The Bard's Tale IV - Now on Kickstarter

[Capt. Huggy Face]

I agree the Kickstarter sure could use more detail. From a purely quantitave analysis of this Kickstarter only, I certainly can understand why someone wouldn't want to plunk down their money. But I feel this studio is one that has earned my support, despite my reservations regarding character development and combat in WL2. Like, say, Stardock, their heart seems to be in the right place, and they don't jump ship. Arrogant is not a word that leaps to my mind here.

Besides, I played the hell out of The Bard's Tale as a kid. That's worth $20. Backed as an early bird.

 

[Gorath]

I agree the Kickstarter sure could use more detail. From a purely quantitave analysis of this Kickstarter only, I certainly can understand why someone wouldn't want to plunk down their money. But I feel this studio is one that has earned my support, despite my reservations regarding character development and combat in WL2. Like, say, Stardock, their heart seems to be in the right place, and they don't jump ship. Arrogant is not a word that leaps to my mind here.

Besides, I played the hell out of The Bard's Tale as a kid. That's worth $20. Backed as an early bird.

Maybe the lack of details is their point. First sell on emotion and loyalty, then add details to convince other target audiences.

 

[greywolf00]

They need to revamp that pitch for those of us who never played the original games. I have no real idea what they're pitching based on the current information. Showing combat and discussing the plot/purpose is going to be a must to keep my pledge.

 

[Capt. Huggy Face]

Maybe the lack of details is their point. First sell on emotion and loyalty, then add details to convince other target audiences.

*nods*

Probably not a bad plan. Personally, I could live without all the gamesmanship...but they already got me on the touchy-feely business, so perhaps I'm not the tough customer I think I am.

 

[Ripper]

I don't see how we make a charge of 'arrogance' stick. They've got enough credibility and loyalty not to feel that cobbling together a staged demo is necessary. Looks like it's working for them.

 

[crpgnut]

The impression I got was, "Hey we don't have a game yet but we spent $10,000 to send Brian and a film crew to Scotland." Do they need my money if they can just blow $10,000 bucks?

I own all the games they offered so I'll wait to just buy the game at release. I bought and played Wasteland 2 and wasn't impressed. Note, that this was at release and not after all the patching. I will buy Numenara and BT4 after patching

I'm not a big fan of tiny characters on screen. I prefer anything to isometric party-based. If it looks like Dragon Age, with larger characters then I may indeed pledge, but I bet it is the tiny 3/4 inch dudes like Wasteland 2. My eyes are old and strained enough already

 

[LordConti]

I'm not a big fan of tiny characters on screen. I prefer anything to isometric party-based. If it looks like Dragon Age, with larger characters then I may indeed pledge, but I bet it is the tiny 3/4 inch dudes like Wasteland 2. My eyes are old and strained enough already

It's going to be a 1st person blobber

 

[you]

To be honest I believe in loyalty; until a company demonstrate loyalty isn't deserved. This isn't properly said; naturally if they were making a game that I had 0 interest in I would pass (i.e, a racing game or guitar hero clone). Yea a few more details could be useful but as we say with wasteland 2 they will be flexible and even if the final product isn't perfect if sales/funding support it they will improve the missing pieces later. I'm ok with that path (it is the same one Larian has taken with all their games cept dragon commander).

 

[Brumbek]

Just backed at $20 since I've been thinking of buying Wasteland 2 for quite a while now (didn't have time to play before so didn't buy). So basically I'm getting Bard's Tale IV for free considering I was going to buy Wasteland 2 for about $20 when the GOTY update came out.

I almost feel bad for not paying more, but honestly I never played Bard's Tale and never cared much for that genre. But with Legend of Grimlock being AWESOME, I'm glad to support Bard's Tale IV.

I really like inXile. I mean shoot, I even loved their last AAA publisher game Hunted: The Demon's Forge despite it getting slammed by critics and having horrible sales! I still say Hunted was a great game with nice art and interesting lore (and it used Unreal Engine 3, so perhaps Bard's Tale IV will look similar to it!).

The impression I got was, "Hey we don't have a game yet but we spent $10,000 to send Brian and a film crew to Scotland." Do they need my money if they can just blow $10,000 bucks?

Come now, don't be like that! Give Fargo some credit. Going on research trips to locales is very normal and good for art design. Plus, you have no idea if Fargo paid for the trip partially himself or what. They made a lot of money on Wasteland 2 I believe, so they can easily afford a trip to Scotland for marketing and art purposes.

I just think we need to be careful of this austerity attitude, like Fargo and inXile should never splurge or invest money in trips or vacations. I think his video did an excellent job to show they do NOT have an extravagant studio, which many, many AAA developers spend hundreds of thousands on frivolous stuff. (Anyone remember ION Storm?)

PS: also Kickstarter isn't charity. It is a business proposition. So long as they deliver my product, they are free to spend money how they see fit.

 

[crpgnut]

Nobody should take me seriously, Brumbek

 

[azarhal]

I really like inXile. I mean shoot, I even loved their last AAA publisher game Hunted: The Demon's Forge despite it getting slammed by critics and having horrible sales! I still say Hunted was a great game with nice art and interesting lore (and it used Unreal Engine 3, so perhaps Bard's Tale IV will look similar to it!).

OMG! I totally forgot that they did that game…maybe it's a good thing that I forgot.

I backed Bard's Tale IV at $20 mostly because I like Gaelic music, bard and party based RPGs. I'm not sure what kind of game this is going to be though and I suspect I will probably not like the final result that much.

It also mean that I'm going to have 3 free games to give to some random stranger(s).

 

[sea]

.

 

[Roq]

It's doubly arrogant now because they have made a good deal of money. They can't even be bothered to invest some of it in order to have a playable prototype to show people before they pledge their money? To me this is sheer arrogance. Anyone other than they or Obsidian who would behave like this would get laughed out of Kickstarter.

The developers will be still working on Tides as they should be. And it is probably better that they hold off from revealing too many preliminary design details at this stage, since they could end up making a blunder like Frontier did with Elite Dangerous single player.

And since we already know or can find out what Bards Tale was *and* they now have a track record with Wasteland 2, that has to make this a Kickstarter that is likely to deliver something players want - i.e. a good modern (unreal 4 looks like a great engine choice) first person party RPG. Grimrock was OK, but it isn't BT, EOB, Wiz 6/7/8. This is sure a safer bet that some of the stuff I've put money on.

In any case Obsidian, inExile and CDPR are going to get my full support, because they're breaking out from the kind of first person action & twitch games that define the mass market.

 

[Sacred_Path]

It's doubly arrogant now because they have made a good deal of money. They can't even be bothered to invest some of it in order to have a playable prototype to show people before they pledge their money? To me this is sheer arrogance. Anyone other than they or Obsidian who would behave like this would get laughed out of Kickstarter.

As it should be. They have proven their mettle already. It didn't work for Guido Henkel - selling a game on promises alone without a proven team.

 

[HiddenX]

Dynamic phase-based combat, where the pace of battle is animated and fluid, but still gives you time to think and respond to your enemies

hmm - there are not many good games with phase based combat.
Why not just making it turn based?

 

[khaight]

As it should be. They have proven their mettle already. It didn't work for Guido Henkel - selling a game on promises alone without a proven team.

The companies I would pledge based on reputation are the ones who have earned that reputation based on previous delivery. Right now my list has four entries: Obsidian, inXile, Larian and Harebrained Schemes. All four of them have shown me the kind of product they want to make using my money, and they've shown they can deliver on their promises to my satisfaction.

 

[Kordanor]

You could just call it turnbased instead.
I mean it's IgoUgo, as in Might and Magic X

 

[forgottenlor]

What about Wizardry 1-8? Those were all phased based. Backed. I'm happy to see its at 40% already.

 

[HiddenX]

What about Wizardry 1-8? Those were all phased based. Backed. I'm happy to see its at 40% already.

Only Wizardry 8 combat was continuous phase based. I fear that they mean exactly that with dynamic. The other game I remember with this combat style was Fallout: Tactics.

 

[Roq]

hmm - there are not many good games with phase based combat.
Why not just making it turn based?

Wiz 8 was a very good game that had a phase based approach, if I remember correctly. I think in BT4 they want to make combat a bit more dynamic, so you can be more reactive to the effects your individual character decisions have on enemies. Sounds like it could be a fun system.