The Bard's Tale Demo was released

[Feargus Urquhart]

It was Michael Crawford, but he only worked on the first one and I'm not sure how much he really had to do with it. Brian told me the story once, but it's lost somewhere in the back of my mind.

 

And the way Bard's Tale used the manual, I am pretty sure, is that it required you to type in the four letter name of the spell. The infamous MIBL for Mind Blade (possibly Mangar's Mind Blade).

[Sermon]

It was Michael Crawford, but he only worked on the first one and I'm not sure how much he really had to do with it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Actually it was Michael CRANFORD and he worked on both "Bard's Tale - Tales of the Unknown" and on "Bard's Tale 2 - Destiny Knight".

 

Bill Heineman had this to say about Michael Cranford's participation in Bard's Tale:

 

Brian Fargo was the main guy, he and Jay Patel, Troy Worrell and myself were the first 4 people who were Interplay... In 1984, Mike Cranford suggested that Interplay Productions should do a fantasy role playing game (Wizardry was hot at the time). However the game's name was 'Tales of the Unknown'... Mike never 'worked' for Interplay. He was an independent contractor. he was able to do this since he was an old high school buddy of Brian Fargo. Cranford worked in an office at Interplay up until the completion of Bard's Tale I. He did Bard's Tale II from his home.

 

Here's what Michael Cranford has to say about not being involved in BT3:

 

The reason I wasn't involved in BTIII is complicated. Part of it was that I wanted to leave Interplay so that I could go back to school. I was pretty burnt out on D&D game programming . . . and wanted to pursue studies in philosophy and theology. I also thought I didn't need Interplay at that point, and had a falling out with Brian Fargo. It turned out to be a good decision spiritually, though not financially!

 

And the way Bard's Tale used the manual, I am pretty sure, is that it required you to type in the four letter name of the spell.  The infamous MIBL for Mind Blade (possibly Mangar's Mind Blade).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yep - the spell list was in the manual and you had to type in the spells, like SOSH or ANMA. Mangar's Mind Blade is actually correct

[Lucas]

*rummages through his old BTI manual*

 

Hehe, MIBL was great...I can't remember if that's the spell you use to defeat the 9999, 9999, 9999, 9999 Berserks in Harkyn Castle (my god, what memories :D)...maybe together with Magician's DRBR (Dragon Breath)

 

 

Hehe, having played it as a kid and not really understanding what was going on with the mechanics I remember endlessy trying to click on the towers gates (Kylearan and Mangar's) in order to enter there, and also I passed entire gaming session wondering how I could actually get out of Skara Brae...So fun

[Judge Hades]

That was The Bard's Tale. Man, what memories and what a jerk Fargo is for trashing them. :/

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's the map that was missing from my game. The one EA sent me a week a later along with free goodies.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

That was The Bard's Tale.  Man, what memories and what a jerk Fargo is for trashing them.  :/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The only person who can trash your memories is you.

[Magnum Opus]

It looked semi-interesting, but it also looks like the story and exploration aspects are nil.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I can tell you from playing the full game thats not the case at all.

 

If I recall the demo starts you off in the Viking Tomb which is one of the more combat heavy areas.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do the monsters respawn in the retail version as well? Seemed like every time I turned a corner I was running up against a group of undead vikings that I'd just killed 5 seconds ago. That might just be something that they put into the demo to give it a little extra play length, though.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Do the monsters respawn in the retail version as well?  Seemed like every time I turned a corner I was running up against a group of undead vikings that I'd just killed 5 seconds ago.  That might just be something that they put into the demo to give it a little extra play length, though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The area in the demo is a special case where they need to respawn for a reason. I had a great laugh at the expense of someone who spent over 5 hours in the viking tomb

 

Normally some will respawn when you exit and re enter a map. Although some creatures will never respawn and some will change depending on what chapter you entered the map.

[Tigranes]

Hades could talk about and judge the actual game instead of condemning it in its entirety just because of its semantic, ultimately trivial naming decisions.. but what more can I expect from somebody that turns up only to say "I don't like this trash". 5 times. Per thread. :D

 

SP, what do you say to Gamespot's complaint about inventory systems and the like? Usually I don't believe reviews, but they did spend half of it talking about how crap it was... any problems?

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

SP, what do you say to Gamespot's complaint about inventory systems and the like? Usually I don't believe reviews, but they did spend half of it talking about how crap it was... any problems?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well you know how in normal games creatures drop all sorts of odd things ? (there is even a joke about it in the game).

 

In Bards Tale monsters drop appropriate "junk" like Druids will drop models of stonehenge, druidic pants, mistleto etc. Wolves only drop pelts (with one exception).

 

Rather than you have to sell it every time you visit a town the game automatically turns it into silver. Likewise when you get an upgrade weapon it turns your old weapon into silver.

 

I like it because in games like CoN and BGDA your always having to gate back to unload junk. It's something you never have to do in Bards Tale, you only shop when you want to buy something which also means that your game time isnt getting padded out with "selling time".

 

So while I wouldnt disagree (they are not lying) I would say that I saw it as a good thing rather than a bad thing and I never thought anything was missing except pointless shopping time.

[Tigranes]

Hm. makes me get the impression that weapon/equipment upgrades are linear, though; that you go Weapon -> Better Weapon -> Even Better Weapon, as opposed to a wide range of similarly powerful magical weapons (like.. you know. BG2. Even if that game had more magical weapons than China has people.) . The junk thing sounds good though.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Hm. makes me get the impression that weapon/equipment upgrades are linear, though; that you go Weapon -> Better Weapon -> Even Better Weapon, as opposed to a wide range of similarly powerful magical weapons (like.. you know. BG2. Even if that game had more magical weapons than China has people.) . The junk thing sounds good though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They are kind of in the same catagory. But you do have 8 different weapon catargories. Which means overall you get a lot to choose from,without carrying around enough to arm a small country. Although at first you are limited by not having the skills by the end of the game you will have most of them and be able to use most , if not all of the weapons.

 

It all ties in with the type of summoned companions you use. They have varied abilities which change how combat plays out.

[Synaesthesia]

I thought the controls on the PC version were utter shat.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I thought the controls on the PC version were utter shat.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You wouldnt be the first. But it works perfectly on a control pad.

[Judge Hades]

Most conversions from COnsole to PC have controls that are complete shat. Not all, but most.

 

Then again you don't need to be a port to have controls that are complete shat, for example Gothic 2.

[Sermon]

Then again you don't need to be a port to have controls that are complete shat, for example Gothic 2.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The Gothic controls actually do make sense and are easy to work with when you've gotten used to them. Should be no problem after one or two hours of gameplay. Just because they're unconventional doesn't mean they're sh*t.

[Judge Hades]

I played that as long as I could stomach it and I never got the controls to work right for me. Just wasn't my cup of tea. To each their own.

[Sermon]

I played that as long as I could stomach it and I never got the controls to work right for me.  Just wasn't my cup of tea.  To each their own.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I know what you mean though. I was quite gutted by the controls at first, but I was intrigued enough by the gameworld that I wanted to play on and after a few training rounds, lo and behold, I got better and better with handling the controls.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I know what you mean though. I was quite gutted by the controls at first, but I was intrigued enough by the gameworld that I wanted to play on and after a few training rounds, lo and behold, I got better and better with handling the controls.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It always takes a while to get used to a new control system. Just out of interest how do they deal with the weapon and summon/companion selections on the PC?

[Sermon]

It always takes a while to get used to a new control system. Just out of interest how do they deal with the weapon and summon/companion selections on the PC?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not talking about Bard's Tale, I was talking about Gothic.

 

As far as Bard's Tale goes - can't play it. Downloaded the demo and it won't even let me install

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I'm not talking about Bard's Tale, I was talking about Gothic.

 

As far as Bard's Tale goes - can't play it. Downloaded the demo and it won't even let me install

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh I'm with Hades on that one. Although translating the controls put me in a foul mood anyway.

 

Not the first time I have heard that either. No idea what the problem is. I'm really looking forward to replaying it. But no time slot

[Volourn]

Gothic 2's controls are horrid. Worst controls ever. Ever.

 

I'll probably rent BT for PS2 since the demo doens't even work.

[Magnum Opus]

Demo worked surprisingly well on my system, once I managed to download the thing (some of the download locations were subject to wierdness, but I found one that worked). Granted, I told the installer to put the thing somewhere else and it installed the game in it's default location anyway (took a while for me to find the thing ) ), but after that I didn't have any technical troubles at all. Nary a crash or graphical glitch to be seen. Shocking, really.

 

Have to agree that the controls aren't my cup of tea, although I think I could get used to the system easily enough given enough exposure to it, and if I were looking at this game as a typical cRPG I'd agree that the inventory system's utter crud, too (walk over the shiny blue-glow loot on the ground and be treated to the jingling of coins filling your coin purse for the next 15 seconds or so as you're walking around).

 

As it is, the action is very, very arcade-like, and the virtually top-down perspective took a little getting used to as well, but it still wasn't bad. Am still considering this as a potential purchase, now that I've determined that it's got a resonable chance of running on my system (game specs are getting perilously close to my system specs).

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Have to agree that the controls aren't my cup of tea, although I think I could get used to the system easily enough given enough exposure to it, and if I were looking at this game as a typical cRPG I'd agree that the inventory system's utter crud, too (walk over the shiny blue-glow loot on the ground and be treated to the jingling of coins filling your coin purse for the next 15 seconds or so as you're walking around).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Spending large sums of money is really depressing in this game.

[Magnum Opus]

Spending large sums of money is really depressing in this game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How so? Money a bit tight? Or do you mean they show the money flying out of your possession in the same way that they show it flying in?

 

If they provided an animation of the shopkeeper doing a little dance as this is taking place, I can very well see it being depressing.