MAR 03 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Stun, Slow, and Confuse now disabled in CTF:
This is to let everyone know of a change we made today to our Capture the Flag game servers.
The spells Slow, Stun, and Confuse have been disabled in CTF games. We had designed CTF with this in mind, but neglected to adjust the .RUL file appropriately in the retail version. For this I apologize.
Each of these spells can be cast in rapid succession, resulting in a continuous state of Slow, Stun, or Confuse on the flag carrier when pursued by the opposing team.
In addition, some important counters to the effects of these spells are inherently disabled when carrying the flag. For example, a Conjurer or Wizard flag carrier who is the victim of a Stun spell is extremely vulnerable due to Blink being disallowed while carrying the flag.
As a result, these spells were disabled to restore game balance.
Feb 22 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Toggling Cast-on/Cast-at Arrow Settings:
You can also hold down the SHIFT key. When you do this, all of the “little arrows” that can switch direction, will do so. When you let go of the SHIFT key, they all switch back.
Note you can cast many spells “on others”, such as Invisibility, Force Field, Vampirism, and so on. Good for team games.
Map Editor:
Releasing a map editor has a lot of great possibilities, but it is not something we can do overnight, if we decide to go that route. Please be patient with us while we think this issue through, and take the appropriate steps.
Hang in there!
Feb 19 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Spells Crashing the Game:
We believe we have found the problem which occasionally causes some spells to stop working. It is a rare condition which only occurs after the game server has been running for many days.
We are doing an immediate “quick fix” to the game servers which will fix this problem, and we will make a change to our Westwood servers later today to permanently address this issue.
Sorry for any frustration this may have caused!
(By the way, certain spells are disabled in some game variants for play balance reasons. This fix will not change that situation. For instance, you will still not be able to Teleport to Marker in a CTF game)
Feb 15 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
On Cheating:
If you play on an official Westwood server, cheating is nearly impossible. This is because it is the host computer which runs all of the logic for spells, monsters, players, etc. The clients (players who have joined a game) merely draw the screen and send keyboard and mouse input to the host.
In the case of the Nox demo, look for servers named “NoxDemoSvr” followed by a number. These are the Westwood-hosted games.
All of the other games are hosted by players, on their own computers.
Since we allow players to host their own games, it is possible those players may have altered their server’s code. Since they are running the game on their own machine, we cannot control the integrity of those servers.
Most player-hosted games will be unmodified and fair. When you find a server you like, remember it, and visit it in the future.
There are plenty of games to join. If you are having problems with a certain server, leave it and don’t go back.
Finally, if anyone does notice a problem with an official Westwood server, please let us know immediately.
Feb 8 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Mulitplayer Maps:
Over 20 multiplayer maps are included with Nox, many of which can be played in multiple modes (Arena, Elimination, CTF, etc).
In addition, we will frequently put new maps on our official servers. These maps will be automatically downloaded to you when you connect to them.
Feb 6 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Map Editor:
Releasing a map editor is a very interesting idea.
However, we plan to create new maps ourselves, and put them on our official servers to be auto-downloaded to players.
Since we are constantly creating new maps, do you still want a map editor?
Feb 6 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Character Advancement in Single-Player Mode:
As your character “levels up” in the Solo game, his stats are automatically increased in a class-specific manner. You cannot decide how these stats increase.
This was done to ensure the classes remained distinct and balanced (no Wizards which are stronger than Warriors, for example).
Multiple Topics:
About GearHart – he’s not quite a scientist, but rather, an engineer. He keeps Dun Mir, the hometown of the Fire Knights, running smoothly. Play Nox as a Warrior, and you’ll meet him soon enough.
The Airship Captain is a mysterious character. Your question can only be answered by playing the game, I’m afraid. 🙂
The Fan Site Starter kits were not my doing. The credit has to go to our Marketing and PR departments for that, although I think the idea is a great one!
It is our pleasure chatting with people interested in Nox. Thanks for the post!
Feb 6 — FROM JOHN HIGHT:
Horrendous and Jandor:
Horrendous is the Warlord of Dun Mir, leader of the Fire Knights.
The vanquisher of the necromancer is the warrior Jandor. Jandor captured the souls of the necromancer in a magic Orb which Horvath, the Arch-Wizard, transported to another time and space (Jack’s backyard on Earth).
Feb 2 — FROM JOHN HIGHT:
Preview Events and Joystick Support:
The PR folks have quite a few cities to visit yet. I’ll let them chime in on the next schedule.
Sorry no joystick, we wanted everyone to be able to play Nox with a mouse and keyboard.
Responding to a Skeptical Gamer:
It’s our hope that you’ll appreciate the way we’ve separated solo and multiplayer Nox. We wanted to give fantasy gaming something fresh and new.
It would have been a lot easier for us to generate random maps and let you go on scavenger hunts with your friends. But you’ve already played that right?
Nox multiplay, at its heart, is a form of competition where you can match your skills with other players and demonstrate the clever tricks and moves you’ve learned.
It’s an addictive game that will have you sitting down for a quick match or two and realize hours later that you’ve been playing all night. It’s happened everywhere I’ve taken the game.
Before you condemn it, check it out. We’ll make a demo available RSN.
Single-Player vs Multiplayer:
Multiplay in Nox is more akin to competitive sport. There are 5 modes of play with specially crafted maps for each mode. You can play as an individual or in a team. We also have clans and ladder support via our Official Westwood Online servers.
The solo game was not designed for group exploration. There are no randomly generated maps. The solo game has 3 very different pathways, one for each class, and a rich story-driven set of quests.
Feb 1 — FROM MIKE BOOTH:
Mana:
Spells use anywhere from zero to around 85 mana points, depending on the spell. The Wizard has 150 mana at level 10, whereas the Conjurer has 100 mana at the same level.
At level one, your mana is much lower, and increases as you “level up” in the solo game.
International Versions and Game Resolution:
Other than the language, the international versions are idential to the American version.
One correction Azrael – the resolutions Nox supports are 640×480, 800×600, and 1024×768 in both 8 and 16 bit. I guess you don’t have a Vulcan mind-meld with me after all! 🙂
Server Options:
You can host your own server on the internet via Westwood Online, or on a LAN.
Your server can be run in interactive mode (the default mode where you participate as a player), or in dedicated “server only” mode for maximum server performance.
We are all avid internet gamers on the Nox dev team, and we’ve tried to cover all of the bases. Servers will be very customizable, including “turning off” weapons, armor, spells, and monsters you don’t like, setting map cycle lists, game types, score limits, time limits, and many other options. There is even a telnet interface for remote control of your server!
Interactive Demo:
We are working on a playable demo right now! Look for it on this website sometime in the next few weeks.
System Requirements:
Will Nox work on a P-166 with a quad speed CD? Well it will run, just not very well. 🙂
The minimum spec is a P-200 with MMX, 32Mb of RAM, and an 8x CD, if memory serves me.