Thursday, November 20, 2014

Read it on Facebook!

Now that Nocturion is up and running on Facebook, you can follow us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nocturion.

Play Nocturion for free: https://apps.facebook.com/nocturion

There's a hero in all of us! Let the adventure begin!


Monday, November 3, 2014

Emerald Tigers

From the depths of the Highland Jungle, where life under the canopy of gigantic trees can be short and brutal, come the Emerald Tigers.

Long fangs, sharp claws and the raw instincts of a predator make these beasts a fearsome companion for the heroes of Nocturion!



Sunday, November 2, 2014

First Event Winners!

Nocturion's first event winners announced! 

Event Winners [2014-11-02]

Bounty Hunter
1st: Bocephus (+5000 CPs)
2nd: Duncan Idaho (+3000 CPs)
3rd: Maykl (+1000 CPs)

Dungeon Crawler
1st: Oromis (+5000 CPs)
2nd: Duncan Idaho (+3000 CPs)
3rd: Ghola (+1000 CPs)

Master Crafter
1st: Oromis (+5000 CPs)
2nd: Duncan Idaho (+3000 CPs)
3rd: Delphyne (+1000 CPs)

Shadow Thief
1st: Putrella (+5000 CPs)
2nd: Kekko65 (+3000 CPs)
3rd: Persophane (+1000 CPs)

Master of Puppets
1st: Maykl (+5000 CPs)
2nd: Duncan Idaho (+3000 CPs)
3rd: Delphyne (+1000 CPs)

Friday, October 24, 2014

LIVE!!!



Nocturion is now live and open for public play!

www.nocturion.com or play inside Facebook

If you've never played a strategy game before and would like to learn how to play, follow the in-game tutorials and join the Academy. You'll find all the help and resources you need!

Enjoy!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Nocturion BETA

Nocturion BETA is live! 

If you helped make Nocturion happen by contributing to our Indiegogo campaign, you should have received a message with all of the info you need to log in and start testing the terrains! 

Everyone else, your time is coming very soon!

www.nocturion.com

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Almost there...

It is October first, but Nocturion is not yet ready for launch.

You have our most sincere apologies.

We are waiting for just a few key graphics to be completed. 

Fear not. Nocturion will be online very soon.


Saturday, September 20, 2014

Battle Logs Ready!

New screenshots ready in time for another #screenshotsaturday!

PvP Battle Log

PvE Battle Report

PvE Battle Report


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Your world awaits

Gentlemen and ladies, villains and heroes...your world awaits you. 

This is Nocturion.

Anne Mohr, http://luned.deviantart.com/

As an inhabitant of Nocturion, your journey will begin in the Grasslands; but as you can now fully see, there is so much more to discover.


Monday, September 8, 2014

The End... but it's just the beginning!

It's been an exciting 35 days, and now our Indiegogo campaign for Nocturion has official come to a close.
Thank you for all your comments, suggestions, and advice.
Thank you for sharing and telling your friends.
Thank you to all of our 246 funders. 
We couldn't have done it without you!
Together, we reached and surpassed our funding goal. Now, we have a new goal... to get Nocturion game ready by the end of the month
We're pushing our graphic designers and are almost there. We're also looking forward to working with the new team members we've gained during the campaign. 
Players, get ready! See you in the game!

Sunday, August 31, 2014

100% funded!

Gentlemen and ladies, we did it!


Thank you to our 221 funders, to everyone who wrote wonderful comments, to everyone who shared our campaign, and to everyone who helped make Nocturion happen!

It is now my pleasure to officially announce that Nocturion will go live by the end of September! Thanks to indiegogo's flexible funding option, we have already been putting your contributions to work and are getting closer to the finish line by the day.

We are also very excited to announce that we have a new member on our game design team! More details to come soon!

Thank you all again! 

But we still have 8 days to go... on to the stretch goals!



Saturday, August 30, 2014

Nocturion World

An overview of the Nocturion world map. Still a work in progress, but you can see all the different areas your character will be able to explore.


AND... our crowdfunding campaign has reached 96%!

We have less than 9 days to go! 
Let's make Nocturion happen together! http://igg.me/p/718835/x/6745359

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Nocturion in the news!

Listen to Nocturion's Lead Game Developer and Designer!

Crowdfunding Cast Episode 039 is a podcast interview with our very own Konstantinos Manos (a.k.a. Kevorque), Nocturion's Lead Game Developer and Designer.

http://crowdfundingcast.tk/?p=153

Read all about it!

Nocturion wants Halifax in the game | The Chronicle Herald

http://www.herald.ca/business/1230616-nocturion-wants-halifax-in-the-game





Tuesday, August 19, 2014

We can see the light!

We've reached over 50% of our funding goal with 20 days to go!

Thank you for your contributions! Let's do this!

Nocturion's Indiegogo Campaign: http://igg.me/p/718835/x/6745359



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

First Game Animations on Nocturion's YouTube Channel

As funds from our indiegogo campaign come in, our game can progress faster!

New animations are being created. You can check out the Dragon's Spire, Lumber Mill, and Farm animations before launch on Nocturion's  YouTube Channel.





Monday, August 11, 2014

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Screen Shot Saturday

We're making great progress thanks to your help (via http://igg.me/p/718835/x/6745359)!

In honor of #screenshotsaturday, let me give you a taste of what's to come!

Nocturion Interface
Pet Arena
Dungeon Map

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Unique companion only for Indiegogo contributors

Allow me to introduce you to your new companion! 
Only available through this Indiegogo campaign when you choose the Baronet,ViscountBaronEarlDukeGrand Duke, and Prince perks.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Nocturion's Indiegogo campaign goes live

Gentlemen and ladies, the summer is nearing its end... but we're not ready!

We need your help.

Today, Nocturion's Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign went live. If you've been following Nocturion's progress (via FacebookTwitterblog), you'll have seen that we've been slowly creating graphics, writing lore, and planning... lots and lots of planning. We would love to have the game ready this Summer, but covering the cost ourselves is challenging.

Through this campaign, we hope to cover the initial costs of the game. This includes graphics and servers... not salaries and marketing.

We've come up with some perks that we hope will entice you to contribute and become a part of Nocturion.

We'll also add surprises along the way, so keep checking in!

If you can't make a contribution at this time, you can still be part of the Nocturion game community. In the past, we've found that our players are the best publicists. Please share our campaign with your friends and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Nocturion's blog for updates and game secrets!

"When you play, you become part of a game community where there is no hierarchy between developers and players. Every opinion matters because making an exceptional strategy game is the goal over everything else.."- Konstantinos Manos (a.k.a. Kevorque), Game Designer & Developer

Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Gone quiet

We've been quiet lately, but we're still here... deep in thought... diligently working... dedicated to our service... waiting for the right moment...


Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Process

I would say all game developers, whether indie or AAA, know that creating a game is a process. There are so many components involved in the process, so many variables, and the unforeseen. 

Then of course there's the whole... will anyone want to play my game?!

Nocturion's Dev Team is hard at work. The process is slow, but it will be worth the wait.

The team started their game development journey together many years ago with Universe Online (UO). If you've played this game then you know that it is an ever-changing entity, that the Dev Team keep the game-play going, they listen to the game community, and do their best to keep players engaged.

In honor of Throw Back Thursday, I wanted to show you how far the team has come (with graphics, don't even get me started on the back-end and mathematical changes!).

Hydroponic Farm 2008 & 2014



 

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Nocturion vs The Mountain

The Game of Thrones - The Mountain and The Viper (Episode 8, Season 4)... I am in total disbelief. I would say all hope has been shattered... but that seems a bit crude given the circumstances.  

I know Nocturion is worlds away from the Westeros, but maybe, just maybe, if we shared some of its strength, Tyrion would see a different fate?

Nocturion's Demonix, Dark Knight, and Wizard vs The Mountain - Who would... could win?



Friday, May 30, 2014

The Grasslands

The Grasslands is where players begin play.

Anne Mohr, http://luned.deviantart.com/
A civilized area in western Valkuria, the Grasslands still form the power core of the
Western Empire - or what remains of it. They mostly contain rolling green hills and
prairies made more fertile by the Twin River that slowly winds its way towards the
western ocean.

City of Evergreen

Although a shadow of its past glory, the imperial capital still dominates the region. Its tall green tower spires are visible from quite far away and its mighty walls have never been breached during its bimillenial existence. The city is surrounded by the Stoneguard Mountains and the Twin River, making this an excellent, extremely defensible location.

Greenwood

Greenwood forms a border between the Grasslands and the Badlands to the east. It as considered a safe place to harvest wood, herbs as well as hunt game. In recent decades, however, unrest in the Badlands has made it less and less attractive.

Mistwood

Contrary to the rest of the Grasslands, Mistwood is a damp, miserable place. It separates the Grasslands from the Crimson Forest to the north. A mist seems to hang perpetually over the silent trees, discouraging any adventurers from venturing any deeper.

Monastery of Patience

This is an ancient monastery in the eastern part of the Grasslands. Founded long ago, it once belonged to the Ring of Virtue, a string of monasteries promoting human life, righteousness, and purity of spirit. Now, like so much else, it lies abandoned atop its characteristic rock pillar.

Quietus

Once a thriving community, this island now lies deserted in the middle of Sunset Bay. Almost a century ago, its inhabitants rebelled against tyrannical imperial rule and their land was destroyed by Emperor Alexius I.

South Loch

In this protected bay, one can see the remains of two naval fleets. A century ago, fugitive Quietus vessels were destroyed by the imperial fleet. Their remains are still visible where the water is shallow. In an ironic twist of fate, revolutionaries from the Scarlet Ring torched imperial ships in the same spot three decades ago, destroying the empire's naval power base.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Drafting Nocturion

Putting this game together is so much more than writing code. I've been reading Archmage's notes, and the realm of Nocturion is becoming more than just a world where strongholds are built and heroes battle creatures, alive and dead. Nocturion now has depth, a history of hundreds of years, empires that rise and fall, grand battles fought... won and lost.

Archmage has been working with artist and cartographer Anne Mohr (http://luned.deviantart.com/) to help us visualize this new world. It's definitely a process and this is still very much in-progress, but this is what they've come up with so far...


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The End of the World

Maybe you remember a few years back, when the world was supposed to end? Harold Camping predicted May 21, 2011 would be the day of the Christian Rapture, and five months after, The End.

As far as I can tell, it didn't happen as predicted, but in the world of Nocturion, you will definitely encounter dark knights, demons, and strigoi... the troubled souls of the dead rising from the grave.

What happens next? No one knows.




Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Inhabitants of the Elemental Planes

As the game story progresses, the elemental beings of Oceanus, Spiritus, Terra Infinitus, and Ignis will become more and more involved in players' affairs, eventually becoming their ultimate opponents.

On the plane of Oceanus, water is the life-giving element and the inhabitants support the diversity of (mostly aquatic) life in all its myriad forms. This places them in direct opposition to the fire lords of Ignis, who worship death and destruction. The ruler of Oceanus is Neriah Terror of the Deep, a huge kraken-like creature that commands everything in this realm.


Air elementals are the most common inhabitants of Spiritus. They resemble air vortices or whirlwinds that playfully move among the clouds. Air is in constant motion and takes an infinite number of possible shapes. Air manifests everywhere, from small clouds and wisps of smoke to lashing winds, terrible thunderstorms and the breath of living creatures. The ruler of this plane is Lord Thunderon, a gigantic air elemental that resembles a dark, living whirlwind.


Terra Infinitus is mostly solid earth, filled with endless tunnels and caverns. Most native creatures of Terra Infinitus, such as earth elementals, have little difficulty traveling through the plane, usually by merging into the rocks at will. Other creatures, such as stone and iron golems, are scattered around guarding ancient secrets. The rulers of Terra Infinitus are the Stonecore Archons, seven gigantic golems of supreme power, each made from a different precious material: diamond, ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, zircon, amber.


Inhabitants of Ignis, the plane of fire, favor destruction. All things, they believe, must be purified by fire, the most powerful of all elements. Only those strong enough to withstand fire's destructive power are deemed worthy of existence. The fire lords consider beings of flesh to be insignificant and weak and they care almost nothing about their existence. The ruler of this plane is Pyrelord Phlogistus, a gigantic phoenix-like flyer that is always on fire.




Friday, May 9, 2014

Divulging the Elemental Planes

Surrounding Nocturion are the Elemental Planes of Oceanus, Spirtus, Terra Infinitus, and Ignis. The rulers of these planes are hostile, raging war with one another, which is why they leave Nocturion alone... for now.

Oceanus is an endless ocean, filled with all types of aquatic creatures. Numerous islands dot its surface but they are actually floating in the plane’s eternal currents. The skies are blue and clouds, light rain, and the occasional storm, stir the otherwise peaceful water surface. 


In the elemental plane of Spiritus, everything is floating. Here and there small islands of matter drift endlessly in the wind currents, with their own pockets of gravity holding together the soil and dirt. This elemental plane resembles a planet’s atmosphere without the surface. There are clouds, storms, whirlwinds, and tornados as manifestations of the Air element. The light comes from everywhere (there is no sun), resembling Earth’s clear blue skies in a good day or the darker hues while a storm rages.


Terra Infinitus is mostly solid matter, with the occasional pocket of air. Rich veins of gold, silver, mithril, and numerous precious gems are found throughout the plane, although their extraction is often difficult. The precious materials found throughout this plane illuminate the endless tunnels and caves with a soft bluish light which often confuses travelers from Nocturion.

The plane of Ignis is the hardest for the inhabitants of Nocturion to survive, because it is almost entirely set on fire. Rocks glow red hot, fire geysers sprout from the ground, gigantic firestorms rage in the distance and active volcanoes disgorge lava and ash from the bowels of the plane. Even fire occasionally rains down from the skies, turning unprotected travelers to cinders within minutes.

As an inhabitant of Nocturion, are you eager to explore the planes or apprehensive?

And so far, I've only described the terrain...


Next post: Inhabitants of the Elemental Planes

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Mapping it out

The process is incredible. As someone watching from the sidelines, I am in complete awe of Archmage and how his mind can imagine, detail, and create this new world, Nocturion.

In March, I introduced you to the concept of Nocturion. Then, all I knew was that it was a world that resembled our own, as it was during the Middle Ages, but with a darker twist. As it turns out, there is so much more to discover.

Our timeline begins when Varian Auxentius dissolves the Republic and proclaims the universal Evergreen Empire. But, as you many have guessed, the story, Nocturion's lore, started well before. It was 640 years before that the City of Evergreen was first settled. This city lies at a naturally defensible position in the Grasslands of western Valkuria, the main continent of Nocturion.

This map is still in it's infancy, but it gives some structure to the story of this dark new world.

Are you intrigued? Because I have more to tell... much more.

Next post: Divulging the Elemental Planes


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Protector

In a world filled of Warlords, Assassins, Werewolves and Dragons... 
who will protect you?


 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Tweets & Facebook posts

Progress... or at least we hope it's progress and I'm sure you'll let us know!

Now you can follow Nocturion on Facebook and Twitter.

 Nocturion Facebook page @Nocturion_game


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Unleash the Dragon

Did you see the Season 4 premier of Game of Thrones?! Sure, there was sex and bloodshed... but did you see the dragons?

"Dragons are fire made flesh. And fire is power."
- Quaithe, Game of Thrones

In the Game of Thrones, it is said that dragons are massive, flying reptiles. They breathe fire onto their enemies, burn entire cities to ashes, and it is rumored that they have a strong connection to magic.

But can they be tamed? 

Perhaps it is not just the inhabitants of Essos and Westeros who should be worried... Have I already welcomed you to Nocturion?

Today, with utmost respect (and I suggest you do the same), I have been permitted to present to you Xirconia.


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Nocturion is ready for launch

Got you? Maybe not. Happy April Fool's Day!

Nocturion is definitely not ready for launch. Perhaps this summer...?

But we haven't been sitting idle! This is a little something our graphic designer came up with. Bet you can't wait to start building your own! 


Monday, March 24, 2014

10,000 likes!

I just got an email from Kevorque sharing the good news.

Universe-Online has 10,000 likes on Facebook!

I really wish I could have been with him and Archmage when they found out. 
I imagine there were tears in their eyes!

This is the momentum we need to get things moving with Nocturion!

 Universe Online Facebook page

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Visuals Please!

Our graphic designer is currently working on a few images to help us visualize the lore and properly introduce us to Nocturion.

In the meantime, here's a small taste of what's to come!




Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The story unfolds

Nocturion is a world that resembles our own, as it was during the Middle Ages... with a darker twist.

You, as an inhabitant of Nocturion, will build strongholds and populate them with buildings and armies to defend themselves as you grow your influence over this world.

But of course, you are not alone.

You may encounter necromancers and their armies, conclaves of ghosts, vampire lairs, haunted towers, and undead wizards. Some of these beings may be hostile, while others could be subjugated into serving as a supernatural army.

And this is just the beginning.

Surrounding Nocturion are the Elemental Planes. The rulers of these planes are hostile, raging war with one another, which is why they leave Nocturion alone... for now.

Archmage is our Lore Master. He's the only one who truly knows how this story will unfold. But I'll let you know as soon as I do... or maybe you'll just have to wait until the game is launched and experience Nocturion yourself!

Friday, February 28, 2014

Vampires: An Education

Now that I've leaked the new strategy game's theme, I figured I should brush up on my vampire world knowledge. And, since today is Friday, I then thought Movie Night! Vampires have become very trendy over the last few years and there are hundreds of vampire movies out there. This should be easy!

Of course, much like any self-respecting wife, I thought this was also a great excuse to go out... so I mentioned it to my dear hubby Kevorque. I said, “You know, Vampire Academy is playing at the...”

For a moment, I thought he had turned vampire! His skin went pale and his lip curled... What did I say?!

Now, neither one of us has seen this recently released "potential blockbuster", but apparently, when you say you want to learn about vampires... you don't start at the Academy.

I figured I knew the basics... vampires suck blood, holy water and garlic scare them away, and they sparkle in sunlight... YIKES. Another (apparently major) blunder on my part.

First, I should give you a little background. Many years ago, Kevorque and Archmage met, and soon became best friends, while playing tabletop and live action role-playing games. Both have shelves of books and games that take over the walls: books by Tolkien, Lovecraft and Moorcock, as well as games by TSR, White Wolf, Chaosium, Blizzard (just to name a few!). Needless to say, they share a passion, not just a hobby.

And so I have been instructed... This weekend's homework (in preparation for Nocturion!): Van Helsing and Underworld... 1 through 4.

(Perhaps then, my incompetence won't be so taxing!)