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

[Zombra]

Geez, all those Q&A answers look damn good.

 

[LESS T_T]

inXile part from THQ Nordic/Deep Silver conference: https://tv.streamfabriken.com/thq-nordic-cmd-2018?seek=4047

Nothing new. Fargo's praise on Deep Silver, an abridged version of Fig trailer for WL 3, and this trailer for BT 4.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

Why did you cut the part about the remaster? Olde Skuul lol

 

[theSavant]

The graphics of the remaster looks amazing

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.mystatesman.com/technol...return-for-the-series/SujRDCebG7ypIEy2tXlkGK/

‘Bard’s Tale IV’ a refreshing return for the series

Although it’s been more than 30 years since its release, I’ve never played a “Bard’ Tale” game. The original was released for the PC in 1985 and after three more sequels, the game lay dormant until a spinoff also called “The Bard’s Tale” came out in 2004.

Despite all those opportunities to play, I’ve missed every single chapter. That changed though when I checked out “The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep.” The game is a first-person dungeon crawler that occurs 30 years after the defeat of Mad God Tarjan, according to David Rogers, lead designer and creative director.

Players control a small party of adventurers as they venture into a castle captured by cultists. Built on the Unreal engine, the game looks good as players explore the fortress. They’ll uncover simple puzzles that they’ll have to solve. In this case, to open the gate, players have to move around different gears to allow the mechanism to lift it.

A lot has changed since the original was introduced and the developer inXile adapts the gameplay for that. There’s a stealth element in “Bard’s Tale IV.” Players can sneak around, but if they’re spotted, they have to engage in turn-based combat.

In the demo, the party was led by Fiona the Harper and included the orc fighter Dalgish and the Green Lady, a practitioner in magic. Rogers said he wanted to make this aspect of the game similar to “Hearthstone” or the “Duelyst.” Position matters as the rival parties are spread out on two opposite rows and their attacks reach certain areas.

For example, the practitioner can cast spells that hit four tiles in the front row, but the problem is that the adversaries are spread out. Players can use the fighters taunt ability to draw the enemies closer and open up the enemies for the brutal attack.

To actually do battle, players have opportunity points tied to each character. Each action such as an attack or generating spell energy consumes those points. As players level their characters and grow more powerful, they can gain more opportunity points. With up to six members in a party, turns can last a while because players have to figure out how to maximize the abilities of each hero. For instance, rogues can perform sneak attacks and quickly move across the battlefield. Meanwhile, bards can play songs to power up their allies and drink ale to power up their attacks and other abilities.

What’s interesting is that players can bring along party members crafted by inXile or they can add their own characters. The thing that matters is that party members scale up with the foes and main character. That means players are free to choose, which hero to bring along and craft parties for different scenarios.

Having the right party for a mission is important because some enemies have weaknesses to different types of damage. In “Bard’s Tale IV,” players have to know how to deal mental damage (psychic attacks), true damage (flames, ice, etc.) and physical damage (beating someone with a club or sword). Every enemy has weaknesses and strengths to each damage type and knowing an enemy is just as important as knowing the abilities of party members.

Lastly, items have an interesting role in character development. Exceptional weapons have built in puzzles and if player scan them, they can figure them out and increase their power. For example, I ran across a blade with a special hilt. I looked at the pommel and it had a riddle that required stone. Solving that puzzle added acid damage to the blade. Moving on, there was a second puzzle in the hilt. I had to twist pieces around letting energy from the stone flow to the sword. Doing this will power-up the sword to include a flame element that ignores armor defense.

In addition, players can learn special moves tied to a weapon. That means even if the weapon isn’t equipped they can use those moves. It’s a concept that other RPGs have used and creates another element of depth.

From what I played, “The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep” can be a good entry point to the series. Players don’t necessarily have to know much about the past games, but those who know about the previous titles will enjoy it more. Nevertheless, it’s a project that can stand on its own merit.

“The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep” is scheduled for release later this year on PC, Mac and Linux.

 

[CyberWhale]

I actually think I will like this game. Don't know about the mechanics, but considering what I've seen so far and what I know about the game (Zeits working on it) I think it will be one immersive and atmospheric experience worth playing through.

 

[Infinitron]

I actually think I will like this game. Don't know about the mechanics, but considering what I've seen so far and what I know about the game (Zeits working on it) I think it will be one immersive and atmospheric experience worth playing through.

Don't think Ziets is involved with this. He's just doing Wasteland 3.

 

[Dorateen]

main character

Disqualified from being a Bard's Tale game, or even a respectable dungeon crawler.

Spoiler

 

[Zeriel]

Infinitron shilling in 3... 2... 1...

 

[Shackleton]

https://www.mystatesman.com/technol...return-for-the-series/SujRDCebG7ypIEy2tXlkGK/

‘Bard’s Tale IV’ a refreshing return for the series

Although it’s been more than 30 years since its release, I’ve never played a “Bard’ Tale” game.

<snip>

From what I played, “The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep” can be a good entry point to the series. Players don’t necessarily have to know much about the past games, but those who know about the previous titles will enjoy it more. Nevertheless, it’s a project that can stand on its own merit.

Where's that 'confused dude' meme when you need it? So this guy has never played a previous Bard's Tale game, but he just knows those of us that did will enjoy it more?

I suspect the truth is quite the opposite. There's a stealth element? Turns can last a while? Hearthstone style combat? God how i regret falling for Fargo's bait-and-switch. Game might be playable for what it is, but selling us the idea on Kickstarter that he was going to keep true to the spirit of the original games was disingenuous at best and a barefaced lie at worst.

 

[Infinitron]

The Hearthstone stuff was mentioned before the Kickstarter even launched: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...lpha-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-9#post-3712942

 

[Zeriel]

Wasn't your take on it that it was just marketing, not that it would be a major part of the design? I honestly can't remember well, but that's my recollection.

 

[Shackleton]

The Hearthstone stuff was mentioned before the Kickstarter even launched: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...lpha-coming-q3-2018.95694/page-9#post-3712942

Yes, I agree with hindsight all the warning signs were there. I guess I fell into the 'confirmation bias' trap and just saw what I wanted to see. 'Reviving a classic dungeon crawler', 'Grid based', 'phase-based combat' got me all optimistic.

I'm a bit like mustawd. was with the Apocalypse Now game when he had his meltdown. Bard's Tale 1 on the Spectrum was my first proper RPG I fell in love with. Even now, I remember sitting in a boring maths class and trying to work out if 'IRKM DESMET DAEM' was a fucking anagram, must be more than 30 years ago. I so wanted to believe it was at least going to be in the spirit of the originals I let myself be persuaded, even though an objective view would have seen it clearly.

Lesson learned, the past is a foreign country and they do things differently there.

 

[Infinitron]

Wasn't your take on it that it was just marketing, not that it would be a major part of the design? I honestly can't remember well, but that's my recollection.

My take is that alluding to Hearthstone specifically was marketing, but of course it indicated that this was not going to be some sort of faithful retro game.

 

[Zeriel]

Ah, okay. I understand they think these are unavoidable business realities, but it will always bother me how they milk old grognards for money for Kickstarters with promises they know they will not only not fulfill, but go in the cardinal opposite direction from. Its fraud-adjacent in my book, but evidently not in theirs.

Also... in case anyone forgot: how was it that UBI FUCKING SOFT ended up releasing the only real blobber of this generation? Fargo and InXile are more like EA than Ubisoft? This timeline is nuts.

 

[Zombra]

promises

Yeah ... no. They never, ever "promised" a retro design. Like a lot of people, you saw what you wanted to see and ignored what was actually there. inXile is delivering exactly what they promised.

 

[Zeriel]

 

[aweigh]

"Sure kid, it'll be turn-based!" the corpulent developer proclaims while thinking, just like Hearthstone kid, as his smile fades and the light in his eyes goes dark.

 

[Saxon1974]

What is Hearthstone combat?

I think I am more interested in the remasters. I think these guys only get maybe one shot at using the nostalgia of the older games before the classic fans won't back another KS. I liked W-2 though; thought it was quite similar to the original. Bards tale might be the game where I bail on inxile Kick starters.

 

[Zombra]

I think these guys only get maybe one shot at using the nostalgia of the older games before the classic fans won't back another KS.

Well ... Wasteland 2, Torment Numenera, Bard's Tale IV, and Wasteland 3 all succeeded. To judge by the forums, the classic fans are slowly becoming disillusioned ... but they're backing anyway

 

[Zeriel]

All of those Kickstarters pretty much happened before the sentiment turned, unless I'm missing something?

W3 was close, but BT4 was still in the honeymoon period. I remember, because I was still pretty optimistic about it.

 

[Grauken]

Pretty much, at BT4 kickstarter I still had hope, but when they did W3 I noped out. I just hope the game is somewhat fun, at this point I don't expect a competent blobber with cool dungeons or complex party building

 

[Zombra]

Agree with all that, was just refuting Saxon1974's "only one shot". Nostalgia addicts don't learn from their mistakes any quicker than the rest of humanity.

 

[aweigh]

I dunno, I enjoyed Wasteland 2. I haven't kept up at all with Wasteland 3 news but I don't see how they can fuck it up other than radically changing it completely (like, for example, not making it party-based and/or turn-based).

 

[agris]

I dunno, I enjoyed Wasteland 2. I haven't kept up at all with Wasteland 3 news but I don't see how they can fuck it up other than radically changing it completely (like, for example, not making it party-based and/or turn-based).