Heavy Water’s Avalon Keep: Update
by Kassadee Marie, HSM team writer
The first time I saw a video for the majestic Avalon Keep, I knew that I would have to have this incredible space as soon as it was available. Like a lot of people, I had been wanting a castle on Home for the longest time, and this was even better than the one in my imagination – a fantasy castle in the sky! I have never regretted my purchase for one moment.
This estate was enormous with three major areas, and it was beautiful; there were even pretty little fairies flying all around. You could change the color of the rugs, banners and guards uniforms and you could interact with the NPC’s. In the manner of a role playing game, these characters gave you advice or instructions and hints and added to the life of the estate. This space also had games and quests, diurnal controls, suitable music, and you could fly there. I remember the thrill and sense of freedom that I felt the first time that I took off and flew all around – over and under – my domain and viewed the endless waterfalls. What more could anyone need? Well, it turns out that Heavy Water thought we needed even more.
They are adding a brand new area to the keep for only $3.99, which was hinted at during the keep’s debut, and it’s the castle dungeon.
Now that the pesky rat problem seems to have been resolved – at least for now – you are able to enter this area, explore, and decorate there. If you already own Avalon Keep, you already know where to go, but for those of you who who are new buyers, go into the main castle and turn immediately to your left to find the entrance to the additional part of this space. One of the best parts of this new feature is that it’s still part of the estate; there are no transitions to enter there. This is a fantastic modification, which enhances the reality of this virtual space. In contrast, most of you may recall that one of the many (many) complaints about the mansion is that going from one section to the next – as they are separate spaces entirely – gave the space a detached feel, and ruined the sense of reality.
While in the dungeon, you have the option to change the appearance between mystical and spooky, and the house banners transfer to this dungeon style at the same time. Each version has it’s own interactive fire or water feature in the center of the dungeon, reminiscent of the Chamber Apartment.
There are interactive features unique to the spooky version is a “Feed the Monster” mini-game, with its own three rewards. I’m sure Barlow, the traveling merchant, could help you out with this. Befitting of its “spooky” theme, there are cages hanging there with skeletons in them, as you would expect in any “respectable” dungeon, but what are those baby demons doing behind bars? Do they need rescuing? Another update in the future will tell.
Heavy Water is also adding a new rewards game to this personal estate. Called Crystal Hunter, it’s available to the guests, as well as the owner to play. It’s awesome when rewards are offered to your guests, isn’t it? You will find that crystals have materialized around the islands, and you and your friends will need to gather them up and trade them with Barlow for ten new items. While here at Barlow’s Emporium, you are able to see the number of crystals you have collected at that time and make choices.
You can turn in your crystals to add items to the gift machine, or add to the house coffer, or purchase owner items. You can also buy multiple items that add to this game by way of a connection to the Heavy Water store. There is a new community goal also which will net you and anyone who enters the keep a full-sized guard companion styled after each house or after the kingdom. Fill up each house’s coffers, or the Avalon Kingdom coffer, to unlock this reward once the group goal is reached.
In addition to these updates, Heavy Water has also brought out an enchanting new line of clothing – called Noble Wear – that matches the Avalon Houses’ colors. At last there are clothes for the nobility instead of just royalty; not everyone wants to be a king or queen. I prefer to be a duchess, actually. There are floor length dresses adorned with gold belts and matching slippers for the ladies, and tunics adorned with gold or silver chains, matching pantaloons and ren shoes for the guys. Purchase them in red for House Raleigh, in green for House Thaon or in blue for House Dumont or House Grimoult.
These clothes look beautiful and I can hardly wait to get my hands on one or two of those brocade dresses, especially the red one. I’m hoping for more clothing items to be added to this line on a regular basis – or even a new peasant line of clothing.
If you haven’t bought Heavy Water’s Avalon Keep yet, there is even more reason to do so now. They are updating and adding to the space, and it’s all for the very reasonable price of $3.99. This huge update adds even more value to this $9.99 space, which was already a great bargain with all the features, quests, and multiple rewards that it offered. There’s even a whole set of thirteen matching furniture items provided with the purchase.
When a third party developer understands what most of us want from a personal estate, it’s wonderful, and I’m amazed and happy. What else they will be offering us in the future for Avalon Keep? There have been other hints, and I can hardly wait to find out.
October 31st, 2012 by Kassadee Marie | 1 comment
Home is endlessly entertaining to this California girl. Kassadee has been in Home for about four years, and loves almost everything about it (with a few notable exceptions). She spends way too much money there, and perhaps too much time... Someday she will travel the world and write about the people she meets and the places she sees.
Wow this is so very cool Kass! I am already an owner of the current space and enjoy it. Thank yo for writing this article I am looking forward to all the new stuff.