The selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar is making great strides towards the final wipe and thus the live operation. However, there will be two more releases before that.
On May 26, Release 30 will be released, which will mainly focus on the story of the game. New areas will be introduced that can be explored during the quests, and the Courage quest line will be fully playable but not yet optimized. In addition, the balancing is being worked on, especially of the new combat system that was introduced with Release 29. Since this release, players must actively aim, and tab targeting has been abolished.
NPC companions for offline mode
With Release 30, the first NPC companion for offline mode will also be introduced. However, the companions will only be a type of speaking pets that assist in battle. One cannot influence their skill set nor manage their weapons and equipment. This may be introduced with Episode 2.
The NPC companions will help defeat bosses that can otherwise only be taken down in a group. In addition, each companion has a background story that can be learned throughout the game, and the NPCs will comment on many situations. With Release 30, the user interface will also be revised.
A huge dungeon is coming
Release 31 will be released on June 30. This will introduce the Halls of Artifice. It is a gigantic dungeon that consists of various areas where the hero must face trials and challenges. The dungeon is important for the story. Players will visit places like the Halls of Sadistic Pleasures or the Halls of Youth, which are beautiful locations with dangerous secrets. Release 31 is also supposed to improve the entry into the game.
With Release 32 at the end of July, the final wipe will take place. Then the game will reach a persistent status, and neither heroes, nor economy, nor houses will be deleted. This will take Shroud of the Avatar live – however, not all content will be included yet. Only at the end of the year will Episode 1 with the story, all quests and the basic framework of features be released. From then on, the online game will continue to be developed, introducing new story elements, quests, areas, and features. A total of five episodes are planned, which will tell a complete story.
