On Hiatus

I'm not really a professional...

Dear community,

The time has come to hang my fedora on the coat rack.

The proverbial gas tank has run dry and I no longer wish to report on all things Mirage and its ilk. Passion has waned considerably and to continue in such a fashion would be a disservice to readers. I hope in some small way my contributions have raised awareness of the MORPG ecosystem and its many talented inhabitants. These creatures are rambunctious, unrefined, and altogether charming.  Experts and amateurs alike share a common goal of creating a unique and enjoyable online experience. Some succeeded, most failed.  Some adapted to new technologies, others remain conservative. 

Growth is inevitable.

To those that gave a damn, thank you.  Nothing but encouragement from supporters and a smile and firm handshake from developers.  I will not completely vanish into the sunset.  My Twitter and YouTube accounts will remain active (data must be collected) and I will update and retweet whenever possible.  Do not hesitate to contact me at zajenmail [at] gmail [dot] com.  A response may be delayed, but I do read what is sent.

Time off will be utilized constructively.  My writing needs more polish, games need to be played (and criticized), and new skills learned.  Zajen may relaunch in the future as a self-hosted blog with a sexy new WordPress theme.  Time will tell.

Until then, I’ll be watching.

Sincerely,

N.P. Brandt

P.S. One more post is in the works and will be published soon.  I’ll also make sure the pages have up-to-date information.  Opinion pieces may find their way back here as well. I’m still second-guessing myself about that acronym…

Hey Novalis, long time no see

Previous Novalis logo. What will the new one look like?

Loss of one will give rise to another.

Some consider the demise of the Online Game Core a telltale sign of decline.  Others will argue that the developers outgrew their pet projects and departed to conquer new territory.  Such is the nature of the independent spirit.

Novalis development suffered from lack of finances and was ultimately canceled.  Its resurrection begins now.  Krankzinnig has returned and is working on a more powerful rebuild of  his engine.  One of the planned features is support for embedded devices via OpenGL ES (2.0 specification).  I’m not well versed in the ways of programming, but the developer assures that Novalis will be much friendlier to novice coders.  Below is a sample of an empty application.

#include “m_video.h”

using namespace Muubo;

void Draw()
{
Clear();
Swap();
}

int main()
{
Init(“Muubo”, 440, 280);
Run();

return 0;
}

Early benchmark tests show that the engine is capable of drawing 10,000 2D on-screen images in about 371.439546 milliseconds.  According to Krankzinnig, “the images are POT safe for older hardware, use mini-maps and optionally compress to DXT.”  Promising results considering that Novalis is still in development.  Click here to see some old screenshots and information.

Wicked, right?

News Roundup: I Missed What!?

I returned from a family vacation earlier this month, but needed more rest and relaxation.  During this time off, I was mercilessly burned by the Texas sun and avoided contact with technology.  I have provided a brief summary of what occurred while I was away.

If anything slipped past my radar, please notify me at: zajenmail [at] gmail [dot] com.  More information (and a bunch of links!) after the break.

Lostica Online Re-released

MrMiguu Productions has made available the original version of  their flagship title, now dubbed Lostica [Retro Edition].