Friday, July 05, 2024

Welcome to my adventure - day two




Animals = Protein

Hello and welcome to the second part of my Cosmos Chronicles adventure. If you missed it, you can read part one by clicking here. To recap, we have witnessed the remainder of our family murdered! Thankfully, our uncle managed to pass on vital information before biting the dust - to the north is a man with a wicked sense of humour and information. I wanted more but he's a stubborn old g*t so I left, slaughtered his animals, and headed to my spaceship.

Yes, you heard me correctly - gather your food by killing bunny rabbits and other cute creatures. YUM!

Wait, did you listen to Cepece? I hope so because your first task is to seek somebody called Grostonton, on a space station outpost. Until you have found him, the adventure cannot begin because your spaceship is quite crippled and restricted to the solar system. You should seek him to see what all the fuss is about. So hop into your spaceship!

When aboard, a robotic assistant called Wilson appears for a chat. At this stage, he has little to say so have a wander about. There are many different stations; it's overwhelming and quite a Sundog moment with a hefty learning curve. Each part of the ship has a unique function - which will eventually require care, repair, and maintenance.

I plan to cover this in part three because it is a complex moment. Until then, have a play with your spaceship; get a feel for it. Here are some screenshots from today's slice of the adventure. I'll see you soon for part three...



"Old Cepece" ... I think... means "old man". And he is just that!
(Sadly, there's no way to interact with cupboards/etc to search for items)



I'm onboard Dad's old spaceship. It's called Cosmos and it's all mine!!
(the circled tiles represent each of the ship's different functions)



As you can see, the Cosmos isn't in perfect condition. Three systems are damaged.
(It's way too early at this stage but you will learn how to trade, repair, and install ship parts)



Having seen my family murdered, I was feeling... nervous. Thankfully, I found a toilet!
(hey, don't blame me for my typically British sense of humour!)



Cosmos actually has a shower. So, I took a shower. Much need water usage ;)
(I thought this was hilarious and the tiny graphics are superb)



Ah, this will be helpful - a log of all outstanding quests.
(Hit return for the side missions, below. Again, it shows "pokindex", your combat victories)



The ship also holds a list of side missions. One is near a black hole! :o
(Unlike many games, these are fascinating side events and doable)


I forgot about Grostonton and decided to take Cosmos for a spin instead...
(I was getting used to the game so I experimented... I then got ambushed!!)

Wednesday, July 03, 2024

Welcome to my adventure - day one




The trouble with me is...

Wow, where do I begin with that one? I better not! Anyhow, with regard to the ST and AtariCrypt, I'm a bit daft and usually annoy myself. I always have far too many games on the go! I hardly ever finish writing before moving on to the next. Sigh, I'll never change but I have decided to try and concentrate on one game. Something that I find truly fascinating.


Cosmos Chronicles

If you're sitting there - bored stupid - wondering what Cosmos Chronicles is then you're either dead, been in a coma, or just insane. I previewed it yonks ago, perhaps you should check that link out? This is such an engaging adventure, a unique mash of ideas and somewhat a futuristic Ultima you might say - with touches of Sundog and Frontier!

So, I figured it would be a great game to feature my progress - as and when it's made. Kinda like I did for Atari's Super Pack and when mapping Sword Of Kadash. However, this time, with smaller posts I can knock out quicker (he says). However, please note that I'm no expert RPG slayer! I'm merely an ST Dude having fun with a wonderful new game :)


The game

We are a young chap called Floyd Cooper and we live on Acriel, a small rock orbiting a larger planet called Nova. Here we work the land as a farmer with my Auntie and Uncle Vetea. Long story, cut short, the military turned up and killed them! Our father's spaceship is inside the barn and a friend is located northwards. Better check all that out, eh?

Exploring Acriel is easy; similar to what you would have seen in the Ultima games. Move using the cursor keys and enter a building (like the farmhouse) by walking up to it and tapping the 'up arrow' to enter. Once inside, explore as you did outside. Additionally, to interact and select/talk/pickup you should hit the 'Return key'. The cursor keys are now used to select items in the inventory plus relevant actions. Hitting "backspace" cancels and returns to the game.

Oddly, backspace will also be used inside the Cosmos to take off and enter space. The 'spacebar' is also used but more on that later in the game. Finally, the 'ESC key' can be used to quit. Are you a quitter boy??? I expect not!


"Day one"

For those who read what I previously published, this appears a repeat? It is. Apologies but I decided to restart from the beginning again - which makes perfect sense for this run of articles covering my progress. I hope!

The initial parts of this tragic storyline are perfect for learning the gameplay basics. It allows easy learning of the interface, exploring, collecting items, using the radar, and interacting with the soldiers (ie, learning how to fight). The interface is straightforward - top/right is the planet's conditions under the radar. Further down are details on health, fatigue, food and water. Under the play area, is your inventory and an area for messages/communication.

I'll no doubt die and restart multiple times but, I hope this will be an enjoyable adventure to document. Perhaps this might inspire you to buy the game for yourself? Please note that this isn't a walkthrough - not possible - it's merely an enjoyable romp through a fantastic adventure. Wish me luck - my only wish is not to embarrass myself (too much).

I would love to hear from anyone who is playing this game. How deep into it are you? Share your tips!

Are you ready? Let's view the trials and tribulations we must go through before the game properly begins...



We've been rumbled! Skiving under a tree, we hear a distant noise at the farm.
(Note the radar, top/right, this helps to show where the farm is)



Heading northwest, we arrive at the farm but our uncle has a worried look on his face!
(Hey, there's a field of food... I wonder what is inside that barn?)



Of course, we decide to check out the farmhouse first... Ah, a weapon!
(Note the inventory - food/water. On the right are your stats)



Those soldiers are cruel. At least they didn't kill that cute cow!
(Mmm, there's nothing tastier than a big, juicy steak)



This takes us into our first battle. Note the new options and helpful info on the right.
(Your first battle is confusing - choose to arm yourself first and then attack)



Buried them quick, didn't I? Anyhow, our uncle survived long enough for a few final words.
(You could walk north, it's not far. But you have a spaceship now...)


We're scared but bravely head northwards into unknown lands.
We find food, animals, and a house. Let's investigate inside that house!

Brace yourself for the second daring part of my adventure...

Tuesday, July 02, 2024

Money For Nothing




Money for nothin', chicks for free

I was going through some older video recordings on my channel and found this one by the Glasgow Computer Centre. It's called the Picture And Sound Show and is a partial sample sound recording of the legendary song Money For Nothing, Dire Straits. Must admit, I'm curious how they came up with 'that name' rather than something better!

Your ST requires 1MB of RAM and a double-sided disk drive. Don't scoff, this was 1986 and my family couldn't afford an Atari ST for two years. Heck, I didn't know the joy of 1MB RAM until around 1991 when I got the SIMS for my STe. Additionally, they released a now obsolete half-meg version for those living in a cave, unwilling to upgrade! ;-)

Anyhow, the amazing fact that this "demo" was released in 1986 impresses me. I would easily have assumed 1988/89 if I didn't already know. Of course, this isn't the complete song, the ST would need multiple floppies and a bucket load of extra RAM. Look, for 1986, it is jaw-dropping, so leave it playing while you search your CD collection.

Hey, I've made many changes to AtariCrypt over recent days and worked hard (trying) to group things better. You shall see different groups featured on the right-hand side of the website. Take a look :) Do you want more demos/etc featured here on AtariCrypt? I hope so because the #demoscne is crammed with quality disks from many talented people.

I hope you enjoy my video recording of this timeless song? Let me know in the comments below...


Credits

Glasgow Computer Centre
John Ray - Code
Scott - Code

Glasgow Computer Centre - https://demozoo.org/groups/38699/
Download in POV #085 by Persistence Of Vision - https://demozoo.org/productions/73899/


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