Over the weekend, Richard Garriot's Texas-based independent studio Portalarium Inc, launched the promised crowdfunding project for a new fantasy RPG, pitched as somewhat of a spiritual successor to the developer's acclaimed Ultima series.

Notably, the game is not being built as an MMO, but around the concept of having the game be playable both completely offline, or with friends, or tailored cohorts of strangers from the persistent game world.

With Shroud of the Avatar, Richard and his team will again reinvent the classic fantasy role-playing experience. Using state-of-the-art tools and technology, the game will focus on what made his seminal Ultima Series great. Once players are introduced to the game, they will discover their own story woven into the immersive world and lore surrounding them. Players may choose to follow the life of the adventurer or, if they prefer, focus on exploration and discovery. Players may even choose the life of a homesteader; either nestled within the safety of the settled lands, or on the dangerous but potentially lucrative frontier. The world is full of opportunities and challenges!

Portalarium is working with the Unity game engine, and acknowledges that images and footage from their prototype game don't look crash hot, explaining that much of the art has been created by non-artists, ahead of their staffing up. In two days, the project looks to be well on the way to its initial US$1M goal, with over $670K raised from over 10,500 backers.

Watch the pitch video below for more details, and head over to the Kickstarter page to get on board.