We received the update notes for the upcoming release 33 of the selective multiplayer RPG Shroud of the Avatar. This version will introduce mandatory PvP for players.
Shroud of the Avatar is a selective multiplayer RPG. This means that the original idea was that you could either play alone in single-player mode, only with friends in friends-only mode, or similar to an MMORPG in an open online mode. This way, every player could play the online game as they wish. However, the PvP community was not very pleased that they had to give consent for PvP and that there was no open PvP introduced, or at least that players were not forced to participate in player-versus-player battles in certain areas. That is now changing.
PvP becomes mandatory in Shroud of the Avatar!
According to the current update notes, which can only be accessed by Dev+ members and were provided to us, with release 33 there will be mandatory PvP in specific areas designed for PvP battles. Anyone who wants to explore these areas will automatically be “flagged” for PvP and must participate, whether they want to or not. Basically, this is only a minor problem, as everyone can avoid these areas if they wish. However, this is only partially true. Because as part of the game’s story, players will be led into these areas. Anyone who does not want to engage in PvP and would avoid these areas will be forced to participate in PvP if they want to follow the story.
The development team explains that they are now adjusting the areas and plan to introduce secret paths so that players who do not want to participate in PvP can take these paths. But won’t that just gather all the “griefers” there to ambush those who want nothing to do with PvP? With this new regulation, they are responding to a very vocal faction in the forum that wants to turn Shroud of the Avatar into an Ultima Online 2 with open PvP and full loot. However, this is exactly what led to players fleeing UO in droves, and now they are repeating this “mistake”?
Player freedoms are being restricted
This regulation significantly restricts the ways gamers can play. Anyone who just wants to explore will be forced into PvP. Anyone who wants to follow the story will be forced into PvP. Anyone who wants to explore the backstory of the game world with the shardfalls and control points will be forced into PvP. Whether this was a wise decision remains to be seen. Restricting player freedoms and forcing them into things they do not want to do has never been particularly well received.
Currently, there is already heated discussion in the official SotA forum about whether players should be forced to always play in open online mode, as in single-player and friends-only mode, they could farm and grind faster because they do not have to share resources and monsters with other players. This would destroy the in-game economy. Who knows, maybe they will phase out these modes and turn Shroud of the Avatar – contrary to the announcement and the Kickstarter campaign – into a pure MMORPG after all.
What are you doing?
Andreas says:
Portalarium, what are you doing? Shroud of the Avatar sounded so good at the beginning. It was such an interesting and unique concept that aimed to combine single-player and multiplayer. Yet, because apparently some UO fans think that SotA should be a better MMORPG with open PvP, you are capitulating to this handful of vocal individuals and changing the entire concept of the game? You are introducing mandatory PvP, even though this ended in disaster for Ultima Online?
I am greatly disappointed by this decision, which simply shows that the priorities in the development of the game have obviously changed significantly. Away from a story-driven selective multiplayer RPG with offline mode (of which we hear almost nothing anymore) and towards an MMORPG that is becoming an UO clone. Many did not back this project in the Kickstarter campaign for that!
