Greetings Fellow Avatars! Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:
News Announcements
Community Updates
Mistrendur: Land Rush Guidance!
By royal decree, the process details for the Mistrendur land rush has been issued to the peoples of New Britannia! Players made reservations to add or move towns to Mistrendur some time ago, and the time to begin selecting locations draws very close!
This new land mass is just one exciting new feature arriving this year. Read more about what’s on the horizon in Shroud of the Avatar’s 2020 Vision!
Darkstarr & Atos Livestream Today!
Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, February 21 at 4PM CDT on Twitch!
Darkstarr has much to share about his latest ventures during his short time away. Albeit we very much look forward to Darkstarr’s return in the not too distant future, let’s check out what exactly he’s been up to:
Also, Atos has been working diligently on the new Bard Skills coming to QA shortly. A total of 16 skills we be added into the Bard Skill tree. Be sure to pick his brain about these new abilities during today’s livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “love makes the world go round” 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 today, Friday at 4 PM CDT!
Kobold Vault Round! Hrrrrk!
The current round of Vault items are available until Friday, February 27 at 10:30 AM Central Time. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for two weeks, and then the next, etc.
New Store Items: NPC Conversationalists and More!
Lots of great decoration items are being added throughout this release, some of which are already in-game! Just added were 8 amazing non-player characters (NPC’s) readied for the player created dialogue scripting system! These new type of NPC’s are known as Conversationalists. Other items added to the game recently were a variety of stone/boulder packs, crystal chandeliers, goofy fish trophies, and even a new variety of VFX deco — Fireflies!
February Login Reward: Breathe Hearts Emote
The /breathehearts emote has arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day, known as “Sequanna’s Day” in New Britannia. This new festive emote will be added to your character’s emote list for February’s login reward. Just log in during the month of February to receive this free reward!
Release 74 Reward Program Exclusive Items: Valentine’s Day Theme!
Winter has arrived so the Rewards Program items for Release 74 are Valentine’s Day themed! Reward Program members will receive these exclusive items immediately upon logging in during Release 74!
NOTE: You must login during the release to receive each release’s exclusive rewards.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Gold Crowns, AND receive exclusive monthly reward items!
For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
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!
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:
NOTE: Digital items that are currently available will begin delivery as soon as Release 62 (Jan 31). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD.
NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner.
Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
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:
Upcoming Events Calendar
Be sure to check out the Community Events section of the forum for events hosted by our wonderful community members! Below is a list of additional events as the year progresses:
2020 Events
Feb 22 – Release 74 Dance Party
Feb 27 – Release 75
Mar 26 – Release 76
Apr 30 – Release 77
May 28 – Release 78
June 25 – Release 79
July 30 – Release 80
Aug 27 – Release 81
Meretz: Win a Obsidian Tower Town Water 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 an Obsidian Town Tower Water Home (No Trade) to a lucky winner! AND, use your MPs every day for in-game items like potions and emotes.
What’re you waiting for? Download Meretz TODAY!
Community Events: Release 74 Dance Party
[Forum Post by Alleine Dragonfyre]
Virtue/Avatars Radio Presents the Release 74 Dance Party & Stress Test
Location: Rinzai (Nested in Desolis)
Host: DJ DarkStarr, Executive Producer of Shroud of the Avatar, a.k.a. Starr Long
When: Saturday, February 22, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CDT
Come out and sport some awesome dance moves, trade emotes and recipes, chat with friends, launch off fireworks and simply have a lot of fun! Find out more information on Alleine’s orignal post! If you’d like to learn how YOUR town can become a site for upcoming dance parties, find out here!
Community Events: Traveling Swap Meet
[Forum Post by Vlademir Begemot]
Greetings! The Traveling Swap Meet travels to different locations every Sunday at 1 p.m. Central Time. Avatars gather with each other to buy, sell and trade. Not only is it a great way to offload that giant stack of raw materials, but it is a great opportunity to bring Avatars to your town, home, or store. The swap meet last for only half an hour, so don’t be late!
Location: Inselberg Wastes
When: Sunday, February 23, 1:00 PM CDT
See you there Traders!
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 – Pantheon Rise of the Fallen
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen takes place on the high-fantasy world of Terminus, a wildly diverse land formed from fragments of many different realms and times, bringing with them their unique civilizations and deities. Explore long lost realms, as their people and cultures vie for power and form alliances, struggling to gain a foothold in an unfamiliar world. Uncover civilizations and awe-inspiring locales that offer incredible adventures for you and your friends to experience. Enter a world where the environment itself tells the story and where content is always king!
UPDATE: We were stunned to learn of the untimely passing of Brad McQuaid recently. He was one of the true pioneers and visionaries of our industry who brought Everquest to us. We have few words that can express how much we respect him; so we choose to honor him with a flaming sword tomb in Brittany Graveyard that reads: “Aradune: For the Brightest Flame Burns the Least Long”.
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
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.
Continue reading...
News Announcements
- Mistrendur: Land Rush Guidance!
- Darkstarr & Atos Livestream Today!
- Kobold Vault Round! Hrrrrk!
- New Store Items: NPC Conversationalists and More!
- February Login Reward: Breathe Hearts Emote
- Release 74 Reward Program Items: Valentine’s Day Theme
- Streaming Reward Program
- Lord of the Isle Episode 2 Bundles
- Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
- Upcoming Events Calendar
Community Updates
- Meretz: Win an Obsidian Tower Town Water Home (No Trade)
- Community Event: Release 74 Dance Party!
- Community Event: Traveling Swap Meet!
- Project to Support: Crowfall
- Project to Support: Pantheon
- Project to Support: Avatar Express
- Resources: Players Helping Players
Mistrendur: Land Rush Guidance!
By royal decree, the process details for the Mistrendur land rush has been issued to the peoples of New Britannia! Players made reservations to add or move towns to Mistrendur some time ago, and the time to begin selecting locations draws very close!- The site selections will be made in the sequence the reservation vouchers were purchased
- The first bracket of players will commence with their selections on February 29, Noon CDT
- For more information, please read the official announcement in the forums
This new land mass is just one exciting new feature arriving this year. Read more about what’s on the horizon in Shroud of the Avatar’s 2020 Vision!
Darkstarr & Atos Livestream Today!
Another weekly Community Livestream is this Friday, February 21 at 4PM CDT on Twitch!
Darkstarr has much to share about his latest ventures during his short time away. Albeit we very much look forward to Darkstarr’s return in the not too distant future, let’s check out what exactly he’s been up to:
- Terrasurf Boards: the most exciting Onewheel XR accessory ever created. Check it out!
- Dragon Fight VR: an internal experiment to see how a short, single level, visceral dragon fight could work in VR.
Also, Atos has been working diligently on the new Bard Skills coming to QA shortly. A total of 16 skills we be added into the Bard Skill tree. Be sure to pick his brain about these new abilities during today’s livestream!
To enter the prize drawings, type “love makes the world go round” 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 today, Friday at 4 PM CDT!
Kobold Vault Round! Hrrrrk!
The current round of Vault items are available until Friday, February 27 at 10:30 AM Central Time. At that time, the next round of 9 items will be available for two weeks, and then the next, etc.
- Kobold Mask
- Kobold Fighter Mask
- Kobold Archer Mask
- Kobold Mage Mask
- Spike Trap Decoration (non-harmful)
- Hacked Oracle Crawler Pet
- Kobold 3-Story with Open Deck Town Home
- Ornate Kobold Metal Storage Chest
- Kobold 2-Story with Rooftop Deck Village Home
New Store Items: NPC Conversationalists and More!
Lots of great decoration items are being added throughout this release, some of which are already in-game! Just added were 8 amazing non-player characters (NPC’s) readied for the player created dialogue scripting system! These new type of NPC’s are known as Conversationalists. Other items added to the game recently were a variety of stone/boulder packs, crystal chandeliers, goofy fish trophies, and even a new variety of VFX deco — Fireflies!
- Conversationalist (Female, 4 Varieties)
- Conversationalist (Male, 4 Varieties)
- Boulders (4, 6 and 10 Packs)
- Fireflies (Blue, Green, Orance and Yellow)
- Crystal Chandelier (Several Varieties)
- Goofy Fish Trophies
February Login Reward: Breathe Hearts Emote
The /breathehearts emote has arrived just in time for Valentine’s Day, known as “Sequanna’s Day” in New Britannia. This new festive emote will be added to your character’s emote list for February’s login reward. Just log in during the month of February to receive this free reward!
Release 74 Reward Program Exclusive Items: Valentine’s Day Theme!
Winter has arrived so the Rewards Program items for Release 74 are Valentine’s Day themed! Reward Program members will receive these exclusive items immediately upon logging in during Release 74!
- Heart-Shaped Footstool
- Heart Top Hat
- Heart Spear
NOTE: You must login during the release to receive each release’s exclusive rewards.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Gold Crowns, AND receive exclusive monthly reward items!
For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
- 900 Gold Crowns of the Obsidians every month
- Exclusive Monthly 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!
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 (to be revealed later)
- NEW: A Festival of the Avatar FULL ticket (which includes admission, King’s Dinner, Barons Men Play, A Heraldry Banner) and one additional guest at a discounted rate.
- PLUS Choice of any 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 (to be revealed later)
- 140,000 Crowns
- 999 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, & 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). Other items will be delivered at a future date TBD.
NOTE: Travel costs NOT covered by Catnip Games for Tour & Dinner.
Recent Shroud of the Avatar Livestreams (YouTube)
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:
- Facebook: Shroud of the Avatar
- Catnip Games Twitter: Catnip Games (@catnipgames) | Twitter
- Shroud of the Avatar Twitter: Shroud of the Avatar (@ShroudofAvatar) | Twitter
- Shroud of the Avatar Discord: Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!
Upcoming Events Calendar
Be sure to check out the Community Events section of the forum for events hosted by our wonderful community members! Below is a list of additional events as the year progresses:
2020 Events
Feb 22 – Release 74 Dance Party
Feb 27 – Release 75
Mar 26 – Release 76
Apr 30 – Release 77
May 28 – Release 78
June 25 – Release 79
July 30 – Release 80
Aug 27 – Release 81
Meretz: Win a Obsidian Tower Town Water 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 an Obsidian Town Tower Water Home (No Trade) to a lucky winner! AND, use your MPs every day for in-game items like potions and emotes.
What’re you waiting for? Download Meretz TODAY!
Community Events: Release 74 Dance Party
[Forum Post by Alleine Dragonfyre]
Virtue/Avatars Radio Presents the Release 74 Dance Party & Stress Test
Location: Rinzai (Nested in Desolis)
Host: DJ DarkStarr, Executive Producer of Shroud of the Avatar, a.k.a. Starr Long
When: Saturday, February 22, 2:00 – 4:00 PM CDT
Come out and sport some awesome dance moves, trade emotes and recipes, chat with friends, launch off fireworks and simply have a lot of fun! Find out more information on Alleine’s orignal post! If you’d like to learn how YOUR town can become a site for upcoming dance parties, find out here!
Community Events: Traveling Swap Meet
[Forum Post by Vlademir Begemot]Greetings! The Traveling Swap Meet travels to different locations every Sunday at 1 p.m. Central Time. Avatars gather with each other to buy, sell and trade. Not only is it a great way to offload that giant stack of raw materials, but it is a great opportunity to bring Avatars to your town, home, or store. The swap meet last for only half an hour, so don’t be late!
Location: Inselberg Wastes
When: Sunday, February 23, 1:00 PM CDT
See you there Traders!
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 – Pantheon Rise of the Fallen
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen takes place on the high-fantasy world of Terminus, a wildly diverse land formed from fragments of many different realms and times, bringing with them their unique civilizations and deities. Explore long lost realms, as their people and cultures vie for power and form alliances, struggling to gain a foothold in an unfamiliar world. Uncover civilizations and awe-inspiring locales that offer incredible adventures for you and your friends to experience. Enter a world where the environment itself tells the story and where content is always king!
UPDATE: We were stunned to learn of the untimely passing of Brad McQuaid recently. He was one of the true pioneers and visionaries of our industry who brought Everquest to us. We have few words that can express how much we respect him; so we choose to honor him with a flaming sword tomb in Brittany Graveyard that reads: “Aradune: For the Brightest Flame Burns the Least Long”.
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
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.
Continue reading...