Bard's Tale The Bard's Tale Series

[drifting]

Sceptic

2. The Hunter's Critical Hit ability was bugged in the Amiga versions of BT1 and/or 2, and probably also in the DOS versions. Seems to be an overflow bug, so that the skill resets back to a 5% chance every 16th level.

DOS version is bugged in BT2. BT1 looks good. Patched BT2 version.
Patched DOS version

This file doesn't seem to work for me. DKP.exe in Dosbox doesn't do anything. Any thoughts?

Is it in your BT2 directory? It's a direct replacement of dk.exe. You run it instead of dk.

 

[Daemongar]

Sceptic

2. The Hunter's Critical Hit ability was bugged in the Amiga versions of BT1 and/or 2, and probably also in the DOS versions. Seems to be an overflow bug, so that the skill resets back to a 5% chance every 16th level.

DOS version is bugged in BT2. BT1 looks good. Patched BT2 version.
Patched DOS version

This file doesn't seem to work for me. DKP.exe in Dosbox doesn't do anything. Any thoughts?

Is it in your BT2 directory? It's a direct replacement of dk.exe. You run it instead of dk.

Thanks again. That works. As a heads up, the DOS Version I have doesn't have a DK.EXE in there. The version i have launches by BARD.EXE. Also, the file sizes between BARD.EXE (83kb) v DKP.EXE (274kb) threw me off. I'm ok now.

I look forward to trying this out!

 

[drifting]

Sceptic

2. The Hunter's Critical Hit ability was bugged in the Amiga versions of BT1 and/or 2, and probably also in the DOS versions. Seems to be an overflow bug, so that the skill resets back to a 5% chance every 16th level.

DOS version is bugged in BT2. BT1 looks good. Patched BT2 version.
Patched DOS version

This file doesn't seem to work for me. DKP.exe in Dosbox doesn't do anything. Any thoughts?

Is it in your BT2 directory? It's a direct replacement of dk.exe. You run it instead of dk.

Thanks again. That works. As a heads up, the DOS Version I have doesn't have a DK.EXE in there. The version i have launches by BARD.EXE. Also, the file sizes between BARD.EXE (83kb) v DKP.EXE (274kb) threw me off. I'm ok now.

I look forward to trying this out!

In the versions I have, BT1 is bard.exe, BT2 is dk.exe and BT3 is thief.exe.

With regards to the file size, the original is a packed DOS binary. I had to unpack it to disassemble it. And from there I did my work on the unpacked version.

 

[Daemongar]

Good Lord, I've been in IT for 22 years... and I downloaded the wrong file. Good thing I didn't double down on this by posting to a public forum. Well, thankfully it's only between you and me, Drifting!

 

[Sceptic]

Bard's Tale III supports the Roland MT-32. If you delete THIEF.CFG and then start the game it will have you select your video and sound configuration.

I tried doing this and the game will simply do nothing when your run thief.exe (or thiefp.exe). Thief.cfg is also not a text file so I don't know how to manually adjust the settings. BT1 and BT2 had a setup.exe that took care of things but BT3 doesn't. How do you change the settings? The manual makes no mention either.

EDIT: Turns out the information is in the reference card, not the manual. You need to start the game with "thief t" (or "thiefp t" if using the patch) and you get to reconfigure everything.

 

[Sceptic]

So, how do magic items work? Do they have charges? I have a fire horn for my bard, and it's obscenely powerful as a starting item (thank you A-Team), but does it have a specific number of charges? or just a chance to be consumed every time? or can I keep using it forever and ever?

 

[octavius]

It has a a number of charges. The number is random AFAIK. In BT3 (and BT2? Can't remember) the number of charges is written behind item names.
That Fire Horn is what keeps lvl 1 parties alive. Don't be afraid to use it.

 

[Metro]

From what I recall the magic instruments are pretty strong early in the game but later are fairly 'meh' (although it's nice for your bard to be able to inflict group damage). So, yeah, don't be afraid to use it on some difficult encounters near the start.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

I think about replaying Bard's Tale trilogy again. This time I consider to play Amiga versions for a change. Are they really very bugged? Pls give some tips on avoiding bugs, if it's possible.

 

[octavius]

I think about replaying Bard's Tale trilogy again. This time I consider to play Amiga versions for a change. Are they really very bugged? Pls give some tips on avoiding bugs, if it's possible.

Avoid Hunters in BT2.
Avoid BT3.

 

[Sceptic]

Avoid BT3.

I thought you liked it more than this. Or is the Amiga version specifically bad?

I've started BT1, but it's been very slow going, mainly because I play for 10 minutes at a time and get utterly bored. I mentioned this before I think, but the early game is an odd reminded of MM1, except done much worse. Like in MM1, you wander around the city streets looking for things to kill and grinding XP so that you can survive the rest of the game, but in MM1 you did this with the promise of a MASSIVE world to explore and the joy of having it all open up. Here you're only doing it so you can move into the next dungeon, where you'll be doing the same thing so you can move to the next dungeon. In MM1 you also had to explore and map the town, get clues from the statues, so it made the grind more tolerable. In BT1 you stand outside a tavern facing a house, then keep going into the house until you have a fight, duck into the tavern for the bard to have a drink, rinse and repeat over and over. Once in a while I run to Roscoe's to recharge spell points. I finally managed to make it to level 2, and it didn't take that long, but I kept getting so bored with the process. It reminds me more of AR: The City than anything else, where you have no real goal besides fighting and mapping the city, except the city is already mapped for you in the manual.

Once I hit level 2 I did start poking inside the wine cellar (aside: how DO you find out how to get there? I knew about ordering wine, so I just went into every inn until I found the one that has wine, but I thought there was a hint somewhere. If it's in a bartender tip those have been pretty useless). I was quickly reminded of how completely random fights are. They occur in fixed square, but like MM2 the actual encounter seems to be randomly generated. Encountering 3 thieves, I know it'll be a cakewalk. When I run into 3 groups of 8 nomads each (and of course Run fails) it's time to restore the game.

I have to admit I enjoy mapping and have been having quite some fun doing that. BT1 also doesn't seem to have random encounters in dungeons - they all seem to occur in fixed spots, even if the composition of the encounter varies. I don't know if going into the sewers so early on is a good idea, but we'll see. Also, the Rogue has been unfortunately quite useless (I know, I was warned). Thing is, I can Hide in Shadows, but what does it actually do? I thought it let you attack with crits, or hit groups in the back, or whatnot, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

 

[Metro]

Real mean play PC. What's with all this Amiga shit? And, yes, the series does show it's age in terms of massive combat grind. Probably one of the things Fargo had in mind when he talked about streamlining/updating making the analogy to Hearthstone.

Hiding in shadows should allow the rogue to keep getting further and further back so that it can attack ranged groups. Every turn you should see some kind of indicator on their distance increase (for each time you select hide). You might just ditch the rogue (you can always power level one if you want to use it in BT3) in favor of a stronger melee class. In BT2 there's some item called Knife or Something or Something Knife -- it's a throwing weapon with near unlimited range and does enough damage to one shot most casters.

 

[octavius]

Avoid BT3.

I thought you liked it more than this. Or is the Amiga version specifically bad?

The Amiga version has not been patched, so it's bad. I actually suspected something was very wrong with BT3 when I played on my Amiga back in the days, and none of the monsters had special attacks. That's quite a major bug; didn't they have play testers back then?

I've started BT1, but it's been very slow going, mainly because I play for 10 minutes at a time and get utterly bored. I mentioned this before I think, but the early game is an odd reminded of MM1, except done much worse. Like in MM1, you wander around the city streets looking for things to kill and grinding XP so that you can survive the rest of the game, but in MM1 you did this with the promise of a MASSIVE world to explore and the joy of having it all open up. Here you're only doing it so you can move into the next dungeon, where you'll be doing the same thing so you can move to the next dungeon. In MM1 you also had to explore and map the town, get clues from the statues, so it made the grind more tolerable. In BT1 you stand outside a tavern facing a house, then keep going into the house until you have a fight, duck into the tavern for the bard to have a drink, rinse and repeat over and over. Once in a while I run to Roscoe's to recharge spell points. I finally managed to make it to level 2, and it didn't take that long, but I kept getting so bored with the process. It reminds me more of AR: The City than anything else, where you have no real goal besides fighting and mapping the city, except the city is already mapped for you in the manual.

What I did was kicking in every door to see if there was something not on the map. When I had mapped the entire town I headed for the Wine Cellar.

When I run into 3 groups of 8 nomads each (and of course Run fails) it's time to restore the game.

You haven't met their bigger, hairier cousins the Barbarians?

I have to admit I enjoy mapping and have been having quite some fun doing that. BT1 also doesn't seem to have random encounters in dungeons - they all seem to occur in fixed spots, even if the composition of the encounter varies.

Hmm...I'm pretty sure random encounter can occur any time, but some square are worse than others.

Also, the Rogue has been unfortunately quite useless (I know, I was warned). Thing is, I can Hide in Shadows, but what does it actually do? I thought it let you attack with crits, or hit groups in the back, or whatnot, but it doesn't seem to make any difference.

I think it just makes him impossible to hit, so therefore being able to survive in a front slot. But who needs Rogues when a mage can just say Trap Zap and not even worry about failing?

 

[octavius]

Real mean play PC. What's with all this Amiga shit?

Superior graphics and sound. BT1 really blew me away back in 1988, being both my first Amiga game and first real CRPG. The monk's chanting (from Monty Python's Holy Grail) when entering a temple was magic.

Hiding in shadows should allow the rogue to keep getting further and further back so that it can attack ranged groups. Every turn you should see some kind of indicator on their distance increase (for each time you select hide).

No range in BT1.

 

[Metro]

Graphics whore.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I was tooling around with WinUAE the last couple of days in an attempt to try out some Amiga games like Hired Guns and Fate: Gates of Dawn, but man I've been having a hell of a time figuring out how to properly configure the program. And this coming from a guy who had no problem following the instructions for DOSBox and most recently for RetroPie. If I want to try Bard's Tale and other games in all their Amiga-style glory what emulator would you suggest and where should I go for instructions on how to use it? I may break down and just try an Atari ST/XE emulator instead.

 

[octavius]

Graphics whore.

Someone was an obnoxius little boy and didn't get an Amiga for Christmas.

 

[octavius]

I was tooling around with WinUAE the last couple of days in an attempt to try out some Amiga games like Hired Guns and Fate: Gates of Dawn, but man I've been having a hell of a time figuring out how to properly configure the program. And this coming from a guy who had no problem following the instructions for DOSBox and most recently for RetroPie. If I want to try Bard's Tale and other games in all their Amiga-style glory what emulator would you suggest and where should I go for instructions on how to use it? I may break down and just try an Atari ST/XE emulator instead.

Get Amiga Forever. It costs some money, but the UI is simpler and it comes with a legit copy of Workbench.
But for the BT games I'd use the DOS versions, or if you want to emulate, emulate the bug fre 16 bit Apple versions (only BT1-2, though). If there are Atari ST versions they probably have the same bugs as the DOS and Amiga versions.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

I was tooling around with WinUAE the last couple of days in an attempt to try out some Amiga games like Hired Guns and Fate: Gates of Dawn, but man I've been having a hell of a time figuring out how to properly configure the program. And this coming from a guy who had no problem following the instructions for DOSBox and most recently for RetroPie. If I want to try Bard's Tale and other games in all their Amiga-style glory what emulator would you suggest and where should I go for instructions on how to use it? I may break down and just try an Atari ST/XE emulator instead.

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/amiga-dungeoneering-collection.84467/

 

[Sceptic]

I've been making steady progress through BT1. It's funny, I remember vaguely what the sequence of dungeons is like and where the plot goes but I don't remember anything of the actual levels and I keep forgetting mechanics or mixing them up with either sequels or stuff from Wizardry or M&M. For example, I kept expecting my rogue to identify the wrong trap, but I don't think it happens in BT, you either get it right or you don't. I have to say that the encounter design is abysmal. I remember BT2-3 throwing hordes at you, much worse than even MM2. BT1 doesn't have this, but the difficulty of the random encounters is all over the place. One minute you're slaughtering a single thief, the next you have 4 groups of 8 barbarians shreeding you to pieces. I just learned level 3 spells so I think it's about to get more consistent.

One decision I made, which turned out to be good, is to start going into the sewers at level 2 rather than wait. I gave up on the save system and am using save states, but I only resort to them when the game throws absurd random encounters at me. The difficulty of the fixed encounters is actually quite well tuned, the problem is that they've all been thoroughly bland so far. Mapping and taking notes of the weird scribbles on the wall is fun, though even the level design seems more random and maze-y than Wiz or MM. Oddly, I think I got the password to get into the Temple of the Mad God on level 2 of the sewers, which means level 3 is completely extranenous? Now that I have levitation I'll go explore it anyway I guess.

The lack of any non-magic ranged mechanic is a big downer. The complete and utter lack of ANY kind of ranged weapons in the entirety of Skara Brae is hard to swallow, and frequently results in my mages doing nothing on fights where I know I don't need them, since I'd rather conserve their SP. I miss taking potshots at weakened enemies with a sling in MM1.

For the first time ever, I ended up making a Codex themed party. I'm sorry to say that DarkUnderlord the rogue is so far my most useless PC, though saving on SP when he does detect traps is nice. Jaesun the paladin and Torpid the hunter are kicking ass though, the crit doesn't happen often but when it does it's great, and Jaesun now has multiple attacks for mega damage. I've started raiding DU's strength though (luck and dex are already maxed out) so he may start doing more damage. I also found 2 mithril sword, which I hope are a good upgrade from my mundane weapons.

Oh yeah and MACO seems bugged. The compass reverses E and W.

 

[Gregz]

So, how do magic items work? Do they have charges? I have a fire horn for my bard, and it's obscenely powerful as a starting item (thank you A-Team), but does it have a specific number of charges? or just a chance to be consumed every time? or can I keep using it forever and ever?

I already answered that in my last cautionary anti-bard post. Charges, non-rechargeable, and no mid-late game equivalent upgrades. Bards suck ass in BT1 btw. One caveat to that, is that you can do the item duplicate cheat and make several fire horns, bring the bard along to level 2 tanks and 3 casters, then swap out the bard around level 9 for a 3rd tank. Excellent early powerleveling trick.

Real mean play PC. What's with all this Amiga shit?

Superior graphics and sound. BT1 really blew me away back in 1988, being both my first Amiga game and first real CRPG. The monk's chanting (from Monty Python's Holy Grail) when entering a temple was magic.

The Apple IIGS version also has this, and octavius is right, best version.

 

[octavius]

Yeah, for BT1-2 the Apple IIGS version is the best choice. As good graphics as Amiga, and (AFAIK) bug free. Only drawback is not being able to import into BT3. But how is the sound? Are there any monk chants?

 

[Gregz]

Yeah, for BT1-2 the Apple IIGS version is the best choice. As good graphics as Amiga, and (AFAIK) bug free. Oly drawback is not being able to import into BT3. But how is the sound? Are there any monk chants?

Yes.

 

[Sceptic]

Oh yeah and MACO seems bugged. The compass reverses E and W.

Never mind! It's actually not a compass, the red arrow doesn't point north, it points at the direction you're actually facing. Oops.

Also, since everyone talking about sound: I found it disappointing that BT1 specifically supports Tandy, but it doesn't seem to use the Tandy 3-way speaker, and so it sounds exactly like the 1-channel PC speaker.

 

[Metro]

Tsk tsk tsk, more bad advice from Gregz.