Shroud of the Avatar - Selective Multiplayer

Game Industry at About.com posted a four part article about the Selective Multiplayer for Shroud of the Avatar. Here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

In a follow-up session to my earlier interview with Richard Garriott, we discussed the asynchronous multiplayer technique being discussed for Shroud of the Avatar, known as Selective Multiplayer.

A system which allows people to play offline in an MMO setting, even on a consumer tablet, such as an iPad is a rather bold goal. Take a read, and see what you think.

More information.

It is shaping to be the next step in MMOs, since that seems to be the overarching aim of this project. Very dissapointed that I backed this project - I was expecting a living and breathing single player world to role play.

Well, if you had listened to us you'd see that it is a multiplayer housing and clothing simulator

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
It is shaping to be the next step in MMOs, since that seems to be the overarching aim of this project. Very dissapointed that I backed this project - I was expecting a living and breathing single player world to role play.

Wasn't that after funding closed?

pibbur who doesn't necessarily know what he's talking about and who still waits for the final game before regretting or expecting anything, but who realizes that things would be boring if everyone followed his example.

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
It is shaping to be the next step in MMOs, since that seems to be the overarching aim of this project. Very dissapointed that I backed this project - I was expecting a living and breathing single player world to role play.

This is why SotA was my only KS project which I removed my pledge, basically all updates focused only in MP aspects…

You guys have a hard time understanding this project…sky is falling etc etc etc, the game is going to have a strong single player component which has been stated over and over and ignored.


This article is obviously about the MP side of it, but there are other articles that talk about what they are aiming for. I have played the tech release so far and it feels very ultima like. The only thing in so far is the conversation system which I think is a great throwback to text entered talking instead of choose a path conversations.

I won't deny the game has an MMO setting, but everyone claiming there is no single player offline mode read the part above were it says this.

A system which allows people to play offline in an MMO setting, even on a consumer tablet, such as an iPad is a rather bold goal. Take a read, and see what you think.

My only complaint is the text system used to interact with the world and NPC's. I don't like, and I never will. Nothing can change my mind either.

I think that's great actually…it's pretty extensive. Note that the person saying that isn't lord british, but the interviewer….I don't think LB sees a difference in what he sees as a game when you play mp or sp….this isn't everquest or BG2…this is ultimaish.

Originally Posted by rune_74
I think that's great actually…it's pretty extensive. Note that the person saying that isn't lord british, but the interviewer….I don't think LB sees a difference in what he sees as a game when you play mp or sp….this isn't everquest or BG2…this is ultimaish.

I don't see why people complain or defend this as this has been know for months now. To put it bluntly this is old news by now.

Lord Brittish himself has been pushing this term at every chance, and every game show. The game is a connected online world, and he is nice enough to offer you the chance to play offline if you want.

Now repeat after me the game is labeled as Selective Multiplayer, and this includes the option to play an offline single player version. Anyway people are either going to love what he made, or hate it. I leave that up to the player to decide not me.

Originally Posted by rune_74
You guys have a hard time understanding this project…sky is falling etc etc etc, the game is going to have a strong single player component which has been stated over and over and ignored.


This article is obviously about the MP side of it, but there are other articles that talk about what they are aiming for. I have played the tech release so far and it feels very ultima like. The only thing in so far is the conversation system which I think is a great throwback to text entered talking instead of choose a path conversations.

I think that what he means by single player is the offline MMO part. The whole game design is based on the MMO model and you downloading a client at this stage is the first evidance.

They will not change that model and they have said that bluntly many times - IT IS A MMO game.

Sure spoonfull, whatever. Think what you want, I'm tired of bringing up evidence and stuff. Ignorance is bliss as they say.

Just so you can see something cool I saw

I, for one, am NOT sorry I backed this, and I still feel the same way I felt during the KS campaign when everybody was complaining that this wasn't fitting in their narrow views of what a CRPG should be.

Lord British has his muse back and is looking to find the next evolution in computer gaming, and I'm curious to see what he comes up with. He clearly sees MANY things wrong in current MMO's, some of which are expressed in the linked articles in this newsbit. He is spot on when he says that it doesn't matter if you're playing in a realm with 10,000 other players, if all of those players run right by you without interacting with you at all, and all standing around getting the same quest as you without saying a word. If he's able to make a game that has the same level of immersion and story-telling and feel as a single player game, but allows people to interact with each other in natural ways in-game, it could be a big step forward for online gaming.

Personally, I'm glad that somebody is trying to advance the MMO genre in intelligent ways beyond its very basic and rudimentary forms that are used now, and I'm happy to put a few bucks behind the cause…

The problem about the MMO design is, that the devs have to invest resources in features that can't be used in SP at all and so these resources are, from my personal view, wasted resources as I won't ever play an MMO.

But I have no right to complain at all, I'm not a backer.

I just hope the SP experience to be a great one.