Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 26, 2016

Build Number 473 6:00 PM CDT

• Fixed fading state of music after playing from the broadcast automated phonograph
• Fixed Royal Elderberry being set to seed which was causing issue with Sow Plant
• Fixed white limbs on male avatars
• Fixed typo with facial hair rendering option
• Changed flame fist to arc targeting.
• Rotated chest in Plains Road Encounter to face forward
• Fixed targeting your pet with friendly skills
• Fixed Charlotte's arm dislocating during celebration at Solace Bridge
• Fixed taunting having no effect
• Increased the difficulty of the Phoenix
• Navigation mesh rebuilt for Plains Road Encounter, Forest Road Encounter, and Swamp Road Encounter
• Fixed NPC kneeling emotes
• Disabled cloth chest armor LOD game objects
• Changed flame fist to arc targeting
• Forced LOD zero in character sheet and front end
• Fixed issue with Estgard gatekeepers not recognizing Brigid's amulet
• Reduced taming restrictions (now more powerful creatures at a lower summon skill)
• Fixed new kobolds not having weapons with proper tiered damage levels
• Spite Public Vendor is no longer ever off duty, and merchants in general go off duty less often
• Blinding shot debuff now lowers dexterity of target
• Fixed being able to auto-path to decorations in Eleven Greenhouse
• Fixed incorrect experience points on low-tiered satyrs
• Polish for Owls Head water
• Fix issue where transferring a claimed lot deed to another lot would not refund prepaid taxes to tax credit

Known Issues

• Royal Scepters can’t be used to increase tax credit on other’s lots
• Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
• Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
o Aeronaut Outfits
o Tiaras
• Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 26, 2016

Build Number 473 6:00 PM CDT

• Fixed fading state of music after playing from the broadcast automated phonograph
• Fixed Royal Elderberry being set to seed which was causing issue with Sow Plant
• Fixed white limbs on male avatars
• Fixed typo with facial hair rendering option
• Changed flame fist to arc targeting.
• Rotated chest in Plains Road Encounter to face forward
• Fixed targeting your pet with friendly skills
• Fixed Charlotte's arm dislocating during celebration at Solace Bridge
• Fixed taunting having no effect
• Increased the difficulty of the Phoenix
• Navigation mesh rebuilt for Plains Road Encounter, Forest Road Encounter, and Swamp Road Encounter
• Fixed NPC kneeling emotes
• Disabled cloth chest armor LOD game objects
• Changed flame fist to arc targeting
• Forced LOD zero in character sheet and front end
• Fixed issue with Estgard gatekeepers not recognizing Brigid's amulet
• Reduced taming restrictions (now more powerful creatures at a lower summon skill)
• Fixed new kobolds not having weapons with proper tiered damage levels
• Spite Public Vendor is no longer ever off duty, and merchants in general go off duty less often
• Blinding shot debuff now lowers dexterity of target
• Fixed being able to auto-path to decorations in Eleven Greenhouse
• Fixed incorrect experience points on low-tiered satyrs
• Polish for Owls Head water
• Fix issue where transferring a claimed lot deed to another lot would not refund prepaid taxes to tax credit

Known Issues

• Royal Scepters can’t be used to increase tax credit on other’s lots
• Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
• Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
o Aeronaut Outfits
o Tiaras
• Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 26, 2016

Build Number 472

• Fixed multiple props incorrectly placed in Port Graff
• Fixed terrain holes in Brittany Wharfs
• Adding Flechier Tapestry Formal Suit assets
• Updated the banner for Owl's Nest in Hidden Vale so it says "Owl's Nest" and not "Owl's Nest Mine"
• Added ability for items to ignore merchant dynamic pricing
• Fixed chain helmets that are removing facial hair
• Fixed required level on enchant to prevent error case
• Added Nightshade Pass navigation mesh colliders along problematic ramp
• Paladis Shardfall water type reverted until we can have multi-level support new water
• Fixed Brookside merchant inventory referencing wrong merchant inventory
• Fixed male steampunk goggles clipping
• Fixed candlestick glow
• Updated a Central Brittany bridge to better accommodate navigation
• Fixing possible nonresponsive keyword with Edvard's conversation in Blood River tutorial
• Fixed female zombie masks with gap at neck
• Resource survey visuals updated
• Made sure property lot in Xenos was flat
• Fixed male clothing looking bad on character screen
• Adjusted attunement bonus from rings and amulets
• Fixed Verdantis Shardfall stuck spot
• Fixed The Clink guards horrifying appearance
• Replaced Novia collision on the shoreline from Harvest through Dysborg area to Player Town Caer Dracwych
• Taenby Landing is now better positioned on Novia within its entrance volume
• Fixed a Verdantis Shardfall floating tree
• Fixed tiaras that were sorting into hairstyles too much
• Fixed resolution discrepancy between Aeronaut hats and suits
• Added minimum and maximum loop times for all emotes on NPCs in Brittany Alleys
• Fixed scale issues with all resources in Norgard Fens
• Logging out in Equitas Passage and then into Novia will now put players in a reasonable location at ground level and not in a floating or stuck location
• Replaced the stairs in the "Hold of Virtue" with better ones
• Flechier clothes added to a bundle
• Fixed Charon's returning players to Spite from Malice
• Removed matchmaking mode from HUD - replaced with "Scene Access Mode" on compass that indicates the mode of the current instance (solo, solo/party, multiplayer. or open pvp)
• Bruno Martelli in Ardoris now properly responds to "work" and variations thereof to work his arcane magicks to create a New You
• Water trigger volume in Broochash did not extend past exit volumes
• Fixing issue with new Ardoris quest.
• Fixed the rotations of two player lots in Estgard that were changed inadvertently, and rebuilt Estgard city walls in the vicinity to give more space between them and the nearby player lots.
• Estgard terrain texturing and trees polish added
• Fixed flowers emote to have the animation track on the "start" slot rather than the "loop" slot
• Estgard navigation mesh changes
• Fixed incorrect name on merchant inventory for raffle tickets

Known Issues

• Popping sound caused in scenes with Broadcast Phonographs
• Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
• Pets cannot be healed or resurrected
• Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
o Aeronaut Outfits
o Tiaras
o Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 26, 2016

Build Number 472

• Fixed multiple props incorrectly placed in Port Graff
• Fixed terrain holes in Brittany Wharfs
• Adding Flechier Tapestry Formal Suit assets
• Updated the banner for Owl's Nest in Hidden Vale so it says "Owl's Nest" and not "Owl's Nest Mine"
• Added ability for items to ignore merchant dynamic pricing
• Fixed chain helmets that are removing facial hair
• Fixed required level on enchant to prevent error case
• Added Nightshade Pass navigation mesh colliders along problematic ramp
• Paladis Shardfall water type reverted until we can have multi-level support new water
• Fixed Brookside merchant inventory referencing wrong merchant inventory
• Fixed male steampunk goggles clipping
• Fixed candlestick glow
• Updated a Central Brittany bridge to better accommodate navigation
• Fixing possible nonresponsive keyword with Edvard's conversation in Blood River tutorial
• Fixed female zombie masks with gap at neck
• Resource survey visuals updated
• Made sure property lot in Xenos was flat
• Fixed male clothing looking bad on character screen
• Adjusted attunement bonus from rings and amulets
• Fixed Verdantis Shardfall stuck spot
• Fixed The Clink guards horrifying appearance
• Replaced Novia collision on the shoreline from Harvest through Dysborg area to Player Town Caer Dracwych
• Taenby Landing is now better positioned on Novia within its entrance volume
• Fixed a Verdantis Shardfall floating tree
• Fixed tiaras that were sorting into hairstyles too much
• Fixed resolution discrepancy between Aeronaut hats and suits
• Added minimum and maximum loop times for all emotes on NPCs in Brittany Alleys
• Fixed scale issues with all resources in Norgard Fens
• Logging out in Equitas Passage and then into Novia will now put players in a reasonable location at ground level and not in a floating or stuck location
• Replaced the stairs in the "Hold of Virtue" with better ones
• Flechier clothes added to a bundle
• Fixed Charon's returning players to Spite from Malice
• Removed matchmaking mode from HUD - replaced with "Scene Access Mode" on compass that indicates the mode of the current instance (solo, solo/party, multiplayer. or open pvp)
• Bruno Martelli in Ardoris now properly responds to "work" and variations thereof to work his arcane magicks to create a New You
• Water trigger volume in Broochash did not extend past exit volumes
• Fixing issue with new Ardoris quest.
• Fixed the rotations of two player lots in Estgard that were changed inadvertently, and rebuilt Estgard city walls in the vicinity to give more space between them and the nearby player lots.
• Estgard terrain texturing and trees polish added
• Fixed flowers emote to have the animation track on the "start" slot rather than the "loop" slot
• Estgard navigation mesh changes
• Fixed incorrect name on merchant inventory for raffle tickets

Known Issues

• Popping sound caused in scenes with Broadcast Phonographs
• Some armor causes male avatar skin to appear white
• Pets cannot be healed or resurrected
• Masterwork/Enchanting has a new base level requirement that prevents low-level access to these crafting elements
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
o Aeronaut Outfits
o Tiaras
o Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and “exit into the air” issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 25, 2016

Build Number 471 8:00 PM

• Touched up shoulders and fingers on death anim for NPCs.
• Fixed visual blending issues with Celestial Bodies during the daytime
• Fixed issues where short range skills like Healing Touch had very long ranges
• Fixed camera clipping in Blackblade Foothills
• Soltown: Rebaked navmesh. Hopefully fixes child sliding through hill
• Fixed issue with Male Avatar where limbs appeared disconnected and pure white when partially covered
• Fixed unsnapped dungeonkit piece in Spectral Mines
• Fixed camera clipping in Graff Gem Mines.
• Fixed issue with Chain Lightning that was causing inordinate amounts of extra damage
• Nightshade Pass: Tuned NavMesh to address Bears getting stuck
• Brittany Fields: Fixed various stuck spots
• Spite: Relocated tree that was intruding on player lot.
• Bloom will now remember its settings between level changes
• Double (again) the cost in gold to get your ransomed items back.
• Fixed issue causing opaque fog issue on Mac and Linux
• Eastreach Gap: Standing at (-123.1, 129.6, -163.7) placed characters too close to the Control Point's teleporter volume inside the doorway, so the volume was pushed back a little. Players standing here should not get teleported outside the gate anymore.
• Fixed skewed skydome in Ulfheim
• Water improvements
• Allow a PVP player to heal their non-PVP party member.  Fix various other targeting issues involving pets.
• Fixing the fish so they are visible again.
• Fixed ambient lighting in Etceter Crag Mines so Night Vision should work now
• Viking 3-Story Stronghold: Fixed rear door off frame
• Fixed issue where rain was persisting over player even after rain storm stopped
• Viking 4-Story Row House: fixed ladder to take you to attci
• Novia Overworld: Improved the collision on the shoreline from Rhun Ruins to Eastmarch in Drachvald.
• Shield of Crystal should now show correct values in the tooltips
• Viking 2-Story Stronghold Village Home - Fixed wall seam above first-floor doors
• Fixed issues with the Ghost Corpion bouncing back and forth even though he was aggro'd to players
• The Necropolis: The trap components visible at (111.9, 0.1, 531.7)  were actually poking through from the tunnel above at (112 5 529). I moved the trap a little bit to (111 5 525) and everything should be good now.
• Fix plant growth rate in basements - now the same as the growth rate inside of houses
• Naryad Woods: Removed tipped chair at (107.0, 40.3, 95.5).
• Naryad Moors: Corrected the tier markers (to "4 skulls") to better represent the difficulty of the scene.
• Fixed preview for importing custom book text
• Highvale Village: The Navmesh was outdated, so the settings were updated and it was rebuilt. The bear at (-114.8, 40.2, 34.4) should path better around the lake.
• Various minor typo fixes
• Island Keep Lots: Fixed issue preventing placement of pavers
• Fixed issue where Knockback was pushing NPCs through walls on death
• Changed name of Deed Lottery Tickets to Raffle Tickets
• The Salvage button is now disabled while a Repair is possible with the current items on the crafting table.
• Foliage now being cleared on Island Lots
• Fixed bug that caused the free attack charge bar to get stuck on the hud when charging a free attack with a broken weapon
• Eastreach Gap: Moved nightshade plant at (-88.3, 134.4, -121.5) down to ground level.
• Fix Samuel escort not starting
• Fixed bad skill school mappings for Train Dexterity and Parry - caused the wrong skill tree to open when clicking on these skills on the HUD, and possibly other minor bugs.
• Fixed gender assignment for older NPCs for Localization purposes
• The Sirens Foothills: Adjusted rocks and added collider; stuck spot should be clear.
• Fixed error message when attempting to summon dead pet.
• South Hulenholt: Fixed stuck spot
• Recipes for Tiaras (Simple & Fancy) and set crafted tiaras to be enchantable
• Fix interruption for recall/teleport when becoming  encumbered or removing your recall scrolls
• Novia Overworld: Replaced the temporary collision along the shoreline from Point West to Harvest. Added a bridge along the river southeast of Point West.
• Added missing text for some Masterwork & Enchantment modifiers (resistances mainly)
• Flattened Terrain Lot in Yew, Bramble and Kiln
• Fixed issue with Corpse Explosion not working on Wolves and Satyrs
• Fixed missing material reference on mounted bass, mounted salmon, fish carcass salmon, and fish carcass trout
• Fixed missing textures on seagulls
• Reduced the damage of lightning and chain lightning by 8%
• Created unarmed kick animation.
• Fix alpha issue on UI for custom books, letters, and valentines
• Fiery Decay now drains life as intended.
• Adjusted LOD ranges for dungeonkit pieces. This should fix visible seams in various dungeons like Ruins of Ravensmoor
• Set Minimum summon skill requirement on tamed creatures. This means you will no longer be able to summon a tamed creature if your Summoning skill is too low
• Fixed visual seams/errors as well as floating objects in the Spectral Mines.
• Restless Woods: Fixed stuck spot.
• POT SQiRLS DEN: Changed biome (from Tropical Island to Underground). Changed nesting interconnection from The Brave Coast to Spite. Upgraded to Hamlet.
• Fixed stuck spot in Castle of Ardoris
• POT Rift's Legacy: Added new POT, nested in Rift's End.
• Wood & Plaster Two-Story (Row) house: Fixed missing interior window frame
• Fixed Village Waterlot location at tip of small island in Forest01 and Forest01a POT templates
• Midras: Fixed player stuck spot.
• Robert Villines companion NPC will now assist properly in combat
• Changed add-on store text in front-end and patch client to no longer refer to expired pledges
• Fixed missing ceiling collision Wood and Plaster house
• Spite banker no longer randomly journeys into the Astral plane.
• Fixed pillar LOD popping in spite.
• Wynston Haevia in Desolis will also teach the /pontificate emote when given the books he asks for.
• /pontificate is now Teachable.
• Fixed highvale guard model
• Fixed uneven terrain on playerlots in Solania, Mud, and Westend
• Yew:  Added a number of discoveries to Yew, and matching ones for Bramble. Fixed discovery bug in Kiln also.
• Fixed Owls Head water level
• Added interconnection between Midmaer Passage and Crypt of the Avatar.
• Added Sanctus Spine reinforcements
• Fixed male POT Guard NPC
• Display required skill level for Tamed Creature Summon necklace in tooltip.
• Wynton's Folly: Fixed stuck spot.
• Estgard gates are unlocked for everyone and will remain so until Path of Courage quest line is complete.

Known Issues

• All dyed armors lose their material links and appear pure white upon scene change
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
  
  • Aeronaut Outfits
  • Tiaras
  • Grey Great Dane
  • Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

Welcome to Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Early Access Release 33! Notes on what is in this release are available here.

August 25, 2016

Build Number 471 8:00 PM

• Touched up shoulders and fingers on death anim for NPCs.
• Fixed visual blending issues with Celestial Bodies during the daytime
• Fixed issues where short range skills like Healing Touch had very long ranges
• Fixed camera clipping in Blackblade Foothills
• Soltown: Rebaked navmesh. Hopefully fixes child sliding through hill
• Fixed issue with Male Avatar where limbs appeared disconnected and pure white when partially covered
• Fixed unsnapped dungeonkit piece in Spectral Mines
• Fixed camera clipping in Graff Gem Mines.
• Fixed issue with Chain Lightning that was causing inordinate amounts of extra damage
• Nightshade Pass: Tuned NavMesh to address Bears getting stuck
• Brittany Fields: Fixed various stuck spots
• Spite: Relocated tree that was intruding on player lot.
• Bloom will now remember its settings between level changes
• Double (again) the cost in gold to get your ransomed items back.
• Fixed issue causing opaque fog issue on Mac and Linux
• Eastreach Gap: Standing at (-123.1, 129.6, -163.7) placed characters too close to the Control Point's teleporter volume inside the doorway, so the volume was pushed back a little. Players standing here should not get teleported outside the gate anymore.
• Fixed skewed skydome in Ulfheim
• Water improvements
• Allow a PVP player to heal their non-PVP party member.  Fix various other targeting issues involving pets.
• Fixing the fish so they are visible again.
• Fixed ambient lighting in Etceter Crag Mines so Night Vision should work now
• Viking 3-Story Stronghold: Fixed rear door off frame
• Fixed issue where rain was persisting over player even after rain storm stopped
• Viking 4-Story Row House: fixed ladder to take you to attci
• Novia Overworld: Improved the collision on the shoreline from Rhun Ruins to Eastmarch in Drachvald.
• Shield of Crystal should now show correct values in the tooltips
• Viking 2-Story Stronghold Village Home - Fixed wall seam above first-floor doors
• Fixed issues with the Ghost Corpion bouncing back and forth even though he was aggro'd to players
• The Necropolis: The trap components visible at (111.9, 0.1, 531.7)  were actually poking through from the tunnel above at (112 5 529). I moved the trap a little bit to (111 5 525) and everything should be good now.
• Fix plant growth rate in basements - now the same as the growth rate inside of houses
• Naryad Woods: Removed tipped chair at (107.0, 40.3, 95.5).
• Naryad Moors: Corrected the tier markers (to "4 skulls") to better represent the difficulty of the scene.
• Fixed preview for importing custom book text
• Highvale Village: The Navmesh was outdated, so the settings were updated and it was rebuilt. The bear at (-114.8, 40.2, 34.4) should path better around the lake.
• Various minor typo fixes
• Island Keep Lots: Fixed issue preventing placement of pavers
• Fixed issue where Knockback was pushing NPCs through walls on death
• Changed name of Deed Lottery Tickets to Raffle Tickets
• The Salvage button is now disabled while a Repair is possible with the current items on the crafting table.
• Foliage now being cleared on Island Lots
• Fixed bug that caused the free attack charge bar to get stuck on the hud when charging a free attack with a broken weapon
• Eastreach Gap: Moved nightshade plant at (-88.3, 134.4, -121.5) down to ground level.
• Fix Samuel escort not starting
• Fixed bad skill school mappings for Train Dexterity and Parry - caused the wrong skill tree to open when clicking on these skills on the HUD, and possibly other minor bugs.
• Fixed gender assignment for older NPCs for Localization purposes
• The Sirens Foothills: Adjusted rocks and added collider; stuck spot should be clear.
• Fixed error message when attempting to summon dead pet.
• South Hulenholt: Fixed stuck spot
• Recipes for Tiaras (Simple & Fancy) and set crafted tiaras to be enchantable
• Fix interruption for recall/teleport when becoming  encumbered or removing your recall scrolls
• Novia Overworld: Replaced the temporary collision along the shoreline from Point West to Harvest. Added a bridge along the river southeast of Point West.
• Added missing text for some Masterwork & Enchantment modifiers (resistances mainly)
• Flattened Terrain Lot in Yew, Bramble and Kiln
• Fixed issue with Corpse Explosion not working on Wolves and Satyrs
• Fixed missing material reference on mounted bass, mounted salmon, fish carcass salmon, and fish carcass trout
• Fixed missing textures on seagulls
• Reduced the damage of lightning and chain lightning by 8%
• Created unarmed kick animation.
• Fix alpha issue on UI for custom books, letters, and valentines
• Fiery Decay now drains life as intended.
• Adjusted LOD ranges for dungeonkit pieces. This should fix visible seams in various dungeons like Ruins of Ravensmoor
• Set Minimum summon skill requirement on tamed creatures. This means you will no longer be able to summon a tamed creature if your Summoning skill is too low
• Fixed visual seams/errors as well as floating objects in the Spectral Mines.
• Restless Woods: Fixed stuck spot.
• POT SQiRLS DEN: Changed biome (from Tropical Island to Underground). Changed nesting interconnection from The Brave Coast to Spite. Upgraded to Hamlet.
• Fixed stuck spot in Castle of Ardoris
• POT Rift's Legacy: Added new POT, nested in Rift's End.
• Wood & Plaster Two-Story (Row) house: Fixed missing interior window frame
• Fixed Village Waterlot location at tip of small island in Forest01 and Forest01a POT templates
• Midras: Fixed player stuck spot.
• Robert Villines companion NPC will now assist properly in combat
• Changed add-on store text in front-end and patch client to no longer refer to expired pledges
• Fixed missing ceiling collision Wood and Plaster house
• Spite banker no longer randomly journeys into the Astral plane.
• Fixed pillar LOD popping in spite.
• Wynston Haevia in Desolis will also teach the /pontificate emote when given the books he asks for.
• /pontificate is now Teachable.
• Fixed highvale guard model
• Fixed uneven terrain on playerlots in Solania, Mud, and Westend
• Yew:  Added a number of discoveries to Yew, and matching ones for Bramble. Fixed discovery bug in Kiln also.
• Fixed Owls Head water level
• Added interconnection between Midmaer Passage and Crypt of the Avatar.
• Added Sanctus Spine reinforcements
• Fixed male POT Guard NPC
• Display required skill level for Tamed Creature Summon necklace in tooltip.
• Wynton's Folly: Fixed stuck spot.
• Estgard gates are unlocked for everyone and will remain so until Path of Courage quest line is complete.

Known Issues

• All dyed armors lose their material links and appear pure white upon scene change
• Some items listed in the R33 instructions are not in the game yet (mostly the Add On Store stuff) including:
  
  • Aeronaut Outfits
  • Tiaras
  • Grey Great Dane
  • Obsidian Book of Unlearning gift
• Using the Mirror on Isle of Storms can crash sometimes
• Novia Overworld rework has introduced various stuck spots, incorrect collision and "exit into the air" issues
• Some UI text is not wrapping correctly
• Rain is coming through the roof of some buildings
• The new Targeting system still has various issues that need fixing
• Stability: The latest version of Unity we are using has introduced significant stability issues along with memory leaks. We are working with Unity to resolve these as quickly as we can
• Pathfinding is breaking in some houses and basements
• Local chat is failing in some situations
• Many SFX are not properly tied to the sound volume controls.
• Lighting and fog levels are still being tuned to work with the new weather system, expect anomalies
• Death and Resurrection do not work properly in the team arena
• Water lots in Dynamic Player Owned Towns can currently only be placed along shorelines, not on docks
• If your video drivers are out of date characters will appear as if they are covered in triangles.
• Some cities are experiencing performance spikes
• Some pledge, add on, and stretch goal items have not yet been built and/or do not yet have tech support.
• The update to Unity 5 caused a host of general texture and lighting related issues, and not all of these have been resolved.
• Distant tree billboards may have a white outline that is especially noticeable at night, and some trees may shimmer with white at night.
• Skin tone will sometimes not match properly on different parts of the body
• ALT key can no longer be bound. This was necessary to re-enable quick self cast with ALT

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Impact of Persistence:Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



Housing:Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

PVP:We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of the game.

Yet again, I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to our Dev+ backers who tested all of the items below on the QA server and uncovered lots of bugs. They also provided editorial feedback on this post. So, they are a big reason that this post actually matches what is in the game, and that it is easy to read.

While we are getting closer to launch, we are still in a constant state of change, and we do not yet have all the in-game systems to inform players of these changes, or to share ways to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Impact of Persistence:Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



Housing:Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

PVP:We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of the game.

Yet again, I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to our Dev+ backers who tested all of the items below on the QA server and uncovered lots of bugs. They also provided editorial feedback on this post. So, they are a big reason that this post actually matches what is in the game, and that it is easy to read.

While we are getting closer to launch, we are still in a constant state of change, and we do not yet have all the in-game systems to inform players of these changes, or to share ways to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Impact of Persistence:Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



Housing:Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

PVP:We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of the game.

Yet again, I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to our Dev+ backers who tested all of the items below on the QA server and uncovered lots of bugs. They also provided editorial feedback on this post. So, they are a big reason that this post actually matches what is in the game, and that it is easy to read.

While we are getting closer to launch, we are still in a constant state of change, and we do not yet have all the in-game systems to inform players of these changes, or to share ways to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]

WARNING: THIS GAME IS EARLY ACCESS. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME VIA CROWD FUNDING, BUG TESTING, AND FEEDBACK. PLEASE ONLY PURCHASE IF YOU ARE ALSO PREPARED TO HANDLE PERIODIC WIPES, SERIOUS ISSUES AND INCOMPLETE CONTENT. PLEASE READ THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS PRIOR TO PURCHASE, MANY OF WHICH WARN YOU OF THE CURRENT UNFINISHED STATE OF THE GAME.

Please read this entire message, as well as the linked instructions and known issues.

Thank you for being a loyal backer and follower of Shroud of the Avatar. Release 33 access for all backers at First Responder level and above begins this Thursday, August 25, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

Impact of Persistence:Release 33 is our first Release since we went Persistent with Release 32. Being persistent of course has had an impact on the project and how we move forward. We made the tactical decision that the immediate needs of R32 would take precedence over any R33 work. Quality of life, balance issues, exploits, stability, performance, etc. in R32 would be patched regularly, daily if needed, even if it cost us some R33 deliverables. The result of this decision has been incredibly positive. Overall player mood remains high as does our funding, which reached an astounding $10 Million during our Summer Telethon of the Avatar Part 2 (which by itself raised $200K!) This funding will allow us to finish the Roadmap we outlined earlier this year that both finishes our Kickstarter promises, while at the same time polishes the game to a very high standard. Thank you community for your incredibly humbling generosity.



Housing:Lot Selection has wrapped up and in Release 33 we will be starting the Lot Deed Raffle for Taxable Lot Deeds in the game. This will be our method to distribute the remaining available land in the game in all locations (NPC towns, Player Run Towns, and Player Owned Towns). Additionally, Release 33 will be the first appearance of uncloned scenes that include player lots after persistence. These will give players a chance to see how we will be improving and individualizing each scene while preserving the game mechanics.

PVP:We have always said that all PVP in Shroud of the Avatar will be consensual and players will choose to engage, or not to engage. With that said, we also want to make sure PVP is an integral part of the experience and is a balance of risk vs. reward. For those reasons, players will now encounter other players in zones flagged for PvP regardless of their match-making mode. You will no longer be able to enter these areas in Single-Player or Friends modes to circumvent PvP risk. There are a few areas, like the Obsidian Ruins, where story elements require venturing inside. However, we are going to work on alternate ways for players to navigate those areas like we have experimented with in some of the Control Points (i.e. the teleporting Wizard). We know this change will be controversial, but we believe it is the best decision for the long-term health of the game.

Yet again, I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to our Dev+ backers who tested all of the items below on the QA server and uncovered lots of bugs. They also provided editorial feedback on this post. So, they are a big reason that this post actually matches what is in the game, and that it is easy to read.

While we are getting closer to launch, we are still in a constant state of change, and we do not yet have all the in-game systems to inform players of these changes, or to share ways to help them to explore new content and systems. This means we rely mostly on this message, and the linked instructions and known issues to convey the current game state. We regularly have to answer questions or filter bug reports because some players elect not to read this valuable information.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and efforts can be redirected to focus on new “unanswered” questions, and addressing critical issues impacting each release. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to review this post, and for all the truly valuable feedback you continue to provide.

Also, remember that while we are providing new content with each release, our community is working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check out a couple of the event calendars run by our community members (via in-game book or the player run websites: Avatars Circle and Events of the Avatars). You can also get the latest official events on the Main Website.

Without further ado, here is a list of what you can expect to see in Release 33:

Port Graff (Unclone): Port Graff, located on the western coast of Drachvald, serves as a docking point for the valuable gems coming from the Graff Gem Mines. The gems make their way by cart to Port Graff, are shipped to Graff Island, and are sculpted before being added to weaponry and jewelry. Port Graff started out as a cloned scene based on Kingsport. It was rebuilt this release with plot-specific additions related to the gem trade between the Graff Gem Mines and Graff Island, along with a host of other visual changes and NPC improvements. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Estgard (Unclone): Estgard sits on the eastern shore of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage. Outlanders must pass through Estgard on their way to Valhold. Estgard was another cloned scene, based on the Forest 01 PRT/POT template (aka the “PaxLair” template). It was rebuilt this release with NPC improvements, a plot-specific perimeter wall, and a host of other visual changes to make it match the visual style of the Norgard region. We plan to make another polish pass on this scene in Release 34 to add more Norgard stylistic touches and more visual changes near the entrance areas. NOTE: When we un-clone scenes we do NOT change locations of player lots, NPC buildings, or entrances. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage.


Blood River: We have redone the Blood River sequence of the Path of Truth tutorial. It now reflects more closely the story of the Path of Truth and does not require players to loot helpless victims of a massacre to progress. Players will now meet a new character, Robert Villines, a magistrate from Aerie who, like the player, is trying to determine what caused the massacre. There are other plot-centric characters and changes that occur relating to elves and the secrets of bonesteel, while at the same time the experience for new users is made as clear as those who go through the Path of Love in Solace Bridge. That being said, being as important as first impressions are, this is still a work in progress and we welcome player input. Note for players who have already made characters: you can play in Offline mode and experience the Blood River new user experience without otherwise affecting your main character, and we ask that our valued testers do so to poke and prod at the content we are adding without asking you to make a new character in Online mode.


Lot Deed Raffle: Players can now buy raffle tickets with in-game gold for a chance to win Taxed Lot Deeds. There are two raffles, one for each lot type: Place-Anywhere Deeds (PAD) and Player-Owned Town Deeds (POT). Raffle tickets grant the holder a chance to win a deed of any size (Row, Village, Town, or City). Raffles will be held monthly and we will have multiple winners for each lot size (numbers will vary each month). Place-Anywhere Deed raffle tickets are more expensive but will have fewer deeds in each raffle than POT raffle tickets, which are more affordable and will have many more deeds in each raffle. This means your chances to win a POT deed are much greater.

Loot Improvements: We have begun laying the foundation for improvements to loot across the game. In Release 33, we added random loot to breakable containers and dead bodies. We have also begun adding Race specific weapons with the first being Elven swords on high level Elven fighters. Bosses now have loot bundles that include random assortments of weapons, consumables, gems, and recipes.

Removed Auto Lunge Forward: We have removed the “beloved” feature that was forcing players to Auto Lunge Forward in combat. This was done to improve the visuals of combat but it was removing control from players and therefore negatively impacting players ability to manage encounters.

Agro: Fixed issues related to how creatures calculated and recalculated agro. This should allow players to actually tank finally. Also, interactions with items (looting, containers, etc) are now blocked when a creature has agro on you.

Taming Polish & Tuning: There were various issues with Taming. Many of these were related to the fact that players with no taming skill could purchase taming whistles with high level creatures attached and use those to farm high level areas. Additionally, Taming levels were not having any effect on the summoned creature level. Now Taming Skills affect tamed creature level and limit which creatures can be summoned.

World Starting Gift: Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier: All backers of Shroud of the Avatar with game access as of midnight July 27, 2016 will receive this Portable Aether Vibration Amplifier as a small expression of our gratitude. This wearable device uses the latest Kobold technology to allow the wearer to tune into streaming radio stations including our very own Avatar's Radio or WRFB Radio Free Britannia. We chose this specific gift to honor our community because it started as a suggestion from our community, was initially created by our community, streams content from our community, and is used by our community as part of their events.


And much more including more recipes, emotes, gear, pets, etc.! Click here for the complete R33 Instructions

[And did we mention that you should read the negative reviews that warn you about the unfinished state of this game before you purchase? Don't buy this game until you read them!]