I bought UFO: Enemy Unknown from GOG, for use with OpenXCom. I plan to buy Morrowind for use with openmw. Should these purchases be recorded as non-Linux supported games on the survey? Do we need an extra category for Windows-only games on open source engines, or is that a bit too much of a niche?

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Quoting: badbereven if the game is otherwise not similar to MTG/Hearthstone would you say the amount of RNG involved in the game is similar? Those games are also all about managing the random factors and while the more skilled player will not always win, on average they will be much more successful.

I'd say a good player could not dominate lesser players to the same extent as those other games, as there is much less that can be done to skew the playing field before the game commences. A decent player will have a 60:40 win:loss ratio, whereas the masters can manage up to 80:20. A novice player will never be up against near-impossible odds (in Classic mode, anyway).

It is much more random than those comparator games, but, (perhaps, for some, surprisingly) more balanced as a result.

Quoting: lvlarkAs an avid Battle for Wesnoth-player, this title did have me intrigued

I'm a huge fan of Wesnoth. Both of these games share many subtleties and complexities. Hardly surprising, as some of the Wesnoth contributors are fans of the original Chaos.

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I'm really sorry you hate this game, and felt compelled to create an account to counter the criticism.

I have to say, I love this game. I have been playing it since the proper Linux early access client was released, having played the original ZX Spectrum version since my childhood. The current set of rules capture the spirit of the original perfectly. My only regret is the user interface, where the "cards" can mislead new players into thinking the mechanics are like "Magic - the Gathering" or similar. That is only going to lead to disappointment, as this is a completely different game.

Chaos has always been a game about luck, and about managing the luck of the draw. In "Classic" mode, the starting spells are drawn randomly. The ultimate victor will be the player who knows when to take risks, when to play conservatively, and how best to protect his wizard. Think of it as a combination of chess and poker. There are no hit points, so you must always consider both attack and defence in every move. Powerful creatures can be toppled by the meek, and games often swing back and forwards at the whim of fickle fortune. A poor player may defeat a competent player by luck alone in a single game, but, over the piece, skill will shine through.

The community is great, and experienced players will take the time to explain the rules, tactics and strategy to new players. It can appear baffling and random at first, but, like poker, it is a matter of knowing when to play the odds, bluff or withdraw. Gameplay is rapid (most 2 player games last 5--10 minutes) but deep and satisfying.

The "equipped" mode gives the players a chance to influence their wizard's power and starting spell collection. I'm not so keen on this mode, as there is less balance between experienced and new players. The RPG mechanic is fairly weak, imho.

The "Realms" single player mode is online-only, as it is actually a cooperative RPG-lite, where you can call other players to your assistance. By contrast, there is also a fully offline single-player mode which pits you in an "Equipped" battle against the AI.

If you are unsure whether to try this game, try the original (under emulation) or one of the many remakes of the original to get a feel of the mechanics. If you like them, Chaos Reborn expands on them brilliantly. If you're looking for a card-based battle RPG with hit points, which forgives mistakes, you're looking at the wrong game.

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