The man who created the original Ravenloft modules for TSR’s AD&D will be Garriott’s Lead Story Designer for his Kickstarter MMO project.
Lord British – Richard Garriott, if you’d rather – is just a few thousand dollars short of his $1 million Kickstarter goal for Shroud of the Avatar and, to sweeten the deal, a new Lead Story Designer has been appointed: Tracy Hickman, he of Dragonlance and Ravenloft fame, among many other writing credits.
“Tracy is not only a good friend, but also a master storycrafter whose writing I’ve greatly admired for over twenty years,” says Garriott, adding that “Tracy’s talent will add a unique richness and depth to Shroud of the Avatar.” It’s clearly a match based in mutual respect; in the opening moments of his announcement video, Hickman – “I’m an old Ultima fan,” he says – credits Garriott with inspiring his own writing.
Shroud of the Avatar isn’t intended as an Ultima game, but hopes to “reinvent the classic fantasy role-playing experience,” according to its Kickstarter page. Given that the campaign still has 21 days to run, and is within touching distance of its target number, this MMO is all but certain to get made; if you want to get in on the ground floor, now’s the time. October 2014 is the estimated delivery date for this title.
Source: Shroud of the Avatar Kickstarter
