Avatar’s Update #384: Vault Round Automation! Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

This week’s 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, 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. Now, let’s see what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

News Announcements

Community Updates

Vault Round Automation!

What mysterious and ancient treasures can be found within the Vault on the Crown Store? Soon, Avatars? Much, much more! Currently, about 200 items manually cycle into the vault. The process took a considerable amount of developer time to hand select 9 new items every 2 weeks and prep them for store availability. Albeit the process allowed for more theme related selections, time could be better spent elsewhere on more important parts of the project. Going forward, these changes will enhance the Crown Store experience for all players:

  • Vault Item Selection Automation: 9 items will automatically be selected within the pool of available Vault items.
  • Vault Item Pool Increase: Currently about 200 items cycle into the Vault. We’ll be adding roughly 400 additional items into the pool in the coming months to provide a much more varied availability of old Stretch Goal, Monthly Telethon, Rewards Program, Monthly Login, and expired items. Pledge Rewards are still not eligible to become Vault items.
  • Vault Duration Change: Now that the Vault will be automated and the old manual process is no longer a factor, Vault items will change out every week instead of every 2 weeks. As we load in the additional Vault items, this duration could possibly be shortened again in the future.

We hope you enjoy the wider variety of available Vault items coming your way very shortly. This week, we will not have the normal Vault Round available items announcement since this system is about to go live, and the items will be randomly selected. Happy shopping, Avatars!

Latest News Q&A Friday Livestream!

Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, June 5th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Chris “Atos” Spears and other development team members for a community 1 hour livestream!

To enter the prize drawings, type “soaking up the rays” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website add-on store. Please submit questions into Twitch Chat by inserting !question at the beginning of your text. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4 PM CT!

Latest Store Items: Male & Female Shopkeeper Outfits, Electric Katanas & More!

Merchants of New Britannia! Make room in your wardrobes for the Male and Female Shopkeeper Outfits! These splendid wearable items are a perfect fit for any up-and-coming or veteran merchant players. Chest and leg pieces of both sets can be dyed. The female version features TWO chest pieces, one with a choker and one with a necklace.

Other exciting new additions which arrived lately were the Electric Katanas coming in three colors (Pink, Red, and Green). These “electrifying” new 2-handed swords, if salvaged, will yield eternal patterns which can be applied to player-crafted 2-handed swords. The katanas are fantastic accessories for the new Dark Shogun Armor Set which boldly strode into the store recently! This armor set will yield plate armor Eternal Patterns if salvaged, which can be applied to other plate armor to apply the style.

  • Male Shopkeeper Outfit
  • Female Shopkeeper Outfit
  • Dark Shogun Armor Set
  • Pink Electric Katana (Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Item)
  • Red Electric Katana
  • Green Electric Katana

June Login Reward: Floppy Hat!

Just in time to hit the beaches, this floppy hat is perfect for abating the sun during shoreline festivities. Simply log in during the month of June, and the hat will become available in the Rewards Window. Time to catch some rays, beachgoers!

Release 78 Reward Program Login Reward Items: Beach Theme!

Avatars! Rewards Program login reward items for Release 78 are beach themed! Reward Program members will receive these items immediately upon logging in during Release 78! Surf’s up, Avatars!

  • Beach Towels (4-Pack, Dyeable)
  • Male Swimsuit (1-Piece, Uses Chest & Legs Slots, Dyeable, Also fits females)
  • Female Swimsuit (2-Piece, Dyeable, Also fits males)

NOTE: You must login during the release to receive each release’s rewards.

The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items!

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

    • 900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month
    • Monthly Login 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

Are You a Livestreamer?


Soon, the Streaming Reward Program will be returning. As the details are getting reworked, we’ll reveal more information. Traditional streaming rewards included an exclusive in-game Streamer Camera for being a veteran of our Streaming Program! Expect the camera reward to return! More goodies will come to your way as the program fully develops. Thank you for streaming Shroud of the Avatar!

Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams

Atos and other members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team go live very frequently on our TWO Twitch Channels: twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar and twitch.tv/communityoftheavatar — be sure to get these channels on follow and get the latest information right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel (complete with “Mojito the dog” cam). Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!




Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over at our other social media venues:

Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles

As one of the biggest and earliest supporters of Episode 2 you will be granted the largest lot deed in the land (Castle), the title Lord (or Lady) of the Isle, a tour of Lord British’s property, and dinner with the game leaders including Lord British himself! Only 24 of these unique bundles will be sold!

Complete List of Rewards:

  • Lord of the Isle Place Anywhere Castle Lot Deed: Tax Free Forever (when placed in a POT) and Tax Free for 1 Year (when placed outside of a POT). Placeable on water as well as land!
  • Title: Lord of the Isle or Lady of the Isle
  • Unique Lord of the Isle Home (pictured above)
  • NEW – Town Size Upgrade (if a town is not owned by the LOTI supporter, they may gift this size upgrade to another town owner. Maximum possible town sizes will be taken into account, but the Megalopolis size just became available!)
  • Choice of 1 House currently available in the store
  • Castle Basement currently available in the store of your choice
  • Castle Wall Set currently available in the store of your choice (with enough for Castle Lot)
  • Unique Lord of the Isle Dungeon Room
  • 140,000 Crowns
  • 1000 Bank Slots
  • Pick 12 Prosperity Tools
  • 2 Unique in-game items (to be revealed later)
  • Early Access to Episode 2
  • Episode 1 Box and map signed by the team
  • 1 hour one-on-one with Chris for design discussion (via video-conference)
  • One real silver ring crafted personally by Lord British: Numbered 1 – 8
  • In-game version of the Lord British ring: Numbered 1 – 8 (including a place-able decoration version)
  • Tour of Lord British’s property
  • Fine dinner and drinks with Lord British, Darkstarr, and Atos at a location TBD in Austin or NYC.

NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31, 2019). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD.

NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner.

Upcoming Events Calendar

Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums:

2020 Events
June 25 – Release 79
July 30 – Release 80
Aug 27 – Release 81

Meretz: Win a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)

Whether you move a little or a lot, as a Meretz user you rack up valuable Meretz Points (MPs). The more MPs you have, the more stuff you can buy!

Think: in-game SotA goodies, Sweepstakes entries and tons more. With Meretz, we launch several sweepstakes every month. This month, we’re giving away a Shogun Lighthouse Village Home (No Trade)! AND, use your MPs every day for in-game items like potions and emotes.

What’re you waiting for? Download Meretz TODAY!

Community Event: Catnip Games Weekly Fishing Tourney

For the Anglers of New Britannia, a weekly developer run fishing event has arrived! These weekly tournaments start at Noon CT every Friday and will last until Noon CT the next Friday. Players may register towns to be put into a registry list which will dictate most of the venues available for the fishing competition. Every week, the venues shift to the next 3 towns from the registry. Also each week, a new spotlighted PvE and PvP scene cycle into the contest. Each category (POT, PvP, PvE) features different prizes and goals. All fish must be caught within the timeframe of the contest. Here are some of the details:

Largest Fetid Fish (Town):

  • Prizes: Player Owned Town Row Lot Deed, Large Gold Fishing Trophy
  • Rules: Must be caught from one of these towns

Largest Fish (PvP):​

  • Prizes: 2 Chained Obsidian Shard 3-Packs, Large Silver Fishing Trophy
  • Rules: Must be caught in The Brave Coast

Largest Lava Fish:

  • Prizes: Fishing Rod of Prosperity, Large Bronze Fishing Trophy
  • Rules: Must be caught in Blackblade Foothills

Consolation Prizes:

  • Prizes: Silver Fishing Trophy
  • Rules: Everyone who submitted an entry that did not win an above prize

Spinoff/Crossover Events:

  • Islands of Wonders: (@Net): 4Booty – Obsidian Report lost at Islands of Wonders Event! Check on this forum post for more information!
  • 100K Gold: (@ravenscar): Ravenscar is offering up an additional 100K gold to each of the 3 winners!

Prizes provided by the Community Manager will be available for attendees, but governors, guild leaders and players are welcome to sweeten the pot by providing additional prizes based on objective criteria entirely of their own design. In fact, please consider planning events to overlap the duration and chosen weekly locations of the Fishing developer events. Please post these events in the in-game events forums and the Community Manager will promote accordingly. Expect a constant stream of weekly events, each to feature new locations and new objectives. Head on over to the Fishing Event Forum Thread for more information. Happy adventures, Avatars!

Community Event: Summer Showdown Group Combat Event

[Forum Post by Grumpy Krabnevir]

2 Teams Enter, One Team leaves​! This is a group combat event for the purpose of providing a fun and entertaining tournament atmosphere for players to participate and win prizes. There will be limited team slots available on a first come first serve basis. A team slot is not committed to a team until all signup requirements have been met and verified. This event is for fun and entertainment, it may not be perfect. Contestants are welcome to check out the course prior to the tournament. The dungeon will not have active spawns.

When (Pre-Event Newcomer Bracket): June 14th, 12:00 Noon CST (Austin Time)
When (Main Event Bracket Starts): June 14th, 2:00 PM CST (Austin Time)
Where: Judgement Square Prison Cage Dungeon located in Krabnevir

Overview: Using opposing entrances, 2 teams enter the gauntlet and race along equally distant paths until they encounter the opposing team at the main center fight room. The objective of each team is to successfully defeat and get past the opposing team and be the first complete live team to exit the gauntlet through the opposing team’s entrance. Any team that successfully kills all opposing team members need only to resurrect any dead teammates if necessary and exit the opposing team’s entrance with all team members alive. There are no ankhs within the gauntlet, if you resurrect in the foyer, you are out of the match and your team loses. ALL TEAM MEMBERS MUST EXIT ALIVE THROUGH THE OPPOSING TEAM’S ENTRANCE FIRST TO WIN.

Tournament Structure: Each Tournament will be a bracket tournament with double elimination with the winner of the winner’s bracket facing the winner of the loser’s bracket for a ONE ROUND championship match. Tournament entries will be accepted up until 24 hrs before the start of the tournament. Tournament seeding will be determined by random selection… For more information (and there is MUCH more), please visit Grumpy’s Forum Thread on the official forums.

Community Event: 6th Annual Soldier’s Memorial Ball

[Forum Post by Bowen Bloodgood]

It is time once again for the Soldier’s Memorial Ball. (Yes this is really our 6th year!) This year we are returning to the glorious ballroom at Caer Dracwych with DJs from Avatar’s Radio. We shall have DJ’s Asclepius in the morning and the Dark Lord Celith Wraine in the afternoon.

When: Sunday, June 21st, 9AM to 1PM CT
Where: Caer Dracwych

While I’m quite pleased with our ballroom, I am looking for a little help from the community to put in the finishing touches in the form of heraldry and maybe a dragon head or two. Heraldry needed is in the form of plate armor, short banners and shields (any shield type will do). Anyone interested can either PM me for details, send donations via in-game mail or leave items in the library donation chest located just inside the observatory (dragon heads needed: 2 Red and 1 Purple).

As always, this is a formal event. Time to break out your best! For more information, be sure to read the forum thread on the official forums.

Community Event: Black Sails Saga – From the New Lands

[Forum Post by CatherineRose]

Another chapter of the Black Sails Saga has begun, Avatars! When the creative minds of CatherineRose and friends start writing a new chapter, it can mean only one thing — adventure awaits thee! Typically, these stories start as forum story writing and role-play, which then work their way into the game as role-playing adventures. Upon the chapter’s end, a giant battle between players usually takes place, so be sure to get involved now. Ready thine quills and ink, oh pirates of New Britannia, for a grand player-made adventure awaits thee! For more information, please contact CatherineRose for an invite to the planning conversations on the forums.

Months before this day ………..

A spy for our Black Sails had given a message to one of the guards to warn us that as the great leader @Antrax Artek was leaving his headquarters with his army and as he made his way toward the battle which was underway in Blood Bay, a strange purple mist began to overtake the army.

As the spy looked on with horror he saw one by one of each of the soldiers fall to the ground. Their bodies began to shake as if a great monster were picking each up and violently throwing each into the air.

Upon falling to the ground they did not move from any position whether arms were out stretched or bent into grotesque shapes.

All succumbed in like manner even the great Antrax himself as well.

The next strange and frightening thing to happen was that each of the soldiers beginning with Antrax woke. They stood up at attention as if ready for orders to be given. Yet they were in some kind of stupor or trance.

Antrax turned, in this trance as well, and shouted orders to his army.
“We are to battle in Blood Bay. You will kill all living avatars except for any in our own army, Antax Army.

You will kill all Pirates as well as all Obsidians.
Let their blood reach from the edge of the cursed water’s of Blood Bay across the battle ground
until it flows and touches the mountains .
Let no one escape your sword.”

“Show no mercy.”

Antrax and his army did just that. Blood ran deep from all this death. The deadly purple mist affected all who marched through it. No one was spared. Mass confusion took place as well. No one that day had the ability to think like a fighter. No one that day could distinguish allies from enemies.

In time the purple mist cleared from the survivors bodies. Antrax and his army returned to his headquarters.

The Black Sails and Allies who survived, that were able, began to train for the next battle. We knew we would never retreat.

We would never give up the goal of having peace.

The evil Obsidians had again used the powerful knowledge they possess to continue their quest to control and then to destroy all of Novia.

However,we knew our purpose would l not be thwarted.
We repaired our ships, bandaged our wounded.
We also, sadly buried the many dead.

I received, from one of my guards this message
which was intercepted by one of our spies:

“I, Lord of a Obsidians, Master of all the World, now order you bring together our most feared fighters as well as the strongest of the trained animals which are scattered about Novia. Bring them to the Underworld under the purple mist in Blood Bay where the four rivers of Lava meet. Antrax and his army along with The pirates and allies are working to becoming again. Ha! They will not be strong enough to go against the mighty Obsidians.. We will go to the place called Malus and stop them from crossing into their new lands… (continues on the forums)

Project to Support – RodasurfAvatars! Yet another news outlet has spotted Darkstarr on a RodaSurf board. Be sure to check out this latest sighting in this latest Austin360 news article!

Darkstarr and the Rodasurf team also dazzled us with another interview which aired on Spectrum News not too long ago! The RodaSurf board is an accessory to the Onewheel XR device. Simply snap and lock the Onewheel into RodaSurf’s latching system, and you’ll be surfing the streets before you know it! For the full article PLUS a fantastic video, be sure to head straight over to the Spectrum News Website and see our beloved Lord of Chaos show off his latest venture!

Project to Support – Jar Wars


While you are delving into Virtual Reality (VR), be sure to check out this exciting and hilarious new game, Jar Wars! Our very own Darkstarr has been busy on some side projects, one of which is Jar Wars, a slapstick multiplayer game made just for VR enthusiasts. Battle your friends with wacky weapons and intriguing gadgets for total domination of the Moon! Available for free on Steam!

Project to Support – Dragon Fight

Darkstarr has also been hard at work with the team for Dragon Fight VR which recently went live on Steam! Dragon Fight VR is an internal experiment to capture the “essence” of a dragon fight, the classic penultimate experience of every fantasy story. We wanted to create a short visceral, realistic experience stripped of user interface, lobbies, scores, levels, and other visual intrusions that might distract. There were some key elements of fighting a dragon that we wanted to capture and we felt VR was uniquely qualified to convey:

  • Face to face with a large scale hostile creature trying to kill you
  • Using a sword and a shield
  • Fire!
  • Nowhere to run!

This started out as an internal experiment to learn some things about VR’s capabilities, be reductionist in our designs, etc. We felt that the experiment was successful enough to release as a free experience to share. Enjoy! Available for free on Steam!

Project to Support – Crowfall

Be part of shaping the next great MMO by becoming a Crowfall Backer! Crowfall is the first and only online Throne War game. You can win. Join intense PvP battles that demand strategy, survival and a fierce competitive spirit. Reap the spoils of war as an Eternal Champion!

Claim virtual territory on behalf of your guild or faction. Capture mines, mills, and quarries to secure resources, build castles, and besiege your neighbors. Scavenge artifacts and relics from the Dying Worlds and install them in your temples to grant blessings to your vassals. Capture lost spirits to do your bidding — or bind them into your weapons to infuse them with sorcerous power!

Project to Support – Avatar Express

[Forum post by Vladamir Begemot]

I’m pleased to report that The Avatar Express is clacking away furiously. News is being delivered and we have established systems to deliver it directly to your brain. You can use one of those systems by following us on Twitter at @avatar_express. Even more reliable due to its fully automated nature is joining us on the Discord server. News items are posted there via RSS. Or you can subscribe to RSS directly on the site.

If you run an event, quests, etc, please consider helping out by self reporting. The Shroud community is big, and many things are happening that are never seen by others. With 10k monthly users, we would need a full time staff to track down everything that is happening.

You can fill out the contributor form, message @that_shawn_guy here or post in the Discord server that you would like to help. There is no committment once signed up, you can post as much or little as you like.

Writing up your own events has several benefits beyond the immidiate exposure. It serves as a record for others to see the history of New Britannia as we create it, in an attractive format. Publishing in the Express also has a higher chance than the forums of being seen by search engines and random readers, thus bringing more eyeballs and new players to the game.

It will even make posting in the forums easier! You can upload images to your news item, and then link to those images in your forum post. No more need for 3rd party image hosts!

So if you have something going on in your guild or town, or want to be a Reporter, Cartographer or Historian, please join us!

Resources – Players Helping Players

SotA_NewPlayerWelcome_Forum

The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.

Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.