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Preview Bard's Tale preview at GameSpot

Spazmo

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Nov 9, 2002
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Monkey Island
Tags: Bard's Tale (2005); InXile Entertainment

<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc">Gamespot PC</a> have talked with our pal <b>Brian Fargo</b> of <a href=http://www.inxile-entertainment.com>InXile</a> all about his upcoming actiony RPG type of thing <b>The Bard's Tale</b>.
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<blockquote>The Bard's Tale won't just upend the clichéd storylines of the dungeon-crawling genre; it'll attempt to refine some of the unwieldy gameplay conventions, too. For instance, Fargo talked about the tedium of menial tasks, like sorting through 20 pairs of leggings or returning to town midway through a dungeon to sell off most of the items that are crowding your filled inventory. This game will keep that from becoming an issue by automatically equipping a new weapon or piece of armor when you pick it up (if it's superior to what you're already carrying). Inferior items will automatically be converted to gold right there in your inventory--no extra trips back to town required. You'll also be able to switch between your various weapon categories (such as sword, heavy weapon, and ranged weapon) and magical abilities with an onscreen pop-up menu that will keep you from having to trudge through multiple layers of submenus to access everything.</blockquote>
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That's a pretty terrible idea. Half the fun in an action RPG is gathering loot and finding out what works best with what. If the game does it for you--and probably bungles it, too--one can only hope there rest of the game is really damn funny.
 

Diogo Ribeiro

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Spazmo said:
This game will keep that from becoming an issue by automatically equipping a new weapon or piece of armor when you pick it up (if it's superior to what you're already carrying).

How does the game determine what is "superior"? Suppose a piece of armor gives +2 to your Defense, but gives 50% resistance to Poison. Then comes along a +4 armor, without the bonuses. Does it equip the +4 one automatically? Supoose you have a +3 sword with a Haste bonus, but then comes along a +6 sword - is the +6 automatically equipped and the +3 sold? Bad idea.

Inferior items will automatically be converted to gold right there in your inventory--no extra trips back to town required.

I think this kind of automation will end up being detrimental to the game.

At least include presets so players can decide what the game would consider a priority in terms of automated sale. "Better" or "superior" is very vague, and will likely cause problems if it will only consider pure defense or attack ratings.

You'll also be able to switch between your various weapon categories (such as sword, heavy weapon, and ranged weapon) and magical abilities with an onscreen pop-up menu that will keep you from having to trudge through multiple layers of submenus to access everything.

"Multiple layers of submenus to access everything"? Someone forgot simple hotkeys, and simple mouse drag'n'drop.
 

fnordcircle

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Jan 6, 2004
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Frowning at my monitor as I read your dumb post.
That's so kewl!

Oh, why not have the game automatically attack monsters I can kill or flee from monsters that are too strong? Oh, and if it could also have my PC automatically walk through the dungeon for me, that would be cool too. And when I've got the coins to buy something better in a shop maybe it can turn around and bring me to the shop and automatically buy it and equip it.

OH, and on the way to the shop can it also accept any quests offered by NPCs that my PC can do successfully?

OH I FUCKING KNOW THE THING THAT THEY COULD DO TO MAKE THIS THIS COOLEST FUCKING GAME EVER. AFTER I INSTALL JUST HAVE A BIG 'YOU ARE A WINNER!!!' GRAPHIC FLASH ON THE SCREEN WITH A BLUE RIBBON. THAT WAY I WON'T BE TOO DISTRACTED FROM MY HOBBY OF DROOLING ONTO MY CHEST WHILE STARING AT THE PRETTY COLORS!!!!!

morons
 

Voss

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Jun 25, 2003
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Ick. The Dungeon Siege school of screen saver design is spreading. Wheres the anti-virus software when you *really* need it?
 

dipdipdip

Liturgist
Joined
Jul 19, 2003
Messages
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That's an outrageously awful idea.

I can only imagine that this means weapons won't have special properties.
 

Jed

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I can see why someone might want to have that included as an option, but no fucking way would I want it to happen automatically. If removing some of the "menial" tasks from the game is the object, why not just be able to right click on the object, have a choice to "turn the item to gold," and just have the item move into the stock of the closest merchant in the case that you change your mind later? Though at a increased price as a small penalty for choosing unwisely, of course.
 

DIPthong

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Why can't we just have a bag of holding with a portal to a merchant in it? We sell him stuff through the bag and he gives us gold. Same idea, but its alittle more amusing. :lol:
 

Nightjed

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Jan 27, 2004
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Role-Player said:
How does the game determine what is "superior"? Suppose a piece of armor gives +2 to your Defense, but gives 50% resistance to Poison. Then comes along a +4 armor, without the bonuses. Does it equip the +4 one automatically? Supoose you have a +3 sword with a Haste bonus, but then comes along a +6 sword - is the +6 automatically equipped and the +3 sold? Bad idea.
they will probably have items without any kind of special bonuses, hell, it sounds like if you will find the weapons in "sets" and, for example, wont be able to use the sword-shield sword with the sword-dagger combo
its a very very very bad idea, its even worse than a lame console rpg system, but without any materia/junction system :evil:
 

Jed

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DIPthong said:
Why can't we just have a bag of holding with a portal to a merchant in it? We sell him stuff through the bag and he gives us gold. Same idea, but its alittle more amusing. :lol:
I think a certain, recent expansion campaign might have beat you to this idea...
 

Whipporowill

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The bag in HOTU wasn't all that bad - considering the amount of loot you found. I'd prefer less loot (ore more useful one) and less trips to the shopkeeper. I'm actually quite fond of the "clear map - go to shopkeeper".
 

DIPthong

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Jan 7, 2004
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XJEDX said:
DIPthong said:
Why can't we just have a bag of holding with a portal to a merchant in it? We sell him stuff through the bag and he gives us gold. Same idea, but its alittle more amusing. :lol:
I think a certain, recent expansion campaign might have beat you to this idea...

Ugh, the sad thing is I meant that as a joke... :oops:
 

DarkUnderlord

Professional Throne Sitter
Staff Member
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Jun 18, 2002
Messages
28,343
I ask... Why have loot at all! Think about it, just give the PC the uber-sword and uber-armour right at the beginning and then they'll never need worry about looting or buying anything again! (Not that "buying" is soemthing I've ever done in an RPG, considering all the best loot is found in the bad guys hands).
 

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