Shroud of the Avatar Release 20 Adds Taming And More

I've been watching Shroud of the Avatar from a distance, cautiously optimistic but not entirely convinced it's worth the cash. Every now and then, new patch notes will find their way to my inbox, I'll think "oh, okay," and go back to waiting for it to be closer to a finished state. Today's patch notes were different.

Release 20, which is due out tomorrow, adds a number of features that are fairly uncommon in any game, let alone MMOs. In keeping its—ludicrously expensive—backer housing prevalent, the team at Portalarium have introduced a staggering 113 player-owned towns with this update, including the first player-owned island, the Duchy of Dara Brae. Those with lots can dynamically place their lots in any unclaimed land within their chosen name/location/biome combination.

"Pledge Player-Owned Vendors," the version that can be placed on one's property without time limits or fees, have been introduced to the game. Along with it comes a new limit on the amount of NPCs that can be placed on one's land. The limit starts at one for Rows and goes up to six for Castles.

Dozens of other, smaller changes have been made, as well. The troll marks the first BAM of sorts added to the game, featuring 180° attacks and head and body tracking for the ultimate challenge. Several new zones have been introduced, including the Spectral Mountains. New random encounters, such as stumbling upon a herd of animals guarded by dogs, have been added as an attempt to diversify encounters beyond ambushes. Animal taming has been added, starting with the ability to tame wolves and bears, along with a full skill tree.

You can view the full update here. Unfortunately, this massive update comes with a wipe, barring social data. It is noted that you will receive an experience bonus until you reach the level you were at prior to the update.