Shroud Of The Avatar - Shit Went Persistent
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Guest, it's time once again for the massively important and exciting FoH Asshat Tournament!
Go here and give us your nominations!Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!
Pledged at the $45 level and did the $20 Alienware thing, which was free with no strings surprisingly. Lets see how this turns out.
Glad I could help, Flight. Thanks for the beta offers, I already got both of those so you can make someone else happy. I hope you let us know with which property you will end up with.Check out the Baron Founder City mansion, I think it is the nicest.
Which have you gone for Treesong ?
Ponied up at Knight level :
Pledges | Shroud of the Avatar
Got to love the Lighthouse that comes with it exclusive to Founder subs :
They're doing a week of special events, including daily in depth looks at various aspects of the game. as we get to the one year anniversary of the KS finishing on Apr 7. Yesterdays was on crafting. Sound isn't good but worth a listen if you're interested :
Lasts over an hour; random bites from it :
All the best items are player created
Player driven economy
Recipes need to be learned through a variety of means - research, other players etc
Hunger is in, food affects healing/xp rate etc etc
You can create unique coats of arms that you can pass a 'sketch' of to another player to be crafted onto armor etc
Re-interpretation of the Virtue Tests is in giving unique attributes at character creation etc (woooooooo hoooooo
In PvP bludgeoning skills allow you to target enemy weapons and armor to permanently break them !
IN CLOSING A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR 3-4 MORE DAYS. YOU CAN GET FOUNDER STATUS AS THOUGH YOU'D PLEDGED ON KICKSTARTER FOR NO EXTRA COST WITH THE HELP OF A PLAYER WHO HAS THAT STATUS ALREADY -BUT THIS ENDS THIS WEEKEND (04/07). SHOUT UP IF YOU NEED HELP WITH THIS.
Updates | Shroud of the Avatar
Sorry for caps wanted peeps to see that. If you think you may ever get into this do it now. Guarantee there are going to be people in a few months kicking themselves for leaving it too late !
Occurred to me today - I wonder what the split is here on us 'oldies' who remember playing the Ultimas leading to UO vrs the folks who joined the genre at EQ1, DaoC or even WoW.
If you aren't aware of the industry pre EQ1 you won't be aware of just how much Garriott innovated and set standards and ideas on the Apple/Atari/Amiga/Commodore/286 platforms which others have copied and used ever since.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_(series)
I've said before that I think TESO and Wildstar will mark the end of big budget titles trying to do a 'WoW' - companies trusting the same old names with big budgets to try and cash in, with the motivator being big returns.
'Next gen' for me is coming and by that I mean we're going to see a return to people who love what they are doing infusing the games they make with their passion.
For those folks who weren't in for the ride pre-UO Garriott is probably just that person who put out Tabula Rasa and took a ride into space.
For me he's one of the true geniuses in the industry and he's working on what he loves. He's had 15 years to hone his ideas. I wouldn't dismiss his claim last year, immodest though it was, to be the best game designer in the industry.
I'm not sure if SoTA will be what I/we've been waiting for - it may be the precursor of his next big MMO or this may very well be it as it grows over time. But I am excited about it.
/endshill
If you aren't aware of the industry pre EQ1 you won't be aware of just how much Garriott innovated and set standards and ideas on the Apple/Atari/Amiga/Commodore/286 platforms which others have copied and used ever since.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_(series)
I've said before that I think TESO and Wildstar will mark the end of big budget titles trying to do a 'WoW' - companies trusting the same old names with big budgets to try and cash in, with the motivator being big returns.
'Next gen' for me is coming and by that I mean we're going to see a return to people who love what they are doing infusing the games they make with their passion.
For those folks who weren't in for the ride pre-UO Garriott is probably just that person who put out Tabula Rasa and took a ride into space.
For me he's one of the true geniuses in the industry and he's working on what he loves. He's had 15 years to hone his ideas. I wouldn't dismiss his claim last year, immodest though it was, to be the best game designer in the industry.
I'm not sure if SoTA will be what I/we've been waiting for - it may be the precursor of his next big MMO or this may very well be it as it grows over time. But I am excited about it.
/endshill
$%#^&** Entire piece of my post got deleted.
Anyway, I think that lighthouse is WAY cool. Good choice.
I am holding out for now, also because I let myself influence by a bit of a nasty thing going on about the Overland map. Basically they are backtracking on a promise here, and have extremely simplified this bit of the game. See thread below. In short, they are going from a Age of Wonder/Civ type map to moving a pin over a piece of paper. Well, that is putting it bluntly.
Overland Map Poll [UNOFFICIAL] | Shroud of the Avatar Forum
And this video of the old map that was promised:Shroud of the Avatar Gameplay - Lunar Portal - YouTube
I found that a bit disappointing myself, so now I am hesitant about the project. I also firmly believe that if the game becomes a success there will be much more housing created, possibly also with other cultural themes, and I am sure I will want to buy one of those in a year.
Basically I am playing it cheap this time, and if the game takes off I will buy myself something nice: it just can't be one of the cool Founder/Benefactor items that you can get now.
Anyway, I think that lighthouse is WAY cool. Good choice.
I am holding out for now, also because I let myself influence by a bit of a nasty thing going on about the Overland map. Basically they are backtracking on a promise here, and have extremely simplified this bit of the game. See thread below. In short, they are going from a Age of Wonder/Civ type map to moving a pin over a piece of paper. Well, that is putting it bluntly.
Overland Map Poll [UNOFFICIAL] | Shroud of the Avatar Forum
And this video of the old map that was promised:Shroud of the Avatar Gameplay - Lunar Portal - YouTube
I found that a bit disappointing myself, so now I am hesitant about the project. I also firmly believe that if the game becomes a success there will be much more housing created, possibly also with other cultural themes, and I am sure I will want to buy one of those in a year.
I still have my original disks and my Apple IIe from the early 80s. That was my first computer when I was really young, before Windows even existed.
The early Ultima games were revolutionary, but as much fun as I had in UO, I really enjoyed EQ more.
/geezer alert....
I'm a Garriot fan, but I've also spent a lot of money on his products. His last game wasn't that bad, but didn't do much for me. I have no doubt he can lead a team and build another game but I'm not sure if the passion is the same now as it was when he ran Origin Systems.
Do you mean Tabula Rasa Gecko ? I thought that was awful. I remember how for a number of years it was basically going to be UO2 - fantasy based; I remember reading about evolving weapons in it and that sort of thing.
Interesting vid I just found and started watching a few mins ago from 2011 - Garriott talks about how Tabula Rasa and Ultima 8 (Pagan) which he considers his biggest pigs/failures he allowed himself to be steered far too much by other peoples opinions and advice (around the 4-5 minute mark) :
Markeedragon, there's a name from the past.
Also from :
I love the 'Emergent game play is the most interesting' stand. It's like the anti-thesis of everything WoW stands for and EQ1 has become.
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So I backed this game originally at the First Responder level, which doesn't really get me shit except for the game, a shield, and a title, but as posted above I still have the opportunity to choose a higher tier. I haven't really kept up with it much, but from reading back several pages and checking the website, I can't tell if the only way to ever purchase a house and/or lot is through real money. I see that the deeds are transferable, which means another player could sell me one for in-game currency, but is that going to be the only way, or will I be able to save up and buy one from an npc vendor? I can already tell you I won't be one of those people that gets in early and finds some quick way to make gold and exploits some idiot and gets a deed for cheap. Not that I'm against it, but just that it won't happen for me. And if people have to pay RL money, chances are there won't be too many rubes out there to exploit early on.
One of the things I loved most about UO was the player housing, so I will want to have something of my own, but it looks like the minimum real money is $50 for a cheap house, and then $165 for a village lot. With my initial pledge, that's fucking $250? Is that for real? And that's just the Cheap Charlie shit.
If I want an actual real deal setup, the Citizen $550 tier is the cheapest. I don't even know if I'm going to like this game, and they want me to consider dropping $600? But if I don't, I'll miss out, or have to pay even more if I decide I love it and still want a house.
I loved most of the old Ultimas (I'm old enough to have played them when they came out, but didn't start until III came out), and played the hell out of UO, even though I hate PVP. So I expect to enjoy this game and get some play time out of it...but $600 worth? Or even $250? Damn, I just don't know. I've been burned by too many games in the past to not at least be skeptical. I see a bunch of you guys pretty hyped about this, and dropping large sums, so tell me, are you that confident or are you just hopeful, and happen to have some disposable income lying around?
I know I won't be happy in this game without a house, period. I know that. So going in with the bottom tier is going to probably kill much of my interest in trying to advance. But if I put down a couple hundred bucks, I'm going to want the game to be awesome too. How are you guys making your decisions on this?
One of the things I loved most about UO was the player housing, so I will want to have something of my own, but it looks like the minimum real money is $50 for a cheap house, and then $165 for a village lot. With my initial pledge, that's fucking $250? Is that for real? And that's just the Cheap Charlie shit.
If I want an actual real deal setup, the Citizen $550 tier is the cheapest. I don't even know if I'm going to like this game, and they want me to consider dropping $600? But if I don't, I'll miss out, or have to pay even more if I decide I love it and still want a house.
I loved most of the old Ultimas (I'm old enough to have played them when they came out, but didn't start until III came out), and played the hell out of UO, even though I hate PVP. So I expect to enjoy this game and get some play time out of it...but $600 worth? Or even $250? Damn, I just don't know. I've been burned by too many games in the past to not at least be skeptical. I see a bunch of you guys pretty hyped about this, and dropping large sums, so tell me, are you that confident or are you just hopeful, and happen to have some disposable income lying around?
I know I won't be happy in this game without a house, period. I know that. So going in with the bottom tier is going to probably kill much of my interest in trying to advance. But if I put down a couple hundred bucks, I'm going to want the game to be awesome too. How are you guys making your decisions on this?
Did you see their response to the player feedback on that Treesong ?$%#^&** Entire piece of my post got deleted.
Anyway, I think that lighthouse is WAY cool. Good choice.
I am holding out for now, also because I let myself influence by a bit of a nasty thing going on about the Overland map. Basically they are backtracking on a promise here, and have extremely simplified this bit of the game. See thread below. In short, they are going from a Age of Wonder/Civ type map to moving a pin over a piece of paper. Well, that is putting it bluntly.
Overland Map Poll [UNOFFICIAL] | Shroud of the Avatar Forum
And this video of the old map that was promised:Shroud of the Avatar Gameplay - Lunar Portal - YouTube
I found that a bit disappointing myself, so now I am hesitant about the project. I also firmly believe that if the game becomes a success there will be much more housing created, possibly also with other cultural themes, and I am sure I will want to buy one of those in a year.Basically I am playing it cheap this time, and if the game takes off I will buy myself something nice: it just can't be one of the cool Founder/Benefactor items that you can get now.
World Maps: The Minimum Expectations of 21st Century RPGS | Shroud of the Avatar Forum
As for not buying in now that may be a mistake.
1. Priority choice of lot placement;
2. Both lot and houses/buildings themselves are likely to be worth/sell for multiples of their present cost, especially the enhanced Founder versions that are only ever available up for sale until Sunday.
I'm a hoarder and will never sell mine but I will be surprised if it isn't a good investment based on return apart from anything else.
Was always interested in why he turned to Kickstarter instead of funding this himself but he states in the following interview that he's actually into it for millions :
Richard Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar: What's the big idea? Eurogamer.net
Vvoid all of the above, plus a guy I was speaking to who is interested in my UOAC stuff just sold his lot in another player run shard (UO:F) for $450.
If anyone is thinking of buying in it's beyond doubt in my mind they should do it before Sunday - you get extra bonuses and a discount (shows up when you click on each pledge level) plus the buildings are enhanced versions which will not be available after Sunday. Look at each pledge then click on each pledge to see the alternate version which is presently available. On top of that you get in to choose your lot on a priority basis if you buy now (kind of like the headstart in EQN:Landmark). There's going to be a very real land rush when this game launches.
You can absolutely buy houses in-game with in-game coin. Just not all of the houses and towers and boats that are offered as part of Founder packages. but there will certainly be a good selecion to choose from. You can also buy a lot deed for in-game coin. I'll admit that it does not say that you buy them from an NPC with ingame coin.
Property Deed - Shroud of the Avatar Wiki - SotA
Housing - Shroud of the Avatar Wiki - SotA
Flight, yes, I read all the replies in both of the Overland map threads. I did not get the impression that they are going back to the old map system. It is not a dealbreaker, I still think the game has huge potential. About the housing, as I understand it ( I looked this up), you can still upgrade your pledge as a founder, after the 7th of april and you will still get all of the extra founder rewards then, however you will be paying Benefactor prices from then on. Once the game goes Retail, all bets are off, but untill then I could still jump in, just for 50-75 dollars more. Will try to find that thread for you.
I may also just wait and buy a house for ingame coin. I am never one of those players that gets *any* benefit from Headstarts, landrushes and whatever(way too casual), so I have totally resided in the fact that I will have some backlot in a wayward village where nobody ever comes.
I also have no plans to become the wealthiest merchant so a strategic location is not really necessary.
I may also just wait and buy a house for ingame coin. I am never one of those players that gets *any* benefit from Headstarts, landrushes and whatever(way too casual), so I have totally resided in the fact that I will have some backlot in a wayward village where nobody ever comes.
Ah yes I think you're right Treesong. Important thing is to make sure you have founder status. If you have that now you're probably (bit convoluted but looks like) just getting a discount (eg Knight is $750 instead of $800).
Mad Hermit did a good set of walkthroughs of the different homes :https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...PuYOfIrGHHJdPM
To be honest I'm not keen on the Knight tower in that but it's not the founder version.
Founder version :
Non founder (Benefactor) version :
MH walkthrough :
I'd consider that as well as the house you're getting a lot of collectibles and high quality crafting tables etc that are either not available for purchase in game or it's been said will be extremely expensive in game (eg unique furniture, expert crafting stations, commission free vendors etc - as it says when you click on the Pledge item, over 100 items total at Knight level).
Disappointed I missed out on some of the Royal Backer rewards which are no longer available in any way. Would love to have this :Founder Royal Artisan Taming Creature Call - Shroud of the Avatar Wiki - SotA
On the one hand I can see and respect the reason for sticking to purchasing in game but on the other I believe you are getting more than your moneys worth if you choose to cash in on any of it.
Mad Hermit did a good set of walkthroughs of the different homes :https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...PuYOfIrGHHJdPM
To be honest I'm not keen on the Knight tower in that but it's not the founder version.
Founder version :
Non founder (Benefactor) version :
MH walkthrough :
I'd consider that as well as the house you're getting a lot of collectibles and high quality crafting tables etc that are either not available for purchase in game or it's been said will be extremely expensive in game (eg unique furniture, expert crafting stations, commission free vendors etc - as it says when you click on the Pledge item, over 100 items total at Knight level).
Disappointed I missed out on some of the Royal Backer rewards which are no longer available in any way. Would love to have this :Founder Royal Artisan Taming Creature Call - Shroud of the Avatar Wiki - SotA
On the one hand I can see and respect the reason for sticking to purchasing in game but on the other I believe you are getting more than your moneys worth if you choose to cash in on any of it.
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Looking at all of this stuff they want me to spend money on, is there any reason you wouldn't add something like the $37 "Village Stone & Timber Split-Level 5-Story Basement"? I mean, if you're already spending several hundred, what's another $37? I know you get a single level basement with most (all?) of the housing tiers, but they are typically only 1 or 2 stories it seems. That 5-story basement has far more room (at least from the picture) than any of the actual houses until you get to the huge ones. Would you be able to replace your current basement with it? Or would the free basement actually be bigger? The Citizen one says, "1-Story Village Stone Basement". That doesn't sound anywhere near as big as the 5-story, but maybe I'm wrong?
Shroud of the Avatar has raised $3.7 million to date | Massively
Shroud of the Avatar has raised $3.7 million to date
Shroud of the Avatar has raised $3.7 million to date
Interesting fact number (1) for non-oldies : Chris Roberts (of Roberts Space Industries - Star Citizen Online) first major job was working for Garriotts Origin systems, leaving after 10 years to Microsoft after he had put out Wing Commander. Roberts was the designer Garriott referred to in his often (mis) quoted statement :
Roberts Space Industries
Interesting fact (2) for non oldies - core to Garriotts game design philosophy is including non combat characters/roles. He has said he sees that as being 30-50% of the population in this new MMO. Amongst combat characters skill sets like Animal Tamer exist where you tame creatures like Dragons and they do the combat for you.
I'm going to say it again, remember where you heard it first - MMO gaming is coming back to gamers and away from the Koticks of the world, headed up not least by Garriott and Roberts. It's an exciting time to look forward to, starting later this year.
Star Citizen Online
Roberts Space Industries
Interesting fact (2) for non oldies - core to Garriotts game design philosophy is including non combat characters/roles. He has said he sees that as being 30-50% of the population in this new MMO. Amongst combat characters skill sets like Animal Tamer exist where you tame creatures like Dragons and they do the combat for you.
I'm going to say it again, remember where you heard it first - MMO gaming is coming back to gamers and away from the Koticks of the world, headed up not least by Garriott and Roberts. It's an exciting time to look forward to, starting later this year.
Well, I upgraded my pledge to Virtual Collector level. That way I get access to all the Royal Founder Awards. Really looking forward to the next alpha weekend, with implementation of combat decks and such.
Hopefully my SotA purchase will keep me from impulse-buying TESO, just because I am in mmo-slump right now.
I also pledged for Star Citizen, at the Mercenary level somewhere in July 2013. Waiting for the Dogfighting module now.
Hopefully my SotA purchase will keep me from impulse-buying TESO, just because I am in mmo-slump right now.
I also pledged for Star Citizen, at the Mercenary level somewhere in July 2013. Waiting for the Dogfighting module now.
How does Collector = Royal Founder please Treesong ? Is that something I can or have qualified for or is it out of my reach ?Well, I upgraded my pledge to Virtual Collector level. That way I get access to all the Royal Founder Awards. Really looking forward to the next alpha weekend, with implementation of combat decks and such.
Hopefully my SotA purchase will keep me from impulse-buying TESO, just because I am in mmo-slump right now.
I also pledged for Star Citizen, at the Mercenary level somewhere in July 2013. Waiting for the Dogfighting module now.
edit : Oh wow ! nm just realized it's at artisan level for founders and I do get that horn, I'm pumped for that. I think Iolos Lute and that Horn are the two things I am most excited about getting.
Haven't pledged for Star Citizen yet. Open to advice on that one
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I pledged to Star Citizen as well, and just have the basic ship they give you for the lowest tier. I also grew up playing all the Wing Commander games and have always been nostalgic for another one to be made. But just like with this game, I have a real hard time dropping hundreds of dollars on a game that isn't even finished yet. Well ok let me back up a step, I have a real hard time dropping hundreds of dollars on ANY game, ever. Unless I play for several years, or sell my shit for a profit, I'm never going to feel like I got my money's worth out of the investment.
I really like the Founder's Knight's Castle, vastly more than the Citizen or Edelmann ones below it. But that's like a $720 add. Even if I liken it to a $30 a month subscription, that's two full years of playing pretty significantly each month. Has any online game since WoW held anyone's attention for two solid years? If I could play for awhile and then sell it, that's another story, but I can't know that will happen for sure.
Although, if they stick to their guns and make it so that only people that have Founder status and pay money can get shit like the Knight's Lighthouse and rent free land plots, there is a good chance that they will always be desirable. So, there's that to weigh in. But if rent is no big deal, or if getting things with in-game currency is too easy, that kills resale value. I have to think they'll keep it fairly difficult, otherwise people that dropped $500+ will probably be pretty pissed, but once they have your money perhaps they don't give a shit either.
Decisions!
And again I ask, let's say I bought the Knight level. Why wouldn't I throw a $37 basement add on as well? I get a basement, but the added one seems pretty large, and technically you'll need both of them if you ever get another land plot and can plop down both your Home and Lighthouse, because you only get one basement with the package. Or are the included basements much better? They don't show any pics of those, and I can't find any real info on them, so it is hard to know.
EDIT: Oh, and while I know UO has had a huge following over the years, which lends more credence to the resale value staying up there, but what if this game ends up just flat out sucking? It probably won't, but there's no real way to tell yet.
I really like the Founder's Knight's Castle, vastly more than the Citizen or Edelmann ones below it. But that's like a $720 add. Even if I liken it to a $30 a month subscription, that's two full years of playing pretty significantly each month. Has any online game since WoW held anyone's attention for two solid years? If I could play for awhile and then sell it, that's another story, but I can't know that will happen for sure.
Although, if they stick to their guns and make it so that only people that have Founder status and pay money can get shit like the Knight's Lighthouse and rent free land plots, there is a good chance that they will always be desirable. So, there's that to weigh in. But if rent is no big deal, or if getting things with in-game currency is too easy, that kills resale value. I have to think they'll keep it fairly difficult, otherwise people that dropped $500+ will probably be pretty pissed, but once they have your money perhaps they don't give a shit either.
Decisions!
And again I ask, let's say I bought the Knight level. Why wouldn't I throw a $37 basement add on as well? I get a basement, but the added one seems pretty large, and technically you'll need both of them if you ever get another land plot and can plop down both your Home and Lighthouse, because you only get one basement with the package. Or are the included basements much better? They don't show any pics of those, and I can't find any real info on them, so it is hard to know.
EDIT: Oh, and while I know UO has had a huge following over the years, which lends more credence to the resale value staying up there, but what if this game ends up just flat out sucking? It probably won't, but there's no real way to tell yet.