Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Here’s what we have for you in this week’s edition of Update of the Avatar:

Estgard Remake

Estgard is another cloned scene using one of our PRT / POT templates based off of the Forest 01 base template (aka PaxLair). It is getting rebuilt this release and will go live with Release 33. Note that when we un-clone these scenes we do NOT change lot placements. We only make cosmetic changes of building styles, terrain, and foliage. In the case of Estgard, it is getting a plot specific perimeter wall added along with a host of other visual changes. Estgard is on the island of Norgard and is part of the Path of Courage.

[From a Dev+ Forum Post by Richard “RrMatey” Matey]

With Estgard, my goal was to tie it closer to the aesthetics of Valhold.

Take a gander





Juggling Bottles

[From a Forum Post by Scott “Lum” Jennings]

We managed to sneak in a cool token of appreciation to all of you who are busy having fun and making Release 32 a success – as of today’s patch, if you ask Peladjar (the innkeeper in Sequanna Square’s busiest tavern) about his job, he’ll explain how difficult it is to keep so many customers happy. And thus you’ll learn something as well… mainly the /jugglebottles emote!

Just a small thank you for helping us keep all our bottles in the air.



Land Rush Update

The lot selection process has kicked off and the land rush is heating up! As of this update, we have over 300 lots that have been claimed with thousands more yet to be claimed as the upcoming backer tiers open up this weekend.

Here are the estimated number of lots currently available of each type (they are going fast, so don’t delay in securing your lot!):

Row: 1,304

Village: 1,237

Village Water: 225

Town: 391

Town Water: 67

City: 198

City Water: 34

Keep: 36

Keep Water: 12

Castle: 13

Castle Water: 11

Brittany Central currently takes the lead in the number of lots claimed at 54. Owl’s Head is second in demand at 48 lots claimed. There is still plenty of lots left in Estgard, Etceter, Resolute, Spite, Yew, and many other towns!

The Lord and Lord Marshal Groups (28-36) are claiming today and through this weekend! Here is the lot selection schedule for these groups:

Royal Founder – Group 28: August 5 at 11:00 CDT (16:00 UTC)

Royal Founder – Group 29: August 5 at 16:00 CDT (21:00 UTC)

Royal Founder – Group 30: August 5 at 21:00 CDT (August 6 at 02:00 UTC)

Founder – Group 31: August 6 at 02:00 CDT (07:00 UTC)

Founder – Group 32: August 6 at 07:00 CDT (12:00 UTC)

Founder – Group 33: August 6 at 12:00 CDT (17:00 UTC)

Benefactor – Group 34: August 6 at 17:00 CDT (22:00 UTC)

Benefactor – Group 35: August 6 at 22:00 CDT (August 7 at 03:00 UTC)

Benefactor – Group 36: August 7 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC)

All other group times are listed in the Lot Selection announcement on the main website. The last group will be Group 91 on August 24 at 03:00 CDT (08:00 UTC). After all group times have passed, anyone will have a chance to place a lot.

To get daily lot selection updates, follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/shroudofavatar, or keep the above Lot Selection announcement bookmarked for easy access!

Dawn of New Britannia Community Trailer Contest

Get those eye popping trailer ideas ready, Avatars! This is your chance to show that Shroud of the Avatar is the game, and community, new players will want to experience next! The ‘Dawn of New Britannia Community Trailer Contest’ is underway!

You have from August 4, 2016 (Now) to August 21, 2016 (11:59 PM CDT) to design a video trailer for all of New Britannians to see and admire. Glamorous city districts, creative player-owned towns, luxurious housing, intense combat, majestic outdoor areas, and so much more is available to proudly show off. There’s a nearly infinite potential in creating a trailer that makes even the most hardy New Britannia cry out in joy, and to want to share the video with others.

Grand Prize: $1,000 Store Credit, SotA signed t-shirt, Sword of Midras book, SotA COTOs coin, and a specially signed congratulations letter from Richard Garriott.

2nd Place: $500 Store Credit, SotA signed t-shirt, Sword of Midras book, SotA COTOs coin

3rd Place: $250 Store Credit, SotA signed t-shirt, Sword of Midras book, SotA COTOs coin

[Read more…]

Star Citizen Cross Promotion

In Celebration of reaching Final Wipe last week, Cloud Imperium Games and Portalarium are proud to announce an exciting opportunity to purchase two limited edition items in Shroud of the Avatar that also grant access to items in CiG’s Star Citizen!

Star Citizen Aeronaut Helmet Starter Bundle (Limited Edition of 250): The Cloud Imperium Sky Navy equips its daring Aeronauts with these helmets that include the latest in Kobold Aether Vibration technology allowing the user to tune into radio stations. Purchase of this Starter Package grants Early Game Access to Shroud of the Avatar, 50 Bank Slots AND the Star Citizen Mustang Alpha starter pack (Coupon Code redeemable on Star Citizen website).

Star Citizen Mustang Alpha Starship

Star Citizen Airship Home (Limited Edition of 150): The Cloud Imperium Sky Navy has recently decommissioned 150 of their armor clad airships and lucky Outlanders can purchase them to use as homes on their City Lots. These float above a city lot, providing ample living area while preserving almost 100% of yard space! You will need a City or larger Property to place this home in-game. Purchase of this home ALSO includes the Star Citizen Cutlass Black Starship from Drake Interplanetary (Coupon Code redeemable on Star Citizen website).

Star Citizen Cutlass Black Starship





Alienware Indie Contest – Vote for Shroud of the Avatar!

Two dozen indie games are being presented in ‪Alienware Arena‬’s ‘Indie Game Showcase Challenge’ event, and Shroud of the Avatar is proud to be one! Help us to secure further exciting partnerships for the community with Alienware by voting today!

[Read more…]

Add On Store Updates

There have been many new additions to the Add-On Store during the past week, including Wings, Emotes, Homes, Hats, and Value-Packs!

Wings!

Juggle Emotes!

Ornate Pipe Pack

Breathe Fire Emote

Ornate Black Leather Aeronaut Helmet

New Viking and Kobold Homes

15% Summer Bonus and 17 Day Countdown to Expiration Event, Part 2

As we march toward the conclusion of the Great Land Rush, we are preparing for Part 2 of our Summer 2016 Expiration Event and the end of the 15% Summer Bonus Promotion!

Summer 2016 Expiration Event, Part 2

At Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) on August 22, 2016, we are expiring ALL remaining pledges, including: Adventurer, Founder, Royal Artisan, Explorer, Ancestor, Edelmann, Knight Marshal, Lord Marshal, Duke, and Lord of the Manor 2. To commemorate the final expiration of all remaining pledges, we are holding a 12-hour Summer Telethon Part 2, starting at 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and running right up to the Final Pledge Expirations at Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC).

Get Your 15% Summer Bonus!

If you were thinking of purchasing (or upgrading) a pledge or Player Owned Town before they expire, then now’s a great time to do it! For all new purchases (including pledges, pledge upgrades, add-on items, player owned towns and upgrades, Make a Difference items, and service vouchers) between 12:00 am CDT June 24, 2016 and Midnight CDT (5:00 UTC) August 22, 2016, we’ll add an additional 15% bonus to your Store Credit!

[Read more…]

Upcoming Events

2016.08.16 – GDC Europe

2016.08.22 – Summer Telethon Part 2 + Final Pledge Expirations Episode 1 (Pledge Expirations at Midnight)

2016.08.25 – Release 33

2016.09.02 – DragonCon 2016

2016.09.21 – Austin Games Conference

2016.09.29 – Release 34

2016.11.04 – SotACon

Community Activities

Visit the official Community Calendar to see the great lineup of activities our amazing community has planned for this weekend! And be sure to check out the Release 32 Events thread in the SotA forums for additional events.

Event of the Week – EVL /emote Swap

Do you crave emotes? Has your boyfriend not learned to /kiss yet? Does your pledge come without /headstand so said how are you going to make it through the day when you can see the world from that perspective? This will occur at 4 PM NBT (Central-Server-Time) by the Owl’s Head) lower bank.

Community Resources – Players Helping Players

The official SotA New Player Welcome Forum and the Player Created Resources Forum have the best player created resources for Shroud of the Avatar, whether it’s a Player Written Guide, a Video Walk-through, or a Wiki-type Website.

Resource of the Week

SOTAWiki.net – All Things Shroud of the Avatar SotAWiki is a 100% community-driven and updated resource about all manner of items, quests, and in-game organizations! This site is also accessible by using the /sotawiki command from within the game!

SOTAWiki.net – All Things Shroud of the Avatar

Visit the official Community Resources page for a complete listing of all things community.



Status of ONBE Shipments

The Order of the New Britannia Empire (ONBE) awards are now shipping to our amazing community recipients! There are still several recipients that have not updated mailing address information on their accounts. If you are expecting an ONBE, please do this now! We are also sending out e-mails to ensure we have the correct address. Please check that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account to receive these e-mails!

Visit SotA Wiki for a current list of those who have received or are expecting ONBEs.

Backer Shipping Addresses

In preparation for shipping backers’ physical pledge rewards later this year, we have added Shipping Address fields to your Account Profile page. To enter your shipping address, log in to the SotA website, select “Account” in top right corner, then select “Edit Profile” located in top left corner, beneath your Avatar image.

For country and regional tax assessment purposes, our tax accountants have requested that we start collecting a buyer’s physical/shipping address for all purchases, whether digital or physical. We’ve tried to streamline that process as much as possible, such that once you’ve entered a physical address we will pre-populate the address fields with your default address.

A reminder to be sure that support@portalarium.com is unblocked from your e-mail account!

World Builder/Level Designer Job Opening

We currently have an opening for a junior-level to senior-level World Builder/Level Designer for Shroud of the Avatar. Qualifications for the “ideal candidate” are:

Minimum 2 years industry experience for junior-level (preferably on a shipped game)

Unity3D proficiency

Scripting ability

Experience building, texturing, and decorating natural, terrain based exterior environments

An artistic eye for detail, with strong scene compositional skills

If you’d like to join the Portalarium Tribe working on the ground-breaking Shroud of the Avatar, please submit your resume to jobs@portalarium.com. Provide links to your work (if possible), including actual game play, videos footage, and document form (images, maps, and event descriptions).

Recommended Projects to Back

Star Citizen

“I don’t want to build a game.

I want to build a universe.”

From the mind of Chris Roberts, acclaimed creator of Wing Commander and Freelancer, comes STAR CITIZEN, a living, breathing science fiction universe with unparalleled immersion… and you’re invited to follow every step of development!

More than a space combat sim, more than a first person shooter and more than an MMO: Star Citizen is the First Person Universe that will allow for unlimited gameplay.

BrightLocker

BrightLocker is the first crowd publishing platform for games. BrightLocker was launched by fellow ex-Originites Mark Rizzo and Ruben Cortez, members of the original Ultima Online Network Ops team from back in the day. Portalarium’s Starr Long is also an advisor.

BrightLocker will be counting down the last hour of the Finals voting round LIVE tonight! Producer Erin Geiger and co-host Charlie Porter will be discussing the game ideas competing for a coveted spot in the GreenZone, checking in with thier live audience via Twitch chat, and will have play-by-play commentary as the Finals near their dramatic conclusion. Our very own Shroud community member enderandrew is also a Brightlocker community member and his game idea Meifumado: The Dark Road To Hell is one of the finalists!

On top of all that, they will have a special raffle during the show giving a lucky winner 2,500 votes! This is a historic moment as YOU help choose the first game to go into production that is created and selected by the public.

Tune in LIVE tonight at 8PM-9PM Central time here.

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