Shroud of the Avatar - Inhabitants of a World in the Dark
The Commercial Launch Date for Shroud of the Avatar is fast approaching. That means that Shroud of the Avatar will be moving from the Darkness into the Light of being publicly launched. With this comes the end of an in-game player-run event as well. We will talk to the Governor of Rift's End, who has been my main point of contact during this event, as well as another long time player. We will dig deep into some key areas of the games functions, and try to shed some light on the game that is the spiritual successor to Ultima Online.
This event that exists in-game, is called the Evil Eye Tavern. Nestled on the island of Rift's End, off the North West shore of Spindrift Bay, the Evil Eye Tavern contains something very special, unique, and limited to those who play the game before official launch.
Inside on the walls, adorn the many skulls of the avatars of New Britannia. However, when Release 52 comes, they will not be accepting any further skulls. This makes it so anyone who is in the Tavern will remain immortalized as long as the game lives.
"... Travelers believe, that displaying ones skull inside the Evil Eye, is a mark of commitment. Making the New Britannia strong and a way of ensuring their name lives on in this world forever."
Q: Good Day to you both gentleman. Would you like to introduce yourselves and give a history you may have with any of the Ultima series of games?
Hemswal: I'm Hemswal Genis and I have a long history with Ultima Online. I can't honestly say how long I played but I played for several years on and off. If I had to guess, I'd say I played for more than 10 years. I didn't play any of the Ultima games other than UO.
Obsidian Tempest: My name is Mike, player of Obsidian Tempest. Most people in game call me “Obs” I’m 51 years old and from from New York. I’ve been gaming since pen and paper in the early 1980’s. My first Ultima game was Ultima 3 and I was hooked ever since. When I saw that Richard Garriot “Lord British” and Starr Long “Lord Blackthorn” were kickstarting a new game I was cautiously optimistic.
Q: Shroud of the Avatar is the spiritual successor to Ultima Online, and so a lot of players of the original game are coming to support Lord British (Richard Garriott) in his new game.When did you start playing Shroud of the Avatar?
Hemswal: I started playing before the game was persistent. I purchased my backer account in 2014. As far as my existing character is concerned, I've been playing since day 1 of the live server.
Obsidian Tempest: I dabbled with the game from time to time prior to August, 2016. Then the game had entered a “persistent state” meaning no more resetting the game.
Q: The difference in game mechanics of Shroud of the Avatar compared to other MMO's is pretty staggering. Even compared to Ultima Online. What was the most difficult adjustment you had to make?
Hemswal: I'm probably not the best candidate for this question. I don't approach games in a typical way. I look at the systems, learn them intimately, and figure out which ones I enjoy the most and which ones are the most beneficial. This usually ends in bug reports even in games that aren't in development. This approach has also gotten me banned from many games. C'est la vie.
Obsidian Tempest: I would say the Combat system was the hardest. The “Deck System” took some getting use to. I started out like everyone else just locking the 10 slots and trying to kill things. The real fun and strategy comes when you learn to use the deck system unlocked.
Q: Lets discuss some of the game systems. Pledges were a huge part of the sales income for this game since the announcement on KickStarter. Can the products that were received with the Pledge level be sold and traded to players? If so, are there any items in particular from certain bundles that are extremely worthwhile, and therefore sell for real money?
Hemswal: Ok, yes, everything is transferable except quest items. Actually, even some quest items are transferable. So, yes, you can sell things for real money if you so choose.
Obsidian Tempest: It really depends on the individual. Some people, like me, really like collecting items. There are many items from pledges and even from the early telethons that are desirable and thus cost more in real money or in-game gold. Some of the more rare pieces are the Baron's Talking Mirror, The Hearth of Britannia any of the Gold Seed Invest items are just a few examples of rare and desirable items in the game. I usually trade for for items I want but some are just too expensive and out of my reach. As far as the Evil Eye Tavern, I have 33 developer skulls and nearly 300 individual Players skulls. I’ve been offered real money for a couple of the players skulls. There was a time when I was offered $500.00 for Lord British’s skull. I would never sell any skull that was donated to the Evil Eye. I made the pledge to all both developer and player to never sell or trade their skull. I will honor that pledge.
Q: Not to give away your money making habits, but, can you give a new player a tip on ways to obtain an income if they are not in a guild?
Hemswal: Yes, join a guild. Ok, in all seriousness, there are a lot of ways to make gold. It's really kind of flavor based. You could skin animals and vendor the hides or kill the mobs that drop weapons and vendor those. Ultimately if you really want to make huge amounts of gold, you'll need to figure out how on your own.
Obsidian Tempest:There is no easy way other than to loot everything and sell it to a npc vendor. Once you get a bit stronger then the best way to earn good money is in mining gold and silver and selling it to players. But I’ve found that joining a guild that is interested in helping along newer players, is the best way to earn experience for growing your character and earning gold along the way. For instance, I belong to a guild called the Moongate Travelers. We have a group of dedicated player within the guild that will spend time crafting armor and weapons for a new player. Helping them along on their quests and teaching them the nuances of the game. This can be a huge benefit to a new player.
Q: Can you give me an example of how a player would make money in the game by playing Solo vs. being a group of random people vs. a Guild group? What activities would they be looking at participating in during these scenarios?
Hemswal: See the answer to Q5. But, I'll expand a little. Silver and Gold mining is a really great way for a solo player to make a large sum of gold.
Q: Housing is a massive deal in the game, and it has quite a few forks of ways to obtain housing. For a new player it can be overwhelming if they are looking at getting a house specifically for storage space. Is there any cheapest way to get started? Would they be easier getting into a guild that has a room for rent, or is there a cheap alternative for those who are playing solo?
Hemswal: There are loads of places that are very cheap or even free to live. For example, my guild has 3 inns in our guild town. We house new players and guildies for free. After a certain level attained by a new player, we boot you or ask you to pay some rent.
Q: However, private housing can be challenging for the casual player to attain. There is a tiered solution to this. You can purchase a bundle and upgrade it through the add-on store over time, buy a lot from another player, or earn it through in game means. The easiest way to get a private lot is to just buy it with real money but I have earned a lot that is worth over 1k US dollars through in game play. So, it is absolutely possible to get a private lot through just playing the game.
Obsidian Tempest: I love this aspect of the game as anyone can tell by my Tavern. For a new player I would recommend searching the forums for FREE housing and room rental. We offer this to our guild mates in the Moongate Traveler. We have a guild run inn located in our town of Rift’s End called Lodge of the Avatar. We give you a room and a chest for free. Once you decide that this is the game for you I recommend upgrading your account or bundle to get a tax free housing deed. Or you can find someone selling a taxable one in game. But remember you will have to pay your taxes to keep your property from being sent to your bank. For Solo players I’d recommend upgrading their bank capacity until they decide if they want housing. I have to say that if you only play solo you are missing out on a helpful community.
Q: Into the thick of it with Pvp and PvE Combat. Ultima Online had a Bounty Board, and Shroud of the Avatar has a Price of the Oracle system, which is similar in base functionality. Can you explain what improvements or features Portalarium has done with the bounty system in Shroud that you like or don't like?
Hemswal: The Price of the Oracle is OK. I don't love it but it's better than nothing. They plan to greatly improve the bounty system. I look forward to the changes. I'm not really sure how to fairly compare the two systems since UO and Sota are so different. Sota has the spiritual successor "feel" to it but it's not UO.
Q: Games that have the possibility to lose items on your character have always appealed to me. It gives you a sense of a "risk to lose and reward to win" mindset. What motivates you to flag up for PvP and go into multiplayer?
Hemswal: First off, PvP is fun. I've been in the top 10 on and off for the past year or so. PvP is far more challenging than PvE and can be just as rewarding. I only flag for PvP when I want blood or if I want extra xp. You get an extra 10% XP in PvP mode.
Q: But, there are also PvP zones where flagging is forced if you go there.. but there are no requirements to go to these zones. PvP is highly optional which presents some issues with any serious, constant PvP game play (currently. There are some enticing PvP events coming up which I'm looking forward to that will encourage more PvP. Side note: Most people flag for PvP for the extra 10% xp in multiplayer mode, not because they want to PvP.
Obsidian Tempest: I don’t pvp much in this game as I did in other games. I concentrate on being able to pve more for my guild. I have developed my character to fill any need we may have for adventuring. If we need a tank, I can do that. We need a healer? I got it covered. Dps? Sure. I’m not up there with the best tanks, healers or dps in the game but I can do the job well enough to fit any shortcoming a group may have. I have read some great ideas on enhancing pvp within the game put forth by the community and even talking with the devs. I do expect that the developers will add much more to pvp. To your point, pvp without risk AND reward is pointless. The question for the devs. is how do they balance this out for the many play-styles.
Q: What is the most expensive item you have ever gotten from PvP and lost in PvP?
Hemswal: I looted a Cabalist hood. At the time it was worth around 120k gold or so. Probably only worth about 70-80k now.
Obsidian Tempest: I’ve never lost anything of value as I make sure I have the gold to pay the ransom. Best item I ever got was a stack of reagents.
Q:Release Candiate 52 is coming out on the 27th (or is out upon the publishing of this article). So, what are the biggest changes or improvements to combat systems being implemented in this release?
Hemswal: First, let me say that R52 is basically a solid beta in my opinion. The biggest changes and improvements that are coming in about 2 weeks are specializations, new spells, and skills in most of the trees. That's kind of huge actually! So far, the specializations are working really well and seem to fit in perfectly with already existing game play. Probably one of the best design choices that Portalarium has made so far.
Q: Last one. I promise. Can you share the most memorable experience you had while playing Shroud?
Hemswal: Man, I have so many. I got revenge on a guy that wronged one of my friends. I must've killed him 25+ times in Owl's Head. I looted all of his gear, everything in his bag, and several of his bones. After doing all of that, I put a bag in my house with a pedestal beside it. On the pedestal sat Fzol's skull. In the bag, I left all of the gear that my friend didn't want. I named the bag Fzol's Atonement. The bag is still sitting on the floor with Fzol's old gear in it. Since all of that happened, our guilds have basically been permanent enemies. Lot's of good PvP opportunities there. Revenge is fun.
Obsidian Tempest: I would have to say the Community Event that we held in The Evil Eye Tavern where Lord British himself donated his skull to the Tavern to “Restore Balance” Here is the Link of the event. It was broadcast live during the telethon.
Evil Eye Tavern
These types of game events, I feel, really draw people to a game when they see that they don't always have to rely on the developers to create content themselves. Players can run their own events. In other games there are player events like tournaments for PvP, user run Wargames, Guild relations that spark continental divides of player bases and alliances. But Lord British has stated that the way a game will leave a lasting impression, is to draw from some sort of historical event or subject matter that players can experience throughout the games life cycle.
I believe that the idea of the Evil Eye Tavern is one of those things that has a historical foundation. Now that the game is moving into a commercial launch, the player base that has grown and developed the economy and game systems from the start of the game, they can provide something other than game play as a foundation. It will give a beacon in the world, that as the players come and go in the region, will experience and tell their friends about it. Maybe some will wonder what the deal is with all the skulls and the design choices of the town, and the island will pique their interests to explore the backstory.
Q: So can you give me the backstory of the Evil Eye Tavern?
Obsidian Tempest: I played Ultima Online on Catskills server in the Crimson Alliance. A part of an area on the map was called Necropolis, which resided outside of the old Orc Tree Fort. Player races that were grouped in this area consisted of Undead, Orcs (Shadowclan), Evil Elves and Evil Humans. The Evil Eye Tavern was created inside of Necropolis as a central hub or tavern for the group to gather around. A few of the players of those days are playing in Shroud of the Avatar, many have moved on, but I wanted to bring a piece of Ultima Online to Shroud of the Avatar via the Evil Eye Tavern. There are a lot of Taverns around, but I wanted to make a unique idea.
When a player dies in PvP on the server, there is a chance for a skeletal body part to be a lootable item. Hands and Skulls. These items are labeled with the players Avatar name in the game. So the idea was to gather skulls of players, that have their unique name, and decorate the walls of the Tavern for would-be travelers to the region. The first skull that was placed in the tavern was actually that of Darkstarr, the Executive Producer of the game. His character's Avatar in the game is the Lord of Chaos. From there we started to create a backstory about the island itself being corrupted by the forces of Chaos, now that his skull resided inside the tavern walls. To balance out this, the story was progressed to obtain the skull of a person of Order. Richard Garriott, the creator of the Ultima series, loved this idea and storyline so much, that he decided to donate his skull to the tavern to balance out the powers of Chaos with Order. The video above is the in-game event in which Lord British presented the skull to the Tavern.
Currently there are over 330 Skulls of Avatar's, originating from players and developers alike, adorning the walls of the Evil Eye Tavern. Some of the major Guilds in the game have donated many of their members' skulls including: Moongate Travelers, Carpe Noctem, Havoc, House Serenite of Grunvald. While the amount of skulls in the Tavern grew, we had thought about labeling areas of Guild Contributions with their names, some of the guilds did not wish their names to be publicly displayed for one reason or another, so it is purely grouped up in a general sense, but with no direct labels saying what guild a skull is in.
Q: I have heard that the Tavern has grown over the years to expand due to space and game limitations, can you elaborate on what transpired?
Obsidian Tempest: The Tavern has existed on 3 separate lots. The smallest one was the original idea and was basically like any other tavern. Once we started applying the theme of Avatar skulls, however, we needed more wall space. Thus we purchased a bigger lot which allowed a larger structure to accommodate the influx of skulls and decorations. At this point we had plenty of wall space, but the game's decoration limits hit it very hard. Where you could only place so many items inside the building, we needed to expand once more. In order to try to eliminate the need to repeat this (and redecorate), a City Lot was purchased by myself, and the structure was gained through a combined effort of the Moongate Travelers guild.
Q: Who decorated the Tavern and who was in charge of the amazing work for the layouts of each room?
Obsidian Tempest: The original layout of the tavern was mine, but the the original concept that was to be like a normal tavern, with a musical stage, a bar and so on was actually a guild decision. So the guild decided what the rooms would look like, and then I did the decorating.
All of the decorations on the Island of Rift's End, not just the Evil Eye Tavern, were donated by other guild members. Anything they could buy in the store, pledge items gained or even just lootable quest and crafted items, were all collected and displayed to be what the Island itself is today.
Since this is a player made foundation story-line, the decision was to only allow Skull contributions up until the official launch of the game. That date is March 27th, 2018. So after that time there will be no further additions of Skulls to the Tavern. They will forever be enshrined as long as the game lasts.
For information on the skull submissions, you can visit Obsidian Tempests thread here: Hail - Time is Running Out to Donate Your Skull | Shroud of the Avatar Forum
Gaming News From Around The Globe
Smash is coming to the Switch
Without any indication Nintendo drops a bombshell on us and on top of that it is coming out this year, 2018. People are speculating big time on what the roster will be based on a silhouette seen in the trailer. This is massive news for the fighting game scene because now we have DBZ and a new Smash, EVO is going to be more hype than ever. To check out the trailer for yourself click right here.
Fortnite on Mobile + Xbox/PC & PS4/PC Compatibility.
The biggest game of the year keeps on giving. Epic Games added two huge platforms to their masterpiece, mobile and console. The best part about these additions? They are both compatible with PC. This might be the biggest PC/Mobile PC/Console compatibility ever. So far the mobile version is #1 on the IOS App Store and it is still in invite only stage. The way the compatibility works is if your on PC and want to play with a mobile or console friend you can invite them to your party but that mobile or console friend would be entering a lobby filled with PC players, not the other way around. So no, this is not an easy way to boost off console and mobile scrubs for us PC players. And sadly on top of this PS4 and Xbox are not compatible so not only can they not play with each other on their own but if you have a party you cannot bring a friend from one of each console into that party.
Speaking of Fortnite did anybody hear about Drake, JuJu, and Travis Scott playing with Ninja on Twitch? Breaking the records all over the place with 600k+ viewers and Ninja apparently got 90k subs in that one stream alone. Is Fortnite a fad like Pokemon Go or is it the next Minecraft?
Black Ops 4 is confirmed for 2018 and along with it possible MW2 Remaster
Activision and Treyarch announced last week in a tweet that BLOPS 4 is coming out this year but with this news came some details that have people going nuts. Rumors of a MW2 Remaster release date and a Battle Royale. There have been retailer listings that are placeholders but still suggest the MW2 Remaster will be arriving in 2018. My guess is it might be like COD 4 remaster and you might have to buy BLOPS 4 to obtain it, at least at first. Which would also be kind of weird because BLOPS 4 is Treyarch and MW2 is Infinity War so there's definitely some miss matching there.
As far as the Battle Royale goes, Activision apparently let an investment firm know it is aware of the popularity of Battle Royale and that the company is a "faster follower." From this and just knowing Activision dipping their hands into anything successful even on the Blizzard side of things, I can totally see this happening and I can't help but say I am hyped for it. I am a sucker for Battle Royale ever since H1Z1 and now Fortnite but I know for sure that COD shooting is pretty smooth and could easily take over PUBG's 1st person version of it for sure. Especially because PUBG has been having major player loss and bug issues non stop every update. People would definitely make the switch if Activision did it right. One thing that worries me is if CoD could handle 100 people in 1 server.
Valve has actually announced stuff including more information on their card game, Artifact
Before we dive into some of the news about Artifact lets talk about another announcement Valve threw at us out of the blue. And that announcement is Dota Plus. This is basically their replacement for the Battle Passes. For $4 USD a month you get Seasonal Terrain, altered hero-specific version of missions, and the return of the Battle Cup which is free for Plus members. If you don't buy Dota Plus you can still buy into the Cups for 99 cents.
Now on to Artifact. Valve demoed the game in Seattle last week and Gabe Newell called Blizzard's Hearthstone the "benchmark" for online card games. The game will be Dota themed and a board with three lanes on it. But these lanes are not individual games because they can impact each other in different ways. On top of that each lane has a tower with 40 HP and the first person to kill two towers wins. From first look this game looks anything but casual friendly. Richard Garfield, an old school Magic: The Gathering designer, has been working with Valve on the game since 2014. The game will not be free to play and you will be able to purchase card packs on the Steam marketplace. Nobody knows the price of the game yet nor the release date. Valve said the game will not be pay to win but this to me is very suspect because we can also trade our cards on the market place. This has a lot of people coming up with theories on how Valve plans to tackle this. Other than minor details such as card counts and slots, we don't know much more but this demo has definitely increased the hype for the trading card game community.
Hearthstone has a new expansion
Speaking of card game announcements we have the infamous Hearthstone announcing a new expansion, The Witchwood. 135 new cards, 10 being announced and more on the 26th. Pre-order bundle will be $50.00 USD per usual. This expansion seems to be Worgen themed and the trailer, which I will show below, is very Halloween-esque which is weird for this time of year. There will be a new single player campaign, a new mode called Monster Hunt, and every class is getting 2 new legendaries. Monster Hunt is where players pick 1 of 4 heroes similar to Dungeon Run. There will also be new keywords called Rush, a new form of charge that prevents minions from attacking heroes the turn they are played, and Echo which is essentially Unstable Evolution and can be played as many times as you have mana for in a single turn. Release Date is not known.
Anime Review by Killen
Akame ga kill
Now having to fight people with special abilities and weapons with unique powers also know as Imperial arms, Tatsumi will get assigned to kill all those who assist the emperor. But soon after Night Raid is informed that the loyal Esdeath a very powerful foe with the only care for war and torture has returned to the emperor. Esdeath has been assigned to create a group called The Jaegers with the sole purpose of getting rid of Night Raid.
My opinion
All the fighting scenes are intense and there's a lot of them and each one of them are different from one another. That in general is very enjoyable. But there are also small fun jokes, even tho its not listed as comedy.
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