Today, the development studio Portalarium will release a new version of the (MMO)RPG Shroud of the Avatar. Release 18 remains in Pre-Alpha.
In the last two versions, testers complained about the combat system, which was underdeveloped and poorly balanced. Now the developers are once again focusing on this system and introducing some changes. One point was that due to the random-card principle, the focus was mostly on the hotbar, hoping that the skill one wanted to use would appear. With Release 18, it is now possible to assign skills to a specific slot in the hotbar. Once it appears in that slot, it can be executed quickly. This should allow one to focus more on the combat itself.
The resource and creature spawn system has also been revamped. You will no longer find the same monsters in the same places when they respawn. Spawn camping will no longer be possible since, for example, resources will reappear in different locations. Furthermore, there will be specific spawn rules for the single-player offline mode that are intended to feel more like a single-player RPG.
A second player city, revised scenes (instances), a new camera control for the overland map, and a new night sky where planets and star constellations can be identified, changing with time, are also among the new features. A calendar has also been introduced, which will later have specific effects on the game. For example, certain items can only be crafted on specific calendar days because the stars will align in a certain configuration. Additionally, the calendar will allow for seasons, which will be introduced into the (MMO)RPG at a later date. There are numerous other changes, improvements, and new features.
Due to the focus on the combat system, some planned features had to be postponed. These include the wandering encounters on the overland map. Later, players will be able to see monsters and NPCs on the overland map and interact with them, leading to fights, quests, or events. New skills, player-written books, new monsters, and a cover system for battles have also been postponed.
Release 18 of the (MMO)RPG Shroud of the Avatar will open the servers for all backers today at around 5:30 PM.
For those interested: We have already introduced the game in alpha, Shroud of the Avatar, in detail.
