Richard Garriott's Avatar (opens in new tab) gets a little less shrouded in mystery with the announcement (opens in new tab) of the game's lead story designer. If Lord British's fantasy credentials weren't enough, it's been revealed that Tracy Hickman - of Dragonlance (opens in new tab) fame - is overseeing Shroud of the Avatar's story. If you're a fan of '80s/'90s RPGs and fantasy novels, you probably just spilled something on your keyboard. Sorry about that.
In the accompanying video, below, Hickman describes himself as "a pioneer in the telling of story through games", so he's certainly confident in his own abilities. He goes on to state that he thinks 'gameplay' hasn't changed all that much in 30 years, and that Garriott and co. might be the team to finally make a difference in that area.
Shroud of the Avatar has nearly reached its $1 million goal, with 22 days left on the clock. Barring a cataclysmic meteor strike, it seems likely that it will reach its funding target. (Via Massively (opens in new tab) )
