Game News Brian Fargo announces Bard's Tale IV at PAX South

[Blaine]

Can't wait for the next brilliant game in which I perform a near-endless succession of 6-second skill checks to open thousands of generic treasure boxes filled with random generic lute.

Spoiler

It's exactly like Fallout! And oh boy, am I looking forward to that sophisticated C&C!

 

[MRY]

treasure boxes filled with random generic lute

:iseewhatyoudid:

 

[Blaine]

MRY > Fargo, just sayin'.

Wormwood did with the adventure games genre what almost no one else has been able to do since the decline, with the sole exception of Stygian Software and the cRPG genre. Wormwood did it first.

 

[stony3k]

Wasteland 2 sold well, as for reception, It was well received by steam, got nice reviews by the dorito munchers, Metacritic user scores may find it mediocre, but as far as the game of the year awards and the general public are concerned those reviews don't mean much. (I personally find them more reliable than Game journalist shills when it comes to a lot of classic games.)

Maybe not the greatest reception, but still a shit example to use if you're trying to speculate on how bad their next game will be. "If Wasteland 2 is anything to go by", if it is then it will be mostly well received almost universally, including on the Codex, and at the very least receive mixed to high average ratings, mostly based on a few super low ratings.

Most of the bad Metacritic user reviews are by people who didn't even get past Highpool. While I don't think WL2 is comparable to FO1/2, it's still decent (and better than a 7.3 user score)

 

[Blaine]

Most of the bad Metacritic user reviews are by people who didn't even get past Highpool. While I don't think WL2 is comparable to FO1/2, it's still decent (and better than a 7.3 user score)

That's true. It's worth about an 8 if you round up, after all the updates and bugfixes, and after the retarded armor system was revised. There's still a plethora of issues that can and should be fixed which they've shown no signs of addressing.

At launch, it most definitely deserved a 7.3. Actually, that's generous.

 

[Lady_Error]

I find it difficult to believe that anyone who's actually played Fallout/2 could write such a thing with a straight face.

I find it just as difficult to believe that someone who liked Fallout did not enjoy Wasteland 2.

WL2 is as good as FO, Gothic is a first person game, you know the drill...

You should create a picture like
liberals
only with 'Gothic' instead of 'Liberals'.

 

[twincast]

"Traditional turn-based combat," as Fargo calls it, bases turns on varying factors, creating battles in which different characters attacked at different times, often alternating between opposing sides. But in The Bard's Tale IV, teams attack all at once. This increases the pace of the combat, and allows for a different set of tactics than the traditional system might allow.

"There will be plenty of combat diversity and depth," Fargo said. "You look at something like Hearthstone, for example. It's sort of that going back-and-forth process, and you see the complexity and detail and strategy and nuance that can happen. It's really an amazing system. I love those modern influences. I took a lot away from that, and see things we need to do with our combat system."​

Do. Not. Want.
But oh well, I can deal with it; not like I haven't dealt with it many a time already, after all.

 

[Blaine]

I find it just as difficult to believe that someone who liked Fallout did not enjoy Wasteland 2.

You're in luck, because I've decided to write a review of Wasteland 2 for the Codex to be published in the News section. I won't be pulling any punches. From that point forward, when someone expresses disbelief that I don't think Wasteland 2 is as good as Fallout or Fallout 2, my analysis will be readily available in great detail just a click away.

I will also now be writing retrospective reviews of Fallout and Fallout 2, which I've played through in excess of 15 times apiece since 1997/1998. There'll then be no doubt that I've played them all.

I'll be writing it, that is, if the staff have the balls to publish something that will verbally brutalize a current Codex Defense Force darling. They already know I can write, and were only too happy to publish my preview of UnderRail, which even in alpha is already a much better game than Wasteland 2 could ever hope to be.

Infinitron, Grunker, thoughts?

 

[Metro]

Do ho ho!

 

[hiver]

That's true. It's worth about an 8 if you round up, after all the updates and bugfixes, and after the retarded armor system was revised. There's still a plethora of issues that can and should be fixed which they've shown no signs of addressing.

At launch, it most definitely deserved a 7.3.

Yeah, on a scale from 7 to 25.

Oh, a review? Whatever made you think of that? Go for your review by all means, then ill tear it apart and show everyone what a inXile shill you are.

There'll then be no doubt that I've played them all.

Why? is anyone doubting you now? Sounds suspicious...

I'll be writing it, that is, if the staff have the balls to publish something that will verbally brutalize a current Codex Defense Force darling.

Wusses will surely accept that lemonade...

I find it just as difficult to believe that someone who liked Fallout did not enjoy Wasteland 2.

Thats because your brain fell out somewhere on the way to this thread. And when some kids found it they thought it was a white billiard ball. So they took it back to a billiard club and now everyone marvel at the perfect smoothness of it.

 

[Lady_Error]

Thats because your brain fell out somewhere on the way to this thread. And when some kids found it they thought it was a white billiard ball. So they took it back to a billiard club and now everyone marvel at the perfect smoothness of it.

How clever. Let me ask you something, hiver: Why do you keep coming back to a place where according to your signature "some of the moderators and a lot of the posters" are "pathetic", "stupid" and the "lowest scum"?

Besides, Game of Thrones is a good show too. Now you can rage on...

 

[Blaine]

Well, I guess your screen name's not Lady Error for nothing.

 

[Jaesun]

Most of the bad Metacritic user reviews are by people who didn't even get past Highpool. While I don't think WL2 is comparable to FO1/2, it's still decent (and better than a 7.3 user score)

Wasteland 2 was a sequel to Wasteland.

Not Fallout.

 

[Blaine]

So what? Comparisons are inevitable, particularly given that Fallout was the spiritual successor to Wasteland. Indeed, it's completely natural that the actual successor to a game will be compared to the spiritual successors which preceded it.

I really don't know why this has become an arguing tactic.

 

[Lady_Error]

Well, I guess your screen name's not Lady Error for nothing.

But at least hiver agrees with you. You've won.

 

[Blaine]

I have now, because you've resorted to pointing out Brofists in order to help your case.

 

[hiver]

How clever.

Let me ask you something, hiver: Why do you keep coming back to a place where according to your signature "some of the moderators and a lot of the posters" are "pathetic", "stupid" and the "lowest scum"?

To rub it into their hypocritical faces, pay dues, eat their hearts out then spit them back at them, and bash their mewling brains out. All the good things in life.

Not that its any concern of yours. "Let me ask you... "

Besides, Game of Thrones is a good show too. Now you can rage on...

You mean my quick jab was actually true? Not a surprise to me. You sound just like certain Ellorien from other forums. A sort of dumbass spouting stupid declarations around while forcing yourself to believe you have some kind of right to scrape the ceiling with your nose.
The usual symptom of extreme stupidity.

So what? Comparisons are inevitable, particularly given that Fallout was the spiritual successor to Wasteland. Indeed, it's completely natural that the actual successor to a game will be compared to the spiritual successors which preceded it.

I really don't know why this has become an arguing tactic.

Not to mention that it was a very big part of the PR and even a direct source of some design decisions.

 

[Lady_Error]

I have now, because you've resorted to pointing out Brofists in order to help your case.

Oh yeah, but pointing at screen names is a fine discussion tactic. Besides, this has nothing to do with brofists - he actually agreed with you in his post.

The usual symptom of extreme stupidity.

You should really read up on projection, hiver. Might save you a lot of trouble in the future.

 

[hiver]

What trouble that might be? Trouble of seeing more stupid one-liner declaratory posts like you make? That pathetic arrogance is getting the better of you again.

Besides, this has nothing to do with brofists - he actually agreed with you in his post.

My position about w2 is well established since the beta.

But that post was a joke that he luckily correctly understood, which is why the brofist. And he probably agrees with the description of your brain too but to that i can only guess.

 

[Goral]

Ah yes, sales figures as a metric for success—pure incline.

That Metacritic user score of 73, though, now that's unreliable! Those people have no taste, unlike the hundreds of thousands who bought the game on spec. Fallout 2 has a Metacritic user score of 93, but that doesn't matter at all either.

Fallout 3 has 8.1 (and 91 metascore) - how is that reliable?

(...) They already know I can write, and were only too happy to publish my preview of UnderRail, which even in alpha is already a much better game than Wasteland 2 could ever hope to be. (...)

No it's not. The fact alone that not every location looks like a copy/paste of the previous one and that it isn't as obvious that you're surrounded by walls from every side makes a huge difference to me. But I'm looking forward to your review and addressing the issues you have with this game.

Ah, and let's not forget that for some reason, after finishing W2 you thought it was at least a 8/10 game:

Normalizing those scores for a percentile scale (4/5 becomes 80%, 8.5 becomes 85%, etc.), the average score among them all is 81.9%.

Seems pretty fair, actually, though for the monocled it's already 9/10. A few patches, tweaks, and perhaps a mod or two down the road? A solid 9/10 for anyone.

 

[Jaesun]

So what? Comparisons are inevitable, particularly given that Fallout was the spiritual successor to Wasteland. Indeed, it's completely natural that the actual successor to a game will be compared to the spiritual successors which preceded it.

I really don't know why this has become an arguing tactic.

Wasteland 2 was specified as a spiritual successor to Fallout?

 

[Zeriel]

So Hearthstone references and jokes about graph paper to put off fans of the originals. But an ancient IP which is unlikely to attract hordes of casuals.

Good luck to him but can't say I'm too excited.

Always blows my mind when people like Fargo try to revive an old franchise by badmouthing its former characteristics.

 

[tuluse]

That's not his actual opinion. He's describing the Codex zeitgeist.

He wasn't. He was describing Lady Error's beliefs.

 

[Zeriel]

I find it just as difficult to believe that someone who liked Fallout did not enjoy Wasteland 2.

They already know I can write, and were only too happy to publish my preview of UnderRail, which even in alpha is already a much better game than Wasteland 2 could ever hope to be.

Infinitron, Grunker, thoughts?

LOL, that's adorable, you think the Codex has editorial standards.

 

[Xorazm]

You're in luck, because I've decided to write a review of Wasteland 2 for the Codex to be published in the News section. I won't be pulling any punches. From that point forward, when someone expresses disbelief that I don't think Wasteland 2 is as good as Fallout or Fallout 2, my analysis will be readily available in great detail just a click away.

I'll be writing it, that is, if the staff have the balls to publish something that will verbally brutalize a current Codex Defense Force darling.

I am absolutely dazzled that anyone could hate something so much that they'd still award an 8/10 too.

I suppose there's two kinds of hate. There's the Dragon Age: Inquisition hate, where I struggle to find any redeeming qualities whatsoever and am genuinely bewildered how anyone with two brain cells to rub together could enjoy that sort of thing. And then there's another kind of hate, where I can see how something does a lot of things right, but I could also see it being so much better, and I just hate all the frustrating ways in which it falls short. Perhaps all the moreso if I'd kicked $1000 its way.