Bard's Tale The Bard's Tale IV Pre-Release Thread [RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[TedNugent]

Bros you are the people who enjoyed the Infinity Engine games, right?

May God do Psalm 109 on everyone that loved those shit games.

Planescape though

 

[Nekot-The-Brave]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/the-bards-tale-iv/posts/2121489

The Bard Begins His Tale...
Three times before
Did evil's lords
Descend on Skara Brae

And thrice did rise
Brave heroes, wise
To drive them all away

Now comes a fourth
To shackle the north
And enslave the world of men

Thus heroes bold
As in songs of old
Must take up sword again

In dungeons vast
Do these evils past
Their ancient secrets keep

So down we go
To face the foes
That lurk in Barrows Deep

Greetings Citizens of Caith,

Chris Keenan here, VP of Development at inXile, and we come to you with two pieces of very good news.

First off, next week will be the release of the backer Alpha, and backers’ first opportunity to go hands-on with the game!

This demo showcases many of our core features that we have highlighted in previous Kickstarter updates. This twenty minute Alpha Systems Test includes looks at combat, puzzles & traps, puzzle weapons, Songs of Exploration, and more (including one often asked about Easter egg).

We know many of you are excited to check out the game, and we hope those of you with Alpha reward access enjoy this first hands-on look at it. We’ll have more information next week on how to access the Alpha Test, as well as how to leave feedback for us. We’re excited to get the game into the hands of those Alpha backers!




For the rest of you, there are plenty of ways to get in on the action. Next week marks the start of this year’s Game Developers Conference, one of the game industry’s biggest and most important events. As part of the conference, from 03/21 - 03/23, we will be demoing The Bard’s Tale IV using the backer Alpha Test. There will also be plenty of press coverage of the game, so keep your eyes open (and we’ll be sure to link to some of the coverage in a future update, too).

The second big piece of news you might have caught at the beginning of this update. We are proud to announce the full title of our game and share it with you first - The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep! We tossed around a number of possible subtitles for a long time. The Destiny Knight and Thief of Fate described important story hooks for those games, but for the return of The Bard’s Tale after so many years, we wanted a name that captured the essence of a dungeon crawler.

From the catacombs beneath the Mad God’s temple to teleporting between realms, The Bard’s Tale series has always been about seeking out places that only adventurers would dare, descending into the depths, overcoming monsters and puzzles, and defeating the evil within... and to be heroes worthy of a tale sung by a bard. Exploring the dark corners of the world is the essence of a dungeon crawler, and in Barrows Deep, your adventure awaits!

We hope you like it, and please let us know what you think! We’ll return with David’s look at the Practitioner archetype soon, but for now enjoy the ride over the next couple of weeks as GDC and the backer Alpha Test take center stage! Thanks to all of you for helping us make The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep a reality.

Cheers,
Chris Keenan
VP of Development

 

[Nekot-The-Brave]

I fucking beat you

 

[Infinitron]

I fucking beat you

I suggest you not copy-paste these updates directly from your email. Leaves your identifying metadata in the link.

 

[octavius]

Mossad is always one step ahead...

 

[Dorateen]

Some of those cultists look like they've given birth to six litters of puppies.

 

[Zombra]

Hmm, I'm on the list for alpha access, will be sharing my impressions next week. Maybe I'll even stream, not sure yet if there's an NDA.

 

[Morkar Left]

Release in Q3 2018 and still in alpha?

 

[getter77]

Hmm....seems like it would call for one hell of a final sprint for this to land as it should even by Q4 2018 unless they are holding back a ton from this test alpha---let alone Q3.

 

[Infinitron]

Hmm....seems like it would call for one hell of a final sprint for this to land as it should even by Q4 2018 unless they are holding back a ton from this test alpha---let alone Q3.

That's my suspicion - that in this case the "alpha" is just a name for their GDC gameplay demo. But we'll see.

 

[aweigh]

alpha is the new beta and beta is the new gold

 

[Jimmious]

And "early access" is free QA of the dev build

 

[Sacred82]

shouldn't the entire NOLA headquarter be on this game

 

[theSavant]

It's coming!!




(edit: why does this shit twitter not load?)

 

[Sacred82]

well detractors, even if they push a piece of shit out the door, we'll still have a hell of a soundtrack

 

[Viata]

What hype train?
This train is fated to be a disaster. The only people who wants to get into this hype train are those that want to commit sudoku.

 

[Infinitron]

Michael Cranford's GDC talk about the original Bard's Tale trilogy is also tomorrow. Big day for Bard's Tale.

 

[Sacred82]

not for Becky :kwanzania:

 

[Viata]

Infinitron, how much is inXile paying you to rate "edgy" every post that shits on inXile?

 

[Viata]

Infinitron rated your post

[citation needed]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-107#post-5532794

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-105#post-5507515

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-105#post-5507628

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...eep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-97#post-5119835

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...eep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-99#post-5287628

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...eep-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-99#post-5354848

I think one can find more if one searches for it.

 

[Zeriel]

Suffer not the decliner to rate.

 

[Infinitron]

Zombra Impressions plz. Also post the email they sent you (minus the key and any identifying details ofc)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/the-bards-tale-iv/posts/2141820

Backer Alpha Unleashed!

TL; DR - Quick Hello, GDC Notes, Backer Alpha FAQ

The Backer Alpha is Here!
Hey Everyone,

Today is a day thirty years in the making! For the first time since players defeated the Mad God Tarjan in 1988’s The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate, fans will have a chance to play a sequel and experience new gameplay! This first playable version is an important stepping stone toward the game's release later this year, and we’re all excited to finally share The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep with you. Whether you are one of our alpha backers or will be watching press coverage, we’re looking forward to hearing what you think!

Further in this update is a FAQ for our alpha backers. If that’s you and you can’t wait another moment, go ahead and skip on down the page (we totally understand)! For those backers, please be on the look out soon for a CrowdOx email containing:

• Your Steam key for the alpha test
• A message from VP of Development Chris Keenan & alpha test notes from QA Lead Daniel Dean

The FAQ at the bottom of this update should hopefully address any basic questions you have about the backer alpha and getting access to it.

In the meantime though, I wanted to share with all of you some of what we’re up to this week at GDC.

inXile at GDC 2018
You may remember this photo from our E3 2017 update.

Jeff Pellegrin & David Rogers

Pictured are BT4 Producer Jeff Pellegrin and Creative Director David Rogers. As Chris noted in last week's update, David and Jeff will be at the Epic Unreal Engine 4 booth (Moscone South 801) demoing the alpha. If you are on-site for the event, you’ll find them there from today through Friday, March, 23. I am told that the kilts are making a return as well!

For everyone interested, Jeff and BT4 Art Director Maxx Kaufman will be interviewed at 12:30pm PST on Thursday, March 22nd as part of Epic’s GDC livestream coverage. You will be able to watch that interview here.

In other Bard’s Tale-related GDC news, one of this year’s hugely popular Classic Game Post-Mortems will feature The Bard’s Tale and The Bard’s Tale II: The Destiny Knight. Headlined by series co-creator Michael Cranford, the talk happens today, March 21 from 5:00pm - 6:00pm PST in West Hall, Room 3016. If you are at GDC, this is a “must” for any Bard’s Tale fan! If you can’t be there, the talk is being recorded and we’ll be sure to share a link if and when it becomes publicly available!

That’s it for now, but more cool Bard's Tale IV news to come both in the news and as we return to our regular updates! As promised for our alpha backers, below is the FAQ regarding the alpha process. Thanks to everyone! Let us know what you think of the game here, on social media, and on our forums!

Until Next Time,
Paul Marzagalli
Public Relations & Community Manager
@phimseto

Follow Us:
Facebook | Twitter

Alpha Backer FAQ
How do I get my Steam alpha key?

We are distributing our Steam alpha test keys to applicable backers using CrowdOx. If you have completed your CrowdOx backer survey, you will receive an email from CrowdOx containing your key, along with a letter from VP of Development Chris Keenan and QA Lead Daniel Dean. Please be patient, as depending on how many emails need to be sent, it may take a little while for the system to fully process all of them. If you haven’t completed your CrowdOx backer survey, you can find more instructions on how to do so here.

Can I get the alpha test on another platform?

We are only supporting Steam for the alpha test. For the final game, you will be able to make a choice of which platform you want at a later date.

What operating systems does the alpha test support?

While we are supporting more OSes for the final release of the game, the alpha test is only available for Windows.

What are the system requirements?

• OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10 (64-bit)
• Processor: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD 290 equivalent or greater
• Storage: 16 GB (SSD recommended)

Note that the above requirements are for the alpha test only. As we continue to optimize, these requirements may change by final release.

How long will the alpha test run for?

We do not have a set time the alpha test will run for. However, when the beta test becomes available, we will let all the game's backers know.

Will my alpha test key count as my final game key?

No. The alpha test is a separate Steam library entry from the final game. Using your Steam alpha key now will not prevent you from getting the final version on a different platform later.

How do I report bugs or provide feedback for the alpha test?

For alpha backers, please see the message included with your Steam key. It contains a link to a page you can go to report bugs and provide feedback. For both our alpha backers and everyone else, please visit our forums! We’ve set up a specific thread here for everyone to chime in with their thoughts and feedback.

Can I do Let’s Plays or stream the alpha test?

Yes! You are welcome to share your experiences with others, and if you have a Twitch or YouTube channel, you are also welcome to monetize your videos as well. Our only request is that you clearly state in your coverage that this is an alpha look at the game, and it will change and improve before release.

 

[Zombra]

The email isn't that exciting, but here it is links and keys redacted.

The Bard's Tale IV

Hi Zombra,

Your digital rewards are below!

Thank You,
The Bard's Tale IV Team

Digital Reward(s)
Alpha Test Access
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

HEX: Shards of Fate Exclusive Card Set
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ultima Underworld 1 & 2 GOG Key (Digital)
XXXXXXXX

High-Res Wallpapers

• Download The Bard's Tale IV Wallpaper Set 1.zip
• Download The Bard's Tale IV Wallpaper Set 2.zip

Official Forgiveness Message from Brian Fargo

• Download Certificate of Absolution

The Bard's Tale Classic Trilogy Emulated (Digital)

• Download BTClassics_Emulated.zip
• Download BTClassics_Manuals.zip

If you have any questions, reply to this email or contact us
the-bards-tale-iv@support.crowdox.com
Use this link to view and manage your pledge
https://survey.crowdox.com/confirm/...iv?order_id=XXXXXX&token=XX_XXXXXXXXXXX_XXXXX

I'm planning to do a stream tonight at about 10:30PM Pacific. Thing is supposed to only be 20 minutes long. Link to stream in my sig. Will post to Youtube afterwards.

 

[Zeriel]

Official Forgiveness Message from Brian Fargo

• Download Certificate of Absolution

 

[Infinitron]

Absolution for pirating the original trilogy in the 1980s. It was a Kickstarter joke.