along the river southeast of Point West.

    • Added missing text for some Masterwork & Enchantment modifiers (resistances mainly)

    • Flattened Terrain Lot in Yew, Bramble and Kiln

    • Fixed issue with Corpse Explosion not working on Wolves and Satyrs

    • Fixed missing material reference on mounted bass, mounted salmon, fish carcass salmon, and fish carcass trout

    • Fixed missing textures on seagulls

    • Reduced the damage of lightning and chain lightning by 8%

    • Created unarmed kick animation.

    • Fix alpha issue on UI for custom books, letters, and valentines

    • Fiery Decay now drains life as intended.

    • Adjusted LOD ranges for dungeonkit pieces. This should fix visible seams in various dungeons like Ruins of Ravensmoor

    • Set Minimum summon skill requirement on tamed creatures. This means you will no longer be able to summon a tamed creature if your Summoning skill is too low

    • Fixed visual seams/errors as well as floating objects in the Spectral Mines.

    • Restless Woods: Fixed stuck spot.

    • POT SQiRLS DEN: Changed biome (from Tropical Island to Underground). Changed nesting interconnection from The Brave Coast to Spite. Upgraded to Hamlet.

    • Fixed stuck spot in Castle of Ardoris

    • POT Rift's Legacy: Added new POT, nested in Rift's End.

    • Wood & Plaster Two-Story (Row) house: Fixed missing interior window frame

    • Fixed Village Waterlot location at tip of small island in Forest01 and Forest01a POT templates

    • Midras: Fixed player stuck spot.

    • Robert Villines companion NPC will now assist properly in combat

    • Changed add-on store text in front-end and patch client to no longer refer to expired pledges

    • Fixed missing ceiling collision Wood and Plaster house

    • Spite banker no longer randomly journeys into the Astral plane.

    • Fixed pillar LOD popping in spite.

    • Wynston Haevia in Desolis will also teach the /pontificate emote when given the books he asks for.

    • /pontificate is now Teachable.

    • Fixed highvale guard model

    • Fixed uneven terrain on playerlots in Solania, Mud, and Westend

    • Yew:  Added a number of discoveries to Yew, and matching ones for Bramble. Fixed discovery bug in Kiln also.

    • Fixed Owls Head water level

    • Added interconnection between Midmaer Passage and Crypt of the Avatar.

    • Added Sanctus Spine reinforcements

    • Fixed male POT Guard NPC

    • Display required skill level for Tamed Creature Summon necklace in tooltip.

    • Wynton's Folly: Fixed stuck spot.

    • Estgard gates are unlocked for everyone and will remain so until Path of Courage quest line is complete.


    Known Issues

    • All dyed armors lose their material links and appear pure white upon scene change

    • Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:

      • Aeronaut Outfits

      • Tiaras

      • Grey Great Dane

      • Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-26 05:29:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    Impact of Persistence:
    Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



    Housing:
    Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

    PVP:
    We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of 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 all the 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 mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

    By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

    Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

    Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

    Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


    Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

    Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

    Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

    Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

    Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

    World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


    And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-08-25 01:19:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    Impact of Persistence:
    Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



    Housing:
    Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

    PVP:
    We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of 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 all the 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 mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

    By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

    Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

    Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

    Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


    Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

    Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

    Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

    Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

    Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

    World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


    And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-08-25 01:18:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 33 Instructions

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    Impact of Persistence:
    Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



    Housing:
    Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

    PVP:
    We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of 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 all the 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 mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

    By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

    Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

    Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

    Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


    Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


    Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

    Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

    Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

    Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

    Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

    World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


    And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-08-25 01:18:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #190: Final 3 Days for 15% Bonus All Pledge Expirations!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #190 has arrived! A ton of exciting events are happening next week. Monday's telethon livestream, last of the pledges expire, last land rush group opens up, and the winners of the community trailer contest will be announced!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • Final 3 Days for 15% Bonus & All Pledge Expirations!
    • Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2
    • NPC Submissions Requested for Spite!
    • Port Graff Revisited (Part 2)
    • Shroud In the News
    • Land Rush Update
    • Star Citizen Cross Promotion Update
    • Upcoming Events
    • Richard Garriott at Dragon Con
    • Dawn of New Britannia Community Trailer Contest
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Job Openings (4)
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 32 and prepare for the big Summer Telethon event on August 22nd!


    [ 2016-08-20 00:45:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 17, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 17, 2016

    Build Number 465 12:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Lot Taxes: Only allow players to add credit if they own a lot or if their account is in debt.

    • Fixed issues with Enchanting

    • Stun resist buff duration increased

    • Adjusted rates that merchant prices increase and decrease


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-17 20:02:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 15, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 15, 2016

    Build Number 464 2:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed bug where items were having durability damaged when retrieved from a Public Vendor

    • Rooted NPCs will now attack players again

    • Ghost Corpion now truly undead

    • Lowered Stun chance for Earthquake

    • Fixed issue with epic leather gloves that was preventing salvage/masterwork.

    • Fixed description on Small Old Keep: removed erroneous references to "Knight Benefactor"

    • Changed front-end message for failure to connect to www.shroudoftheavatar.com

    • Can now turn in Soltown fire quest to Stanley when completed.

    • Fix Pet Whistles Losing Link if Unequipped While Pet Still Summoned

    • Fixed issue with forestry axe engravings adding incorrect modifier

    • Fixed issue with pipes not being repairable -set offer pipes to not lose max durability

    • Set COTOs to be no destroy

    • Changed front-end message for locked accounts

    • Changed vendor item limit from 400 to 4000


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-08-15 20:55:19 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #189: Port Graff Revisited, Summer Telethon Part 2, and Community Trailer Contest!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #189 has arrived! We continue our tour of breathtaking new areas to explore in New Britannia. Port Graff and its impressive mining and ship operations is revisited, get details on the Summer Telethon Part 2, reminder of the community trailer contest, and several important account updates are included!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • Port Graff Revisited
    • Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2
    • Land Rush Update
    • Password Change Request
    • Static Player Owned Town Policy Statement
    • 15% Bonus and 10 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2
    • Upcoming Events
    • Dawn of New Britannia Community Trailer Contest
    • Grand Opening of Vyrin & Womby’s Bookstores
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • World Builder/Level Designer Job Opening
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 32 and prepare for the big Summer Telethon event on August 22nd!


    [ 2016-08-12 23:15:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Password Change Request Due to Other Sites Being Compromised

    Earlier this year a few well-known games and sites were compromised, and lists of usernames and passwords became widely available. Yesterday, it was revealed that DOTA2 was the latest victim.

    We continue to be fortunate enough to not be one of the victims of these attacks. However we are under a hacking attack that is using these leaked username/password combinations to try and login to Shroud and has succeeded several times so far. If you have played one of these games that has been compromised you may be one of the victims we identified today.

    You must make sure your username, or at least your password is unique on our site. We insist that you change your password if you have any doubt. FYI, this is good security behavior in general.

    For now we have temporarily disabled login to the official website until 6:00 PM CDT (11:00 PM UTC). When we bring it back up, please login to the website, click on "Account" to go to your Account Page, click "Edit Profile" link beneath your profile image, and enter a new password on your Profile Settings page.


    [ 2016-08-12 00:14:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 11, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 11, 2016

    Build Number 461 12:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed issue preventing placement of Hot Tub

    • Another fix to prevent making it appear that Public Cache chests can be set to "Private"

    • Hilt Fortress: Fixed more broken chairs

    • Removing items from enchanting that have enchanting issues

    • Supply Cache Patch Pack (differential amounts from those that missed it) now delivered as Reward Pack instead of by pieces so they can maintain value

    • Removed normal chest from merchants


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-11 19:07:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

    The Summer Telethon of the Avatar - Part 2 begins Aug. 22 at Noon CDT!

    [/img]

    Avatars! Are you ready to continue celebrating with us the biggest event to hit New Britannia since the great cataclysm?

    At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on August 22, 2016, we are expiring ALL remaining pledges, including: Adventurer, Founder, Royal Artisan, Explorer, Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2. To commemorate the final expiration of all remaining pledges, we are holding the 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 2, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Pledge Expirations at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).

    What exciting events can you expect throughout the day? An array of fun activities and engaging content, many of which you can directly participate in with us in-game! We will also be giving away a ton of fabulous prizes*, and if the following stretch goals are met, we will be adding amazing new content into the game.

    Visit the Main Website to check out the packed schedule and fabulous prize details. You can also re-post your questions in the article’s comments section, or post questions during the telethon in Discord chat.*

    We can't wait to see you at the event!


    [ 2016-08-11 01:24:53 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 9, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 9, 2016

    Build Number 460 9:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Removed some items from Masterworking

    • Novia Overworld: Added a gap in the collision near (-468.3, 19.2, 298.1) to allow players to access Goti from the north.

    • HIdden Vale Adventure Scenes: Increased difficulty of Elves. Adjusted Skeleton Archers bows that they drop on death. Increased spawn times on various spawners in several scenes

    • Fixed bug that caused party member nameplates to not appear when joining a party

    • Hilt Fortress: Fixed broken chairs

    • Doubling the duration of stat buffs to make them more appealing in group use

    • Reducing penalty to duration on Skewer due to target strength. The base value is low and it is too often zero duration

    • Taunt skill has been tuned based on feedback. Chance to taunt, cool down, and number of targets now increases with skill level.

    • Fixed perfomance issues caused by active tooltips

    • Fixed not being able to damage npcs that already have aggro but are outside awarness distance.

    • Fixed placement issues on Adobe Stables deco item

    • Bonesteel dagger no longer able to be sold to merchants. If you've sold the mysterious dagger that you were tasked with discovering the secrets behind for 1 gold piece, Kyle Behrand in Aerie found it and is holding it for you.

    • Fixes to Edvard giving away his notes in Solace Bridge (post-tutorial version)

    • Soltown Town Crier will accept mail deliveries even when he's off duty, because mail never sleeps.

    • Fixed it so players can no longer restart Nyssa's lost love quest after it's been completed.

    • Don't allow public cache chest to be private.  Added text to make it clear anyone can add and remove items from the cache chest.

    • We now hide reticles when Show HUD (F9) option is disabled.

    • Fixed damage chance and amount for Charge.

    • Reticle Strength option now affects target reticles as well as the main reticle

    • Updated target locked icon to be larger.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2016-08-10 00:09:09 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Weekly Lot Selection Report – Knight and Knight Marshal, Edelmann, and Citizen Groups

    Lot Selection continues at a fiery pace! This is your group-by-group weekly update on which pledge tiers have already claimed lots, and which groups are about to be able to secure a lot yet this week. Check out the list below to see if your group is coming up!

    [/img]

    NEW GROUPS SELECTING LOTS THIS WEEK

    KNIGHT AND KNIGHT MARSHAL: Groups 37-45:

    • Royal Founder – Group 37: August 8 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 38: August 8 at 08:00 CDT (13:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 39: August 8 at 13:00 CDT (18:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 40: August 8 at 18:00 CDT (23:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 41: August 8 at 23:00 CDT (August 9 at 04:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 42: August 9 at 04:00 CDT (09:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 43: August 9 at 09:00 CDT (14:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 44: August 9 at 14:00 CDT (19:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 45: August 9 at 19:00 CDT (August 10 at 00:00 UTC)


    EDELMANN: Groups 46-54:
    • Royal Founder – Group 46: August 10 at 19:00 CDT (August 11 at 00:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 47: August 11 at 00:00 CDT (05:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 48: August 11 at 05:00 CDT (10:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 49: August 11 at 10:00 CDT (15:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 50: August 11 at 15:00 CDT (20:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 51: August 11 at 20:00 CDT (August 12 at 01:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 52: August 12 at 01:00 CDT (06:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 53: August 12 at 06:00 CDT (11:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 54: August 12 at 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)


    CITIZEN: Groups 55-63:
    • Royal Founder – Group 55: August 13 at 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 56: August 13 at 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 57: August 13 at 21:00 CDT (August 14 at 02:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 58: August 14 at 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 59: August 14 at 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 60: August 14 at 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 61: August 14 at 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 62: August 14 at 22:00 CDT (August 15 at 03:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 63: August 15 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)


    More group times are listed in the Lot Selection announcement on the main website. The last group will be Group 91 on August 24 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC). After all group times have passed, anyone will have a chance to place a lot.

    To get daily lot selection updates, follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/shroudofavatar, or keep the above Lot Selection announcement bookmarked for easy access!


    [ 2016-08-09 16:44:06 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 6, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 6, 2016

    Build Number 458 10:00 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed issue that was causing Network disconnections on Linux clients

    • Supply Cache differential bundle for players who had already claimed Supply Cache before we increased ingredients to match "Double Starting Recipes" reward and added fuels. (for real this time apparently)

    • Fix to Nyssa's lost love quest in Soltown

    • Fix to Bentley's dialog in Soltown

    • Etceter: Made slight adjustments to NPC schedule volumes to stop error messages.

    • Performance optimizations for load times

    • Removed clothing from merchants that could potentially be salvaged for more than it's worth


    Known Issues:

    • UI nameplates in the upper left do not appear to update to display other party members when joining a party

    • Active tooltips can cause framerate loss

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-06 20:37:27 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #188: Special Star Citizen Offer!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #188 has arrived!

    For a limited time, get a Star Citizen Aeronaut Helmet Starter Bundle (Limited Edition of 250), and Star Citizen Airship Home (Limited Edition of 150)! If you get one of these bundles, our friends over at Cloud Imperium Games are offering a special Star Citizen item pack for you!

    Here is what else is in this week's update:

    • Estgard Remake
    • Juggling Bottles
    • Land Rush Update
    • Dawn of New Britannia Community Trailer Contest
    • Alienware Indie Contest
    • Add On Store Updates
    • 15% Bonus and 17 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 32 and prepare for the next Summer Telethon event on August 22nd!


    [ 2016-08-06 01:33:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 5, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 3, 2016

    Build Number 456 11:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Blood Reliquary Bundle Items: Blood Fountain, /bloodrain emote, Bloodred Lord British and Darkstarr Cloaks

    • Load time optimizations

    • Fixed skill tooltip reagent bug

    • Fixed Ornate hottub pathing problems and ramp collision

    • Fixed bug that temporarily prevented players from using the chat window

    • Fix for characters sometimes getting stuck in a non-animating state.

    • Fixed Flesh Flayers not attacking

    • Final task entries in Soltown fire quest clear correctly when quest is completed. Added ability to talk to Stanley and not tell him who set the fire. Clarified journal entry when culprit is discovered to make clear the options to complete the quest.

    • Fixed transparency on all Aeronaut Helmet goggles

    • Supply Cache differential bundle for players who had already claimed Supply Cache before we increased ingredients to match "Double Starting Recipes" reward and added fuels.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants: Most of these are complete except for Farmer Merchant

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles: Some items still being built



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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

    [ 2016-08-05 18:28:52 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 4, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 4, 2016

    Build Number 455 12:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed various exceptions and errors affecting performance

    • Some fixes to improve load times

    • Stars now visible again in sky

    • Polished animations for /juggleknives

    • Ashton in Soltown will remove the no-destroy version of the heirloom cookbook from your inventory if you somehow managed to get assigned the quest twice during its being changed over to its current state.

    • Fixed issues with few armor pieces that could not be masterworked in Tailoring

    • Added Heavy War Hammer Head Hammer recipe to merchants

    • Now disable craft button while unable to craft the item due to the skill level requirement not being met

    • NPCs on schedules now properly return to active duty once their rest period is complete. No more merchants asleep at their posts!

    • Fixed Weapon Shop that was stuck inside Hilt Interior area

    • Switched vendor help text to a window as it is far too long to be a pop-up message.

    • Fixed a lump in the terrain in Owlshead that was blocking deco placement

    • Fixed bug that allowed PVP players to harm non-pvp players and friendly NPCs under specific circumstances

    • Fixed bug that made First Person camera get blurry after speaking with an NPC

    • Fixed issues with lost meshes in Hilt underground

    • Improved skill tooltip performance

    • Desolis Underground cleaned up due to missing meshes in room decorations

    • "Pick 1 Home" Reward bundles: Player Owned Town owners with Home rewards can now choose their homes in the game client instead of on the design form.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Farmer Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-04 19:56:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 3, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 3, 2016

    Build Number 454 11:00 AM

    Changes:


    • Feather, Fairy, Demon and Zombie wings no longer delivered at less than max durability

    • Fix for task journal never clearing properly during the Soltown Fire quest. If you have already completed this quest, please talk to either Stanley or Raymond to have your task journal entries for this quest properly cleared.

    • Reducing the resource spawn rate in Etceter Crag mines dramatically

    • Fixed issue where stuns were not happening from Body Slam

    • Performance improvement related to IK. Should greatly improve cities with large player populations

    • Fixed issue where the child Robert in Soltown would try to tell people his name was Billy. He's been sent to his tent to reflect on why lying to outlanders is bad.

    • Added ability to tooltip items in choose-one UI. Also, don't show "Hold Ctrl to expand" on tooltips if there is no extra info to display.

    • Conversation fixes for Soltown

    • The Clink: Updated the ladder that sends players back to Owl's Head barracks to point to the correct target.

    • Highvale Village: Fixed an error with NPC looping emotes that needed minimum and maximum time spans to function.

    • Edvard actually gives you the items needed to give to Stanley in Soltown when starting the Path of Love in the non-tutorial version of Solace Bridge. Note that this was not blocking the quest progression, so it is not required to go back and get them, but you can request a new copy of them if you like by asking Edvard for his notes.

    • South Ravenswood: Added default PlayerSpawnLocation to north entrance of scene and referenced it in overworld tile template.

    • NPCs bump into player and complained about being run into. Fix bump collided bark response.

    • Crypt of the Avatar: Added looping emote time values (8-10) to all waypoints in scene

    • Student of Truth actually accepts her books correctly for Statue of Virtue quest, and all Virtue books have been translated from the original Runic.

    • Soltown: Set minimum and maximum times for looping emotes used in scene.

    • Northmarsh: Ensured that players were sent to the correct default spawn location for the scene.

    • NPC Emotes: Set up "ThroatCut", "RaiseHand" and "RoyalSalutation" for NPC use.

    • Soltown: Did some more updates to the navmesh in the Tavern to help with pathfinding for the NPCs

    • Vertas Pass: Fixed some pathfinding so Elves won't get stuck in the shack

    • Fix for AI just standing in place and die when can't attack player.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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



    [ 2016-08-03 17:56:16 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Weekly Lot Selection Report – Lords of the Manor, Duke, Baron, Lord and Lord Marshal Groups

    Lot Selection is underway! This is your group-by-group weekly update on which pledge tiers have already claimed lots, and which groups are about to be able to secure a lot yet this week. Check out the list below to see if your group is coming up!

    [/img]

    GROUPS ABLE TO CLAIM AS OF AUGUST 1

    • Lords of the Manor, Groups 1-9
    • Duke, Groups 10-18

    GROUPS COMING UP THIS WEEK

    Baron: Groups 19-27:
    • Royal Founder – Group 19: August 2 at 19:00 CDT (August 3 at 00:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 20: August 3 at 00:00 CDT (05:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 21: August 3 at 05:00 CDT (10:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 22: August 3 at 10:00 CDT (15:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 23: August 3 at 15:00 CDT (20:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 24: August 3 at 20:00 CDT (August 4 at 01:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 25: August 4 at 01:00 CDT (06:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 26: August 4 at 06:00 CDT (11:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 27: August 4 at 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)


    Lord and Lord Marshal: Groups 28-36:
    • Royal Founder – Group 28: August 5 at 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 29: August 5 at 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)
    • Royal Founder – Group 30: August 5 at 21:00 CDT (August 6 at 02:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 31: August 6 at 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 32: August 6 at 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
    • Founder – Group 33: August 6 at 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 34: August 6 at 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 35: August 6 at 22:00 CDT (August 7 at 03:00 UTC)
    • Benefactor – Group 36: August 7 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)


    More group times are listed in the Lot Selection announcement on the main website. The last group will be Group 91 on August 24 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC). After all group times have passed, anyone will have a chance to place a lot.

    To get daily lot selection updates, follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/shroudofavatar, or keep the above Lot Selection announcement bookmarked for easy access!


    [ 2016-08-02 23:07:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 2, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 32! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 2, 2016

    Build Number 453 2:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Expert Crafting Stations will now provide increasing Exceptional Item Chance as your skill level increases

    • Peladjar in Ardoris is long-suffering with all his customers, but will show you the trick to juggling bottles if you ask him about his job.

    • Adjusted navmesh in Soltown Tavern to fix pathfinding for NPCs

    • Fix for players who already had the "kill 5 zombies" quest from Ashton in Soltown when it was switched to finding a book. Players can now talk to Ashton again to get the request for the book.

    • Lord Enmar in Owl's Head no longer talks about mythical substances such as ectoplasmic residue.

    • Zangoff in Ardoris now properly performs the Forbidden Dance of the Seven Veils when asked.

    • Fixed improper textures on the following  POT NPC buildings: Bank, Magic Shop, Fishing Shop, and Home Shop. Fixed improper offset on the Rustic Stables and Combat Shop  POT NPC buildings

    • Removed beds, cabinets from Kingsport merchant

    • Set Dark Elven Kinsman Buckler to not lose max durability

    • Mouse sensitivity method changed. Now using raw input values. Also using framerate independent smoothing.

    • Stan Clarke, the bard in Soltown, will now teach you how to sing even if you wake him up in the middle of the day.

    • Fixed incorrect cooldown on healing burst

    • Restored missing portcullis gate on "White Stone Short Gated Castle Wall" deco asset

    • Edvard does a better job of guiding the player at the end of Solace Bridge if spoken to a second time.

    • Viking 3-Story Town Stronghold now in game

    • Improved resolution of Hospitaller Icon UI element

    • Novia Overworld: Removed old access location to POT Dawn's Keep in Novia (and only the new access location remains active).

    • Novia Overworld: Removed collision that blocked access to POT Illusive Passage.

    • Vertas Pass: Updated the guard stations (such as the one at (148.6, 10.5, 228.5)) to better allow NPCs to walk under the arch. Also, rebuilt the NavMesh for the entire scene.

    • Ruined Keep: Updated the name of the gate key ("Ruined Keep Gate Key") to reflect the scene name change.

    • Spite: Grounded keep lot walls.

    • Fixed Ranged Skills so they now require an arrow

    • East Perennial Trail: shifted position of spawners a little away from the rocks

    • Increased ingredients for Supply Cache to match "Double Starting Recipes" reward

    • Added collision that was missing from tree planter curbs in Ardoris

    • Fixed broken textures on male epic plate quarter armor

    • Fixed missing collision in the Epitaph

    • Resolute: Removed old wagon to POT Caladruin from Resolute

    • Performance optimization for "Combat Text"

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Owl's Head: Reduced the max player count from 128 to 64 to improve performance

    • Sawtooth Thicket: Added looping emote time values (8-10) to all waypoints in scene.

    • Fixed visual bugs with castle wall deco pieces.

    • Fixed incorrect stats on Elven Archer armor-stats set to leather

    • Added Mustard Seed to cooking merchant

    • Increased damage and max number of targets for Archery's Multishot.

    • Hilt Fortress: Replaced brazier, then neutered interactability in appropriate way.

    • Novia Overworld: Moved the spawn-into-Novia target for Noreach so players enter the scene at ground level.

    • Obsidian Alchemists will now hand out a pamphlet explaining how to obtain Crowns of the Obsidians when asked.

    • Fixed Combat popup help to note that 'G', not 'TAB' is the default key to cycle through enemy targets.

    • Fixed bug where you could detach cursor from game in Fullscreen mode

    • LINUX: Fixed bug where movement controls would break in fullscreen mode

    • Changed turn-ins for Statue of Virtue quest in Ardoris to use the correct drag-and-drop interface.

    • Brittany Central: Added some missing materials in the scene and fixed stretched terrain textures.

    • Soltown Catacombs: Updated trash pile room treasure type and changed skeletons to respawn slightly faster. Also, the scene now resets when empty.

    • Brightbone Pass: Fixed stuck spot caused by jagged terrain.

    • Fixed Healing Grace and Engage so they will actually work

    • Offline mode: saving character on the mirror scene now succeeds

    • Fixed Confusion advancement, validate combat effects

    • Holtrot: All resurrection ankhs (such as the one at (-25.0, 29.7, -16.5) ) are now above ground and accessible

    • Fixed icons for new pipes-fixed icon size for all pipes

    • Game will now log the player's current loc to a file every 2 seconds. File is named CurrentPlayerData.txt and will be in the root folder for the game.  This is for 3rd party apps that want to parse this data.

    • Healing touch now only affects a single target (instead of up to 8 targets)

    • Fixed PVP confirmation issues

    • Adjust durability on weapons dropped in some of the highest profiting zones

    • Fix Radio/Add Channel interface sorting bug

    • Allow interruption of npcs during pathing towards chairs and beds.

    • Shooter emote is no longer delivered as teachable

    • Removing skill cap on Chaos to unblock players due to a bug in Confusion.

    • Dyeing an item from the player inventory brings up the character sheet like it did in the past.

    •  Players will now be notified when trying to craft with an insufficient level.

    • Socketing recipes will display success chance.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-02 20:45:36 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: August 1, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    August 1, 2016

    Build Number 452 11:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed some issues with Friends list not updating properly

    • Fixed issue where Magic Fist animations were punching to the side

    • Fixed issue with male idle animations that was making belly stick out

    • Edited inventory of Traveling Merchant

    • Added fuels to Supply Cache pledge reward


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • New Juggles

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles

      • Expert Crafting Station balance



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-08-01 18:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: July 30, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 30, 2016

    Build Number 450 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed issue where effects like fire DOTs from Flame Fist were getting applied to caster in PVP

    • Fixed weird head side-to-side bobbing while running

    • Because Fog doesn't work well with legacy foliage assets, we edited the weather data file to give that weather type a 0% chance of occurring, until such time as we can get all those old assets replaced

    • Polish on stance of the avatar on bow idle animations so they are not as hunched over

    • Jeanne in Soltown now always accepts her daughter's necklace if you have found it.

    • Fixed rain falling inside Soltown tavern

    • Liches in Etceter Crag mines can longer move past magic barrier areas.

    • Removed blank books from starting player items since they cannot be traded nor used as decorations

    • Jaanaford: Fixed issue with water appearing out of place, up high.

    • Ferig's Battle Camp: Added min and max times on looping emotes.

    • Brittany Estates: Added min and max times on looping emotes.

    • Fixed deco pets in basements that weren't spawning

    • Fixed issue where Braids and Page style male haircuts were reverse labeled.

    • Japeth's Love quest fixed.

    • Renabled decoration merchant with increased prices for decorations

    • Fixed Hot Tub stair collision

    • Fixed tree assignment on swamp biome Keep and Castle island terrains

    • Owlshead sewer spawn rate reduced

    • Melee Skeleton Tier 7 difficulty increased 10%

    • Non-PVP players must now soft target PVP players.  Non-PVP players are no longer automatically flagged for PVP (while "Show Open PVP Confirmation" option is disabled).

    • Ore spawn rates in OwlsNest have been reduced to be more in line with the risk.

    • Ashton in Soltown no longer looks for you to kill 5 zombies, but instead looks for a book held by the zombies.

    • Journal entry added for Arabella's first conversation with the Avatar in the Isle of Storms

    • Adjusted power downwards of special tamed mimic from pledge rewards

    • Added back in short hair option to Female character creation

    • Brittany Wharfs: Added min and max times to all waypoints for emotes. SOTA-32474

    • Death touch effect targeting changed to arc system.  Updated sub effect targeting from AOE to single target.

    • Generic child dialogs

    • Soltown: Named the 4 children

    • Fix for when NPCs bump into player and complained about being run into.

    • Changed cooldown on fireball to 15 seconds

    • POT Shadow's Rest: Fixed issue preventing lot placement

    • Removed non-basic craftable armor from tailoring merchant

    • Fixed rotation of duke keep walls on one of the Keep Island Lots

    • Fixed rotation of keep walls on one of the Keep Island Lots

    • Removing non-basic armor off tailoring merchants

    • Increased fuel count on general crafting merchant at player request (99->1000)

    • Added new POT maps to map merchant

    • Updated deco lights that are offered at bookstore

    • Removed craftable light from mining merchant

    • Royal Artisan Supply Cache pledge reward now being delivered

    • Skrekk: Deleted giant-sized mug at (9.9, 65.0, 132.5)

    • Brittany Estates: The gate that should lead into Central Brittany now does so.

    • Soltown Catacombs: The gap in the section of wall at (-220.6, 0.0, 101.5) has been closed.

    • Reliquary decorations got the final love they needed to be ready to deliver

    • Brittany Central: More Decorating NPC Buildings

    • Kobold 3-Story w/ Open Deck (Town Home) display names are updated


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • New Recipes

      • New Juggles

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles

      • Expert Crafting Station balance

      • Wings



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-07-30 20:38:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

    World Start – Play Release 32 Now!

    [/img]

    New Britannia is alive! In this week's Update of the Avatar #187: Get a World Starting Backer Gift, see the Telethon Results, Bank Upgrades are increased, view the making of Spite's Waterfalls, and More!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • World Start – Play Release 32 Now!
    • World Starting Gift to all Backers: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier
    • Behind the Scenes: Spite Waterfalls
    • Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 1 Results
    • Shroud of the Avatar in the News
    • Bank Upgrades Increased to 100
    • Bundle Store Updates
    • 15% Bonus and 24 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 32 and the start of the world!


    [ 2016-07-30 01:22:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: July 29, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 29, 2016

    Build Number 450 1:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed mist / fog opacity issue in OSX

    • Oracle in Isle of Storms now voices her greeting when you greet her, not when you approach. (for real this time)

    • Fixing bug where players can see through floor in the Chamber of Souls room of the Epitaph. (we mean it!)

    • Novia Overworld: Brittany Estates now has a banner at its entrance from Novia.

    • Central Brittany: Fixed the wagons that are supposed to point to Novia to actually point to Novia.

    • Previously granted rewards of Royal Founder Cloak would be received with less than maximum durability, this has been corrected, newly granted cloaks will now have the maximum

    • Set up female juggle start/end animation to make balls line up properly.

    • Fixed issue where Fireballs were sometimes not visible

    • Fix Beckon emote for npcs

    • All players should now have /smoke emote (note still requires a pipe equipped to use)

    • North Ravenswood: Deleted cube object in scene.

    • Tobbin Tedbare in Desolis is now an actual child, and so happy about it he will teach you backflips if you ask about his job.

    • Raised max players per scene for Novia and Hidden Vale Overworld scenes

    • Default location for chat window is now lower left corner

    • Fixed issue where weapons were doing double attacks

    • Fix to flee behavior being reset too often.

    • Brittany Wharf: General scene bugs involving propping, terrain and scene design.

    • Soltown: Ensured the outhouse and chicken coops are settled at ground level. Also, gave Stanley the guard the "nightshift" schedule (so he turns his lamp on at night) and several emotes (to help call attention to him).

    • Kobold Town Home secret door fix

    • NPC trainers and shopkeepers shouldn't walk away while interacting with players

    • Performance improvement for NPCs responding to conversations.

    • Pledge Shields no longer Lose Max Durability

    • Fix for Ice Field slowing caster & target in PVP

    • Brittany: Fixed bug where player could exit the bounds of Brittany.

    • Updated inventories of POT and PRT merchants

    • Fixed hole in geo on back porch of Lord Marshal playerhouse

    • removing old live deploy target

    • added trunk colliders to 3 tree prefabs

    • Salvage now restricted to proper Crafting Station types

    • Fix for Fire Arrow Hotbar Glyph Disappearing

    • Fixed Anapa in Malice having trouble holding agro on players

    • Novia Overworld: Adjusted collision in the Veiled Swamp area and shoreline from Soltown to Ardoris.

    • Set Eternal plants to require replant but drop eternal seeds each time

    • Fixed issues with Samael escort in Highvale.

    • Fixed pipe recipes on wrong merchant

    • Fix red item when trying to combine stacks in bank

    • Soltown: Moved where Raymond spawns to improve his ability to get to his patrol path.

    • Fixed issue where Default language appeared blank in Options

    • Brittany Central: Fixed material issue with Seawall End cap and bugs relating to wall gaps.

    • Fixed spiders dropping leather


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • New Recipes

      • New Juggles

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles

      • Expert Crafting Station balance

      • Wings



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-07-29 19:26:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Patch Notes: July 28, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 28, 2016

    Windows / LINUX Build Number 449 7:30 PM

    NOTE: OSX build delayed

    Changes:


    • LINUX compatibility fix of Unity engine code *crosses fingers*. This "should" address the following:

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Fixed various exceptions and error messages

    • Increased the focus cost of chain lightning.

    • Juggle emotes now synched properly when viewed by other players

    • Adjusted weather data to increase likelihood of storms (not sure if it worked though...)

    • Fix materials on Pipe LODs

    • Fixed some Castle Walls not clearing trees properly. Also increase footprint of deco items that clear trees.

    • Polish pass on visuals for the Magic Mirror

    • Wands, Staff now count as Bludgeons for skills prereq use

    • Fixed Enchantments for Wands, Staves, Rings, and Necklaces

    • Fixed Fireworks Boxes

    • Added more Gem Enchantments (as listed in R32 Instructions)

    • Added Crown Merchant that sells Concept Art paintings, tapestries

    • Added wall art to decoration merchant

    • New Crafting Recipes: Greenhouse, Ornate Clockwork Wings, Aviator Cap, Wood pipe, Metal pipe, Clay pipe

    • Removed separate basement merchant from Owlshead, basements are sold with houses everywhere else in game

    • Consolidated Owlshead deco merchants, all other deco merchants are single merchants

    • Novia Overworld: Replaced stumps with trees in improperly deforested area. Replaced snow VFX and set all vfx to approprioate culling distances. Added some ambient butterflys

    • Fix for Ardoris castle guards not accepting passwords.

    • Fixed out of order tutorial on Isle of Storms.

    • Made Discovery icon for Solace Bridge boat to Soltown more appropriate.

    • Resolute gates now stay open for 8 seconds instead of 6.

    • Fixed Soltown bard dialog

    • Automatons in Soltown properly show title when name is learned.

    • NPCs will now perform more animations correctly.

    • Updated minimaps for all existing POT templates and added overhead maps for those that were missing; Edited Mapzone areas to correct player tracking within POT scenes

    • Fixed bug where death animations would replay if they had occured initially off camera

    • Fixed bark sound for dogs

    • Fixed lip curl on female combat animations

    • Added jog to help with dog animation transitions.

    • Fixed issue causing bows to bend unnaturally when attacking

    • Fixed alignment of hoe on farming animations.

    • Fixed neck distortion on male/female 2h weapon attacks.

    • Updated Door Sound on OracleConfirmitory.

    • Updated sounds of human NPC misery (cries, coughs, etc.)

    • Fix for Isle of Storms Arabella's blinking issues

    • Fix for pot belly on Elder Elven chest armor

    • Fix for chain mail helmets appearing black

    • Fix for all masks and hoods that were blinking with avatar's eyes

    • North Ravenswood (HiddenVale_Forest02_Tier3): Moved skeleton spawning near (-190.3, 34.5, -169.6) to one side so it doesn't spawn in a tree.

    • In-game Known Issues/Player Events books updated for R32

    • Fixed "sooty" bottom on Fancy Riding Outfit

    • Soltown Catacombs (Soltown Sewers): Moved floating torch near (-142.8, 25.0, 34.8) to nearby wall.

    • The Epitaph: Reduced leash for Albino Troll so he doesn't walk under the surrounding balconies.

    • Fixed clipping issues in the Epitath where you could see through to the sky

    • Fixed Female Chain-mail quarter armor Chest Piece sorting issues

    • The Clink: Added a climbable vine with a very small interaction range at the top of the "jumping puzzle" that players use to exit Myron's pit.

    • Fixed sorting issues with Male Cloth Tunic

    • Fixed broken beds in Soltown

    • Solace Bridge: Adjusted stairs at (35.2, 34.4, -58.3) so players don't have to jump to exit the pit.

    • Xenos: Fixed broken NPCs in the amphitheatre

    • Insanely loud annoying singing doors in Brittany Fields fixed

    • Graff Gem Mines and Serpent's Spine Mines: Added natural steps at various points to allow easier NPC access between ground and water.

    • Brittany Wharfs: Cow staying put on stage generally.

    • Central Brittany:

      • Fixed various terrain and terrain texture issues.

      • Opened up the Secret Passage to Brittany Wharfs.

      • Decorated some of the previously empty NPC buildings.

      • Moved hanging lantern near (90.2, 44.7, 425.9) to a nearby wall.

      • Added wagons to Novia by the Alleys, Fields, Graveyard, and Wharfs gates.

      • Added balloon to Novia by the Estates gate. Added boat to Novia at the docks.

      • Moved cow near "hill" at (495.6, 30.8, 32.0) to be inside the nearby stables.



    • Spite: Polish to Mortuarium and added ground fog

    • Soltown: Moved a floating bottle at (53.9, 32.1, 142.2) to rest on the ground.

    • Fixed strange polygon in roof curl on Kobold style town home.

    • Unique names for starting potions/scrolls/kits to prevent confusion

    • Fixing bad stair collision in Rustic Village House (used in Solace Bridge

    • Adding collision to the underside of balcony in the Chamber of Souls in the Epitatch so you can't see through it

    • Oracle voice in Isle of Storms now plays when players type "hello" vs being triggered on entering the confirmator

    • POT Lions of Amore: Added overworld access. Interconnection (removed POT Serenite).

    • Fixed bad collision on walls in Hilt Fortress

    • Fixed some tearing and sorting issues with Cloth Tunic while dancing

    • Immortality Fruit and Royal Elderberry plants updated to be no-trade and protected from ransom. I also added a client-side enhancement to notify users more quickly about why some planter boxes can not be traded.

    • Cleaned up POT Homes merchant, made sure still selling basements

    • Kobold Town House secret door fix

    • North Ravenswood: Lifted areas of Terrain to prevent water plane clipping.

    • Fixed issues with the VFX of the Oracle watcher scan

    • POT Oasis & POT Liberty: Changed location of both POTs

    • Xenos: Fixed overlapping Row Houses and invisible water lots

    • Disable start in overworld until tutorial finished

    • Spite: Terrain bugs and grass inside NPC Buildings.

    • Blood River Massacre: Fixed broken crate

    • Novia Overworld: Improved collision for the southern coast of Spindrift Bay, Elad's Island. Also, the river near PaxLair.

    • Move NPCs to thier goal on schedules fix

    • Crafting stations now display socketing recipe success and fixed an issue where recipes would not show if they are lower than the required level

    • Make sure loading screen is fully shown before continuing load

    • Fix full screen toggle not updating correctly on use

    • Fixed title display for merchant automaton in Soltown.


    Known Issues:

    • Some items listed in the R32 instructions are not in the game yet including:

      • Merchant inventory overhauls for POT Merchants

      • New Recipes

      • New Enchantments

      • New Juggles

      • Blood Reliquary Bundles

      • Expert Crafting Station balance

      • Wings



    • Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes

    • Ice Field slows caster as well as target in PVP

    • Bloom can't be disabled

    • Armor Set Bonuses not working

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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 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


    [ 2016-07-29 01:55:03 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 32 Instructions



    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS PRE-ALPHA. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 32 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, July 28, at 9:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (14:30 UTC).

    One Hour Early: Please note that we are opening the servers one hour early this time to give Group 1 more time to prepare for Lot Selection.

    Patch at Midnight: Please also note that we hope to have the first build for R32 available for download to players as early as Midnight, right after wipe so that everyone can be fully patched up in the morning. Also please note that some of the below deliverables did not make the first patch.

    History:
    On Thursday December 12, 2013 Release 1 allowed our backers to play Shroud of the Avatar for the very first time. Since that very first release, we have provided you a monthly release on the last Thursday of every month for the last 31 months. Thanks to our amazing backers, our game and community have both grown each release to the point that we are now the second largest crowd-funded video game ever. Help us celebrate this historic moment as we move into our next phase with our 12-hour Summer Telethon of the Avatar!

    Persistence:
    This Release will be different from all of those other releases because we are finally going Persistent. This means that the progress a player makes will no longer be reset every three months. Just because we are persistent, however, does not mean we are going to slow down! We will continue our Monthly Releases just like we always have. We still have features to implement, content to complete (see our Roadmap), and lots (and lots) of balancing to do. Even though this is the “Final Wipe” we are still in Early Access and, if needed, we will do small Rollbacks and/or Partial Wipes if we absolutely need to in order to maintain the health of the product.

    New User Experience:
    We continued the work we started in Release 31 and polished more of the new user experience in the Isle of Storms, Solace Bridge, Soltown, and even as far as Ardoris. This included a new Oracle in the Isle of Storms, more NPC behaviors, and further transitions of the hints to the new on-screen system.

    Balance:
    We began what will be multiple releases of balance adjustments to combat and economy starting with major overhauls to Merchant inventories. We have also adjusted starting recipes, starting skills, and starting gear for better balance and better advancement curves.

    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 all the 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 mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

    By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

    Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

    Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 32.

    Full Wipe (except Social): We wiped all player data including inventory and housing. Social information (friends and guilds) will remain intact. If you have Add-On Store items you wish to convert to credit, then you can do so on the Shroud of the Avatar website multiple times this week. Remember to do it before you claim your rewards in the bank (Live or QA) since that will make all add on store items “claimed in game.” Also please note that if you upgraded a property owning pledge since the last wipe, you ended up with extra lot deeds which will have now been wiped (lot deeds do not stack). Your current deed amount will match your purchases when R32 goes live. Please note that because we are wiping offers multiple times this week you will end up with multiple sets of rewards.

    Lot Selection: Starting at 11:00 AM CDT, players can begin selecting lots in the game in order of their lot selection group. You can view your lot selection group on your account page. Lot Selection Rules are:
    - You may use any ONE deed you own to claim any one unclaimed lot you wish.
    - The type of deed, the location of the lot does not matter, all are covered under the same rule. (except Water Lots, see below)
    - Any deed may be used to claim a lot of the listed size or smaller.
    - The beginning time of the group after yours does NOT affect your ability to claim a lot; if the next group after you has begun their claim window prior to you being able to claim a lot, you CAN still claim a lot. The times listed are Beginning times. Once begun, your ability to claim your one lot does not expire.
    - Any remaining deeds in your inventory may be used to claim lots after the beginning of Group 91 at 03:00 CDT on the 24th of August.
    - Water Lots can only be claimed using Founder Deeds
    - There are no restrictions on location changes. If you change your mind and want to claim a different lot you have that ability.
    To claim a lot you must move your Avatar to the location of the lot in the town in the game. There is no lot claiming outside the game.
    - As a reminder Lot Deeds are flagged “No Trade” during Release 32.

    Brittany Estates: This final neighborhood completes Greater Brittany. It is northwest of Central Brittany on the shores of Lake Equitas in the North Paladis region of Novia. It is filled with manicured gardens, water features, and high end shops surrounded by mostly City-sized lots.


    Spite (Unclone): Spite is located on the shores of Stormwater Lake in the Drachvald Region and is a pivotal location in the Path of Love. Spite started as a cloned scene (based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template, aka the PaxLair template). We completely rebuilt it from scratch in Release 32. The city is now built into terraced cliffs with a beautiful waterfall and has some key landmarks like the Mortuarium. Note that scenes that we unclone after the Final Wipe will NOT get this level of rework, and the placement of NPC buildings and player housing lots in those towns will remain unchanged; only cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage will be made.


    Xenos (Unclone): Located on the Isle of Elysium, Xenos is where pilgrims stop on their way to Artifice on the Path of Truth. Like Spite, Xenos started as a cloned scene (using our Forest 01 PRT/POT template, aka PaxLair). We used the same base template but modified it heavily to build the new scene.


    NPC Behaviors: We greatly expanded NPC behaviors to include Theft Detection, Virtue Reactions, sleep schedule interruptions and other activities.

    44 New Crafting Recipes: New decorations, wearables, and armor.

    And Much More! Click here for the complete R32 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-07-26 23:29:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #186: Xenos Reborn, Brittany Housing, Spite Renovation, and more!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #186 has arrived! In-game areas are expanding out in Brittany and Spite in this week's Update of the Avatar! Get details on Xenos Reborn, More Brittany Housing, Renovating Spite, SotA Makes 2016 RPG List, New Bundle Store, and more!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • Xenos Reborn
    • Brittany Central Housing Expansion
    • Renovating Spite
    • Rock Paper Shotgun’s 2016 RPG List
    • Next Dev Heading to SotA Con – Berek!
    • New Bundle Store
    • 15% Bonus and 12 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 31 and prepare for the big Summer Telethon event on July 27th!


    [ 2016-07-23 00:57:00 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #185: Summer Telethon Schedule, Lot Selection, and Transfer Deadlines

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #185 has arrived! You won't believe what we have included in this week's Update of the Avatar! Get details on the Summer Telethon schedule, more about Re-Making Spite, Lot Selection Group Numbers, and don't forget the Deadline on Transfers & Upgrades!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • Massively OP Picks Shroud as “Most Exciting Developments”
    • Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 1
    • The Re-Making of Spite
    • Fancy Riding Outfit
    • More Pipes for the Enthusiast
    • Updated Lot Selection Group Numbers + Deadlines for Transfers & Upgrades
    • 15% Bonus and 12 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 31 and prepare for the big Summer Telethon event on July 27th!


    [ 2016-07-15 21:46:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 14, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 14, 2016

    Build Number 444 1:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed issue with Red Dress that was making people disappear

    • Fixed Dragon Statue decorations so they can be placed again

    • Updated Avatar's Radio url.


    Known Issues:

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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



    [ 2016-07-14 18:42:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 11, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 11, 2016

    Build Number 442 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Added code to prevent moving a planter box while interacting with it

    • New You shops should be functioning again

    • Fixed non-working LB Birthday cakes

    • Fixed issue where creatures with change to flee on first detection were not breaking out of flee when attacked.

    • Fixed issues where the repair button would not light up if players attempted to repair everything using a crown of the obsidian while primary and secondary durability are equal


    Known Issues:

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-07-11 18:15:17 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #184: Lord British Darkstarr Blood Reliquaries

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #184 has arrived! The Livestream of Blood, Remaking of Spite, Pipe Smoking, and an action packed lineup of weekend community events, all covered in today's update!

    Here’s the lineup:

    • R31 Postmortem Recap
    • Lord British and Darkstarr Blood Reliquaries
    • News about the Blood Reliquaries
    • The Re-Making of Spite
    • Pipe Smoking
    • 15% Bonus and 19 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
    • Upcoming Events
    • The SotA Dating Game (Community Event)
    • Owl’s Sky Arena PvP Tournaments (Community Event)
    • The Order’s Auction Hall (Community Event)
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 31 and prepare for the big Summer Telethon event on July 27th!


    [ 2016-07-09 04:24:07 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 7, 2015

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 7, 2016

    Build Number 441 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed Viking 2-Story Village Home with Dual Balconies so it should finally appear in the game (sorry for the delay!)

    • Fixed bug that was making male children look like monsters!

    • Fixed issue where EULA in client showed TOS after touching the UI

    • Fixed issue where pet calls were not overwriting existing pet

    • "Gated Ornate River Stone Fence" is now flagged for decoration in Player Towns

    • Fixed issue where some Masterwork and Enchanting effects were not displaying their names properly when selecting them in the crafting interface

    • Magic Printing Press fixed

    • Fixed sign recipes

    • Fixed bosses in The Rise so they should all now be killable

    • Broadcast Phonograph should now not break sometimes


    Known Issues:

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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



    [ 2016-07-07 18:39:55 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 6, 2015

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 6, 2016

    Build Number 440 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • POTs:

      • Breaker's Landing: Changed biome (from Forest to Mountain). Rotated to -90.

      • Illusive Passage: Changed biome (from Forest to Mountain). Changed location. Removed interconnection between POT Illusive Cavern and POT Finchfield.

      • SilverHold: Fixed bug that was preventing this from showing up on Novia



    • Fixed facial hair error

    • If the camera would be blocked on the right side of player during conversation, switch to the left side.

    • Updating description of Reveal Hidden to note that it only works on Hostile targets.

    • Fixed title on Rats Nest POT Custom music

    • Change default for "Shift+Alpha" opens chat to off.

    • NPCs once again will understand answers to their questions if "Enable Conversation Close-Ups" is disabled.

    • Fixed demon skull not being lootable

    • Implemented a fix for Resource nodes that were accumulating loot even if interaction was cancelled

    • Fixed bugs with The Shingle Roof Two-Story w/ Overhang and Shingle-Roof Two-Story w/ Great Hall

    • Fixed bugs with Red Dress

    • Added rowboat teleporters to Keep and Castle Island Lots in Aerie and Brittany Wharfs

    • Fixed Overworld banners so they no longer disappear against sky

    • Knockback (bludgeon) skill now stunning properly

    • Fixed multiple issues with Japeth's sad quest of love.

    • Added a validation to salvage to ensure that equipable items are never returned

    • Public Vendors now disabled in Offline Mode

    • Kiln Cistern: Added blockers in various locations to prevent exploits via high jump.

    • Fixed bug where Glyphs locked to the combat hotbar remain consistent across all Decks

    • Fixed bug where system messages did not appear properly when they forced the chat window to open

    • Fix for keeping in combat even if no current target

    • Fix for sorting bank inventory by location

    • Moving a chest that contains a bag (empty) no longer produces a fail message.

    • Novia Overworld: The interaction range for the boat to Hidden Vale has been returned to normal distance.

    • Made more explicit that Charlotte's disappearance after quest completion in Solace Bridge is intentional.

    • Minor clarifications added to Soltown fire investigation

    • Journal message added if Charlotte is left behind in Solace Bridge.

    • Hospitaller sign for the add-on store

    • Fixed issue with ending of /puke emote

    • animated and set up "JuggleKnives"

    • Fix lot deed ugprade UI message that got broken in a refactor

    • Better handle an exception ocurring during rolling loot for Reward Offers

    • Roots, Mezes, Stuns, etc now keep enemy NPCs in combat mode properly so they use properly use in-combat regen.

    • Fixed occlusion errors in Solace Bridge and Owlshead that was causing things to vanish at some angles.

    • Blacklist update, blocking some data centers and spam hosts

    • Some Localization fixes


    Known Issues:

    • Magic Printing Press not working sometimes

    • Some sign recipes are showing up as blank signs

    • Some bosses in The Rise dungeon cannot be killed

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • Broadcast Phonographs are breaking sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-07-06 20:50:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 5, 2015

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    July 5, 2016

    Build Number 438 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • POTs:

      • Breaker's Landing: Changed biome (from Forest to Mountain). Rotated to -90.

      • Illusive Passage: Changed biome (from Forest to Mountain). Changed location. Removed interconnection between POT Illusive Cavern and POT Finchfield.



    • Fixed facial hair error

    • If the camera would be blocked on the right side of player during conversation, switch to the left side.

    • Updating description of Reveal Hidden to note that it only works on Hostile targets.

    • Fixed title on Rats Nest POT Custom music

    • Change default for "Shift+Alpha" opens chat to off.

    • NPCs once again will understand answers to their questions if "Enable Conversation Close-Ups" is disabled.

    • Fixed demon skull not being lootable

    • Implemented a fix for Resource nodes that were accumulating loot even if interaction was cancelled

    • Fixed bugs with The Shingle Roof Two-Story w/ Overhang and Shingle-Roof Two-Story w/ Great Hall

    • Fixed bugs with Red Dress

    • Added rowboat teleporters to Keep and Castle Island Lots in Aerie and Brittany Wharfs

    • Fixed Overworld banners so they no longer disappear against sky

    • Knockback (bludgeon) skill now stunning properly

    • Fixed multiple issues with Japeth's sad quest of love.

    • Added a validation to salvage to ensure that equipable items are never returned

    • Public Vendors now disabled in Offline Mode

    • Kiln Cistern: Added blockers in various locations to prevent exploits via high jump.

    • Fixed bug where Glyphs locked to the combat hotbar remain consistent across all Decks

    • Fixed bug where system messages did not appear properly when they forced the chat window to open

    • Fix for keeping in combat even if no current target

    • Fix for sorting bank inventory by location

    • Moving a chest that contains a bag (empty) no longer produces a fail message.

    • Novia Overworld: The interaction range for the boat to Hidden Vale has been returned to normal distance.

    • Made more explicit that Charlotte's disappearance after quest completion in Solace Bridge is intentional.

    • Minor clarifications added to Soltown fire investigation

    • Journal message added if Charlotte is left behind in Solace Bridge.


    Known Issues:

    • Magic Printing Press not working sometimes

    • Some sign recipes are showing up as blank signs

    • Some bosses in The Rise dungeon cannot be killed

    • Glyphs locked to the combat hotbar persist to all decks

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • Broadcast Phonographs are breaking sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-07-05 16:46:02 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #183: Play Release 31 Now!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #183 has arrived! Get the Release 31 Postmortem Invite, check out the Q3-2016 Schedule, New Elven Armor, Brittany Estates, and More!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition:

    • Play Release 31 Now
    • Release 31 Postmortem (with exclusive items)
    • Shroud in the News: MMORPG R31 and Jearbear’s Top 10 2016/17 MMOs
    • Q3 2016 Schedule Update
    • Elven Armor
    • The Making of Brittany Estates
    • Add-On Store Goodies!
    • 26 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30 and help us with the New Player Experience!


    [ 2016-07-01 23:56:28 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Patch Notes: July 1, 2016

    Release 31
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 31! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    June 30, 2016

    Build Number 434 10:45 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed issue where regular music was not restarting when resurrecting.

    • Edvard in Solace Bridge accepts "ready" as a command to start moving

    • Fix for hearing Lum sing at all times in Soltown...

    • Fixed issue where NPCs could attack you while you were leaving a scene

    • Fixed culling distance issues in Brittany

    • Updated icon for Red Dress

    • Novia Overworld: Replaced temporary river and shoreline collision surrounding Brittany

    • Fixed issue where some decorations are coming into the world at odd orientations (not sure if this fix will work though...)

    • Disallow head track during bed interaction.

    • Fixed issues with Female Bob Hairstyle and Tricorn Hat

    • Soltown: Updated the prefab for the outhouse so that the door and chair are usable only by Players.

    • Fixed footfall sound effects so they no longer sound like double or triple footfalls

    • Dexterity now raises Critical Chance

    • Fixed an issue with crafting success messages being displayed three times and also removed messages about 0 durability changes

    • Fix for being caught pickpocketing

    • Add knocked down state to stun effect for body slam.

    • Slowed down movement rate to interactions for NPCs.  Ex. Guards running to close doors, etc.

    • Added Missing Hopitaller sign recipe

    • Updated icons for crafting sign symbol components

    • Adjustments to lowest value salvage bundle for rusty weapons

    • Fixed issues with Lute where players were T-posing when playing and Lute was invisible to other players

    • Players should now properly appear on PVP scoreboard

    • Fixed bug that caused remote players to remain stealthed after losing their stealth effect

    • North Ravenswood: Fixed issue where you could see through edge of map through waterfall.

    • Zero Value Items (starter items, loot items, etc.) now properly destroyed when a Masterwork or Enchant attempt fails.

    • Fixed issue where Zero Value Items (starter items, loot items, etc.) couldn't be salvaged

    • Fixed issue where attempting to Pickpocket a PVP player when not flagged PVP would break movement

    • Fixed inoperative gates in town of Mud

    • Secondary Tools will now display durability properly in bagmode

    • Fixing issues with Japeth dialog in Soltown

    • Abigail in Soltown introduces herself correctly when you have rescued her daughter.

    • Updated naming on lord british salute, love, courage, truth emotes to be /LBSalute, /CourageSalute, /LoveSalute, /TruthSalute

    • Fixed recipes for signs to point properly to correct symbols

    • Fixed rotation bug with Round Elven greenhouse that was preventing placement

    • Updated icons for crafting symbol components

    • Require target for Root spell

    • Fixed issue that was causing camera to sink below ground when players were standing on other objects (tables, fences, etc.)

    • Fixed textures on Ornate 4 Poster Bed

    • Bear knockback fixes

    • Fix for elven fighters with missing eyes

    • Owl's Nest and Etceter Crag Mines: Adjusted resources to spawn slightly faster. (Etceter Crag Mines nodes are also divided into north and south subsections.)

    • Masterwork Proficiency should now level properly

    • Fixed beards clipping with chain helmets

    • Fixed issue where NPCs would not turn to face player during conversation

    • "Fancy Brass GuildHanging Sign" is now "Fancy Brass Guild Hanging Sign"

    • Fix for black hair color

    • Entering Auto-Attack via T now a visual indicator

    • Restored forward movement via Left & Right mouse buttons

    • Fixed bug where when in mouse mode, hitting TAB to go back to reticle mode failed when mouse was over any UI

    • Fixed ring/necklace enchanting issue

    • Toggle cursor mode when showing the automated phonograph UI.

    • Vivian Deventer, the New You beautician in Brittany, has had a pep talk and is ready to perform New You services when asked.

    • Repairing an item no longer reports a failure even when it succeeds

    • Fixed bug that was making casting a spell while sprinting stop sprinting but continue to drain Focus

    • Obsidian Forge should be working again

    • Etceter Crag Mines: Updated tooltip for magical barriers. Added 2 new instruction letters that explain how to get past the magical barrier.

    • Fixed some female bodice clipping issues

    • Implemented final sign recipes

    • Fixed piano breaking after first use

    • Fix for allowing players to access bank items that were stuck in transformed or removed player owned towns.

    • Players go to overworld if banned from joining a scene, or join fails for any reason

    • Player Owned Towns:

      • Temples of Syrinx: Changed biome (from Underground to Tropical Island). Rotated to 90. Upgraded to Crossroads Village. Changed nesting interconnection (from Desolis to Brittany).

      • Minock: Changed location

      • New Britannian Market: New




    Known Issues:

    • Any item with Cloth physics attached (cloaks, cloth armor, cloth clothing, dresses, flags, etc.) will cause crashes on scene load. Try disabling cloth in the Options menu and/or removing all cloth items from your character to lower crash frequency

    • When players drag a glyph from their deck while their hotbar is disabled due to the "Auto-Hide Hotbar" game option, the following error is produced and the hotbar falls into a broken state.

    • Not all of the new signs are available in the game yet

    • Broadcast Phonographs are breaking sometimes

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-07-01 18:22:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Q3 2016 Schedule Update

    [From a forum post by Starr "Darkstarr" Long]

    Greetings Avatars,

    As we have stated previously, our goal is to once-per-quarter post an updated schedule for our monthly releases. Even though these goals will likely change somewhat as we react to feedback, we feel it is important to provide you an updated roadmap periodically.

    Our goal continues to be to deliver our backers content each and every month so that we can get feedback and use it to iterate improvements. This continues to benefit the game, with sweeping changes, like the switch over to use-based advancement. Meeting that monthly goal is our highest priority, but we require flexibility in our deliverables in order to meet that goal. As you have seen in previous releases, sometimes we push things out, but we also often pull new things in.

    The third quarter of 2016 starts with the Final Wipe and Lot Selection and then moves on to steadily progressing through the list of features and content promised during our Kickstarter.

    As always, all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change as we adjust our designs based on direct feedback from you, our backers.

    RELEASE 32, July 28, 2016 (see above for possible changes)


    • Final Wipe: Please note that if you have been waiting to convert your purchases to store credits, these will be your FINAL three chances to do so as long as you do NOT claim your rewards at the bank. There will be three windows the week of release to convert your purchases to store credit. These windows will be on Monday, Wednesday, and then finally on the day of release, Thursday. This will work exactly as it has in previous releases.

    • Lot Selection: Starting at 11:00 CDT players can begin selecting lots in the game in order of their lot selection group. You can view your lot selection group on your account page.

    • Story: The Love Path will get a major polish pass with a special focus on NPC behaviors in Soltown and Ardoris. Greater Brittany will be finished with the addition of the final neighborhood of Brittany Estates, a plush area composed mostly of City sized lots. Additionally several NPC towns, including Spite, that are currently clones will be replaced with original scenes.

    • New User Experience Polish: Continued polish passes will be done on the Tutorials, hints, and starting scenes with special focus on the Isle of Storms and Bloodriver.

    • Service Hardening: We will continue a series of passes through the client, authentication, and server to harden the service for security and customer service. Special attention will be paid to the Patcher.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing: Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game. New variations on the town templates may also appear.

    • Performance: Major efforts will be done to optimize performance.  This will include frame rate improvements, load time improvements, and memory footprint improvements.

    • Multiplayer Economic Balance: A pass will be made through creature loot bundles, merchant pricing, property taxes, public vendor fees, harvesting rates, agriculture growth, crafting recipe ingredient amounts, and other factors to begin establishing an equilibrium for the multiplayer economy

    • Multiplayer Combat Balance: A pass will be made through combat skills, creature stats, player stats, advancement rates, zone difficulties, and other values to establish an equilibrium for multiplayer combat.

    • Crafting: More enchantments and more masterwork modifiers will come online. Most decorations will be removed from NPC merchants and moved to recipes for crafters. Additionally several homes will be craftable for the first time.

    • Character: A polish pass will be completed through all the hair styles.


    RELEASE 33, August 25, 2016

    • Story: The polish pass through the Love Path of the story will continue with special focus on NPC behaviors in the town of Spite. Brittany NPCs will also get a behavior improvement pass. Additionally several NPC towns that are currently clones will be replaced with original scenes.

    • New User Experience Polish: Continued polish passes will be done on the Tutorials, hints, and starting scenes with special focus on Highvale.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing: Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game. New variations on the town templates may also appear. Additionally the Lot Deed Lottery system for in game purchase of Lot Deeds will come online.

    • Offline Mode Combat Balance: A pass will be made through the game to adjust combat balance for play in offline mode with companions.

    • Offline Mode: Patching and Reward delivery for Offline Mode become available to players using this mode to play.

    • Crafting: Cooking and the Food System will expand with more recipes and more functionality including more food buffs.

    • Creatures: We will begin a major polish pass through our creatures.


    RELEASE 34, September 29, 2016

    • Story:  A final polish pass will be completed through the Love Path of the story and we will begin a polish pass on the Courage Path. Aerie and Resolute NPCs will also get a behavior improvement pass. Additionally several NPC towns that are currently clones will be replaced with original scenes.

    • Player Towns & Player Housing: Player-Owned Towns that have locked submission forms will appear in the game. New variations on the town templates may also appear.

    • Offline Economy: The economy in offline mode will be tuned to be better balanced for single player. NPC merchants will buy player crafted items at a profit to the player for instance. Additionally pledge and add-on store items will be available from NPC merchants for purchase with in-game gold.

    • Crafting: Recipes will become teachable (much like emotes). Agriculture will get a polish pass and some new content.

    • Creatures: We will continue a major polish pass through our creatures.

    • Roving Encounters: Potential encounters (wandering merchants, monsters, etc.) will appear on the overworld for players to engage (or avoid).


    We continue to be incredibly thankful for the support we receive from this amazing community. While the funding you provide makes all of this possible, it pales in comparison with the faith you have in us, the feedback you provide us, and the content you are making for everyone to enjoy. We are humbly grateful, and we cannot wait to see you again in New Britannia!

    Before I go, I wanted to include an excerpt from my original post about our Early Release Schedule that is important to set the framework for our ongoing schedule:

    "As a crowd funded and crowd sourced project, we feel it is incredibly important that we provide our backers with information and access well before game studios would normally do so in a traditional development model. Traditionally, the players are given information and access only after the development team has already decided exactly how things will be done, and at times, even after it has already been implemented. By the time the public normally has access to the product, there is usually no time to meaningfully react to the public feedback.


    Shroud of the Avatar is different than the traditional model, as we intend to offer our backers extremely early access to information and even the game itself. With that said, we also want to be very careful that we only provide access to portions of the game when they are ready for a wider range of feedback. If we can play it internally and we know it is not ready, then there is nothing to be gained by having a wider audience come to the same conclusion. In fact, it could be quite damaging to do so.


    Our strategy over the next few months is to provide you with focused and iterative releases of content. Your feedback during these releases will be critical to making the final product the best it can be, and we appreciate that you are all so willing to devote your time to helping us. With each release, we will have specific tests we will ask you all to make. As we get closer, we will send instructions on how to download, install, report bugs, etc. After each release we will review the results and reevaluate the plan including the duration of availability of each release. Please note that game data will be wiped periodically during early access.


    It is important to note that all dates, durations, and deliverables are subject to change."


    Sincerely,
    Starr Long
    Executive Producer
    Shroud of the Avatar


    [ 2016-06-30 16:12:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 31 Instructions



    The Novian Aeronautics Manufactory in Brittany Alleys

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS PRE-ALPHA. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 31 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, June 30, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    We are only one release away from Final Wipe and Lot Selection and we are focusing on the final tactical changes in order to prepare for that momentous event. Those tactical changes in Release 31 include an intense focus on the New User Experience, character customization inside the game, additional neighborhoods for Greater Brittany, and continued expansions to the crafting system.

    New User Experience:

    For Release 31, we have begun focusing our efforts on improving the new user experience starting with Solace Bridge (which has been completely reworked) and Soltown (which we've begun reworking). This reworking includes a new onscreen hint system, new NPC behaviors, and a better flow through the scenes.

    We selected Solace Bridge and Soltown as part of the polish pass on the the Love path of the story. This means that, for now, we will be putting any further work on the Courage and Truth paths on hold until we feel that the Love path truly represents our goals for Shroud of the Avatar’s story.

    Crafting:

    Crafting continues to expand with Masterworking gaining more specialized modifiers per type of gear. This means that higher level Smiths, Tailors, and Carpenters can get really specific on each piece of equipment by adding very specific exact benefits. Alchemists also unlock specific enchantments when they socket gems into weapons and chest armor. These changes are getting us closer to our goal of what we envisage as “Bespoke Crafters” who create very custom gear for the most demanding customers. We also worked on the other side of the life cycle of gear and improved Salvage so that, at high levels, it now has the chance to return components.

    Housing:

    With Release 31, housing number requirements are basically achieved for Episode 1 (minus Brittany Estates). The additions of Brittany Alleys, Brittany Wharfs, and 19 new PRTs represent thousands of new lots. Additionally, we finally have Keep and Castle island lots working for the Dukes and Lords of the Manors bringing us in line with the numbers for those pledges (see below for locations). We also greatly improved the granularity of the Housing Permissions system.

    Stability:

    We have been working non-stop with Unity for six weeks now on the Unity engine stability issues. We have made some progress on the crashes that happen in scenes (aka the “zombie crashes”). Unfortunately, we are still seeing the crashes that happen during scene transitions and the fix for the in “zombie” crash represents a reduction in visual quality of our water system.

    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). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

    Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 31.

    Brittany Wharfs: This sprawling neighborhood of Brittany is the center of commerce for Greater Brittany and is composed of mostly town-sized lots.


    Brittany Alleys: This suburb of Brittany houses the bulk of the population of Greater Brittany and is composed of mostly row-sized lots. It is also the center of industry for Greater Brittany and where Novian Aeronautics has their factory.


    Soltown: Soltown is being reworked over the next couple of releases to make it more useful to new players, more immersive, and to feel more alive. By R32, we plan to have most towns along the path of Love feel much more polished and feel like what players expect from a Lord British game. For R31, several (4) new quests have been added to test your virtue. So, be sure to chat with the people you meet, even if you've already chatted with them before. You might be surprised by what they have to say. Also, all inhabitants of Soltown are now on schedules, new inhabitants have been added, and some old inhabitants may behave differently or have a different tale to tell.

    Under Construction Signs: Scenes that we plan to go back to later for major updates (primarily scenes that were cloned from other scenes which need to be made unique) now have notifications to let players know of that temporary state. This notification includes a message on screen that says “Attention: This area is in early development and is temporarily based on another scene.” Also, actual barricades are at the entrances of these scene which players have to walk around before entering.

    New User Experience Polish: We have completely redone the Solace Bridge sequence of the Path of Love tutorial. We have removed the pop up windows with tutorial text in this scene. They can still be found in other scenes but we are evaluating completely replacing them everywhere with the new context-sensitive hints that appear now in Solace Bridge. These hints contain one or two lines of text and are onscreen for a few moments versus the windows which were walls of text (note that these new hints cannot be dismissed).


    “New You”: Players can now change their physical appearance in the game. Initially this can be done on the Isle of Storms during your encounter with Arabella using a Magic Mirror. After that, you can seek out Crown Merchants for this service. For R31, these merchants can be found in the Ardoris "New You" shop (located in the docks area), and in Brittany near the Obsidian Crown potion merchant on South Portside Avenue.

    Gems: Adding a gem to a weapon now unlocks specific enchantments related to the gem’s school of magic in addition to increasing attunement to the magic school. For example, adding a Necromancy Gem allows you to add Life Drain to your sword.

    Salvage Returns Components: At high levels of Salvage skill you now have the chance to get components back from salvaged gear, not just scrap or raw materials.

    Housing Permissions: We have modified the permissions of our housing system to give owners greater control over how they share use of their property. This includes more levels of permissions and permission control per item.

    Camera Effects: We have introduced new camera effects in this release as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our visuals and improve performance. These include upgrades to existing effects like Ambient Occlusion and Bloom as well as adding entirely new effects like Depth of Field and a Sharpness Filter.

    And Much More! Click here for the complete R30 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-06-29 22:34:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #182: Get Your 15% Summer Bonus Now!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #182 has arrived! Get your 15% Summer Bonus, check out the New Solace Bridge, Brittany Estates & Wharfs, Polished Elven Armor & Robes, SotA Con 2016, and More!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition:

    • Announcing the 15% Summer Bonus!
    • Welcome Back to Solace Bridge!
    • The Making of Brittany Estates
    • The Making of Brittany Wharfs
    • Polished Elven Fighter Armor and Mage Robes
    • Prism In-Game Event: Remembrance of the 49 Victims of the Orlando Shooting Massacre
    • SotA Con 2016
    • Viking 2-Story Village Home with Dual Balconies
    • 33 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30 and help us with the New Player Experience!


    [ 2016-06-27 18:07:38 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #181: The Making of Brittany Estates

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #181 has arrived! Check out the amazing progress of the Making of Brittany Estates, get a tour of the Kobold homes, watch Lace's SotA Wiki How-To video, pre-order the Sword of Midras audiobook, and more!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition:

    • The Making of Brittany Estates
    • RizeUp Gaming’s 4th Annual Multiple Sclerosis Charity Drive, June 17-19
    • Pledge Stats Update
    • Womby & Friends Present: Incident in Skrekk (A Tour of Kobold Homes)
    • 40 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • Preorder The Sword of Midras SotA Novel and Audiobook!
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • Lace’s SotAWiki How-To Video
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30 and help us with the New Player Experience!


    [ 2016-06-17 20:37:26 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #180: Pre-order The Sword of Midras SotA Novel!

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #180 has arrived! Pre-order your copy of The Sword of Midras SotA novel, get a SotA exclusive Xounts style for FREE, walk memory lane with us from our recent HoBLotH visit, and check out the new Mysterious Chamber at the Confluence scenes!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition:

    • Preorder The Sword of Midras SotA Novel and Audiobook!
    • HoBLotH III Community Event
    • Royal Warrant Awarded to The Phoenix Republic
    • Xounts Kickstarter: Shroud of the Avatar Special
    • The Mysterious Chamber at the Confluence
    • The Making of Brittany Wharfs
    • 47 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Activities
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30!


    [ 2016-06-11 00:41:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #179: Release 30 Postmortem and More

    [/img]

    Update of the Avatar #179 has arrived! Learn more about the city of Brittany, peruse new templates for Player Owned Towns, check out the basement design for Keep sized lots, Viking Wearables are now available, and more!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition:

    • Release 30 Postmortem
    • Brittany Wharfs
    • Brittany Alleys
    • Gold Crowns of the Obsidians Clarifications
    • Revamped Founder Leather Armor, Benefactor Cloth Tunic & Founder Cloth Tunic
    • Richard Garriott is Certifiable (on Twitter)
    • Unity Onsite
    • Austin Unity Developer Meetup: Worldbuilding with Finn & Esteben
    • Updates to POT Pages
    • Keep Stone Arena Basement
    • Clarification on New Game Access Bundles
    • Viking 4-Story Row House & Viking Wearable Bundles
    • 54 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • Upcoming Events
    • Community Activities
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30!


    [ 2016-06-03 21:15:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Patch Notes: June 3, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 30! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    June 3, 2016  

    Build Number 426 11:00 AM

    Changes:


    • Fixed a very nasty bug that was causing in some conditions (like crashing) maximum durability to go down at same rate as current durability. Was also causing durability to go down faster than normal in some conditions

    • Grannus will not stop talking to the player if they for whatever reason decline to turn in Brigid's amulet.

    • Demig will speak to players who turn in the necessary paperwork.


    Known Issues:

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Pledge items and Add On Store Items are having their Maximum Durability reduced

    • Stabilty: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stabilty issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-06-03 17:43:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Patch Notes: June 1, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 30! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    June 1, 2016  

    Build Number 422 5:15 PM

    Changes:


    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various invisible blockers, spawn into air issues, and other items

      • Updated terrain for POT Praga, so that it sits properly on the ground



    • Wood & Plaster Two-Story w/ Balcony (Town) now has larger balcony

    • Fixed bug that when you had a skill that was locked, and also in a dynamic slot, if you activated the locked skill, it would put the dealt skill on cooldown

    • Fixed issue blocking placement of water lots in Island and Mountain POTs

    • flattened some rumples in swamp POT terrain

    • Fixed the light explosion framerate destroying bug

    • Fixed various issues with friendly targeting


    Known Issues:

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Pledge items and Add On Store Items are having their Maximum Durability reduced

    • Stabilty: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stabilty issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-06-02 00:09:31 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Patch Notes: May 31, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 30! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 31, 2016  

    Build Number 421 6:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various invisible blockers, spawn into air issues, and other items

      • Moved spawn-into-Novia for POT Sidus Clarum so player's don't get stuck in collision

      • Adjusted collision on west side of Nightshade Pass to better allow for access to that scene

      • Adjusted spawn-into-Novia target location for Highvale so players don't appear high in the air



    • Guild registrar in Owl's Head works again, but only for players in online modes.

    • Fixed missing textures on Exit Archways in Mountain Player Owned Town Template

    • Emma the Barmaid in Ardoris once again has a menu of items for sale.

    • Fixed an issue where some cases where some cases that attempting to view the log for the chest at the following location produces an empty log, and immediately generates a network problem icon.

    • Replaced missing sections of Lord Marshal Benefactor player house

    • Fixed issue which was causing Lightning spells to do 100% stuns, now doing it based on a % chance

    • Etceter Crag Mine: Fixed stuck spot on the 3rd Level.

    • Flattened out some stray rumples in Forest POT terrains

    • Brittany Fields: Fixed issues causing bank guards to get caught in the doors

    • Highvale Village: Made some collision changes at the top of the "entry stairs" at (87.2, 50.7, -180.1)  to allow NPCs to traverse the stairs.

    • Fixed female eye bugging on idle fidgets.

    • Brittany: Removed adult blanket horses with problem texture.

    • Fix for broken deco layers in Town Arena Basement

    • Improve water lot placement issues in underground and mountain PoT



    May 31, 2016  

    Build Number 420 12:00 PM

    Changes:

    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various invisible blockers, spawn into air issues, and other items

      • Moved POT Praga closer to Brittany, to the southwest on the coast.

      • Fixed an issue where the location for POT Praga was pointing to the wrong POT.

      • Fixed issue with spawning location for Verdantis Shardfall



    • Turned up the volume of the footstep sound effects on male avatars

    • Fixed flickering shadow issue in Challenge Dungeon

    • Fixed poison damage issue in Challenge Dungeon

    • Attached sound effect to Wishing Well

    • Added arrows to blacksmiths who were not selling them (mainly in Brittany)

    • Solace Forest (and clones): Moved a harvestable tree at (-151.0, 37.0, 160.6) away from the tree curtain so it can be harvested.

      • Ulfheim

      • Solace Forest

      • North Hulenholt

      • North Midmaer Way

      • South Naryad Pinelands



    • /visible should not turn avatars visible while in First-Person view.

    • /tablefilp emote is now re-teachable

    • /macarena emote is now only teachable, not re-teachable

    • Fixed transparent female nomad hats

    • Fixed some Viking Cloak sorting issues

    • Fixed some issues with Lunar Rifts

    • Made it so you can't trigger a spider web if the web is already interacting with someone

    • Made sure that there are at least 2-3 bonuses to each Prosperity Tool (where possible)

    • Fixed abug where opening trade while inventory is already active produces a secondary duplicate inventory.

    • Fixed bugs related to Durability not being set correctly when getting Exceptional items

    • Dropped price of Gold Crowns of the Obsidians to 250 Gold

    • Valhold Palace: Chamberlain Essen now has correct conversation and can play his part in the Path of Courage quest line

    • Valhold Palace: Grannus is more explicit about what he's looking for when you first meet him.

    • The Path of Courage quest line for Skrekk is now available.

    • The ending of the Path of Courage in Valhold Palace is now available.


    Known Issues:

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Pledge items and Add On Store Items are having their Maximum Durability reduced

    • Stabilty: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stabilty issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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





    [ 2016-05-31 18:22:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Update of the Avatar #178: Play Release 30 Now!

    Update of the Avatar #178 has arrived! Get your Tax Free Viking Bundle, check out the new tropical island PoT Template, preview Brittany Alleys, try on the new Viking Helm, and more!

    Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

    • Play Release 30 Now!
    • Hospitaller Refueling Stations
    • Release 30 Postmortem Invite
    • Brittany Alleys
    • Name Reservation
    • New Cloth Tunic, Polished Cloth Doublet, & Viking Helm
    • New Tropical Island PoT Template & PoT Templates Page
    • MMORPG Previews: Release 30’s Big Changes
    • Gold Crowns of the Obsidians
    • Tax Free Player Owned Town Lot Deeds (Bundles Only)
    • Viking Row House Tax Free Player Owned Lot Bundles
    • 61 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
    • Community Resources – Players Helping Players
    • In-game Community Events
    • Upcoming Events
    Check out the complete update at the Shroud of the Avatar website, and then join us in the game to check out Release 30!


    [ 2016-05-28 01:12:04 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Patch Notes: May 27, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 30! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 27, 2016  

    Build Number 419 6:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various invisible blockers, spawn into air issues, and other items

      • Adjusted spawn-into-Novia target for POT Praga so players spawn at the town instead of in the air



    • V key now cycles through 3 camera modes: First Person, Over the Shoulder, and Center Camera

    • Now delivering the /spyglass emote to anyone who purchased the spyglass item

    • Wars menu can now be opened again via the window selector menu

    • Brittany: Now has 3 songs instead of 1

    • Updated bag mode crafting UI to support viewing the entire crafting summary

    • Fixed being able to select friendlies and showing there nameplate in the top left.

    • POT Cottage Grove: Changed location as per player request in aftermath of Novia rework

    • Breakable Walls & Gates are now working again

    • Fixed POT NPCs walking through walls


    Known Issues:

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Pledge items and Add On Store Items are having their Maximum Durability reduced

    • Stabilty: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stabilty issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    Build Number 418 11:00 AM

    Changes:

    • Novia Overworld: Fixed various invisible blockers, spawn into air issues, and other items

      • Fixed invisible walls blocking paths at (121.5, 13.0, 64.1) and (115.1, 14.3, 41.3)

      • Novia and Highvale Village: Made adjustments to the collison in Novia and spawn-into-Novia target for Highvale Village to ensure players don't spawn in the air when entering Novia.

      • Corrected label of Vauban Pass discovery.

      •  Updated the collision around Celestis (it's entire island) and Solania to ensure players don't spawn high in the air when entering Novia from these scenes.

      • Adjusted collision in the area of (-154.1, 17.8, 196.8) to allow for pasage between the mountains and river.



    • Brittany: Increased the size of the interaction volume on three of the main exit gates.

    • Added light to death visuals.

    • Fixing missing material on dungeon balcony

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fixed line break problem in tooltips for crafting components

    • Fixed issue with Ring masterworking

    • Fix for all gloves that are not behaving well with /headbang emote

    • Player vendor rewards were not being delivered past citizen, this is now fixed with new delivery method that is account-based

    • Removed collision from the floors in Greenhouses so that items can be placed in them again

    • Adjusted LOD group on dresser decoration (cupboard2) so that it culls at a further distance

    • Enchanting and Masterworking skills should now finally be leveling up properly

    • Enabled run with mouse in combat with auto attack.

    • Etceter Crag Mines: Moved gold node on ground at (85.7, -10.0, 139.0) to across the room on the ground. Moved gold node on ceiling at 21.8,-24.9,68.7) across room to waist level. This is to ensure nodes aren't stacked with other nodes that will inhibit mining.

    • Fixed Elven chest armors using wrong cloak sizes

    • Fixed pink exit archways in Elysium Mines Entrance map

    • Fixed naming errors for Masterworked items

    • Brittany Fields: Temporarily disabled all the crop fields due to a crummy shader that was eating up 30% of our frame time.

    • Show non-PvP players on Nearby Players list

    • Halved the durability destruction rate which doubled the effective time it takes to destroy weapons and armor and tools.

    • Added rings to the list of item types available for repair

    • Fixed issue where player could get locked into /spyglass emote if any other emote was used while in /spyglass mode

    • Noble Discourse Orb will now work while it is in a subcontainer in your inventory

    • Pets set to Aggressive will  no longer freely attack other people's pets at will, regardless of PVP flagging or duels.

    • Fixed auto attack targeting dead bodies

    • Fixed Epic Plate gear not using crafted metal colors

    • Fixed Owl's Head discovery Steam achievement

    • Fixed Portuguese compass

    • Adding arrows to basic Blacksmith merchants (Spite, Brittany, etc.)

    • Fixed camera sinking while at crafting table

    • Musical Instruments will no longer be able to gain exceptional item bonuses

    • The Master of Air trainer in Kingsport should no longer be taking a swim under the docks.





    [ 2016-05-27 17:52:43 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Patch Notes: May 26, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 30! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 26, 2016  

    Build Number 417 7:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed Long Plain Longboat missing oar textures

    • Baron Founder Boats display pink sails

    • Fixed typo in Obsidian Blessing of Capacity potion description

    • Fixed Obsidian Potion of Stamina potion not having any effect hooked up

    • Fixed range of eye sizes for new female in character creation so eyes will no longer clip past eyelids at maximum size

    • Fixed various exeptions

    • Performance optimizations

    • Added death animations to the Giant Butterfly and Dragonfly pets because people are cruel

    • Restored bridges to Ardoris from Eastern and Western shores on Novia Overworld

    • Elad's Lighthouse: removed Novia Map Atlas (backer reward) and replaced with a different book

    • Etceter: Fixed Satyr bank guard who was getting stuck in the doorway

    • Fixed LOD issues with the floors in the Crypt of the Avatar

    • Renamed the player vendor inventory item reward from "Vendor" to "Commission-Free Vendor"

    • Novia Overworld:

      • The boats near (288.0, 11.7, -254.8) have been properly labelled as to their destinations (Celestis and Solania)

      • The stuck spot at (-112.4, 13.0, -348.1) is now blocked off from access.

      • Adjusted collision at Brightbone Pass near (91.4, 21.7, -314.0) to have a better entry path for players.

      • Adjusted the entry location for East Veiled Swamp to be closer to the entry point.

      • The spot at (435.9, 11.9, -360.4) now correctly points to West Veiled Swamp and not the North Celestial Wetlands.

      • Players that exit the Boreas Colossus scene now appear in Novia next to the entry for that scene.

      • Updated the entry points for Point West, POT Celestial Gardens, and Graff Island to ensure players spawn in a good location

      • Updated the entry location for Solace Forest to be near that scene entrance.

      • Removed collison neear Resolute that blocked playeers from entering that scene



    • Fixed issue where hair was visible before the rest of the avatar when a player first appeared into a scene

    • Fixed LOD errors on the Moontowers

    • POT NPCs now walking around properly

    • Updated /flower emote visuals to have more flower petals and different colored petals

    • Fixed issue where some interactives (doors, crates, etc.) were requiring point blank interaction

    • Malice and Valhold: Replaced poison field that had gotten removed from magical barriers in Malice and the bottom of the well in Valhold.

    • Overworld party markers are now working again

    • Soft targets are now cleared when an NPC is looted.

    • Fixed issues with trading equipped items

    • Resolute Sewers: Key animation now plays every time locked doors in the scene are unlocked. All pipe wheels are now interactive and emit a burst of steam on use.

    • Companion stats now properly scale with player stats

    • Spyglass now works properly for female characters

    • Fixed Break Armor visual effects and timing with animation

    • Fixed missing weapon trail for Battle Spear

    • All offensive skills/spells and heal spells will consume more focus

    • LOD for Fountains

    • Ghost Corpion fight has been tuned to be more challenging.

    • Fixed Male Bow sounds while moving

    • Fixed Water fountain sounds in Ardoris

    • Enchanting and Masterworks Skills now properly influence your chances when attempting to Enchant or Masterwork

    • Masterworks effects now being properly applied to crafted items

    • Masterworking and enchanting now properly decreases durability

    • Lunar Rifts in Bloodriver, Highvale, and Solace Bridge should be properly hooked up and cycling properly for the first time

    • Graff Gem Mines: Fixed issue causing random spawn in locations

    • Graff Gem Mines Entrance: Players leaving this scene are no longer trapped in an inaccessible area of the Novia Overwold

    • North Brightbone Woods: Fixed issue causing random spawn in locations

    • Fiona FitzOwen learned a few new songs to sing (online and offline) and will respond to more requests for her to accompany you on your adventures (offline mode only)

    • Moon and Stealth tree stealth skills updated to make sure they are balanced. Stealth slightly worse, moon magic versions have improved.

    • Distract range extended by 5m

    • Fixing several math issues that were making it easy for water casters to permaroot people.

    • Icy Breath effect reduced. Icy Breath bonus and Attunement values moved to a curve for slow effects to prevent permarooting

    • Estgard gatekeeper will correctly recognize if the player is carrying Brigid's Amulet.

    • Brittany Central: Fixed uneven stairs


    Known Issues:

    • Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues

    • Some UI text is not wrapping correctly

    • Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • /spyglass effect can be done even if you don't have the spyglass equipped

    • Pledge items and Add On Store Items are having their Maximum Durability reduced

    • Stabilty: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stabilty issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game due to the latest version of Unity. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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



    [ 2016-05-27 02:02:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 30 Instructions

    The statue of Grannus in front of the crumbling Valhold Castle

    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS PRE-ALPHA. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 30 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, May 26, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    The pace of change as we approach Final Wipe and Lot Selection continues to accelerate as we make our final few, but quite impactful changes and additions to Shroud of the Avatar. Release 30 is full of these important changes, and includes large additions to the story, reworkings of the crafting system, and refinements of the new targeting mechanics we introduced in R29.

    Maximum Durability:

    The biggest change of course is the change to maximum durability, which can no longer be repaired at crafting stations unless you use a Crown of the Obsidian (see below for details). I understand that this change to durability so that items eventually break permanently feels challenging to process right now. On top of that, the amount of time to gather materials and the sheer amount of materials it takes to make items seems daunting to say the least.  Our goal has always been that it takes specialization and time to become a crafter and the goods you sell should have real value. If we tune gathering to be fast and items to use only a few materials, then everyone could make their own goods and there would be no economy and no demand for crafters. If items continued to be in good repair indefinitely, then crafters would have no demand to fill once players got a favorite set of gear.

    We believe that all of these designs are necessary to have a truly player-driven economy where effort is rewarded and the amount of time to make items is relatively commensurate to the time it takes to fight and advance through enemies. With all of that said, the entire experience needs to balance entertainment with effort and we will be carefully tuning the experience over the next few releases (and forever for that matter).

    Masterworks:

    Crafting is finally also expanding with new skills including Masterworks;  which allow Smiths, Carpenters, and Tailors to add new abilities to items they create. This works exactly like the Enchanting we introduced for Alchemists in R29, although both of these systems now balance the power of the abilities added with reductions in durability. Our goal for the system is to create interesting choices between power and convenience. We also envision scenarios where Avatars might have specialized sets of powerful gear that they use for boss fights and PVP tournaments versus their everyday adventuring gear.

    The Path of Courage:

    In Release 29 Avatars were able to follow the Path of Love from beginning to end for the first time. In Release 30 the story again greatly expands with the Path of Courage now being playable. To support that, Valhold can be visited for the first time and various other scenes have been filled out with supporting story including Skrekk, Demig’s Battlecamp, Ferig’s Battlecamp, and Estgard. This makes two of the three Paths of Virtue playable, with only the Path of Truth left to implement in the game (which we will start in Release 31). We also have added the first of our three Companions who will adventure with you in Offline Mode.

    Targeting System:

    Finally we spent time iterating and polishing the new targeting system we introduced in Release 29. Our goal was to provide the same level of functionality we had before we added the new system while still enjoying the advantages of the new system. To that end, we have added back in target selection and target cycling amongst a host of other changes (see below for details).

    --------------------------------------

    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 is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 30.

    Novia Overworld Rework: When we first built the overworld map for Novia we strayed a bit too far from the original design as laid out in the cloth map. This resulted in a lot of discrepancies including some major geographical mismatches, rivers that looked like oceans (or which were missing entirely), roadways that were as wide as mountains, misplaced points of interest, and other such oddities. In Release 30, we begin the effort to correct all of these errors and have brought Novia back into alignment with the contours and geographic features of the cloth map. During this process, all coastlines and areas throughout the entire, expansive interior of Novia were honed. Consequently, we were required to temporarily remove a lot of the props and decorations from the scene, but we will be putting those back in steadily over the next two releases. This work also required us to re-position some of the towns and other points of interest. Additional changes include the addition of boat teleporters for every Player-Owned Town island, as the proper method for travel to them. Please note that the locations of a few POTs have changed during this work. If your town location changed during this process and you are unsatisfied with the new location please post as a bug in the bug forums with a requested new location and we will do our very best to accommodate your request at no charge.

    Path of Courage: The Path of Courage is now blocked-in from start to finish for the first time. However, there are many moving parts to the story and some are only in as placeholders, while others are not yet working properly. We will need all of your help playing and testing so we can begin getting it to a more finished state.

    Valhold: The ruined capital of the isle of Norgard was once a place of greatness but banners of yellow hang from crumbling stone pillars. Explore this key area in the Courage storyline and learn more about the war with the Kobolds, the titan Grannus, and the power of yellow. Valhold once stood as a beacon of hope and power, the home of the Knights of Norgard and the protector of those who were under threat. Yet who will protect the protectors when they themselves face their greatest peril? Now stricken with despair, its defenders wounded in both body and spirit, Valhold still stands, stricken, yet shield aloft, waiting for the final blow. Much of the fate of King Grannus and his family is revealed here, and players will find the Path of Courage reach its climax. Note that while the city of Valhold is available in multiplayer, the Throne Room of Grannus is a solo player instance.



    Brittany Fields: This primarily agrarian neighborhood to the southwest of Brittany supplies most of the food to the greater Brittany area. It is also home to a huge population of outlanders—primarily holders of village-sized deeds—but there are a variety of other lot sizes here as well.



    Companions: Companions are a hallmark of Lord British games and will appear for the first time in Release 30 in Offline Mode. They will travel with the player and assist whenever possible in your adventures. They will also engage in conversations with you about the world you find yourself in. The first companion to appear in the game is Fiona Fitzowen, the travelling bard and companion to the Avatar on their path of Love. Fiona is a bard in every sense of the word - a master of the lute, someone who will usually sing a song when prompted (and often when not) and without fail, will have something to say about the situation she finds herself in (and she seems to find herself in many) which will infuriate some and entertain more. Fiona is not one for fighting, but does keep a small crossbow ready when necessary (or when on the road and hunger beckons). She knows a smattering of magical arts, but like most travelling bards, just enough to be amusing. Many claim to have stolen Fiona's heart; it is an illusion she is happy to perpetuate. In fact, if you ask who her current love is, she will quickly change the subject. For someone who makes a living at telling stories, that is a tale she is not yet willing to tell. She is drawn to the avatar, but not in the romantic way everyone assumes. But...that is a tale she is better off spinning. Fiona can usually be found in Peladjar's Tavern in Ardoris, singing for her lodging and her amusement. Please note that Fiona is a work in progress—for R30, she will accompany you on your adventures and speak to you, but her dialogue is by no means complete and for now her comments on your travels are limited to Ardoris.

    Save Games: In Offline Mode, players can now create and load save games. Game files can be transferred between computers as long as each computer is on the same version of SotA. Please note that save game data is currently tied to version, so when we publish new versions, we may overwrite the save game data. This will be solved when we update Offline mode to work properly with patching and deliver offline rewards.

    And Much More! Click here for the complete R30 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-05-25 19:43:45 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: May 6, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 6, 2016  

    Build Number 414 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Brittany: Fixed uneven terrain preventing decoration placement on player lot (359.8, 48.2,172.2)

    • Fixed bugs with dye preview that were preventing the right colors from appearing and sticking after the dye finishes

    • Added distance check for stealthed character discovery

    • Disabled move with mouse buttons if you are in reticle mode using free attack.

    • Fixed ranged weapons not being able to interact with objects at a distance.

    • Fixed broken spawning in Solania Catacombs

    • Fixed broken LODs for Edelmann Founder Cabana

    • Fixed issue where Salvage would break crafting in certain situations


    Known Issues:

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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




    [ 2016-05-06 18:35:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: April 29, 2016

    Release 29
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 5, 2016  

    Build Number 413 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed target highlighting while using Night Vision

    • Invulnerability when first appearing in scene is now only set for the player zoning in, not all players in the scene

    • Fixed multiple bugs related to trading emotes

    • Fixed collision bug in the Round Tower village home

    • POT:

      • Fixed access issue with Allaman

      • The wagon teleporters in Xenos that connect to Bricksium and Gravewater Shores are now working

      • Brickmaer: wagon now takes player back to Kiln

      • POT npcs no longer missing right-click menu

      • Kobold Spiked Streetlamp now marked as POT Deco



    • Players can no longer select the 'Craft' button when an Equippable already has 3 Enchantments

    • Failing Enchantment no longer breaks Enchanting until you change scenes

    • Most of the new PRTs had some holdover exit volumes that pointed to POTs. Now, all exit volumes simply point to Novia

    • Fixed bug where you would get 'You created 0 copies of a book' message when making copies of books

    • Weapon range for new targeting did not factor in the target size so you would miss a ton on big creatures, this is now fixed

    • Fixed an issue where looted world items would not stack even if the game option was enabled for stacking items

    • Fixed large list of unrepairable items

    • Replenishing Confetti Eggs Basket can be placed now


    Known Issues:

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.



      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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


    [ 2016-05-05 19:19:47 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: May 4, 2016

    Release 29
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 4, 2016  

    Build Number 412 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed a bunch of exceptions

    • Fixed issue with musical instruments not playing multiple notes

    • Fixed issues with ransom locations

    • Fix for booting a user from a basement when the plot ownership changes

    • Fixed issue where humanoid NPCs without weapons were breaking

    • Fixing healing touch only working on caster

    • Fixed Kobold Rowhouse: anyone who had this house placed needs to re-place it, i.e. change their house to something else, then back

    • Novia: Players entering Novia from Solania will always spawn at ground level.

    • Fixed access issues for POTs: Cornerstone & Glenraas

    • Optimizations for crafting that should reduce the amount of hitching

    • Removed lot-encroaching tree from Large Coastal Forest PRT Loc: (-215.9, 42.0, -301.0)


    Known Issues:

    • POT NPCs can no longer be right clicked to be picked up

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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



    [ 2016-05-04 18:55:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: May 2, 2016

    Release 29
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    May 2, 2016  

    Build Number 408 10:30 AM

    Changes:


    • Gustballs now interactable for summoner

    • Fixed LOD issues with Kobold Wind Generators

    • Kingsroad: Fixed ore nodes in this scene (such as the one at 34.8, 36.5, 11.9)

    • Fixed players getting status updates for one way friends (should only get updates for two-way friends) (yes we really hope we fixed it this time)

    • Another fix for multiple versions of same item all taking the same color until re-logging (seriously, it really should be fixed this time)

    • Performance optimizations

    • Fixed issue where /play was not finding Sheet Music

    • Adding Animal Charm to combat bar no longer spams error messages

    • Nightmare “Mount” Mask Reward now has full durability when delivered through Rewards system

    • Fixed Resurrection for players and pets

    • Mining and Harvesting no longer restarts music

    • Fixed various terrain and floating item bugs in Brittany

    • Performance work in Arodoris

    • Fix for party member names not showing up

    • Players are now always set to begin the Path of Courage quest line and to exit the Highvale tutorial when receiving the Highvale Gate Key from Gawain.

    • Making Healing touch a short ranged AoE

    • Weapons equipped in offhand now take durabilty damage

    • Looks like instruments no longer start with 0 durability... Also, the client was not allowing the same types for repair as the server. They are now in sync, which includes instruments as repairable items.

    • POTs:

      • Carmel: Upgraded to Village

      • Fixed stuck spot on Mountain POT terrain

      • Vesper: New, nested in Brittany

      • Honor Hold: Fixed access issue

      • Drachenhort: New, nested in Drachensteig

      • Umbra Pugno Holdfast: New, nested in Westend

      • Forsaken Forest: Added interconnection with Harvest.




    Known Issues:

    • Movement is stuttering visually

    • Moving things to and from crafting stations is experiencing some performance issues

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • PVP Scoreboard is broken

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • 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




    [ 2016-05-02 18:18:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: April 29, 2016

    Release 29
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    April 29, 2016  

    Build Number 407 8:45 PM

    Changes:


    • Samael in Highvale now no longer flees at the sight of the wounded knight he is supposed to help.

    • Fixed master volume slider bug caused by fade in/out between scenes

    • Brigid in Resolute now is more likely to respond to players who have an amulet of testimony for her.

    • Fixed Oracles in Brittany

    • Fixed various Exceptions

    • Polished reticle colors

    • Players should no longer receive online status messages from players who are not 2-way friends.

    • Players in Isle of Storms told their archetype explicitly after choosing one.

    • Fixed culling layers on rocks at Foundation Wall in Brittany

    • Solania: Fixed navmesh

    • Don't show friend requests from blocked players

    • Fixed issues with Crypt of the Avatar

    • Can now interact with Hospitaller Book when placed as decoration

    • Players must speak to Edvard and begin the Path of Love before taking the boat to Soltown.

    • Made hotkey behavior for combat and non-combat hotbars consistent

    • Brittany: Fixed some bugs with Stairs, edited culling layer on Boulders, terrain polish.

    • Do not allow blessing effects to be dismissed

    • Fixed for gap at wrist on male sleeveles cloth, chain, and leather armors

    • Fixed issues with Tracy of Resolute identification paperwork

    • Changed animation for using Blessing Potions from Eat to Drink Potion

    • Fixed issue where one player's pet was being propagated to all other players resulting in apparently random

    • Fixed male dreadlocks clipping with hats and helmets (again)

    • Players now get confirmations for all three times you use the enchant ability

    • Batch crafting now possible with ingredients in containers inside inventory

    • Splitting stacks on a crafting station table now has the source stack correctly showing the remaining quantity

    • Crafting warnings now happen before completion

    • Disabled Salvage at Alchemy Station (which was locking up client)

    • Added "R" key back for combos.

    • Edvard in Blood River no longer quits out of his dialog immediately when shown the bonesteel dagger.

    • Edvard in Highvale no longer tells the player to go to Resolute to get to Soltown, but instead points the player towards the caravan about to leave.

    • Fixed issues where targeting reticle was not properly displaying in range versus out of range

    • Solace Bridge switches, gates, levers now properly linked to volume sliders

    • Fixed bug where game would stutter and mouse cursor would flicker violently when rotating camera with select UI panels open

    • Changes for free attach charge times.  Faster, but lower max for charged attacks

    • Fixed missing collision with Dungeon Stairs

    • Avatars will once again play talk emote when in conversation

    • Melee weapons can now hit multiple targets again

    • POTs:

      • Avanish Hope: Fixed bug blocking access to Novia

      • Carmel: Upgraded to Village

      • Vale Halla (Frost Valley): New, nested in Brittany

      • Isle of Ghosts: Restored island to Novia overworld. Removed interconnection to/from POT Neath.

      • Estate D'LaRose: New, near Aerie (-483.1 12.5 -204.1).

      • Allaman: New, nested in Ardoris.

      • Haunted Keep of Solania: New, nested in Solania

      • Mountain POT template: Added generic Town Crier in central hub. Added Discovery for Town Crier that is awarded at the west entrance, the east entrance, and upon entring the hub.

      • Goldfield: New, nested in Braemar

      • Clevedon: New POT, nested in Aerie

      • D'Jernstad: Cleaned up interconnection wagon placement on Holtrot end.

      • Underground POT Template: Minor update to Town Crier discovery

      • Avernus: New POT, nested in Brittany

      • D'Jernstad: New POT, nested in Holtrot

      • Stormsong Vale: Fixed name/ownership issue

      • Grayskull: New, nested in Kingsport




    Known Issues:

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • PVP Scoreboard is broken

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • Some items like musical instruments will show as 0/0 durability. This does not affect their functionality

    • 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





    [ 2016-04-30 18:31:48 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Patch Notes: April 28, 2016

    Release 29
    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 29! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    April 28, 2016  

    Build Number 405 6:30 PM

    Changes:


    • Southmarsh: Fixed floating tree and cleaned up nearby trees that were nudged into terrain detail trees.

    • Skrekk: various dialog fixes

    • Fixed some bugs with male avatar hands

    • Minor fix in Isle of Storms dialog

    • Skrekk: Added merchant and farmer conversations

    • Fixed issue where Avatar would not visually attack in direction of the reticle in some situations (ex. when over encumbered)

    • Crypt of the Avatar now accessible (for real this time)

    • Make default for turning off the cursor for combat mode false.

    • SFX in Malice and Novia overworld now properly linked to volume sliders

    • Guard Tower, Keep with Corner Turret, Gondola and Small Longboat from Add On Store should now properly appear in game when purchased

    • Fixed various exceptions

    • Fixed issue where Decorative Pets were not moving when placed in "Patrol" mode

    • Fixed NPCs not animating some emotes

    • Hospitaller custom book cover no longer uses Sojourner Tales image

    • Fix for male dreads hairstyle clipping with head wearables

    • Added LOS check to player targeting. No more shooting through walls!

    • Skrekk: unique conversations for Kobold officers and castle advisors added.

    • POTs:

      • Findupre - changed biome to Mountain

      • The Stormlands - changed biome to Island

      • Misika : Changed biome to Swamp 01a. Added interconnection with Point West.

      • Serenite: Changed biome to Swamp. Removed interconnection with POT Malus

      • Port Arx Draconis: Changed biome to Forest 01a

      • Irenholde: Changed biome to Mountains

      • Horned Society: Changed biome to Mountains



    • Don't allow destroying items that are currently offered for trade.  Update item name when renamed while currently offered for trade.

    • New Hospitaller book gets its own icon

    • Added more city lights to Brittany and fixed bug with the Dam.

    • Fixed bug preventing fishing in Ardoris

    • Fixed bug where multiple versions of same item in inventory would change to same dye color until re-logging

    • Fixed performance issues with crafting UI

    • Fixed bug where ingredients would not update properly in crafting UI

    • Obsidian Alchemists now correctly trade Obsidian Crowns for Potions of Conservation

    • NPC titles are now shown in the same position as player titles (above the name), instead of being displayed as a guild name would (below the name)

    • Polish text and add tooltips for mouse look sensitivity sliders

    • Added back two mouse button movement when in cursor mode (also fixed in Overworld)

    • Charge combat skill now working again

    • New conversations in Ardoris and Kingsport will correctly respond to the "goodbye" command.

    • Arabella no longer has a chance of giving no response to "meet your fate" during the first conversation in Isle of Storms.

    • Help popup in Isle of Storms no longer gives the wrong key for the Compass.

    • Fix for visible rope collision geometry on Airship Player Home

    • Finishing Elara Solstar's task in Desolis marks Wynston Haevia's request as complete in the player's journal and vice versa.

    • Game now defaults to Interactive Mode

    • Targeted Emotes: /emote will display a text message in chat


    Known Issues:

    • Linux: We are experiencing significant issues with the Linux version of the game.

      • Avatars don’t idle. Stuck in walking animation.

      • Movement breaks when casting various skills while running.

      • Dying snaps avatars to incorrect position within a scene. Will eventually crash.

      • Using Coconuts in select scenes (like Aerie) will throw the avatar out of boundaries. Will eventually crash.

      • Taking screenshots crashes the client



    • Pets are not behaving properly. They will change randomly

    • R is no longer working to make combos

    • PVP Scoreboard is broken

    • The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • Some items like musical instruments will show as 0/0 durability. This does not affect their functionality

    • 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


    [ 2016-04-29 01:10:14 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 29 Instructions



    WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS PRE-ALPHA. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

    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 29 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, April 28, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

    As we move ever closer to Final Wipe and Lot Selection, we are rapidly expanding the content and feature set of Shroud of the Avatar. We are also critically appraising our feature set and making sure each and every feature is as it should be for those critical events of Release 32. With those thoughts in mind, we looked at a few key aspects of the game related to housing, crafting, and targeting and made some important changes in Release 29. These changes were not easy, nor were they without controversy, but we believe they are changes that need to be made for the long term health of the project.

    The biggest and most obvious change is to targeting which now uses a reticle in the center of the screen and makes interaction modal. Hitting the TAB key or invoking any interface window will cause the game to play almost exactly as before but this is still a VERY big change. For a while now, we have tried to avoid making our game modal. To date, we have solved that by requiring mouselook by holding down the right mouse button. This means that you can always have a cursor but it makes targeting hard, especially for ranged combat, and means you have to constantly hold down a mouse button (which players complain hurts them after playing for long times). Additionally, most modern 3D games use free mouselook and use a modal interface to bring up a cursor for interactions, inventory, etc. So with R29, we decided to make the plunge and moved our game to be Reticle Targeting based and Modal. Please note that you do NOT have to keep the reticle on directly top of the target to hit it. Once you have a target identified you just need to have them in your forward arc and in range to hit them. You do NOT need to have the reticle always on top of the target. We are NOT a shooter. We know that many of you have concerns about this change, and rest assured we are listening. We fully intend to support the play style our loyal backers have become accustomed to while expanding the abilities of the game. We are aware of and looking at solutions for those of you with physical challenges we have not yet solved and those of you who want more mouse-centric options. Please be patient while we work through this which may take more than one release.

    The next big change was related to land and housing. Since the addition of Player-Owned Towns (POTs), the amount of "potential" available land has greatly increased and therefore a potential demand for more lot deeds has been created. However that land is only potential, not guaranteed, until the owner puts down lot markers and unlocks the lots. So we still have to be very careful in how we add deeds to the game to make sure those who purchase deeds have a place to use them. So we are adding POT-Only Lot Deeds. As normal Lot Deeds sell out in-game (and in the Add-On Store), Portalarium will sell limited quantities of POT-only Lot Deeds in the game (and in the Add-On Store). These deeds can only be used inside Player-Owned Towns. These will only be sold in the lot sizes that sell out, and will be sold for the exact same price as normal lot deeds. NOTE: At this time that means we have only introduced Village and City sized POT-only Lot Deeds (but only in the Add-On Store since lots are not currently being limited in-game). As with everything with the game, we will carefully monitor the situation and if there is ever a significant shortage of lot deeds and a surplus of land we will release more as needed.

    Finally we looked at Crafting, specifically using crafting stations in List Mode, and came to the conclusion that we could add Recipes to the Station interface and therefore remove the need to have the Recipe Book displayed while crafting in List Mode. This should let player explore the new expansions to Alchemy with Tool Engraving and Enchantments much more easily.



    Of course, in addition to the above we added a lot of other things including almost 40 more scenes including  the Crypt of the Avatar and the central part of the sprawling capital of Novia; Brittany. The Love Storyline is now playable from start to finish, and many more NPCs have unique stories to tell you. We are testing out Lot Selection Sequencing for the first time in 30 minute windows, and to support that, we added and expanded the number of available housing lots a thousandfold by adding new POTs, new Player-Run Towns (PRTs), and expanding the size of some NPC towns by replacing their source scenes.

    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 R29 deliverables:

    WARNING: STORY SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION! Some players requested that we warn you that you may want to skip the story section of the update if you want the story to remain a complete mystery before you play the game.

    Full Wipe (except Social): We wiped all player data including inventory and housing. Social information (friends and guilds) will remain intact. If you have Add On Store items you wish to convert to credit, then you can do so on the Shroud of the Avatar website multiple times this week. Remember to do it before you claim your rewards in the bank (Live or QA) since that will make all add on store items “claimed in game.” Also please note that if you upgraded a property owning pledge since the last wipe, you ended up with extra lot deeds which will have now been wiped (lot deeds do not stack). Your current deed amount will match your purchases when R29 goes live. Please note that because we are wiping offers multiple times this week you will end up with multiple sets of rewards.

    Love Story-line First-Playable: With the addition of the Crypt of the Avatar beneath Midras, the Path of Love is playable from start to finish. Progress on polish and improvements will continue to make this and the other two paths bug-free, compelling, and fun.

    Brittany (Central): The capital of Novia! Center of Commerce! Home of Arabella! This will be surrounded by 4 other housing neighborhoods as well as the Brittany Graveyard. Please note that story elements have not yet been added for central Brittany, and all NPCs remain generic for now. Many Developer-tier backers have expressed an interest in having their pledge reward of a named NPC being found in Brittany and this will take place during the story pass in a future release.


    Crypt of the Avatar (beneath Midras Ruins): The ancient Crypt of the Avatar, as found by Aren and Syenna in "Blade of the Avatar," is open for exploration by those who have fought their way through the halls of Necropolis. Much can be learned here of the danger facing Ardoris and Novia… NOTE: This is a single-player instance.


    Lot Selection Sequence: The Lot Deed UI has been modified to show your Lot Selection Group(s) and an error message will appear if you try to claim before the start time of your group. Please note that for this test of the sequence, the windows are spaced apart by 30 minutes instead of 24 hours. Also, the start times displayed on the account pages are for the Final Lot Selection, not this test run.

    Control Points Perks: We now have the ability to link the unlocking of items like doors and containers to the state of a Control Point. So as players successfully take and defend a Control Point, we can grant access to previously inaccessible content. For R29, we are testing this new feature in Vertas Pass—for each wave of enemies that players face, a new door somewhere in the the village will unlock and give access to a treasure chest, but when the control point is lost, all doors re-lock.

    And Much More! Click here for the complete R29 Instructions

    [And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]


    [ 2016-04-27 20:16:54 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 28 Patch Notes: April 5, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 28! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    April 5, 2016  

    Build Number 402 7:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Fix issue with near death effect still showing when not nearly dead.

    • POT Forsaken Forest Added, nested in POT Brickport.

    • Fix for male legs clipping with capes during performance optimization (seriously we really think its fixed this time)

    • "Take All" will no longer appear in the players root inventory window and tools will only be visible in the root UI window as well.

    • Made Inner Strength castable in non-combat.

    • Fixed a bug that was attempting to determine if you are adding more than the max crafting items per individual item. This now only happens once and is accurate to the number of items you are moving.

    • Updated planter UI during crafting to show a proper plant name instead of the blank recipe names shown before

    • Fix for automated phonograph not resuming play after stopping and starting

    • Fix for incorrect buff duration when changing scenes

    • Fix for party members showing 0/0 health when entering a scene

    • Allow "wave' emote to be cancelled.

    • Improvements to Castle Wall Deco short gates to make them easier to place when attempting to enclose a player lot (town sized and above) on the inside perimeter

    • Crafting items should now grant experience


    Known Issues:

    • Memory is leaking badly, players will need to restart their client at least every 2 hours

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many recipes changed for R27 and were therefore no longer appear in players' recipe books. This will be fixed in R29 with the wipe

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • Some items like musical instruments will show as 0/0 durability. This does not affect their functionality

    • 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


    [ 2016-04-06 15:49:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 28 Patch Notes: April 4, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 28! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    April 4, 2016  
    Build Number 401 6:45 PM

    Changes:


    • Fixed infinite world item looting bug

    • Fixed XP Pool always resetting to 10000 in Offline mode

    • Resurrect can no longer be cast on living players in PVP

    • Fixed throne dais in Kobold 4 Story Great Hall so that it will accept deco objects.

    • Fixed gaps in ceiling in Kobold Row Houses

    • Fixed PVP ransom markers not showing up

    • Desolate Hills Fixed stuck spot amongst rocks.

    • Temporary PVP Flags should work properly again

    • Fixed typo in Obsidian crafting categories "Refined Materials"

    • Fixed Snowflake Cloak icon

    • Kobold Homes no longer break the pathfinding on lots when the scene reloads

    • Players can now write/import sheet music if they have an instrument equipped

    • The Grandmaster / Apprentice icons are now appearing properly

    • Fix offhand animations for one-handed bludgeons when exiting combat

    • Sanctus Spine and Vauban Pass Fixed stuck spot and replaced tower with door leading to nowhere with a cap version.

    • Soltown Catacombs: All interactive objects can now be interacted with again

    • Fix for deco surface problems on wizard tower player house

    • Fix for clipping female kilts while mining

    • Crafting UI will now properly handle failed attempts instead of seeing the bar run multiple times in a row.

    • Added collision to boulders in Grasslands PoT Template

    • NPCs now have titles when appropriate

    • Fix safe fall leveling up

    • Fix for lord marshal helmet clipping with hair

    • Fixed bug that was preventing Ranged Free attacks from working at different heights

    • Fixed finger on /point emote so it no longer is bent.

    • Memory leak fix (although there are still some more)

    • New POTs:

      • Taht Al'ard

      • Jamestown (nested in Brittany Graveyard temporarily)






    Build Number 398 11:35 AM

    Changes:

    • Fixed animation issues that were making male avatar's mouth hang open during some animations

    • Tweaked pose of ghost idle and movement during death

    • Fixed issue that was causing players to appear high in the air when leaving certain scenes

    • Fixed invisible Guard Towers

    • Archer NPCs fight longer in melee before re-positioning

    • Fixed a bunch of exceptions

    • Fixed bug that was causing equipped items to show when casting spells / skills

    • Enable ranged archers to adjust spacing slightly in melee combat.

    • Fix for missing eyelashes for male avatar

    • Looping emotes (like dances) now properly visible when first loading into a scene

    • Fixed Empress New Dress not being setup as full body

    • Taking damage while under influence of both Shield of Air and  Torpid Torment no longer crashes player

    • Oracle can now be properly targeted and spoken to

    • Safe Fall skill can now advance properly by taking fall damage

    • Fix (again) for capes clipping with feet in certain situations

    • Kobold Homes no longer point to Corkscrew Windpower Generators

    • Emotes are once again teachable and re-teachable

    • Player Made Books and Letters should now work properly again

    • Fix for t-pose chicken pet.

    • Fixed performance issues with crafting

    • Fixed issue where failed salvage items in a salvage batch need to be removed and replaced before you can salvage them again

    • Fixed issue where if you attempt to salvage a batch of items, all salvage attempts in your chat log will be listed as the first item you attempted to salvage.

    • Fix book title not being updated locally after publishing

    • Fixed an issue that was allowing fishing in scenes that contained no fishing volume (entirely or immediately under the player)

    • Necropolis now loads with the correctly selected spirit-talker.

    • Invisible barrier blocking entry into Necropolis removed.

    • Title of song now shows in Sheet Music tooltip

    • Fixed bug with exiting Blood River Massacre

    • POTs:

      • Twin Traders: New (nested in Kingsport)

      • Flint: New

      • Nightdiamond: New

      • Taht Al'ard: New

      • En Nox: New (nested in Jade Valley)

      • Nido dell'Aquila: New (nested in Kingsport)

      • Jade Caverns: New (nested in Jade Valley) interconnected with the following POTs: Port Phoenix, Phoenix Fields, Sparrowfall, Diamond Fields, Bearskin Grotto, Siren Song Bayou.

      • Stormsong Vale: Upgraded to Crossroads Village.

      • Carmel: Upgraded to Hamlet

      • Drachenfels: Removed interconnection with Calain; added interconnection with Drachental

      • Smoothed an area of shoreline of lake in Mountain Template

      • Honor Hold: Changed location on Novia as per player specifications

      • White Hart on Abundis: Upgraded  from Village to Crossroads Village

      • Jaxton: Removed interconnection with Sparrowfall (interconnection on Sparrowfall side seems to have been removed previously)

      • Gravewater Shores: Changed town in which it nests from POT Trysull (nonreciprocated) to Xenos




    Known Issues:

    • Memory is leaking badly, players will need to restart their client at least every 2 hours

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many recipes changed for R27 and were therefore no longer appear in players' recipe books. This will be fixed in R29 with the wipe

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • Some items like musical instruments will show as 0/0 durability. This does not affect their functionality

    • 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



    [ 2016-04-04 18:41:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

    Release 28 Patch Notes: April 1, 2016

    Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 28! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

    April 1, 2016  

    Build Number 397 12:00 PM

    Changes:


    • Goti now has the correct public vendor.

    • Spiders will no longer attack you through breakable walls

    • Kobold Decorations and Kobold Homes are now in game

    • Emperors' and Empresses' Clothing now in game

    • Fixed lots of exceptions

    • Fixed issue that was causing feet to clip through cloaks in some situations

    • Fixed eye bugs on male avatar when playing piano

    • Fixed color value mismatch for female basic plate chest piece and basic chainmail helm

    • Performance Work:  Turned off dynamic lighting on Owlshead and Skrekk

    • Fixed some issues that were breaking the Broadcast Automated Phonographs in some situations

    • Male avatar head and eye texture settings optimization

    • Male braids hairstyle should no longer be invisible

    • You can no longer place non-wax cylinder items in automated phonographs.

    • Created proper icons for 3 automated phonographs

    • Inventory bags will no longer be shown in the crafting UI

    • Fixed various broken doors that were causing crashes in Nightshade pass

    • Fixed male avatar mouth interior

    • Fixed female riding coat clipping with kilts

    • Fixed batch salvage so that it does not seemingly cancel randomly.

    • Wisps now display visual effects when casting spells

    • Removed invisible collider in Caverns of Skrekk

    • Hidden Vale: Adjusted heights of Discovery volumes to help keep players from spawning high above Kingsport

    • Added new POT named Wind nested in POT Blackrock Cove (This also resolves final interconnection request for POT Blackrock Cove)

    • Fixes to Skrekk gate guard dialog

    • A ferryman will now take you between Spite and the shores of Malice


    Known Issues:

    • Player made books are not working and displaying as blank

    • Looping emotes (like dances) are not showing up to players when they first appear in a scene

    • Memory is leaking badly, players will need to restart their client at least every 2 hours

    • Emotes are not currently teachable

    • Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements

    • Local chat is failing in some situations

    • Many recipes changed for R27 and were therefore no longer appear in players' recipe books. This will be fixed in R29 with the wipe

    • Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.

    • Some items like musical instruments will show as 0/0 durability. This does not affect their functionality

    • 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


    [ 2016-04-01 20:16:46 CET ] [ Original post ]