Welcome to my adventure - day eight

The End

Welcome to the eighth, and final, instalment of my adventure through the virtual cosmos. Yep, this will be the last time you hear me blabbering about this game. I am ending this run with my final thoughts.

Okay, Cosmos Chronicles may look like Ultima but it is a different game. It may have a Sundog vibe but it is a different game. You may think you're piloting an Eagle Long Range Fighter but it is a different game. A generous slice of each classic is used for a fantastic result. Regardless, make no assumption, it isn't a ripoff.

As in Frontier, this is a fantasy adventure living an alternative lifestyle in cyberspace. Virtual reality is constructed within 2MB RAM on an Atari ST/e (Blitter support). Facts like that never cease to impress me.

This game is ginormous with near-limitless possibilities. There are "open world" games with immense possibilities but this is better described as an "open universe". After considerable time, I learned much but still feel I've only scratched the surface of this tremendous adventure. I wonder what else is still awaiting me!

Fancy a recap? Well, here are all the other web pages from my playthrough...

Reference pages of previous articles...

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Original Preview     - New game released with the download. [ link ]

My Adventure Day 1   - Storyline and keyboard controls. [ link ]

My Adventure Day 2   - The quest begins, and we eat meat! [ link ]

My Adventure Day 3   - I created a map of the spaceship. [ link ]

My Adventure Day 4   - Learning how to fight! [ link ]

My Adventure Day 5   - Health and trade. [ link ]

My Adventure Day 6   - Wealth. [ link ]

My Adventure Day 7   - A diary of progress. [ link ]

My Video Recording   - I made a brief recording for newcomers. [ link ]

The CryptO'pinion?

By now, you must know how much I've positively enjoyed this game as it provides countless opportunities to travel, trade, battle, and explore. If not, where have you been all month?!! I'm eager to give my opinion but I won't go over topics like controls, stats, trade, etc. These have already been covered (above).

Cosmos Chronicles offers an unrestricted adventure like few can. Not only that but I appreciate anything that grants the player freedom to do "his own thing" alongside the primary objective - so the plot never gets in your way. By that, I mean the storyline isn't something to blindly follow like a trail of breadcrumbs.

There are no restrictions so take a breather and make money, enjoy a beer, meet girls or do something even sillier like skimming by the edge of a black hole. You might learn how to freely replenish essential supplies using a planet? Why not go cave diving or roam the plains of a remote planet looking for monsters - all whilst watching day turn into night in real-time. Such immense opportunities constantly amaze me.

However, I have some quibbles (oh, here he goes!!). Remembering this isn't an RPG, the stats are overkill. The main stats for health, fatigue, hunger, etc work well but there are extra layers for battles. Not only for bravery, strength, etc but the weaponry held/not held. Far too much so I ignored them!! Also, character communication needs to be fully implemented rather than meaningless one-line responses. I would prefer the ability to "talk" removed as it's pointless unless that character is part of the storyline's chain of events.

My other grumble (the weakest) is the sound. Sure, a game like this doesn't require flashy effects or a chiptune. Nevertheless, I would love to walk a planet and hear its weather. I've endured an alien planet's wind and rain many times hungering to hear anything but silence. That DMA audio is gagging to be used :)

Cosmos Chronicles is remarkable; star-hopping through the galaxy takes hours of dedication with near-unlimited destinations to investigate. Each is unique with different planets, people, wildlife, towns, and monsters. Make no mistake, this is a roguelike stuffed to the brim with adventure. And what an adventure it is!!

Laurent must be proud of Cosmos Chronicles and I'm sure his heart and soul went into making a 16-bit universe. This game is instantly playable and never overly convoluted with a hideous difficulty. Considering the time and effort I've put into it, I could live another 50 years without fully exploiting every possibility. I hope he completes the remaining English translations and improves the audio (oops, there I go again).

Thoroughly enjoyable far beyond my meagre words, and my rating is an exceptional 95%.

Many star systems were searched beyond The Runaways system.
Eventually, I managed to find a church in a small town.

Inside that church, people are friendly with information.
Pray using the floor tile near the altar.

Another church this time on Vaticum One (458096-563905).
Lo and behold, it's Shaoth!! And he's a priest. :o

Unfortunately, he is only willing if we complete a side quest.

Mercenaries are approaching the village of Donbas...

...And you know what that means, don't you?

That's right, save the game before you go looking for a fight!

On returning, Shaoth tells us of a planet called Athanor (ohh, nice name lol)

Let's head out there and see what we can find?

Orbital views show nothing but something glints in the north.
Father's ship!! But now I must find someone called Tot to decode the black box...

A fella called Tot has the skills to help but he is far away in the Canna system.
After a long journey, we are finally here but............!!!

The ship malfunctions and crashlands on Amestradh!
Wilson provides the coordinates of a signal but it's quite a dangerous walk.

The planet is full of nasty monsters but I finally found Tot's house.
(He decodes the box and provides a boost for my ship)

The walk back to the ship is another exhilarating experience.
Monsters chase, so use rocks or trees whenever possible and RUN!!

Having left Tot, I've returned to my ship with a new mystery task.
How can I reach 470733-551942... I'm stuck & need to think about this!

La fin

Well, this month has been a blast and I'm about done with the writing - which takes me a long time! I now need to play and dedicate my time to completing this journey. I hope this month has been as much fun for you as it has been for me? Don't forget to vote using the link at the top of this web page (completely free).

My greetings to Laurent who I've enjoyed talking with. He has exciting plans for the future!!

Welcome To My Adventure - day seven

The Adventure Journal

Welcome everyone to day seven of my adventure through the 16-bit cosmos. I thought it would be a good idea to document my current progress so here is a straightforward summary of my journey (so far). Of course, it's specifically the main parts of the storyline and not everything else experienced along the way.

Cosmos Chronicles can, sometimes, be difficult to fathom due to vague information so I'm hoping this journal might be helpful. However, be warned, this has many spoilers and is NOT meant as a cheat guide!!

It is intended only for those who might be stuck or in need of a pointer or two...

1 ) Beginning on Acriel (Solaris System).

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Family killed.
Collected hand weapon.
Cosmos spaceship acquired.
Head northwards to see Cepece.

He informs you about meeting Grostonton.

Grab the vegetables growing in the field.
Kill animals for meat.
Use the ship's inventory to store what you can (esp meat).
Familiarise yourself with piloting the ship.

Leave Acriel and head into space.
Forget about visiting the planet Nova!

2 ) Still within the Solaris System.

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Locate the space station ("south") (refuel the spaceship).

Find that fella called Grostonton.

Grab the hyperdrive module before leaving.

Install that on your ship (see Day Three for a ship map)


3 ) Hyperdrive installed and working!

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Grostonton mentions meeting Chiss in a bar at World's End.
The co-ordinates are 461894-560541
Very far away... Thus begins your adventure!


4 ) Star-hopping through the galaxy.

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This journey is huge (to the above coordinates).

Along the way -

Trade and build up credits.
Watch your health stats during the journey.

Trade in food and medical kits.

Upgrade your weaponry.


5 ) Eventually, we arrive!

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The slog was worth it and we arrived at 461894-560541 (World's End).

Find the planet's only bar and meet with Chiss.

He has some "shocking" information.

Don't leave yet.


6 ) See a chap called Staxx for a chat.

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(the English is poor) but he needs an egg.
These eggs are located at coordinates 461953-560511.
(Check the rocky caves on a planet named after a famous musician).

7 ) After finding an egg.

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Return to Staxx for a good reward.

Now the warning of not having a certificate has gone!

Yes, Staxx graces us with an Hegemonic pass/certificate.

And... wait for it... the next part of the quest begins...


8 ) Finally, there is a side mission!

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Don't leave the bar yet!!
Go and see Maria at the back of the bar.

She tells us to visit the mechanic Mecano Pursell.
He tells of a strange artefact embedded in the floor of an out-border planet.
The coordinates are curiously 42904-557708 (Lat30 Lon39)

9 ) We need to contact Lord British!!

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Yep, Lord British himself awaits our return at these coordinates 462868-560197
That was my tease from Day Six (sorry).
Does that address sound somewhat familiar? It should...
Go and see Richard who is on Nova (the Hegemony planet from the beginning)
Richard's information begins the next stage of the adventure.

When you finally reach World's End, talk to Chiss and Staxx in the pub.
This is now the first side quest. It's worthwhile helping him...

Before leaving Chiss' bar, grab some food and drink. Why not chat up Maria?

She won't do anything without a condom. No, honestly lol.

It's a pub, so check out the arcade cabinet and play a game (does it look familiar?).

Casinos are another "Easter Egg" but can be costly fun!

Staxx gave the coordinates but he didn't say which planet...

I'll give you a clue, it's not Titakah. (I love saying that word out loud)

Any cave can be plundered in search of a Xenomorph egg!!

Want another tip? Why not find a planet that has Xenomorphs running wild?

Did you take my hints and find an egg?
Now we return to see Staxx for a nice surprise. Hips! Well done!

Have you ever seen a ship looking so good?

Yes, there is still some French translation to be done.

The ship's certification allows us to land on planet Nova and look who I bumped into!

Lord British instructs us to leave Hegemony and search the extremist sector beyond the Runaways.

I wasn't going to use this image but it's easy to forget the basics after several weeks of play.

Up until now, everything has taken place within Hegemony territory. This game is BIG!!

Welcome to my adventure - day six

Spondulicks

Welcome to the sixth instalment of my adventure through the virtual cosmos. I'm sure you already know that you can access the previous articles by clicking here. Okay, as I type, I am exploring a new sector of the universe in search of a ch... No, wait!! I shall say no more otherwise it will ruin a thrilling and iconic moment in the storyline. /tease

Embarrassingly, this article is late because of file corruption. That stupidity set me back considerably but you are probably wondering why I didn't use the ship's "Cryonics" feature? I have no sane response other than - Doh!!

Okay, this article concerns wealth because I recently realised my credits were vanishing fast. Not on anything particular, just the basics like food, booze, and fuel. Not wanting to end up penniless, I hit the casinos but that was a disaster (shock). Of course, trading in goods is always satisfactory but slow to turn around a quick profit on your investment.

Regardless, let's have a laugh with these snapshots of my luck in a casino? I have only ever won ONCE!! Sigh...

I was walking through Hatara, minding my own business and up pops a casino!
(That's the building to my (er) left with the yellow doors)

We go inside and it's like being back in Las Vegas.
That's me in the middle, about to be ripped off like a big loser!

This is the result of gambling a credit... another loss.
I love how it says "Nothing goes right" lol

Deathmatch

Casinos are a fun sideline to the game but not what we need. Arenas are a much better way to earn money and are similar to what you have already experienced in space or the wilderness. However, it's a contract bout, without access to your inventory, and fought to the death. Furthermore, only three options are available: Fight, Scare, and Seduce.

Fight - is obviously your attack command (up/down arrows to select target)

Scare - this only works on timid creatures with a poor bravery stat (BRA).

Seduce - is a risky one used to coax the enemy but rarely works.

Winning will result in a hefty payout from the arena boss. You are then invited to fight again against different monsters. However, that decision depends on your physical condition after the fight. Each bout renders damage and fatigue which can be replenished using medkits and plenty of sleep. However, I feel that there is a better way.

Take a look around the city for a hospital close to the arena? The doctor within is a genius who can cure all wounds for a small payment. When you leave, all main stats are completely replenished (sometimes fatigue may take an extra visit if very low). Repeating that loop of arena/hospital/arena/etc/etc is a fantastic way to boost your stash of credits.

That's it for now and I hope this information tidbit is of help? I'll see you soon for the next instalment of Carry On Cruising the Cosmos. Hey, don't leave before checking out my screenshots from the hospital and the arena...

Larger cities have facilities like hospitals, but smaller towns won't.

For the blind, that's the hospital with the green door and two red crosses.

So I went inside and he's charging me 579 credits for a complete makeover.

That's a lot of money early in the game so start trading first and then come back!

No, this is not the same screenshot as above. I paid for the medical visit...
Look at my stats. Everything is near the max compared to earlier.

Right then, seeing as we're healthy let's go and kick some ass!

The arena is that large building with flags on its roof.

When you walk inside, the internal doors are locked.

Your opponent(s) are always imprisoned in the room on the right.

Agreeing to fight, we enter the arena for the familiar duelling.

Note my weapon - that I cannot use. The arena's weaponry is shown top/left.

I won and was rewarded with 2400 credits. Not bad for a first fight.
Notice the new opponents in the room to the right. Fancy another bash?

The ship has a checklist of all the monsters you have fought and beaten in battle.
Is it just me or does the bottom left monster look like a carebear?

One of the "side missions" is getting rich. Job done, and within a short time too!
Ahh, if only real life was the same? Fat chance of that happening lol

Welcome to my adventure - day five

A bit of business

Welcome to the fifth instalment of my adventures through the cosmos (all other articles are here). Today I'll go over the raw basics of trade and supplies. You won't need to hyperspace to any distant planets because the basics can be learnt from the start on Acriel. This may come as a shock but two main things require care. You and your ship!

Cosmos Chronicles had been designed in such a way that makes it dead easy to get into. The early parts are ideal for learning the basic mechanics so experiment with traders, stock up supplies and put fuel in the ship's tank. Only when meeting Grostonton do the adventures begin, thanks to his gift of hyperspace. In the meantime, build credits, trade wisely and it might be a good idea to purchase a better weapon for when you explore a planet's wastelands.

Let's take a look at what you, and your fancy new spaceship, may require...

Floyd Cooper

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Food - As you can imagine, filling our big fat belly is always important. So look around the farmstead as there are plants growing and cute animals grazing. Walk over to any plant and press the <return> key to rip it out of the soil. Now you can chomp on it to see your hunger levels improve a little bit.

Similarly, animals can be killed as there's nothing better than red meat, The wastelands of most planets has something to slaughter. Although our adventurer doesn't seem to bother cooking!!

Towns are often host to a variety of shops and bars. These are great places to immediately enjoy food and drink. Also, traders supply large quantities that we can store in the ship's cargo hold.

Not every planet has towns but that doesn't mean you should leave. Land the Cosmos and go for a walk in the wastelands. Many animals can be found happily going about their business. Some are too quick but slower creatures are perfect food. However, beware of the scary creatures!

Water - It's not whiskey but our ship has a tap with fresh water. You can replenish yourself at any time.

Most planets with towns have a bar offering your favourite tipple (and girls). As with food, shops/traders are worth visiting if you're in immediate need. Otherwise, use the ship itself (see below).

Rest - Catching your Zzz's is as important as eating and drinking. You don't wanna be fatigued or feel dozy during a fight!! Sleeping is free within the safety of your spaceship but some towns have hotels.

Care - Injuries will happen and bandaids aren't free but a trader is more than happy to help.

Cosmos

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Deuterure - basically, this is petrol and can be topped up in towns and on also space stations. Of course, there is always a freebie way using certain planets (hint, hint). Saves spending valuable credits, eh?

Water - Likewise, water levels will need to be maintained. The process works exactly the same as with Deuterure and that even includes a possibility of a free source (same process as above).

Oxygen - Hey, don't choke and watch these levels when out in the darkness of space or poisonous planets.

Hull - Sheilds are great but damage isn't. Maybe you've been in many battles and the scars are showing? There are repair shops which is quite costly but he can return the ship back into fighting condition.

Parts - Most towns have stores to help with replacement parts for the ship's modules.

Inventory - The ship has a huge pantry to store items, including food and module parts.

Cargo - Large volumes of supplies can be sold by traders and stored in the cargo hold. Additionally, nothing is preventing you from using some of the items. This is why early trading is advantageous with food, water, medical supplies. Profits won't be as good as other supplies but these will help to keep you alive.

I hope this guide is helpful? When I began playing, I didn't know about Deuterure. It wasn't until I ran out of the stuff that I realised!! There I was, left in the wilderness of a remote planet - waiting to die! Not exactly a proud moment.

Once you have the spaceship fired up, go and explore the planet of Acriel. Both the apparent "empty" wastelands and busy towns are worth exploring. Once you are ready, jump into the Cosmos and head into space. Journey "south" to the space station, put some fuel in the tank, and see a chap called Grostonton. Now begins your adventure!

Let's view my screenshots from a nearby town I found, Titatown. I kid you not...

When you first jump into the Cosmos, you realise it's not in great condition. Can this be fixed?

As you can see, much is still in French. For example, coque is the ship's hull.

Plus it's love on Deuterure fuel. Perhaps I should figure out how to fix that!!

(Towns and a nearby space station will help early in the game)

If you find the right type of planet, refuelling is free.

Why pay when you can suck it up straight into your fuel tank!

I genuinely didn't notice the town's name when I took this screenshot lol.

(Weirdly, the people have little to say so don't expect any chat or side quests)

The first place I stopped was JD Wetherspoon for a couple of beers!! YEAH :D

Look at my stats on the right, I'm very hungry and thirsty!

Hey, what's that in the back of the bar? Well, the missus will never find out...

For different results, talk to her from an adjacent tile or on top!

Sobered up and went looking for spare parts in this garage.

Garages are great, walk over to the right for more services and repairs.

Ah, the same applied in the electronics store. Repairs ahoy!

(The game is quite vague when it comes to ship parts)

Traders are promising and I sold a load of fish before he shut up shop! (Tip: use spacebar)

Credits are low at the start so don't buy too much until you've more money.

Cosmos Chronicles - the video

I've made a thing!

Gamopat's Cosmos Chronicles is a fantastic #roguelike so I recorded a quick video of the opening scenes to give you an idea of what it's like. It's not a "long play" and there is no serious gaming here!! I simply intended to demonstrate the basics; in the hope you buy & play this excellent game. Please note, that there are spoilers so beware before viewing.

• My addiction began here: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2023/08/cosmos-chronicles.html
• And if you visited AtariCrypt over the last few weeks, you will know all about my "daily" playthrough? At the moment, I'm up to Day Four and you can read everything written so far by clicking here: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/search/label/Quest%20-%20Cosmos%20Chronicles
• AtariCrypt YouTube Channel that needs your subscription: https://www.youtube.com/@AtariCrypt

Credits

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Laurent Fontaine aka. Dr Floyd - Programming
Eric Damain aka. Shaoth - Additional Programming
Lonny Pursell - Additional Programming
Jean-François Pino aka. Grostonton - Graphics
Nic Alderton aka. Count Zero - Music
Terry King - Music Driver
https://www.atarilegend.com/games/cosmos-chronicles

Welcome to my adventure - day four

It's Time To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum...

After the humiliation I suffered earlier, I decided to cover the constant dreaded battles in this crazy universe. Actually, dreaded is perhaps the wrong description because these fights are fantastic fun. Plus they are challenging with a good range of options. If you are interested in reading Days 1 - 3, they are still available to view here.

Conflicts happen frequently in Cosmos Chronicles with the entire process being a turn-based event. Damage is dealt with each hit and repeats until someone dies or scarpers. From what I've experienced, there are two styles of battle 1) Getting ambushed when on foot exploring a planet. You use whatever you're carrying, swords/guns/etc. 2) When travelling deep space and another pilot doesn't like the cut of your jib! You will use the ship's weaponry and defences.

It's never long before someone or something decides to attack! So let's take a closer look at each style of battle...

Fisticuffs

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The conflicts on foot are the same as with the guards who killed our family. Not all creatures are aggressive and those can be quickly killed for food. The tougher beasts will challenge for a duel; displayed on a separate screen with their stats (in French) - ROB, FOR, RAP, DEX, BRA, and CHA. Thanks to Eric Damain (aka Shaoth of NANO CAVE!!) they translate to - Stamina, Strength, Speed, Dexterity, Bravery, and Charisma.

It is interesting having access to their statistics for good referrence. However, at this early stage, we're jumping ahead of ourselves so let's not panic just yet. Our combat choices are of more importance:

1. Wait   - Just that. Miss a turn...
2. Fight  - Use your turn to attack the enemy.
3. Arms   - Choose a weapon before attempting to "fight".
4. Shield - Only usable it you have one.
5. Care   - Look after yourself as there are no medics in space!!
6. Scare  - BOO!! Well, it miiiiight work!
7. Seduce - Reserved for the most deluded of gamers.
8. Escape - Run away. This won't work against Xenomorphs!

 

"Severed Dreams"

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Space battles are great and begin with two options 1) negotiate or 2) attack. The first is perhaps a poor translation and might be better taken as "communicate"? Of course, this often gets an aggressive reaction from the pilot. However, he might buckle under the pressure and freely hand over his cargo?

During a fight, you can attack (depending on how your ship is equipped) plus these additional options:

1. Jammer - Confuses the enemy's equipment and get a couple of extra shots in!
2. Escape - Can your ship outrun the enemy's vessel?
3. Jump   - A much-needed way to escape but who knows where you may end up?

Conclusion

Battles are a big part of Cosmos Chronicles and fun to participate in. In space - negotiate before attacking, you may reap the rewards by avoiding conflict. On foot - you should be a Boy Scout. By that, I mean be prepared and have your essential items with you. Regardless, during any battle, it's invariably a good idea to consider the alternative choices - why attack when you can run away or suffer a hyperspace jump into the unknown? Think first, dear adventurer.

There are always options and I love that aspect of this game. Well, that's it for the fourth instalment and I hope to see you soon for "Day Five". In the meantime heed my words - it's dangerous out there so save your game regularly!!

Finally, here are screenshots of me battling some of the nasties lurking in our universe...

Not everything will challenge you to a duel. The other critters can easily be killed for food.

Armed with my new Blaster360, I shoot a giant spider. It doesn't stand a chance!

Unfortunately, he later brought his friends and whooped my ass (as the Americans say)

Two zombies were lurking inside a cave. They're slow, so I might run away (escape option)

This is how a battle in space begins. Dare you to talk or attack first? (see next pic)

(he wanted to fight) I used the Jammer and then attacked with my spanky plasma weapon!

Sigh, I was floating through space enjoying life, but then the police came knocking.
I've no idea what I did wrong... That doesn't stop me from defending myself!!

Rather than tackling hardened criminals, (motorists) these two officers attacked me.
Two on one... Groan, I'm taking some damage in this shot.

Another guy in a rocket threatened me. I was winning before he scarpered into hyperspace!!