Praise for KotC

<< Well this is simply the best implementation of D&D 3.5 turn-based combat rules in any video game ever produced, Attacks of Opportunity, Charge, Bull Rush, Grapple... Everything is in there. I played the Gold Box games again recently and I can tell you I appreciate Knights of the Chalice's interface after this, it's way more friendly, shortcuts everywhere just click on your character, even more strategic options, inventories similar to Eye of the Beholder. >>

<< Ten minutes into the Demo I found myself in a fight against a troll, a couple of wizards, and several warriors. I cast Web in the centre of the room to block the enemy. What happens? Well, a wizard casts Fireball into the centre of the web specifically to burn it away. Meanwhile, the troll intentionally skirts the web to get at my cleric. My wizard is bullrushed into the tattered remains of his own web where he gets hopelessly entangled and I quickly die. I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite like that. Generally I drop Web in front of the enemy and they all charge idiotically through it, getting stuck and killed in the process. >>

<< I played Neverwinter Nights 2, the Baldur's Gate series, Temple of Elemental Evil, and none of them have made as much use of various options as this game. The AI in particular is a real bastard to beat, not only because the encounters have some tough enemies, the resting is more realistic, yet with planning ahead my reloads have been minimal. >>

<< The combats are challenging. You won't be hacking and slashing your way through them - at least not in the demo. Not only do you have to be pretty tactical with your positioning and spell use, but you also need to husband your resources a bit so that you not only survive this combat, but the next one you don't know anything about. In classic D&D style, you only recover spell points while resting (at a campfire, in this game), and so the whole resource-management between multiple combats thing is strongly in effect here. >>

<< I really like the game a lot! In many ways I find it superior to Temple of Elemental Evil, the encounters feel a lot more fun and varied and there seems like a lot more to explore. The item crafting and combat options are very similar to it as well. In fact, aside from a few bugs and glitches I've run into, this game has kept me busy while a bunch of Nintendo Wii and DS games sit unplayed. I haven't touched them because this game is friggin HARD and addictive. >>

<< I joined the forum for the sole purpose of heaping loads and loads of praise upon the author of this wonderful game! I didn't even make it through half the demo before I bought it. You've done a fantastic job of showcasing the strategic depth of the D&D tactical ruleset. A better job than many professional attempts before you. I hope with all my heart that you manage to get this onto steam, or get mentioned on penny arcade. If you make another game, I swear I will buy it even if it turns out to be crap, just to thank you for making this one. >>

<< I really liked your game. It was good and much better than any of the other turn-based RPGs with party-based combat. After fighting through Spiderweb's older games, your game was challenging but not as ridiculously impossible as other games. My favourite party-based RPGs are based on D&D rules. I would say of the RPGs out there in that area, your game was much better than ToEE and likely Icewind Dale. The best was the fact that you can make a Mul Cleric, Knight or Mage or other race combination. In that regard, Icewind Dale 1, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and KotC are in the same vein: free choice. >>

Matt Barton: << You have so many different ways you can go about the battles [...] My personal experience, I think this is an awesome, awesome game. >>
Link to Matt Chat 422 about KotC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOsYqp0XX9w

The CRPG Book: << If [...] what you want is a consuming dungeon crawling experience that harkens back to the Gold Box days, then no games can challenge [...] masterfully crafted Knights of the Chalice. Perhaps the most criminally overlooked RPG of its era, it is no overstatement to call it one of the defining D&D 3.5 video games. [...] KotC is as classic an RPG as they come. Its complexity and depth will appeal to veterans of the genre, while its slick design and wealth of documentation makes it easy to dive into for newcomers looking for a tactical challenge. >>

Ben: << The combat is what truly makes [Knights of the Chalice] stand out from other turn-based titles. KotC pulls from the bucket of simplicity and makes the combat as fluid as turn based can be. The lack of long winded animations paired with the surplus of knowledge the UI gives you allows you to work through combat without a hitch, all the while learning more about the OGL 3.5 ruleset (unless you're a master of the OGL 3.5).

The lack of a 3D environment only further augments the perfection of turn-based heaven. In a 2D environment (the same way pen & paper is played) you can carefully position yourself to flank and nuke enemies without the hassle of dealing with a z axis. In games such as Neverwinter Nights or Dragon Age, you'll find yourself chaotically attacking whatever you see without any aspect of positioning. While that doesn't mean they're bad games, it's simply a reflection of how modern 3D titles are played.

A more classic 3D turn-based game is Wizardry 8, but it has to bow to KotC at every step concerning combat due to the 3D element (a video says a million words). Fluidity is the most important criteria of combat, and as far as I'm aware it hasn't been done well on a 3D turn-based role playing game thus far. >>

Main Features

Turn-based, party-based tactical combat similar to that found in the old Dark Sun Shattered Lands game made by SSI and in Troika's Temple of Elemental Evil.

User-friendly interface. Launch a charge, full-attack or coup-de-grace with a single click - the computer will automatically look for the best option available. Outside combat, single click to move the party. See How to Play for more information.

A well-developed artificial intelligence. Enemies act as a group and can use special actions like Grapple or Charge and tactics like taking a five-foot step before casting a Maximised Fireball.

Omnipresent help files and clear in-game feedback (a feature also found in Temple of Elemental Evil) on the results of each dice roll, saving throw, attack roll, modifiers and so on.

With the right feats and sufficient gold and experience points, craft your own weapons and apply enchantments like Wounding, Life Stealing, Speed, Flaming Burst and Keen.

Multiple-choice dialogue that sometimes allows the player to resolve situations in unexpected ways.

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Click here for the old gameplay video on Youtube

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