Shroud of the Avatar – Update of the Avatar #174
Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Dual with the Devs During The Spring Festival of the Avatar Telethon!
- Final 3 Days for 15% Bonus & Spring 2016 Pledge Expirations!
- Play Release 29 Now!
- Brittany Video Walk-through
- Crypt of the Avatar
- Meet the Companions (Offline Feature)
- New Player Run Towns: Coastal and Interior Forests
The Spring Festival of the Avatar Telethon!
For the final day of the 15% Bonus and Spring Expiration Event Portalarium are holding a 10 hour Spring Festival of the Avatar Telethon, from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM Central Time (5:00 PM UTC to 03:00 AM UTC) on Monday, May 2nd. They decided to extend the Spring 2016 Bonus and Pledge Expirations from 10:30 AM until the end of the telethon at 10:00 PM CT.
The Spring Festival of the Avatar Telethon will include a PVP Dual with the Devs, deep dives, lots of prize giveaways* (like coins, t-shirts, store credits, even pledges!), and even some surprises, so you don’t want to miss a moment of it!
Warning: Telethon is Rated PG-13 for Alcoholic Content
(might get upgraded to Rated-R depending on rate of pledges)
Drinking / Dancing / Singing Rules:
- For every $2500 spent (new money only) Chris, Richard, and Starr (and other Devs that choose to participate) have a choice of 1 of the following:
- 1 Shot/Sip
- 1 dance (audience suggestions considered)
- 1 verse of a song (audience suggestions considered)
As a special bonus, the dev team are offering Telethon Funding Stretch Goal Rewards to any backer that pledges a minimum of $5 from the start of the telethon, until Midnight May 2 (Spending Store Credit to make $5 minimum purchase does not apply). The Spring Festival Telethon Funding Stretch Goal Rewards are:
- $10,000 – /flowers emote (rains flower petals)
- $25,000 – Flower Crown (increases length of /flowers emote)
- $50,000 – Giant Butterfly Pet
Here is the current schedule of events (times and content subject to change):
- 12:00 pm CDT: R29 Post Mortem
- 2:00 pm CDT: Story, NPCs, & Companions
- 3:30 pm CDT: Player Housing and Player Owned Towns
- 4:30 pm CDT: Crafting, Food, Agriculture & Economy
- 6:00 pm CDT: Combat, Resistances, Targeting
- 7:30 pm CDT: PVP
- 8:30 pm CDT: Players vs. Devs PVP Deathmatch Brawl in Chaos Caverns (connected to Virtue Oasis, map)
- 10:00 pm CDT: Goodbyes and Thank Yous with everyone still standing!
* There will be some really awesome prizes awarded during the telethon, but you have to be present in the IRC chatroom to qualify for each drawing.
You can post questions you want answered on the post or in IRC during the telethon.
Play Release 29 Now!
Release 29 successfully launched yesterday, April 28, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, logging in, and checking out the new changes! Lots of new content to explore, including:
- Over 40 New scenes including Brittany, Crypt of the Avatar, Spindrift Passage, Paladis Passage, and more
- Love Storyline First Playable
- New Targeting Interface
- Enchantments and Tool Engraving for Alchemists
- POT Only Lot Deeds
- New Player Run Towns
- Lot Selection Sequence Test
- Performance Optimizations
- …and much more
Check out the Release 29 Instructions update for detailed information about all the new content.
If you have not backed the game yet, you will need to register and login at www.shroudoftheavatar.com, select the “Pledge or Send Gift!” button in the right side-bar, and purchase a pledge at the $45 Adventurer level or above. The basic Adventurer level pledge is also available on Steam Early Access.
Release 29 Player Instructions
Release 29 Known Issues
Brittany Video Walk-Through
For his continuing Making of Brittany Dev+ forum thread Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldiva did a video walk-through of Brittany (central) where he describes the various sections of the central area of the capital of Novia. This part of Brittany went live yesterday in Release 29. The other neighborhoods of Brittany including Brittany Estates, Brittany Fields, Brittany Alleys, and Brittany Wharf will start appearing in the game starting in Release 30.
Meet the Companions (Offline Feature)
From a forum post by Scott “Lum the Mad” Jennings
Our plan for Episode 1 is to have three companions that can meet and travel with the Avatar on his/her journey. You may remember that we have three paths of prophecy that the Avatar follows as well, and this is not a coincidence.
The first companion we’ll meet is Conrad Dupre, Knight of Norgard.
Conrad’s lineage is that of a soldier’s soldier. He has fought under the banner of Valhold for his entire life, from his childhood as a squire to a dissolute noble to the years of struggle against the Kobolds (a race which he both respects and despises). In addition to his mastery of swords, shields, and heavy armor, he has a veteran’s knowledge of Life magic, as well – not a great deal, but enough to keep himself and those around him fighting when others would fall.
Most who know him respect him, for he has little tolerance for cowardice or fear. But if he has any failing he also has little of a knight’s respect for those under his care. Norgard is at war, and he will brook no weakness in its time of greatest peril. Conrad knows much of the martial arts, but unlike his impeccably forged sword Silverthorn, the heart of his courage still requires tempering.
Avatars will meet him early on in their journey through the Path of Courage, in the fortified garrison of Resolute.
The second companion that we’ll meet today 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 situtation 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.
Finally, we meet Ariel Rosehaven.
One of Novia’s most learned scholars, Ariel has been walking the path of Truth longer than many have been alive. Not one for being kept in the confines of a library, she will think nothing of taking up her quarterstaff and a bindle filled with a few of her beloved books and going to test in the field what others are content to merely argue about from safe confines. She has studied alongside Kobold technicians and Elven lorespeakers (racism being one of the many things that will cause her to ‘lecture’) and her knowledge of magic is second to few.
When she heard that an outlander had been seen at the site of an elven massacre, she, of course, had to meet this person and take their measure. What happens next is hard to predict. Many have underestimated the unassuming older woman in a cloak and quarterstaff, and learned that the truth is not always what it seems.
“NEVER ask a lady her age, or her past. Or anything else she is likely to tell you.”
The Avatar will meet Ariel Rosehaven in Aerie. It simply is not up for discussion.
We plan to discuss these in more detail during the telethon Monday, so get your questions ready
Crypt of the Avatar
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… This scene went live with Release 29 yesterday and Richard “RrMatey” Matey provided us some screenshots of the scene.
New Player Run Towns: Coastal and Interior Forests
For Release 29 the dev team added 10 new Player Run Towns to Novia. These towns are not owned by any players nor do they contain any story elements. However they do include a small core of services and NPCs including a crafting pavilion with assorted crafting stations, various shopkeepers, a bank, and a tavern. They also include over a 100 player lots of all sizes.
Coastal Forest: The Coastal Forest PRT is based of the Forest 01 Player Owned Town Template (aka PAXLair) and has multiple water features including a waterfall, river, lake, and a small island off the coast.
Interior Forest: The Interior Forest PRT is based on the Forest 02 PoT template (which is in turn a forested variation of the Grassland template) and is forested plain with river running through it.
