Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues Crafting Preview

Ten Ton Hammer has an exclusive first look at Shroud of the Avatar: Forsaken Virtues’ crafting system, courtesy of a trip to Austin, Texas, at Portalarium’s offices, and as you might expect it sounds very reminiscent of Ultima Online’s own take on crafting. Here’s a snip:

Where SotA will diverge from the beaten path is in the actual crafting of finished items and in how players get access to recipes. We’ve seen systems in the past where you needed a specific number of components to make something else, but what makes this system unique is that you may never know everything you could make. Sure there’ll be recipes that you can buy from in-game vendors just like every-other game on the planet, but not all recipes are available via in-game looted written form or from vendors.

Now here’s where it gets interesting; it’s looking like there will be a few ways to figure out how to make new crafting items. You could spend some time experimenting with combinations of sub-components and materials to learn how to make things, or another player could give you the recipe. (Unlike most games where you maybe go find a spell seller who sells you each spell one at a time, knowledge can be transmitted from player to player. If I can create some level 2 blacksmithing recipe, you can create that recipe. I can just tell you, ‘˜here’s how you make it.’ You don’t have to buy it and once you’ve done it that first time, it’ll be copied into your recipe book so you can remember how to do it,) says Richard Garriott.

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Enchanting in Shroud of the Avatar will not be something that’s included in the recipe creating the base object. Enchanting will be an extra step that someone will have to take after the item has actually been crafted. Until it’s been enchanted, a magic wand is just a pretty stick, but once your resident spell-slinger has worked his magic, that little stick now spits fireballs like it means business. I think I’ll call mine Mark 19 after one of my favorite weapon systems from my Army days.

Typical for Lord British, there’s still a catch. Those of us, who played D&D before it was wussified, remember how unique magic equipment was, and SotA promises to uphold those grand old standards. Enchanting an item requires the desired spell be cast on it and each casting is a single charge. As with any other time you cast said spell, reagents will be required for each casting. Thus enchantments take time not only to complete, but to even prepare for. Lord Blackthorn’s Flaming Brand of Kobold Womping sounds great, but the effort required in building up charges means it’ll also be something only used for emergencies.