Posted April 11, 2022
The "The Making of Nox Archaist" e-book is now available as DLC on GOG. A print edition is also available at http://shop.noxarchaist.com.
-------BOOK SUMMARY------
In 2020, for the first time in 30 years, a commercial role-playing game was released for the Apple II computer. Join Mark Lemmert, the creator and lead developer, as he gives the ultimate insider’s account of the making of Nox Archaist.
In the book, Mark describes his decades-long journey to create an Ultima-style game. In 2015, Mark and his team at 6502 Workshop set out to create Nox Archaist. Their goal was to develop a retro role-playing game with a more modern user interface and compelling storyline, written in assembly language on real Apple II hardware and shipping in a deluxe boxed set.
Mark describes the challenges, including a failed Kickstarter, the Apple’s quirky graphics system, and getting decent audio out of a one-bit speaker. Along the way, the team received help from many sources, including Richard Garriott (Lord British), Dr. Cat, Burger Becky, and Steve Wozniak (Woz). Finally, after a wildly-successful Kickstarter and a year of non-stop coding, Mark details how an obscure floppy-disk bug nearly derailed the entire project just weeks before release.
With a mix of personal anecdotes and technical details, The Making of Nox Archaist is a fascinating look at the creation of a modern game on a classic computer platform.
-------BOOK SUMMARY------
In 2020, for the first time in 30 years, a commercial role-playing game was released for the Apple II computer. Join Mark Lemmert, the creator and lead developer, as he gives the ultimate insider’s account of the making of Nox Archaist.
In the book, Mark describes his decades-long journey to create an Ultima-style game. In 2015, Mark and his team at 6502 Workshop set out to create Nox Archaist. Their goal was to develop a retro role-playing game with a more modern user interface and compelling storyline, written in assembly language on real Apple II hardware and shipping in a deluxe boxed set.
Mark describes the challenges, including a failed Kickstarter, the Apple’s quirky graphics system, and getting decent audio out of a one-bit speaker. Along the way, the team received help from many sources, including Richard Garriott (Lord British), Dr. Cat, Burger Becky, and Steve Wozniak (Woz). Finally, after a wildly-successful Kickstarter and a year of non-stop coding, Mark details how an obscure floppy-disk bug nearly derailed the entire project just weeks before release.
With a mix of personal anecdotes and technical details, The Making of Nox Archaist is a fascinating look at the creation of a modern game on a classic computer platform.