New Touches in Shroud of the Avatar: Smoother, Smarter, and More Immersive

Today’s update brings a wave of small but meaningful improvements that make your time in the world feel more seamless and immersive. The library now reads aloud—any note, letter, or book opens with a gentle narration in Arabella’s voice, bringing stories and lore to life across 683 texts and over 32 hours of audio. You’ll hear the author’s voice when you read their words, adding a personal touch to every message.

Map visuals have been refreshed too: all 27 Novia area maps have been redrawn using the latest tools, eliminating the old white glare on rocks and the distracting blue or black borders. The world looks cleaner and more cohesive than ever.

Trophy hunters will be happy—lost or missing boss trophies are now delivered automatically, and every trophy that lands in your bank triggers a friendly notification. Plus, every banker now holds a trophy roll: just ask about trophies to claim any you’re owed or replace one you’ve misplaced.

For night explorers, Night Vision has been fine-tuned—brighter up close, natural beyond, and never darker than a scene with no lighting at all. And with a quiet loading screen, ambient sounds like Far Hinterlands’ crickets no longer play under the loading image, reducing audio clutter across 119 scenes.

On the player experience side, mount leaning is now a toggleable setting (on by default), so you can choose a steady horizon if you prefer. Mounts now lean in sync with all visible riders, not just your own, based on movement data already sent by the game.

Pets and creatures can once again walk across player dungeon halls, intersections, and stairs—finally restoring full functionality after a month of missing ground.

Finally, the /beacon command now lets you mark any coordinate on your compass and map, and the Oracle can place one for you. Combat Decks are now safer to open—no more accidental deletions—and chaos testers now have access to all 48 decks.

Summarized from Chris "Atos" Spears' work log at Catnip Games.