I know that I am a little way off this. But as I’ve seen the question raised so many times recently, I thought it better to officially post something.
Lords of Midnight is currently moving through its project life cycle. The Android version should be live tomorrow and I will be focusing on the Desktop versions for Windows and Mac, and any other possible mobile variants like Kindle Fire, and Windows Phone. As well as this I will be adding new features and rolling them out over the coming months. This I see as being an ongoing project. I don’t see any real reason to put an end date on it.
This brings us to Doomdark’s Revenge. Let me say this very clearly, and to be beyond a question of doubt. I WILL be releasing Doomdark’s Revenge. That was always the intention. It is important for me on two levels. Firstly, it’s only right that the tribute to Mike be both games. Secondly, it is important for me to finish this thing I started so long ago; I never did manage to get a Windows release of the The Midnight Engine that included Revenge. So, aside from everything mentioned above, it will be the very next thing I do. I have spoken with Jure and he is completely on board to produce the graphics in the same faithful retro style. See Tarithel sitting pretty in the corner!
The intention is to get Doomdark’s Revenge out before the end of the year. The hope is that it will be much earlier.
The current status is…
Art: We know all the graphics required, and Jure can just work his way through them. All things considered, we know it should take less than 6 weeks for that to happen. That would then free Jure up to get back to his other commitments. Worse case, we can have the game running with original graphics again until his work is finished. But I think I will be bottleneck, not him.
Code: The Midnight Engine, which powers Lords of Midnight now, covers most of Revenge, and the database is all in place. I have once already, to show Mike, run the engine and walked around the Icemark, with all the lords in place etc… The tunnels work. The Mist works. You can recruit characters. What is missing is the Revenge specific enemy AI. The data to drive the AI is in place. So I just need to do a full evaluation of the missing features, and work my way through it.
That is my total commitment for this year. I would like at some stage in the future to address The Citadel, and I need to give consideration for Eye of the Moon. Also, Jure and I have talked about the potential for an updated version of LoM with none-retro graphics etc… And then of course, there is 2014. However, all that will have to wait and be thought about with clear hearts and minds.
But, my commitment to myself, and therefore to you, is to release Doomdark’s Revenge. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying Lords of Midnight.
She is a cold-hearted bitch.
She is a cold-hearted bitch.
Hi Chris,
Your commitments are any Midnight-lovers’ dreams, no doubt about it, and you know we keep being around, so you are fulfilling many one’s dreams.
It is not if we are enjoying LOM, it’s actually that we are re-living it and loving it, just as before, and now in a much more intimate way (smartphones follow with us all the time, everywhere).
All mentioned projects are surelly worthwile in regards to expectations and we keep the anxious hope that you and Jure will keep available and motivated to address them, as well as any further developments that the future may reserve.
An interface to M/MU, would also be worth considering and would widen the scope and potential of the whole project.
We wish you the best of luck and are selfish to do so, don’t forget!
I finally completed the game last night after several losses. Morkin died again, but my plan of stacking on xajorkith, then creating two assault groups, taking back as many keeps as possible whilst creeping north, then an all out assault worked.
Thank you for committing to the DR project as it is one I really LOK forward too as I recall it being a much tougher game.
Fantastic to hear this Chris, it’s going I be a really exciting journey ahead thanks David.
GREAT NEWS. Looking forward to DR already. Be sure to charge price accordingly!
Chris,
again, thanks for everything. Lovers of these games never had it better. Like others have said, I too will buy LOM on Android (even though I have it on my iPad already), and will do the same with Doomdark; it’s the least I can do.
Chris. This is wonderful news. Thank you for continuing to invest so much time and care in bringing these gaming jewels back to our screens.
LOM on Android – and already had Morkin killed by those darn wolves 😉
Fantastic work!!! Plays incredibly well on Android!
Good news, my wallet remains ready for the PC version 🙂
Hi Chris
The original DDR AI was rather “limited” and I think was the only downside to the original masterpiece. Is there a plan to make it more realistic, rather than simply have Shareth pile down south in a straight line (or so it seemed)?
Echo the thoughts of others re. pricing, BTW!
Cheers
Andy
I will do the same as I have with LoM – leave the AI as it is, and then address it with difficulty levels. So, you’ll still be able to hide in the tunnels and wait until Shareth gets herself killed! 🙂
So I’ll get beaten every time again, then…..
This post makes me very happy indeed Chris! I look forward to the re-release of my favourite game. I was upset when your spectrum-PC conversion wouldn’t work with Vista or 7 (or presumably 8) due to the full screen issue. I am really looking foward to playing this again!
Have been playing on the ipad since the 20th December, and have thought about Doomdarks Revenge since you told the world you were doing iOS and Android versions of the game. I remember buying the original Doomdarks for the Spectrum so I could play it on a borrowed specify from a mate. In that fortnight I was one stupid move away from finishing with everyone at the Gate of Varenon after doing for Shareth, as rather than sending up a Lord to take out the dragons, I sent in Rothrorn instead. These games, along with Shadowfax, made a huge impact on me, and I would gladly pay for the privilege of playing Doomdarks given the excellence of LoM.
People who whine about paying £3 to share in part of the heritage of this country (and I mean just that as it was a landmark set of games that showed what was possible and help gather a nation of coders) aren’t likely to pay for anything. While a limited free version sounds good, I’d suggest that you make sure that it has a limited scope and doesn’t have the full game in there with a few disables. Maybe a playable web version would make more sense for that, so that you can still get something back through passive advertising.
Great news and thanks for your on-going work in this!
As much as I love Lords of Midnight, of the two I think it’s the better game, I think Doomdarks has more re-playability and I’d love to see this released.
Great news and thanks for your on-going work in this!
As much as I love Lords of Midnight, of the two I think it’s the better game, I think Doomdarks has more re-playability and I’d love to see this released.
Many thanks for filling a void and it is good to hear the news about DDR. More power you your elbow sir, stay calm and press on! (Still have my Spectrum and both games in their boxes)
A big thank you for all the work
A big thank you for all the work
This is just one of the greatest things ever. I loved LOM and even though I was desperate to get DDR I could never find it anywhere. Even mail order was a dead loss. I got briefly excited years later when ZAPP decided to include them both as freebie cassettes with two consecutive issues… But, while the world seemed swamped with the LOM issue, the following month I couldn’t find ZAPP anywhere. I accepted it just wasn’t to be until… The greatest iOS app ever. So thanks soooo much for following through on Doomdark.
One little request for LOM if you get a chance. I was a CBM64 player. And one of the features I loved most was the sun which moved and changed colour through the day. Any chance of that making an appearance?
Hi Chris, your work is really appreciated. I have bought LOM on Android and iPad so I can play on the way to work also! 🙂
I’ve seen comments on the price and really at £2.99 for each is very reasonable. I’ve got some of the ‘youths’ at work playing it and so far it is going down well!
It was sad to hear of Mike’s passing but what you are doing is such a great tribute to him.
I hope you can continue with this project and I am excited to see where you take it.
Thanks so much for this!
Just bought….wonderful…would of paid 19.99 for the memories
One of my favourite games of all time. Looking forward to see the android version very much. Hopefully with a few new features such as a map for instance. Hard not to get lost in the immense landscape of the original.
Great news. Doomdark’s Revenge was even better than Lords of Midnight. Sorderon’s shadow was also great fun. Mike was light years ahead of his competition! Keep up the good work.
I stumbled upon your site whilst trying to find a working vs of LOM and DDR for my windows 7 PC I used to have a working version and then my hard drive died.
I can not for the life of me remember how I got it working and am beside myself with trying to get both games to function.
I miss these games and would love to play them again, but I just can’t get it to work any advice gratefully received.
Kath
Dosbox is what you are looking for. It will allow you to run the games.
I did find dosbox but found due to my advancing years and my own ineptitude I could not get it to work, even after reading the blurb. I am not that technically minded.
Thank you for your reply 😀 I am very grateful.
I seem to recall it was straight forward. Install Dosbox – create a folder on you hard drive, preferably just off root and without spaces in the name. Eg. C:\midnight map a drive to it in dosbox using the mount command. ‘mount d c:/midnight’ then run game from mounted drive.
That’s fantastic thank you I will try it and be sure and let you know how I get on.
Many thanks for the help I am very grateful :D.
Kath
Worked wonderfully many thanks 🙂
Fantastic
Hi Chris,many thanks for all the hard work you are putting into DDR.
Can’t wait for it on Android,ZX spectrum days seem alife time ago,sitting in our farmhouse at Watendlath,Cumbria,playing all night!!
Many thanks,Peter Tyson.