Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Come Play Release 7 Now!
- The Mad Hermit’s Guide to Pre-Alpha Release 7
- More E3 Awards
- Final Week of 10% Pledge Bonus Promotion!
- SotA at RTX!
- Alienware Sponsors 1000 Access Keys and Prizes for Release 8
- Lord Marshal’s Great Hall
- Patron Rewards: Fyndoro’s Tablet of Finding and Magic Printing Press
- Wood & Plaster 2-Story with Balcony Village Home
- Boats Stretch Goal
- Through the Lunar Rift!
- 7 Days Until Lord British’s Birthday
- International Shipping
- In The News
- Upcoming Events
Come Play Release 7 Now!
Release 7 successfully launched yesterday, June 26th, with thousands of backers downloading, patching, logging in, and checking out the new changes!
Lots of new stuff to check out in R7, including the return of the 3D Overworld Map, player-to-player secure trade, water lots, improved targeting, better house lighting, the Graff Gem Mines, 64 bit version, improved character customization, kindred property permissions, and more!
Check out these awesome R7 images, most of which were posted by players in the forums:
Release 7 Patches
We’ve already pushed out 4 new versions of Release 7 since first releasing it to the Dev+ backers on June 24th. Click here to see the complete list of patch notes.
We need all your help with testing the new patches, putting more stress on our multiplayer servers, and testing the new game content, so please join us in playing Release 7!
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. For a limited time, you can get the Adventurer pledge for only $25 with the Alienware Pledge Upgrade Coupon (see details below).
The Mad Hermit’s Video Guide to Pre-Alpha Release 7
SotA community member, The Mad Hermit, created another great how-to video for Release 7, “The Mad Hermit’s Guide to Pre Alpha R7” highlighting the return of the 3D Overworld Map, player-to-player secure trade, water lots, island player towns, kindred lot permissions, new homes, Graff Gem Mines, improved targeting, and other features. It’s another “must see”, so take a few minutes, crank the video quality up to HD, and let The Mad Hermit give you a tour through Release 7:
More E3 Awards
Ten Ton Hammer Awards Shroud of the Avatar Best New Concept of E3 2014
“We know what you might be thinking: how can Shroud of the Avatar win an award for Best New Concept when the game is based upon many of the same RPG hooks that helped make the Ultima series so successful?…The simple fact is that we’ve reached an era when it is a breath of fresh air to see a developer return to the roots of what an MMORPG could – and perhaps, should – be. It’s incredibly fitting that a visionary like Richard Garriott who helped put the industry on the map to begin with would be leading that charge.” – Ten Ton Hammer
Gaming Trend Nominates Shroud of the Avatar Best MMO of E3 2014!
Best MMO Nominees:
Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade (Winner)
Shroud of the Avatar
Black Gold Online
The Final Week to get your 10% Pledge Bonus!
If you were thinking of pledging your support to the development of Shroud of the Avatar, or upgrading your existing pledge, now’s a great time to do it! Thru Lord British’s birthday on July 4, 2014 we’ll add an additional 10% to your pledge! Don’t miss out!
For all new pledges or pledge upgrades that you purchase for yourself, or as a gift, between 12:00 am CST June 5, 2014 and 12:00 am CST July 5, 2014 we will add another 10% to your pledge! (Note: the original date started on June 6 but since we published the new reward information in the public forums on June 5 it was decided to start the pledge bonus promotion a day earlier)
For example, if you love the new Row House included as a bonus reward in the Ancestor tier and purchase the pledge for $275, we will add an additional $28 to your pledge account ($275 times 10% equals $27.50 rounded up to $28; our pledge package doesn’t handle cents so we round up to nearest dollar).
SotA at RTX 2014!
Some of you may recall that we launched our Kickstarter campaign in March 2013 with a live broadcast from the Rooster Teeth studios here in Austin, Texas. We’re excited to announce that Shroud of the Avatar will be showing at the RTX Convention hosted by Rooster Teeth, July 4-6.
Alienware is providing their kicka** X51 gaming rigs to power the game demos, and Plantronics is furnishing their awesome RIG headsets so attendees have an optimal game audio experience! If you’re a fan of Plantronics Gaming Headsets (like we are), then check out their Plantronics Gaming Facebook page, and if you like what you see then give them a “Like”!
If you’re at the convention then stop by, say Hi, and check out the latest version of the game (we’re in booth #235)
Release 7 Re-Opens for RTX Weekend
We’re re-opening SotA Release 7 during the RTX convention the weekend of July 4-6, so be sure and check it out if you can’t make it during the normally scheduled weekend access (June 26-29).
Alienware Sponsors 1000 Access Keys and Prizes for Release 8
During the four weeks leading up to SotA Release 8, 1000 members of the Alienware Arena Shroud of the Avatar Group will receive Weekend Access Keys to SotA Release 8, scheduled for July 24-27.
In addition, Alienware is sponsoring prizes to be given away randomly to players that log in to Release 8 during the weekend access period
Stay tuned to a future update for more details…
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]
Lord Marshal’s Great Hall
Bob Cooksey hit it out of the park (again) with this magnificent Lord Marshal Great Hall (included in the Lord Marshal pledge tier), shown below sitting on a town lot. This home is comprised of 5 floors, 4 great rooms, a porch and patio on the first floor, a wrap-around deck on the third floor, and a covered terrace on the fifth floor.
Patron Rewards: Fyndoro’s Tablet of Finding and Magic Printing Press
Here are two new rewards recently added to the Patron Pledge tier:
Fyndoro’s Tablet of Finding
Our good friend Ernie Cline has allowed us to include Fyndoro’s Tablet of Finding from his best-selling novel, “Ready Player One”. It can be used once per day to find a player by writing the name on the tablet. How cool is that!
Here’s the excerpt from Ready Player One describing the tablet:
Fyndoro’s Tablet of Finding wound up selling for even more than the Cataclyst. According to the auction description, the tablet was a flat circle of polished black stone, and it had one very simple power. Once a day, its owner could write any avatar’s name on its surface, and the tablet would display that avatar’s location at that exact moment. However, this power had range limitations. If you were in a different OASIS sector than the avatar you were trying to find, the tablet would tell you only which sector your target was currently in. If you were already in the same sector, the tablet would tell you what planet your target was currently on (or closest to, if they were out in space). If you were already on the same planet as your target when you used the tablet, it would show you their exact coordinates on a map.
Magic Printing Press
Once per week a Patron (or above) can use the Magic Printing Press to publish a book in the world for free (publishing normally costs a fee per copy).
Wood & Plaster 2-Story with Balcony Village Home
Next up in our line of Wood & Plaster homes is this 2-story, 4-room village home, with a second-story side-facing deck, now available in the Add-On Store:
Get Your Wood & Plaster 2-Story with Balcony Home Now for 50% off!
For a limited time we’re offering 50% off this home! Reserve yours (or send as a gift) at the Add-On Store!
Boats Stretch Goal
This week we’re adding Boats to the Stretch Goal Store. For this stretch goal, you can sail boats around the waterways of New Britannia. From rowboats to Frigates, the world is your ocean
The boat items available for purchase are an Admiral’s hat and outfit, rowboat deco, longboat deco, anchor deco, and a spyglass (fully functional, view distant objects up close through the science of lenses). Here are the boat items we currently have images for:
This boat anchor is one of the recently approved crowdsource art assets submitted by Melchior Meijer. We approved several of Melchior’s recent nautically-themed submissions so more of those may be showing up in the game during the months ahead.
Through the Lunar Rift!
These tales, told as a weekly series of journal entries written by Gina “FireLotus” Dionne, will feature the people and places of New Britannia and give you a bit of insight, and hopefully some inspiration, when creating your own stories while exploring the lands of Shroud of the Avatar.
On Wolves, Bears, and the Darkness…
I’ve lived in a lot of places where the wildlife can kill you. There is nothing more humbling that floating lazily in a one person kayak only to realize there are a set of eyes watching you from about 6-feet off your bow. Then the realization hits that the gator that belongs to those eyes is probably longer than the boat you’re sitting in. But I’ve always been an explorer. Back home, all I needed was a camera with a telephoto lens and a leather-bound journal to document my adventures in and I was a happy girl. Having a close encounter with the local wild life just made the adventure even better. To see nature in nature… well, there was no better way for me to spend an afternoon.
That didn’t change when I ended up here, even though I no longer had a camera (I have gotten pretty good at sketching, though). Some of my very first moments away from Owl’s Head were spent exploring the nearby woodland. But that was before the darkness had spread this far north. I’d seen some wolves, and even a couple bears during my excursions, but the last time I was out, they were different. I’d heard Kendra talking about how there were acting odd, and considering how in tune with nature she is, I should have headed her warning to stay put within the safety of the town walls. But Thomas was watching the Tavern and I had some exploring to do.
It wasn’t long before I got the distinct feeling that something was watching me. I’ve learned to rely on my instincts when I’m out adventuring, and that instinct served me well that day. I moved to a more open area, atop a large rock where I could get a vantage point, and that was when I saw him. A large brown bear stalking through the treeline. Normally, shuffling is a word I would use to describe their movement, but this one was moving carefully… silently. And he never took his eyes off of me. Then in a moment he started towards me, murder in it’s eyes. But not just murder… rage. I threw my hands out and flames shot forth, scorching a nearby patch of grass and scaring the beast away. That was the first time I manifested fire like that. And I have to say I was very grateful that I had. The small blade I was carrying would not have done me any good at all…
Read the rest of the story in the forums
7 Days Until Lord British’s Birthday
Replenishing Birthday Cake
Lord British’s birthday is coming up on July 4th, and to help celebrate his birthday we’ve added the Replenishing Birthday Cake to the Add-On Store! This is a special birthday cake, that each year on the anniversary of when you created your pledge account, will generate a random item! They’re only available until July 31, 2014 so reserve your Replenishing Birthday Cake (or send as a gift) in the Add-On Store now!
Replenishing Fireworks Box
For those of you that missed out on the Replenishing Fireworks Box during the New Year’s sale, we’re bringing it back in time for Lord British’s birthday on July 4th, or the U.S. celebration of Independence Day, or if you just want to blow off some fireworks! A magical box of 50 fireworks that regenerates periodically. They’re only available until July 31, 2014 so reserve your Replenishing Fireworks Box (or send as a gift) in the Add-On Store now!
International Shipping
Hail all! We have streamlined the process for international shipping fees for physical pledge rewards. Those of you who had already paid for international shipping will notice that the $15 fee is no longer reflected in your pledge amount and now appears on your user account page (https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/?page_id=4557) as an International Shipping add-on. If you live outside of the United States, have physical rewards coming your way, and have never opted for international shipping, please purchase the International Shipping add-on in the add-on store. Even if you have a lot of physical rewards coming, you only need to purchase one International Shipping add-on. Also, if you no longer require international shipping (e.g. you move to the United States) you may convert your International Shipping add-on into store credit.
This Week In the News
June 22 – MMORPG: Gaming Trend Nominates Shroud of the Avatar Best MMO of E3 2014!
June 23 – Ten Ton Hammer Awards Shroud of the Avatar Best New Concept of E3 2014
June 24 – Richard Garriott, Felicia Day, and Greg Kasavin Talk Ultima at E3
June 26 – MMORPG: Shroud of the Avatar Interviews: Release 7 – Housing, Crafting, and More!
Upcoming Events
2014.07.04 – SotA at RTX
2014.07.24 – Release 8 Access
2014.08.09 – SotA at synDCon
2014.08.21 – Release 9 Access
2014.08.29 – SotA at PAX Prime Seattle
2014.08.29 – SotA at Dragoncon
2014.09.25 – Release 10 Access
2014.10.23 – Release 11 Access
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
2014.12.18 – Release 13 Access
Nice Update!
Nice update, but don’t care much for the Pyramid looking house for Lord Marshal; but since i’m past Lord Marshal and heading towards Baron I shan’t be staying in it.
Grats on the Ten ton award and Gaming Trend award, hope this game keeps going.
I love the new Lord Marshal Great Hall! Bob Cooksey is amazing.
I hope they will patch those homes into R7. I really want to see LMH in person badly!
Also, does “They’re only available until July 31, 2014 so reserve your Replenishing Fireworks Box (or send as a gift) in the Add-On Store now!” mean until next year or is this a one time deal?
That’s a good question. Since we’ve seen the fireworks back around New Years, and now it’s back in the add-on store, I have to think it’s not a one time offer. Plus, the pre-release pricing, only means something if there’s a post release pricing. So, based on that, I’m going to have to say it’s not necessarily a one time offering. Just a limited time availability.
However, there’s also no guarantee they will offer any of this stuff again.
What I would like to see, is repeat offerings, have a different color. Something minor so you can tell which year the item was released. Like, the fireworks box, being blue when it hits the stores next time.
Different color candles on the birthday cake. Easter rabbit having black paws, etc.
Make the purchase a little more special. And…. encourage me to buy repeats of things I already have, because it’s a little different.
Currently the Fireworks are what we call a “bring back” which means it is the return of a previous item which we may periodically bring back on special occasions. GREAT idea to introduce some slight variations to these bring back items each time so they are truly unique. We will make sure that is the case going forward.
Star Citizen here i come!
You guys are so creative! I am honored to be a part of this from the beginning.
Ancestor’s Cloak? What a tease! Where is it!
Good question.
I was wanting to see it to
It will be in today’s update
Wonderful Update
!
International shipping – are there any intentions to outsource shipping for European customers to a contractor in the EU to cut the eventually considerable (depends from the base price for the physical stuff) and in each case delivery delaying customs fees?
I noticed that it stated that Dev.+ and above people could log on the date of 6/24/14 yet the email stated 6/26. I take it that this is a typo because I was not notified that I could log on at that date. I paid $2,200 so I know I qualify. I actually logged on at 6/25/14 because I grew tired of logging in and finding so many homes already taken right at the moment permission was stated I could log on. How is that possible if people could not log on yet? Could you please include me in future emails for the correct date?
We are sorry that you missed the notice. We don’t ever send out emails for the early tests, we just post the notices in the Dev+ section of the forums because we don’t usually know the time of the early access until right beforehand. We suggest that anyone at Dev+ and above watch the Developer Digest section of the forums on the days leading up to a release.
Regarding the Lord Marshall house, will I be able to have a vendor outside selling my wares? It does not look like there is room on the property for one. I do not care for the home. I would like a little more front yard please. One of the benefits of being wealthy is supposed to be further distance between you and your neighbor–land being so precious. It seems that every time I upgrade my plot size, you enlarge my house to fill it up; therefore, I see no need to upgrade to a city property only to see the land filled up again. I think I will go back to how I have always played RPGs before this–living off the land without property to worry about. It is getting on my nerves and ruining my fun.
Yes there is room for a vendor at the front of the property. We are very sorry the house versus lot size causes you such consternation. Remember with your pledge you also get all the houses below yours so you can always place a smaller house on your property to give yourself more land if that is your priority.
Fantastic job on the Lord Marshall house, we will be upgrading, you had our number. I was wondering if you’d do an upgraded viking house, and you took it to the next step and designed it after the stav temples. I’d propose if I wasn’t already married.
Here comes the Father, The Son and The Holy Toast
Leofwynn of Grimmrfell, Volva and Happy Girl!
(for you non heathens, thats Odin, Thor and Frey)