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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: RedArgo on August 06, 2018, 04:03:19 PM

Title: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: RedArgo on August 06, 2018, 04:03:19 PM
Remastered versions of Bards Tale 1-3 due out before the end of the year.  I spent a lot of time playing the first one (maybe the second one too) on the old Apple 2e.  Good times.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/06/the-bards-tale-trilogy-remaster-date/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29 (https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/08/06/the-bards-tale-trilogy-remaster-date/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RockPaperShotgun+%28Rock%2C+Paper%2C+Shotgun%29)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Rayfer on August 06, 2018, 05:28:12 PM
I see they added automapping...the graph-paper map drawing required in the original would have had me disinterested in a remastered release. This might be fun to get.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 06, 2018, 06:56:37 PM
I probably poured more hours into Bard's Tales I-III on my family's Apple IIgs than any other games when I was a kid. Was totally obsessed.  Great, great games.

Still, I doubt I could return to them in 2018. 

Very excited about InXile's newest Bard's Tale offering though. Insta-buy, unless the initial impressions are truly awful, as I hope will not be the case....


EDIT -- actually, looking over the Steam page for the remastered BT 1-3, these look they could be pretty sharp:  https://store.steampowered.com/app/843260/The_Bards_Tale_Trilogy/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/843260/The_Bards_Tale_Trilogy/)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: FlickJax on August 07, 2018, 06:31:57 AM
looks playable :)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Tpek on August 07, 2018, 06:42:58 AM
Quote from: sandman2575 on August 06, 2018, 06:56:37 PM
I probably poured more hours into Bard's Tales I-III on my family's Apple IIgs than any other games when I was a kid. Was totally obsessed.  Great, great games.

Still, I doubt I could return to them in 2018. 

Very excited about InXile's newest Bard's Tale offering though. Insta-buy, unless the initial impressions are truly awful, as I hope will not be the case....


EDIT -- actually, looking over the Steam page for the remastered BT 1-3, these look they could be pretty sharp:  https://store.steampowered.com/app/843260/The_Bards_Tale_Trilogy/ (https://store.steampowered.com/app/843260/The_Bards_Tale_Trilogy/)

If you go to the official website:
https://bardstale.com/

You can get already pre-purchase BT4.
If you get the 75$ bundle, you're supposed to also get the original BT 1-3 with an emulator to play, plus instant access to the BT4 beta on steam.

Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: CJReich46 on August 07, 2018, 01:28:20 PM
Interesting. I remember seeing the ad for the first one when I was a kid.

This might be on my list.- dammit.

Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 15, 2018, 12:01:26 PM
Quote from: sandman2575 on August 06, 2018, 06:56:37 PM
Very excited about InXile's newest Bard's Tale offering though. Insta-buy, unless the initial impressions are truly awful, as I hope will not be the case....


Wow, looks like I spoke too soon -- or without being in fuller possession of the facts (...not the first time that's happened !). Was really excited about the new Bard's Tale, Barrow's Deep, until I dug a little deeper (ha) to see how it has evolved. 

And it looks like an absolute trainwreck.   >:(

https://steamcommunity.com/app/566090/discussions/0/1744469130468368645/ (https://steamcommunity.com/app/566090/discussions/0/1744469130468368645/)
https://forums.inxile-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=19047 (https://forums.inxile-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=19047)

"Barrow's Deep" appears to be much more in keeping with the dopey, jokey, unwanted stepchild Bard's Tale from the mid-2000s, rather than the true dungeon-crawlers from the '80s.  Why InXile chose to go in this direction is utterly beyond me.

Just look at the character creation video on the Steam mainpage. You create a Bard, and he has all these Guitar Hero animations, rockin' out on his lute with magic sparks flying all about like some lame 80s glam-rock band. 

WTF???

And in the footage of gameplay -- the encounter with "Arthur" with the dagger in his eye.  Hahaha. This is supposed to be... funny, I suppose?

Again, wtf?

The tone is completely off. There were definite flashes of humor and fun in the original Bard's Tale trilogy, but it was never the sort of heavy-handed juvenile nonsense that apparently became a trademark of the 2000s reboot (a game I admittedly never played because it looked bloody awful and seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with the original trilogy...) -- and which has apparently returned in spades with Barrow's Deep.

Barrow's Deep also eliminates most of the races for your character builds (no Half-Orcs or Gnomes or Half-Elves or Hobbits anymore!) while introducing a new one -- "Trow" -- that seems utterly gratuitous and a half-baked replacement for the classic choices. Also, there are now a whopping 4 character classes -- Bard, "Fighter", "Practitioner", and Rogue.  Yup. Gone are Hunters, Monks, Paladins. Gone are the 4 magic classes, Magician, Conjurer, Sorcerer, Wizard -- replaced by the catch-all "Practitioner" (and what an inspired stroke that is! Practitioner! Reminds me of a General Practitioner! I.e. something with no lore/magical associations whatsoever!).  Jesus.

Some of this could be forgivable if the gameplay itself looked good. But it does not look good. The presentation has a "Pow! Kablammo!" pyrotechnics that, again, just feels completely tonally off to me.

And apparently random encounters -- which in so many ways was the core of the original Bard's Tale experience -- have been eliminated. No more blundering into a house where "the mystic denizens of this place assault you! You face 4 Kobolds!"  That's pretty much *the game*. How could they tear the heart out of the classic experience like this?

OK -- rant off. Just had to vent some major disappointment. On the plus side -- totally unexpected too -- the remastered Trilogy does look really sharp. Will have to pick it up later this evening. Looks like it's going to be the only way to really get that Bard's Tale feeling back.....





Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Rayfer on August 15, 2018, 12:43:34 PM
yes, that 2004 Bards Tale game was a mess and waste of time and money.  I found this guy's review for the new Bards Tale 4 coming out in September.  He had some very positives to report.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRtfE7-q0g0
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 15, 2018, 08:39:16 PM
I'm glad some folks are having fun with the Beta, but even in the first 60 seconds of that video, the reviewer refers to how "whimsical" and "playful" the new game is, that it has a "sparkly aesthetic" and "isn't afraid to be silly" --

...which just gets back to my complaint that the *tone* of the new game seems completely off. I'm not at all against humor, believe me! But "whimsical" and "humorous" and (gah!) "sparkly" are not words I'd think of offhand to describe the original BT trilogy.

And yeah, you also get to see the Bard rockin' out at 1:14.  God that's depressing. What were they thinking???


To be less of a negative Nelly -- the Remastered version is really sweet!  I just spent an hour creating a party and wandering around Skara Brae. It's amazing how 30 years later, I can still roughly remember where some key locations are!

Krome Studios appears to have done an outstanding job revitalizing this -- I thought they were just going to brush some stuff up graphically, but they did a lot more than that. It's a thorough overhaul for 2018. Very impressed and very pleasantly surprised.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 16, 2018, 09:50:20 AM
Damn you.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 16, 2018, 10:16:25 AM
There are many reasons I might be damned, Gus -- curious to know which specific one you're referring to ?   :)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 16, 2018, 10:39:41 AM
I loved the original Bard's Tale when I was a kid...your writeup above is going to get me to buy the enhanced versions. You bastard.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 16, 2018, 11:35:16 AM
That's because you should buy them!  They're only $15, and I'm seriously impressed at the overhaul they've pulled off here -- definitely beyond what I thought we'd be getting, in terms of UI improvements and new functionality, not to mention new graphics -- the town of Skara Brae never looked this good in the originals. It looks terrific -- like a game done in deliberate 'retro' style but still a game recognizably 'of' 2018.

Buy and play it, damn you!

:D
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: bbmike on August 16, 2018, 11:49:35 AM
Damn you and Gus.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 16, 2018, 11:53:07 AM
I can't not get it now.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 16, 2018, 11:57:36 AM
It could not not be a crime not to get it!
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 16, 2018, 12:24:01 PM
I know!
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 16, 2018, 05:43:11 PM
Only 11.99 at GMG

https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/the-bards-tale-trilogy-pc/
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 16, 2018, 05:50:50 PM
DAMMIT
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Greybriar on August 17, 2018, 03:22:27 PM
The DRM-Free version of The Bard's Tale Trilogy (https://www.gog.com/game/the_bards_tale_trilogy) is available from GOG for $14.99 U.S.

I am supposed to receive it free since I backed the kickstarter for The Bard's Tale IV, but CrowdOx does not work for me and I cannot complete the survey necessary to obtain the key for The Bard's Tale Trilogy. >:(
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Wolfe1759 on August 17, 2018, 04:57:05 PM
Grim thanks for the info, saved me a couple of quid.

FYI there is a new beta patch available via Steam which adds a large graphic option which is rather nice.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 17, 2018, 05:02:22 PM
So even with the price....not sure if I pick up yet.  Never played the original and based on what I see, just wondering if it will be good enough for me.

Somebody convince me:)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:13:03 PM
^How old are you? When did you start gaming?
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 17, 2018, 05:18:03 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:13:03 PM
^How old are you? When did you start gaming?

Pong in the 70's
Atari in the late 70's/early 80's
Commodore Vic 20 and Commodore 128 mid-late 80's
Owned first PC probably in 1990

and the rest is history from there....
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Wolfe1759 on August 17, 2018, 05:21:27 PM
The new version of The Bard's Tale has better graphics than Pong.

Did that convince you?  :)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 17, 2018, 05:23:15 PM
Quote from: Wolfe1759 on August 17, 2018, 05:21:27 PM
The new version of The Bard's Tale has better graphics the Pong.

Did that convince you?  :)

If that is the best you got, looks like my dollars are safe from spending:)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 17, 2018, 05:23:32 PM
There's definitely a strong element of nostalgia in BT's appeal, Grim. I can definitely see how if you never played, it might seem quite shallow by today's standards. For me, a good part of the joy of playing the remastered version right now is all the "Oh yeah! I had totally forgotten about X" moments. And also seeing all the ways Krome Studios has enhanced the original. They've made Skara Brae wonderfully atmospheric - sometimes snow is falling; you can see Kylearan's and Mangars's Towers looming above in the fog as you wander the streets; dusk is really evocative of that feeling of "time to get back to the Adventurer's Guild before the Werewolves descend on my incredibly vulnerable Level 2 characters".

I'm loving it and highly recommend (... in Gus's case, INSIST he get  ;) ) it to anyone who enjoyed the originals back in the 80s.

Grim - did you play Ultima, or Dungeon Master ? If you liked those types of games and are willing to put up with some somewhat primitive 80s CRPG mechanics, you might well enjoy Bard's Tale.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 17, 2018, 05:32:45 PM
Quote from: sandman2575 on August 17, 2018, 05:23:32 PM
There's definitely a strong element of nostalgia in BT's appeal, Grim. I can definitely see how if you never played, it might seem quite shallow by today's standards. For me, a good part of the joy of playing the remastered version right now is all the "Oh yeah! I had totally forgotten about X" moments. And also seeing all the ways Krome Studios has enhanced the original. They've made Skara Brae wonderfully atmospheric - sometimes snow is falling; you can see Kylearan's and Mangars's Towers looming above in the fog as you wander the streets; dusk is really evocative of that feeling of "time to get back to the Adventurer's Guild before the Werewolves descend on my incredibly vulnerable Level 2 characters".

I'm loving it and highly recommend (... in Gus's case, INSIST he get  ;) ) it to anyone who enjoyed the originals back in the 80s.

Grim - did you play Ultima, or Dungeon Master ? If you liked those types of games and are willing to put up with some somewhat primitive 80s CRPG mechanics, you might well enjoy Bard's Tale.

Thanks Sandman...back in the day wasn't much into the RPG-like games so didn't play any of those...mostly was sports and wargames.  I am intrigued by it but just not sure if something that will click with me.  I know its only $12 so not like a big investment, but still....
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
The Bard's Tale is one of the first RPGs I played. I was barely a teenager...12 or 13. The writing is excellent and evocative. If you like using your imagination even partially while gaming you will like the first one. I can't vouch for 2 or 3 because I never played it.

Sounds like you are older than me, btw...I was too young to actually play Pong in the 70s :)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: bbmike on August 17, 2018, 05:48:55 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
The Bard's Tale is one of the first RPGs I played. I was barely a teenager...12 or 13. The writing is excellent and evocative. If you like using your imagination even partially while gaming you will like the first one. I can't vouch for 2 or 3 because I never played it.

Sounds like you are older than me, btw...I was too young to actually play Pong in the 70s :)

Young whippersnapper! (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aarcentral.com%2Fpics%2Fold.gif&hash=84795a126d2d2ae2464dec70f5c4a071b21b8caa)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 17, 2018, 05:49:21 PM
Its tempting.....just to see what its like...we'll see:)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:50:33 PM
Anything I say about 'imagination' and all that hit home??
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 17, 2018, 05:53:59 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
I can't vouch for 2 or 3 because I never played it.


Another great thing about the series - each one improved on its predecessor.  BT 3 > 2 > 1.   Each is deeper than the last. Not to mention darker.

All I'll say about BT 3 Thief of Fate:  your Chronomancer mage allows you to travel in time - including to locales like Berlin 1945 on the eve of Hitler's defeat.   It's. Awesome.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:56:28 PM
 :o
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: sandman2575 on August 17, 2018, 05:58:17 PM
Indeed.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: jamus34 on August 17, 2018, 05:59:41 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
The Bard's Tale is one of the first RPGs I played. I was barely a teenager...12 or 13. The writing is excellent and evocative. If you like using your imagination even partially while gaming you will like the first one. I can't vouch for 2 or 3 because I never played it.

Sounds like you are older than me, btw...I was too young to actually play Pong in the 70s :)

I'm pretty sure I was younger than that though not by much. I missed the first two bards tales but have fond memories of 3 and Wasteland.
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 06:25:42 PM
The original Wasteland blew me away on my C64 :)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: jamus34 on August 17, 2018, 10:42:13 PM
Quote from: Gusington on August 17, 2018, 06:25:42 PM
The original Wasteland blew me away on my C64 :)

Yup - Younger me didn't realize there was a finite number of energy packs available.

I also didn't quite understand the three legged "woman of the night" and why she would only take 1 party member...Yeah I was young.

Also URABUTLN
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 18, 2018, 02:40:18 PM
 >:D
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Grim.Reaper on August 18, 2018, 05:17:34 PM
Bought the darn thing...better be good or Gus owes me money:)
Title: Re: Bards Tale 1-3
Post by: Gusington on August 18, 2018, 06:10:20 PM
 >:D >:D >:D