Greetings Fellow Avatars!

It’s been a super exciting week as backers are finally able to log into Release 1 of the game and explore character creation, home decorating, and NPC conversations! Read more about it in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar, which includes:

• Release 1 Open to Play until December 14!
• Britannia Burns – Part 2, the Spoony Roast
• Blade of the Avatar Novel: Chapter 2
• Founder Starter Armor
• The Darkstarr Cloak
• Sickle of Prosperity
• Holiday Specials

Come Play Release 1 Now!

Release 1 successfully launched yesterday, December 12th, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, logging in, and exploring the town of Owl’s Head! We need all our backer’s help with stress-testing the servers and testing the game systems, so please join us in playing Release 1.

In this version, you can create an avatar and equip them with different clothing, armor and weapons (scattered throughout town in chests). You can also select a house from the entire list of player houses, even the vast Lord of the Manor estate.There are chests of furniture and decorations all over Owl’s Head for you to pick up and outfit your newly established homes. You will also be able to try out the dialogue system by conversing with NPCs.

[Note: This early release is single player online only. Release 1 access will end on Saturday, December 14 at 10:00 PM Central Time]

Hurry and join us in playing Shroud of the Avatar while Release 1 access is open! (click here for more complete instructions on downloading and playing Release 1)

The Spoony Interview/Roast: Britannia Burns – Part 2!

This week we’re featuring the next installment of the Spoony interview/roast of Lord British! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

British hates the little children.

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

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

• Blade of the Avatar Novel: Chapter 1
• Gearing Up for Release 1 Next Week!
• Kariela’s Song by David “Iolo” Watson
• Founder’s Crystal Sword
• Skinning Knife of Prosperity
• Taming Reindeer Call

Blade of the Avatar Novel, Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of the serialized SotA novel, Blade of the Avatar (BotA), written by Tracy Hickman & Richard Garriott, is now available for download! If you are an Early Founder, or you purchased BotA in the Add-On Store, then you will find a download link for the current installment of the novel on your personal SotA account page (log into SotA website and click on “Account” in the top-right corner).  If you are a Kickstarter backer you’ll need to have your Kickstarter account linked to the SotA website (click here for instructions to link your Kickstarter account).

Here is a brief excerpt of Chapter 1 (illustration by Denis Loubet, renowned Ultima artist):

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Welcome to this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar. Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday we’re publishing the update early this week. Lot’s of great stuff to share, including the first installment of the SotA novel by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott, and some awesome Black Friday weekend promotions!

• First Installment of Blade of the Avatar Novel
• Combat Design
• The Immortality Fruit
• The Royal Elderberry
• The Pickaxe of Prosperity
• Black Friday Weekend Promotions
• Kickstarter: The Space Bards Present Their First Album, “Neon Milk”!
• Movember: Shroud of the Mustache

[Book Cover Art by Stephen Daniele and Tracy Hickman]

Blade of the Avatar Novel, Installment 1 – Prologue

The first installment of the serialized SotA novel, Blade of the Avatar (BotA), written by Tracy Hickman & Richard Garriott, is now available for download! Digital version of BotA is included as an Early Founder reward at all pledge levels $25 or higher, and is also available in the Add-On Store for everyone. Early Founders can download the first installment at the new Early Founder Rewards area in the community forums (accessible to Early Founders only; Early Founders are backers that pledged any amount by May 20, 2013). If you are a Kickstarter backer you’ll need to have your Kickstarter account linked to the SotA website (click here for instructions to link your Kickstarter account).

If you purchased BotA in the Add-On Store, then you will find a download link for the first installment on your personal SotA account page (log into SotA website and click on “Account” in the top-right corner).

This installment consists of the Prologue. Here is a brief excerpt (illustration by Denis Loubet, renowned Ultima artist):

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This week’s edition of Update of the Avatar includes:

• Britannia Burns! The Long Awaited Spoony Interview/Roast!
• Benefactor Knight Village Home
• Founder Knight Home Improvements
• Story Sneak Peek #7 & Map Reveal
• Founder’s Cloak
• Lord British Cloak
• Axe of Prosperity
• Hearth of Britannia Lords of the Hearth Event
• Gifts of the Avatar!

Britannia Burns! The Long Awaited Spoony Interview/Roast!

You wanted it! You earned it in our Kickstarter Stretch Goals! You waited for it! Well, wait no longer! Presenting… Spoony meets Lord British, Part 1!

The unvirtuous force meets the inscrutable object!

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

We have another fun-filled edition of Update of the Avatar:

• Unity Scene Jam Grand Prize Winners
• Recruit-A-Friend Winners
• Story Sneak Peek #6 & Map Reveal
• Magic, Combat, and Crafting Skills Design
• Thanksgiving Specials: Taming Turkey Call & Cornucopia
• Windmill Village Home
• Village Mine Basements
• Movember: Shroud of the Mustache

Unity Scene Jam Grand Prize Winners!

[Chris Spears narrates a walk-thru of the Scene Jam Grand Prize Winner]

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This week’s edition of Update of the Avatar is filled with more cool stuff:

• Unity Scene Jam IV Winners
• Story Sneak Peek & Map Reveal
• Early Access Release Schedule
• Founder Baron City Home

Unity Scene Jam IV Winners!

[Chris Spears narrates a walk-thru of the Scene Jam IV Winners]

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

We have some great stuff for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

• Six Month Progress Video
• Story Sneak Peeks
• Founder Adventurer Starter Shield
• Fishing Pole of Prosperity
• Our Final Unity Scene Jam (#4)
• Recruit-A-Friend Promotion

Six Month Progress Video!

[Lord British Narrates the Six Month Progress Video]

It’s been a little over three months since we released our 3 Month progress video, and we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made since then. We encourage you to set your playback quality to HD, switch to full-screen, and enjoy our six month progress video, narrated by Richard “Lord British” Garriott!

Read more…

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Welcome to another edition of Update of the Avatar! Here’s what we have for you this week:

• Unity Scene Jam #3 Winners
• Story Sneak Peeks
• City Basements
• Wizard Tower Village Home
• SWAG: More T-shirt sizes & multi-item discount
• New Baron 3 Pledge
• Recruit-A-Friend Promotion 6-Day Countdown

Unity Scene Jam #3 Winners

[Chris Spears narrates a walk-thru of the Scene Jam #3 Winners]

The Unity Scene Jam #1 challenge was to build an ancient lunar rift.  The second scene challenge took a step forward in time to when people retreated underground and created the catacombs.  For Scene Jam #3 we took another step forward in time to when people moved back to the surface and rebuilt villages and towns, so the challenge for Jam #3 was to build a village scene.

Read more…