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Monday, October 16, 2023

CRX 2023 Interivew - Nox Archaist Technical Deep Dive

Mark Lemmert was interviewed recently by CRX. The discussion focused on technical innovations in Nox Archaist such as -

  • disk compression
  • Improved floppy disk controller
  • combat special effects
  • full screen map view
  • 5-bit PWM speech 

...and more!


The interview is available here on YouTiube. 


Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Patreon Campaign: Nox Archaist II - Dragonsmere

 





Will You Help Us Make Nox Archaist II?


(work-in-progress box cover art)


THANK YOU


Many thanks to all players for their support of Nox Archaist and the Lord of Storms expansion, especially our Patreon members and beta testers. We really appreciate it!

FUNDING GOAL


To support this ambitious project we've set a goal to increase Patreon support to ideally $1500 per month or at least $1000 per month* by August 15th. 

Joining our Patreon will give you unparalleled insider access to details about the project as it progresses, and even the opportunity to directly influence the project. Your support would really help us make a Nox sequel happen. 

Already a Patreon Member? You have chosen....wisely! Thank you again. If you have the capability to increase your contribution, it would really help us tackle this project. 

*$1000 - $1500/mo total, including current pledges which are around $530/mo.



ABOUT NOX ARCHAIST II


Nox Archaist II would be a full sequel, set in the Dragonsmere region of Vali (read: new overworld map to explore!), not an expansion of the original game. 

Our vision for a Nox Archaist sequel involves significant rewrites to the game engine to enhance the gameplay experience with content such as more large portrait images, an auto-map in-game, and a more compressive statistical system offering exciting new character development paths

As before it would be written for the Apple IIe/IIc, playable on original hardware and through emulators, including on Steam and GOG. A physical boxed set with printed manual replete with art and full-color cloth map is also planned. 

This project would also help put our minds in the ideal space to simultaneously create an outline and notes for writing the book "Beneath Nox Archaist", a nod to the "Beneath DOS" advanced technical manual from the 1980s. Beneath Nox Archaist would be an in-depth look at the technical mechanics of RPG game engines and be a "how-to" guide for readers interested in writing an Apple II RPG.

There are no Apple II books which cover this topic. The closest are a few books on how to write arcade games. A how-to guide for writing an Apple II RPG would ensure that the methods used to create the early RPGs of the computing era are not lost to history.

DOES THIS SOUND AWESOME?




PATREON FAQ



==How does Patreon help us produce games faster?

The short version is, the more income we receive on Patreon, the more time we can devote directly to making games. This is especially true for lead developer Mark Lemmert, as his day job is freelance consulting. The nature of this job is such that he can adjust his workload as he sees fit. This literally means that for Mark, support from Patreon translates directly to more game development hours each month!



==Will 6502 Workshop make a Nox Archaist sequel anyway, even without Patreon support?

Probably. However, increased Patreon support helps us to do so much more quickly! And, Patreon support enables us to take on a more ambitious vision than we would likely otherwise be able to. 



==What sort of perks and insider access is available through Patreon?

Depending on your pledge level, you can get access to the Inner Circle Discord channel where only 6502 Workshop developers have access, and an invite to the monthly live video chat with the 6502 Workshop developers, insider updates, free swag, and more!

A livestream is planned in the next few months to solicit project input from Patreon members.



==You didn't have Patreon support when developing the original game, why do you need it now?

Much of the time for the original project came from lead developer Mark Lemmert. His life circumstances are different than they were at that time. Currently, he has much less time available to work on the project then he did back then. However, Patreon support enables him to reduce the freelance consulting he does and use that time for game development instead.



==What if you achieve the Patreon support goal now, but then it drops off, will you be able to finish?

Yes. While it would take longer, we finish what we start. It's a work ethic that Mark Lemmert talks about in the "Making of Nox Archaist" book. A big part of what kept him going when things got tough was a stubborn refusal to quit and loose the investment of years of work. 



==Why is the goal to increase Patreon support stated as a range of $1000 - $1500/mo? 

More funding translates to more time to work on the project. We think increasing support to $1500/mo or more would be ideal and $1000/mo is the minimum we think we'd need to work on the project at a sustainable pace and complete all of our goals.


==How do we see the progress toward the Patreon support goal?

Click here to view our Patreon page. Then, scroll down and the information should be just below the list of tiers. UPDATE: it looks like Patreon moved this information to the "ABOUT" page.

Note: if you are a Patreon member, you must be logged out for this information to be displayed. We think that is weird too! Unfortunately we have no control over it. 


If you have any other questions please let us know!


Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Nox Archaist on Old School Gamer Livestream! (June 1st)

 Join us at 7pm CDT on June 1st for the Old School Gamer livestream!

Mark Lemmert will be on the show to talk about Nox Archaist - Lord of Storms. ⚡️Bring your umbrella!!! ☂️





Saturday, May 27, 2023

Behind the Scenes on Nox Archaist - Lord of Storms

On this episode of The Lost Sectors YouTube channel, Mark Lemmert goes behind the scenes talking about the development of the Nox Archaist - Lord of Storms expansion.


Click HERE to watch the video. 




Monday, May 1, 2023

Nox Archaist : Lord of Storms - RELEASED!

 




Lord of Storms Released!



Many thanks to our Patreon Members for their help making this possible. 



Prepare for inclement weather. This will not be a sunny stroll down by the Everton beach!


You have learned of Lord Estintar’s suspicions that the cult has something to do with the increase in storm activity. He charges you with investigating. 

The task will not be easy, but you accept this duty. Your quest will take you to uncharted reaches of the Isles of Wynmar. Traps, puzzles, and powerful magic items await, which may or may not be able to help you. 

Those brave and foolish enough to face these perilous perils will come face to face with the Lord of Storms!


This Nox Archaist expansion pack includes:

  • 15+ hours of new content, including a new quest line
  • New mobs and new unique items
  • New features, including character renaming
  • PDF of the manual with full color art


CLICK HERE TO ORDER LORD OF STORMS


Buy Lord of Storms as a Bundle **SALE**

You can also pick up our new DLC Bundle, on sale now, which includes Lord of Storms, the Book of Hints (original game), and the Making of Nox Archaist ebook.


CLICK HERE TO ORDER LORD OF STORMS DLC BUNDLE


COLLECTOR'S EDITION

We have less than 10 copies left of the Collector's Edition for the original Nox Archaist game. After those are gone, we plan to accept preorders for another production run later this year. 


CLICK HERE TO ORDER COLLECTOR'S EDITION






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