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I usually post in the Ninty forum but here is my review of the greatest game ever. Not Zelda, not Goldeneye, not Halo, not GTA 3 but Chaos on the Spectrum.
Chaos is a game of magical combat between 2 to 8 wizards with over 50 animated spells, and creatures summoned to resolve the question of who will become the Lord of Creation. Each player takes his turn to select and cast spells and move the summoned creatures. The winner is the last wizard left alive after all the zapping is over, but there is a limit on the number of turns to achieve a victory, so a contest can be drawn.
The options open to enliven play are commendably large. Up to 8 wizards can be selected and the computer can control any or all. Further, the intelligence of the computer can be altered from a low one to its most competent at 8, at which level it plays a mean game. Like Talisman, Chaos is a complex strategy game but it can be boiled down to choosing spells, and part of the joy of the game is to become familiar with how each spell functions. If you are not familiar with D&D this may take a considerable length of time, although you might see it as one way of introducing yourself to the genre. Spells, which can summon up creatures or elements like fire, lightning etc. are either Lawful, Chaotic or Neutral, where casting Chaos spells make the universe more chaotic and less favourable for Law. Having chosen your spell, there is no guarantee it will be successfully cast - this is determined by the type of spell (10% for a Golden Dragon, 100% for a Giant rat) where there is a lesser chance of casting a powerful spell. Illusions, however, are always cast but are susceptible to the Disbelieve spell.
Starting the game and consulting the spell tables it soon becomes apparent that this is a very attractively designed game with a super clear and large redefined character set a million miles from that of the Spectrum. This neatness and presentability, along with the efficient beeps and buzzes, tell you this game was designed with the best intentions - to please the purchaser. The spell list is not only colourful, the shade of colour indicates how difficult each spell is to cast. To see exactly what you might be letting yourself in for you can check out the spell with the information files which give some idea of the range and power of the spell along with the vulnerability of the combatant and its opponent. Spells include the Gooey Blob, which spreads and engulfs enemy creatures but does not affect your creatures; magic fire which can spread alarmingly, trapping and killing the enemy; to magic wings, a spell that transfers the wizard into a flying creature with a wide range of action. The creatures a wizard summons prove useful in many different ways. Flying creatures can hop over obstacles, wizards on mounts move more freely and with greater safety, and the undead can only be attacked by other undead.
The screen starts off very simply and uncluttered (perhaps too simply - a terrain of, say, bushes and walls might have added some atmosphere) but as each wizard summons more and more creatures it soon becomes busy enough for one or two sparks to fly. The graphics are very pleasing with super sprites of arrows and lightning bolts. The many dragons, bears, lions, hydra etc each have their own easily recognisable forms and motions. The sounds are thick and throaty and you really feel every bolt of lightning as it hits you.
It is difficult to get everything right in a very complicated game but I did feel there could have been a status report for your wizard's strength, hit points and magical resistance during the game. The way things are, you don't know how much damage has been done. Perhaps a greater number of missile attacks like the Magic Missile of Dungeons and Dragons may have broadened interest further. Also, a fireball spell would have proved a useful area effect spell. A constant problem during play is the quick disappearance of information concerning your opponents' spells which flash up too quickly to read before they are gone.
Chaos serves up something that has long been needed in the computer games world, a game which can be played by a great number of players not in a token sense, but in a fully competetive framework whereby each player is actively involved. Games Workshop have brought their knowledge of D&D and board-games to the microcomputer in a very professional manner and have produced games of real substance.
This game really is a classic and should be remembered forever, especially as it was the first game to have an 8-player deathmatch. Maybe game makers could take a step back in time and make a game now that is as much fun to play as this.
Woh that turned out to be long.
Thanks for reading.
Chaos is a game of magical combat between 2 to 8 wizards with over 50 animated spells, and creatures summoned to resolve the question of who will become the Lord of Creation. Each player takes his turn to select and cast spells and move the summoned creatures. The winner is the last wizard left alive after all the zapping is over, but there is a limit on the number of turns to achieve a victory, so a contest can be drawn.
The options open to enliven play are commendably large. Up to 8 wizards can be selected and the computer can control any or all. Further, the intelligence of the computer can be altered from a low one to its most competent at 8, at which level it plays a mean game. Like Talisman, Chaos is a complex strategy game but it can be boiled down to choosing spells, and part of the joy of the game is to become familiar with how each spell functions. If you are not familiar with D&D this may take a considerable length of time, although you might see it as one way of introducing yourself to the genre. Spells, which can summon up creatures or elements like fire, lightning etc. are either Lawful, Chaotic or Neutral, where casting Chaos spells make the universe more chaotic and less favourable for Law. Having chosen your spell, there is no guarantee it will be successfully cast - this is determined by the type of spell (10% for a Golden Dragon, 100% for a Giant rat) where there is a lesser chance of casting a powerful spell. Illusions, however, are always cast but are susceptible to the Disbelieve spell.
Starting the game and consulting the spell tables it soon becomes apparent that this is a very attractively designed game with a super clear and large redefined character set a million miles from that of the Spectrum. This neatness and presentability, along with the efficient beeps and buzzes, tell you this game was designed with the best intentions - to please the purchaser. The spell list is not only colourful, the shade of colour indicates how difficult each spell is to cast. To see exactly what you might be letting yourself in for you can check out the spell with the information files which give some idea of the range and power of the spell along with the vulnerability of the combatant and its opponent. Spells include the Gooey Blob, which spreads and engulfs enemy creatures but does not affect your creatures; magic fire which can spread alarmingly, trapping and killing the enemy; to magic wings, a spell that transfers the wizard into a flying creature with a wide range of action. The creatures a wizard summons prove useful in many different ways. Flying creatures can hop over obstacles, wizards on mounts move more freely and with greater safety, and the undead can only be attacked by other undead.
The screen starts off very simply and uncluttered (perhaps too simply - a terrain of, say, bushes and walls might have added some atmosphere) but as each wizard summons more and more creatures it soon becomes busy enough for one or two sparks to fly. The graphics are very pleasing with super sprites of arrows and lightning bolts. The many dragons, bears, lions, hydra etc each have their own easily recognisable forms and motions. The sounds are thick and throaty and you really feel every bolt of lightning as it hits you.
It is difficult to get everything right in a very complicated game but I did feel there could have been a status report for your wizard's strength, hit points and magical resistance during the game. The way things are, you don't know how much damage has been done. Perhaps a greater number of missile attacks like the Magic Missile of Dungeons and Dragons may have broadened interest further. Also, a fireball spell would have proved a useful area effect spell. A constant problem during play is the quick disappearance of information concerning your opponents' spells which flash up too quickly to read before they are gone.
Chaos serves up something that has long been needed in the computer games world, a game which can be played by a great number of players not in a token sense, but in a fully competetive framework whereby each player is actively involved. Games Workshop have brought their knowledge of D&D and board-games to the microcomputer in a very professional manner and have produced games of real substance.
This game really is a classic and should be remembered forever, especially as it was the first game to have an 8-player deathmatch. Maybe game makers could take a step back in time and make a game now that is as much fun to play as this.
Woh that turned out to be long.
Thanks for reading.
> This seems like a very, very good game. I haven't quite got the hang
> of all the spells yet, but I'm impressed with what I've seen. There
> are a few annoying things - it can be difficult to remember which
> creature belongs to whom once things are crowded. It flashes up
> briefly at the start of each turn, but a colour code woudl be better.
> I'll definitely play a bit more of this when I've got the free time.
>
It should be colour coded but when you move the selector on to the monster, it does tell you who it belongs to.
> A remake of this game, if done well, would top the charts of every
> console around without a doubt. It's got huge potential on today's
> consoles...
I think that maybe the game is too simplistic and easy to be worth 40 pounds nowadays.
I would still buy it though but I doubt it will ever be updated.
> of all the spells yet, but I'm impressed with what I've seen. There
> are a few annoying things - it can be difficult to remember which
> creature belongs to whom once things are crowded. It flashes up
> briefly at the start of each turn, but a colour code woudl be better.
> I'll definitely play a bit more of this when I've got the free time.
>
It should be colour coded but when you move the selector on to the monster, it does tell you who it belongs to.
> A remake of this game, if done well, would top the charts of every
> console around without a doubt. It's got huge potential on today's
> consoles...
I think that maybe the game is too simplistic and easy to be worth 40 pounds nowadays.
I would still buy it though but I doubt it will ever be updated.
I've just been slain by the minions of the fearsome wizard 'HarryPotter'. He then went on to win, fending off Zorg and Merlin. I might try an eight player game later, once I've got the hang of things. It gets hectic enough as it is!
This seems like a very, very good game. I haven't quite got the hang of all the spells yet, but I'm impressed with what I've seen. There are a few annoying things - it can be difficult to remember which creature belongs to whom once things are crowded. It flashes up briefly at the start of each turn, but a colour code woudl be better. I'll definitely play a bit more of this when I've got the free time.
A remake of this game, if done well, would top the charts of every console around without a doubt. It's got huge potential on today's consoles...
This seems like a very, very good game. I haven't quite got the hang of all the spells yet, but I'm impressed with what I've seen. There are a few annoying things - it can be difficult to remember which creature belongs to whom once things are crowded. It flashes up briefly at the start of each turn, but a colour code woudl be better. I'll definitely play a bit more of this when I've got the free time.
A remake of this game, if done well, would top the charts of every console around without a doubt. It's got huge potential on today's consoles...
http://www.tonyaustin.com/alt-tab/games/zxemulate.asp
Then go to the link on favourite speccy games.
Ur like it.
Then go to the link on favourite speccy games.
Ur like it.
It sounds a very good game, actually. The nearest thing I've played to it would I guess be 'Magic: The Gathering' - though Chaos sounds rather more interesting in many ways - the concept of a battlefield, for one thing.
A remade version of this would be an excellent thing to see. Who published the original?
If you can find a copy of a ROM of this game, I'd be interested in trying it out...
A remade version of this would be an excellent thing to see. Who published the original?
If you can find a copy of a ROM of this game, I'd be interested in trying it out...
Please reply.
This place is dead.
This place is dead.
I usually post in the Ninty forum but here is my review of the greatest game ever. Not Zelda, not Goldeneye, not Halo, not GTA 3 but Chaos on the Spectrum.
Chaos is a game of magical combat between 2 to 8 wizards with over 50 animated spells, and creatures summoned to resolve the question of who will become the Lord of Creation. Each player takes his turn to select and cast spells and move the summoned creatures. The winner is the last wizard left alive after all the zapping is over, but there is a limit on the number of turns to achieve a victory, so a contest can be drawn.
The options open to enliven play are commendably large. Up to 8 wizards can be selected and the computer can control any or all. Further, the intelligence of the computer can be altered from a low one to its most competent at 8, at which level it plays a mean game. Like Talisman, Chaos is a complex strategy game but it can be boiled down to choosing spells, and part of the joy of the game is to become familiar with how each spell functions. If you are not familiar with D&D this may take a considerable length of time, although you might see it as one way of introducing yourself to the genre. Spells, which can summon up creatures or elements like fire, lightning etc. are either Lawful, Chaotic or Neutral, where casting Chaos spells make the universe more chaotic and less favourable for Law. Having chosen your spell, there is no guarantee it will be successfully cast - this is determined by the type of spell (10% for a Golden Dragon, 100% for a Giant rat) where there is a lesser chance of casting a powerful spell. Illusions, however, are always cast but are susceptible to the Disbelieve spell.
Starting the game and consulting the spell tables it soon becomes apparent that this is a very attractively designed game with a super clear and large redefined character set a million miles from that of the Spectrum. This neatness and presentability, along with the efficient beeps and buzzes, tell you this game was designed with the best intentions - to please the purchaser. The spell list is not only colourful, the shade of colour indicates how difficult each spell is to cast. To see exactly what you might be letting yourself in for you can check out the spell with the information files which give some idea of the range and power of the spell along with the vulnerability of the combatant and its opponent. Spells include the Gooey Blob, which spreads and engulfs enemy creatures but does not affect your creatures; magic fire which can spread alarmingly, trapping and killing the enemy; to magic wings, a spell that transfers the wizard into a flying creature with a wide range of action. The creatures a wizard summons prove useful in many different ways. Flying creatures can hop over obstacles, wizards on mounts move more freely and with greater safety, and the undead can only be attacked by other undead.
The screen starts off very simply and uncluttered (perhaps too simply - a terrain of, say, bushes and walls might have added some atmosphere) but as each wizard summons more and more creatures it soon becomes busy enough for one or two sparks to fly. The graphics are very pleasing with super sprites of arrows and lightning bolts. The many dragons, bears, lions, hydra etc each have their own easily recognisable forms and motions. The sounds are thick and throaty and you really feel every bolt of lightning as it hits you.
It is difficult to get everything right in a very complicated game but I did feel there could have been a status report for your wizard's strength, hit points and magical resistance during the game. The way things are, you don't know how much damage has been done. Perhaps a greater number of missile attacks like the Magic Missile of Dungeons and Dragons may have broadened interest further. Also, a fireball spell would have proved a useful area effect spell. A constant problem during play is the quick disappearance of information concerning your opponents' spells which flash up too quickly to read before they are gone.
Chaos serves up something that has long been needed in the computer games world, a game which can be played by a great number of players not in a token sense, but in a fully competetive framework whereby each player is actively involved. Games Workshop have brought their knowledge of D&D and board-games to the microcomputer in a very professional manner and have produced games of real substance.
This game really is a classic and should be remembered forever, especially as it was the first game to have an 8-player deathmatch. Maybe game makers could take a step back in time and make a game now that is as much fun to play as this.
Woh that turned out to be long.
Thanks for reading.
Chaos is a game of magical combat between 2 to 8 wizards with over 50 animated spells, and creatures summoned to resolve the question of who will become the Lord of Creation. Each player takes his turn to select and cast spells and move the summoned creatures. The winner is the last wizard left alive after all the zapping is over, but there is a limit on the number of turns to achieve a victory, so a contest can be drawn.
The options open to enliven play are commendably large. Up to 8 wizards can be selected and the computer can control any or all. Further, the intelligence of the computer can be altered from a low one to its most competent at 8, at which level it plays a mean game. Like Talisman, Chaos is a complex strategy game but it can be boiled down to choosing spells, and part of the joy of the game is to become familiar with how each spell functions. If you are not familiar with D&D this may take a considerable length of time, although you might see it as one way of introducing yourself to the genre. Spells, which can summon up creatures or elements like fire, lightning etc. are either Lawful, Chaotic or Neutral, where casting Chaos spells make the universe more chaotic and less favourable for Law. Having chosen your spell, there is no guarantee it will be successfully cast - this is determined by the type of spell (10% for a Golden Dragon, 100% for a Giant rat) where there is a lesser chance of casting a powerful spell. Illusions, however, are always cast but are susceptible to the Disbelieve spell.
Starting the game and consulting the spell tables it soon becomes apparent that this is a very attractively designed game with a super clear and large redefined character set a million miles from that of the Spectrum. This neatness and presentability, along with the efficient beeps and buzzes, tell you this game was designed with the best intentions - to please the purchaser. The spell list is not only colourful, the shade of colour indicates how difficult each spell is to cast. To see exactly what you might be letting yourself in for you can check out the spell with the information files which give some idea of the range and power of the spell along with the vulnerability of the combatant and its opponent. Spells include the Gooey Blob, which spreads and engulfs enemy creatures but does not affect your creatures; magic fire which can spread alarmingly, trapping and killing the enemy; to magic wings, a spell that transfers the wizard into a flying creature with a wide range of action. The creatures a wizard summons prove useful in many different ways. Flying creatures can hop over obstacles, wizards on mounts move more freely and with greater safety, and the undead can only be attacked by other undead.
The screen starts off very simply and uncluttered (perhaps too simply - a terrain of, say, bushes and walls might have added some atmosphere) but as each wizard summons more and more creatures it soon becomes busy enough for one or two sparks to fly. The graphics are very pleasing with super sprites of arrows and lightning bolts. The many dragons, bears, lions, hydra etc each have their own easily recognisable forms and motions. The sounds are thick and throaty and you really feel every bolt of lightning as it hits you.
It is difficult to get everything right in a very complicated game but I did feel there could have been a status report for your wizard's strength, hit points and magical resistance during the game. The way things are, you don't know how much damage has been done. Perhaps a greater number of missile attacks like the Magic Missile of Dungeons and Dragons may have broadened interest further. Also, a fireball spell would have proved a useful area effect spell. A constant problem during play is the quick disappearance of information concerning your opponents' spells which flash up too quickly to read before they are gone.
Chaos serves up something that has long been needed in the computer games world, a game which can be played by a great number of players not in a token sense, but in a fully competetive framework whereby each player is actively involved. Games Workshop have brought their knowledge of D&D and board-games to the microcomputer in a very professional manner and have produced games of real substance.
This game really is a classic and should be remembered forever, especially as it was the first game to have an 8-player deathmatch. Maybe game makers could take a step back in time and make a game now that is as much fun to play as this.
Woh that turned out to be long.
Thanks for reading.