Shroud of the Avatar’s latest newsletter — its 220th for those keeping track at home — got a fresh coat of paint to celebrate, and as usual, it’s stuffed full of screenshots. Some of those pics feature the Verdantis Mines, a gemstone-studded underground area, and the Kas Ruins (Helm’s Deep, anyone?), both being built for Release 41 or 42. There’s also a spotlight on a player-owned town, Owl Sky City, and a ton of videos on Obsidian Cabalist weapons.
What caught my attention, however, was the Solace Bridge Outskirts section, as its entry marks a bit of a design shift for Portalarium. “For several years now our backers have been providing us feedback that the first few hours of our game have several major issues,” explains the studio. “Those issues include too many loading screens, scenes that are too small, and starting towns that include player housing / vendors. As we shift our focus to improving the New User Experience (NUE) and as we are able to measure new player progress through events like our recent free trial we realize that we must address these issues sooner versus later.”
The solution is to add new “outskirt” maps for players just emerging from the starting scenes and in need of a basic outpost for resupply — and Solace Bridge Outskirts is the first.
Check out the screenies and video below!
