Chess Wars - DOS Longplay - Part 005 - Menu and Gameplay (at Beginner AI)

Chess Wars: A Medieval Fantasy

[Here's some in-game graphics. I had to turn cinematics off to keep DosBox from splitting the recording on video mode changes. Too bad I couldn't fit a whole match in, but maybe later.]

This is a very obscure chess game published by WizardWorks in 1998 (created by Art Data Interactive in 1996). Think of Battle Chess but with an 8 minute intro FMV introducing the live action characters representing the pieces, FMV cut-scenes for each piece capture (some very fun to watch), and short FMV endings for each side's checkmate. Gameplay is on tilted perspective, "3D rendered", board with "lifelike 3D animated pieces" with options for different textured boards and backgrounds and traditionally shaped chess pieces.

After finding this on a bargain shelf back in the late 90s, I found it to be an interesting evolution on the Battle Chess concept. However, looking it up online in 2008, I could not find record of Chess Wars on Wikipedia, MobyGames, or GameFaqs. I started to doubt the game ever existed except for the copy in my hand. Then I remembered to Google it.

Not much help there either when I checked, except for a couple of personal sites listing themselves as working on the game in 1996 and winning "Best New Video Game". Funny for an award winning game to just disappear off the map like that, but this was about the time of the crash of the live-action FMV craze (and subsequent bankruptcies).

I think I've only played a handful of matches in this game, but once in a while, I'll set the computer to play itself so that I can enjoy the (sometimes cheesy) video clips. I wanted to share this enjoyment with the community here.

After I procrastinated too long on doing it myself, I discovered this had finally been put up at MobyGames (by someone who downloaded my Torrent of the game): http://www.mobygames.com/game/chess-wars-a-medieval-fantasy

Finally, I recently followed the links to Amazon and eBay sales from the MobyGames site, and found other owners of this game had finally crawled out of the woodwork. There was even a new sealed copy for over $130(!), while most copies went for $3 to $30 depending on condition. Makes me feel lucky for finding this on a bargain shelf for $10 in 1998.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• dos
• longplay
• chess
• wars
• chesswars
• Medieval
• Fantasy
• art
• data
• artdata
• interactive
• wizardworks
• 3d
• battle
• battlechess
• live
• action
• fmv
• mobygames

[Alexsandralyn]

To run without CDs after installation, open Dosbox and type the following. Do not type the //comments//.

mount c c:\dosgames //to mount virtual hard drive labeled c//

mount d c:\dosgames\CWCD1 -t cdrom //to mount virtual CD1 files//

mount e c:\dosgames\CWCD2 -t cdrom -label CHESSWARS2 //to mount virtual CD2 files//

c: //change to virtual hard drive//

cd chesswar //change directory to the installed CHESSWAR folder within C:\dosgames//

chesswar //start game//

[SchlossRitter]

@Alexsandralyn

Thanks for the instructions for people.

Also, good news for my videos: I finally got DosBox to work again somewhat, enough to record more footage. As soon as I can get the new videos uploaded, I have re-recorded some early parts of this game with better sound (16-bit digital instead of 8-bit) and less frame skip (slightly better video).

[fredb1978]

Schlossritter, for some reason the word not did not come about when i sent you that last comment so what i really meant was ... i am not trying to rush you with anything and especially with getting more videos of this game on this site ... even though, i would like to see it! I am very sorry about my previous comment to you but like i said, the word not did not come about and i know i keyed it in so i don't want you to think any different from what i am telling you right now.

[SchlossRitter]

@fredb1978

No problem. There's not much I can do with the videos right now anyway. Along with my recording problems, I'm having trouble even getting my computer's sound to work at all (doh). Stay tuned.

[Alexsandralyn]

This game is so cheesy but my daughter loves it :-)

[Alexsandralyn]

To run without CDs, copy both CDs to two folders in C:\dosgames labeled CWCD1 and CWCD2 respectively. Start Dosbox and type the following. Do not type the //comments//.

mount c c:\dosgames

mount d c:\dosgames\CWCD1 -t cdrom //to mount the virtual CD1 files//

d: //to change to the virtual CD drive//

install

exit

Go to c:\dosgames\CHESSWAR and open the CHESSWAR.CFG configuration file. Under the [INSTALL] section, change CD2 = D:\CHESSWAR to CD2 = E:\CHESSWAR. Save the file and close.

[Alexsandralyn]

To run with CDs after installation, insert CD1 or CD2 into cdrom drive, open Dosbox and type the following lines. Do not type in the //comment sections//.

mount c c:\dosgames //to mount the virtual hard drive labeled c//

mount d e: -t cdrom //to mount the virtual cdrom drive labeled d//

c: //to change to virtual hard drive//

cd chesswar //to change directories to the CHESSWAR folder within c:\dosgames//

chesswar //to start Chess Wars//

[Alexsandralyn]

To install and run with CDs, insert CD1 into CD player (drive e: on My Computer, substitute your own drive letter). Start Dosbox and type the following lines. Do not type in the //comment sections//.

mount c c:\dosgames //to mount the virtual hard drive labeled c//

mount d e: -t cdrom //to mount the virtual cdrom drive labeled d//

d: //to change to the virtual cdrom drive//

install //to install Chess Wars into the C:\dosgames folder and set up sound//

chesswar //to start game//

[fredb1978]

@adroitgenius2 First of all, install the game from the first cdrom disk if you haven't already and then have either cdrom disk 1 or disk 2 in the cdrom drive at all times when trying to play the game. Second of all, make sure that the d: drive is the letter of your cdrom drive before mounting the cdrom drive to play the game ... if it's another drive letter, use that other drive letter instead and then mount the hard drive right afterwards.

[adroitgenius2]

@fredb1978 but it doesnt detect any cdrom drive? wat could be wrong

[fredb1978]

@adroitgenius2 The only way to get it to work is to mount the cdrom drive first and then mount the hard drive next so you will type this command first ... mount d d:\ -t cdrom (if the d: drive is the letter of your cdrom drive as an example) and then you mount the hard drive (most often, it's the c drive) to where you got the game installed on the computer and then you can play chess from the cdrom disks.

[adroitgenius2]

@fredb1978 how did u get dosbox to be able to read the CD?