- I am Alexander
Hi, I am Alexander, although most know me as Alex. I'm a young New Zealander with a strong passion for storytelling and film. I've been making films since the age of 9 and have been writing fiction and telling stories for as long as I can remember.
My two current major projects are Patriam and Pakanga Rerekētanga with Patriam being my most developed work which I began working on in 2016, while Pakanga Rerekētanga is a new fictional setting I began working on in late 2021.
I hope to eventually bring these two unique, complex, and diverse fictional worlds to the screens of millions around the world both during my time at Massey University and in my professional career in the years after completing my Bachelor of Screen Arts with Honours.
- PatriamTragedy struck. Experience life on the last habitable planet.What is Patriam?Patriam is a fictional universe of my own creation that I have been working on consistently for the past six years. In that time I have crafted an in-depth history of cultures, nations, people, events, languages, and so much more. Patriam's history spans millions of years with countless unique and diverse stories to tell and explore.It is my dream to transform The Patriam Universe into a multimedia enterprise of films, stories, videogames, and other such mediums so that I may share my work and stories to those who would be entertained by them across the globe.Currently, primary focus for Patriam is Patriam: Infinitus, a videogame project built for the decently sized community that have come to love Patriam and its rich lore over the years. This project will allow members of the community to create and play as characters within The Patriam Universe, roleplaying as if they truly lived in this fictional world while completing quests, building kingdoms, exploring the highly detailed map, waging huge wars across the seas and mountains, and almost anything else they can put their minds to.Alongside Patriam: Infinitus, I will be producing a new semi-animated series that will use the videogame project's engine with assistance from both the wider Patriam community and the dedicated team of creatives that have come together to bring The Patriam Universe alive over the last half decade.Below you can find more information about Patriam, its lore, and my past work within it.
Previous Patriam Projects
Show off your projects, features, or clients in this section.
Patriam: Infinitus
Patriam: Infinitus is my flagship project. Taking the lessons learned in Patriam: The Age of Kings, Minecraft's core mechanics, and completely transforming the game into an expansive open-world, survival-RPG.
With a bigger team, a bigger community, and far bigger ambitions than ever before, Patriam: Infinitus will become my magnum opus upon its release to the world.
Patriam: Hunted
Patriam: Hunted is one of my proudest pieces of work that I have created since beginning work on The Patriam Universe.
On only a budget of $150, myself and two close friends spent eight months working on this short film in an attempt to bring The Patriam Universe to live-action for the first time.
On our tiny budget, we were able to source costumes, props, and transport with the generous support of our family, friends, and the Nelson community.
For our initial filming, we trekked into the Nelson bush and spent a weekend scouting locations before shooting the film.
After wrapping up filming we spent weeks editing the film which included re-recording lines, colour grading, sound design, and music production in order to bring the film to life.
Upon completion, we submitted Patriam: Hunted to the regional "Briefs Film Festival" in which we won awards for our efforts.
I greatly enjoyed working on Patriam: Hunted and I am greatly looking forward to working on new creative productions while I am studying a Bachelor of Screen Arts at Massey University.
Patriam: Battles
Patriam: Battles is an upcoming online mockumentary series which explores significant military battles, conflicts, and campaigns during the Neo-Civilisation Era of Patriam.
Patriam: Battles is a unique combination of film and videogames. Utilizing the game engine of the Total War videogame series, developed by Creative Assembly and SEGA, in order to bring the infamous battles of Patriam to life.
While studying at Massey University I hope to continue making new episodes of Patriam: Battles and using my acquired skills to further improve the series.
Patriam: The Age of Kings
Patriam: The Age of Kings was a videogame project that simulated The Patriam Universe during an era known as "The Age of Kings" within the game engine of Minecraft.
This project was a collaboration with a team of talented and creative people led by myself. Together we created an entertaining and fulfilling videogame experience for members of The Patriam Community to enjoy.
Following a hugely successful release and widespread community praise, myself and my team ended Patriam: The Age of Kings and began work on Patriam: Infinitus in early 2022.
Patriam: Conquest
Patriam: Conquest was a videogame mod for the popular grand strategy videogame "Hearts of Iron IV".
Patriam: Conquest would have allowed players to choose a nation during a Patriamic era known as "The War of The Five Nations". After selecting one of the many unique and in-depth nations, players would then be able to forge a new destiny for their Kingdom, Republic, Empire, or other such nationstate.
Unfortunately, due to significant changes to Hearts of Iron IV's coding by its developer Paradox Interactive, it no longer became viable to continue working on Patriam: Conquest and the project was shelved with the Patriam: Conquest team joining on to help with Patriam: Infinitus.
Should the opportunity arise again, I would greatly wish to resume development on Patriam: Conquest or another similar videogame project.
Patriam: Infinitus
The next generation of Patriam
Patriam: Infinitus is my biggest and most ambitious project to date.
Building upon the foundations and lessons learned from Patriam: The Age of Kings and my other videogame and film projects relating to Patriam, I hope to turn Patriam: Infinitus into a videogame experience that will last for years to come.
What is Patriam: Infinitus?
A look at the past, present, and future of the project
Open World RPG
Patriam: Infinitus promises to be the most expansive, engaging, and entertaining experience that we have ever produced.
With plans for hundreds of quests, a variety of different NPC Cities and Villages, ruins and mysterious "Precursor Sites" to explore, and the ability to shape your character's destiny in whatever way you see fit.
Patriam: Infinitus will feel like stepping into a huge, vibrant, and populated new world with near-limitless possibilities.
Geopolitics
Geopolitics has always been a key component of Patriam, particularly its videogame releases.
Patriam: Infinitus continues this focus with a big emphasis on player-led nations, roleplay, and interactions.
As a nation, players have the opportunity to build vast cities, towering forts, sprawling infrastructure systems, and more, as well as having the ability to engage in trade, diplomacy, political intrigue, and if all else fails, war.
Survival
With using minecraft's game engine as the base for Patriam: Infinitus, survival is a huge part of player experience and gameplay.
Despite all of the political intrigue, questlines to do, and glory to seek, survival remains the fundamental objective of every player and is a primary driver in their decision making.
Having to take into consideration supply lines for their armies, avoiding dangerous areas when travelling, planning expeditions and ensuring there is enough food and supplies to last. Survival has, and continues to be, and essential part of Patriam in minecraft.
Quests, Nations, and the plan for Patriam: Infinitus
1Quests
Quests are a vital part of my plan to keep our audience entertained throughout the course of their gaming experience in Patriam: Infinitus.
Splitting quests into General, Story, and Grind quests, we offer players to pursue a unique course of action and shape the world around them via said actions.
Within the past two years, our team has streamlined the processes of both training new team members in quest designing and how the quests themselves are designed, structured, and implemented.
During my time at Massey University studying a Bachelor of Screen Arts, I hope to further improve upon my own game development, story develpment, and dialogue construction skills, allowing me to pass these skills onto my team.
2Nations
Nations play an important part in all Patriam media. Often, nations, their political & military leaders or notable heroes of a specific nation are the focal point.
In Patriam: Infinitus, players can take control of either a historical Patriamic nation and will either work towards its historical goals and aspirations or alternatively forge a new fate for their nation.
Most nations in Patriam: Infinitus are bound together by a series of large cities populated with a harmonious mix of players and NPCs with smaller villages, outposts, and fortresses dotted across their claimed territory.
As leaders and citizens, players must work together to ensure that their nation prospers, maintains sovereignty, and expands itself. Having to make important political, economic, and military choices that can significantly affect themselves, their nation, the nations of others, and the wider narrative of Patriam: Infinitus which, in turn, influences quests.
In times of peace, players focus on building up their primary cities, establishing trade agreements and alliances with neighbours and friendly nations, and constructing new infrastructure, ports, farms, and fortifications.
In times of war, players must band together and fight a series of pitched and siege battles to determine the outcome of a conflict.
Nation Leaders and City Governors/Lords have the ability to mobilise NPC who would otherwise be farmers, merchants, builders, etc. and march into battle against their enemies with them.
However, great care and consideration must be made in regards to supply lines, terrain, seasons, and more lest their armies starve, become stranded, or be ambushed by an opposing force.
3A Player-Influenced Narrative
Central to the player experience of Patriam: Infinitus is what we call the "Player-Influenced Narrative".
An ever-changing world and game requires an equally consistently evolving story. While I have written an overarching story that is expected to play out over the coming years that Patriam: Infinitus will run, the story and its major plot points are both intended to influence the actions of players and nations alike, but are also able to be influenced and changed by those same players and nations.
This story design gives the impression that players are in direct control of their own personal stories, while maintaining the engaging and entertaining elements that a structured story for some single-player videogames or films would traditionally bring.
4The Next Generation of Patriam
Through these three points we hope to achieve a compelling, engaging, and entertaining experience for fans of Patriam that can be played and enjoyed for years to come.
My past experiences of working on creative projects, both Patriam and not, over the past decade has taught me much.
Now, as I leave one part of my life behind and embark on a new and unknown creative journey at Massey University, I hope to learn so much more and gain skills that will allow me to one day launch many standalone Patriam videogames of exceptional quality and effort.
Pakanga Rerekētanga
Pakanga Rerekētanga is a fictional alternate world of my own creation. Set during a fictional crisis during the 1935 New Zealand election which eventually plunges the country into a bloody civil war on the eve of World War Two. Pakanga Rerekētanga explores the many different important figures and factions that spawn from this civil war and their response to an increasing tense and chaotic world which is preparing for a Second Great War.
After completing a Bachelor of Screen Arts at Massey University I hope to use my acquired skills and knowledge to further my dream of producing creative media for Pakanga Rerekētanga