Release 126

RELEASE 126, MAY 30, 2024

Greetings Fellow Avatars!

Release 126 goes live May 30th at 10:30 AM CDT.

Welcome! The Catnip Games development team marks this monthly release of Shroud of the Avatar with new content and improvements. For Release 126 (R126), we offer many-legged portraits, human and otherwise.

For those wishing to participate in any community activities, upcoming one-time and recurring community events have been announced! Be sure to also review the Player Guide and Known Issues for additional information on recent changes and upcoming fixes.

Features

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Events

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News

New Britannian Film Stars

Twenty-eight snazzily-dressed Avatars, the front row on bent knee, pose for a portrait in a great hall.

This image was taken at the wrap party for the filming of the Travian Player-Owned Town promotional video directed by Ravalox Darkshire and produced by Cerus of Travian Games on April 14th, 2018.

From left to right: Back row: 01. Obsidian Tempest 02. Strahd 03. Tila Tenderfoot 04. Fiowyn Wyldemane 05. Oziel Bahroud 06. Merrik Dragon 07. Illiott 08. Cambria Stormlin 09. Rada Torment 10. Ravalox 11. Istyrl Miroa 12. Schneider DragonFang 13. Lavabomb Zamflardian 14. Grinchy Krabnevir 15. Stryker Sparhawk 16. Green Knight (Dev)

Front row: 17. Wereit 18. Balkoth 19. Engineer 20. Stella Moon 21. Wind Silvermoon 22. Drake Aedus 23. Liz The Wiz 24. Brazen Spirituality 25. Gavin Fhaergus 26. Dellakit 27. Amber Raine 28. Brogan Murphy

Way back in 2018, while Travian Games and Portalarium were still involved in the production of Shroud of the Avatar, a series of short promotional videos were created and published as part of the marketing campaign. One of those videos was called “Player Town Party” and was set in Darkshire Hills cast entirely by players, 28 in all.

Much effort was put into preparing and executing the event. Cerus of Travian Games worked with Ravalox to coordinate and record the event. There was crafting, dueling, and dancing; a group of players even formed a band and performed during the recording to show off the instrument synchronization feature.

At the end of the video the cast can be seen having an artist capture the event on canvas. Though the canvas was lost soon after the artist completed the work, it has been found and, with the help of Caravaggios Wolf, the canvas has been restored and made available to the folks at the Crown Mercantile shop and warehouse to be added into their extensive Crown Store catalog.

The cast members will be receiving the title of “Film Star” along with their own copy of the painting. If you see one of New Britannia’s Stars during your travels, don’t be shy about asking for an autograph!

The video can be seen here:

Youtube: Shroud of the Avatar - Player Town Party

More New Bug Brigade Rewards

The Bug Brigade has gained four new rewards for distribution in future months: a pair of portrait-oriented insect paintings to intersperse with the three existing landscape ones and a pair of butterfly chairs in new colors to complement the original one. We’ve also made choose-one bags of existing rewards for those who’ve already received all the scheduled items in various categories. The official reward schedule in the forum post will be updated to include these soon.

A sunny patch on a gold-patterned wall shows two gold-framed paintings. One is of an iris on a black background, with a dragonfly on the bloom and a red beetle on a leaf. The other is of a branch of pomegranate with several flowers and a broken fruit, with a caterpillar on a stem, a butterfly on a bloom, and another butterfly in flight above it.

Two chairs shaped like butterflies, one with orange wooden wings and black metal accents and one with purple wooden wings and silver metal accents, are displayed on a balcony overlooking a large tree fronting a sunny plain.

Notes on Game Balance

We have started the monumental task of re-balancing the game. This effort will take quite some time and a lot of resources, but will be well worth it. Optimizing the game is incredibly important. This effort has been in the works for some time and we are now in the midst of data collection and analysis.

Along with balance, there is performance: we have identified a number of areas that can be improved from graphics quality to reducing draw calls and a Level of Detail (LOD) overhaul. All very resource-intensive and will take some time before results will be visible and complete.

Game balance touches on every aspect of the game. Skills, crafting, loot, mob power, and more! We will be discussing the balance project as well as Scottie’s efforts with regard to houses on stream, Friday, May 31st at 4pm CT. This should be a greatly informative stream with a peek into how houses are made and what we plan to do to update our existing as well as new house inventory.

See you there!

– Ravalox

Latest News and Q&A in the May Livestream

The post-release Community Livestream is Friday, May 31st at 4PM CT on Twitch! Join Stephen “Ravalox” Reinen and other members of the development team for a 1-hour community livestream!

To enter the prize drawings, type “Make way for June bugs” into any in-game chat channel OR make a purchase on the website Add-On Store.

• Twitch/shroudoftheavatar
• Add-On Store

Please submit questions using in-game universal chat by typing “askadev” before your question. We’ll do our best to answer these questions live on the stream. Watch on Twitch, Friday at 4PM CT!

Members of the Shroud of the Avatar development team stream on twitch.tv/shroudoftheavatar — be sure to get the channel on follow for notifications so you can join us right as we go live! Also, if you’ve missed our latest streams, check out our archive of content at our YouTube Channel. Like! Follow! Subscribe! Prizes!!!

Don’t forget to also join the Shroud of the Avatar team and community over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/shroudoftheavatarofficial and on Discord at https://discord.gg/shroudoftheavatar.

Release 126 Patch Notes

Below are a list of the updates that are live as of Release 126 in the game of Shroud of the Avatar! R126 is a polish month. Polish, additional improvements, and bug fixes are inbound for R127 next month. We hope you enjoy the changes that are live today as of Release 126!

Crafting, Decoration, Gear, & Inventory Item Changes:

• Updated all three sizes of lava pool: players can fish from any angle, the lava is now deep enough to swim in, there’s an exit ramp on the side with the low spout wall, and the lava damage has been reset. SOTA-70419
• Made many more books salvageable. This should cover all books that can be repeatedly picked up from the world that are not part of puzzles or quest turn-ins. SOTA-72071
• Made several bludgeon artifacts that had been missed masterworkable, enchantable, and valid for use with pattern removers. SOTA-70404
• Made the Trophy Jack O’ Lantern recipe use the same small candle group as the non-trophy recipe does. SOTA-72038
• Fixed overdone image compression on the Hospitallers Painting and Tapestry.
• The metal plates on the tabletop lava fishing trophies will no longer spin like they are possessed by the spirit of your long-dead ancestors and the spotlights for them no longer track on the ground making all that stare at it desire to bring the devs pizza. SOTA-71240, SOTA-71926
• Unshrunk the plesiosaurs on the large and tabletop second-place trophies. SOTA-72061
• Made tweaks to get the Ravalox and Scott Jones paintings to place in the Druid Home better. This may fix other related placement issues for these two paintings.
• Adjusted the collision of the Butcher Shop, Ladies In Waiting, Pastoral Village, Portrait of a Gentleman, and Portrait of a Lady paintings.
• Adjusted collision on the Ornate Elven Chair to prevent it sinking into other objects when placed at an angle.
• Updated the crafted Gothic Chair so it will no longer sink into furniture.

Combat & Skill Changes:

• Removed a stray extra skill from tamed Ferocious Black Wyverns. All tamed wyverns of the same tier are now the same but for color. SOTA-72044

User Interface, Store Information, Inky, & Lua Changes:

• The minimum name length is now four characters.
• Edited the description of the shield skill Bolster Balance.
• Added Port Harmony to the loading screen tip about New You locations.
• Made dead bodies show as valid ingredients on their appropriate crafting tables.
• Made all recipes (the sheets of paper themselves) not show as valid ingredients on crafting stations. SOTA-71985
• Fixed a typo in the display name of the May login bundle.
• Made new icons for most of the existing cupcakes so they’re all a consistent large size. SOTA-72092
• Made a new icon for Medium Elven Tent. SOTA-72009
• Made a new icon for the Replenishing Aerial Palm Blue Fish Combo Fireworks Box. SOTA-72088
• Fixed large icons for the Cubic Stone Pedestal, Low Rectangular Stone Pedestal with Scrollwork, and Low Round Stone Pedestal. SOTA-72041
• Adjusted the Crown Store text about eternal patterns.
• Adjusted the store names and descriptions of the stone & timber basements to match the display names of the basement items. SOTA-72011

World and Quest Changes:

An Aether Dragon in tundra glares balefully at having been roused.

• Rumor has it that the aether surrounding the approaching comet, or perhaps the run-off from the slaughter of Aether Dragons, has mutated another of New Britannia’s creatures. SOTA-72005
• Normalized fishing XP across all scenes. SOTA-72062
• Random encounters: Bounty Slips, Prayer Cards, and Survey Tickets now have an updated list of all the towns in which they may be turned in. SOTA-72043
• Ardoris: Updated the logic which archives the “Mention Undead to Siranto” task. SOTA-71957
• Boreas Colossus: Fixed a circular fountain so players can take water from it. SOTA-72036
• Boreas Colossus: Disabled the chair at the chess puzzle because of bugs while players were sitting in it. SOTA-72037
• Brittany Estates: Added propping to the ground floor of the tailor shop. SOTA-72069
• Broochash: Fixed a typo in one of Witzke’s shakedown responses. SOTA-72064
• Castle Atos: Fixed typo for “Shengtong” in Stanslava’s responses. SOTA-72029
• Central Brittany: Added list teleporters by each exit gate that connect to Novia and every other Brittany neightborhood.
• Estgard: Trimmed a gravity-defying vine at the cenote. SOTA-72059
• Graff Island: Updated non-mineable green crystals to be blue, with a matching update to those in Port Graff. SOTA-72084
• Grusk: Replaced a candle with one that functions in the Trailsend Tunnel. SOTA-72027
• Grusk: Removed invisible collision from the top of the stairs next to a palisade wall. SOTA-72068
• Grusk: For automatons, added a “governor” response and improved the “Mistrendur” response. SOTA-72031
• Grusk: The factory trolley is now the “D” line. Ensured “B” rune appears on “B” line stations. SOTA-72030
• Inventory Tutorial: Improved logic that archives the “Open Chest, Loot Gate Key” task. SOTA-72045
• Isle of Storms: Lowered a floating brazier. SOTA-72050
• The Lost Vale: Switched out an old version of Wooden Mug that could be gotten from Rehctelf. SOTA-72034
• North Midmaer Way: Fixed collision for a book on a rug that couldn’t be taken. SOTA-72049
• Port Graff: Added a few coal and blue crystal nodes. Non-mineable crystals along river are now blue. The bank now has a compass icon. A couple of horses can sometimes be seen in town. SOTA-72070
• Port Graff: The jail cell and bank now require a Fragile Port Graff Cell Key to unlock. SOTA-72066
• Solania Catacombs: Fixed VFX that were floating below a cauldron. SOTA-72048
• South Boundless Forest: Plugged a gap in the mountain wall above the blessing cave entrance. SOTA-72065
• South Midmaer Way: Moved a lantern from the top of a destructable crate to a nearby rock. SOTA-72090
• Tanglemire: Added collision to a hanging platform. SOTA-72067
• Tanglemire: Switched out an old version of Wooden Mug that could be gotten from Erla. SOTA-72034
• Tenebris Harbor: Lowered a floating cloth bolt. SOTA-72051
• Vauban Pass: Added threatening tornado to the repeating wave of the control point. SOTA-71832
• Vikland: Moved a floating tree to the ground nearby. SOTA-72091
• Ulfheim: Updated the body text for the “Deliver Dragon Tooth” task to clarify the turn-in scene.
• Whiteguard Foothills: Corrected scale for all ore nodes to be slightly larger. SOTA-72074
• Yew: Added a candelabra to Pendro’s shop. SOTA-72089

Player-Owned Town Changes:

• BuyOrder Bazaar: Added new Holdfast northwest of Castle Atos in Novia.
• DrWiz’s Place: Added new island north of Brittany in Novia.
• Jade Gardens: Upgraded to town.
• Shearwater Island: Upgraded to metropolis.

R126 Map of Novia POTs

Sales, Rewards and Crown Store

Remembrance Sale

This is the time of year that our thoughts go towards those who have been lost in conflict or in an effort to keep the peace. In this reality, events such as past world wars and current conflicts have taken too many lives to bear counting. The world of New Britannia is no different; many lives were lost under the rule of the Obsidians and during the Obsidian Wars.

Until end-of-day June 6th:

• Crown Store sales will be 30% off.
• Crowns of the Obsidians will be 20% off.
• Deed Upgrades will be 20% off.

Release 126 Subscriber Login Rewards

Fighting Aether Dragons requires good armor and this… looks a little flimsy. Maybe bait a trap for them, instead. The Rewards Program login items for Release 126 are a Vernal Firedancer Outfit, a Chest with Gold Bands Full of Silver, and a Long Candle Chandelier!

• (See Rewards Program)

A firedancer in an aqua gauze costume rests above Lamech's Bazaar before her evening performance.

Two gold-banded chests, one closed and one open and over-full of silver coins that have spilled onto the floor, wait in a cave. I wouldn't trust that right one; it's probably a mimic.

A long chandelier with six thick candles hangs from a timbered ceiling in a stone room with a red-belled banner of courage on the wall near it.

Subscribers to the Rewards Program must log in during Release 126 to receive these special login items.

June Login Reward

Now that it’s warm enough for outdoor dining, each account that logs in during the month of June will receive a one-time gift of a Long Dark Wood Table.

A dark reddish table with a carved edge holds books and candles in a stone chapel.

Crown Store Updates

New in the crown store for today’s release:

• Painting of the Novian Film Stars

A painting of twenty-eight snazzily-dressed Avatars, the front row on bent knee, posed for a portrait in a great hall hangs on a plaster wall next to a vase of red roses.

• Hospitallers Painting

A painting of Leostorm's tribute to Hospitallers, showing people helping each-other climb a hill, hangs on a stone wall between two wall candles.

• Hospitallers Tapestry

A tapestry of Leostorm's tribute to Hospitallers, showing people helping each-other climb a hill, hangs on a stone wall between two wall candles.

• Ornate Shogun Crossbow Pattern Pack

A woman in assassin's leather armor menaces the streets of Northwood with a shogun-styled crossbow with a green demon face on the end of the stock.

• Ornate Norgard Crossbow Pattern Pack

A woman in assassin's leather armor stands ready in a grassy field with a norgard-styled crossbow. Maybe they're a gang.

• Tall White Floral Box Hedge Maze Pieces

Four tall pieces of hedge with white flowers sit on a grassy plain. An aqua armchair is placed by the largest, with a stone dragon head peeking over the hedge above it. I hope that's a water fountain.

• Chest of Silver

Two plain steel-banded chests, one closed and one open and over-full of silver coins that have spilled onto the floor, wait in a cave.

• Chest with Copper Bands Full of Silver

Two copper-banded chests, one closed and one open and over-full of silver coins that have spilled onto the floor, wait in a cave.

…and for June 1st:

• Long Dark Wood Table

A dark reddish table with a carved edge holds books and candles in a stone chapel.

…and for June 7th:

• Vernal Firedancer Outfit

A firedancer in an aqua gauze costume rests above Lamech's Bazaar before her evening performance.

• Chest with Gold Bands Full of Silver

Two gold-banded chests, one closed and one open and over-full of silver coins that have spilled onto the floor, wait in a cave. I wouldn't trust that right one; it's probably a mimic.

• Long Candle Chandelier

A long chandelier with six thick candles hangs from a timbered ceiling in a stone room with a red-belled banner of courage on the wall near it.

The Summer Seasonal store items will be available through Monday September 23rd:

List of Summer Seasonal items:

• Firedancer Outfit
• Fire Dance Emote
• Fire Dance Cross Emote
• Flame Scimitar
• Flame Shield
• Flame Stained Glass Table Lamp 3-Pack
• Flaming Bagpipes
• Hula Emote
• Island Spear
• Island Flower Crown
• Island Dress

The Lord British store items will be available from Monday June 24th through Monday August 5th:

List of Lord British items:

• 2014 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2016 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2017 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2018 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2019 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2020 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2021 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2022 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• 2023 Lord British Replenishing Birthday Cake
• Lord British Basement Entrance Eternal Pattern
• Lord British Cloak
• Lord British Fur Collared Cloak
• Lord British Moondial
• Lord British Pavers
• Lord British Round Table
• Lord British Salute Emote
• Lord British Shield
• Lord British Shield Pattern Pack

The seasonal fireworks store items will be available from Monday June 24th through Monday August 5th:

List of seasonal fireworks items:

• Replenishing Aerial Fireworks Box Pack
• Replenishing Aerial Palm Blue Fish Combo Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Aerial White Chrysanthemum Combo Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Blue Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Blue Fountain Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Blue Pinwheel Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Blue Sparklers Box
• Replenishing Elysium Candle Fireworks Box Pack
• Replenishing Fireworks Mega Set
• Replenishing Fountain Fireworks Box Pack
• Replenishing Oracle Eye Sparkler Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Pinwheel Fireworks Box Pack
• Replenishing Red Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Red Fountain Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Red Pinwheel Fireworks Box
• Replenishing Red Sparklers Box
• Replenishing Sparklers Mega Set
• Replenishing White Elysium Candle Fireworks Box
• Replenishing White Fountain Fireworks Box
• Replenishing White Pinwheel Fireworks Box
• Replenishing White Sparklers Box

Upcoming Release Dates

Be sure to check out the Upcoming Events page for spotlighted events plus links to various areas to post or find events on our forums. The upcoming 2024 Release Schedule is as follows:

• This Release 126 – May 30 (Quality of Life)
• Release 127 – June 27 (Quality of Life)
• Release 128 – July 25 (Content)
• Release 129 – August 29 (Quality of Life)

Additional Information

• Player Guide
• Known Issues
• Quick Reference Card

See Also

• Release 124
• Release 125
• Release 126
• Release 127
• Release 128
• Release Features 2024
• New Britannian Calendar