Bard's Tale The Bard's Tale Series

[KeighnMcDeath]

Oh HELL YEAH! He's IN!

Fuck... maybe Rocky Balboa for Monk, although Rambo would be more fitting.

Team of 6. Just have to think on professions.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Maybe I mrntioned this before but at one point I sas trying to track down the full songs thag inspired the various short tunes in the Bardstale series. Example:





This is just wrong. Wth???
.

PC fucked up the order on a lot of songs.

douglasbushong5 years ago
I think this is an error. This sounds like the Bringaround Ballad. Sir Robin's Tune actually sounds like the Sir Robin song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

theultimateharddrive5 years ago
On the PC version Sir Robin's Tune (#1) is swapped with Bringaround Ballad (#4)

Which makes me ponder if the remaster addressed thaf issue or fucked up also. No instant remaster OST links on youtube.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

And this review was pretty good.


At :40 of this video is a tune fragment in demonstalkers that was originally in one of thd bardstale. I forget the tune


EA recycled some stuff i guess.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Let us not forget Michael Cranford and the stuff he worked on.

 

[Ladonna]

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Ah, if only the remastered trilogy also had the option to use assets from the other computers maybe an unlockable achievement.

Finding the music source material is always fun and i liked the heavy synth feel of 1-2 over 3 (albeit 3 did introduce different instrument sounds i believe).

It'd be interesting if a composer for c64 could transfer the entire songs to that sid music. Those were very short repeated bits.

Anyway, a good channel that is with samples from other computers I had not heard.
https://m.youtube.com/@thebardstale4304

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

While looking for Maze Master vids I saw this:


There has to be more tgan this:

CRPG addict Maze Master

https://www.lemon64.com/game/maze-master

https://mocagh.org/loadpage.php

I suppose with BTCS or BTBUILDER or maybe DevilWhiskey you could do a Maze Master remake. The game was scaled back.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

THE BUFFALO TALE: I purchased the "Bards Tale Construction Kit" and made up a "Bards Tale" adventure using the Flying Buffalo offices and employees. Meet Lee and Chuck and Lisa (and me, Rick). See my boojum tree. Exterminate the termites and evil "dust bunnies" in our offices. Explore the notorious Flying Buffalo "basement" that doesn't really exist (a very old "in" joke). See the controversial "pots" on the Phoenix freeway. Rescue my ex-girlfriend from "program bugs" and "hardware problems". Drink Mountain Dew. And be the first person to finish the game, get the password, and win a prize from Flying Buffalo. (Yes, after all this time, still no one has done it! First one who does gets a free tshirt. But even if you're the second or third, we'll give you a bumper sticker for your effort.) The game is actually fairly difficult at first, until you build up to 3rd level so you can cast spells that destroy a bunch of monsters at once. (The termites are especially difficult if you can't kill a bunch all at once). Then it's easy for a long time, until the very last monster. You really have to build up before you can tackle the final monster. Anyway, send $10 for this one and ask for "The Buftale".
For some reason this hasn't attracted much attention. If you are an FBI fan or a Bards Tale fan, you ought to pick this up just for grins. As of Nov 2004 I am still willing to give away prizes to anyone who tells me the "password" from winning this game.

CD or 3 inch

CD3 inch disk

https://bardstaleonline.com/btcs/homebrew

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

 

[octavius]

I've tested the Apple ][ version a bit.
First of all I love the AppleWin emulator. So easy and user friendly. But I guess the ease of emulating an 8 bit Apple compared to a Mackintosh or an Amiga doesn't hurt.

Differences compared to DOS and Amiga versions:

1. In Skara Brae, in daytime, you can meet two monster groups instead of only one.

2. Using "Authentic Machine Speed" one day lasts less than 12 minutes (2:40 at max speed). Using the DOSBox version, regardless of amount of cycles, one day was about 22 minutes real time. Don't remember about the Amiga.
So this probably means more fighting and more XP in the Apple version.
And it's a similar situation as with Wizardry 1, in that the Apple ][ is the presumably only bug free version, but also the most hard core one.

Now off to make a proper party, borrowing the Fire Horn from that nice Mister El Cid.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

El Cid Rages!!

 

[octavius]

Damned, the Fire Horn only had one charge, and I blew it on
6 Barbarians
2 Nomads

In the Amiga and DOS versions you only encountered Barbarians at night one enemy group at a time, so the Apple version is significantly harder. Looks like I need to consider the Flee option as a valid tactic...

 

[octavius]

It feels like an achievement (and not an Achievement) to level up to past lvl 1 in this game. I've run through so many Paladins, Monks and Hunters now that I ran out of room on the Character disk and had to delete some of the dead weight.
The only two forgiving things in this game is that leveling up doesn't cost money and that you can never lost more than three guys in one round (except against spell casters).

I can understand why there is no Let's Play of the Apple version of this game on YouTube.

 

[Hammer Of The Heretics]

Beating the Apple version of this game and its sequel remains one of my proudest gaming accomplishments to this day.

 

[octavius]

Had my first party wipeout (damned those filthy barbarians!).

I'm starting to think that the best strategy in the beginning is to use a a frontline of Hobbit Warriors and Monks with 18 Dex. The problem is that with 0 or higher AC the enemies nearly always hit, but once you get down to -2 AC the armour becomes more than just a status symbol.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Just finished the remaster in pussy bitch mode. 12 hours. Waste of time. The whole game I kept thinking I should be playing something better like Elminage. The remaster overall is very slick; why can't we get something like this for Pool of Radiance?

Ironically, playing with the reduced XP requirements removes some of the repeatable fights, including the 396 berserkers, making grinding a bit tougher. It does start your mages with an actual healing spell, so the first three levels aren't pure RNG. It also drives me nuts when I walk into a 10x10 room and it's full of 14 dragons, demon lords, and greater vampires, and they're all somehow 90' away. Not that it matters. The only thing dumber in this game than the enemy groupings is the spellcasting system. It's very much spend SP -> collect XP.

It's sad when the addition of a quicksave button eliminates most of the challenge from your game.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I can't say the DOS version was ever that tough anyway so the remaster being easy doesn't surprise me.

 

[octavius]

If I play the Remaster I think I'll use a Rogue from the start instead og relying on TrapZap, to make things more interesting. In the Apple version things are already plenty interesting enough...

 

[Grampy_Bone]

FYI the remaster is on sale right now for like $3.

The rogue never reached 100% disarm level on any stage without power grinding so it was always better to use the mages, esp. after getting 4 class changes, hundreds of SP, and Mage's staves. I did find a Death Dagger in Mangar's tower though, so the Rogue one-hit kills every round, since nothing has instant death resistance apparently, not even the bosses. She one-shotted Mangar after sneaking up on him, which is hilarious. My party is just an escort for spellpoint batteries and instakills.

I'm surprised how the game is more or less designed to turbocharge magic users. More like Mage's Tale, amirite? I love class changing but why only the mages? And there's no tradeoff to it whatsoever. Even Wizardry had a certain art to the process (resetting your stats).

For players who played this game "right" or back in the day, is there any clue anywhere in the game about the Spectre's Snare? I found the square by accident, looked up the answer, and get another absurd weapon. Curious what the 'legit' means to acquire it is.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

You could probably blame it for combining the trilogy for such a turbocharge. So noneof you tried the c64? I wanted to try the MAC and have held off on the NES.

ReleasedSeptember 1985 on Apple IIReleases by Date

• 1985 (Apple II)
• 1986 (Commodore 64)
• 1986 (Amiga)
• 1987 (DOS)
• 1987 (Atari ST)
• 1987 (Apple IIgs)
• 1988 (ZX Spectrum)
• 1988 (Amstrad CPC)
• 1988 (PC-98)
• 1989 (Macintosh)
• 1990 (NES)

I honestly thought there were a few more platforms.

Go to ole wiki:

Platform(s)	Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Macintosh, NES, PC-98, Windows, Xbox One, ZX Spectrum

The inclusion of windows/xbox one surely means the little bundle inside the action game titled: The Bard's Tale. I actually tried to play this version but was feeling underwhelmed by it. It kind of game me c64 vibes a little.
https://af.gog.com/forum/the_bards_...ger_include_classic_trilogy_123?as=1649904300

Note: gog entry doesn't mention them but the gallery has pics. Are these appleII & appleIIgs? I doubt it.

 

[octavius]

CRPG Addict played the C64 when he revisited Bard's Tale.

Anyway, I feel that I Have Earn An Achievement:

Finally we will lay WAST to our enemies!
But being overly confident and excitable, we forgot to keep track of time and at night we were ambushed by 8 Half-Orcs, all of whom survived the WAST spell, and 6 Barbarians. So Bullroarer didn't make it back to the AG alive...
I must have spent 100K on healing so far.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

You could probably blame it for combining the trilogy for such a turbocharge.

The original doesn't have 4 magic classes you cycle through?

NES.

Strangely, I have played this and it isn't half bad.

 

[Mauman]

The rogue never reached 100% disarm level on any stage without power grinding so it was always better to use the mages, esp. after getting 4 class changes, hundreds of SP, and Mage's staves. I did find a Death Dagger in Mangar's tower though, so the Rogue one-hit kills every round, since nothing has instant death resistance apparently, not even the bosses. She one-shotted Mangar after sneaking up on him, which is hilarious. My party is just an escort for spellpoint batteries and instakills.

I admit, I feel absolutely no shame in save scumming my Rogue's disarm/hide and Hunter's crit.

I've only beaten BT 1. Someday I need to get around to doing BT 2 and 3.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Can you quicksave mid-battle? I never attempted that.

 

[Mauman]

Can you quicksave mid-battle? I never attempted that.

Oh, no...I meant while leveling up.

By save scumming I was able to keep my rogue and hunter's skills relevant for the whole of the first game. Even with that fucking -60 penalty they were able to do 100(ish) percent chance for their abilities.