Release 7

June 26 - 29, 2014


 * 3D Overworld Map System: We are switching our dual scale navigation system from the 2D version you have seen so far to a 3D version more like what we showed during Kickstarter. This initial release will mainly be about the visuals so players will still be represented as markers and there will be no random encounters (see below for which releases these features will come online).
 * Player to Player secure trade: Did you discover something cool you wish to give your friend? Need to share some potions with a party member? Did you craft something amazing you want to sell? Secure trade is the answer and will allow you to make exchanges of goods between you and other players.
 * Water Lots: We will be adding water lot functionality to the game.
 * NPC Collision / Responsiveness: We will be spending time on polishing NPC collision and general movement responsiveness to combat things like NPC standing inside you, spreading out when attacking, avoiding players while moving, etc.
 * Animals: Currently all our animals (bears, wolves, etc.) are purchased assets and the skinning, rigging, and animations for them is not meeting our quality standards, so we are going to reskin and rig them so that we can redo their animations.
 * Player Housing Built-in Lighting: We have gotten consistent feedback that it is too hard to get player placed lights in the right configuration to really light the player houses. So starting with R7 we will begin placing built in lights (chandeliers, sconces, etc.) to provide a base lighting level for all the player houses. These lights will turn on and off just like regular lights and can be augmented with player placed lights as well.
 * Scenes: A few new scenes will come online including Player Towns on Islands (to feature water lots) and perhaps the first scene on the mainland (The Graf Gem Mines).
 * Crafting: We will be adding more ingredients (spider silk, gems, precious metals, etc.) as well as instructions on how to do crafting in the recipe book itself
 * Lighting Fine-Tuning: We still have some work to do in order to get the balance right between bright day and dark night.
 * Character Faces and Skins: We want to update at least one of the player faces and also do more polish work on the skin.
 * 64 Bit Build: For those of you running 64 bit OS on your system we will now release 64 bit builds (in addition to the 32 Bit Builds) so you can address more system memory
 * Promotional Trailer: We are excited to be a featured game at the Plantronics booth at E3. In support of that and our continued fundraising we are working on an updated trailer (our last one was at the 6 month mark) that will show off gameplay and provide a few sneak peeks of the intro cinematic. As mentioned in update 73, Bill Johnson, aka The Guardian, will be doing the voiceover.
 * New Pledge Rewards, New Pledge Tiers: On Friday June 6th we will be announcing some new pledge rewards, some new pledge tiers and a new type of store (this post will be updated at that time).

Trivia
Previous to Starr Long's Release 5 reflections, Release 7 had a different plan. The following is no longer current.
 * Advancement: Adventuring and Crafting will now earn you experience points that will level you up and earn skill points. You can spend those skill points with trainers to learn new skills as well as re-train existing skills.
 * Duels: Finally a way to settle your differences like real Avatars with the first taste of PVP. Duels between two players can now be initiated. Glove slaps to the face optional.
 * Crafting: Enchanting items including the creation of wands and staves will finally make an appearance in the game. Additionally player made items will begin to appear in adventuring scenes including corpses of slain NPCs.
 * Combat Expansions: Combat will continue to expand with more skills and more AI behaviors.
 * Player Made Books: For those aspiring writers you can now write books in the game. These original manuscripts will be one of a kind items that can be traded or sold or submitted for publishing for a small fee. Published books will get copied and placed throughout the world.
 * Drop Items Anywhere: Not content to place object only on player property? Well rejoice because we will now enable item placement anywhere. Some minor constraints and limits will regulate this activity but the main goal is to provide freedom and immersion.
 * Guilds: Guilds as a social structure will now be in the game including the ability to declare any player property a Guild Chapter House (Guild Halls will come in a later release).
 * Wearable Dyeing: Tired of that red dress? Wish you could make it blue? Well wish no longer as the ability to dye items will now available
 * More Scenes: More Plot specific maps and adventuring areas will appear
 * NPC Player Vendors: Players will be able to setup their very own NPC vendors that they can stock full of goods to sell to other players
 * Combat Pets & Taming: Taming creatures to fight alongside you will be available so stock up on taming collars or creature calls.