Ten years ago we launched Lords of Xulima, our first commercial game and the title that gave the studio its name. This is a small thank-you note to everyone who made it possible.
Where it started
The original idea was simple: bring back the feel of the classic isometric RPGs we grew up with — Ultima, Might and Magic, the early Wizardry games — but with modern art and a UI that respects the player's time. We did not know if anyone outside our small circle would care.
The Kickstarter answered that question very clearly: backers from forty-plus countries pitched in, and the comments told us we were not alone in missing those games.
The launch
Launching is a strange experience. You spend years on a project knowing it might not connect, and then one day it is in everyone's hands at once. The first reviews were nervous reading. We watched the steam forum so closely that more than one of us forgot to eat for entire days.
What we learned
- Trust the players. Our community pointed out balance issues, typos and broken quests faster than any internal QA could.
- Patch fast. The first month after launch is when goodwill is forged.
- Respect classic design. Modern RPGs hold your hand a lot. We deliberately did not — and the reception told us a lot of players were waiting for that.
Thank you
To every player who finished the game, every reviewer who gave it a fair shot, every modder, every translator — thank you. Without you there would be no Numantian Games as it exists today, and nothing that came after.
Onwards.