Greetings Fellow Avatars!
Release 127 goes live June 27th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 127 (R127), we offer large friends and sharp edges.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
Community Updates
Titles of the New Britannian Empire
We have created a new physical certificate for those awarded the Order of the New Britannian Empire (ONBE) and Chaotic of New Britannian Empire (CNBE) honors going forward. The certificates will replace the Medals sent out in the past as medal supplies are exhausted.
We have completed an audit of the ONBE and CNBE awards given out over the last ten years and corrected some errors in the list currently posted on the player-run SotAwiki. The updated list will be posted on the Wiki soon. Part of this audit and clean-up also allows us to finally deliver in-game ONBE and CNBE medals to the members of these two prestigious groups.
Since the medals are not visible in game (we have no solid visual for the necklace slot), we have also created an in-game plaque displaying a version of the ONBE or CNBE award certificate. The in-game medals and plaques will be GM-named for the specific awarded player and delivered sometime during R127 via in-game mail.
Lord British Birthday Livestream
Come one, come all! We will be having a special livestream on the 12th of July at 4 PM CT in honor of Lord British’s 63rd birthday. Lord British and other special guests will join us for some stories, updates, and monster mayhem in addition to our normal updates! The livestream is scheduled to last for four hours and will include details on recent releases, some information of what’s coming up, and (of course) SotA Q&A!
We have created a special Lord British item that is only available by purchasing a 10K COTO pack on the website through July 12th. This Brutal Battle-Axe shows the scars and blood of battle when equipped and magically becomes pristine when placed as a decoration. The battle-axe also has some special properties when wielded, so all should beware who go up against someone with this weapon!
This battle-axe will not be offered for sale at any other time, ever. This is the third item in our ultra-rare series, with more to come!
Release 127 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 127 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R127 is a polish month. Content, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R128 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 127!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
World and Quest Changes:
Player-Owned Town Changes:
Player-Owned Dungeon and Basement Changes:
Latest News and Q&A in the June Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, June 28th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
There will also be a longer stream on July 12th, described above.
To enter the prize drawings, type “Happy Birthday Lord British” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on
Facebook at Shroud of the Avatar and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
To commemorate the birth of Lord British, from June 27th through July 12th:
Release 127 Subscriber Login Rewards
It’s too hot for mowing the lawn! You should let your horse out to forage. The Rewards Program login items for Release 127 are a Horse Decoration Pet (Choose One), an Ornate Single Hitching Post, and a set of 2024 Cupcakes (not for the horse.)
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 127 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
July Login Reward
This year, July brings us Lord British’s birthday AND the year 700 Post Cataclysm. Each account that logs in during the month of July will receive a one-time gift of the title Septecentarian and a half a dozen each Blue Sparklers, Red Sparklers, White Sparklers, and slices of Lord British Birthday Cake.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
…and the return of some sparklers that have not been available:
…and for July 12th:
The Lord British store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of Lord British items:
The seasonal fireworks store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of seasonal fireworks items:
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any Streamer who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
Other Items of Note:
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
Community Calendars:
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
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...
Release 127 goes live June 27th at 10:30 AM CDT.
Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 127 (R127), we offer large friends and sharp edges.
For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.
News Announcements
- Titles of the New Britannian Empire
- Lord British Birthday Livestream
- Release 127 Patch Notes
- Latest News and Q&A in the June Livestream
- Sales and Bonus Events
- Release 127 Subscriber Login Rewards
- July Login Rewards
- Crown Store Updates
- Bug Brigade & Testing Directives
- Streaming Program
- Upcoming Release Dates
Community Updates
- Community Events & Resources
- Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
- Project to Support: Avatar Relics
- Project to Support: Shard RPG
- Project to Support: Embers Adrift
- Resources: Players Helping Players
Titles of the New Britannian Empire
We have created a new physical certificate for those awarded the Order of the New Britannian Empire (ONBE) and Chaotic of New Britannian Empire (CNBE) honors going forward. The certificates will replace the Medals sent out in the past as medal supplies are exhausted.
We have completed an audit of the ONBE and CNBE awards given out over the last ten years and corrected some errors in the list currently posted on the player-run SotAwiki. The updated list will be posted on the Wiki soon. Part of this audit and clean-up also allows us to finally deliver in-game ONBE and CNBE medals to the members of these two prestigious groups.
Since the medals are not visible in game (we have no solid visual for the necklace slot), we have also created an in-game plaque displaying a version of the ONBE or CNBE award certificate. The in-game medals and plaques will be GM-named for the specific awarded player and delivered sometime during R127 via in-game mail.
Lord British Birthday Livestream
Come one, come all! We will be having a special livestream on the 12th of July at 4 PM CT in honor of Lord British’s 63rd birthday. Lord British and other special guests will join us for some stories, updates, and monster mayhem in addition to our normal updates! The livestream is scheduled to last for four hours and will include details on recent releases, some information of what’s coming up, and (of course) SotA Q&A!
We have created a special Lord British item that is only available by purchasing a 10K COTO pack on the website through July 12th. This Brutal Battle-Axe shows the scars and blood of battle when equipped and magically becomes pristine when placed as a decoration. The battle-axe also has some special properties when wielded, so all should beware who go up against someone with this weapon!
This battle-axe will not be offered for sale at any other time, ever. This is the third item in our ultra-rare series, with more to come!
Release 127 Patch Notes
Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 127 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R127 is a polish month. Content, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R128 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 127!
Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:
- The recipes for trophy mounts have been removed from the POT Pet Merchants. They remain on Arakius Endiki, the Etceter Housing Decoration Merchant, who now also has a dozen more recipes he’d been missing.
- Animal spawners have been removed from Housing Decoration Merchants and are now sold by Pet Merchants.
- Bay, Blanket, and Palomino horse and foal animal spawners, and placement-only decoration pets, are now on Pet Merchants (minus one we’re reserving for another use.) SOTA-72123
Expand for more pictures
A recipe for a craftable single Hitching Post can be found on Decoration Merchants in Drachvald. SOTA-72140- A couple of previous reward deco pieces have been added to treasure chest loot, for chests that can have deco in them. SOTA-72086
- Added an eternal pattern to the 10th Anniversary Cloak. …if you dare.
- Made the Total Eclipse 2024 Cloak Eternal Pattern eligible for cloak reshaping. SOTA-72125
- Reduced the weight of Hay Piles to match Leaf Piles.
- Fixed the deco appearance of the Yellow-Red-Green Rocket Fireworks Box.
- Corrected the output of the Yellow-Red-Green Fountain Fireworks Box. SOTA-71046
- Added a display name and corrected the height and collision of the Celestial Wooden Chair, which can also now be used by NPCs.
- Improved visuals of the Blade of the Avatar Cloak, the Autism Puzzle Cloak, and the Shardfall Cloak.
- Made all the different Darklamps repairable with blacksmithing repair kits. SOTA-72111
- Made Large Dark Pewter Bowls salvageable.
- The fancy toilets of New Britannia are now flushing properly again. Please stop trying to flush your unwanted loot! SOTA-72118
- Made candles built into two rustic village houses unstealable. (They weren’t actually stealable, but you could try and it would cause an error.) SOTA-70452, SOTA-70453
User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:
- Added the restrictions on Property Manager use to the deed upgrade confirmation dialog. SOTA-72085
- Removed erroneous crafting table flags on about 200 decorations.
- Made 51 new icons for fireworks boxes that had incorrect ones. SOTA-72128
- Fixed 99 more overly-large icons. SOTA-72117
- The Crown Store pictures of the Wine and Beer Glass Sets will no longer make anyone feel like they just drank them all.
- Fixed compression for the store thumbnails for Checkers and Heraldry Standing Banner Patterns.
- Fixed grammar in the store descriptions of custom row lot markers.
World and Quest Changes:
- The Luminous Atavist will retreat to recover and Pumpkin Head will resume terrorizing Drachvald on July 16th.
- Added seven new Pet Merchant NPCs within the vicinity of the Animal Trainer NPCs in Aerie, Braemar, Brittany Fields, Castle Atos, Desolis, Owl’s Head, and Port Harmony. SOTA-72124
- Plains Encounter: Fixed issues where some resource nodes were overlapping with each other. SOTA-72103
- Brittany Fields: Fixed LODs for a shack and two boats under construction so they could be seen from further away.
- Brittany Fields: Fixed some rocks with bad distance LODs near the east crafting pavilion and along the lake. SOTA-72145
- Brittany Fields: Added theft protection to the Alchemy Shop and the Food Store. SOTA-72146
- Grusk: Replaced a tree cluster that was floating off a slope. SOTA-72148
- Grusk: Fixed a typo in a shared kobold response for “human.” SOTA-72142
- Harvest: Removed duplicate keyword from Rykesh’s responses.
- Harvest: Fixed typos in rumors used by several NPC residents. SOTA-72101
- Hallowed Plains: Fixed floating plus flags for the tier markers at each exit. SOTA-72137
- Highvale Outskirts: Updated the logic used to archive the “Ask About Ghostly Echo” and “Talk to Esmeralda” tasks.
- Jaanaford: Fixed typos in Thibodeaux’s journal entries related to Bunker T. SOTA-72100
- Kas Ruins: Adjusted the ground around a crater. Removed objects outside the playspace. SOTA-72102
- Moors of Northshore: Rotated a large rock to avoid showing that it doesn’t have a complete underside. SOTA-72116
- Moors of Northshore: Performed tree-trimming and relocation in several spots. SOTA-72115
- Moors of Northshore: Moved or removed several floating rocks. SOTA-72113
- Norgard Fens: Fixed stuck spots along the pipes in the kobold camp. SOTA-72126
- Serpent Spine Mines: Fixed issues with barrels and other objects poking through the bottom of several platforms. SOTA-72120
- South Broken Road: Added collision to several low broken walls. SOTA-72131
Player-Owned Town Changes:
- Vesper: Added new holdfast south of Port Harmony in Mistrendur.
Player-Owned Dungeon and Basement Changes:
Removed the flat white plane above the water in the Icy Ancient Stone Room Fishing Grotto. SOTA-68283- Removed the non-functioning containers from all the Fine Oak Bookshelves built into the Sword of Midras Library and did another pass on removing spiderwebs. SOTA-71083
Latest News and Q&A in the June Livestream
The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, June 28th at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!
There will also be a longer stream on July 12th, described above.
To enter the prize drawings, type “Happy Birthday Lord British” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.
Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!
Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!
Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on
Facebook at Shroud of the Avatar and on Discord at Join the Shroud of the Avatar Discord Server!.
Sales and Bonus Events
To commemorate the birth of Lord British, from June 27th through July 12th:
- Double XP wil be turned on.
- Crown Store sales will be 30% off.
- Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.
- Deed Upgrades will be 20% off.
- Player Owned Town upgrades for Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off. These upgrades may only be initiated by an email to Support.
Release 127 Subscriber Login Rewards
It’s too hot for mowing the lawn! You should let your horse out to forage. The Rewards Program login items for Release 127 are a Horse Decoration Pet (Choose One), an Ornate Single Hitching Post, and a set of 2024 Cupcakes (not for the horse.)
Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 127 to receive these special login items.
The Shroud of the Avatar Rewards Program lets you earn the best rate on purchasing Crowns, AND receive monthly reward items! For the low price of $9 USD per month you will receive the following:
900 Crowns of the Obsidians every month- Monthly Login Reward Items (about 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
- 21 Months: Keeper of the Bond
- 24 Months: Keeper of the Promise
- 27 Months: Keeper of the Covenant
- 30 Months: Keeper of Countless Devotions
- 33 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Three Corpions
- 36 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Six Serpents
- 39 Months: Keeper of Thirty-Nine Tulips
- 42 Months: Keeper of Forty-Two Roses
- 45 Months: Keeper of Forty-Five Lilies
- 48 Months: Keeper of Forty-Eight Daisies
- 51 Months: Keeper of Fifty-One Staves
- 54 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Four Daggers
- 57 Months: Keeper of Fifty-Seven Arrows
- 60 Months: Keeper of Sixty Swords
- 63 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Three Coins
- 66 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Six Gems
- 69 Months: Keeper of Sixty-Nine Jewels
- 72 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Two Goblets
- 75 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Five Rings
- 78 Months: Keeper of Seventy-Eight Amulets
- Pick any Dye 12-Pack every 6 months
- Pick any three of these 7 Obsidian Potions every month:
- 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
- Potion of Stamina: Decreases focus use from sprinting
- While subscribed to the rewards program, players also receive these special bonuses:
- Obsidian Potions are significantly more powerful!
- 24 Additional Deck Slots!
July Login Reward
This year, July brings us Lord British’s birthday AND the year 700 Post Cataclysm. Each account that logs in during the month of July will receive a one-time gift of the title Septecentarian and a half a dozen each Blue Sparklers, Red Sparklers, White Sparklers, and slices of Lord British Birthday Cake.
Crown Store Updates
New in the crown store for today’s release:
- Replenishing Lord British Birthday Cake 2024
- Animal Spawner, Horse (Choose One)
- Animal Spawner, Foal (Choose One)
- Ornate Brass Hitching Post
- Ornate Single Brass Hitching Post
…and the return of some sparklers that have not been available:
- Replenishing Blue Sparkler Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Sparkler Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Sparkler Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Sparkler Fireworks Box Mega Set
…and for July 12th:
- Horse Decoration Pet (Choose One)
- Ornate Single Hitching Post
The Lord British store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of Lord British items:
- 2014 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2016 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2017 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2018 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2019 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2020 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2021 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2022 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2023 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- 2024 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
- Lord British Basement Entrance Eternal Pattern
- Lord British Cloak
- Lord British Fur Collared Cloak
- Lord British Moondial
- Lord British Pavers
- Lord British Round Table
- Lord British Salute Emote
- Lord British Shield
- Lord British Shield Pattern Pack
The seasonal fireworks store items will be available through Monday August 5th:
List of seasonal fireworks items:
- Replenishing Aerial Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Aerial Palm Blue Fish Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Aerial White Chrysanthemum Combo Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Blue Sparklers Box
- Replenishing Elysium Candle Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
- Replenishing Fountain Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Oracle Eye Sparkler Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Pinwheel Fireworks Box Pack
- Replenishing Red Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing Red Sparklers Box
- Replenishing Sparkler Fireworks Box Mega Set
- Replenishing White Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Fountain Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Pinwheel Fireworks Box
- Replenishing White Sparklers Box
The Summer Seasonal store items will be available through Monday September 23rd:
List of Summer Seasonal items:
- Firedancer Outfit
- Fire Dance Emote
- Fire Dance Cross Emote
- Flame Scimitar
- Flame Shield
- Flame Stained Glass Table Lamp 3-Pack
- Flaming Bagpipes
- Hula Emote
- Island Spear
- Island Flower Crown
- Island Dress
Bug Brigade & Testing Directives!
The Bug Brigade was established to improve how the community and the development team work together to improve the game. Since the Brigade’s inception, the program has gone through a number of changes and was eventually placed on hold. The stability of the game is as important to the development team as it is to the players, therefore the program was revamped and was relaunched.
The Brigade has been up and running and the volunteers (Alley Oop, Echondas, Flair Minamoto, and Justyn) are in a good rhythm for verifying and submitting bugs to the developers. If you have reported a bug that has not yet been addressed, please be patient while the backlog is being worked. The Brigade is working diligently to clean up the backlog of bug reports posted by players on the forums.
Every month, a considerable amount of development time will be spent working many of the verified bugs which have been submitted to the team by the Bug Brigade. This focused effort on bug fixes would not be possible without the recent efforts of the Bug Brigade. Please take the time to thank these bug hunting aficionados when you encounter them in your travels!
In turn, the development team would like to express a big thank you to the Bug Hunters! These community members are doing a fantastic job bringing so many bug reports to the team, and they’re doing it in a way which makes the process smooth and efficient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Much improvement has been noticed by the development team and we’re so very excited to see the program’s continued success!
The development team would also like to thank all of those who take time to participate in QA Testing Directives. Thanks to your hard work and dedication, many issues and bugs can be identified and fixed prior to content going to the Live Server! Keep up the great work! For those that wish to participate in future bug hunting endeavors, please check the forums regularly for upcoming QA Testing Directives.
Don’t forget, the Bug Brigade is open to all players in good standing and bug rewards are SWEET! They will be awarded on a monthly progression basis with only minimal requirements to qualify. The available rewards to receive in progression via qualifying participation are as follows:
- Antennae Head Gear and Forum Title 1: “Bug Hunter”
- Single Ant Cloak
- Lady Bug Backpack
- Bug Painting A and In-Game Title 2: “Associate of Aphids”
- Ant Farm
- Insect Leg Table
- Many Ants Cloak and In-Game Title 3: “Bachelor of Beetles”
- Bug Painting B
- Bug Sprayer and /bugspray Emote
- Bug Painting C and In-Game Title 4: “Master of Moths”
- Butterfly Chair
- Corpion Chair (Pictured Below)
- Yellow Fireflies VFX and In-Game Title 5: “Doctor of Dragonflies”
- Hacked Oracle Flyer
- Giant Butterfly Pet (Blue)
- Butterfly Mask
- Dragonfly pet
- Fairy Wings
- Monarch Butterfly Pet
- Dragonfly Wings
- Hacked Oracle Crawler
- Blue Butterfly VFX
- Orange Fireflies VFX
- Orange Butterfly VFX
- Autumn Fairy Wings
- Green Fireflies VFX
- Landing Flies 3-pack
- Blue Fireflies
- Mounted Ladybug Specimen
- Mounted Rhinoceros Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Firebug Specimen
- Mounted Diving Bug Specimen
- Mounted Asian Ladybug Specimen
- Swallowtail Butterfly Pet
- Mounted Potato Beetle
- Silver Bug Sprayer
- Mounted Maybug Specimen
- Mounted Stag Beetle Specimen
- Mounted Hissing Cockroach Specimen
- Yellow Ladybug Backpack
- Baby Black Widow Spider Decoration Pet
- Red Fireflies
- Baby Green & Yellow Spider Pet
- Purple Fireflies
- Black Butterfly Mask
- Bug Painting D
- Mounted Minotaur Beetle
- Gold Bug Sprayer
- Baby Black & Orange Spider Pet
- Orange Butterfly Chair
- Common Bug VFX (Choose One)
- White Butterfly Mask
- Golden Dragonfly Pet
- Bug Painting E
- Common Bug Pets (Choose One)
- Purple Butterfly Chair
If you’ve come to think of Shroud of the Avatar as your home, sign up and help make New Britannia a better place to live! To learn more about joining the Bug Brigade, please read the announcement thread by Ravalox in the main Bug/Feedback forums.
Streaming Program
Streamers of Shroud of the Avatar can participate in a program to showcase the game and be rewarded for their efforts. Any Streamer who wishes to be included in the Streaming Program can contact Laney via in-game mail with their Character Name and Twitch Channel information. If you have already signed up for the program in the past, fear not: you’re on the list and you don’t need to reapply.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must adhere to our Terms of Service (TOS) and Community Rules while Streaming Shroud of the Avatar.
Streaming Rewards Program participants must stream at least 10 hours of Shroud of the Avatar ACTIVE game play to remain in the program with reward accrual.
Streamers will receive a one-time digital reward of in-game items after meeting the program’s requirements: Streamer’s Cloak, Streamer’s Camera, and the LIVESTREAMING title.
Rules:
- To qualify for Streaming Rewards, each streamer must continue to meet the minimum requirements for 60 days after application.
- To accrue additional rewards, Streamers must stream SotA a minimum of 10 hours per month, tallied on the 1st day of each month, to remain in the program.
Monthly Streaming Bundles:
On the 1st of each month, qualifying streamers will be eligible to receive 50 Streaming Bundles. Bundles will be sent out to Streamers via in-game mail.
A few things you need to know:
- Streaming Bundles are intended to be given away to stream viewers, not consumed by the streamer.
- Streamers are not allowed to put paywalls in place for the Streaming Bundles. (For example, giving away Streaming Bundles once the stream reaches a certain number of bits, subscriptions, or donations).
Other Items of Note:
- Streamers in the program will be included in the SotAbot StreamPop function, appearing in the player-streaming channel in Discord.
- An optional fan graphics kit is available to the participating streamers as well as all players of Shroud of the Avatar, which includes graphics, overlays and other material.
- Streamers must be actively playing the game during their streams. Being away from the keyboard (AFK) for short periods is acceptable. If Twitch indicates the streamer is playing SotA but they are streaming other content or a timeout/login screen, they risk being removed from the program.
Upcoming Release Dates
Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:
- This Release 127 – June 27 (Quality of Life)
- Release 128 – July 25 (Content)
- Release 129 – August 29 (Quality of Life)
Community Events & Resources
Greetings event holders and event attendees! So many fun and exciting events are available in the upcoming weeks. Be sure to get out there and participate, make some new friends, perhaps make some great emote, recipe, or gear trades, or get some adventuring and role-playing into your mix! Here are spotlighted events or updated community resources that we’ve noticed popping up lately on the official forums.
Recurring Events:
- Lightbringer Isle Auction: This newly-resumed auction will be held by Hemnu Lightbringer every Wednesday at 2000 EST / 1900 CST / 0100 BST / 2400 UTC.
- The Nebula Time Trials are intended as a fun competition amongst players, but also a way for players to compare builds, playstyles, learn from one another and just generally have fun together. Each trial will consist of a challenge along the lines of “kill this mob” or “complete this quest” and while prizes will be awarded based on completion time, everyone who enters will receive something. Check this main post for links to the individual trials as they occur.
- Monthly Release Fishing Contests: This is a rotating, multi-location contest sponsored and organised by Rajazel, The Town Museum and its Governor Diablotine.
- Trash to Treasure Dropped Items Turn-In: Introducing Trash to Treasure 2.0! Some unscrupulous fella has been flooding all of New Britannia with junk: Headdresses, Wings, Backpacks, assorted miscellany of every sort. It’s time to clean this trash up and so a bounty has been placed on all gear crafted by Coswald Dirthmire that is turned in each contest period!
- Mad Splatter Tea Party: One Sunday of each month, Lily Byrd hosts a tea party in her back garden at her home in Jade Valley. There are drinks and eats, there is sometimes music, there are often party games with prizes, and sometimes they just sit and talk about life in Novia. All are welcome to join but this is a role playing event tea party: please come as your avatar!
Community Calendars:
- Avatars Radio Calendar: Just when are all those talented DJ’s and streamers broadcasting? Don’t just guess, check out there very helpful calendar! Never again will you wonder when’s the best time to tune in!
- NBNN Calendar: This calendar provides a great schedule for NBNN and WRFB programing as well as many other community events. If you’re a fan of the Laz & Jack show or even if you’re hoping to catch them in action for the first time, this is the calendar for you!
Community Event Resources: Here are some fantastic resources for tracking down community events or posting your own events. Become involved! Create! Explore! Make friends! But most of all, have fun!
- One-Time Community Events Forum: Sometimes events happen only a single time, so you’ll not want to miss out on these events as they occur. Check out the forums routinely to spot these!
- Recurring Community Events Forum: Some events occur on weekly or monthly schedules which are a great way to routinely meet up with friends and to make new ones. Be sure to check this forum frequently for new events or time changes to existing ones.
- Player Event Trophies and Special Item Requests: Would you like to request a special trophy or renamed item for a player event you’ve created? Head on over to this thread to see what’s available and to obtain more information about request procedures.
- Player Radio Station Forum: If you want to check out the latest and greatest from our in-game radio stations, go to the radio stations forum! If you’re a DJ, be sure to advertise your time slot and venue in this forum.
- Player Livestreams & Videos Forum: If you’re searching for a Shroud Streamer to watch, head on over to the streamer forum! If you are a live streamer for Shroud of the Avatar, be sure to advertise your Shroud stream by posting in this forum.
- Town Directory Forum: Want to find a town to live in or get your town listed in the directory, head over to the forums and check it out!
- Guild Directory Forum: Looking for a guild or want to get yours posted in the guild directory? Head on over to the forums and check it out!
- Fire Lotus Tavern: This wondrous role-playing and story writing forum is the spot to be if you love fan fiction and role-play.
- Community Resources: Looking for links to community and official resources for Shroud of the Avatar? Well look no further. On this page you’ll find links to a plethora of helpful resources created by the dev team or the community.
So many options to stay tuned-in with fellow community members. Please take advantage of all these wonderful options. Happy adventures, Avatars!
Project to Support: Inside a Kid’s Mind
Chris Spears’ daughter Maxine has, for a school project, opened a webstore of various items printed with her artwork. Go have a look Inside a Kid’s Mind!
Project to Support: Avatar Relics
Community member Shawn Butts has opened a Shroud of the Avatar merchandise store with Catnip Games’ approval. Visit for pins, mugs, shirts, posters, and more here.
Project to Support: Shard RPG
Shard Studios invites you to enter the fantastic world Dárdünah, the vast shard of a shattered realm, as presented in the colorful pages of the SHARD RPG! Many years in the making, this system allows players to choose from a wide variety of animal people who are the main cast of the many adventures this otherworldly setting offers. Skyships glide through shimmering clouds past majestic crystal peaks. Giant insects prowl alien jungles or lurk in the sparkling emerald seas. Warriors with blades of diamond and amber duel across crimson sands. And mystics chant in shadowy chambers as their spirits wander abroad.
- Intro Sheet: For a quick glimpse into the world of Dárdünah, be sure to download the intro pdf! It’s packed with great information and features beautiful artwork, not unlike the artwork found throughout the many pages of this gaming system’s gorgeously designed manuals.
- Core System Manuals: It’s easier than ever to delve into Dárdünah, World of the False Dawn, with the Basic Compendium and the Magic and Martial Arts books! They contain everything you need to begin your adventures, and include instructions for the ritual magic and martial arts combat systems. These manuals also include 90 new Animal Templates upon which to base your character!
- Other Shard RPG Products: So many more manuals and gaming materials are available! Everything an avid tabletop role-player and game master needs to delve into the world of Dárdünah!
So if you’re ready to experience a gaming world like no other, check out what Shard Studios has created for tabletop role-players on the Shard RPG official website! You’ll most certainly be immersed and amazed by the offerings of the Shard RPG!
Project to Support: Embers Adrift!
Help support one of our team members’ other projects, Embers Adrift! Check out their official trailer here.
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.
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