Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
- The Passing of Lacey
- More Estgard Polish
- Community Spotlight: Relaxing in Bastion’s Point – Player Owned Town
- Hometown
- Fireplaces & Chimneys Update: Ornate Iron Fireplaces
- Upcoming Events
- Community Resources – Players Helping Players
- Job Openings (3)
- Recommended Projects to Back
The Passing of Lacey
By now, many of you may have heard that one of our community members Lacey has passed after fighting a long, brave battle against breast cancer. Lacey was an incredible contributor to our community and was well known for her amazing decorating. We all benefited from her tremendous skills which she shared with us in projects like Hometown and the setup for the Devs vs. Players PVP match for the Spring Telethon.
You can see in this screenshot from the PVP match that Daxxe Diggler shared just how many people she impacted:
Tribute Post: Lacey was a member of the EVL guild and her guild-mate Onyx started a thread about her passing:
It is with great sadness that I must relay that our beloved Lacey has lost her battle with cancer. She passed early this morning in her sleep with her aunt and uncle at her bedside. To us, EVL, Lacey was a friend, extraordinary decorator, confidant, counselor, and guildmate. I can honestly say that I have never known anyone that I had not actually met in person who has had such an effect on me, and others. When she delivered bad news that she had received from her doctor she actually comforted those around her. “It’ll be okay”. “I’ve got this”. If I heard them once I heard them 100 times. She had nothing but friends in this community and in her real life. She enriched our lives each day and we are all poorer since her passing. We’ll miss you, Lacey. Godspeed, my dear.
Edit:
It has been approximately 36 hours since I began this post. In that time I have many times become overwhelmed by the incredible responses the members of this community have posted.
Here is a quote from her father who saw the posts similar to these on Lacey’s facebook page.
“Our family has known for many years how special Lori was to all of us. We just realized how special she was to all of you, her friends. We want to Thank everyone for all the sincere comments and the show of feelings that all of you have shown for Lori. Thank you so very much.”
He had no knowledge of “this” community of friends. I can say little except:
Thank You
Memorial Service: Lastly, we wanted to be sure to mention the Memorial Service being held tomorrow for Lacey in the game:
This Saturday September 24th, 2016 – We, as a community, will be coming together in memory of Lacey whom we all loved, to celebrate life, celebrate all she did for us and all those she touched. Lacey was a great person and a spirit of hope in a hopeless world. She touched so many, reminding us that no matter what we are going through we can always give a little more.
Her family, her friends, the entire community invites you to come and share your moments of life with Lacey as we lay our sister to rest.
When: September 24th, 2016 – 11am NBT
Where: Cottage Grove
This will also be presented on NBNN for those who can not attend in person, and on Avatars Radio for those whom wish to listen.
More Estgard Polish
Estgard is on the island of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. It is a cloned scene using one of our PRT / POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka PaxLair). In Release 33, we did an initial rebuild (aka “un-cloning”) of that scene where we added a plot specific perimeter wall and a handful of other visual changes to have it more closely match the Viking like style of the island of Norgard.
In Release 34, we are polishing that rebuild to bring it up to our visual standards. When we start focusing on the Courage Path in a future release, it will also get an NPC polish pass. In Update 192, SorcerousSteve gave you a preview of these changes and this week he is giving you another update on the upcoming improvements.
Note that when we un-clone these scenes we do NOT change lot placements. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.
[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Esteben “SorcerousSteve” Zaldivar]
REVISITING ESTGARD
Hey guys, SorcerousSteve here to give you an update on Estgard, hot of the press as we head into Release 34!
Cenote Undine
Dive into the clear crystalline waters of the Cenotes of Estgard and learn about the secrets they hold. This large sinkhole more than 100 feet deep lies nestled in the forest just south of Estgard.
Pitch darkness can be seen where the bottom of this giant sinkhole drops down into the abyss. 
Live among Viking/Norse inspired architecture.
Falls of Strymon
Runestone formations litter the landscape.
A gorge located just outside of the Estgard walls among the forested cliff terrain.
See you next time!
Esteben Zaldivar
Level Designer
Community Spotlight: Relaxing in Bastion’s Point – Player Owned Town
The first Player Owned Town spotlight kicks off with Bastion’s Point! We will be touring towns and talking with guilds and other groups, all of which are open to be spotlighted on coming tours brought to you by Berek, your community wood elf druid. Near Soltown, I saw a great many things in Bastion’s Point that drove me to write this spotlight. Here is what I witnessed:
The other day I walked along the East Perennial Trail between Soltown and Solace Bridge. I was still dazed about the terrible things I saw at the Bridge and I needed a place to rest. To my good fortune, I came across a hamlet called Bastion’s Point just along the east coast. “Ah, I will rest here and perhaps get something to eat,” I said to myself.
As I entered Bastion’s Point, I felt a cool breeze of salt air which felt refreshing in the heat of the noon sun. I ventured further into town and found what initially looked like an inviting visitors center, until I saw the guillotine and the sign saying “executions every day brought to you by your friends at ‘A Bandit Camp'”.
Turning down the road, I encountered an open air social center with finely crafted chairs, a piano, and some strange plants. It was here I met Governor Trevour, who led Bastion’s Point. He greeted me with a friendly handshake and offered me a pint of ale from Mac’s Black and Tannery.
Bastion’s Point Social Center includes reading and relaxation areas, musical nooks, dance areas and town provided Amplifiers for listening to Avatar’s Radio and Radio Free Britannia!
I asked Governor Trevour…
Why was Bastion’s Point founded?
We wanted to bring together our friends we met playing other games like UO, once again to enjoy the experience of their company and the fun of adventuring together. What better way to do so than by creating a player owned town that serves not only as our hub of activity but also serves as a welcoming demonstration of our vision for our joint gaming experience. And no better place to come together once again than a world created by Richard Garriott and his great team of fellow visionaries.
Who is welcome to reside at Bastion’s Point?
Bastion’s Point is open to anyone who has a positive attitude to the game and wishes to enjoy all aspects of SOTA; crafters, musicians, adventurers, PVP’rs, we even have an “A Bandit Camp”! We have been very fortunate to quickly meet new friends who are also like minded individuals. Each new resident of Bastion’s Point adds not only to our shared community spirit, but also brings us new adventures and experiences we did not expect. We look forward to meeting many new friends!
Tell us about your residents of Bastion’s Point?
We have a wide cross section of age groups and play styles represented within our community. Bastion’s Point is the HQ for Sacrifice Guild (Owners of Bastion’s Point) and Avatar’s of Sosaria (Twitch Streamers). We are also home to many individuals not in any guild at the moment who are enjoying the many advantages of Bastion’s Point. It is likely you will see a resident or member of the guilds residing in Bastion’s Point on 24/7 adventuring or crafting, say hello!
What is the future of Bastion’s Point?
Bastion’s Point is destined to become not the leading commerce hub or recreational venue in Novia, but to achieve the goals of our town’s Governor Trevour “A place for our friends new and old, to gather and have great experiences together”. We of Bastion’s Point welcome you to join us either as visitors or future residents!
What are the unique features of Bastion’s Point?
Bastion’s Point has all Expert Crafting Stations for use for all hard working crafters. We have an Open-Air Social Center with a leisure activities vendor supplying instruments and sheet music for weary travelers. For those into the “Ruff and Tumble” world of PVP combat, we offer Casio’s Smash Club and Casino, where fights are arranged and wagers taken and bruises can always be mended at Mac’s Black and Tannery. We do however warn all those loitering around the Outdoor Market Square to avoid “A Bandit Camp” as a few souls have approached only to have gone missing over a deal gone awry. Our fully stocked vendors offer a wide variety of crafted goods and supplies. We are always open to new ideas and suggestions about how to improve our town, let us know!
Learn More About Bastion’s Point!
Ingame Owners: Trevour or Aartemis
Website: http://sacrifice-guild.enjin.com/bastionspointDiscord Chat: https://discord.gg/ysxyZBz
Information and Housing Availability: http://sacrifice-guild.enjin.com/bastionspoint
Guilds Residing in Bastion’s Point:
Sacrifice Guild: http://sacrifice-guild.enjin.com/home
Avatars of Sosaria: http://avatarsofsosaria.com/Current Residents: Aartemis, Apati Dragynfire, Artinion, Asheleigh Fey, Boulvae Rumbeard, Casio DeFlux, Chairstacker, Curly Johnson, Doukkey McDabble, Dreamo, Forty, Greirat, Jarvis McDabble, Kaydrah, Kingpoe Wooddingo, Krazuka Oakenvalley, Luna Drache, Mactavish, Rayenne Blackwolf, Roland Deschain, Roux Steeo, Tillion Zonner, Trevour, Tye Seng, Unhelix Revent, Vaxxor, Weazel, Wingit McDabble, Yipp Yippee, Yobgod Yababua, Zyria Firethorn.
The latest vendors and their wares can be found on the guild’s website: sacrifice-guild.enjin.com
Do you have a Player Owned Town, guild, or other type of group that accomplishes and makes available great things for other players? Let us know! We would like to include your group in an upcoming spotlight. Just send Berek a brief proposal of what you have to show!
Hometown
In August of 2015, during Release 20, we responded to many requests from community members to be able to view a home in-game before they purchase it (either from the Add-On Store, Stretch Goal Store, or through a pledge upgrade) by building Hometown for the first time. Using the Island template, Starr “Darkstarr” Long built the town of Hometown on an island just off the southeast corner of Novia, near the starting town of Soltown.
Over many releases, Hometown morphed several times; changing biomes and becoming a community effort. Starting shortly after persistence in Release 32, we decided to take this back over as a developer effort versus a volunteer community effort. This was not an easy decision, but there was some negative perception around having players have access to the houses and decorations for “free”. So, rather than create unnecessary drama, we have just decided to take this back on as a dev effort.
Darkstarr has been feverishly placing the first sets of lots and houses on Live, and various team members will be claiming and decorating them as their own over the next several releases. Hometown is located off the southeastern coast of Novia, near Soltown (see map).
The dock area where you arrive includes links to all the other templates currently available so you can view those to see how they are all laid out. There is a large perimeter wall built with the White Stone Castle Walls that encircles the main flat area on the main island. All the houses in that enclosed area are available in the Add-On Store (ala carte or in in Bundles) or in-game (crafted or bought from NPC merchants). Everything outside of that perimeter wall is expired content.
The center of town near the main entrance is where you can find all of the various row houses. Directly behind them is Viking Avenue, which features all the Viking Bundle Homes. To the right is Kobold Quarter, which features the Kobold Bundle homes. And beyond that is what will become the Obsidian Section; featuring the Obsidian Bundle homes. To the left is the Elven area. The rest of the interior area is devoted to the various other home types and is roughly grouped by style (Adobe, Rustic, Shingle Roof, etc.). 
Fireplaces & Chimneys Update: Ornate Iron Fireplaces
For a long time now, players have requested fireplaces and chimneys as decorations for their homes. In Release 34, they will finally have their dreams realized with two craftable versions in-game; as well as several versions for the Add-On Store. Scottie posted recently, providing more information and shots to his Dev+ post, including pictures of the two Ornate Iron Fireplaces.
[A Dev+ Forum Post by Scott “Scottie” Jones]
Alright! I was finally able to get the last of the assets for this current round of fireplace sets! As I mentioned earlier, we have two sets you can craft for yourself (Stone Fireplace and Wood and Stone Fireplace) which are both more rustic, crudely-made, and slightly more diminutive looking compared to the rest,…and then we have six more sets composed of a large and average size of each “style” (ornate stone, ornate wood and stone, and ornate cast iron. Like the great hearths in the game, each has their own set of fire and sound effects that you can turn on and of, and each has numerous surface areas that are horizontal and can accept having other deco objects placed on top of them. Here are all the sets laid out for your enjoyment!
And here’s a quick close-up of both large and small sets of the ornate cast iron fireplace and chimneys! The biggest difference between these and the others is that they are more elaborate looking and filled with the fine details expected from ornamental cast iron work, but lack the smaller shelves found on the square chimney configurations (though there’s extra shelf space on the main chimney segments that fit on top of the hearth).
Placing the larger, more elaborate “ornate” styles inside of smaller house spaces (such as those found in the row houses and individual cottages) show off how they’ve been made to match carefully to the ceiling in most cases. And though the larger ones certainly make the room quite close and cozy, standing beside one of these things really lets you admire the details and height of the mantel. Of course, if you’d rather have more floor space, the smaller ones will be available too!
When I shoved both of these in this room so you could compare and contrast the styles, there was a thunder storm raging outside… Below you can see, aided by a sudden flash of lightning, these same two styles using the “angled” chimney configuration instead, to make it appear as if the chimney recede back into the wall… Using the additional extension pieces of any chimney set, you could easily make it appear as if the chimneys are built on the outside of the house to continue this illusion!
As I demonstrated in an earlier post, any of these styles will come with extension pieces that allow you to build you chimneys from floor to floor. In the image below you can see the average height floor extension for both of the styles shown above. There are slightly taller version of these as well for every set, that will fit a bit better in houses with higher floor-to-ceiling height in some larger houses. Again, because not all houses are made with exactly the same height measurements, you’ll find that there will be occasions where the pieces won’t seem to fit perfectly,…but for the most part, these pieces work fairly well in many circumstances.
In the initial post I showed the most rustic stone fireplace set being used in-game as deco, so I figured I’d show you all the rest, now that they’ve been hooked up masterfully by Rick! The three styles on the left are the ones for purchase (and these aren’t even the largest size of them!), and the slightly smaller one on the right is the second type of in-game craft-able one (wood and stone) Seeing them all side by side all nice and functional warms my heart. You can even see how the iron grate for the ornate cast iron version causes the fire to cast cool looking light patterns on the floor!
Well,…that’s all on these for now… We may end up making extra styles, sets, and additional props related to these later on… I hope you guys find these as fun as I do!
Scottie ^_^
[Check out Scottie’s new fireplaces in the Add-On Store]
Upcoming Events
2016.09.29 – Release 34
2016.10.27 – Release 35
2016.11.04 – SotA Con (Fan convention w/devs)
2016.11.17 – Release 36
2016.12.15 – Release 37
2017.01.27 – Release 38
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 this month’s Release Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.
Event of the Week
Meet the Authors of New Britannia
Meet the Authors (of New Britannia) is a new series of regular events at Vyrin and Womby’s Bookstores. We hope to introduce those who are actively and regularly writing in the game, as well as give everyone an opportunity to discuss the creative process. The event will be hosted on the top story patio of Vyrin and Womby’s Bookstore in Aerie. It is easy to find, just to the right as you enter the market at the entrance to the city. If you would like to teleport, friend Vyrin.
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.
Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.
Job Openings (3)
World Builder/Level Designers (2)
We currently have an opening for 2 junior-level to senior-level World Builder/Level Designers with artistic skills for Shroud of the Avatar to build out scenes (these positions are less focused on game play elements). Qualifications for “ideal candidates” are:
- Minimum 2 years industry experience for junior-level (preferably on a shipped game)
- Minimum 5 years industry experience for senior-level (minimum of at least 1 shipped game)
- Unity3D proficiency
- Scripting ability
- Experience building, texturing, and decorating natural, terrain based exterior environments
- An artistic eye for detail, with strong scene compositional skills
- BONUS: Ability to model and texture in 3D art tools
Programmer
We currently have an opening for a Programmer for Shroud of the Avatar. Qualifications for the “ideal candidate” are:
- Minimum 2 years industry experience
- Strong C#/C++ skills
- Database development experience
- Awesome debugging skills
- Windows programming experience
- Network programming experience
- Extensive Multi-threaded programming experience
- Ability to work in unstructured, non-hierarchical environment
- Strong software architecture skills
- BONUS SKILLS (any one or more of these):
- Minimum 5 years industry experience (minimum of at least 1 shipped game)
- Unity development experience
- Mac development
- Avid game player
- Web development experience (C#, PHP, ASP.NET, XML/web services, JavaScript)
- UNIX experience
- MMO game development experience
If you’d like to join the Portalarium Tribe working on the ground-breaking Shroud of the Avatar, please submit your resume to jobs@portalarium.com. Provide links to your work (if possible), including actual game play, videos footage, and document form (images, maps, and event descriptions).
Recommended Projects to Back (two this week!)
With the destruction of Earth looming the people of Earth built Arkships and sent millions of colonists deep into space to try and save humanity. After a few millennia one of these Arkships landed on a planet they would name “Alioth”, for those colonists aboard here they would start to rebuild civilization.
Dual Universe is a sandbox first-person Sci-Fi MMORPG developed by Novaquark. Dual Universe focuses on emergent gameplay in a massively multiplayer game world all within a unique, shared and fully editable universe. You the players will be at the helm; creating cities, ships and other structures. Participating in player-driven in-game politics, economy, trade, territory control and warfare. Everything you do will matter – it’s a collective story that begins with you.
Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Bash!
February 25-27, 2017 Disneyland, California, USA
Join the Ultima Dragons as they celebrate twenty-five years of one of the oldest online fan-created gaming clubs! More than just a party, the Ultima Dragons 25th Anniversary Bash is a celebration of an entire online culture. We were one of the first communities to emerge from the early Internet, and our roots go even further back! It is this beginning, as a gaming club of Prodigy, that we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of today. Many factions of Ultima fans formed there in 1992, but only the Ultima Dragons survived.
“We’re going to Disneyland!” This decision was as random as the UDIC itself. We’re bringing together Dragons from all over the world, many of whom are friends but have never met in person before, at the Happiest Place on Earth. The party will be kid-friendly, and all Dragons, their friends and family, and fans of the Ultima Dragons are invited. Those who have made the games we’re fans of have also been fans of US for almost as long as we’ve been around, so we’re inviting everyone who worked for Origin Systems or who currently works for Portalarium, the company currently making Shroud of the Avatar, the Ultimas’ spiritual successor.
To that end we’re renting a “Fellowship Hall” in the Disneyland Hotel for the weekend of February 25th and 26th. You’ll get to meet Origin Systems veterans Richard Garriott, Denis Loubet, and Dr. Cat, play games with Dragons and by Dragons, try out various Ultima games, and participate in some Ultima-inspired activities.
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.
A reminder to be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!
I find the newly added Spirit of Lacey to be a very touching and fitting tribute to a lost community member. Well done. This is a good example of the proper way to honor players that make a valuable contribution to New Britannia.
+1
I didn’t know Lacey myself but I’m glad so many people will remember her well.
Always sad when a community member passes. Condolences and deepest sympathies to her family and friends.
I was not aware of her condition though I did value her videos and presence in the forum. She will be missed. I think Portalarium’s motions in her honor are wonderful, and an excellent way to memorialize her place in the community.
I was shocked to hear of Lacey’s passing. The outpouring of love by the community and devs is really wonderful to see though.
This is a very moving thread, I did not know Lacey as well as others, but I did speak to her a number of times and personally, I will remember her as someone who always very friendly and fun to be around.
Kudos to Portalarium for their actions in response to this sad news. Sorry I did not make the ceremony guys, I did not find out about it until today.
@Berek It would be great if we could get placeable and customizable flower posies and wreaths added to the Make a difference store under Breast Cancer Awareness.
had several conversations with Lacey in the earlier days of SOTA. Saw her in passing many times, never knew she was ill. Sad to hear of this lose, she will be missed in the community.