Shroud of the Avatar: Kickstarter backers angry – developers say “it’s their own fault”

An interview with Richard “Lord British” Garriott revealed some interesting statements from the developers of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar about the Kickstarter backers.

In 2013, the role-playing game Shroud of the Avatar was successfully funded through Kickstarter as a “spiritual successor to the Ultima series.”

Now, over three years later, criticism from many backers of that time is mounting, as they believe that the game that can now be played hardly resembles what was announced during the crowdfunding campaign.

In particular, two statements from Richard Garriott from 2013 during the funding phase on Kickstarter are in question. Additionally, statements were made that grinding should not be important and that there are decisions with consequences.

A single-player RPG with the option to play online

In two videos, Garriott explained that Shroud of the Avatar is basically a single-player role-playing game in the style of Ultima parts 4, 5, 6, and 7, but with the option to play online. This option would allow playing only with friends or, similar to an MMORPG, with many other players. However, Kickstarter backers claim that it has essentially turned the other way around. Shroud of the Avatar has become an MMORPG that can also be played offline.

In an interview with the magazine Polygon, Richard Garriott was asked how he views the fact that so many backers are now upset. He reacted diplomatically and mentioned that in his opinion, there aren’t that many fans who are upset. The majority of backers still stand behind the game, and there has been criticism from day one. Fans are now seeing how “dirty” the development of a game can be.

The changes have only occurred in the minds of the fans

Here, Starr Long, the producer of the game, intervened and explained that many backers had formed their own vision of what Shroud of the Avatar should ultimately look like based on the description of the game during the Kickstarter campaign. However, this vision often differs from that of the developers. Then, when they suddenly notice that the game is different, they accuse the team of not having adhered to the vision.

Especially the Ultima fans have a very explicit idea of how Shroud of the Avatar should be, because they are attached to the old series.

But according to Starr Long, they have adhered exactly to what was stated during the Kickstarter campaign. Shroud of the Avatar was meant to be a mix of MMO and single-player RPG from the beginning. And they have stuck to this description point by point. The changes are only taking place in the minds of the players.

Games change during development

In the official forum of the game, the community manager apologizes for the fact that the game does not meet the expectations of some. However, changes will always occur during the development of a game. Especially when developing a game together with the community, which expresses its wishes and wants them implemented. They are trying to make the game appealing to as many backers as possible.

Is Shroud of the Avatar still the game that was initially announced?

These statements have led to some criticism from the community. But the developers do not really want to talk about it. They even close threads that deal with this topic and refer to upcoming Q&A sessions, which are supposed to revolve around this issue.

If one takes Richard Garriott’s statement from the mentioned videos, it can be seen that the focus of Shroud of the Avatar has shifted towards MMORPG. If one were to compare Shroud of the Avatar now with another single-player RPG, then it cannot keep up in the RPG aspects. This is due to the MMO mechanics and the consequently consequence-free quests.

However, Starr Long’s statement is not entirely accurate. He says that Shroud of the Avatar was planned from the very beginning as a mix of MMO and single-player RPG. But on the Kickstarter website, it is clearly stated that Shroud of the Avatar is NOT an MMORPG, but rather a multiplayer game. The exact English wording in the FAQ is: “Though Shroud of the Avatar won’t be a massively multiplayer online role playing game, it will be a multiplayer game.”

Changes have apparently really taken place, though this may also be debatable due to vague wording. Whether these (alleged) changes are good or bad is something that players must decide.

More articles about Shroud of the Avatar:

Shroud of the Avatar: New dialogue window causes criticism

Shroud of the Avatar is now a different game – Why that might be good