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Preview TC Preview: Chaos Reborn, or how I learned to continue to hate Kickstarter.

Whisky

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Tags: Chaos Reborn; Jullian Gollop; Kickstarter; Tacticular Cancer Preview


Our man, sser, conscripted a few Codexers and lured them into a wizard's arena, forcing them to fight to the death. After surviving, he decided to write up a preview of Julian Gollop's Chaos Reborn and provided some of his thoughts regarding the Kickstarter phenomena.



Gollop can get away with a more simplistic approach to presentation because he has been plying his trade in turn-based strategies since, well, apparently since a bunch of kids wouldn’t let him play their boardgames. The man, once a spurned nerd, is now a master of game design, and Chaos Reborn has all the nuts and bolts of a Gollop-designed affair.

The rules of Chaos Reborn are pretty simple: you are a wizard placed on a hex-based battlemap and must do battle with up to three other players by casting spells from a limited spellbook, ultimately winning the game by destroying the enemy wizard, or by scoring enough points to win in the case of a stalemate. Think of it as like Chess, but you start the game with only the King and you build your playing pieces around you as the game evolves.

If you're interested in donating to the Kickstarter, you can check it out here.

Read the full article: TC Preview: Chaos Reborn, or how I learned to continue to hate Kickstarter.
 

Whisky

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A genial review.
It is indeed sad how a already existing game picks way less money than a bunch of guys rattling off loose, name , vague promises and cheap nostalgia. Gollop is a man of his world.
The game also seems quite interesting, and I find the duplicitous angle quite fascinating.

You can check it out for yourself.

http://chaos1.vm.bytemark.co.uk/ChaosReborn/client_web.html

Grab a few bros from the Shoutbox and try it out. It's really quite fun, once you learn how to play. Usually takes a match to get used to it.

Speaking of which, I added the link to the alpha in the main article.
 

sser

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I seriously doubt it will make the Kickstarter. I'm assuming the game will still come out, probably at a more distant release date, but there's so much potential that is going to be left untapped. It's a shame a man with Gollop's pedigree and smarts can't get the automatic support like some other designers. It's even more bewildering when his pitch has a literal game there and not just a bunch of chickenscratch on a bar napkin. Makes me want to nuke this planet from orbit sometimes.
 

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sser, you do not hate Kickstarter. You hate idiots. That's a difference.
But I can relate. We all can.

The game having a playable prototype is a great thing, but the concept itself just didn't grab me.
And I'm pretty sure that is the actual main problem: People just don't like the concept that much.

Think of it as like Chess, but you start the game with only the King and you build your playing pieces around you as the game evolves.
And for a concept like that, I think it is almost astounding that so much money came in so far. And tbh, I think the project will make it, even if barely.
It sounds like TB combat for the sake of TB combat. But with not much to hold it together besides that. No big story (the word story doesn't even appear on the KS page), no modding, no greater background goal (like base building in XCOM). Nothing except the core gameplay, and I think we all agree a core gameplay like that does not really have mass appeal.
And requesting almost 200k for a game without mass appeal is not really realistic.

That he is a known designer and a creator of one of the greatest PC games ever does inspire confidence that the game will be not only good, but great at what it is.
But if "what it is" is just not interesting to most, his "fame" is not worth much.

Of course, if he was more charismatic, he would gather much more.
KS is a bazaar and you have to sell something to people who didn't even know they wanted it before. At least in this case.
 

sser

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I don't know what you mean by "turn-based for the sake of turn-based." It's a turn-based game. So it has turn-based mechanics. That's it. There's a rekindling of interest in turn-based games right now and the market is absolutely there. Gameplay is not the issue with why this Kickstarter is lurching like it is.
 

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How the fuck can I NOT pledge for this. Gollop is the guy who has made some of the most memorable games for me. If anyone is worth a gamble it is him. Pledged handsomely.
 

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I don't know what you mean by "turn-based for the sake of turn-based." It's a turn-based game. So it has turn-based mechanics. That's it. There's a rekindling of interest in turn-based games right now and the market is absolutely there. Gameplay is not the issue with why this Kickstarter is lurching like it is.

I think what he's saying is that the "issue" is that it's just gameplay.
 
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Personally i think $20 is a bit steep since i'm not overly interested in the concept, and considering the scope of the game.
I really hope it gets made though, and i might buy it at a later stage.
 

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I've just been replaying X-Com. I hope they manage to make it and set up an option to pledge per paypal.
I can always resort to eating those delicious rise waffles for a month to help incite some tactical incline.
 

Dehumanizer

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Note that the game will have a single-player campaign (with story, persistent wizard evolution between battles, spell collection etc.), which I guess will be a lot like the old MicroProse MtG game. The current preview is focusing on arena multiplayer because that's what the original 1985 game was like (and, in fact, 95% of what the preview linked above talks about was already in Gollop's 8-bit, 48 KB original Chaos).
 

sser

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I was reading the comments of the Kickstarter -- apparently a lot of donors are "upping" their donations. Pretty awesome. The biggest you can donate to Kickstarter is $10,000. I'd imagine if it was within $10k the makers of a Kickstarter would just donate that themselves, having already stored it away as an emergency fund.


I don't know what you mean by "turn-based for the sake of turn-based." It's a turn-based game. So it has turn-based mechanics. That's it. There's a rekindling of interest in turn-based games right now and the market is absolutely there. Gameplay is not the issue with why this Kickstarter is lurching like it is.

I think what he's saying is that the "issue" is that it's just gameplay.

Well, right now it's just showcasing the heads-up/vs. aspect of it. Of course it's just gameplay. That's what most multiplayer games are. It just sounds like a nonsequitur more than a critique, IMO. You either like the gameplay or you don't, but to blame it for being "just gameplay" is like... missing the point from the first step. Considering we're talking about games, having something just be gameplay seems alright to me.
 

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Game seems great, would pledge if I could, even if usually I'm not really into multiplayer games.

KS has 170 of 180K currently, with 44 hours to go. Hopefully, it reaches the goal.
 

m_s0

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I hope it does as well, and it probably will, but it's a bit sad that it's going to just barely make it, considering there's a prototype available instead of a bunch of promises. I think it could've helped a bit if Gollop used that Levine endorsement a bit better. As in, people should've known before clicking on the pitch video the Bioshock guy supports this project.
 

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Including the alpha demo was probably a marketing mistake. KS would have done better on pure promises and concept art.

Does anyone know if a single player campaign is planned for this?
 
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Fast Paced, Fun, Tactics RPG with Monsters, Magic and Mayhem - Online Multiplayer, Rankings, Co-op, and a Huge Single Player Campaign

A major innovation in the Chaos system is the vast single-player RPG experience called the ‘Realms of Chaos’. You start as a new wizard with just a few spells and you must explore the Realms of Chaos, defeating the Wizard Kings that rule them in order to build your power and magical knowledge.

When you enter a Realm you must seek out and defeat the Wizard Lords, the loyal minions of the Wizard King. As you travel the Wizard King will build his power and reinforce his Wizard Lords, so efficient exploration and effective combat are the keys to success in the Realms. You will discover things to help you and hinder you along the way, and you will build your spell knowledge and equipment as your progress. Once all the Wizard Lords are defeated you can challenge the Wizard King, and if you are victorious you are certain to win valuable treasures and potentially rare or unique artefacts. Here are some of the features of the Realms of Chaos mode:

  • New realms to explore each day - procedural generation system can create a near infinite variety of adventures
  • Player generated realms - if you are a Wizard King you can design your own realm for other players to explore
  • Hundreds of different types of equipment to collect in your adventures - including staffs, body gear, headgear and magical artefacts
  • Build your spell knowledge by acquiring Spell Books through combat or trade
  • Win gold from battles to spend on sea passages, teleports, mountain passes, realm maps, spell orbs and more.
  • Level up your wizard to gain access to higher level Realms
  • Level up individual items of equipment by entering their ‘Inner Realms’ - a series of dungeon like levels with unusual guardians
  • Co-op mode - invite a friend or guild member to help you fight a battle in the realm you are exploring
  • Share Realm Maps and your own experience of Realms with your guild members
 
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Just wondering, how does battles with an uneven number of players work? (or more than 2, but not in teams) I've only played team vs team games before.
 

Dehumanizer

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Don't you mean "like the original Chaos"? :)

It's probably going to make it (less than $5K to go, and I'm sure Gollop himself has more than that in reserve to pledge at the last minute if necessary), though I don't think it'll reach any stretch goals. It's really a pity that having a playable prototype actually *harms* a Kickstarter instead of helping it.
 

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The playable prototype didn't harm anything. Chaos is just not a "hot brand".

And of course it was always going to make it. sser doesn't like Kickstarters, so he can be excused for not knowing how the "last day rush" of a Kickstarter typically goes down.
 

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