Author: Russell Webb (rwebb@panix.com)
Contributors: Drew Fudenberg (fudenberg@husc.harvard.edu), Tim Jordan
(lordgek@best.com), Adam K. Rixey (nyarl+@andrew.cmu.edu), George Ruof
(gruof@pacificnet.net)
Special thanks to: George Ruof of New World Computing (gruof@pacificnet.net)
and John K. Morris of Stickman Games (stickman@lava.net)
Scapegoat: Hedin Vice (viceh@overlord.chaos.com)
FAQ revision history. (Dull stuff, really. You have been warned.)
Trademark information: Chaos Overlords is a trademark of New World
Computing, Inc., and is so acknowledged. Any other trademarks used in this
FAQ are also acknowledged.
Copyright information: This FAQ is Copyright 1996 by Russell Webb. All
rights reserved. Permission is given to reproduce this FAQ as long as the
author and all contributors are acknowledged and the FAQ is reproduced in
its entirety.
Contact rwebb@panix.com for additions, corrections, and flames. This FAQ is
somewhat incomplete at present; please help by mailing me anything you think
would be a beneficial addition.
1. Introduction
o What is Chaos Overlords?
o Overview of gangs, sites, and items
o Chaos Overlords demo
o System requirements
2. Multiplayer notes
o General
o Modem connections
o TCP/IP connections
o Direct serial connections
o PC/Mac interoperability
3. Game elements
o Research
o Combat
o AI and difficulty level
4. Strategies
o Starting strategies
o General strategies
o Specific scenario strategies
5. Data tables
o Gangs
o Items
o Sites
6. Gang comparison
7. Player-suggested enhancements
8. Unknown
Chaos Overlords is a strategic game of futuristic gang combat. It was
developed by Stick Man Games and released in May 1996 by New World Computing
for the Macintosh and Windows 95 platforms.
The setting is a grim cyberpunk city of the year 2050 divided into an 8x8
grid of 64 sectors. Six human and/or computer-controlled AI overlords
attempt to gain control over the mostly-lawless city, sector by sector, with
some variation depending on the game's scenario objectives.
You start the game employing a single gang and in control of a single
sector. Your initial gang, The Right Hands, is a band so loyal that you
don't even have to pay them any upkeep. With them you can start to influence
local businesses, gain control of nearby city sectors, research new tech,
deck them out in power armor and assault rifles, or just send them off to
cause chaos, extorting money from the local population. By expanding your
small empire across the city you raise funds to hire more gangs, buy better
weapons and armor, protect your turf, and annihilate the opposition.
Chaos Overlords (so named from the financial need for gangs to extort funds
by wreaking chaos) is a turn-based game. Some have suggested that the types
of gangs are reminiscent of the Steve Jackson 'Illuminatus' card game, with
game mechanics similar to that of a card game like Magic (with upkeep,
command, execution, and hire phases, and with random gang hiring every turn
that is similar to drawing a new card). Though it's a turn-based combat
game, don't expect a cyberpunk X-Com or Jagged Alliance here: combat is
resolved statistically, with silhouette mannequins duking it out noisily
with ranged weapons, melee weapons, or martial arts to illustrate the attack
and defense results.
Overview of gangs, sites, and items
The gangs you hire are similar to the 'agents' in Simisle by Maxis: the
gangs are the foundation of the game. All goals are achieved directly by
using them, and the success or failure of any task depends on the gang's
abilities and their surroundings. There are 90 different gangs in the game.
(The box and documentation mention 70+; a total of 90 gangs were added after
printing the documentation.)
Three different gangs are available for hire each turn. At your discretion
you can turn down one of the three gangs or hire one. During the subsequent
turn a new gang will take the hired/snubbed gang's place, so three distinct
gang choices will always be available. Gangs are not unique, however, and
you may end up hiring multiple instances of the same gang or fighting an
enemy gang that is identical in basic stats to one of your own. You are
limited to simultaneously employing a maximum of 80 gangs.
Sites are organized into clusters of three buildings in each sector, each
with some strategic value. Want a head start on research? Take command of a
city sector with a research lab, send in heavy iron to elicit a cooperative
attitude from the lab personnel, then send in Rig Masters or Trantian Fusers
to start cranking out Monom (monofiliment) Rods or Rocket Launchers. Need
cash? Those Corporate Raiders of yours can influence a local casino for that
much-needed protection money, or influence a local hospital to give a
healing boost for recuperating gang members. There are 24 different types of
sites, each with varying modifications to the tolerance towards or abilities
of your gang members. These sites automatically affect gangs in their sector
once they have been influenced. Since there are 192 randomly-distributed
sites in a game, multiple occurrences of all buildings show up across the
map.
Fifty-three different items are available (or researchable) to equip your
gangs and give them a chance for survival. These are split into 11 different
technology levels, from 0 (the most basic of items, like a metal pipe or
pair of sound-dampening sneakers) up through level 10 (such as a plasma
generator or mechanized battle suit). Each of your gangs has a limit to the
technology level they can use; the Mutant Thugs will have a fine time with a
tech 3 Shotgun, but they just won't be able to figure out a tech 9 Phaze
Handgun. Once researched, items can be purchased/fabricated and equipped
amongst your gangs without additional research.
Chaos Overlords demo
A demo has been available with the included CD of several PC game magazines,
including a recent issue of PC Gamer. Apparently the demo's documentation
was inadvertently omitted. Check http://www.nwcomputing.com/faq/chaosdem.zip
for the missing information. Currently, no demo for Chaos Overlords is
available on NWC's site, since it "unfortunately requires the CD to run so
we can not put it up on our web site." [NewWorldCo@aol.com]
However, CO's programmers are reportedly working on a new demo for PCs and
Macs that can be put on-line. Check the Usenet newsgroups
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic and comp.sys.mac.strategic for notices when
it is available.[gruof@nwcomputing.com] Alternately, check New World
Computing's web site at http://www.nwcomputing.com or the most recent
version of this FAQ.
System Requirements
Windows 95 System Requirements
* IBM 486/33 or greater and 100% compatibles (486/66 recommended)
* 8MB RAM
* Double speed CD-ROM drive
* 10 - 30 MB hard drive space
* DirectDraw compatible SVGA graphics card
* Windows 95
[Note: a 486DX2/50 user reports as being satisfied with the game's
performance, so these requirements may be targeted appropriately.]
Macintosh System Requirements
* 68030 or Power Macintosh Processor (Power Macintosh Native)
* 4 MB free RAM for 256 colors (6 MB free RAM for Power Mac / 65,000
colors)
* Double speed CD-ROM drive
* 20 MB hard drive space
* 13" or larger monitor (minimum 640x480x256)
* System 7.x
There is a $15 offer for an additional Chaos Overlords CD, available to all
registered CO users. Information on the offer posted by gruof@pacificnet.com
to Usenet is here.
In a multiplayer game the game host's files are the only ones used to
actually calculate results. The client data files are used for displaying
information locally. If you start mucking about with the data files and give
Parking Lots a +255 defense, it will only affect the actual gameplay if the
change is on the host, and the host data file changes will not be visible to
other players unless their data files reflect the same modifications. This
might be potentially abused by a host that makes obscure changes that aren't
immediately evident. A checksum or CRC of host vs. client files might be
beneficial if abuse occurs.
Modem connections
PC-to-PC modem connections seem to be quite stable. Please report any
problems if they are notable.
TCP/IP connections
TCP/IP connections work well even hosted over a 28.8k connection. There is
some slowdown with a large number of players, but the speed is still fairly
satisfying.
Sources for TCP/IP Chaos Overlords opponents include:
* the web site http://www.wizweb.com/arena/chaosOverlords/ (recommended)
* notices on the Usenet newsgroups comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.strategic and
comp.sys.mac.games.strategic
* the Chaos Overlords IRC channels: #chaosoverlords (undernet) or
#chaos_overlords (dalnet). There are good places to go after you're so
rudly disconnected at the game end--what fun is it if you can't gloat
about your CO victory, or if you can't harrass the game winner?
Direct serial connections
No reported comments so far.
PC/Mac interoperability
NWC says that the Windows 95 and Macintosh versions of CO will work
together. It reportedly works well with TCP/IP connections between the two
platforms, but currently there are no reports of success or failure with
direct serial or modem connections between PCs and Macs.
There is no research tree. Any gang with a sufficient tech level can
research any item (with varying speeds, depending on what sites in that
sector have been influenced, and what miscellaneous items are equipped, such
as a Science Kit). Research is cumulative, and having more than one gang
research an item gives faster results. If you stop researching and then
carry on with the same research topic later, the prior research points will
carry over when research is resumed with the same or a different gang.
Research success rolls used in excess of what is required for a topic are
wasted. For example, if Computer Hackers (Res 3) with a Science Kit (Res 5)
are at a Science Lab (Res 5) work on a Kevlar Vest (RC 2) and gets 3
successes, the excess successful research roll is wasted. Matching research
topics efficiently with researcher skills (when possible) is somewhat
important due to this.
Combat
Force has an effect on combat. If you've repeatedly seen high-defense gangs
(say, defense 13) getting dinked by weaponless enemies (combat 5, for
example), force is the reason. The formula in the manual implies that a
defender's modified defense higher than an attacker's modified combat will
be immune to injury. The formula (p.51) should read:
An attack will only have a 0% chance of effectiveness if the attack roll as
shown above turns out zero or less. Force has no direct effect on defensive
adjustments, only as a combat adjustment.
Since all attacks occur simultaneously, retaliatory attacks are calculated
using the stats in effect at the beginning of the combat round (including
the initial force of a retaliatory attacker--that's what the upper force bar
displays during combat). Your Ground Zero gang equipped with Reaction
Leather and Phaze Handgun (com 23, force 10, def 13) may have wiped the
weaponless Psychos from 10 to 0 force on an initial attack, but the doomed
Psychos (com 5, force 10) simultaneously retaliate with a minor chance to
wound Ground Zero ((5+10)-13=2 chances of 33.3% to do one force damage each
to Ground Zero).
AI and difficulty level
The computer has 2 different strategies. On Goon, Criminal, or Crime Lord it
tries to win. On Homocidal Maniac it tries to keep you from winning...
usually by killing you. :) The higher difficulties do make the computer more
aggresive so it might attack you more often than just passing through your
sectors [gruof@pacificnet.com]
The computer will never gang up on the player (except maybe in Homicidal
Maniac). The computer basically scouts all of the other player to find any
weak spots. The AI does NOT cheat. We were very adamant about making sure
that the AI played fairly. [...] [re: AIs grabbing gang-less sectors] If you
keep people in your sectors, it should make it more difficult for the
computer to take. If you saw an unoccupied sector sitting there, wouldn't
you take it? [stickman@lava.net]
* When you start out, try and get a few casinos as early as possible. I
was having money problems the first few times I played, but casinos
generate a lot of cash (6 per turn). Also buy a few mostly useless
groups with 0 or 1 upkeep (like the clowns or the smiley-face dudes) to
just chaos each turn while your better gangs do important things like
taking over sectors and researching. These guys also make good scouts
and bait...
* As soon as you see a Research Center or something similar, take it and
station at least two people there to research equipment. You want the
big guns as soon as possible (just make sure you have gangs that can
use them...). If you can get something like a shotgun in the first four
or five rounds and give it to a relatively cheap but good gang, you're
sitting pretty.
* Try to keep at least one martial arts gang in your queue so that if you
need quick reinforcements you can hire them and they can put up a good
fight right away without equipment.
General strategies
Don't forget that Bankers, Computer Hackers, and Forgers have negative
upkeep. That is, they earn you money every turn. Of course, accompanying
them are rather stiff hiring fees, so they might be difficult to hire too
many of them near the beginning of the game.
Tim Jordan (lordgek@best.com):
* Hospitals and Temples are key: Once you control one of these puppies it
is much easier to bring new recruits to full power at them and their
added support makes them that much harder to steal away from you
(assuming of course you always leave someone there).
* Chaos 'til the cows come home: Money is key in this game and although
Casinos and Office Towers can make you big money, most average gangs
chaosing can make about 5 bucks easy. The trouble starts when you
really try to squeeze a sector for all its worth with multiple folk
since you really start pushing the envelope at this point, but if
you've got a gang with nothing incredibly important to do besides
guarding a square, chaos away!
* Detection and stealth are not to be underestimated: This may have been
obvious to everyone else from the start but I just realized its bigger
ramifications in combat recently. Quite simply put, if your stealth is
greater than the best enemy is the sector's detection (allowing, of
course, the modifiers for multiple groups they may have there) you
cannot be attacked. Since the attacker usually has such a big
advantage, this allows you to totally choose your attacks or simply go
about business as normal (influencing, chaos, equipping, etc.) since
they can't interfere with you. This factor really comes into play when
choosing armor and weapons to equip since stealth can easily be shot to
hell by these devices. If you have sneaky folk you want to stay that
way (like your Right Hand Men in an Elimination game) consider sites
with back ally networks and quiet equipment. This also means that
scanners are pretty damned useful too, how many times have you had a
gang pummeled in a supposedly "empty" square?
* Set up research centers: Maybe this is too much a "Putting all of one's
eggs in one basket", I find that having my scientist, hackers, and
other brain types hanging in a site with a research center and all
equipped with science kits allows me to knock even the biggest projects
out in a few turns and gain a huge technological boost on the
competition. Since the first five tech levels can be done anywhere if
your gang is technologically advanced enough, these centers should put
their emphasis on the 6-10 tech items. As long as they're out of
trouble and not Weight Lifters, its often easiest to have the low tech
gangs do their own research.
George Ruof (gruof@pacificnet.net):
* Snitching: Get someone with a really high stealth and go snitch to make
police crackdowns. It's a lot easier to control sectors after the
police wipe everyone out of them.
* Factories: 30% off on equipment can help a lot. I usually hire gangs to
the hospital sector, heal them, then move them to the factory sector to
get equipped. After that they're ready to go on a killing spree.
* Research centers: This is the only way to get high tech items. If you
get some gangs with high research numbers and give them science kits
you can gain a great advantage quickly. Hopefully you'll also be lucky
and get good gangs.
Drew Fudenberg (fudenberg@husc.harvard.edu):
* Remember that the agent's force is added in to most calculations, so
agents who are fully healed are the most effective. For this reason the
first thing I research is usually a med kit- I give it to the
researcher and have him heal before he researches further. When I can
afford high-tech agents I upgrade to the body stabilizer for those who
can use it. Yes, hospitals and clinics can be a substitute, but they
don't seem to be that densely scattered, and it wastes a lot of time to
trek back to them.
* If it looks a sector will need to maintain a sizable garrison, uses
bribes to get the tolerance up so you can have several agents chaos at
once.
* One fun high-tech combination is invisio cloak plus empathic enhancer.
Specific scenario strategies:
Big Man
* Tim Jordan (lordgek@best.com): While I still have a tough time with
this one even on just criminal level AI, I've found the key to life is
to grab one of the center squares ASAP! Move your first gang there
right off the bat, don't rest until one is yours! Also, if in one of
those lucky situations where you have a choice of equally distant
center squares to go for, shoot for one with some sort of healing
(hospital, temple, clinic)! Since a great deal of this game will be
spent just defending your one spot, the extra healing and support to
thwart overthrows is invaluable!
Res=Resistance, Sup=Support, Tol=Tolerance, Cas=Cash, Com=Combat,
Def=Defense, Stl=Stealth, Det=Detect, Cha=Chaos, Ctr=Control, Hel=Heal,
Inf=Influence, Res=Research, Str=Strength, Bla=Blade/Melee, Ran=Ranged,
Fig=Fighting, Mar=Martial Arts, %ED=% Equipment discount, TL=Enables
research through tech level x
Name Res Sup Tol Cas Com Def Stl Det Cha Ctr Hel Inf Res Str Bla Ran Fig Mar %ED TL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some upper limits and analysis for the gangs, including the maximal
blade/melee, ranged, fighting, and martial arts stats you can achieve for
each gang.
Com+ Com+
Str+ Fig+ Com+ Com+
Name Bla Str Ran MA Stl
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
reflect combat and defense while not ignoring stealth and detect.>
7. Player-suggested enhancements (paraphrased or quoted from Usenet)
Add visible name/stats to enemy gangs in order to make rational combat
choices. [rwebb@panix.com]
Add site icons to city map even when uninfluenced to give a more strategic
perspective to the game instead of RSI-inducing building hunts.
[rwebb@panix.com]
Let players customize their "decks" by tweaking the relative frequencies of
various gangs. [fudenberg@fas.harvard.edu]
Add "subways"- this would be a new action (other than "move"); it would
require a second, simpler map of subway connections. Possibly make the
stations "sites" that have to be controlled before they can be used.
[fudenberg@fas.harvard.edu]
Add some vital overview screens. It would be nice to see all the gangs that
are working for me. It would be nice to see all the sites I control. It
would be nice to see what techs are available and/or which ones remain to be
researched. [kagass@primenet.com]
Add ability to toggle other startup options. It has 12 scenarious with
different goals, but it would be neat to do something like "I want to play
'Greed' but give everybody 50 starting cash and an extra gang" or something.
[nyarl+@andrew.cmu.edu]
When I'm buying equipment, I'd like to see the stats for the gang I'm buying
it for at the same time. [nyarl+@andrew.cmu.edu]
Add more higher-level summary to give you a better overview of your gangs
and sites. [bfrohock@sky.net]
After I finish my turn in a network game I have to sit and wait with a
"please wait" screen until everyone else finishes their turns. This is
really annoying. It would MUCH better if I could continue to browse through
my sectors and look at stats and stuff. I don't want to use a time limit and
I hate waiting at that screen. [ostfeld@intac.com]
It would've been nice if this game had some kind of diplomacy to it. Like if
I could talk to the other overlords and maybe find out why they're all
beating the crap out of me. [ostfeld@intac.com]
