For more than three years, the first episode of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar has been in development. But now SotA is heading towards the finish line.
However, this does not mean that one should expect the official launch at the beginning of 2017. The team plans for another two quarters of development, after which they will see how far they have come. According to the development studio, only about 20 percent are still needed before the official start of the online game can be announced. The next two months will be the most exciting and interesting, as several features need to be integrated and balancing adjustments need to be made.
A new dialogue system is supposed to simplify quests
The storylines are currently being finalized and a new dialogue system is expected to be introduced in January, which will allow for easier communication with NPCs. Currently, you have to enter sentences and keywords in a chat window and hope to catch the right keywords to progress in the quest.
With the new system, the keywords will be predefined and you will select them from a list. The combat system will continue to be adjusted, just like crafting and the economy.
PvP is becoming increasingly important
Moreover, PvP is supposed to gain a higher significance. With Blood Bay, a pirate island will be introduced in the upcoming release, where players can freely battle each other. Furthermore, more and more areas of the game world are becoming open PvP zones. PvP is a feature that the community values highly, which is why the game is currently being adjusted in this direction.
The story takes a back seat
The focus of Shroud of the Avatar is currently shifting more and more towards sandbox, with the story aspect taking a back seat for technical reasons. It is challenging to incorporate a story in a sandbox world where PvP plays an important role. For instance, due to player housing and the multiplayer aspect, it is not possible to depict consequences for actions. NPCs cannot leave or enter locations, a siege of a city cannot lead to houses being destroyed or NPCs being killed.
Apparently, the developers have realized that due to these technical limitations in the area of story and quests, they cannot compete with other story-focused RPGs and are now concentrating on creating a sandbox. The story remains a part of the game but does not have to be completed and only plays a minor role. With the new schedule from the developers, Shroud of the Avatar could officially launch around the middle of next year.
