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.

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 yields a fantastic result. Regardless, make no assumption; it isn't a ripoff.

This is a fantasy adventure of living an alternative lifestyle in cyberspace. Virtual reality is implemented in 2 MB of RAM on an Atari ST/e (with 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 I've only scratched the surface of this tremendous adventure. I wonder what else is 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         - 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 video 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 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 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 layers for battles. Not only for bravery, strength, etc., but also for the weaponry held/not held. Far too much!! Also, character communication needs to be fully implemented, rather than consisting of 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 on 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 its own 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 or too difficult. 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.

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 and full of 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 crashes 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, with whom I've enjoyed talking. He has exciting plans for the future!!

95% is a score worthy of the new AtariCrypt SMASH accolade. Play this game!

Cosmos Chronicles - the video

I've made a thing!

Gamopat's Cosmos Chronicles is a fantastic "role player", 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 and play this excellent Atari ST/e 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 one

The trouble with me is...

Wow, where do I begin with that? Anyhow, regarding the ST and AtariCrypt, I'm a bit daft and usually annoy myself. I always have too many games on the go! I hardly ever finish writing before moving on to the next. Sigh, so this time I've decided to concentrate on one game. Something that I find truly fascinating.

Cosmos Chronicles

If you're wondering what Cosmos Chronicles is,   then you're either dead, 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. Kinda like I did for Atari's Super Pack and when mapping Sword Of Kadash. However, with shorter posts this time, I can knock them out more quickly. However, note that I'm no expert adventurer. I'm merely an ST dude with a wonderful new game :)

The game

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

Exploring Acriel is easy, similar to what you would have seen in Ultima. Move with the cursor keys, then enter a building by walking up to it and tapping the 'up arrow'. Once inside, explore as you did outside. Additionally, to interact and select/talk/pick up, you should press the 'Return key'. The cursors are now used to select items in the inventory and to perform relevant actions. Hitting "backspace" cancels and returns to the game.

Interestingly, Cosmos Chronicles supports the Blitter Chip so will feel faster on the Atari STe.

Additionally, the backspace key will be used within the Cosmos to take off and enter space. The 'spacebar' is also used, but more on that later in this series. Finally, the 'ESC key' can be used to quit. Don't be a quitter!!

"Day one"

The early stages of this tragic storyline are ideal for learning the gameplay. It allows easy learning of the interface, exploration, item collection, radar use, and interaction with the soldiers (battles!). 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 are your inventory and a message/communication area.

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? Please note that this isn't a walkthrough - not possible - it will be my romp through the adventure. Wish me luck - my only wish is not to embarrass myself ha!!

Let's look at the trials and tribulations we go through before the game really 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 decided 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!

Cosmos Chronicles - day nine

Floyd is back!!

Did you think you had seen the last of Cosmos Chronicles on AtariCrypt? Ha, no way!! If you remember, on day eight, I was close to the end. However, I hit a brick wall because the distances were too great for my fuel supply options. That was a cluster of embarrassment solved by something I had overlooked (DOH!).

So I returned with a fresh mind and continued my voyage. As you may recall, I was heading to a "mystery destination" at coordinates 470733-551942? What a ginormous journey through the heavens, fraught with much danger. Eventually, I made it. The ending scenes and battles were like nothing I expected.

If my play-through didn't convince you, maybe this final post has. Download Cosmos Chronicles on itch.io. It's free, but don't be a lamer and spend a few quid to support Gamopat and the Atari ST scene.

Hey, I made history by completing the game... https://www.gamopat.com/2024/08/steve-gre...

Reference pages of previous articles

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• Original Preview - Game release with the download. [ link ]
• My Video Recording - A brief recording for newcomers. [ link ]
• My Adventure Day 1 - Storyline and keyboard controls. [ link ]
• My Adventure Day 2 - The quest begins. We eat meat! [ link ]
• My Adventure Day 3 - I made 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 Adventure Day 8 - The CryptO'pinion. [ link ]

Eventually, after enduring the journey, we arrived. Hang on, what's that?

It's a monolith, so let's land on it...

A virtual entity appears and it's talking to me with precious information!!

I needed to tell someone I trusted about this news. Lord British, of course!

I have the coordinates of a prison planet where my father might be held captive.

The space station was a Hegemony ambush! Let's head to the planet instead...

Manually scouring an apparently abandoned planet was tough going.
Eventually, I found the prison!! Can you see it?

What, my father has been inside that prison all these years??

I killed the guards and then the prison boss (that green mess!).

It's a stupid story but, I won and am reunited with good old Dad.

Yes, I really did complete the game!! #HappyMoment

Cosmos Chronicles - day zero!

Gamopat goodness!

Hearing of new games is always exciting, sadly, it always feels that other vintage computers get the support that our 16-bit Fuji lacks (hey, whatever happened to AGT). Anyhow, I've been following the Cosmos Chronicles on/off for many moons, but it's originally a French Gamopat game - that means I understood now't, as I know little beyond "bonjour" and "jeu". So I eagerly awaited an English version I could playtest.

Well, you knew this was coming: the international edition of Cosmos Chronicles is out. It's beta v0.95, so it may feature a few problems in translation - but that's nothing your feedback cannot fix! I've played a little after work today, and it's impressive. You might say it's Ultima-impressive; very much worth the wait!!

The game was coded in GFA Basic, a tool that never ceases to impress. Here are the credits:

•     Programming: Laurent Fontaine [Dr. Floyd]
•     Music: Nic Alderton [Count Zero]
•     Sound effects: Laurent Fontaine [Dr. Floyd]
•     Visuals: Laurent Fontaine [Dr. Floyd] & Francois Pino [Grostonton]

Wanna see a couple of screenshots about the background story? Gander at these babies...

It's a bit "empty" and soulless, I thought. Hmm, are you still interested?

I'd say so! This is a strange baseline, but carry on scrolling...

Frontier, Ultima, Sundog, whaaaaat?

I instantly got that Ultima V vibe, but there is more to this game than it first meets the eye. Roguelike comes to the Atari ST, and what's more, it looks the part with a style I love. Yes, it does draw heavily on the imagination, but that's the best way - I don't want anything "better" as this would bloat and spoil the whole experience. Also, I cannot help but mention the audio surprise when first booting up - thank you Count Zero!!

The game is completely free to download. However, please consider contributing a little of your hard-earned cash to support Dr Floyd/Gamopat for the hard graft that's clearly gone into producing this tremendous game. I truly mean this, because the game is promising!! I'm hugely excited about it :)

Here is the download link with a copy & paste of the basics. Plus some of my fabulous screenshots...

The whole universe in your ATARI ST: 200 billion galaxies, hundreds of billions of stars and planets in each galaxy. The possibility of visiting every patch of grass or rock on every planet, houses, caves, the ultimate open world. The ability to eat, drink, poop, shower, repair your ship, booze in the pub, fight in arenas, play in casinos and arcades, pray to the Gods, buy condoms, go on space trips, slalom between asteroids, see things no one has ever seen at the edge of space, to infinity & beyond. 

 

The uncompromising #ROGUELIKE

- Persistent universe

- You only have one true life

- There's no going back. You die, it's over... just like in real life ;) 

 

A combined tribute to the following

- ULTIMA IV and V, for gameplay & visual rendering (which draws heavily on the imagination)

- ELITE and ELITE FRONTIER (for the open world and space trading)

- SUNDOG (for futuristic adventure and numerous gameplay possibilities/interactions) 

 

Atari computer compatibility

- ATARI STF

- ATARI STE (supports Blitter)

- ATARI MEGA ST

- ATARI MEGA STE 8-16Mhz

- ATARI TT (a little fast)

- FALCON 030 (too fast?)

So, first things first, we need to seek out the farm as there's trouble afoot!

As you can see, these aren't friendly soldiers at all, and they kill your family.

Look inside the house for a weapon, and let's kick their arse!

The English breaks up a little in places, but you get the general gist.

The family is slain, but there's no time to mourn as we go looking for anything useful.

I found a cave and hoped for treasure, but all I found were demons!

Space Zot

Zot o'clock

There are two things I love, my family and. No, I meant beer and travelling through the cosmos!! Do you remember when I roamed (and completed) the vast floppy disk universe in Cosmos Chronicles? Yeah, I spent many hours chatting to shady strangers in World's End bar, and loved every second of it.

Sadly, there is bad news: the bar's about to run out of booze. As an alliance pilot, I’ve been called in to rescue the situation by retrieving precious cargo (beer!) from a damaged freighter somewhere in the Caissel asteroid belt. The fate of every thirsty patron depends on my flying skills, so there’s no time to waste!

Space Zot, coded in 2023 using GFA Basic by Shaoth (the chap behind the brilliant Nano Cave), is one of those games that looks like one thing but turns out to be another. At first glance, you’d think it’s a shooter, but it leans more towards something like R0x - a game of avoidance? There are no blasters or lasers; your mission is to grab as many beers as possible. As you can imagine, this is a goal I can easily get behind.

Of course, space isn’t just full of free booze; it’s also packed with rocks hurtling down your SC1224. You'll need sharp reflexes to weave through the space junk. By the third level, things get hairy - faster rocks, trickier angles, and a screen so cluttered you’re gasping for breathing room. Thankfully, the controls are tight and responsive, which is essential when survival depends entirely on dodging rather than blasting.

I first played Space Zot on another world, and now I’m enjoying it back home on my Atari STe (a pretty bold statement, I hope, that doesn't confuse anyone). This is a cracking little game, and even if I’m a couple of years late, it comes highly recommended by yours truly. Right, it's time for another beer run...

• There is a free download at itch.io, and Atarimania has a copy too.
• As the Blitter is being used, Space Zot goes into the Enhanced Games list :)
• Hmm, so you were confused? Then look at this screenshot from my Cosmos Chronicles quest.

You get points for all pick-ups, especially the beers.

Collect the letters for an extra life.

This was my second attempt, and I reached stage 6. Can you beat me?

Ultima IV

And so it begins...

I've been lucky the last few years and enjoyed a number of great games like Cosmos Chronicles, Times of Lore, Shadow Sorcerer, Questron II, Phantasie, and more (but not Knightmare!). So, I went on the lookout for something new (to me), and Ultima IV struck a chord, as it's not something that's been played before. Plus, the storyline was very different, and I fancied a game that would last for the long term.

This won't be a walkthrough or anything silly like that; I simply wanted to enjoy the journey. So, I'm approaching Ultima IV as I would have done back in 1988: armed with the original map (albeit an online copy - thanks AL), my notebook, and a willingness to get muddled and lost. I'll be looking forward to learning how Britannia works, as I'm completely new to it. However, only as I write this am I wondering why I'm not beginning with the first game (well, Ultima II for the ST). Yep, I'm just very awkward.

So what is the storyline? Well, this was quite a shocking moment, as there doesn't seem to be a big bad baddie to slay - or at least die trying. Nope, Ultima IV is set after the defeat of Exodus (from the third game). Peace has returned to Britannia, but I fear that Lord British isn't totally happy, as monsters still roam the land and darkness resides in people's hearts (as always). So, we have been summoned to become a good example for all, to prove ourselves worthy of a far greater title. You guessed it, that Avatar malarky.

I gotta admit, I was shocked by this alternative storyline objective. Britannia isn't saved by the clang of swords, but by the spirit; our goal is to master the Eight Virtues through exploration and wisdom. Yikes, this journey kinda worries this old melee warrior, but it also appears quite compelling, too. I'm all in!

The legendary opening sequence of Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar...

Day one...

So, I dug out PP's version of Ultima IV, as it supports installation on the hard drive and saves don't require a floppy. It's brilliant and highly recommended over any cracked menu disk. My first few hours have been a mixture of wonder, excitement and complete bewilderment. The interface is straightforward enough, presenting Britannia from an overhead perspective, while the controls remind me a little of Questron II. Initially, I thought the command-driven approach was a bit over the top, but that was simply me being a knob. Need to open a door? Press O. Ready a weapon? Press R. Wanna attack something? Press A. /etc/etc...

Emerging from the castle, I found myself outside in the fresh air after finally figuring out how to escape using ladders and doors. I went for a wander and immediately loved the environment and the way enemies appeared rather than materialising out of thin air. This makes Britannia feel more realistic, like a living place rather than a collection of random encounters. Exploration is a cinch and enjoyable, but I stayed close to his castle because I didn't fully understand the fundamentals of survival. i.e., health, food, recovery, and so on. Plus, I could see a skeleton getting closer. What should I do? Run back inside or stand and fight?

Of course, I fought! And this part of the game reminded me a lot of Cosmos Chronicles (or should that be the other way around, lol). Of course, fights are turn-based, but the action flows quickly enough that encounters feel exciting as you scurry to ready a weapon. These battles are superbly thought out and a lot of fun - especially as the music changes, which enhances the atmosphere. More so with a Roland MT-32!!

At this moment, I'm staying close to the safety of Castle Britannia and a town called Britain (great names). I don't wish to travel far in case I get poisoned by a snake, jumped on by monsters when camping, run out of food, and so on. I need to grind, earn some XP and get more gold to afford supplies such as food, weaponry, armour, and so on. I expect this grind will last a while before I feel comfortable. Also, I should consider forming a party, as it's lonely atm. Yep, I haven't even scratched a millimetre off its surface.

I have no plans for future updates, but you never know. Follow my progress on X (Twitter) by using this tagged link. I'm going to enjoy this adventure! Hey, are there any fans out there? Silly question, right?

Oh, and I'm playing using real hardware, so there are no nice screenshots coming...

Yep, I recently acquired a Roland MT-32. Beautiful music!

So I'm still quite new here. Hence, heading out into the dangerous world alone.

Gotta love the characters you meet. I need a spicy woman!

A little later on, someone was selling a horse. So, I bought it. No idea why!