Instructions for
Chaos
Julian Gollop, 1985
Instructions taken from "The Rebelstar Collection" Players' Manual by Julian
Gollop (1991), with additions by Death and Ian Coates (oktup@mono.city.ac.uk)
Copyright
Julian Gollop has kindly agreed to this game being made Public Domain. Anyone
is freely allowed to duplicate and distribute this game for use in Spectrum
emulators. It is requested that the identification of Julian Gollop as the
author of this software is not removed and the code not altered. E-mail me
(OKTUP@MONO.CITY.AC.UK) for further details.
Introduction
'Chaos' is a battle between 2 to 8 wizards, any or all of which can
be computer controlled. Most spells are used to summon creatures
which are controlled by the casting wizard. Other spells have a
variety of different effects. The popularity of this game resulted
in 'Lords of Chaos', which adds many aspects to the basic concept of
magical combat.
Starting the game
Select the number of wizards to participate and select the level of
any computer controlled wizards (from 1 to 8). For each wizard enter
a name, computer or human control, a character shape and a colour.
'Chaos' is played in a series of game turns. Each turn is played in
three phases; the spell selection phase, the casting phase and the
movement and combat phase.
Keys
QWE
A D All move in the appropriate direction
ZXC
S Selects an creature/wizard
K Cancel movement/ranged combat
I Show Information/stats on creature
1-8 Highlights creations of wizard # (1-8)
0 End your turn
Movement
To move something, select it with S and then press the
direction keys to move it as desired.
Combat
In order to attack an enemy creature you must move into it. If your
creature is able to fly then you can do a ranged attack by placing
the cursor on top of the enemy creature (or you can move into it as
before). Success depends on the attackers combat rating compared to
the defenders defence rating with a random factor involved. Some
creatures have ranged combat (ie if they carry weapons - see chart
below) which occurs when the creature has finished moving. Move the
cursor to the target and press S to fire. The target must
be in line of sight.
Main menu:
- Examine spell
- Tells you creature/attack stats and chance of it working
- Select spell
- Obvious really. On the select spell screen each
creature has a symbol next to it:
- * = Chaos spell
- - = Neutral spell
- ^ = Law spell
As more Law(Chaos) spells are cast, the % chance of a Law(Chaos)
spell working in the future increases. Neutral spells have no
effect either way. The lighter the colour the name of the spell is,
the higher the chance of it working. The overall state of the world
is indicated by the number of symbols on the main option menu. The
more symbols, the more Chaos/Law the world is (ie if it was (*****)
then the world would be very chaotic and it would be worth
considering trying to cast a real red/green dragon).
- Real/Illusion
- Creatures can either be created as real creatures or illusion
creatures. Illusions have 100% chance of working but are destroyed
by the disbelieve spell. Real creatures have a chance of failing,
but are unaffected by the disbelieve spell. Other than that the two
work the same.
- Look at board
- Use it to see what's in range of a spell/what's
attacking you. Press I to examine a creature. Press 0
to return to menu.
- Continue
- Goes to next player
You get one round where everyone casts a spell then a round to
move/attack in. If you are player one then you get to cast your
spells and move first. The last player is at a disadvantage that he
can be attacked before he has a chance to move, but has the
advantage that illusion spells can be cast without the risk of being
disbelieved for one turn (useful for dragons). Some spells need to
be cast at a target - attack spells need an enemy creature, create
spells need a square adjacent to your wizard. Press S to
cast the spell.
Undead creatures can only be attacked by undead, magic weapons or
attack spells.
When you've moved all you want to press 0 or
TAB to end turn.
Spells
CREATURES
Undead Flying Rideable Armed Spell
Bat X Chaos
Bear Law
Centaur X Bow Law
Crocodile Neutral
Dire Wolf Chaos
Dragon, Red X Fire Chaos
Dragon, Gold X Fire Law
Dragon, Green X Fire Chaos
Eagle X Law
Elf Bow Law
Faun Chaos
Ghost X X Chaos
Giant Law
Giant Rat Neutral
Goblin Chaos
Gorilla Neutral
Gryphon X X Law
Harpy X Chaos
Horse X Law
Hydra Chaos
King Cobra Law
Lion Law
Manticorn X X Bow Chaos
Ogre Chaos
Orc Chaos
Pegasus X X Law
Skeleton X Chaos
Spectre X Chaos
Unicorn X Law
Vampire X X Chaos
Wraith X Chaos
Zombie X Chaos
Object spells
- Magic Wood (Law)
- Computer places approx 8 magic trees near your
wizard. If you put your wizard in a magic wood tree
and leave him there, he gets a new spell after a few
turns.
- Shadow Wood (Chaos)
- Allows you to manually place approx 8 shadow trees
near your wizard. No two trees can be adjacent, and
line of sight is needed in placing. Shadow wood can
attack anything in contact with them (except
undead) - select the tree to attack.
- Magic Fire (Chaos)
- Attacks and kills enemy units it covers and randomly
spreads across the map
- Gooey Blob (Chaos)
- Attacks enemy units it covers and randomly spreads
across the map. Any unit covered up by a gooey blob
will be able to carry on once it is uncovered (except
wizards who are killed by gooey blobs)
- Wall (Neutral)
- Allows four wall blocks to be built near the wizard,
which blocks creature's paths, but can be flown over.
Attacking spells
- Magic Bolt (Neutral)
- Attacks creature it is cast at
- Lightning (Neutral)
- Attacks creature it is cast at (more powerful than magic bolt)
- Vengeance (Chaos,x1)
- Allows 1 attack on an enemy creature
- Justice (Law, x3)
- When cast on a wizard it kills all that wizard's
creations if successful. Allows 3 attacks
- Dark Power(Chaos,x3)
- Allows 3 attacks on enemy creatures
- Decree (Law, x1)
- Allows 1 attack on an enemy creature
Wizard's spells
- Magic Armour (Law)
- Gives wizard increased protection from attack
- Magic Knife (Law)
- Gives wizard increase attack power including undead creatures
- Magic Sword (Law)
- Gives wizard increase attack power including undead creatures
- Magic Bow (Law)
- Gives wizard ranged weapon including undead creatures
- Magic Wings(Neutral)
- Gives wizard ability to fly long ranges
- Magic Castle (Law)
- Gives wizard building to hide in
- Dark Citadel (Chaos)
- Gives wizard building to hide in
- Shadow Form(Neutral)
- Gives wizard increased protection and allows movement of 3
spaces per turn
MISCELLANEOUS SPELLS
- Law (Law)
- Makes the world more lawful
- Chaos (Chaos)
- Makes the world more chaotic
- Raise Dead (Chaos)
- Allows reanimation of dead bodies left on screen. Any
creatures raised from the dead become undead
creatures, able to attack other undeads
- Subversion (Neutral)
- Realigns enemy creature to your side
- Turmoil (Chaos)
- Randomly moves all objects onscreen to a different
location. Only available from a magic wood
- Disbelieve (Neutral)
- Allows illusion creatures to be destroyed. This spell
has 100% casting chance, and is always available
There are lots of little bugs/tricks in the game,e.g.
- create an illusion of something wimpish that isn't much use.
- put it on the body of something powerful, but now dead.
- cast Justice/dark power/vengeance on the wimpish creature & see what
happens.
If you're locked in combat and want to move, press I then
the direction you want to move in...works a lot of the time.
If you don't like someone, be player 1, put them player 4, and lightning them
on the first go if you have the spell!!! They die before they get a turn!
Ian Coates
London School of Economics
coates@vax.lse.ac.uk (preferred)
ec875@cleveland.freenet.edu
Nettverksgruppa, 18/11-94, sinclair@nvg.ntnu.no