Bard's Tale IV - The Bard Draws Near

Myrthos

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Brian Fargo has posted a message about The Bard's Tale IV.

What an incredible last six years it has been. I had given up all hope of creating the kind of RPGs that I like to make, then along came Kickstarter, and now here we are about to finalize our third crowdfunded game. Thanks again for trusting us.

Our goal with these games is to under promise and over deliver, and we hope you feel that we’ve accomplished this with The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep. Most people don’t realize how much of our own money we pour in to make these games as special as possible. In this case, we spent more than 5x the amount raised via Kickstarter! We can’t help being passionate and giving it our all. If you haven't seen them yet, be sure to check out the spotlight videos we have been creating for the game.

The game ended up with 350 speaking parts, over 30 distinct locations, and over 100 pieces of music. The Windows version is still on schedule for the 18th and then all hands are on deck to get the Mac and Linux versions out as fast as we can. We are hitting ALL our stretch goals, and have incorporated a tremendous amount of feedback from the beta test. The only slightly bad news is that we will be late on a few items, but they are most assuredly coming in the following weeks after release.

We were determined that The Bard's Tale IV physical goods matched our expectations, and I was not happy with the quality of the early prototypes we received. This resulted in a longer production process, and I made the call to push back the timing a bit to make sure we would be happy with the final result. We love how the backer goods turned out (look for a picture below) and when we brought samples with us to Gamescom last week, everyone really reacted favorably towards them. That made us really feel that we had made the right call, and while we aren't happy about the delay, it will be worth the wait when they arrive to you. And yes - those editions will have another key for the game, giving you a second copy for free. Give it to your friends or family, and be sure to spread the Bard's joy!
And if you ordered a signed Collector's Edition:

Also, as an extra bonus, I put an "X" on 5 of the signed collector’s boxes that have the team’s signature (look for a photo at the bottom of the update). Anyone who gets one of these special boxes will get all inXile games for FREE for life. Yes, I was thinking of Willy Wonka when I was signing.
And about game length and a gift:

And though we promised a 25-hour game, playtests are showing it to be closer to 35+. And while it’s hard to be objective about your work, I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed playing it and found myself at many times wanting to play for “30 more minutes.” I’ve had to re-play the first 10 hours of the game at least 20 times and it’s a good sign when it’s still enjoyable.

Again, we are very happy to announce that we're hitting on all goals, and where we aren't hitting certain time frames on stuff, we are looking to make up the difference with added value. On that note, an added thank you for your patience, every backer will be receiving the digital version of our Strategy Guide for free. It's just one more way to acknowledge that we appreciate all the support that you have given us.
More information.
 
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35 hours plus is a huge improvement to me. And since I have no relationship to the older games I can't very well be upset with many of the things that others seem to find annoying or downright awful.

I'm really looking forward to playing this, it just made the top spot of my "play next" list.
 
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Extremly nostalgic and even though I played through the original trilogy, I have no issues with the changes made. There is a line where modernization is more than just expected, it´s practically neccessary to appeal to an audience who has experienced decades of gameplay evolution.
 
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The old games are crusty and only have nolstalgia value, so I don't care that this isn't like them at all. The real issue is that the skill trees and mastery system look bad.
 
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Wow, now this is called going the extra mile for your customers. Brian Fargo is awesome. Free strategy guide and making sure the physical goodies are done in a better way. And lastly, that special "X" prize (free InXile games for life!) is awesome for those who are lucky enough to get one of those 5 collector's edition boxes.

Not my type of game, but great customer appreciation demonstrated here by inXile, and will be interested to read the rpg watch review.
 
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The old games are crusty and only have nolstalgia value

Maybe for twitch gamer like you. For a whole lot of people they are having a great time. Positive reviews are sitting at over 95%. I personally have already finished BT1 and am waiting patiently for BT2. One of the best games i have played this year.
 
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Good for you, but they aged poorly in my opinion. Nothing exceptional about them.
 
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The old games are crusty and only have nolstalgia value.

I've already corrected you once about this: What you say is utterly false and evidenced by new players who are discovering and playing the series for the very first time.
Good gameplay and RPG mechanics transcend memory and attachment. All kinds of players are obviously enjoying the games today without necessarily thinking of yesteryear.

The Legacy mode does sound promising for BT4 - because the game certainly needs it to bridge the noticeable gap between the original trilogy. It is a pity that more of these factors and features weren't considered in the early design phase before the Remasters came along to steal the limelight and showed that fans can appreciate old school design. For instance, the grid based movement really should be available as an option to players at release rather an afterthought in this legacy mode they're proposing.

Still, it's clear that they've listened to the Beta feedback. Just how much won't be fully clear until the legacy mode is ready, but at least it's something for original trilogy fans and backers who wanted BT4 to align much more manifestly with those games.
 
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I've already corrected you once about this: What you say is utterly false and evidenced by new players who are discovering and playing the series for the very first time.

I think you overestimate how many new players are trying the remasters, and you would be delusional to think even a small fraction of them would make it through the first game.

Those games are relics of the past, and the only people that still consider them good games are relics of the past themselves.

Good gameplay and RPG mechanics transcend memory and attachment. All kinds of players are obviously enjoying the games today without necessarily thinking of yesteryear.

Except the gameplay and RPG mechanics are no longer good.

Bards Tale, in 2018, are bad games. If you're not replaying them for nolstalgia, then you're wasting time that could be spent on better games.
 
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This is mighty insulting and speaks voluminously for your character. It is clear you do not like these games and that is fine but to declare that because you find the games distasteful all (or even most) will find them distasteful without any data is just plain egotistic and misguided.

Those games are relics of the past, and the only people that still consider them good games are relics of the past themselves.
 
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I have no desire to go back and play through BT again; however, turn based blobers are quite rare so it’s easy for me to imagine how someone else might enjoy them, especially if they haven’t played the originals.
 
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Bards Tale, in 2018, are bad games. If you're not replaying them for nolstalgia, then you're wasting time that could be spent on better games.

Coming from the guy who like Two Worlds 2 :lol:
 
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@Silver Coin;, you really need to work on your argumentation technique. Try putting some more points in perception and insight, and invest heavily in diplomacy.

You're entitled to your opinion, and I agree with you that nostalgia probably has impact when it comes to the original trilogy. But the way you choose to formulate your arguments is kindergarden level. Stating things that are highly subjective and naming them truths, insulting everyone who thinks differently?

Try to be a bit more humble and a lot more accepting towards the fact that other people may have an opinion that differs from yours. Currently you're just rushing head first into Troll territory.

Of course, maybe that's where you wish to be. In that case, carry on.
 
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Good for you, but they aged poorly in my opinion. Nothing exceptional about them.

Stranger of Sword City, Lords of Xulima and Might and Magic X are all example of modern adaptions of the Wizardry/Bard's Tale/Might and Magic dungeon crawling experience that hold pretty closely to the originals, but introduce modern graphics and technology, and are still fun. Hard and mechanically complex RPG appeal to a number of people, and I guess you aren't one of them, but that doesn't mean they don't appeal to a group of modern gamers.
 
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Those games are relics of the past, and the only people that still consider them good games are relics of the past themselves.

That's pretty insulting. When you go personal, your argument suffers. Basic debate 101 stuff totally lost on the internets. You like Two Worlds II eh? Well you must be a real turd and go around kicking puppies for fun, right?
 
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Sorry for offending you guys, but I think we all know it's true. There's not one single thing about those games that could still be considered exceptional, and not a single thing unique enough about them to make them still worth playing, besides nolstalgia.

I'm not trying to convince you guys. Just stating facts. Seems the truth hurts.
 
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Stranger of Sword City, Lords of Xulima and Might and Magic X are all example of modern adaptions of the Wizardry/Bard's Tale/Might and Magic dungeon crawling experience that hold pretty closely to the originals, but introduce modern graphics and technology, and are still fun.

For the record, I don't care much about graphics, and I think plenty of old games have aged well. Bards Tale is not one of them

Bards Tale is a bland and simple game thats only claim to fame was being a technological achievement for its time. Not a single thing about it holds up today.

People that still think they are good games in 2018 are nolstalgia blinded.
 
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Sorry for offending you guys, but I think we all know it's true. There's not one single thing about those games that could still be considered exceptional, and not a single thing unique enough about them to make them still worth playing, besides nolstalgia.

I'm not trying to convince you guys. Just stating facts. Seems the truth hurts.

The fact that you consider your opinions truth and try to tell others that they don't know what they think is pretty offensive yes. It's too bad you can't form your criticism in a constructive manner, because I actually agree with many of your opinions on both these games and others such as PoE2 and CP.

The funny thing is, I thought you left the Codex because you found their "humour" juvenile? While you might have not picked up that part of the Codex you certainly seem to have picked other less desirable traits common among many posters on those boards, such as the lack of respect for those with different opinions.

Either that or you have been corrupted by our resident AI.
 
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I think there's a time for going on the warpath, but if you stay in that gear all the time, it's very much to diminishing returns.
 
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