The Chaos Engine - Ideas for a possible remake :)

[Cherno]

So, I guess I don't need to explain waht TCE is... One of the all-time Amiga classics. I remember playing it with my brother with the unstoppable Navvy/Preacher combo, all the way through to Baron Fortesque. Some years ago, I played it again, this time with a friend of mine, and upon reaching 2nd world we were just murdred! Damn, This is a hard game! I guess my reflexes were far better as a kid, or I had I lot of training

Anyway, now for the reason I have started this thread.

I am currently playing through the Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing on coop mode, it's a Victorian Steampunk loot-based action RPG like Diablo & Co. There aren't too many steampunk games around, and this one immediately reminded me of The Chaos Engine, especially the third and fourth worlds with their pumping machines and weird contraptions, Tesla coils, and automatons.

I'd love to see a remake with enhanced graphics, four-player coop mode, level editor, and skilltree-based character progression. I have been working on a dungeon crawling couch-coop (all players on the same screen) game and I have a nice system for character control, pathfinding, AI and environment interaction going, and I wonder if I could adapt it for a TCE-like top-down action shooter with some RPG elements (equipment and skills / abilities / Stats)... Of course I could! The programming is actually the easy part, what's hard is aiming for the recognizeable Bitmap Brothers pixel art, this time with polygons and textures.

So! The Chaos Engine fans, unite and brainstorm your ideas! What features would you like to see? What was annoying about the original game that needs to go? Any scenario or story ideas? New characters, enemies? Gameplay mechanics? Put it all down here! It's fun to imagine how things could be, and who knows, maybe in the end it will see the light of day!

Oh, and of course one more thing: If any artists are interested in wokring on such a project, drop me a line or post here!

[s2325]

There is also Van Helsing for Gameboy Advance if you want something in more retro style [ Show youtube player ]

[Adrian Browne]

There is an official remake already btw http://www.co-optimus.com/review/128...op-review.html

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Adrian Browne

There is an official remake already btw http://www.co-optimus.com/review/128...op-review.html

It's not a remake. It's the same game with online co-op and a questionable visual filter.

[Hewitson]

Very questionable. The screenshots look like shit.

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Cherno

I'd love to see a remake with enhanced graphics, four-player coop mode, level editor, and skilltree-based character progression.

You aren't the first one with that idea in this forum. Learn from previous mistakes: do NOT call it "The Chaos Engine", it is still a brand name which people use to make money.

As to your questions, the original game with different levels designed for your 4-player coop would be good enough for me. I don't have much to complain about the original, other than its difficulty which was a tad too high.

[Bamiga2002]

Originally Posted by gimbal

As to your questions, the original game with different levels designed for your 4-player coop would be good enough for me. I don't have much to complain about the original, other than its difficulty which was a tad too high.

You're just a turd of a player if you consider CE too difficult

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by Bamiga2002

You're just a turd of a player if you consider CE too difficult

It hurts!

[onkelarie]

I'll just categorize myself into the Turd camp as well.... ;-)

[Cherno]

Therre is a game called iDracula for the iPhone that looks similar to CE:

http://www.bit-tech.net/blog/2009/03...on-the-iphone/

[Cherno]

I made Navvie's bazooka, at least a first test model. There are some edge errors and there is no real material, but the mesh itself is very close to the original game's bitmap image of the weapon.

[CaptainNow]

I drew this a little while ago after watching footage of the recent release of The Chaos Engine, it was mainly just a test of H.D style sprites...more of a sketch really, I keep toying with creating the full spriteset for Navvie but you'd need more than the 4 frames of the original and more like 6 to 8 frames per direction. I just don't have the time to do them all let alone one character, but I think about it often

[s2325]

I think this is really great job. Keep drawing

[CaptainNow]

Haha! Thanks!
Maybe one day I'll draw the rest of the characters

I was just so disappointed with the recent re-release, I would have given limbs to have seen Dan Malone work on an updated version of The Chaos Engine

Well, here is a Tip: If you can't make the Game an actual Worthy Sequel with the correct type Style and Graphics... then don't do it..... or at Least dont call it The Chaos Engine.... or Soldiers Of Fortune (Hate that name though)

What the Original game lacked... but needs if a Part 3 were made:

1. Better Fluid control of the characters
2. More Frames of animation
3. Scrolling Trees when viewed from above...kind of like that Game from SEGA Thunder Blade.....but with 2D graphics...not polygons...hence maintaining the same look and feel the game has.
4. slightly larger Characters.
5. More personality on each character.....they way they move
6. Ability to use 4 and even 8 players at the same time....kinda like Dynablaster
7. Should use a Street Fighter type control with 6 buttons for pure Instant Arcade enjoyment...this is a Shootem up not a Strategy game and thats how it should stay
8. Keep the same exact music and same timing....I dont mind if the samples are 16 bit or 24 bit...but it should saound exactly the same with perhaps CD quality sound.
9. Add ability to jump over objects or just jump when you need...or call it hop or bounce.
10. Add a feature to allow you to add Scanlines for people who want that CRT feel...I personally CAN NOT play any old skool game without Scanlines..they MUST be on at all times.
11. More Dinosaurs running around please.

Overall if they ever make a Part 3 and it is in 3D as in polygon based....it should be a high enough polygon count to still make it look cartoon-y like the 2D game...I can emphasize how important this is. many companies have pulled this look off...I cant remember what games.....Perhaps NARUTO for PS3? or Sly Cooper for PS1 and PS2..... although the look is not the same as Chaos engine...I just added those because they show its possible to look 2D cartoon-y using Polygons?

[Cherno]

I just found this interesting series of images of a 3d prototype of Chaos Engine (2?), from a kickstarter for a Bitmap Brothers art book.

[Predseda]

This Is Really UGLY.

[Cherno]

I agree. But then again, maybe it is from the mid-to-late 90s where this would have been standard quality, especially for a prototype. I'd like to know more about this, who made it, how far the development got, future plans etc.

[d4rk3lf]

Originally Posted by Predseda

This Is Really UGLY.

For a prototype, its perfectly Ok.
You don't throw money and time on perfect designs and graphics until you build engine that is cappable to support it.

[Gzegzolka]

It would be interesting if someone make a proper Chaos Enigine 2 version, use graphics from sequel, keep boss fights, but redesign gameplay to be just like original one, one screen and partner follows You rather than try to kill You. It will be perfect sequel, if something is not broken do not try to fix it

At some point early version of Chaos Engine 2 got single screen.