Update of the Avatar #91 – 2014.09.19: Help Greenlight SotA on Steam, Lord British vs Darkstarr Duel, New Weekly Schedule, UO’s 17th Anniversay, Baron Rewards, and More!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

• Help Us Greenlight SotA on Steam
• Lord British and Darkstarr Fencing in Puffy Shirts
• SotA Weekly Schedule Status
• Celebrate UO’s 17th Anniversary with Lord British and King Blackthorn
• Baron’s Talking Mirror
• Clockwork Pets: Raven
• Galactic Inquiry: Lord British Talks Games!
• Alienware Sponsors $20 Pledge Upgrade Coupon
• Upcoming Events

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Help Us Greenlight SotA on Steam

We created a Steam Greenlight page for Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues in an effort to get Shroud into Steam Early Access, hopefully by the end of this year. We believe this is a great way for us to both reach a wider audience while at the same time offering our existing backers who use Steam a way to play Shroud in that ecosystem of friends, achievements, etc.

This will NOT be a replacement for direct download and play of Shroud, but instead it is an option. Players will still be able to directly download and play the game through our website, patcher, etc. if they so wish.

We have yet to work out the details with Steam but our plan would be to give our backers Steam Keys to play the game on Steam if they request it so that they won’t have to repurchase the product on Steam. We have seen several other products do this so we do not anticipate this being an issue.

If SotA passes the Greenlight process and becomes available on Steam, our current thinking is to offer a version of the game priced at the low end of our current pledges, that includes:

• Digital download of the game (Episode 1)
• Alpha + Beta access

SotA’s long-term success depends upon us reaching as wide an audience as possible, and Steam is a great way to do that. So please help us out by going to the Shroud of the Avatar Steam Greenlight page and voting yes to make SotA available on Steam!

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Lord British and Darkstarr Fencing in Puffy Shirts

Last week we brought you the long-awaited Darkstarr Training Montage that was part of the $3.25M stretch goal. This week, as promised, is the official Lord British vs. Darkstarr Fencing in Puffy Shirts video! Enjoy!

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SotA Weekly Schedule Status

Normally, we publish the schedule status once per month on the week of our monthly release. We decided to split that up into weekly installments so you have more advance notice of what our progress is. We continue to make steady progress towards our Release 10 goals. Here is a brief list of where we are so far:

• Ardoris Castles: Are now built out and are populated with NPCs
• Overworld: The overworld is now a real scene and therefore has your avatar on it and you navigate with WASD just like in “regular” scenes
• Death Screen Effect: When you die the screen changes to black and white
• Duels: Players can now duel one on one anywhere in the game (this was originally an R12 task!)
• Context Sensitive Cursors: your mouse cursor shape and color will now change based on context. For instance when you are in combat the cursor becomes a sword
• Auto Deck & Starting Decks: We completely revamped the starting decks so they are much more like starting decks instead of expert type decks. We also matched your starting gear to the decks so that you won’t get as many slugs. Additionally everyone starts now in fully locked mode so we can transition people to the new system more gradually. Finally we have the Auto Deck working now so you can just add/subtract skill points to automatically build a deck.
• Challenge Dungeon: The Challenge Dungeon is now up and running and it is living up to its name by presenting quite a challenge near the end
• Universal Cool Down Abolished: The much hated universal cool down is no more! Yay!
• Spell School Names: After much feedback from our backers and our own internal debate we are keeping the spell school names in the skill trees to their original names because they are much more intuitive. We will still use the fancier names in lore and NPC dialogue.
• Hair & Facial Hair: We have updated all the hair to the new layered/transparent/animated version and it is looking much better. We also added a few bigger and longer beard styles.
• Vertas Pass: Our newest map is shaping up quite nicely and will be updated in R11 to be our first fully functional Control Point.
• AI Agro System: AI are now on a functioning Agro system which we plan to refine and iterate on in R11

Ardoris Castle

Overworld

Death Screen Effect

PvP Duels

Challenge Dungeon Activation Trigger

We also began R11 planning this week and here’s a sneak peek:

• Character Advancement: Our first pass at advancement will go in
• Death Magic: Death Magic will expand to include summoning skeletons (formerly zombies) and liches (formerly ghouls)
• Basements: Players will finally be able to attach basements to their houses
• Wearables as Deco: Players will be able to use armor as decorative items in their homes
• Cooking / Alchemy: A first pass at cooking and alchemy will come online
• Durability / Repair: Gear will now take damage and will be repairable
• New Maps: Solace Bridge (one of the three starting maps that is the aftermath of a village defending itself against an undead army), Kobold Battle Camp (one of three battle camps in the game), and a Swamp scene

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Celebrate UO’s 17th Anniversary with Lord British and King Blackthorn

In celebration of Ultima Online’s 17th Anniversary, join Richard “Lord British” Garriott and Starr “King Blackthorn” Long at Castle Blackthorn for a live, in-game event on TC1, September 25, 2014.

[From an Ultima Online article]

“The King frowned from his seat, staring at the chess table as Sir Dupre spoke to him. He idly moved a single piece back and forth. The table was clearly set mid match, and he always moved the piece between the same two spots…a legal move, but with no opponent to make the next one.

“It would seem that the Council of Mages has dissolved…after Anon’s vanishing, those few who remained quickly fell to infighting. A few of them have sought entrance into the True Britannians, but I am unsure if they are disciplined enough to fight alongside my troops in a way that will…”

“Sir Dupre, what do you make of the rumors that Anon has defected?”

Sir Dupre shook his head. “The man may have been mad, but he fought for Britannia all this time. I make it the ravings of a madman.” Dupre’s words were strong…but his voice lacked conviction.

“Perhaps we have lost one of the strongest mages remaining in this land to a well-orchestrated attack…or maybe our greatest enemy has converted him to her cause. I am not sure which I would rather believe; Minax being powerful enough to have outright destroyed him, or Anon being bitter enough to have gone over to the other side.”

Sir Dupre stood in silence for a long moment, fingering the pommel of the black longsword at his waist, searching for the words to reassure his regent or even himself. They were nowhere to be found.

“I have been called many things by those who I am doing my best to serve rightfully as their King, Sir Dupre. I have been called a tyrant…usurper…traitor…and many state openly that they believe me to be evil. And yet…” He sighed at length, standing from the table and moving out to the balcony, leaving it behind him. He did not finish the thought, and Sir Dupre was too prudent to pry further.

Dim moonlight peeked through the clouds upon the beleaguered king as he stared out over the moat, and Dupre’s voice broke the silence once more. “My liege, even I doubted you at first…but in time they will see. And even if they do not, Honor is its own reward. We have done our best to do what is right, and we know that even if no others do.”

“Dupre…we will need to have a call to arms. I know that your soldiers are strong, well trained, and a capable unit…but if Minax is powerful enough to defeat Anon herself, or worse if he has joined her…I do not believe even you and they can fight them and win. We will have to…find another way.”

Dupre nodded and bowed his head slightly. “Then I shall inform them at once.” Dupre left through the doors of the castle and King Blackthorn stood in the light for a long moment, the full moon revealing itself as the clouds passed by. The gentle moonlight illuminated him fully, his cloak rustling ever so slightly in the soft breeze. The light gleamed off of his crown and armor, and the obsidian chest that lay just inside the balcony’s opening. He was not quite sure how long he had been there before he heard footsteps, ignoring Heckles’ approach.

It was the soft clack of a chess piece being moved on a board that drew him from his thoughts with a bit of irritation. “Heckles, I am not in the mood for your taunts and jests…and you know that I want nobody to touch that board, not until…”

Softly and with a chuckle a rich voice echoed inside as Blackthorn’s words faltered, staring at the seeming apparition before him. “Before a friend could return to take their move on the board that was still waiting for your own when you appeared?”

Blackthorn stood motionless for a long time, staring at the broad smile along the other man’s face, before they both stepped towards each other and embraced tightly, pulling apart a moment later with identically broad grins. “I suppose it was only fair that when I returned after you had thought me lost that I should be under the impression you would never return to these lands…Cantabrigian.”

Lord British’s grin burst into a chuckle. “You should know it best yourself…in Sosaria, an infinite number of things are possible.”

Read the exciting conclusion and join us for a live, in-game event on TC1 September 25^th 2014 at 7pm ET! Meet Richard “Lord British” Garriot and Starr “King Blackthorn” Long at Castle Blackthorn to celebrate Ultima Online’s 17^th Anniversary!

[Link to original Ultima Online article]

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Baron’s Talking Mirror

Included in the Baron pledge rewards is this magical talking mirror! It’s powers are still a mystery so we are all anxiously waiting to hear what it has to say!

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Clockwork Pets: Raven

This non-combat, clockwork raven pet is one of the rewards contained in the Royal Artisan, Explorer, and Patron pledge tier, which includes your choice of one of three non-combat, clockwork pets: cat, dog, or raven:

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Galactic Inquiry: Lord British Talks Games!

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Alienware Sponsors $20 Pledge Upgrade Coupon

Alienware’s powerful gaming rigs are a perfect match for Shroud of the Avatar! To show their support, Alienware is sponsoring $20 SotA Pledge Upgrade Coupons to members of their Alienware Arena community!

These coupons can be used to start a SotA pledge account (for new backers), or to add $20 to an existing pledge account. If, for example, you have a $90 Royal Artisan Pledge, you can use the Alienware coupon to bump you up to a $110 Virtual Collector Pledge.

Pretty sweet deal, right? So, hurry over to the Alienware Arena website and get your $20 Pledge Upgrade Coupon now!

[NOTE: Only one Alienware Pledge Upgrade Coupon can be used per account. Coupon does not apply to Add-On Store items]

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Upcoming Events

2014.09.25 – Release 10 Access
2014.10.01 – Monthly Video Hangout: R10 & R11 Discussion
2014.10.23 – Release 11 Access
2014.10.24 – SotA at Captivate
2014.10.29 – Monthly Video Hangout: R11 & R12 Discussion
2014.11.03 – SotA at GDC Next
2014.11.14 – Duke & Lord of the Manor VIP Design Roundtable with Lord British and Portalarium Studio Tour
2014.11.15 – HoBLotH II: Legends of the Hearth
2014.11.20 – Release 12 Access
2014.11.26 – Monthly Video Hangout: R12 & R13 Discussion
2014.12.18 – Release 13 Access

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