Bard's Tale The Bard's Tale IV Pre-Release Thread [RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[theSavant]

This reward tier includes a Digital Art Book and Digital Item and Weapons Guide to learn their secrets.

Honestly... I don't give a *beep* about an artbook. What I should I do with it? This is something which only makes sense to real fanbois, but there's not much point for it in the lower tiers.

However that's not the reason I quoted it: the reason is the "digital item and weapons guide" - ok this is great and at the same time not. Because it means, that in the game you don't get to know the special features of the weapons and items. Like Lands of Lore: you had all these different items, but you never knew what they were good for. So you threw them away or sold them. Finding out all their special treats was often unlikely or even impossible. Actually it was really annoying over time. While withholding this information makes these items mystical and the player curious, it would be a shame, if you are only able to find out by pure luck, or maybe not at all.

PS: might upgrade pledge anyways given its pace...

 

[Infinitron]

Larian shoutout: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin/posts/1259516

 

[Zombra]

Honestly... I don't give a *beep* about an artbook. What I should I do with it? This is something which only makes sense to real fanbois, but there's not much point for it in the lower tiers.

I like concept art and so forth; I'm into it at a lower tier.

However, last time, they really fucked up the Wasteland 2 art book by using an "overlapping postcard" style, ensuring that you can't see any piece in its entirety. Very ugly decision and very frustrating for those of us who like to use such pieces as desktop art. sea Brother None please don't let this happen again. It's freaking digital, you don't need to save page space.

 

[theSavant]

Ok, still something I don't understand:

"Digital Guidebook" - obviously the list with explanations of items/weapons. It only exists for 2 Tiers ($33 and $40). What about the others...

The next tier gets an "Premium Strategy Guide". I carefully assume this is an "Upgrade" from the "Digital Guidebook". But in what matters? What is different compared to the "Digital Guidebook"?

 

[Brother None]

Ok, still something I don't understand:

"Digital Guidebook" - obviously the list with explanations of items/weapons. It only exists for 2 Tiers ($33 and $40). What about the others...

The next tier gets an "Premium Strategy Guide". I carefully assume this is an "Upgrade" from the "Digital Guidebook". But in what matters? What is different compared to the "Digital Guidebook"?

Just added to the FAQ!

What is the difference between the Digital Guidebook and Digital Strategy Guide?
The Digital Guidebook is a smaller-size version of the Digital Strategy Guide that will cover select weapons and items in the game. The Digital Strategy Guide is a more traditional premium strategy guide which will cover more topics. The Digital Strategy Guide upgrades/replaces the Digital Guidebook at higher reward levels.

 

[Jaesun]

Brian Fargo ‏@BrianFargo 45s45 seconds ago
This is one intensely busy day and it's only 10:43.... so many things going on. A couple of cool announcements coming soon...

I assume this will be stuff for The Bard's Tale.

 

[PhantasmaNL]

upped my pledge ->

one EARLY BARD GETS THE WYRM available

edit: and gone within a few minutes

 

[agris]

I wish the album box was an add-on. I'm not dropping my early bird collector and the $230 for both is overkill.

 

[Zombra]

I wish the album box was an add-on. I'm not dropping my early bird collector and the $230 for both is overkill.

I suspect they may add on more add-ons later.

 

[Infinitron]

UPDATE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/the-bards-tale-iv/posts/1257921

Exciting news today: every backer of The Bard’s Tale IV ($20 or more) will get free digital copies of the original The Bard’s Tale, The Bard’s Tale II: The Destiny Knight and The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate!

The originals! We can’t get you these boxes but don’t forget The Bard’s Tale IV comes in this style album box in the $65 tier. Photo credit @joefielderIII

Even before we launched the Kickstarter, we were constantly asked "can you do a re-release of the original The Bard’s Tale trilogy" and we heard you. We have been hard at work behind the scenes looking at ways to make it happen! The first step was getting Electronic Arts to sign on as they own the publishing rights to the old games, having originally brought them to the market in the mid-80s. EA very graciously had no objections at all, a big thanks to them for their help in making this giveaway happen.

The emulated versions of the classic games will be released for free at the end of the campaign for every backer at $20 or higher, and distributed through our backer web site. This is our way of giving our thanks back to you for all your support and helping us bring back The Bard's Tale.

Some of you may know that the emulated versions of these games work on most modern machines, but are a little rough around the edges. Thus, 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! She will be working to make the games run natively, without needing emulators, on PC or Mac. This re-releases will be primarily based on the Apple IIGS versions of the games, along with updated art.

We’ll get you the emulated versions of the trilogy as soon as the Kickstarter ends and our backer site is up. Meanwhile, Rebecca will be working on the updated versions of the games and if that goes well we’ll get you those as soon as she delivers them to us, also for free! As we’re not working on these versions ourselves we cannot give an ETA or guarantee on their release, we’ll all be waiting for Rebecca to deliver us an upgraded version worthy of the name!

Of course, playing the originals will not be necessary to follow the story of The Bard’s Tale IV, but we hope you’ll jump on the opportunity to experience them as thousands of fans did back in the day!

Fargo and Heineman make peace at last!

 

[Athelas]

Some of you may know that the emulated versions of these games work on most modern machines, but are a little rough around the edges. Thus, 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! She will be working to make the games run natively, without needing emulators, on PC or Mac.

 

[Diablo169]

So she chatted shit about them on facebook and they still give her work? What the fuck Inxile.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

 

[Zombra]

So she chatted shit about them on facebook and they still give her work? What the fuck Inxile.

Turning an enemy into a friend? That's what you do when you're a class act.

 

[stony3k]

The folks at gog.com need to talk to Fargo and learn what his tricks are - they need to get the original Bard's Tale trilogy (emulated or not) on their site

 

[Pirata Alma Negra]

1% per day and they will make it.

 

[4249]

The folks at gog.com need to talk to Fargo and learn what his tricks are - they need to get the original Bard's Tale trilogy (emulated or not) on their site

The original Bard's Tale trilogy is already on GoG. The Bard's Tale

• Includes the original classic games The Bard’s Tale 1, 2, and 3.

 

[Infinitron]

BT4 made pretty good money yesterday:

$90k left until the goal.

 

[Metal Hurlant]

Thus, 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! She will be working to make the games run natively, without needing emulators, on PC or Mac.

The gauntlet has been thrown down. Who will release first. Heinemann and all three Bard's Tale games for modern computers. Or Cleve and Grimoire.

 

[prodigydancer]

BT4 made pretty good money yesterday

It won't affect the final tally that much though. In comparison with Bloodstained (over $4m) BT4 campaign looks very disappointing and I still blame FO4 announcement for that.

 

[Infinitron]

Eh, it's really not disappointing at all. Back during the Shaker and Deathfire days, there were lots of people on the Codex who said a blobber nostalgia project could never make big money on Kickstarter.

I replied that with a solid pitch and a company with an established reputation, one could make a million. Glad to see I was more than right.

EDIT: Here's the post (one of them) http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/deathfire-cancelled.88608/page-2#post-3020428

 

[Athelas]

Eh, it's really not disappointing at all. Back during the Shaker and Deathfire days, there were lots of people on the Codex who said a blobber nostalgia project could never make big money on Kickstarter.

I replied that with a solid pitch and a company with an established reputation, one could make a million. Glad to see I was more than right.

It's really great that a first-person game with high-fidelity 3d graphics can make a quarter of the funding that a relatively-cheap-to-produce isometric RPG gets.

 

[Infinitron]

Eh, it's really not disappointing at all. Back during the Shaker and Deathfire days, there were lots of people on the Codex who said a blobber nostalgia project could never make big money on Kickstarter.

I replied that with a solid pitch and a company with an established reputation, one could make a million. Glad to see I was more than right.

It's really great that a first-person game with high-fidelity 3d graphics can make a quarter of the funding that a relatively-cheap-to-produce isometric RPG gets.

Well, if you put it that way.

It's not like first person shooters have much of a track record on KS. I wonder what would happen if John Romero and Tom Hall tried to crowdfund one, or something like that.

 

[Bester]

I replied that with a solid pitch and a company with an established reputation, one could make a million. Glad to see I was more than right.

But the BT4 pitch wasn't anywhere near being solid. Looks like you were wrong after all.

 

[theSavant]

I admit, that Fargo made a very reasonable choice announcing BT4 only after 2 successful kickstarters. He certainly pulled over a lot of people from these. I doubt Brenda & Guido would have achieved the same - ever. They just ain't got the community anymore.