Nostram

Locked Doors, Keys & Demons

You may remember I mapped a platformer by Daniel Walton called Deluxe Nostram? That is the sequel to... wait for it... Nostram which he released a year earlier and many got it on an ST Action cover disk.

Anyhow, this earlier version features fewer rooms but the visuals, lack of sound effects, and puzzles remain very familiar. Sadly, there are quirks with the controls and I noticed several bugs. One forces you off the screen to displace us stuck in a distant wall. Another made it impossible to kill the boss if you got too close! Thankfully, I have listened to my own nagging (for once) and made sure I saved regularly.

I won't review this game because it's incredibly similar to the Deluxe edition so I would only come to the same conclusion. However, it is definitely worth playing and I loved the explorational element. Plus I completed it within a day (wow!!). Hmm, I might actually prefer this game because there are fewer empty rooms!!

Okay, the image below is a thumbnail of the complete map; to download the hi-res version click here. I've not labelled any spoilers (although if you get stuck feel free to comment for help). But let's be honest, the puzzles are easy - a lantern for the dark room and locked doors need a key. Yep, it is that tough.

Nostram is downloadable from these cool kids... [ Atarimania ] [ Atari Legend ] [ AtariUpToDate ]

AtariCrypt has other ST games mapped. They are linked at the top, or lazy people can click here :-)

Cosmos Chronicles

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 easily 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.

I don't want to spoil the ending - so stop scrolling now if you are still playing...

Reference pages of previous articles

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

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

Doom Slideshow by Effect

DOOOOOM!!

As a huge Doom fan, I was shocked and saddened I had never previously seen this slideshow. Perhaps because it was released in 1996 - ST's dark age! Who knows but I do know that this is a belting slideshow.

It begins with the Doom title screen, tracker music, and a scroller that we must always read. I must admit, the olde ST sounds great which is high praise from me - as I'm not a "MOD" fanboy. When you're done reading the scroller and listening, hit the spacebar to hear a fantastic Mad Max chiptune. The slideshow begins and is powered by one of my favourite programs, Deluxe SlideShow v2.0 by the late John Brochu.

There are over 30 Doomy pictures which, might only be of interest to fans. For me, it's never a dull moment seeing ID's legendary game displayed on an Atari monitor. Now I feel the need to play Dread/Grind!!

I shouldn't need to end without saying this but, I will anyhow... Nothing beats using real hardware. Enjoy.

Slideshow Credits

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Cyrax - Code, Text, Other (Compilation)

Jochen Hippel - Music

Liquid - Music

Trantic - Code

Links

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Doom Slideshow download - https://demozoo.org/productions/69265/

Effect's profile page - https://demozoo.org/groups/2181/

Deluxe SlideShow - https://www.atariuptodate.de/en/4678/deluxe-slideshow-20

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