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

[Metro]

 

[Zombra]

Soooo... can someone tell me what's cool about the Bard's Tale games? I know very little about them, but the old versions basically look like they had WL1 combat, and then the few clips I've seen of the remake show a fugly 3D action adventure thing with terrible, terrible, terrible humour - like Fable trying to be funny. What am I missing? Is there something to make me actually want this?

Might as well wait for the Kickstarter and see what it's going to be before you bother forming an opinion anyway.

But it's worth mentioning that this will be a sequel to the "Wasteland-like" originals, not the comedy ARPG. I'm sure they'll try not to alienate fans of the latter, but that's not what it will be.

 

[Tigranes]

Soooo... can someone tell me what's cool about the Bard's Tale games? I know very little about them, but the old versions basically look like they had WL1 combat, and then the few clips I've seen of the remake show a fugly 3D action adventure thing with terrible, terrible, terrible humour - like Fable trying to be funny. What am I missing? Is there something to make me actually want this?

Might as well wait for the Kickstarter and see what it's going to be before you bother forming an opinion anyway.

But it's worth mentioning that this will be a sequel to the "Wasteland-like" originals, not the comedy ARPG. I'm sure they'll try not to alienate fans of the latter, but that's not what it will be.

Sure, I'll wait and see. I just don't hear Codex talk about it that much either, so I wondered that so many now seem excited and what I might be missing out on.

 

[Metro]

Probably because it's around 30 years old by now... older than most Codexers. You don't see too many people talk about the Gold Box games, either, but they're still excellent for their time.

 

[Zombra]

I was around for Bard's Tale but didn't get that into it for some reason, despite already being way into CRPGs. Probably was too hard for my young brain to enjoy, I hear these games were tough.

 

[Mastermind]

I don't play card games... and why the fuck would I want an 'rpg' combat system that's based on anything other than an rpg combat system.

THere is no such thing as an "rpg combat system". RPGs ape combat systems from other games since the genre ID has fuck all to do with combat (you don't even need combat to make an rpg), and seeing how card games are just heavily abstracted turn based combat I don't understand why people are crying so much.

 

[Metro]

I was around for Bard's Tale but didn't get that into it for some reason, despite already being way into CRPGs. Probably was too hard for my young brain to enjoy, I hear these games were tough.

I used a hint book.

 

[LESS T_T]

Heineman

 

[krist2]

Heineman

 

[SarcasticUndertones]

(you don't even need combat to make an rpg)

...

but if it IS going to to have combat then I don't want it inspired by a different genre.

And I'm glad you're alright with the it.. but you have to accept others won't be, and I count myself among them.

The fact is they are trying (misguidedly) to 'shake' things up a bit, they're probably bored with making the same thing over and over again but with a different theme, and I can accept they'd feel that way.. however, their 'feelings' don't come in to it. They've gained noteriety, kudos, publicity and an ongoing support from a particular section of players because they are willing to make what we want, and you have to admit, the general consensus, certainly from what I've read, is 'do not want'... and soon as they stop doing that then they can go crawl under the same rock as Bioware, who were guilty of the same thing and ended up simply catering to the sexually confused.

 

[Melan]

All fun and games until shit like the spinner/darkness/magic decrease/trap/stuck combos with constant random encounters, which made BT III. a bit too much of a good thing. No sane person could have completed Malefia without a walkthrough.

How so? Malefia was the dimension with all the historical battlegrunds, right? Wasn't too hard if you map properly; the sequence was quite logical if you did.

No, it was the final "Fuck You" dimension with the three-level maze.

But really, the game got ridiculous long, long before that point. And that's a problem, because there is only so much you can do with the spinners - darkness - random encounters - mapping formula. I have much less hope for a good BT sequel than a good Wizardry clone; the latter had the kind of depth that could still work - Bard's Tale, not so much. Maybe if they go the direction of Dragon Wars.

 

[Metro]

Thief of Fate WAS excessively tedious. Had some good idea and fun bits but it got tiresome towards the end. I thought Destiny Knight was an appropriate amount of content and expanded nicely on the first.

 

[octavius]

All fun and games until shit like the spinner/darkness/magic decrease/trap/stuck combos with constant random encounters, which made BT III. a bit too much of a good thing. No sane person could have completed Malefia without a walkthrough.

How so? Malefia was the dimension with all the historical battlegrunds, right? Wasn't too hard if you map properly; the sequence was quite logical if you did.

No, it was the final "Fuck You" dimension with the three-level maze.

Are you kidding? I loved that dungeon. Finally a worthy three dimensional mapping challenge!
This was my impressions from another thread when I completed BT3 some months ago:

The penultimate three level dungeon especially was nice, with lots of stairs, holes and portals, making it a classic "3D dungeon" where you also need to map the Z axis, like The Cube of Wiz 4 and some of the dungeons in Dark Heart of Uukrul and Wiz 7.

But really, the game got ridiculous long, long before that point. And that's a problem, because there is only so much you can do with the spinners - darkness - random encounters - mapping formula.

Yes, I agree it was too long, but it was artifically prolonged due to the insane encounter rate. In hindsight I regret not running away from battles a lot more, since the game was really too easy if you explored everything and got all the XP from random encounters. Even the final battles became easier than the lowest level of the starter dungeon.

I have much less hope for a good BT sequel than a good Wizardry clone; the latter had the kind of depth that could still work - Bard's Tale, not so much. Maybe if they go the direction of Dragon Wars.

I'd prefer the best of both worlds. The writing, setting, C&C and unlinearity of Dragon Wars, but the base mechanics of the Bard's Tale games. It was not like Dragon Wars was superior to BT in every respect. Combat was more boring due to less options and less diverse enemeis. Also everything being hand placed was rather boring. It also lacked the mapping challenge of the BT games.

 

[Shaewaroz]

Heineman

How am I supposed to love Bard's Tale III when the developer acts like a ten-year-old? Quit raping my childhood Rebecca!

 

[Mastermind]

(you don't even need combat to make an rpg)

...

but if it IS going to to have combat then I don't want it inspired by a different genre.

What the fuck does that mean? There is no such thing as "rpg combat". The RPG genre is not defined by combat in any way.

And I'm glad you're alright with the it.. but you have to accept others won't be, and I count myself among them.

Alright with what? He's not gonna turn it into a card game if that's what you mean. I don't even understand what the complaint is, other than that a turn based game (bard's tale) will draw inspiration from another turn based game (hearthstone).

 

[Darkzone]

Soooo... can someone tell me what's cool about the Bard's Tale games? I know very little about them, but the old versions basically look like they had WL1 combat, and then the few clips I've seen of the remake show a fugly 3D action adventure thing with terrible, terrible, terrible humour - like Fable trying to be funny. What am I missing? Is there something to make me actually want this?

Two words: Childhood, Memories.
Bard's Tale I was my first 'RPG' and i loved it. But as the time moves forward and technology developed, then the old standards lose their values and appeal. Nowadays i would find it very hard to return to sheet paper to draw the dungeons and endlessly grind some monsters.
About the humour, it seems you don't get it. Not every kind of humor is for every human. Naturally there were good jokes and not so good jokes, but overall it was laughing about the cRPG genre itself, and that is the appeal of the jokes of The Bard's Tale.
And in the end The Bard's Tale (2005) was more than a financial success, while it has contributed much money towards W2, it has also created an awesome character: The Bard. If i had to choose if i have to play a Bard's Tale bloober made like LoG or The Bard, i would go for The Bard.

 

[Zewp]

So was the 2004 remake ever any good? It flew completely under my radar for some reason.

 

[Infinitron]

So was the 2004 remake ever any good? It flew completely under my radar for some reason.

"Codex Consensus" is COMPLETE ABOMINATION.

My own opinion, as probably one of the few people who actually played the entire thing, is that it was pretty interesting for what it was but ultimately became too grindy in the last third of the game.

It's a hack n' slash with a fun "tactical creature summoning" twist. It had a Paragon/Renegade dialogue system 3 years before Mass Effect (including EXTREME BARD Renegade responses equivalent to Shepard's famous collar grabs), and even some choice and consequence. There are also stats to increase on level-up but they're pretty superfluous to the experience.

But more thought needed to go into the game's encounter design and overall balance - after you gained the ability to summon more than 1 or 2 creatures at a time, everything became too much of a mindless clusterfuck.

 

[Metro]

I played the entire thing. I agree with you that the summoning aspect was pretty neat but the rest made it play like a really shitty and generic Diablo clone without the loot. The whole experience is a tedious slog through repetitive enemies with very little interesting content to break up the flow.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Only worth playing if you enjoy the humor. I did.
Game otherwise was, indeed, popamole before popamole became cool.

 

[Infinitron]

IMO, the game's high point in terms of combat was Highland Park, where you had to tactically manage your summons to simultaneously defend yourself from melee attackers while killing ranged attackers in hard to access areas.

The dungeon in the mountains with the undead vikings was pretty brutal too, and required lots of smart crowd control tactics to clear out. The game loses its steam after that when you reach Dounby, the big city.

 

[Darkzone]

IMO, the game's high point in terms of combat was Highland Park, where you had to tactically manage your summons to simultaneously defend yourself from melee attackers while killing ranged attackers in hard to access areas.

The dungeon in the mountains with the undead vikings was pretty brutal too, and required lots of smart crowd control tactics to clear it out. The game loses its steam after that when you reach Dounby, the big city.

Did you play this in 2005 and do you still remember the fights?

Only worth playing if you enjoy the humor. I did.
Game otherwise was, indeed, popamole before popamole became cool.

True. At first i was disappointed with the game, because of the obvious lack in money for its production and i played it in 2005. But then the humor and the bard have caught me entirely, and i even played it for a second time.

 

[Infinitron]

Did you play this in 2005 and do you still remember the fights?

I played it a couple years ago on Steam.

 

[Metro]

It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad luck to be you!

 

[Zewp]

Well in that case I guess it can't hurt to give it a try. Thanks.