Bard's Tale IV

Mostly PC, but console and mobile too
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Leisher
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Post by Leisher »

TPRJones wrote:It's okay. Understanding good UI design isn't important when making video games. I'm sure it's not any sort of omen or anything.
Ha!

The rewards site reeks VERY strongly of "Have the intern do it". So I'm not that concerned.

I judge their future Bard's Tale work on what I see of Wasteland 2, and Wasteland 2 has been pretty fun so far. Some odd design choices here and there, but overall a good game.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

BT4 is getting made in the new, shiny New Orleans, LA, office. Swear to jeebus if they open an office in the Twin Cities, I'm sending off my CV.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Post by Malcolm »

Office is set up. Some lore and game details plus digital landscape shots are there.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Re: Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Update for combat system. In short, grid based. You and the enemy have 2 rows of 4 squares each in which to position your dudes. Attacks and abilities from a PC/NPC in your party affect one or more of the enemy squares at a certain range, depending upon lots of things.
This attack pattern is something you'd find on a sword thrust attack, and indicates it will attack forward, striking the closest enemy directly in front of it, up to two grid squares away. Other abilities may be able to pierce multiple targets, may strike from different directions, or be able to directly target an opponent regardless of their position (this is especially true of magical attacks). In game, you'd see a helpful targeting indicator show you the range of your attack, along with who'll ultimately be affected.
...
Which characters should I use to tank damage from each enemy? If an enemy is charging up a powerful attack, should I try to move someone into position to interrupt him or should I move everyone out of the way? Should I move my character into position to attack a critical target next turn, or should I just stay put and attack whoever is in front of me this turn? Should I cluster my team together to share short range buffs, or should I spread them out to avoid AOE damage?
This applies to magic and special offensive abilities. They also have a way to try and keep rogues from becoming completely fucking useless:
Like we've said in previous updates, we want to allow player to experiment with multiple party compositions, including ones that might not conform to the tank + DPS format. One way this grid system supports that goal is evasion based defense and enemy disruption. Evasion based defense is the idea that I can attack with a character and then move that character in such a way that it makes it difficult for my enemy to effectively re-position themselves to mount a concentrated counterattack. Rogues are particularly good at this sort of hit and run tactic. Enemy disruption is similar, in that some classes are capable of throwing their enemies around the battlefield, disrupting their formation and making it difficult for them to effectively strike back in their following turn.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
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Re: Bard's Tale IV

Post by Leisher »

“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

It seems Zorkian. The combat seems a lot more tactical at the expense of taking way more time.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Another thought: I like the apparent infighting between critters, but both sixes waiting politely until everyone lines up seems weird. Bard songs seem ... interesting in their implementation.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Leisher »

“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
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Troy
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Troy »

I've forgotten at least 3 times I kickstarted this only to receive emails. Hope it actually comes out bedore I go senile.
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Slated for this October if they stay on schedule. Which means you can expect it sometime late winter 2018 before the snow totally melts. I'm hoping they finish before angry sea gods punish New Orleans again and decide it needs a cleaning.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Latest update:
Many of you have reached out to ask, so we want to take this opportunity to confirm that The Bard's Tale IV will be releasing in 2018.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Update #37:
Well, we're for sure going to keep all the villains: Mangar, Lagoth Zanta, and the Mad God Tarjan. And we gotta keep Roscoe's and Garth's and the Adventurer’s Guild. Skara Brae's in there too, and the bard songs, the old spell names, along with all of the character classes including the ever popular Archmage.
...
The Bard’s Tale was based loosely on Scottish and Orkney Island folklore so this seemed a good place to fill out the world and give it a unique look and feel. So let's deepen that - give it the mood, melancholy and menace of an old Celtic fairy tale. Let's make a world where elves keep humans as pets, where dwarves demand impossible payments for a broken deal, where the trow are a cursed and vagabond race, where Mangar and Lagoth Zanta and Tarjan were all corrupted by the whispers of evil entities from before the rise of man, where a ring of standing stones or an old stone arch or a tune whistled in a deep forest glade might open a door to worlds beyond the mortal realm.
...
We dug deeper into the Orkney fairytales and found a race with a long and storied connection to Scottish legends, the Trow. So they will be our third non-human race, with unique combat abilities and useful songs they can teach your bard.
Lead writer's working on a couple novellas that were promised as part of the backer rewards.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Leisher »

I want my copies of the original games.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

Leisher wrote:I want my copies of the original games.
I think they're only doing one.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Leisher
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Leisher »

I thought it was all three. I'll have to dig up the offer and see...
We have added the emulated versions of The Bard’s Tale, The Bard’s Tale II: The Destiny Knight and The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate to every tier $20 and above FOR FREE! Additionally, we have an agreement with the original The Bard’s Tale III programmer Rebecca "Burger" Heineman and her company Olde Sküül to update the games for modern machines!
How long does it take?
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Malcolm
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Malcolm »

You think it'd be less painful doing the port with a former dev, but some legacy code sucks. Wasteland required assembler and BT3 came out around the same time.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
GORDON
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by GORDON »

I just got the email to confirm my shipping address. I guess it's happening.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Leisher
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by Leisher »

Thanks for the heads up. I received it as well. Looks like I need to get my message figured out for the credits. Maybe I'll say something nice about Iowa or the police... :D

So I guess we're initially going to be sent the original trilogy and the art stuff as they're still quite a ways from releasing IV. (I think...)
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
TheCatt
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by TheCatt »

Leisher wrote: Maybe I'll say something nice about Iowa or the police...
HAH!
It's not me, it's someone else.
GORDON
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Bard's Tale IV

Post by GORDON »

They emailed me a game code for the old games, but they didn't tell me.... where the code works? Doesn't work on Steam.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
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