Remembering CHALICE: A Homebrew Adventure Sequel

[Ranthulfr]

Hello everyone, it's been a while!

 

Almost six years ago I made a little homebrew Adventure sequel called Chalice. Gameplay was similar to 2600 Adventure but there were about twice as many rooms and objects to play around with. For example, there was a sword in the game, but there was also a shield that you could use to keep dragons at bay. There were two bats instead of just one. And the enchanted chalice was split into two pieces, which were hidden separately. There were also some new twists in the storyline.

 

So like I said, that was almost six years ago. The game was originally designed for Windows 95. I believe it was also compatible with Windows 98 and versions of Windows NT from that time. The bad news is, I don't think it runs properly on newer operating systems (TECH: Chalice was programmed in Visual Basic 4 and makes DLL calls that are probably obsolete on newer systems). I removed the game from my web site a while back and I haven't done anything to promote it in a long time. The bottom line is, it's on the endangered species list.

 

If Chalice sounds like a game you'd like to try then I am pleased to make it available again right here. It's freeware. If you're a big Adventure fan and you have Windows 95/98 then it's definitely worth checking out.

 

Download Chalice v2.3

(While I believe it poses no threat to anyone's computer, all users on any operating system please note that you install it at your own risk.)

 

Thanks for reading... I hope a few people get some enjoyment out of this aging (but very fun) game!

 

Regards,

Randy

Game Chambers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MaxSpeed]

Works well on Windows XP ! Thanks ! I will give it a play !

[Inky]

How many 'Adventure' games for the PC does this make now?

 

Ironically, I started work about 4 weeks ago on a pseudo-sequel of sorts for the PC called 'Rhindle Jr.' Turns Adventure into a platformer.

[tiggerthehun]

VERY FUN! YEA!

[Big Player]

Only tried game 1 so far, but it is fun.

 

Also look forward to a completed Rindle Jr. from Inky.

[foxglove9]

Darn. I would love to try it, but no Mac version.

[Krytol]

Excellent!

[Ranthulfr]

MaxSpeed, I am surprised but happy to learn that Chalice runs under Windows XP. I've had a couple people tell me that it doesn't work with Windows 2000 so I figured it wouldn't work with other new systems. Thanks for the info. And foxglove9, I hope you have a chance to try the game at some point even though there is no Mac version. I like Macs more all the time and I sympathize with your frustration...

 

One thing I'd like to mention is that while Chalice has been downloaded numerous times in the past I have yet to hear about anyone finishing game 2. It typically takes me about 20-25 minutes. I'd love to hear about anyone else's experience with game 2; How quickly you were able to finish (there is a Stopwatch feature), why you were unable to finish, what you found interesting, etc. All feedback is appreciated!

 

Randy

[Krytol]

I should have mentioned I'm running Windows ME and it works fine.

[raindog]

Believe it or not, it works fine under Linux as well, using wine. I'm using the wine that comes with Crossover Office but this doesn't look like it's doing anything crazy that plain old wine couldn't handle.

 

Lots of fun, and captures the Adventure feel nicely while obviously having been created from scratch.

 

Rob

[Cupcakus]

Believe it or not, it works fine under Linux as well, using wine.  I'm using the wine that comes with Crossover Office but this doesn't look like it's doing anything crazy that plain old wine couldn't handle.

 

Lots of fun, and captures the Adventure feel nicely while obviously having been created from scratch.

 

Rob

 

raindog... welcome to AA :-)

[raindog]

Thanks! I swear I created a raindog account when AtariAge first came online, but it must have expired or I must have been hallucinating

 

Rob

[moycon]

Holy poop what a sweet game.

 

I beat Lvl 1. and will hopefully give Lvl 2 a go later tonight when I get a chance. Very well done.

[Cupcakus]

OK you guys convinced me... I'll download it :-)

[Cupcakus]

Ok I thought the screwdriver killed the robots? It didn't even seem to phase the robot in game 1...

[moycon]

One word... battery.

[Cupcakus]

Ugh... so you have to stun them first, then kill them....

 

I also played game 2... and the mazes are too frustrating... especially the dark ones... I just gave up from boredom after spending 30 minutes in the robot realm in the dark maze running in circles...

[PacManPlus]

So do we have to make a map for this one as well????

 

I also keep getting stuck in the dark mazes, and I keep getting boxed into a corner by the dragons/robots (and unlike the original Adventure, there's no way out)

 

evil game

 

I have to stop playing it at work...

[Witchfynde]

Darn. I would love to try it, but no Mac version.

 

Try here for several downloadable Mac games:

 

http://www.classicgaming.com/invader/

 

Don't know if they're anything you'd be into--or maybe you already know about the site--but I just thought I'd pass it along.

 

BTW, the Adventure game sounds cool, I'll have to try it out sometime.

[Ranthulfr]

Krytol- Good to know it works with Windows ME. Thanks for the info.

 

Lots of fun, and captures the Adventure feel nicely while obviously having been created from scratch.

raindog- You can't imagine how much I appreciate that statement. And I'm shocked to hear that the game runs under Linux, though I'm not really familiar with wine.

 

moycon- Thanks for giving it a whirl. Any level of acceptance from a creative type is gratifying... (Krytol is pretty creative too).

 

Cupcakus- Yeah, the battery is the most practical defense against the Robots. If you really want to be methodical about finishing the game then you could use the screwdriver to take the Robots out permanently. I wanted to make that difficult to do... maybe I made it too difficult. As for the mazes... At this point I don't completely remember my way around them and I see how frustration can set in. One thing to remember is that even the most complex maze consists of no more than seven different rooms (see tips below). If you can get past the initial phase of learning your way through the mazes then I think the game will open up to you a little more. If I could go back and change one thing about Chalice I would probably put an "intermediate" level in there. Something in between "easy" game 1 and "advanced" game 2. Three levels... kinda like 2600 Adventure.

 

and PacManPlus- Making a map might help, especially in the dark mazes. Somewhere I have the pencil-drawn maps that I worked from while making the game... maybe I'll get them scanned one day.

 

Here are a few tips that used to be on the Chalice web page:

 

1. Try to become familiar with the mazes early on. Although the mazes bend back on themselves, even the largest have no more than seven rooms.

2. Try to carry objects with you as much as possible. Even a used key can come in handy in certain situations.

3. Avoid leaving a key beside the gate it has just unlocked. A bat can re-lock the gate if it picks up the discarded key.

4. Dragons and robots have a tendency to guard certain objects (no surprise to Adventure fans).

5. There are about 80 rooms in the game, divided more or less equally between the Dragon Realm and the Robot Realm.

6. The picture frame is most useful once you are familiar with the layout of the rooms. With it, you can see the location of elusive objects.

7. If you enter the rift doorway and emerge inside a wall then you will be trapped. If you move the rift doorway in either realm, be careful where you drop it.

8. You can often find shortcuts that will reduce the overall time it takes to win. Explore and have fun!

 

Randy

[NE146]

Thanks! I swear I created a raindog account when AtariAge first came online, but it must have expired or I must have been hallucinating

 

Rob

 

Good to see you around here Rob So have you just been lurking around here all this time?

[raindog]

well, AtariAge is on my daily surf list but I seldom had time to make it into the forums.... so I had no idea how lively they'd become Occasionally I would see some hits in my weblogs with a referer pointing to someone's post mentioning one of my hacks or whatever, but it never sunk in that it'd be a nice place to hang out. Glad to be here.

 

Rob

[Cupcakus]

OK... so after three days of trying I have to declare this game officially impossible....'

 

I have mapped the mazes, but things happen during the game that force you to quit... usually bugs...

 

For instance... I got trapped inside the picture frame once... I don't remember how but I think I was fighting a bat for something it had and it dropped the frame right on me. Once trapped in the picture frame I could not get out... Had to quit...

 

Items routinely get trapped in walls... the only way to get them out is with the gravity item or with a bat... but if you use the bat it will just drop another item inside the wall you cannot get in it's place.

 

I killed a dragon in a dark maze, and it's corpse blocked the path... I could not proceed... had to reset... so everything i had killed already was alive again.

 

Two bats are too frustrating. I thought I had the 1 up on them by placing all my items behind the rift in the robot realm... but it seems the bats can make there way there as well.... and when the bats start losing your crap in the robot realm you're screwed.

 

A bat stole the key for the yellow castle while I was inside of it, and locked me in by flying over the door. When it returned it had a different item... I had to reset... everything I killed was alive again...

 

To this date I have yet to make it far enough to even see a piece of the chalice, let alone collect it.

 

Maybe there is something I missed? But the "bugs" I mentioned above really mess it up. If the stuff with the bats is intentional, and adds to the extreme difficulty of the game... that is acceptable I guess... but I'm not keen about getting stuck in a maze because I killed a dragon in it...

[Ranthulfr]

Cupcakus-

 

I certainly have to thank you for sticking with Chalice for three days, not to mention mapping the mazes. Sounds like the work of a true Adventure fan. And I appreciate your honest feedback. If I ever take on another game project I will remember the things you pointed out.

 

Randy

[Nukey Shay]

Excellent game...wonderful homage to Adventure. Though the objects in the sides of walls really bugged me I can't last much more than a few minutes without getting nipped!