In the second part of our introduction to the online game Shroud of the Avatar, we discuss the combat system and PvP.
In the world of New Britannia, dark creatures also roam. A plague of undead threatens the population, but other monsters, bandits, and dark wizards also traverse the land. In short: There is plenty to fight in Shroud of the Avatar.
[intense_blockquote color=”#ffffff” border_color=”#fa2f2f” width=”40%” rightalign=”1″]Part 1 of the SotA series, which discusses the game modes and general development, haven’t read yet? Here you go.[/intense_blockquote]
The developer studio Portalarium has decided to give the well-known hotbar combat system from many other MMORPGs a new twist. Designer legend Richard “Lord British” Garriott took inspiration from the currently popular (online) card games like Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft or Magic: The Gathering. You start – at least in the current pre-alpha – with some skill points that you allocate to your initial abilities.
This way, you decide whether you want to learn various melee abilities or spells. From these learned skills, you create a kind of card deck called glyphs in SotA. You decide for yourself which skills are included in the deck. By placing a skill multiple times in the deck, the chance that this glyph is “drawn” increases.
The Element of Chance in Combat
When combat begins, the skills from the previously assembled card deck appear randomly in the hotbar. If you then select an ability, it is used. However, you must react relatively quickly, as the glyphs also disappear and are replaced by others. This brings the element of chance to the forefront in battles.
There are now abilities you can learn that allow certain skills to be firmly anchored in the hotbar, ensuring they are always available. This is useful for healing potions, as they also fall under the glyph system and appear randomly. The number of skills in the hotbar and the duration for which a glyph remains can also be set. Alternatively, it is possible to use a completely fixed hotbar system that operates similarly to other MMORPGs.
Each use of a glyph costs focus points, so you always have to consider whether the use is worthwhile. Additionally, the hero attacks automatically with a standard attack. However, the focus costs are higher in a fixed hotbar system.
PvP – The Eternal Topic of Discussion
Of course, combat also includes PvP. This causes some controversies within the community. Many who see Shroud of the Avatar as a kind of Ultima Online 2 believe that only open PvP with full loot is acceptable.
However, SotA places great importance on storytelling and completing quests. Therefore, it would be frustrating if you wish to complete quests but are constantly attacked by other players. Additionally, Ultima Online has already shown that there will always be players who take pleasure in repeatedly attacking especially newcomers. Portalarium does not want their game to induce frustration and has therefore opted for a different type of PvP.
Some zones offer particularly valuable and rare resources. When you enter these instances in online mode, you are automatically enabled for PvP and can be attacked by all other players within this zone. So, if you want rare resources for crafting, you must participate in PvP. This is accompanied by quests such as smuggling forbidden goods, which makes you vulnerable to attacks from other players. It is still possible to ask the Oracle to lift your protection. This makes you attackable anywhere and anytime.
Full loot will currently only be available in selected areas. However, if you defeat a player in PvP in other zones, the winner retains one of their items, which can be bought back. However, there could still be additional elements introduced, and it is not far-fetched to hope that a type of full-loot flag will be implemented, allowing players to “release” their heroes for full loot in all battles.
Andreas says: Shroud of the Avatar tries to do a lot at once. It aims to appeal to fans of Ultima Online while also being a single-player RPG. It seeks to offer as many freedoms in a sandbox as possible while also telling an epic story with many quests, during which decisions are made that impact the game world.
That it can’t please everyone is clear. Especially the PvP faction is somewhat disappointed, as they expected something different from a quasi-Ultima-Online successor. However, Portalarium is trying to walk a tightrope as it wants to create a game that appeals to as many players as possible. Whether this balancing act will succeed remains to be seen. The game is still in too early a stage. However, what we see so far in pre-alpha gives hope that Shroud of the Avatar will offer us an extraordinary RPG that can indeed combine single player and MMORPG elements.
Part 1 of the SotA series, which discusses the game modes and general development, haven’t read yet? Here you go.[/intense_blockquote]
