[Kickstarter] Shroud of the Avatar (Lord British)

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:19 pm

Well...this should get interesting.

Richard Garriott, the award winning designer and creator of the Ultima franchise, makes his triumphant return to the genre that earned him a place in the Hall of Fame and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Shroud of the Avatar is the first installment of Richard’s new vision and represents the reinvention of the classic, fantasy role-playing which he pioneered. A fantasy role-playing game that will focus more on player choices and discovery than on level grinding.

...

With Shroud of the Avatar, Richard and his team will again reinvent the classic fantasy role-playing experience. Using state-of-the-art tools and technology, the game will focus on what made his seminal Ultima Series great. Once players are introduced to the game, they will discover their own story woven into the immersive world and lore surrounding them. Players may choose to follow the life of the adventurer or, if they prefer, focus on exploration and discovery. Players may even choose the life of a homesteader; either nestled within the safety of the settled lands, or on the dangerous but potentially lucrative frontier. The world is full of opportunities and challenges!

Link to the Kickstarter

Bullet points:

From Lord British's Treatise on "What is an Ultimate RPG?":

Fully interactive virtual world - If it looks usable, it should do something
Deep original fiction - Ethical parables, cultural histories, fully developed alternate language text
Physical game components will be available: Cloth map, fictional manuals, trinkets
Multiplayer Online Game - which can also be played solo player / offline

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:25 pm

Wow. How can I not back a KS from the guy who influenced my youth so much? I lost SO many hours in his games as a kid.

Peacedog · Post by **Peacedog** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:42 pm

The map is similar to Sosaria's.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:22 pm

Backed.

DOS=HIGH · Post by **DOS=HIGH** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:34 pm

Having not paid for the first 4 Ultimas, the least I could do is back this one, just not sure what level I'll end up. I'm interested to see how the multi-player aspect will work.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:36 pm

From the comments:

"The story will be closer to an ultima 4-9 and will be playable mostly offline. You will need to connect occasionally to get world updates but if you choose to play it purely single player, it will feel like a more dynamic single player experience"

I too lost many, many hours to Ultima IV and V. I have to support him based on those experiences alone.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:38 pm

Tempting, but I don't entirely trust Garriott. The last non-MMO he did was 14 years ago, and was a mess (Ultima IX), and his last decent game was 19 years ago (I hated Ultima Online with a passion.)

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:38 pm

You had me until multiplayer. UO was a soul crushing introduction to internet asshattery.

I remember getting Ultima II from a friend's dad and many hours of fun in the sequels. But selling nostalgia after you haven't developed a game for years? I'd Kickstart Torment first. Fargo at least stayed in the business.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:40 pm

Zarathud wrote:You had me until multiplayer. UO was a soul crushing introduction to internet asshattery.

He has a FAQ that addresses the non-MMO nature of this game:

Will this be a MMO? Can I play with my friends?

Yes, you will be able to play with your friends! Multiplayer games encourage social bonds that go far beyond what can be accomplished in a solo player game. I remember the depth of these bonds in players who met in-game only to get married in real life, how people who died in the real world were deeply mourned and celebrated by their online friends whom they may never have met face to face. Though Shroud of the Avatar won’t be a massively multiplayer online role playing game, it will be a multiplayer game. We will be describing this in more detail in our upcoming community blogs.

Tempting, but I don't entirely trust Garriott.

If we're to believe the conventional wisdom, he's been under the boot of a publisher and forced to make design decisions that would sell copies, not make a better game. Of course, he can't blame publishers for everything, but for this project it's 100% on him.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:08 pm

I'm not touching this one with a 10 foot pole. Way too many red flags here for my comfort. I'll just wait until after release, thank you very much.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:24 pm

Interview on RPS:

“It’s been about 15 years since I’ve gone back to my fantasy role-playing game roots in particular,” he tells me. “I think that the industry has evolved and the genre of role-playing games in particular has evolved in a direction that has left a large opening for me. I kind of put role-playing games into two general categories: One I’ll put my work into, which is sort of sandbox realities, where you get invited into this world.

“Not only is there a deep, rich story that unfolds, but also you can do all kinds of things at your own pace, whether that’s to be a shopkeeper or to be an adventurer or to be a blacksmith. They’re all richly detailed ways in which to play in that world. Whereas if you compare that to, say, EverQuest or World of Warcraft, in those games, every player is first and foremost a combatant.”

And on the multiplayer aspects:

Shroud of the Avatar is a game that first and foremost can be played both offline and online, so it’s a very high-quality story-driven single-player game. That being said, if you are online, it will also search for people you know, by whatever means it can, whether you give us access to your contacts list or your social media connections. We’ll search for people you know and automatically bring them into the purview of your game.”

“You will literally be able to see them walking around in the world with you. You don’t have to party. You don’t have to group. It just happens automatically. So it’s not exactly massively multiplayer. We’re not going to bother putting 10,000 people you don’t know on screen in front of you. But if we can’t find anybody you do know, we will put some people you don’t know on screen in front of you, so the world feels rich and full. But it’s in this interesting line. It’s not, strictly speaking, single-player, but definitely not massively multiplayer.”

I dunno. I think that's sounds kind of cool.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:32 pm

I backed it. Should be interesting enough, and I did play the early Ultimas into the ground.

They're 1/3 of the way to a million bucks in less than a day...

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 9:12 pm

Had to back it. I cut my computer gaming teeth on Ultimas III-VII. Ultima VI was the reason I bought my first PC, after I saw the graphics running on a test system at a Babbages in a mall. Knew it was time to give up my C64.

cheeba · Post by **cheeba** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:14 pm

I just want to go on record yet again to say that Lord British is the goddamn stupidest English name ever. The second stupidest? Moneypenny.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:28 pm

Compared to CRPG Kickstarter projects like Torment and Project Eternity, this looks absolutely 'meh'. Then again, I have no history with the Ultima games...maybe nostalgic gamers will be more receptive.

Formix · Post by **Formix** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:30 am

You magnificent magnificent bastards....Backed! Trying to get Ultima for free, then trying to hack my stats gave me most of my early computer experience. That alone is worth a few bucks.

EzeKieL · Post by **EzeKieL** » Sun Mar 10, 2013 11:52 am

I've never player any Ultima games but always wanted to, so I decided I might as well back this ;_;

Hipolito · Post by **Hipolito** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:04 pm

This game looks neat, but the rewards are seriously overpriced compared to other Kickstarters. I have to pay $100 to get the soundtrack and $200 to have my name appear at all in the game? Sheesh! I get both of those at the $75 tier for Torment Tides of Numanera. I'll just pay $30 to get the basic game. Good luck, LB.

Victoria Raverna · Post by **Victoria Raverna** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:15 pm

So this is going to be a multiplayer version of Skyrim-like game but less focus on combat?

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:45 pm

Used to admire him now im 'meh' on him. My favorite of them all is Ultima 7 pt 2 Serpent Isle.

No doubt this will be playable only on smart phones.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:15 pm

Intrigued, but cautiously. Can you back it after some kind of beta release?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:18 pm

Daehawk wrote:No doubt this will be playable only on smart phones.

You're not even trying to read up on this, are you?

Why PC?

Some people think that PC is an outdated platform, but to that I say not true! I have always been a PC developer, and there is something magical about sitting close to a large screen, seeing your world come to life. And the flexibility of using a keyboard and mouse is unmatched; though if you prefer to play with a gamepad on a PC, you can do that too!

For game development, the PC allows developers tremendous innovation and gives players the most choices as far as how they play. Although a great RPG can exist in many forms (even paper tape!), I firmly believe that the PC is the best platform for Shroud of the Avatar.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:30 pm

Over $850,000 now, 24 days to go.

My only Ultima experience was Online. It taught me to distrust every human that goes online. It set the tone for expecting asshattery from other people when they're given the chance to do it.

Of course, watching someone open a chest and then immediately start screaming "CURE CURE CURE" as they ran in small circles while dying of lethal poison traps in the chest was pretty damn funny... except the time it happened to me. That wasn't funny. Not at all.

I actually got a pretty good character going and then one day I got really pissed at a ninja-looter and killed him, which turned me into a murderer. The next day I put my account up for auction and actually made a little money on it.

Since I don't know anyone else online and he would then drop random people into my world, I'll pass on this one.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 3:31 pm

Smoove_B wrote:
Zarathud wrote:
Tempting, but I don't entirely trust Garriott.
If we're to believe the conventional wisdom, he's been under the boot of a publisher and forced to make design decisions that would sell copies, not make a better game. Of course, he can't blame publishers for everything, but for this project it's 100% on him.

If I am to believe conventional wisdom developers use their evolution good abilities and then put out something between crap and meh while stroking their egos. Can you imagine the disappointment of kick starting Black and White or Sid Meier's Railroads!?

McG2k1 · Post by **McG2k1** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:51 pm

I'm still feeling burned from Ultima IX

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:05 pm

Paingod, I laughed at your story, because UO set the same tone for my future MMORPG experiences. Distrust, anger, paranoia.

That being said, Garriott said there is an offline single player mode.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:38 pm

That is the same reason that I hated it, and the reason I avoid PvP servers in modern MMOs.

Zurai · Post by **Zurai** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:44 pm

ColdSteel wrote:I'm not touching this one with a 10 foot pole. Way too many red flags here for my comfort. I'll just wait until after release, thank you very much.

Ditto for me. I played and loved the first half dozen Ultimas, but 9 was a horrendous mess and UO was everything I never want to see again in a game.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:25 pm

They'll hit their goal, and easily. I'm glad. While I don't have enough confidence in Garriot to back this sight unseen, I will certainly get it if it comes out to good reviews.

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:57 am

Anyone notice that they're not calling this game "Ultima"? I'm assuming this is because EA owns the rights to Ultima and has turned it into a facebook game or some such.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:02 am

Yes -- see here.

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:14 am

I wonder if this and the Torment kickstarters are currently fighting for funding?

TiLT · Post by **TiLT** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:22 am

Gavin wrote:I wonder if this and the Torment kickstarters are currently fighting for funding?

I don't see why they should be. They're very different games.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 10:32 am

I'll probably do Collector due to my fondness for III-V (first games I ever purchased) but I'm remaining skeptical.

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:14 am

TiLT wrote:I don't see why they should be. They're very different games.

Yeah, that's why it isn't a given that they are competing. But I like both developers and don't want to get sucked too far down the kickstarter rabbit hole so I'm only going to pick one. I wonder who else is making that choice? They'll also be competing for market awareness.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:22 am

To RPG fans with a fixed budget, they're competing.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:18 pm

Paingod wrote:Over $850,000 now, 24 days to go.

My only Ultima experience was Online. It taught me to distrust every human that goes online. It set the tone for expecting asshattery from other people when they're given the chance to do it.

Of course, watching someone open a chest and then immediately start screaming "CURE CURE CURE" as they ran in small circles while dying of lethal poison traps in the chest was pretty damn funny... except the time it happened to me. That wasn't funny. Not at all.

I actually got a pretty good character going and then one day I got really pissed at a ninja-looter and killed him, which turned me into a murderer. The next day I put my account up for auction and actually made a little money on it.

Since I don't know anyone else online and he would then drop random people into my world, I'll pass on this one.

My experience with UO was:

Three days of excruciating lag just trying to create a character. Finally get in and run out into the woods with a knife to get some exp. "Aha, a deer!" Attack it and die in 2 seconds. What, is this a Soviet Russia RPG?

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:25 pm

Mine was more about spending hours on end making wooden stools and selling them to get enough money to buy a starter sword and actually go do some, you know - adventuring. I finally buy my sword, walk twenty seconds out of town, and some guy armed and armored out the wazoo rides up, one-shots me, and takes my sword (which couldn't have been worth anything to him.)

I walked back to town, started cutting wood to make stools so I could get a new sword, realized that a few more hours of doing so wasn't anything resembling 'fun' and uninstalled.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:33 pm

Somehow, I managed to miss the entire Ultima brand. Which I find strange considering RPG's have always been my favorite genre, and particularly old school RPG's.

I remember the only one I played for any length of time was Ultima VIII, which was pretty much panned as one of the worst IIRC. The only thing I remember about it was that the graphics were amazing, and brought my system to its knees. Also, lots of frustrating jumping. After that, I tried VII, but never got into it for whatever reason.

I guess I spent all my time with the Wizardy's, Bard's Tales, and Might and Magics and just never really got around to that series.

I find the first tier pledge text to be pretty funny though. If I had ever pirated Ultima, or "griefed" another player online, I would certainly pledge, just for the originality of his first tier goal!

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:00 pm

i said it in jest as all he has done since the failed Tabula Rosa is casual smart games.

Smoove_B wrote:
Daehawk wrote:No doubt this will be playable only on smart phones.
You're not even trying to read up on this, are you?

Why PC?

Some people think that PC is an outdated platform, but to that I say not true! I have always been a PC developer, and there is something magical about sitting close to a large screen, seeing your world come to life. And the flexibility of using a keyboard and mouse is unmatched; though if you prefer to play with a gamepad on a PC, you can do that too!

For game development, the PC allows developers tremendous innovation and gives players the most choices as far as how they play. Although a great RPG can exist in many forms (even paper tape!), I firmly believe that the PC is the best platform for Shroud of the Avatar.