GAME GUIDE

CURRENT VERSION:  0.23 - 22nd December, 2014



INTRODUCTION

Chaos Reborn is a game of battling wizards. You control a wizard with a set of randomly selected spells, and by using those spells you eliminate the other players to win. Each player takes turns to move and attack with summoned creatures, and to cast a spell.

STARTING A MULTIPLAYER GAME

From the main wizard screen, click on the big round yellow ‘Mutliplayer Battle’ button to access the multiplayer options.
Match makerThis is the main method to find a game. Find a match based on preferences set in the match maker screen. The turn timer for match maker games is set to 3 minutes by default.
Creating a private gameAnother option is to create a private game. You must supply the game ID and password to other players for them to join.


BATTLE

Players take turns (based on the order in which they joined the game in the lobby).You control a wizard with a random selection of spells and you must eliminate all enemy wizards in order to win the game.

General controls

  • Scroll window: W,A,S,D or click-drag with LMB
  • Rotate camera: Q,E
  • Zoom camera: Z,C or mouse wheel
  • Selecting: Left click with mouse button
  • Undo/deselect/back: Right mouse button

Game Turns

  • During your turn you may:
          - Move and attack with a creature, in any order.
          - Move, attack and cast a spell with your wizard, in any order.
  • When you have finished all moving, attacking and casting, press the ‘END TURN’ button, and the next player will take his turn
  • There is a time limit for a turn, and this is indicated by a circular bar around the ‘END TURN’ button, and around the wizard icon of the current player on the top left of the screen. The default time limit is 3 minutes. If time runs out, the player’s turn will automatically be ended.
  • Battles have a turn limit, which is displayed at the top of the screen.


Selecting and information

  • Select a creature with the Left Mouse Button
  • If you press the 'INFO’' button on the top right of the screen, you will see a detailed information screen. You can then click on any button in the information screen to get detailed information about each attribute of the creature.
  • If you select a mount with a wizard riding it, you can press the small round rider icon to select the wizard for movement or combat. Both the mount and the rider can attack in the same turn if they have valid targets.
  • You can press the TAB key to cycle selection between creatures with remaining actions.
  • You can select wizards by clicking on their icons on the upper left of the screen.



Moving and Attacking

  • Select a creature or wizard with the Left Mouse Button

          - You will see all spaces that may be moved to highlighted in green

          - All creatures that may be attacked highlighted in red with a % chance to kill.

  • Left click on a green hex to set a movement destination

         - Click again on the destination hex to confirm the move, or click on another destination

         - After movement, if there are any creatures that may be attacked they will be highlighted with a red hex and a % chance to kill.

  • Direct clicking on enemy:

         - If you click directly on a highlighted enemy then the movement zone is updated with orange hexes to show any space that you may move to in order to attack that enemy.

         - You can then select an alternative destination before committing to the attack.

  • Deselecting:

        - You can cancel any mode with the right mouse button

        - Alternatively, click somewhere outside the movement/attack hexes to deselect

  • Additional rules:

       - Engaged: If a creature moves next to an enemy creature it becomes engaged and cannot move any further that turn.

       - Terrain elevation: Terrain has 3 elevation levels. Walking creature may not normally move directly between the highest and lowest levels.

       - Flying: Flying creatures may fly over intervening obstacles, such as rocks, trees or other creatures, but they must land at their destination space.



Engagement

If a creature or wizard starts the turn next to one or more enemy creatures or wizards, it is possible that it will be ‘engaged’ in combat, in which case it will be unable to move unless adjacent enemy creatures are killed or immobilised first (by creatures or spells).The chance of being engaged is the ratio of the creature’s agility to the combined agility of all adjacent enemies.


Fighting

With a creature selected, attack an enemy highlighted with a red circle by clicking on it with the left mouse button.

  • The % chance to kill is based on the ratio of the attacker’s Attack value to the defender’s Defence value e.g. a creature with Attack 4 against a creature with Defence 2 has a 2:1, or 66%, chance of killing the defender. Attack and Defence values can be modified by elevation and special statuses.
  • Combat results either in the death of the defender, or no effect. There are no hitpoints.
  • Sometimes you will see a range of percentages on an enemy (e.g. ‘30-36%’). This means that you get different effects depending on where you attack from.


Terrain effects:

  • For close combat:

          - Attacking from a higher to lower terrain level gives a 50% bonus to Attack value

          - Attacking from a lower to higher terrain level incurs a 50% penalty to Attack value

  • For ranged combat:

         - Attacking from one level higher than the target gives a 25% bonus to Attack, and two levels higher a 50% bonus.

         - Attacking from one level lower than the target gives a 25% penalty to Attack, and two levels lower a 50% penalty.


Special creature abilities

Here are some special rules for certain creatures:

  • Flying: Can fly over intervening terrain and creatures.
  • Undead: Can only be attacked by other undead, magic spells or magic weapons.
  • Web: Spiders will attempt to cast a web on a creature first, and the subsequent attacks will be for the kill. Spiders can web undead, but not kill them.
  • Swoop: The Eagle gains a combat bonus when attacking from high ground to low ground
  • Charge: The Unicorn gains an attack bonus for attacking after moving in the same turn.
  • Bulldoze: The Elephant uses his bulldoze strength against growths - Gooey Blob, Shadow Trees and Tangle Vine.
  • One shot: The Giant’s rock can be thrown, but only once. Once the rock is lost, the Giant’s attack rating goes down.
  • Shatter: The Dwarf’s hammer attack will destroy one item of a target wizard’s equipment. If the wizard has more than one piece of equipment, the bow is removed first, then the sword, and finally the shield.
  • Ranged: Elves, Manticores, Dwarves, Giants and Dragons have ranged combat. This has a separate attack value from the main combat attack value. The range can vary from 2-4.
  • Mount: Elephants, Unicorns and Manticores can be ridden by wizards. In order to ride a mount the wizard must be moved on top of the mount. Wizards on mounts can attack targets in addition to the mount’s attack, and they can cast spells from mounts.


Spells

Each wizard starts with a 'spell deck' containing a random selection of spells. A hand of spells is dealt to each player a the start of battle, which always includes the Disbelieve spell. Your hand of spells is displayed along the bottom of the screen. If you hover over a spell card the potential targets for the spell are highlighted with purple hexes.

There are two ways to cast a spell:

  • 1. Drag the spell card onto a purple target hex
  • 2. Click on the spell card, then click on a purple target hex

Some spells allow you to select multiple targets or positions. After selecting at least one target you may then have options for casting real or illusion for creatures, and possibly for adding Mana Points to boost the casting chance. Press a casting button to cast the spell, or press the right mouse button to cancel.

All spells are used up when cast, except the ‘Disbelieve’ spell which is permanent. Each spell has a probability of being cast. If a spell fails, it has no effect and is lost.Hovering over a spell card will give some useful informational tooltips. If you want more detailed information, click on the ‘INFO’ button at the bottom of the highlighted card.You can sort the spell list in two ways by pressing the sorting buttons on the left of the spell cards:

  • %: Spells are list from easiest to most difficult, left to right
  • L/C: Spells are sorted into law, neutral and chaos groups, left to right

Real Creatures and Illusions

  • Creatures can be summoned as ‘real’ creatures or ‘illusions’If you choose an illusion:
  • The creature is automatically summoned with 100% chance - no risk of failure
  • Illusions behave like normal creatures, they can attack and be attacked
  • If a wizard casts a Disbelieve spell on your illusory creature it will disappear
  • An illusion will also vanish in a puff of smoke when killed, whereas real creatures will have a death animation
  • A disbelieve spell that successfully disbelieves a creature does not use up the wizard's spell casting for the turn. It is possible to disbelieve a series of illusions and then cast another spell

Law and Chaos

  • Some spells are Law spells, some are Chaos and some are neutral
  • If a Law spell is cast, it will move the cosmic balance towards Law, making Law spells easier to cast if the balance moves into the law zone
  • If a Chaos spell is cast, it will move the cosmic balance towards Chaos, making Chaos spells easier to cast if the balance moves into the chaos zone
  • Neutral spells have no effect on the cosmic balance, and are not affected by it
  • The cosmic balance only has positive effects for either Law or Chaos, not negative
  • You can see the current balance indicated at the top of the screen
  • The casting percentages displayed in your spell list take into account the cosmic balance


Staffs

Each wizard is randomly allocated a staff at the beginning of a battle which has a number of characteristics:

  • The staff type will influence the type of spells included in your spell deck. For example, a staff of Chaos will result in a deck weighted towards Chaos spells.
  • A staff can be used to boost the casting chance of a spell by spending Mana Points. Each staff has a limit on the amount of Mana that can be spent on boosting a spell.
  • Each staff has a Mega-spell which can be activated if the staff has accumulated enough Mana Points.

If you click on the staff icon on the bottom right of the display you will get some extra information about your staff. There are 6 different types of staff currently available in the game:

  • Staff of Neutrality: favours neutral spells
  • Staff of Chaos: favours chaos spells
  • Staff of Law: favours law spells
  • Staff of Weapons: favours magical equipment - Magic Sword, Magic Bow and Magic Shield
  • Staff of Zzzzap: favours attack spells - Magic Bolt, all the magical attacks and Subversion
  • Staff of Growths: favours growth spells - Goody Blob, Tangle Vine and Shadow Wood


Mana Points

Your Mana Points are displayed in a purple diamond above your staff icon.There are four ways to gain Mana Points:

  • 1. Each creature or wizard killed will give Mana Points to the player who controlled the creature or wizard who made the kill. The number of Mana Points gained is equal to the creature’s or wizard’s Mana Value. If a wizard kills an adjacent enemy (by spell or close combat) then there is a ‘mana surge’ and the mana gained is double.
  • 2. A wizard can collect mana from mana sprites by walking into them. The mana sprites are deployed at the start of battle and resemble a tree stump with purple glowing energy.
  • 3. You can ‘burn’ a spell card by dragging it onto your staff. The first time you do this you will gain 10 Mana Points, but 9 the next, and then 8, and so on.
  • 4.When a spell fails some of the spell’s energy is recaptured and a small amount of mana is gained.


Boosting Spells

In order to boost a spell you must drag the slider next to the casting button upwards. The casting chance for the spell is updated. For each mana point spent the casting percentage is increased by one, unless the spell matches the staff type, in which case each mana point boosts the casting chance by 2%.


Activating the Mega-spell

The staff icon bar will fill up as you get Mana Points. If you have sufficient Mana Points to activate the Mega-Spell then the staff will glow. Click on the staff icon to show the staff display, then click on the Mega-Spell activation button. The mana-points for activation will be spent and the Mega-Spell will be added to your spell card hand. It behaves as any other spell, but always has multiple targets.


Victory

There are two ways to determine a victor in Chaos Reborn:

  • Survivors draw: The last wizard left standing is victorious, but if there are two or more wizards still alive when the turn limit is reached then the game will be drawn.
  • Victory Points: The last wizard left standing is victorious, but if there are two or more wizards still alive when the turn limit is reached then the wizard with the most victory points wins.


Progression

There is a basic progression system implemented in the game which will be vastly expanded in future releases. Your wizard begins at level 1 and can progress to level 7, unlocking spells and staffs with each level up. During a battle you will get experience points for each creature or wizard killed equal to the mana value of the creature or wizard. The winner of the battle will get bonus experience points. If you accumulate enough experience points to level up you pay the experience point cost for levelling up and start progressing to the next level. On the wizard screen you will see which spells and staffs have been unlocked for your most recent level up.