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

[Infinitron]

I realize I'm not interested in preordering a game 2-3 years in advance without being able to play it during beta. To say the $40 I spend on release will be 'useless'

Most likely you'll be able to buy the beta for +20$ now or later. That's how it was with TToN. Bought the early bird for 20. Then added 20 more to get the beta.

Yes, that's a good point. The beta is usually available not just as part of a "beta tier" but also as a separate add-on pledge, which is typically significantly cheaper.

 

[Metro]

Calm down, Fargo Bester, if you he makes a good pitch maybe I'll back it.

 

[Dorateen]

Brian Fargo: ... running backwards can’t be the primary tactic

I'm warming up to this Fargo fellow.

Also, Nick Horth can suck eggs for his comments about grid-based exploration, and his claim about playing the old Might & Magics. Yeah, sure you did, junior.

 

[Brother None]

All you Codexers with social media accounts wanna do us a solid? Sign up for our Thunderclap!

 

[sser]

Having the thunderclap once was enough for me.

 

[Diablo169]

the hecks a thunderclap when it's at home?

 

[LeStryfe79]

Since they are allowing grid movement, is Crooked Bee back on board?

 

[ArchAngel]

The first game was phase-based, which meant you would have your party, issue all your instructions, and then they’d all go off at once. So the first guy would attack, then the second would defend and so on. Those actions would all play out, but if the playfield changed, maybe an enemy you were planning to hit died, you’d miss your attack. I think it was too passive in nature for today’s audience.

With this one, it’s still phase-based, but when you issue a command you’ll see the results straight away.

Sounds like what they're doing is less classical "phase-based" and more like X-COM-style "squad turn-based", only in a blobber.

I don't thing this is called phased based at all. I wish he stopped using that term already.

 

[himmy]

All you Codexers with social media accounts wanna do us a solid? Sign up for our Thunderclap!

I actually came to this thread to ask if anyone can tell me what thunderclap is and how does it work.

Disclaimer: it might be obvious, but I am drunk and have translated legal documents all day so my head is all messed up.

 

[Zombra]

With this one, it’s still phase-based, but when you issue a command you’ll see the results straight away.

Sounds like what they're doing is less classical "phase-based" and more like X-COM-style "squad turn-based", only in a blobber.

I don't thing this is called phased based at all. I wish he stopped using that term already.

Yeah, I'm hoping we get some clarification before or during the KS. From the descriptions it really does just sound like turn-based.

I actually came to this thread to ask if anyone can tell me what thunderclap is and how does it work.

Looks like it coordinates a bunch of Facebook posts and Twitter messages to all happen at the same time. So you'll sign in to Facebook and see 30 of your friends all making the same post at 8:00AM exactly about go check out the kickstarter.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Since they are allowing grid movement, is Crooked Bee back on board?

Not really; I'm currently in the wait and see mode. Trying to please everyone by combining free movement and grid sets my expectations for the game's dungeon design really low.

 

[Metro]

Phase based is what the old Bard's Tale games were. When he mentions stuff like Hearthstone that implies turn based. He talks about the give and take and having to make decisions/reacting to things, etc. Who knows what he means at this point.

 

[LeStryfe79]

Each team will take their turn entirely in a back and forth way, but you will see the results of each individual's action before you take the next one. This is like Hearthstone and modern DnD. Also, I'm not sure what Bee is talking about. The game will have to be designed around a grid first for the compromise to work. The free roam mode will only be there for immersion factor. Playing completely free roam will make the navigation and puzzle solving slightly harder I suspect. I'm probably gonna play in free mode outside and grid movement in dungeons. I hope they have settings where this happens automatically, but they probably won't. Also, Bee, you're not THAT old.

 

[tuluse]

Magic is both turn and phased based. Each turn is split into phases, untap, draw, play, attack, play, end. I assume hearthstone is similar.

I'm curious to see what inxile has in mind.

 

[LeStryfe79]

It will be phases divided into turns. In magic you make your attacks at once, while in hearthstone you do them one at a time. Old bards tale was like magic but new one will be like hearthstone.

 

[Infinitron]

I think inXile suffered a bit of tunnel vision here. The type of turn-based system they're proposing (if I understand it correctly) is pretty rare in CRPGs, but it's also how frickin' Civilization works. And nobody calls Civilization "phase-based". It's just turn-based.

(To be fair, the difference with Civilization and X-COM, I assume, is that every character in your party will only be able to do one thing on his turn rather than spend "TUs" to do various things over the entire round, so I guess that makes the similarity a bit less obvious)

 

[Metro]

I still don't get his allusions to Hearthstone. Hearthstone is turned based. The only way you could argue it isn't is that the defensive actions of your opponent can proc during your turn, e.g., mage/hunter/paladin secret or a deathrattle. However, this isn't any different from Gold Box games where if you put a character on 'guard' and an enemy passes next to it, they'll get attacked. Looking at the cards in Hearthstone as individual party members, it's still turn based. Your 3/4 hits a 1/1, it dies and your 3/4 drops to a 3/3. There's no phases involved.

So if he means every character will move independently and you will see the results of their actions immediately then, yeah, that's turn based. And not what Bard's Tale combat has been in the past.

 

[Infinitron]

I still don't get his allusions to Hearthstone. Hearthstone is turned based. The only way you could argue it isn't is that the defensive actions of your opponent can proc during your turn, e.g., mage/hunter/paladin secret or a deathrattle. However, this isn't any different from Gold Box games where if you put a character on 'guard' and an enemy passes next to it, they'll get attacked. Looking at the cards in Hearthstone as individual party members, it's still turn based. Your 3/4 hits a 1/1, it dies and your 3/4 drops to a 3/3. There's no phases involved.

So if he means every character will move independently and you will see the results of their actions immediately then, yeah, that's turn based. And not what Bard's Tale combat has been in the past.

I don't know about Hearthstone, but the reference to "phases" is clearly an allusion to the fact that there's your round/phase, where all your guys act, and then an enemy round/phase, where the enemy characters act.

In most turn-based CRPGs (as opposed to strategy games, squad-based tactics games, SRPGs, etc) the turns of all characters on the battlefield, friend and enemy, are interleaved with each other via some sort of initiative ranking.

 

[Metro]

Right, that's my understanding of those terms; I just have no idea how he intends to 'marry' them or borrow inspiration from Hearthstone or whatever he meant. They're two distinct systems.

 

[tuluse]

Are we just talking about i-go-u-go vs we-go-they-go now?

I'm hoping it's something more than that.

Both xcom and ja2 feature each team having a turn with interrupts and Fargo isn't referencing that.

 

[felipepepe]

Wanna do something original, mix 7.62 High Caliber's time-based actions with Grandia's initiative gauge.

That would be damn cool.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Do it like Wiz8 would be nice. That's phase based combat done right.

 

[Athelas]

Is Wizardry 8's coimbat all that different from other phase-blabbed blobbers? I suppose there is the rather novel mechanic of moving as one blob in combat, but that's handled as essentially a turn, funnily enough. And there are phase-based 'blobbers' where you can move your party members individually.

Are we just talking about i-go-u-go vs we-go-they-go now?

I'm hoping it's something more than that.

Both xcom and ja2 featue each team having a turn with interrupts and Fargo isn't referencing that.

There may be reasons for referencing Hearthstone other than similarities in mechanics.

 

[PeachPlumage]

Not holding much hope with Inxile as Wasteland 2 still needs to come out of beta!

 

[Atchodas]

I heard that Enhanced Edition i mean real Release version is coming out soon