Check out the Nox Archaist Forum!

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!