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!]
[ 2017-03-29 22:26:24 CET ] [ Original post ]
- Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Linux Depot [13.28 G]
SUMMARY:
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues is a new type of third person fantasy RPG that combines a single player narrative with a sandbox MMO. It is being created by a team that includes: Richard "Lord British" Garriott the creator of the Ultima series, Starr Long the original Director of Ultima Online, and Tracy Hickman the author of the beloved Dragonlance Novels and Dungeons & Dragons modules.
- Episodic Content: Shroud of the Avatar will consist of five episodes that will tell a series of virtue based stories created by Richard Garriott and Tracy Hickman. All supported by a series of prequel novels starting with Blade of the Avatar. Forsaken Virtues is the first episode (this is what you are purchasing access to).
- Single Player Offline Mode: Players will adventure through over 40 hours of story in an interactive world where their choices have consequences, ethical paradoxes give them pause, and they play a vital part in weaving their own story into the immersive world and lore surrounding them.
- Selective Multiplayer Modes: If you want to go through the story online you can play with everyone in a single world with three different online modes (Single Player, Friends, and Open).
- Classless Character System: Vast customization options with hundreds of skills and spells in over 20 different skill trees.
- Skillful Combat: A new way to prepare and fight in an RPG by building custom decks of skills and dynamically activating them in combat.
- PVP: Consensual with Open PVP flags, zones, and Guild Warfare.
- Player Housing: Non instanced, finite, and embedded in the world with multiple group living options.
- Player Driven Economy: Deep crafting system where the best items are made by players and player items are the main source of loot found in the game.
- Pay Once to Play: No subscription fees. Each episode (released approximately annually) is a one time fee and everything in the game can be purchased with in game gold that can be earned (except for some exclusive backer rewards).
- Social: Full Guild System, Highly Active Community and Player Owned Towns.
- Crowd Sourced & Funded: Support the project by contributing content (and receive compensation) or by pledging (and receive exclusive rewards).
- Open Development: Players help shape the game by giving feedback on monthly early access releases, videos, weekly updates, blog postings, forums, chat, etc.
DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP
Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues is currently in pre-alpha so there are a lot of features and content still to be built. Even the current content needs polish and balance. On the third week of every month we release a major update to the game that includes new features, new content, and bug fixes. We update the schedule for these on a quarterly basis with a final update for each release the day before it goes live.
Current Version
- Housing: Purchase property and a wide variety of buildings to place there. These can be customized with hundreds of items (paintings, crafting stations, chairs, tables, food, plants, fountains, statues, lights, etc.). Players can also set permissions that allow them to share this property with other players. Higher level pledges begin the game with property and house deeds. (Find out more at www.shroudoftheavatar.com)
- Crafting: Gather and refine resources to craft a wide variety of objects including weapons, armor, potions, food, and furniture.
- Player Trading: Trade with each other for items or gold.
- PVP (Duels and Zones): Fight other players in Open PVP zones of the map or 1 on 1 duels in any location.
- Dual Scale Map: Explore the world by walking across a map (aka The Overworld) like old school RPGs with random and roving encounters mixed among named points of interest.
- Combat and Magic Skills: We have over 100 skills in a wide variety of combat and magic schools including Blades, Fire, Water, Life, Polearms, Shields, etc.
- Multiple Online Modes: Play how you want in one of two modes: Single Player Online or Open Multiplayer Online.
- Character Customization: Customize your character's facial features, hair style, hair color, facial hair, skin tone, and gender. Also express yourself with a vast array of different gear that when equipped shows on your character. (cloaks, armor, weapons, hats, tools, torches, etc.)
- AI Behaviors: Archers will try to maintain distance, warriors will try to surround you, Liches will summon skeletal allies, and villagers will turn on lights when night falls.
- Advancement: As you gain experience fighting and questing you gain levels which give you skill points that you can use with a trainer to purchase new skills or to raise your attributes.
- Hint System: Each time you attempt something for the first time a hint will appear with basic instructions (this can be disabled in options)
- Fully Interactive World: Every attempt is made to make the world respond to you. All the lights you see can be turned on and off, doors can be opened/closed/locked/unlocked, objects can be taken from shelves/tables/etc.
- Dynamic Lighting: Time of day changes as you play along with all light sources casting light in a realistic fashion.
- Summoned Allies: Certain schools of magic can summon allies including Ice Elementals, Fire Elementals, Liches, and Skeletons.
- Control Points: Grab control of Vertas Pass and see how long you can hold it against ever increasing waves of Dark Elves.
- Emotes: Express yourself with a wide variety of emotes including dances, bows, laughs, bows, yawns, etc.
- Guilds: You can form or join a guild
- Banks: Store all your gear and loot when it gets too heavy to carry around.
- Character tied to Pledge: All versions of the game (aka pledges) come with special rewards (gear, houses, titles, emotes, etc.).
- Player Owned Towns: Players can purchase and customize from templates their very own town.
- Player Vendors: You will be able to set up NPC vendors to sell the goods you have crafted or found adventuring.
- Player Made Books: Write your own book in the game and pay in game gold to have it published widely.
- Dye-able Gear: Customize your gear by changing the colors.
- Crowd Sourcing Create content for the game (music, sound effects, and art) and be paid for it.
Future Updates
- Story: A rich narrative that presents you with complex moral choices will come online closer to launch.
- More Scenes: Many additional scenes will come online including cities, dungeons, deserts, arctic areas, swamps, fortifications, battlegrounds, etc.
- Performance: Continued optimizations as well as sophisticated fallback routines will greatly improve performance.
- More Magic & Combat Skills: More skills will be coming including the Chaos Magic School.
- Localization: Support for multiple languages.
- More Creatures: More creatures along with multiple variations and new behaviors.
We estimate reaching a Beta version with all features and content sometime in the first half of 2016. All features and plans listed here are subject to change. We may modify, add or remove features as we see fit during the development process.
Website for more information: www.shroudoftheavatar.com
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04 or newer officially but most linux flavors supported
- Processor: Quad Core 2.4 GHz or fasterMemory: 12 GB RAM
- Memory: 12 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 Compatible NVIDIA 960 / AMD 560Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 30 GB available space
- OS: Ubuntu 12.04 or newer officially but most linux flavors supported
- Processor: Quad Core Processor 2.8GHz or fasterMemory: 16 GB RAM
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 Compatible NVIDIA GTX 1070 / ATI Radeon HD 5870Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Storage: 30 GB available spaceAdditional Notes: Performance significantly improved with an SSD
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