Release 53

RELEASE 53, April 26, 2018

Release 53 is our first release since launching out of Early Access. As promised, we are continuing our cadence of monthly releases, just as before. Release 53 of Shroud of the Avatar goes live Thursday, April 26, at 10:30 AM US Central Daylight Time (15:30 UTC).

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Release 53 is the first release in which we focused on the current iteration of our Top 10 Priorities (from Q2 2018 post). We were able to address most of the items on that list in some fashion. We made strong progress on performance, localization, physical goods, improved reward cycle, user interface polish, player direction and story polish. We will be spending more time on enemy behaviors and repeatable content in the next two releases.

Story Polish and Side Quests: We continue to polish the story with additional side quests, balance, and dialogue additions including backer NPCs for the cities of Northwood and Brittany Wharfs. We also polished many scenes with new content, including the addition of the remaining Reward Blessings that we introduced in Release 52.

New Scenes: Steady progress continues on rebuilding scenes that were previously cloned from other scenes. In Release 53, we uncloned two more adventure scenes and gave them both a pirate theme: Tenebris Harbor and Penmawr Island. We also uncloned the town of Eastmarch.

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Looking for Group: A party leader can add their party (aka “group”) to a public listing of open groups for others to join. Players who are looking for a group to play with can use this listing to find an open group.

Loot Improvements: We made massive improvements to loot. Player crafted gear sold to merchants will now appear in supply bundles, decorations have been added in multiple places including toadstools on mushroom enemies (how ironic is that?), worn armor can now be found on humanoids, lot deeds and homes now appear in rare supply bundles, and drop rates have been increased for all items in Offline Mode!

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Virtue Effects for Gear: We now have a system that allows us to add effects to gear where those effects are controlled by your avatar’s virtue. For example, the Plate Chest of Courage now raises or lowers health based on your avatar’s virtue.

Heraldry: Heraldry is now open for everyone through the sale of Heraldry Eternal Patterns in the Add-On Store and Crown Merchants. We also added a Cloak to the growing number of items on which you may display your heraldry. Note that these items are visually distinct from the Founder versions delivered in Release 52.

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I want to express a huge amount of gratitude to the players who tested the items listed below on our QA server. They found many bugs and also provided editorial feedback on this post so that it is easy to read and actually matches what is in the game.

Before offering feedback and/or reporting a bug, we kindly ask that you read this whole message and the linked Player Instructions and Known Issues to get up to date on the current game state. To keep up to date, please check out the Patch Notes.

By taking a few moments to read through this information, a great deal of our time and effort can be focused on new “unanswered” questions and addressing critical issues that impact 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 also working overtime to make new events for you to enjoy. Be sure to check the schedule for player-run events (via the player-run websites: NBNN Community Calendar 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 53.

Key:

• Plain Text: The original plan for the Release deliverables from the Q2 2018 Schedule Update. We intentionally preserve the original text so that our backers can compare plan versus actuals.
• Italics: Detailed notes of what was actually delivered.
• Strikethrough: These are items that did not make the release (but are still planned).

RELEASE 53, April 26, 2018

• Story: We will continue to work on adding side quests and polish to the Paths of Truth, Love, and Courage. Also, we will continue to add and update maps for the in-game map system. We will also add backer NPC conversations to Northwood and Brittany Wharf. Finally, the scenes Tenebris Harbor, Eastmarch (town), and Penmawr Island will be rebuilt from scratch.
  File:SotA BrittanyWharf u180 3.jpg

• Scene Rebuilds: The following scenes were previously clones of other adventure scenes but were completely rebuilt for this release.

• Eastmarch: Eastmarch is a village on the southeast coast of Drachvald near the Vauban pass. The famous song by the bard Iolo, “The Baron of Eastmarch,” was written about a baron of this town before the keep fell into ruin following repeated attacks by the undead. In fact there is a bard who lives there, Millicent Davis, who still sings the song “Baron of Eastmarch” and supposedly has copies of the sheet music. In recent times, the locals have been strengthening their defenses with watchtowers and patching up the ruined keep walls so that the keep can be used as a refuge during undead attacks. Eastmarch was originally based on the Forest 01 POT template but has been rebuilt for Release 53. As with other town rebuilds, the locations of player lots, merchants, and scene exits have not been changed.
  File:EastMarch1-1.jpg
• Penmawr Island: Penmawr Island is a Tier 4 island in the Bay of Storms in the South Paladis region directly south of Jaanaford. The island includes a safe haven for plunderers but a recent shipwreck nearby threatens the inhabitants with a horde of undead.
  File:SS 04122018 PenmawrIsland B.jpg
• Tenebris Harbor: Tenebris Harbor was once a thriving shipbuilding town on the coast of the Bay of Storms in the South Paladis region west of Jaanaford. The town has recently been overrun by plunderers who have ransacked and burned down whole sections of the town. For the first few days of the release, parts of the town will be on fire and the bodies of the residents will litter the streets but soon those fires will go out, the bodies will get cleaned up, and the town will settle into the long-term plundered and ruined state. This is a Tier 5 scene, so be prepared for a challenge! An old prospector will reward players who help him find something precious for him, while another quest rewards players with the Blessing of Elusiveness.
  File:TenebrisHarbor 009.jpg

• Side Quests: (SPOILERS)

• You Be the Judge: Avatars are asked to be the judge in Blood Bay, since the previous judge met an untimely demise. Speak to Mayor Hinkley in town to get the scoop. However, not all is as it first seems. A mysterious individual, simply called the Orator, makes the player an offer they can potentially refuse, but maybe should think about very carefully. Plus, passing judgement will reward the player with the Judge’s Wig wearable.
  File:Blood-Bay-20.jpg
• Lucky Nugget: Learn the new /oldprospectordance in Tenebris Harbor from Zan, the old prospector for a limited time as Zan may not be around forever (prospecting is a hard life after all).
• Spurred Bounty: After you’ve turned in at least one bounty slip to a bounty master, offer to “help” them and be tasked with your own bounty hunting job.
• Precious Wood Duck: Lars Trong, a retired merchant and insatiable duck enthusiast that can be found in Random Plains Encounters , wishes to update his flock of pet mallards to include a cuddly wood duck. He commissioned an odd chap, named Rehctelf, to find him the best example of the duck, but has not heard anything from the fellow in over a week. Naturally, Lars will ask the player to track him down and retrieve his new, beloved wood duck. Hopefully, there’s no miscommunication betweeen Lars and Rehctelf, but you never know.
• Catalyst of Hate: The scouts within hills sieges and forest sieges have a new priority: Take away the alchemical catalyst used by Siege Engineers to trigger their catapults. Bring alchemical catalyst to the scouts for a reward in this repeatable quest.
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• Pain and Suffering: Journey to Braemar and enter the newest edition of the Compendium of Pain and Suffering (see Scene Polish section below). Inside its mystical dimension, the mysterious Narrator will challenge you to survive his quest fraught with “Pain and Suffering.”
• Virtue Armor Quests: The quests to obtain the various pieces of the Virtue Armor have been fixed so that all the armor items have the correct material bonuses. Example: Leather Armor Leggings of Love. NOTE: In R54 we will be attempting an item migration for everyone who got the items before this fix.
• Defeat the Cabalists: The devotional caretakers need your help! Talk to each caretaker and mention the name of a cabalist that hates their patron virtue. Most caretakers will ask you to eliminate that cabalist, while the caretakers in Resolute, Aerie, and Ardoris will ask you to eliminate four of them.

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• Scene Polish: (SPOILERS)

• Northwood: NPCs with names and backgrounds created by our backers as a Kickstarter reward have been added.
• Brittany Wharfs: NPCs with names and backgrounds created by our backers as a Kickstarter reward have been added. Also added a new shopkeeper at the Cooking and Comfort shop named Barclay.
  File:Brittanywharf1.jpg
• Highvale Return, Solace Bridge Return, Blood River Return: These are the versions of the starting scenes you see when you return to them later or if you start one of the other paths. Previously, they incorrectly displayed some structures as pristine when they should have been ruined from the battles depicted in the starting scenarios. We revisited these return versions and made sure they were all properly ruined, burned down, and overgrown.
• Compendium of Pain and Suffering: Rush to Braemar’s graveyard and enter the revamped edition of this “dungeon,” now with more reliable wave-based spawning tech, a redesigned room layout, new reward-room propping, an associated quest, and a shorter name.
• Demig’s Battle Camp: In Release 35, we improved the behaviors and animations of the guards and patrollers around the camp. We also added emotes for Demig. We also gave the healer in the camp a unique visual. In Release 51, we furthered the polish with unique visuals and faces for Athard and Demig. In Release 53, we continued polishing this scene with conversation work. The Quartermaster now has his own conversation where he mentions working for Demig. The knights bark about training and watching out for kobolds. A “Knight-Surgeon” has a tent near the back of the camp with a few custom responses and “barks.”
• Jaanaford: Skitter the Faun now gives a Blackblade Pass key in the same manner as Dion in Kiln.
• Aerie: We removed some underlining in the keywords of many of the citizens of Aerie so players would not feel obliged to talk to every single person about every single fact.
• North Shattered Hills: Added the Blessing of Elemental Tolerance (+20 resistance and -10 attunement to earth, air, fire, water) for completing the puzzle.
• South Midmaer Way: Added the Blessing of Agility (Adds 30 Dexterity and give -10 Strength) for completing the puzzle.
• Brittany Sewers: Added the Blessing of Magic Tolerance (+20 resistance and -10 attunement to sun, moon, life, death) for completing the wave battle.
• Desolate Hills: If you disturb the sarcophagi in the mausoleums, a high level skeleton will attack!
• Quel Shardfall: The initial fires set by the shardfall have now burned out. The iconic burning windmill has burned down.
• Blood Bay: We increased difficulty of many enemies on west side of the island.
• Oracle Colossus: We upgraded two areas with ghosts from Tier 5 to Tier 8.
• Far Hinterlands: We replaced the spiders at the spider cave with Tier 6 versions, and added a few Tier 10 spiders that will occasionally also spawn.
• Halls of Artifice: We added back in the original 3-Lock Door visuals, and improved various aspects of the “crusher” including custom audio and visual effects.
• Valhold: We added five “Norgard Thane” NPCs and two “Norgard Noble” NPCs inside Valhold castle. They have a bleak outlook and sometimes bark trash about Demig.
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• Sieges: Engineers no longer have hammers and will now properly use their ranged attacks
• Brittany Graveyard: We added a Point of Interest location for Helen’s Tomb.
• More Wisps: We added more wisps to the game, as they were too rare. They can now be found in: Deep Savrenoc Timberland, Deep Ravenswood, South Boundless Forest, Solace Forest, Longfall Woods, South Hinterlands, Far Hinterlands, North Hinterlands, and Norgard Fens.
• East Longfall Wetland: We made several updates to improve this scene’s puzzle and components.
• Central Brittany: We polished the terrain visuals. We also added a book to the Brittany Castle library about Dread Artifacts that explains the reagents entitled “On The Peculiar Qualities Of The Artifacts Wielded By The Titans Of Novia.”
• Water Ripples: We polished this visual effect for when the avatar is swimming through water so the ripple emission rate is much lower when the avatar is not moving, higher when moving. Also, fixed an issue where the ripples would continue even after avatar had left the water.
• Exploding Doors: We have a new trap type for players to watch out for: Exploding Doors!
• Breakaway Gates Fix: We fixed an issue where breakway gates would appear open but were not functional.
• Novia Overworld: Improved collision along the coast to the north, east, and southeast of Northwood.
• Crooked Shank: Cornelia the elf will no longer ask players to find the key to unlock her door if it is already unlocked.
• Spite: Moved the crafting trainer’s home to a building much closer to the crafting pavilion to decrease travel times and therefore increase availability.

• New & Polished In-game Maps: We added several new in-game maps.

• Battle of Solace Bridge (small update)
• Blood River Massacre (small update)
• Boreas Colossus (New)
• Crooked Shank (New, surface only)
• Jaanaford (small update)
• New Holtrot (small update, removed pre-placed Keep & Castle walls)
• South Midmaer Way (New)
• South Boundless Forest (New)
• Westend – flipped map so it is correctly oriented
• Player Owned Towns: NOTE: This will only reflect the in-game minimap rendering for these POTs. The automatic updating of POT positions on the overworld map is not yet implemented, so some of these maps may not show up when you search the map on our website.

• Aerie Cove
• Alexandria
• Beregost
• Blackrock Cove
• Breath of Fire
• Brickbay
• Bricksands
• Brickvald
• Britt Mart
• BurningToad Town
• Caelestis Canton
• Candy Mountain
• Clevedon
• Clew Bay
• Constitutio Chaos
• Crossroads Alleys
• Da New Pitmuck
• Dark Hart
• Dragomir Mori
• Flowing Waters Forest
• Formosa
• Forptycle
• Goldfield
• Great Reed Alpha
• Hamberia
• Hameln
• Hero Market
• Highland Keep of Clan MacDaddy
• Homicide Town
• Honor Hold
• Illusive Passage
• Inselberg Wastes
• Iron Gate
• Ishum
• Isla de Muerta
• Jatavern
• Justice Hold
• Krabnevir
• Le Chateau Rouge
• Light City
• Luna City
• Malficium
• Memphomai
• Murdersberg
• Mystic Isle
• New Addington
• New Heaven
• Nidhoggr Mountains
• Obsidius
• Ogygia
• Port Lihan
• Rauchbier Platz
• Refugees Hideout
• Rinzai
• S Mart Factorium
• Seers Sanctuary
• Shangri La
• Shogun Ridge
• Skuggrike
• Steubenshire
• Stocktopia
• Tartarus
• Tenebrae
• The Caverns of Kahli
• The Caverns Under Neath
• The Time Tunnel
• Twilight Sparkle
• Unterwelt
• Vale St. Julie
• Virtue Oasis

• Scene Fixes: We went through many scenes in the game fixing major and minor bugs including conversations, stuck spots, floating assets, missing assets, bad NPC patrols, inaccessible ore nodes, missing collision, audio issues, falling through the world, tree issues, etc. The list includes:

• Battle of Highvale
• Blood River Outskirts
• Brookside
• Elad’s Lighthouse
• Graff Island
• Greymark Forest
• Halls of Artifice
• Harvest
• Highvale Outskirts
• Hills Random Encounter
• Kiln Cistern
• Lost Vale
• North Midmaer Way
• Paladis Shardfall
• Point West
• Resolute
• Solace Bridge Outskirts
• Soltown
• South Broken Road
• The Clink
• Ulfheim

• Performance: Performance work will mainly focus on improving frame rate and reducing hitching during gameplay. Work will also continue to be done on load time reduction on the few outstanding scenes that are not meeting our 15 second load time target.

• Destroyed City Walls: These assets were optimized to use fewer individual objects, properly use LODs, etc.
• New Terrain Shader: In Release 52 we added a new terrain shader to the game and migrated several of our maps to use it for both improved visuals and performance. The following maps have been moved to the new shader in Release 53:

• Alpine Player Owned Town Templates
• Desert Player Owned Town Templates
• Forest Player Owned Town Templates
• Grassland Player Owned Town Templates
• Hidden Vale Overworld
• Island Player Owned Town Templates
• Mountain Player Owned Town Templates
• Swamp Island Player Owned Town Templates
• Swamp Player Owned Town Templates
• Tropical Island Player Owned Town Templates
• Underground Player Owned Town Templates

• Memory Footprint: Significant progress was made on both reducing and stabilizing the memory footprint for this release!
• Area of Effect Fix: We fixed a huge performance issue related to area of effect spells and skills. This could be seen in several area effect over time spells and was being used to grief other players.
• Artifact Instruments Fix: Fixed a major issue that was causing huge performance reduction in large group situations when these items were used.
• Audio Optimization: We made a pass at improving the settings for a large amount of audio in the game. This will help with CPU load, memory footprint, and scene load times. NOTE: This work might not go live until patch 1.
• Texture Optimization: A full pass was made at evaluating textures sizes and compression settings were made. In some cases then meant improving the quality of the texture but many more were optimized. End result should be both better visual quality, smaller memory footprint, and reduced load times.

• Looking for Group: A tool to help players find a group to adventure with will appear in the game.

• Looking for Group: Looking for Group is a separate window that is accessed via Alt-F. It can also be opened from the Social window Party tab by clicking the “Join Party” button (while not already in a party). A party leader can add their party (aka “group”) to a public listing of open groups for others to join. Players who are looking for a group to play with can use this listing to find an open group. This is also a great tool for Hospitallers to let other players know they are available to provide help. Hospitallers can add listings for groups that want generalized help, or specific groups that teach crafting, or combat, or taming, etc. For this first iteration, the party leader can enter a simple description in a text entry field that includes whatever information they wish (Tier 1-5, PvP, Help, Roleplay, specific scene, etc) and then those looking for groups can filter by any term. Future iterations may include terms like these as pre-defined checkboxes.

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• Teleport to Party: As part of this change, we have extended teleport scrolls to now include party members as targets.

• Crafting & Economy: We will add more loot to the game like Worn Armor (to complement the Rusty Weapons) on humanoids. We will also introduce the system where player crafted gear sold to merchants will start appearing as loot in the game. Finally, in Offline Mode the drop rates for rare items like artifacts and rare components will be greatly increased.
  File:Wornleather.jpg
• User Interface Polish: We will make various improvements to the in-game map system, including support for localization and Linux.
• Combat: A pass will be made on combat balance looking at different combat and magic schools.
• Player Towns & Player Housing: Updates to Dynamic Player-Owned Towns (POTs) that have locked submission forms will appear in the game.

Additional Information

• Player Instructions
• Known Issues
• Quick Reference Card

See Also

• Release Dates
• Release 51
• Release 52
• Release 54