Update of the Avatar #185 – 2016.07.15: Summer Telethon, Massively’s Perfect 10 List, Re-Making Spite, Lot Selection Groups, and More!

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

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

• Massively OP Picks Shroud as “Most Exciting Developments”
• Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 1
• The Re-Making of Spite
• Fancy Riding Outfit
• More Pipes for the Enthusiast
• Updated Lot Selection Group Numbers + Deadlines for Transfers & Upgrades
• 15% Bonus and 12 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1
• The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook
• Upcoming Events
• Community Resources – Players Helping Players
• ONBE Shipments and Backer Shipping Addresses
• Recommended Projects to Back

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Massively OP Picks Shroud as “Most Exciting Developments”

In an article posted yesterday entitled “Perfect Ten: The Most Exciting MMO Developments Yet To Come in 2016”,  Justin Olivetti over at Massively Overpowered picked Shroud of the Avatar’s Release 32 as the second most Exciting Developments of 2016! Only World of Warcraft’s Legion expansion managed to edge us out of the #1 spot!

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

2. Shroud of the Avatar’s persistent state

No, Shroud of the Avatar is not launching (yet it kind of is). When Release 32 arrives at the end of July, the game will perform its final wipe before going into a persistent state. Call it a persistent alpha, a soft launch, or what have you, but the fact of the matter is that adventurers will be able to start playing for keeps as the world continues to be built around them.

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Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 1

Avatars! Are you ready to participate in the biggest event to hit Novia since the great cataclysm?

Like no other world-ending event in the history of gaming, the first part of The Summer Telethon of the Avatar event is nearly upon us! For 12 hours, starting at Noon (12 PM CDT) until Midnight on July 27th, we will be celebrating the lead up to the Final Player Data Wipe; where persistence officially begins in our game and housing lot selection begins in earnest.

As always, we will be answering your questions during the telethon. You can post your questions on the original post in the comments section or post them live in Discord during the Telethon.*

What exciting events can you expect throughout the day? An array of fun activities and engaging content, many of which you can participate in! We will also be giving away a ton of fabulous prizes*, and if the following stretch goals are met, we will be adding amazing new content to the game.

Help us to achieve the following goals during the telethon! As a special bonus, we are offering Telethon Funding Stretch Goal Rewards to any backer that pledges a minimum of $5 from the start of the telethon, until Midnight (Spending Store Credit to make $5 minimum purchase does not apply). The Summer Telethon of the Avatar Funding Stretch Goal Rewards are:

• $10,000: /fan emote (player fans themself with a small folding fan)
• $25,000: Aeronaut Helmet
• $35,000: Hacked Oracle Crawler Pet
• $50,000: Clockwork Wings (goes in cloak slot, does not grant powers of flight)

Cheer on the Devs!

• For every $2,500 donated, all Developers on camera have to either:
  • Dance, sing, or drink a shot of alcohol.
• Additionally, we will be spinning the Wheel of Fortune & Doom! The wheel will have employee names that will have to Dance/Sing/Drink (we borrowed this idea from our friends over at Crowfall). The wheel will also have promotions like:
  • 10% off Edelmann Pledges for 1 hour, or 25% off Lot Deeds for 30 minutes.

We also have these exciting prizes to give away:*

• Store Credits
• Viking Bundles (Viking Row 2 Story and Viking Village)
• Kobold Bundles (Kobold Row 2 Story and Kobold Village)
• Pledges (Ancestor and Edelmann)
• Lord British relics
• Challenge Coins
• Shroud of the Avatar t-shirts
• Sword of Midras audiobook AND hardcover copies!
• Razer Gear

Here is a peak at what to watch out for as the telethon progress:

Schedule (All times and content subject to change)

• Noon: Welcome to the Summer Telethon!
• 1:30 PM: Brittany Tour with Sorcerous Steve.
• 2:30 PM: Tour of Portalarium.
• 3:00 PM: New User Experience & Hospitallers.
• 4:00 PM: Crafting, Enchanting, Masterworks Discussion.
• 5:00 PM: Combat Discussion.
• 6:00 PM: The Story and Characters of SotA.
• 7:00 PM: Player Housing Discussion with Darkstarr.
• 8:00 PM: Artifice, Pipes, Crafting Stations, Books with Scottie.
• 9:00 PM: AMA live chat question time with team.
• 10 PM-Midnight: Royal Tour with Lord British and Darkstarr
  • Locations: Brittany Central, Aerie, Resolute, Ardoris, Owlshead, Desolis, Spite, and a selection of Player Owned Towns (final list soon).
• Midnight: Final Player Data Wipe! Servers will be offline until 10:30am CDT on July 28th.

New Twitch Channel Coming Soon!

Watch the telethon on Twitch! Keep updated here in this news post, and on Twitter and Facebook in the coming days for the reveal of the game’s new Twitch channel.

Warning: Telethon is Rated PG-13 for Alcoholic Content
(might get upgraded to Rated-R depending on rate of pledges)

Expirations and Final Player Data Wipe

While Final Player Data Wipe is NOT “Launch” of our game, we are super happy to be at such an important milestone with our community of backers. We couldn’t have built the game nearly this far in its development without the support and feedback of everyone playing. There’s a lot more to go yet, but we’re about to cross a major hurdle this summer, and can’t wait to cross it with you!

At 11:59 PM CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27th, we are expiring the homes and basements from the Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2 pledges. We are also expiring new Player Owned Towns (upgrades of existing POTs will continue to be available). All other rewards (including tax free property deeds) that are currently available in the remaining pledges will continue to be available.

The final player data wipe will also occur at 11:59 PM CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27th. To celebrate this momentous milestone, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 1, starting at 12:00 PM (Noon) CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the final player data wipe start.

Servers will be brought offline after 11:59 PM CDT on July 27th until 10:30 AM CDT the next morning on July 28th. This gives us enough time to ensure servers are properly cleared and ready for the beginning of Release 32 and the exciting opportunity to make your mark in Novia!

See you on the livestream chat at Noon this coming July 27th!

Had fun attending our telethon event? Stay tuned…

After July’s telethon, we will also be holding a second event on August 22nd. At 11:59 PM CDT (5:00 UTC) on August 22, 2016, we are expiring ALL remaining pledges, including: Adventurer, Founder, Royal Artisan, Explorer, Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2.

* There will be some really awesome prizes awarded during the telethon, but you have to be present in the Discord chatroom to qualify for each drawing. Please keep in mind that questions and feedback related to each segment will be given priority and really verbose questions may be skipped, as they can be a challenge to shorten and summarize live on the air. In brief… please keep your questions… brief.

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The Re-Making of Spite

Spite started as another cloned scene using one of our PRT / POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka PAXlair). It is getting a complete rebuild from scratch this release and will go live with Release 32. Note that scenes that we unclone after the Final Wipe will NOT get this level of rework, and building placements and lot placements in those towns will remain unchanged; only cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage will be made.

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]

Hello guys, Sorcerous Steve here to give you an update on Spite!
Work continues on the town of Spite with new points of interest and further polish around areas of player housing.

The Mortuarium at Spite, a place where the dead are worshiped and prepped before their final resting place.

River rapids and Waterfalls

The world building team has been experimenting with new methods in designing rivers and simulating water flow across elevation.
For this map I wanted to have some white water rapids going down mountainous cliffs and culminating in the Catalina Falls which drop into the lake below.

Do you dare cross this wooden rope bridge spanning this treacherous gorge?

Spite has some great player housing spots, like this lot situated on top of this sheer vertical cliff. Definitely a must have for any scenic view goer, so start planning your home in Spite soon!

Sexton’s Arch to the East of Spite, a unique rock formation forming an arch known for its scenic views of the nearby town of Spite

Wind farm outside of Spite.

The inhabitants of Spite have not only built their homes on cliffs overlooking Stormwater Lake but also utilize the height of the jagged rocks to obtain wind power.

Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer

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Fancy Riding Outfit

Ride in style with this fancy riding outfit, which includes jacket, leggings, and boots. Available now at the Add-On Store!

[Lady’s Fancy Riding Outfit; Gloves shown in image not included]

[Gentleman’s Fancy Riding Outfit]

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More Pipes for the Enthusiast

As mentioned in Update 184, we are introducing Pipe Smoking in Release 32 along with a variety of pipes (available in the Add-On Store). Scott “Scottie” Jones posted about the latest three he created in a Dev+ forum post.

Here are the three new pipes I just created in honor of Truth, Love, and Courage! These follow in the same style as the Elaborate Fanciful Meerschaum Wolf pipe, and will function in the same way as the rest… Here, I used the Titan statues’ heads as a base for the design (imagining that they would inspire all kinds of small art pieces like these in our world), and incorporated both the colors as well as the symbols of each of the primary virtues in the stem decoration…

From left to right, we see Boreus, the Titan of Truth,…Sequanna, the Titan of Love,…and finally Granus, the Titan of Courage… Each one has been crafted with a slightly different tilt and curve to the stem, allowing them all to comfortably (and correctly) fit in the hand during emotes, while still properly reaching the mouth! For those who enjoy being inspired by the virtues during an easy-going social gathering by the fire…these pipes will soon be available through the add-on store…

Enjoy!

Scottie ^_^

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Updated Lot Selection Group Numbers + Deadlines for Transfers & Upgrades

Lot Selection Group Upgrades and Pledge Transfers: Before and During Final Wipe:

• July 22, 2016: This is the final deadline for all Pledge Transfers and Lot Selection Group Upgrades* before Final Wipe. If you wish to guarantee that either of these requests have been processed by our customer service department before the start of Lot Selection on July 28^th you will need to send in your request by 5 PM CDT on July 22, 2016.
• 72 Hours: This is the amount of time it will take us to process any Lot Selection Group Upgrade* requests during Release 32. Please factor this in when submitting your request.

*Lot Selection Group Upgrades: These are accomplished by adding money directly to your pledge through service vouchers and a customer support request

Pledge and POT Transfers Post Final Wipe:

• We will continue to support Pledge Transfers after Final Wipe but ONLY under the following two conditions:
  • Account Holder has not logged into the game
  • Account Holder has logged in but has NOT claimed rewards at the bank
• If the Account Holder has logged in and claimed rewards at the bank we will NOT transfer the pledge.
• We will also continue to support Player Owned Town transfers after final wipe but please note that if the town has been claimed and used prior to the transfer we cannot guarantee that all rewards will convey (Add On Store Houses, Lot Markers, NPCs, etc.) so players must work that out with each other directly.

UPDATED LOT SELECTION GROUP NUMBERS: 

On Tuesday July 12, 2016 Darkstarr, updated the Lot Selection Group Numbers to reflect current Pledge numbers. Since the last time we provided this information we have had gotten about 500 new Pledge based property owners and hundreds of new property owners from Add On Store purchases.

OFFICIAL START TIMES FOR LOT SELECTION: All times are in 24 hour format. Your lot selection group can be viewed on your account page.

• LORDS OF THE MANOR: Groups 1 – 9
  • ROYAL FOUNDERS: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 1:
      • Total Pledge > $11,999
      • Start Time: July 28, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 23
    • Group 2:
      • Total Pledge in range of $10,001 – $11,999
      • Start Time: July 28, 2016 16:00 CDT  (21:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 14
    • Group 3
      • Total Pledge = $10,000
      • Start Time: July 28, 2016 21:00 CDT (July 29, 2016 02:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 6
  • FOUNDERS: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 4
      • Total Pledge > $11,999
      • Start Time: July 29, 2016 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 5
      • Total Pledge in range of $10,001 – $11,999
      • Start Time: July 29, 2016 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
    • Group 6
      • Total Pledge = $10,000
      • Start Time: July 29, 2016 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 0
  • BENEFACTORS: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 7
      • Total Pledge > $12,000
      • Start Time: July 29, 2016 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
      • Backers:1
    • Group 8
      • Total Pledge in range of $11,001 – $12,000
      • Start Time: July 29, 2016 22:00 CDT (July 30, 2016 03:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 9
      • Total Pledge = $11,000
      • Start Time: July 30, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
• DUKE: Groups 10 – 18
  • ROYAL FOUNDERS: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 10
      • Total Pledge > $6000
      • Start Time: July 31, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 16
    • Group 11
      • Total Pledge in range of $5001 – $6000
      • Start Time: July 31, 2016 08:00 CDT (13:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 99
    • Group 12
      • Total Pledge = $5000
      • Start Time:July 31, 2016 13:00 CDT (18:00 UTC)
      • Backers:11
  • FOUNDERS: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 13
      • Total Pledge > $5300
      • Start Time: July 31, 2016 18:00 CDT (23:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 14
      • Total Pledge in range of $5001 – $5300
      • Start Time: July 31, 2016 23:00 CDT (August 1, 2016 04:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 21
    • Group 15
      • Total Pledge = $5000
      • Start Time: August 1, 2016 04:00 CDT (09:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 4
  • BENEFACTORS: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 16
      • Total Pledge > $5,800
      • Start Time: August 1, 2016 09:00 CDT (14:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
    • Group 17
      • Total Pledge in range of $5301 – $5,800
      • Start Time: August 1, 2016 14:00 CDT (19:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 4
    • Group 18
      • Total Pledge = $5300
      • Start Time: August 1, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 2, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 21
• BARON: Groups 19 – 27
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 19
      • Total Pledge > $3999
      • Start Time: August 2, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 3, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 11
    • Group 20
      • Total Pledge = $3001 – $3999
      • Start Time: August 3, 2016 00:00 CDT (05:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 61
    • Group 21
      • Total Pledge = $3000
      • Start Time: August 3, 2016 5:00 CDT (10:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 7
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 22
      • Total Pledge > $3999
      • Start Time: August 3, 2016 10:00 CDT (15:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 23
      • Total Pledge = $3001 – $3999
      • Start Time: August 3, 2016 15:00 CDT (20:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 18
    • Group 24
      • Total Pledge = $3000
      • Start Time: August 3, 2016 20:00 CDT (August 4, 2016 01:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 0
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 25
      • Total Pledge > $3999
      • Start Time: August 4, 2016 01:00 CDT (06:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 26
      • Total Pledge = $3701 – $3999
      • Start Time: August 4, 2016 06:00 CDT (11:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 13
    • Group 27
      • Total Pledge = $3700
      • Start Time: August 4, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
• LORD AND LORD MARSHAL: Groups 28 – 36
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 28
      • Total Pledge > $2300
      • Start Time: August 5, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 27
    • Group 29
      • Total Pledge = $1501 – $2300
      • Start Time: August 5, 2016 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 216
    • Group 30
      • Total Pledge = $1500
      • Start Time: August 5, 2016 21:00 CDT (August 6, 2016 02:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 54
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 31
      • Total Pledge > $2300
      • Start Time: August 6, 2016 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 6
    • Group 32
      • Total Pledge = $1501 – $2300
      • Start Time: August 6, 2016 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 123
    • Group 33
      • Total Pledge = $1500
      • Start Time: August 6, 2016 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 13
  • BENEFACTOR: (post May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 34
      • Total Pledge > $2300
      • Start Time: August 6, 2016 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 35
      • Total Pledge = $1601 – $2300
      • Start Time: August 6, 2016 22:00 CDT (August 7, 2016 03:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 82
    • Group 36
      • Total Pledge = $1600
      • Start Time: August 7, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 80
• KNIGHT AND KNIGHT MARSHAL: Groups 37 – 45
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 37
      • Total Pledge > $1300
      • Start Time: August 8, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 7
    • Group 38
      • Total Pledge = $751 – $1300
      • Start Time: August 8, 2016 08:00 CDT (13:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 321
    • Group 39
      • Total Pledge = $750
      • Start Time: August 8, 2016 13:00 CDT (18:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 196
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 40
      • Total Pledge > $1300
      • Start Time: August 8, 2016 18:00 CDT (23:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 41
      • Total Pledge = $751 – $1300
      • Start Time: August 8, 2016 23:00 CDT (August 9, 2016 04:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 125
    • Group 42
      • Total Pledge = $750
      • Start Time: August 9, 2016 04:00 CDT (09:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 42
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 43
      • Total Pledge > $1300
      • Start Time: August 9, 2016 09:00 CDT (14:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 3
    • Group 44
      • Total Pledge = $801 – $1300
      • Start Time: August 9, 2016 14:00 CDT (19:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 182
    • Group 45
      • Total Pledge = $800
      • Start Time: August 9, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 10, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 211
• EDELMANN: Groups 46 – 54
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 46
      • Total Pledge > $650
      • Start Time: August 10, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 11, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 8
    • Group 47
      • Total Pledge = $551 – $650
      • Start Time: August 11, 2016 00:00 CDT (05:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 161
    • Group 48
      • Total Pledge = $550
      • Start Time: August 11, 2016 05:00 CDT (10:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 74
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 49
      • Total Pledge > $650
      • Start Time: August 11, 2016 10:00 CDT (15:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 6
    • Group 50
      • Total Pledge = $551 – $650
      • Start Time: August 11, 2016 15:00 CDT (20:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 81
    • Group 51
      • Total Pledge = $550
      • Start Time: August 11, 2016 20:00 CDT (August 12, 201601:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 14
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 52
      • Total Pledge > $675
      • Start Time: August 12, 2016 01:00 CDT (06:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 10
    • Group 53
      • Total Pledge = $576 $571 – $675 [Edited: 2016.04.07]
      • Start Time: August 12, 2016 06:00 CDT (11:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 85
    • Group 54
      • Total Pledge = $575 $570 [Edited: 2016.04.07]
      • Start Time: August 12, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 389
• CITIZEN: Groups 55 – 64
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 55
      • Total Pledge > $549
      • Start Time: August 13, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 46
    • Group 56
      • Total Pledge = $501 – $549
      • Start Time: August 13, 2016 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 78
    • Group 57
      • Total Pledge = $500
      • Start Time: August 13, 2016 21:00 CDT (August 14, 2016 02:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 238
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 58
      • Total Pledge > $549
      • Start Time: August 14, 2016 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 15
    • Group 59
      • Total Pledge = $501 – $549
      • Start Time: August 14, 2016 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 7
    • Group 60
      • Total Pledge = $500
      • Start Time: August 14, 2016 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 42
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 61
      • Total Pledge > $560
      • Start Time: August 14, 2016 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 62
      • Total Pledge = $551 – $560
      • Start Time: August 14, 2016 22:00 CDT (August 15, 2016 03:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 13
    • Group 63
      • Total Pledge = $550
      • Start Time: August 15, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 187
• DEVELOPER: Groups 64 – 72
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 64
      • Total Pledge > $450
      • Start Time: August 16, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 8
    • Group 65
      • Total Pledge = $401 – $450
      • Start Time: August 16, 2016 08:00 CDT (13:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 16
    • Group 66
      • Total Pledge = $400
      • Start Time: August 16, 2016 13:00 CDT (18:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 72
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 67
      • Total Pledge > $450
      • Start Time: August 16, 2016 18:00 CDT (23:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 68
      • Total Pledge = $401 – $450
      • Start Time: August 16, 2016 23:00 CDT (August 17, 2016 04:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 4
    • Group 69
      • Total Pledge = $400
      • Start Time: August 17, 2016 04:00 CDT (09:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 0
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 70
      • Total Pledge > $479
      • Start Time: August 17, 2016 09:00 CDT (14:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 0
    • Group 71
      • Total Pledge = $451 – $479
      • Start Time: August 17, 2016 14:00 CDT (19:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 18
    • Group 72
      • Total Pledge = $450
      • Start Time: August 17, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 18, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 48
• NAVIGATOR: Groups 73 – 81
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 73
      • Total Pledge > $375
      • Start Time: August 18, 2016 19:00 CDT (August 19, 2016 00:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 7
    • Group 74
      • Total Pledge = $351 – $375
      • Start Time: August 19, 2016 00:00 CDT (05:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 19
    • Group 75
      • Total Pledge = $350
      • Start Time: August 19, 2016 05:00 CDT (10:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 35
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 76
      • Total Pledge > $375
      • Start Time: August 19, 2016 10:00 CDT (15:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
    • Group 77
      • Total Pledge = $351 – $375
      • Start Time: August 19, 2016 15:00 CDT (20:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 2
    • Group 78
      • Total Pledge = $350
      • Start Time: August 19, 2016 20:00 CDT (August 20, 2016 01:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 1
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 79
      • Total Pledge > $400
      • Start Time: August 20, 2016 01:00 CDT (06:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 11
    • Group 80
      • Total Pledge = $376 – $400
      • Start Time: August 20, 2016 06:00 CDT (11:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 16
    • Group 81
      • Total Pledge = $375
      • Start Time: August 20, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 50
• ANCESTOR: Groups 82 – 90
  • ROYAL FOUNDER: (pre-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 82
      • Total Pledge > $275
      • Start Time: August 21, 2016 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 57
    • Group 83
      • Total Pledge = $251 – $275
      • Start Time: August 21, 2016 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 170
    • Group 84
      • Total Pledge = $250
      • Start Time: August 21, 2016 21:00 CDT (August 22, 2016 02:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 107
  • FOUNDER: (Benefactors who received Founder gift pledge)
    • Group 85
      • Total Pledge > $275
      • Start Time: August 22, 2016 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 14
    • Group 86
      • Total Pledge = $251 – $275
      • Start Time: August 22, 2016 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 65
    • Group 87
      • Total Pledge = $250
      • Start Time: August 22, 2016 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 4
  • BENEFACTOR: (post-May 20, 2013 Backers)
    • Group 88
      • Total Pledge > $300
      • Start Time: August 22, 2016 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 50
    • Group 89
      • Total Pledge = $276 – $300
      • Start Time: August 22, 2016 22:00 CDT (August 23, 2016 03:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 81
    • Group 90
      • Total Pledge = $275
      • Start Time: August 23, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
      • Backers: 649
• Add On Lots + Secondary Lots (Lord and above): Group 91
  • Group 91
    • Start Time: August 24, 2016 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)
    • Backers: 1963

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15% Summer Bonus and 12 Day Countdown to Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1

As we march toward the Final Wipe and Lot Selection milestone, we are having a Summer 2016 Expiration Event split into Two Parts!

Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 1

• At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27, 2016, we are expiring the homes and basements from the Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2 pledges. We are also expiring new Player Owned Towns (upgrades of existing POTs will continue to be available). All other rewards (including tax free property deeds) that are currently available in the remaining pledges will continue to be available. The final wipe of all game data will also occur at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on July 27th. To commemorate this momentous milestone, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 1, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Wipe at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).

Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2

• At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on August 22, 2016, we are expiring ALL remaining pledges, including: Adventurer, Founder, Royal Artisan, Explorer, Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2. To commemorate the final expiration of all remaining pledges, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 2, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Pledge Expirations at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).

Get Your 15% Summer Bonus!

If you were thinking of purchasing (or upgrading) a pledge or Player Owned Town before they expire then now’s a great time to do it! For all new purchases (including pledges, pledge upgrades, add-on items, player owned towns, player owned town upgrades, Make a Difference items, and service vouchers) between 12:00 am CDT June 24, 2016 and Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) August 22, 2016, we’ll add an additional 15% bonus to your Store Credit!

[Read more…]

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The Sword of Midras SotA Novel for Hardcover, Kindle, Nook and Audiobook

The Sword of Midras, by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott, is a revised and expanded version of the Blade of the Avatar novel (originally included in pledge rewards through May 31, 2015). The expanded The Sword of Midras includes four additional chapters not seen in the pledge reward version of Blade of the Avatar, extending and elaborating on key elements of the story.

The Hardcover, Kindle, and Nook, versions by Tor Books are available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and the unabridged audiobook version is available now at Audible.com. A sample of the audiobook is available at SoundCloud.

[NOTE: The original Blade of the Avatar novel has already been delivered as an electronic PDF to all pledges prior to May 31, 2015 (when it expired). For those who qualify for this reward, you can find the link to the PDF on your SotA website account page Special Rewards tab for download. The physical and signed versions of the novel that are rewards at the Patron and Citizen level up through May 31, 2015 will be a paperback print version of the original Blade of the Avatar novel that has been delivered as an electronic PDF. This physical reward will be delivered to backers at the same time that all physical rewards are delivered, which we currently expect will be toward the end of this year

Some backers have asked if they will receive The Sword of Midras, or the 4 additional chapters that were written for it, as part of their Blade of the Avatar novel pledge reward. Unfortunately, Portalarium is contractually not at liberty to distribute The Sword of Midras, or the additional chapters, in print or electronic form, as part of our original pledge rewards. This was a requirement In order to procure a mass market book publishing agreement with a major book publisher. We felt the mass market distribution of The Sword of Midras was critically important to help increase the worldwide exposure of Shroud of the Avatar. If The Sword of Midras is successful, it will help introduce many readers to our game, and potentially bring them in as new players, which is a long-term benefit for the game and the community.]

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Upcoming Events

2016.07.27 – Summer Telethon Part 1 + Pledge Homes / POT Expirations (Final Wipe at Midnight)
2016.07.28 – Release 32: Lot Selections
2016.08.22 – Summer Telethon Part 2 + Final Pledge Expirations Episode 1 (Pledge Expirations at Midnight)
2016.08.25 – Release 33
2016.08.26 – Syndcon 2016
2016.09.02 – DragonCon 2016
2016.09.21 – Austin Games Conference
2016.09.29 – Release 34

Community Activities

Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out the Release 31 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.

Event of the Week – Run The Gauntlet [EVL]

THE GAUNTLET is basically a combination of American Gladiators & American Ninja Warrior. This timed obstacle course is run by a single Avatar and the fastest time is the overall winner! Competitors can look forward to TOP PRIZES every month for the winner and runner up.

The Gladiators will do their very best to slow you down using a variety of magic spells along the course. Join us on The Hidden Vale at 4:00 pm NBT (CST) in the Underworld PVP town of Chaos Caverns (same location as the Virtue League PVP Tournament & connected to Virtue Oasis; map). Practice the course from 4:00 pm to 4:15 pm and get those skills down!

Who will beat our 3-time champ @HogwinHD ??

This is a FREE event that is suitable for all levels of Avatars, join in the fun!

Teleportation avatars are Sheamus McGuinness or EVL.

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Community Resources – Players Helping Players

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.

Resource of the Week

• SotAMap.com
  • This amazing map allows you to pan the camera out for a global view of the map of New Britannia, or incrementally zoom in until you make out the finest details of the Overworld map of Novia and The Hidden Vale. And more of the town maps are being added every month!

Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing.

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Status of ONBE Shipments

The Order of the New Britannia Empire (ONBE) awards are now shipping to our amazing community recipients! There are still several recipients that have not updated mailing address information on their accounts. If you are expecting an ONBE, please do this now! We are also sending out e-mails to ensure we have the correct address. Please check that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account to receive these e-mails!

Visit SotA Wiki for a current list of those who have received or are expecting ONBEs.

Backer Shipping Addresses

In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image.

For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.

A reminder to please be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!

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Recommended Projects to Back

Underworld: Ascendant

Far more than a dungeon crawl, Underworld Ascendant is a next-generation sequel to the legendary fantasy RPG’s Ultima Underworld & Ultima Underworld 2. It not only modernizes the series’ visuals and user interface to take full advantage of the today’s powerful PC’s, it innovates in bold new ways.

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Xounts Kickstarter: Shroud of the Avatar Special!

We’re excited to announce that Xounts is offering a free Shroud of the Avatar style when you support their unique speaker system Kickstarter campaign.

The ‪Xounts‬ system is fantastic at delivering great sound, looks really cool wherever it’s placed, and supports custom themes… including a really SWEET Shroud of the Avatar theme. We even have a SotA styled Xounts in our office!

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