30-07-2005 20:40									#1
	The Bard's Tale Got spare money?

I saw a new game called The Bard's Tale yesterday, but it appears to have nothing to do with the classic game (although the trilogy is included on the CD). Has anybody played the game? Is it good or poor?

	30-07-2005 21:32									#2
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I've seen it too - looked interesting, but i think you are restricted to a male only character?; which was why i didn't get it as my gf pointed that out. Looking at the cover screenshots, it seems far removed from the Bards Tale i used to play. More a scripted+humerous story led thing i think. Probably worth getting just for the trilogy alone - thanks for reminding me about it - i'll pick it up tomorrow and let you know sometime

	30-07-2005 22:10									#3
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Thanks coT

I am afraid that it would be some "real time" RPG thing.

	30-07-2005 23:05									#4
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You can also get IIRC the Bard's Tale trilogy in the Ultimate RGP Anthology, a huge antho of old, great RPGs that I bought a few years ago. Not sure if it's still in print, though...

	30-07-2005 23:56									#5
	Got spare money?

I heard it's not so good... Problem it being a bit repetitive at times, and a bit short. It's finished rather quickly

	31-07-2005 00:24									#6
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There's a downloadable demo of the game. I didn't like it, found the commands tricky and the view unpleasant. I didn't try very hard to get it to work and get inside the game. But then giving a demo where you are in the middle of the adventure and little or no idea about the story which led you there is a bit stupid.

	31-07-2005 02:49									#7
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the game is supposed to be more humorous, with jokes about beer and breasts.

And it's supposed to make fun of it's own genre, by having you rescue a damsel in distress.

Some people found the music and songs in the game quite excellent. But I'm not sure if I can buy a rpg just for good bard songs and some jokes that may or may not be lame.

but I head the beer song is a great song.

Other than that, it's a fairly standard dungeon crawl. Less than 20 hours too, from what I hear.

	31-07-2005 04:03									#8
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It has not received rave reviews, and looks quite basic.

	01-08-2005 09:55									#9
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike It has not received rave reviews

Hmm, a meta-review, nice

Sort of like what rottentomatoes do for films.

	01-08-2005 15:00									#10
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http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbx/bardstale

Not setting the world on fire - but 75% is ok. Ok enough for me to bother IF it has the origonal series bundled with it too.
I couldn't find the Xbox version i had seen a few weeks back in my local games store. I ended up with 'Segas Football Manager 2005'(the real Championship Manager follow on) for a very reasonable £15(Pc)+ they were running a special on 'Oddworld's Strangers Wrath' for £10(Xbox). So i didn't leave empty handed

I'll keep my eyes out for the new BardsTale, and see if i can find confirmation on the bundled origonals.

Edit: well my dilema is that its the PC only version that has the origonal games on it. The Xbox just has this new version. As my pc wont run the new game, i'll have to think long and hard over wether to buy the PC version just for the old games - if i see it cheap then i will. But i wont be able to comment on this new game

Last edited by child of Thor on 01-08-2005 at 15:25

	01-08-2005 23:02									#11
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Just get your spectrum out and play the original.

	02-08-2005 04:07									#12
	Inflate your Upload Space

I'm not a fan of Diabloesque "RPG" games as a rule, but the pacing of the game and the humour works for me. I'm enjoying it a lot and its definitely taken more than 20 hours to complete. Of course I'm doing it the roleplayers way, hunting down every secret map, optional area and revisiting locations to see if my advanced trap expert can find secrets I missed (he can, good ones too!)

Its definitely eastern in its RPG style - the plot and dialogue is preset and largely linear, you only influence minor outcomes by having the Bard choose to be nicely sarcastic or bitingly acid in his responses, or having the right companions in the group at certain encounters.

	02-08-2005 08:51									#13
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I'll give it a try

	02-08-2005 12:37									#14
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It's one of those games you wait until it hits the bargain bins, or undergoes the first reduction in price (to around $20). No way would I pay full price for a game with less than 20 hours of gameplay.

	02-08-2005 13:38									#15
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quote: Originally posted by Dis It's one of those games you wait until it hits the bargain bins, or undergoes the first reduction in price (to around $20). No way would I pay full price for a game with less than 20 hours of gameplay.

I hope your going to get used to doing so, as its set to become/is the industry norm
But yeah its cheap at the momment(around £20 or less), and i've heard it is quite fun - so excellent value if you take it for what it is, a humorous take on the whole rpg genre and a little lite in hours.
I still dont know which version to get - pc or xbox? oh well.

	03-08-2005 00:55									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

PC of course.

	03-08-2005 05:30									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Dis It's one of those games you wait until it hits the bargain bins, or undergoes the first reduction in price (to around $20). No way would I pay full price for a game with less than 20 hours of gameplay.

Its not less than 20 hours of gameplay unless you're the type who is extremely good at gameplaying and is focussed totally on achieving that single goal. If you're the kind of person who rips through games like that then playing time can't be an important factor for you. Its like saying Civilization 1 and 2 are worthless because you can win the game with a single city.

	03-08-2005 09:47									#18
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Is this a hark back to the older, single character RPGs?

	03-08-2005 09:53									#19
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quote: Originally posted by Grumbold Its not less than 20 hours of gameplay unless you're the type who is extremely good at gameplaying and is focussed totally on achieving that single goal. If you're the kind of person who rips through games like that then playing time can't be an important factor for you. Its like saying Civilization 1 and 2 are worthless because you can win the game with a single city.

OCC

However, this is definitely true that there are people who really speed through games. Morrowind had some crazy short times attributed to it for a while too (well, I consider 35-40 hours to be crazy short for Morrowind anyway) ...

I'm more of a laid back player...

	03-08-2005 12:17									#20
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I on the other hand like to explore and finding everything. For instance, Final Fantasy Tactics some people said it took them like 20 hours but it took me nearly 80 hours

	04-08-2005 15:04									#21
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Yeah, I like to find everything too. If there are multiple endings I like to see how I could get to them.

	12-08-2005 21:10									#22
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Just finished Bard's Tale and I reckon it took me about 40 hours. Good fun once through (plus all 3 endings) and worth my money, but not something I'll want to play through again.

	12-08-2005 22:47									#23
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What's the gameplay like?

	15-08-2005 14:06									#24
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

So how do you like it? Which parts of the game do you like and which parts don't you like?

	15-08-2005 23:05									#25
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There's a third way to ask it. Who knows what it is?

	16-08-2005 22:38									#26
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by Grumbold Just finished Bard's Tale and I reckon it took me about 40 hours. Good fun once through (plus all 3 endings) and worth my money, but not something I'll want to play through again.

Grumbold - i'm guessing you got the PC version? can you confirm that its has the origonals on it and have you tried to play any of them, and how many are there?

I will most likely get the PC version, so not be able to play the new game - but i'll be happy with the old versions if they are all there.

	16-08-2005 22:57									#27
	Inflate your Upload Space

If you just want the old ones download an emulator and play them for free.

	16-08-2005 23:09									#28
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

well i'm thinking thats what may come with the full new game(plus i like supporting developers when i have the option) - so i'm wondering how they are bundling the old versions?

	18-08-2005 00:14									#29
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike If you just want the old ones download an emulator and play them for free.

eh where?

	18-08-2005 00:19									#30
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i expect you could try google? still with stuff like that you never know what you may be getting - so thats why i'd be more comfortable if i had more info on the origonal games bundled in the pc version