Ok, sorry it’s taken so long… but here is a bit of video showing the app running on an actual device. Some caveats…
1. this was taken by my daughter using my iPhone, therefore the quality is poor. But then it wasn’t about showing you the graphics! 🙂 – I will try and do a proper one later. But it may just be that screencasts from the simulator will be better in the future.
2. none of this is final. Placeholder graphics, placeholder ui, placeholder placeholders…
3. this is the first time I have run in on the hardware for some time. I have been through a number of Marmalade SDK changes in that time. This was one of the reasons why it has taken so long – I couldn’t get the deploy to work!
Subsequently, there are a couple of issues. The main one that dragging the main view around doesn’t work, thus the default to click on the left and right side of the screen.
Also, the character selection screen was mid working. So all that you could see was dragging one lord around, with his grouping circle on!
This looks great! How much of the AI is done?
From the looks of it, you can probably wrap this up in a few weeks
All bar new bits…
Very very cool. Can’t wait for release.
Keep going!
Excellent – thanks for all the work you are putting into this. Looking forward to the day I can buy it.
Excellent, if you need a tester for android / ipod touch let me knwo.
Wow. I am very impressed with this demo indeed.
I think you’ve completely nailed the sense of movement, moving forwards is especially elegant and smooth. A welcome addition, and one that is a very classy (rather than flashy) addition.
I’m also pleasantly surprised as to how well the original graphics hold up. I say keep ’em as they are! 😉
Thanks Ross!
Graphics are now going to stay the same, albeit I need rebuilt higher resolution versions… if you know anyone who might like to be involved… point them my way.
It would be nice to create 3d models that render to look the same as the originals, but I’d settle for redrawn/retraced versions in 2d.
Looks great! 🙂 I hope you include the original graphics as an option; as rossH says, they hold up very well.
Good to see ti coming along, any chance we can pre order and thus drive some cash to you before hand (even if its kick starter). Gladly pay extra because I love you 🙂
Barnett
Great stuff Chris – its looking good!
And if I’m not mistaken, was that some of the music from the old Robin of Sherwood series on the video? 😉
Thanks for the video – you know I’m waiting happily for it to be just right!
Nice work Chris, it looks absolutely amazing. I’m chomping at the bit to have a play myself… 🙂
@Richard, yep that’s “Battles” by Clannad as used in ROS and available on the brilliant “Legend” album. 🙂
This looks fantastic. I can’t wait to see a real release!
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see it on my iPad and to pay you for
the game. Your labor of love is appreciated!
> 2. none of this is final. Placeholder graphics, placeholder ui, placeholder
> placeholders…
Dude it’s perfect, don’t change it 😛
Just over a year ago I stubbled on a 48K Spectrum going for 5 quid (original box and everything) in a charity shop, took it home, and experienced a wave of nostalgia for the games of yore. Never played LOM back in the day, but I did play the PC version that was given away with PC Gamer back in the mid-90’s and it was an awesomely deep game, and this is not even considering that it uses about the same amount of memory as a low-res photo.
Seriously considering buying an iPad just to play this – not even kidding. The only thing I’d really like to see is some serious work done on the AI.
. . . and maybe, just maybe, this will spark enough interest to get a new version made – one which stays true to the original game (i.e., doesn’t come off as a Heroes of Might & Magic clone). It happened with Carrier Command which is now being remade by Bohemia Interactive (go take a look at their website – it looks epic) so why not LOM?
FOARP,
Confused…. a new version that stays true to the original…. what more are you looking for? This is a new version that stays true to the original. What do you want new, and what do you want staying true to the original…?
From what I’ve seen, Chris is developing a new version that is true to the original.
It’s so easy for a remake to break what made the original game a classic. Even Mark Haigh-Hutchinson’s unreleased Atari ST conversion of Highway Encounter he sent me back in 1999; better in every way than the original yet somehow didn’t ‘feel’ like the same game.
The limitations of the Spectrum screen demand a very strong iconic visual look. Same with Knight Lore/Alien8… and LOM.
And speaking as someone who worked on the original Carrier Command (the bad C64 version), Bohemia Interactive have a great looking game… but as impressive as it may be, it’s not Carrier Command.
What I’m seeing here with LOM are updates to take advantage of the touchscreen interface (or the lack of a keyboard), an automap function (because no-one is going to carry a paper map around with them), a better way to move multiple characters, but still the same recognizable game we all love.
I’m assuming the 4 minute cassette tape load/save has been somewhat improved on the iPad too.
But there is an improved ‘remake’ on the horizon I am very excited about, it’s called Eye Of The Moon.
I guess what FOARP means with new version would be something like:
“How Lords of Midnight could have been if it would have not been limited by the hardware of the Spectrum.”
…Plus maybe…
“Extra stuff gamers have grown used to expect from games for the last 20 years”.
That can mean:
– Higher resolution graphics: At least Randscaping instead of Landscaping, with full color art.
– Music and sound.
– Guidelines: The first next thing people say when I encourage them to play LOM is that they just don’t get what they are supposed to do. Gamers today don’t read manuals (I found almost mandatory to read the LOM’s novella to fully appreciate the game), and very few play the tutorials. A new version would need to explain where you are, who are these guys on horses you start with, what are they good at, why Morkin can go out on a quest but others can’t, who is Doomdark, what are the victory and defeat conditions, etc. Not everyone expects to have to find a 1985 ZX Spectrum game booklet to play a 2012 smartphone game.
– Hinting of some rules: Movement costs, victory/defeat odds in battles, better explanation of the effects of items after their use.
– Full map with fog of war: All inhabitants of Midnight have probably basic geographic knowledge of their land, and have maps themselves. In order to plan any strategy, the map should be all known from the beginning, although covered with fog of war. At least mayor landmarks like mountains, plains, lakes, hills and the biggest cities and forts should appear labeled in the map. Smaller settlements, ruins, liths, henges, icehalls, etc should be maybe discoverable. If a Random Map option is implemented for replayability reasons, the map should maybe unknown.
– Better interaction with the Wise: Okay that only Rorthron and Logrim are controllable, but other Wise should give updated guidance about NPCs whenever they are asked. Maybe several to choose from, not only the same. Maybe also guidance about the location of items or enemy armies.
– Better interaction with Lords: A way to find out who could recruit them, the Targ of Utarg treacherous nature that didn’t fit in the original, maybe other personality traits to other lords. A way to give them orders to patrol an area, stay, follow (seen already done in the video), go and automatically recruit more people to the nearby settlements, go and get horses, go to a particular place.
– Miniquests for army-less heroes: The people of settlement X will join you as soldiers / give you an item / provide you intelligence on the enemy / refresh your armies / harass the enemy / revive your fallen friend if you go and kill the nasty Y / retrieve the lost Z / rescue the poor A in the Mountains / Cave / Hills / Forest of B.
– Multiplayer: Coop and versus. Hotseat (easy) and networked (more complicated for a turn-based game, maybe play by email).
New features that don’t alter how the game is played, but that improve the whole experience by adding replayability, usability, depth and accessibility.
Azrapse,
You make some interesting points which I will try to deal with.
Landscaping: There is much to do here, and Mike and I have spent much time thinking about this issue. Ultimately we decided that any movement away from the old landscaping technique would prove a step too far. And this concept has also helped with the drill down on what the visuals will finally look like. That’s not to say that we won’t do anything in the future, we have plenty ideas.
Music and Sound: That goes without saying. I don’t think we can release a product that does not have music and sound in.
Guidelines: The manual and novella are an interesting concept. The manual is not a problem, we can build in the required information into the game and guide the user along as they play – this is the norm nowadays. The novella is a bigger issue…. just how much of the story do you need in order to play, and what is the best way of delivering this. This is an area that we still have much to think about. I know exactly how I want to do it… but that will cost money….
Map: There is a built in map in this version, one that builds as you play. How exactly it works will now be dependent on game play testing.
Wise: We have some additions for them….
Lords: There is no intention for too much changes for control of lords other than the follow command.
Targ: The intention is to make the Targ work as originally intended.
Quests: No plans for quests other than different downloadable scenarios. Eg: playing the game with different AI rules, or from different start points.
Multiplayer: A given. We know how this will work, the concept has been proved on http://www.midnightmu.com This is planned as a future iteration.
Chris
I agree with Azrapse with regards to the map:
“Full map with fog of war: All inhabitants of Midnight have probably basic geographic knowledge of their land, and have maps themselves. In order to plan any strategy, the map should be all known from the beginning, although covered with fog of war. At least mayor landmarks like mountains, plains, lakes, hills and the biggest cities and forts should appear labeled in the map. Smaller settlements, ruins, liths, henges, icehalls, etc should be maybe discoverable.” Azrapse
I bought my much younger brother a 64 to get him interested in computers but he asked to change it 6 months later for the spectrum. No problem, it was his to do whatever he wanted. I supplied his first “real” game. ‘Lords of Midnight’. My brother never got into it. But me ! Longest game took 12 hours !!! Reams of paper so I could control my army of thousands. And I still lost. But I loved it. Im 53 now. I hope I dont have to wait much longer to relive my youth !!!! Keep it true and you keep me too.
Looks amazing.. will take it exactly as it is 😉
Keep up the good work, guaranteed sale here, cant wait. Never got bored of this game and I dont think there has ever been one as good, though many tried.