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

[BEvers]

 

[Infinitron]

Unembeddable video here: https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/8/17...box-one-ps4-steam-gog-humble-soundtrack-video

The Bard’s Tale 4 brings an original soundtrack worthy of the name
Gaelic folk singers and instruments among more than 100 pieces of music for the series’ rebirth

If a role-playing game is about a bard, or is at least titled for one, then some care must be shown to the musical accompaniment. The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep, launching Sept. 18, brings a robust original soundtrack, but as its forebears are more than 30 years old, it couldn’t really look to their chiptunes for inspiration.

InXile Entertainment is giving its dungeon crawler, successfully Kickstarted in 2015, a celtic theme, so the studio’s search for musicians logically centered on folk singers. They found a choir and recorded several gaelic songs, some of them hundreds of years old.

Producer Ged Grimes (who the chyron helpfully notes is a member of Simple Minds) introduces the singers and musicians. More than 100 pieces comprise The Bard’s Tale 4’s soundtrack.

InXile also announced that the signature torch from Darkest Dungeon will feature in the game, thanks to Red Hook Studios and users meeting a wishlist incentive goal. InXile said that the retail price will drop to $34.95 and then $29.95 respectively if 300,000 and 500,000 players wishlist the game, respectively.

The Bard’s Tale 4 is being sold for PC on Steam, GOG and Humble. The game will launch for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well.

 

[Volourn]

Why are they spoiling something that could have been a major 'wow' scene for players? LMAO

 

[Curratum]

Out of all the abortions I somehow persuaded myself to kickstart / back / preorder that release in 2018, I somehow have the most hope for BT4.

 

[Zombra]

Out of all the abortions I somehow persuaded myself to kickstart / back / preorder that release in 2018, I somehow have the most hope for BT4.

You'll have fun with it. There are a million criticisms to be made, particularly in the region of "this isn't very much like Bard's Tale I" ... but what is there ain't half bad. Based on my beta experience (and inXile's responses to beta feedback) I am genuinely looking forward to the full release.

 

[Curratum]

I never played BT1, tried the remaster from the BT4 preorder and hated it so that's a positive in my book.

 

[agris]

Out of all the abortions I somehow persuaded myself to kickstart / back / preorder that release in 2018, I somehow have the most hope for BT4.

You'll have fun with it. There are a million criticisms to be made, particularly in the region of "this isn't very much like Bard's Tale I" ... but what is there ain't half bad. Based on my beta experience (and inXile's responses to beta feedback) I am genuinely looking forward to the full release.

After putting ~15ish hours into the beta, I'm inclined to agree. It ain't a looker, and I don't know how the original BTs played, but it's compelling in it's own right. It kinda reminds me of a light version of MMX.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Grandpa Brian doesn't know what spoiler are.

 

[Zep Zepo]

The "Beta" runs like shit on both my computers, one with and I5, 2 SLI vid cards and 16 gig of memory.

It ran so shit I gave up on both machines once I (painfully, slowly) reached the Adventurer's Guild.

Zep--

 

[agris]

Yeah it runs like shit for me too, much worse than KCD - which looks infinitely better. Here’s hoping that post beta optimization is happening.

 

[Tigranes]

Out of all the abortions I somehow persuaded myself to kickstart / back / preorder that release in 2018, I somehow have the most hope for BT4.

You'll have fun with it. There are a million criticisms to be made, particularly in the region of "this isn't very much like Bard's Tale I" ... but what is there ain't half bad. Based on my beta experience (and inXile's responses to beta feedback) I am genuinely looking forward to the full release.

After putting ~15ish hours into the beta, I'm inclined to agree. It ain't a looker, and I don't know how the original BTs played, but it's compelling in it's own right. It kinda reminds me of a light version of MMX.

How can it be more light than MMX? Not trying to be edgy, I liked MMX - but it was a pretty slim thing.

 

[aweigh]

a light version of MMX

Literally could not have made the game look any worse than with that comment. MMX was already essentially fluff with no depth to it, anything lighter than that would be barely an RPG at all.

 

[Zombra]

How can it be more light than MMX? Not trying to be edgy, I liked MMX - but it was a pretty slim thing.

Party building is indeed lighter in BT4, at least up front ←important. Only having 4 "archetypes" to choose from, and only starting with a single character, feels very limited. By comparison, in MMX you can start with a Dwarven Scout, an Orc Shaman, all kinds of weird combinations and it feels like it matters.

Now over time, BT4 is deeper because it has the skill trees which can end with game-changing powers. In MMX I felt like I was just cranking up skills. Sword skill up, now I do more damage with a sword, so what? BT4 is not just numbers going up. On the other hand, MMX has things like your spellcasters can learn a bunch of spells and cast them at any time, whereas BT4 has a very limited "deck" for each character, like you can only have a few spells memorized at once. So that does feel more limited. BUT BT4 combat is a lot more interesting, with positioning, status and maneuvers being meaningful whereas MMX was more a traditional battle of attrition, mash attack quaff potions affair.

MMX also may be "heavier" in the sense that there is a ton of content, millions of "go kill giant spiders in the well" quests. The world feels huge and open, whereas BT4 is much more confined but with a sense of actual design, like you learn the ins and outs of the levels instead of just blundering across a huge map.

There are many contrasts between the two, but yes, it's easy to say from some perspectives that BT4 is lighter. Heavier in other ways though.

 

[Tigranes]

Sooooooo..... it's lighter in some ways, heavier in others.

I don't have a problem with skills making more of a qualitative difference, or the levels actually having a sense of design. Those are good things.

 

[LESS T_T]

Also apparently the first goal (the torch from Darkest Dungeon) of the wishlist campaign has unlocked: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/press...ht_Announces_First_Wishlist_Goal_Unlocked.php

inXile Entertainment Releases The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep Music Spotlight, Announces First Wishlist Goal Unlocked!

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Sept. 10, 2018 – inXile Entertainment, the studio led by Brian Fargo, is proud to share the latest The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep spotlight video, this time focused on the game’s soundtrack. Featuring a who’s who of Gaelic folk singers and led by Ged Grimes of Simple Minds, the music of The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep is described by Brian Fargo as “one of the most wonderful game soundtracks I’ve ever been involved with.”

Music has always been a core pillar and pioneering feature of the series – its importance is baked right into the title of the game – and that has never been more true than in this latest entry. The video explores how inXile’s decision to ground the series in a Scottish-inspired setting opened up an unprecedented opportunity to build a world as alive musically as it is visually. Likewise, the musicians share their excitement about being able to bring this part of Scottish culture to so many people. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/opXscHH2taw

In other great news, inXile is pleased to announce the the first goal of The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep Wishlist Initiative has been unlocked. inXile will, with the support of Red Hook Studios, provide an in-game version of the iconic torch from Darkest Dungeon to all players at launch.

With this first goal unlocked, the Wishlist Initiative continues. Interested gamers can wishlist the game on either Steam, GOG.com or Humble. At 300K wishlisters, the retail price will drop $5 from $39.95 to $34.95. At 500K wishlisters, the retail price will fall another $5 to $29.95 and a free DLC will be created and released for all game owners.

In addition, inXile has expanded the program with a Poland-specific campaign. If 30K Polish residents wishlist the game, another unique item – the Golden Onion – will be created and added to the game. This item is a nod to a cultural saying in Poland, where a “good onion” represents good value. If achieved, these wishlist adds count to the global total and the Golden Onion will be available for all owners of the game.

“We’re thrilled that we’ve hit the first goal, and we’ve been very happy with fan response to the Initiative,” said inXile CEO Brian Fargo. “That said, we’re going to continue to push this Initiative in the short time we have left. We’d love to see gamers drive down the price and generate some extra content for the game. It’s a win/win for everyone, and again, it doesn’t cost anyone anything – just the time they take to wishlist the game on their accounts.”

 

[Infinitron]

If it took this long doesn't seem like there's a chance of reaching 300k before launch. Also lol potato stretch goal.

 

[BlackGoat]

lol, do people really give a shit about the torch from Darkest Dungeon?

 

[vonAchdorf]

lol, do people really give a shit about the torch from Darkest Dungeon?

No, but it's not like you could skip it on the way to the price reduction

If it took this long doesn't seem like there's a chance of reaching 300k before launch. Also lol potato stretch goal.

100k in the worst case means 33k because fans wishlisted it on all three stores. Which is also the number of backers (no, I don't think that everyone - or even the majority - wishlisted it thrice).

 

[agris]

a light version of MMX

Literally could not have made the game look any worse than with that comment. MMX was already essentially fluff with no depth to it, anything lighter than that would be barely an RPG at all.

What Zombra said, although while the maps have more detail to them than MMX's did, they are essentially corridors. Also it's a shame that the quests are designed with waypoints in mind. I realize "light MMX" is damming it with faint praise, but I didn't have time to write out what Zombra did.

 

[BEvers]

In addition, inXile has expanded the program with a Poland-specific campaign. If 30K Polish residents wishlist the game, another unique item – the Golden Onion – will be created and added to the game. This item is a nod to a cultural saying in Poland, where a “good onion” represents good value. If achieved, these wishlist adds count to the global total and the Golden Onion will be available for all owners of the game.

???

 

[Crooked Bee]

Looking at those wishlisting numbers makes me wonder how much this can realistically sell. Might and Magic X sold more than 100,000 copies - and that one had both Ubisoft and the M&M name behind it (the name not only of a more popular blobber series than Bard's Tale, but of the even more popular Heroes spin-off). I wonder if this game even breaks 50,000.

 

[BEvers]

With a budget of 10 million dollar, they must have expected to outsell Might and Magic X by a lot. Maybe because the other Bard's Tale game has been doing so well on mobile phones?

 

[Nyast]

They had a budget of $10M ?

 

[aweigh]

Maybe MMX was a bigger name before, but BT4 is riding the KickStarter publicity campaign and I guarantee you is already a more "known" name with "gamers" than Might and Magic is right now due to being constantly given publicity in the usual gaming websites. KickStarter is now a much more important marketing tool than a funding one... much more important.

 

[Zombra]

lol, do people really give a shit about the torch from Darkest Dungeon?

I don't even know what the hell it will look like. Is it a weapon with a special attack? A purely cosmetic item to clutter up my inventory? Or will the entire system of sanity mechanics and random encounter chances suddenly be shoehorned into BT4? It's like adding a complimentary snowboard to an ocean cruise, it makes no sense at all.