Interview Bard's Tale IV Kickstarter campaign launching on June 2nd

[felipepepe]

Alternatively, the prototype's graphics and presentation are going to be so impressive that they think people will gladly pay.

My guess is that looking so impressive they'll release it as a full AAA title, priced at $60. Going from 15-20 on KS to 60 on release is a huge jump, but having a 25 early bird and a 33 "regular" KS price makes that feel more nuanced.

Especially if they (of course they will) release it on consoles as well.

 

[Infinitron]

Alternatively, the prototype's graphics and presentation are going to be so impressive that they think people will gladly pay.

My guess is that looking so impressive they'll release it as a full AAA title, priced at $60. Going from 15-20 on KS to 60 on release is a huge jump, but having a 25 early bird and a 33 "regular" KS price makes that feel more nuanced.

I doubt it'll be $60, but since PoE has gone for $45 already, maybe they'll go a bit higher as well.

 

[Metro]

Witcher 3 and other AAA popamole is $60. Would be a huge mistake to price BT4 at that level.

 

[mindx2]

Ultimate Collector's Reliquary Edition - $500
Old legends speak of an extremely limited Collector's Reliquary Edition box of The Bard's Tale IV that few have seen. This box is hand-carved and numbered for authenticity. Includes all of our main physical and digital rewards, including alpha/beta access and your name in the backer credits.

• The Bard's Tale IV Ultimate Collector's Reliquary Box – Handcrafted & Numbered (Physical)
• The Bard's Tale IV Beta Test Access
• The Bard's Tale IV Alpha Test Access
• Name in The Bard's Tale IV Credits
• The Bard's Tale IV Cloth Map (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Art Book (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Original Soundtrack (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Songbook (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Strategy Guide (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale I-III Novellas 3-Pack (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Novellas 3-Pack (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV High-Res Wallpapers (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Manual (Physical + Digital)
• Forum Badge

Supreme Box Collector - $650
For the collector who just can't get enough stuff to fill up their shelves. This special reward tier contains all of our game boxes (Reliquary, Premier and Album), along with all of the physical and digital goodies to go along with it.

• The Bard's Tale IV Ultimate Collector's Reliquary Box – Handcrafted & Numbered (Physical)
• The Bard's Tale IV Signed Premier Collector's Edition (Physical)
• The Bard's Tale IV Collector's Album Box (Physical)
• The Bard's Tale IV Beta Test Access
• The Bard's Tale IV Alpha Test Access
• Name in The Bard's Tale IV Credits
• The Bard's Tale IV Cloth Map (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Art Book (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Original Soundtrack (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Songbook (Physical + Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Strategy Guide (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale I-III Novellas 3-Pack (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Novellas 3-Pack (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV High-Res Wallpapers (Digital)
• The Bard's Tale IV Manual (Physical + Digital)
• Forum Badge

mindx2 will love that they are doing LP-styled boxes again.

Choices... save my lunch money for a Reliquary Box or "collect them all" and endure my wife's wrath all summer... choices and consequences...

 

[felipepepe]

Mindx, hope you don't mind if I make an ultra-special limited collector's edition of the free .pdf of my book, just for you. I'll even burn it into a CD and ship it inside a record album if you wish.

It will be fairly priced, of course.

 

[mindx2]

Mindx, hope you don't mind if I make an ultra-special limited collector's edition of the free .pdf of my book, just for you. I'll even burn it into a CD and ship it inside a record album if you wish.

It will be fairly priced, of course.

Spoiler

You don't think I'll be getting your book hard bound myself?!

 

[Ovplain]

Backed both of their previous kickstarters and I love the guys but... not a fan ov blobbers.:S Hopefully there's a 15$ early bird or something.:S

Well, poo. I'd be willing to go as high as 20, but 25$ for something I'm not excited for is just too much. Shame.:/

 

[ROARRR]

BT4 has a rival and that is called Grimrock. The Graphics BT4 is a try to show everyone that it will be looking better than its rival.
My guess is:
BT4 will be like Grimrock but just with more features and better Graphics!

 

[Zeriel]

Grimrock is real time, though. Pretty different style, to the point of almost being another sub-genre.

 

[Aenra]

how uninteresting; but let me summarise:

day year one pirate. Gotta wait for the obligatory proper release version

Spoiler

so i can properly show my appreciation (Blind Fanboys, read: am being ironic) for the magnificence of W2. This gaming industry of millions, not just about InXile, has yet to have any legal regulation, leaving the customer with zero a means of assurance, or recompense. Other ways need be employed. The above Morgothian paraphrasing also stands for the next, and the one after that too, Obsidian release. Will happily make a post in their forums detailing my pirated experience of BTIV once that time has come

Also, and unrelated to this lier (Fargo) and his team of crooks, it will be interesting to see how this will affect Larian. My own hunch was that nearing or closely after their E3 show, they'd go ahead and announce their own KS. If so, surely they will have to change plans now.

 

[Metro]

Probably have zero effect assuming it's not another blobber.

 

[MurkyShadow]

The Bard's Tale. The memories. My first computer, the mighty Commodore 64. The boy-friend of my best mates older sister.
A box of 5 1/4" disks. A folder of some incomplete maps. Skara Brae, with some markers. The Wine Cellar. The Samurai Statue,
wiper of many a first party. Hours of exploring, drawing, cursing. The Review Board, the next spell level. Mind Blade, MIBL, there,
now I've got a spell for all of you. All those memorized four letter combinations for the spells. Hah, MALE Major Levitation, why
the fuck can I still remember that crap, I needed that space for physics, well, screw priorities. The cursed darkness fields in
Mangar's Tower and the moment you have to redraw a complete level, because you slipped a line. Good times.

Fargo can whisper the sweetest nothings in my ear and I won't be able to resist. I should deposit my money
somewhere, with the condition of not being allowed to retrieve until the kickstarter business is finished.

 

[Infinitron]

Also, and unrelated to this lier (Fargo) and his team of crooks, it will be interesting to see how this will affect Larian. My own hunch was that nearing or closely after their E3 show, they'd go ahead and announce their own KS. If so, surely they will have to change plans now.

U r dum

Do a search for "Larian" in this interview: http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/316844/Backing+the+Bard+-+An+Audience+with+Brian+Fargo/

 

[Aenra]

Infinitron
I lack your infinity of RAM modules mother Inf, i admit it. You should however appear benevolent and understanding to those lowly, unmodified creatures of flesh and bones such as i and refrain from judging them so overly harsh.
Thanks for the link though, was unaware

 

[nihil]

My interest in this game was lukewarm until I read the following quotes:

“You have your smaller puzzles that are right there in the room, but then you have this macro puzzle of how the design of the dungeons are,” he said.

...

The only contemporary influence he cites by name is The Room - the tactile puzzler about feeling your way into sealed tomes or locked cabinets (“That kind of physical manipulation of the world, I think they did an excellent job”). InXile want some of the same interactivity for The Bard’s Tale, with optional puzzles and riddles that’ll reward patient players with better gear.

That philosophy will extend to item design. Fargo imagines a perfectly ordinary sword you might carry in your inventory for most of the game - until you happen notice a latch on its hilt which, when flipped, causes it to set aflame.

“That constant discovery, within the environment and in your inventory, I think there’s lots of things to be done with that,” he said.​

​

This is exactly what I feel most RPGs, and games in general, lack. More mystery. A greater sense of discovery. More unexpected stuff that don't just fit neatly into a predictable system.

Of course, pulling it off isn't easy, but identifying the issue is a great start.

 

[Charles-cgr]

phase based might be total shit. I am going to wait for them to describe how it will really work before shoveling a truckload of money their way.

Phase-based is what Bard's Tale always was. Along with Wizardry and first 2 M&M.

I hope they won't make enough for "party will appear in battle as...fully-rendered characters" if it implies the idiotic jrpg combat mode.

The first two MM were not phase based. Bard's Tale and Wasteland were.

 

[Morality Games]

There seems to be quite a stark difference in sales between Legend of Grimrock and its sequel. Seems sort of hard to make blobbers stand as a franchise.

 

[ROARRR]

There seems to be quite a stark difference in sales between Legend of Grimrock and its sequel. Seems sort of hard to make blobbers stand as a franchise.

I wonder why is that...

 

[mondblut]

The first two MM were not phase based.

Hm, indeed. Somehow I kept an impression for years that they are orders first, resolution later. Probably because all games that look like the 80's CGA ass do that

 

[Charles-cgr]

BT4 has a rival and that is called Grimrock. The Graphics BT4 is a try to show everyone that it will be looking better than its rival.
My guess is:
BT4 will be like Grimrock but just with more features and better Graphics!

Rival? Why? What will Grimrock players do, given they've finished playing the two for the most part? Buy BT4! And maybe even some other game...

 

[Dorateen]

And maybe even some other game...

Do not tease about Sovereign.

 

[ROARRR]

BT4 has a rival and that is called Grimrock. The Graphics BT4 is a try to show everyone that it will be looking better than its rival.
My guess is:
BT4 will be like Grimrock but just with more features and better Graphics!

Rival? Why? What will Grimrock players do, given they've finished playing the two for the most part? Buy BT4! And maybe even some other game...

Players will compare and that will decide IF they buy BT4 or not!

 

[Charles-cgr]

I guess some people might think like that but for many others if they're done, then they have a choice between BT4 and nothing. Even if in the end BT4 isn't as good, it'll still be better than nothing.

 

[ROARRR]

possibly true, but also not.

then they have a choice between BT4 and nothing

1. How do you know that there won´t be any similar game(s) like BT4 when it comes out?

Even if in the end BT4 isn't as good,

2. Well depends how worse it is right?!

it'll still be better than nothing.

3. Not Necessarily true if you think about how they could spend their money.
For example:
Do you prefer spending your money for a game that has mechanics you like but is still not fun in its whole concept
or do you prefer spending it for an other (Whatever)RPG that you could like more at that time?!

 

[TheSavant1]

No matter how bad it'll be - BT4 is better than nothing. Everyone else has given up on turnbased blobbers. Brian Fargo is our last hope. That is - if it stays a "full blobber" (which I hope).