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Game News ActionTrip previews Bard's Tales

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Tags: Bard's Tale (2005); InXile Entertainment

<a href=http://www.actiontrip.com>ActionTrip</a> posted a very positive <a href=http://www.actiontrip.com/previews/thebardstale.phtml>preview</a> of the new and improved (I use this term loosely) <a href=http://www.inxile-entertainment.com>Bard's Tales</a>, praising <i>distinctive fantasy setting, witty characters, humorous dialogue, and pleasing graphics</i>. It seems that the editor disagreed with the reviewer on many occasions though.
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<blockquote>The story unfolds via the detailed and fully voiced character conversations and banters. There are no customary pop-up screens and dialogue boxes. Every step of the way, your character mostly responds to orders with sarcastic remarks. Each time he reacts in a different tone or by using a specific emotion to express anger or frustration due to a dreary task that lies ahead. (Forgive me for saying this, VADAR, but the bard seems like a whining little bitch. - Ed) The design team is fitting in over 40,000 dialogue lines, all of which are professionally voiced in order to spice the atmosphere up a wee bit and to amplify the sense of drama.
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The Bard's Tale also brings forth some interesting changes to the standard inventory system to avoid the dreaded "I can't carry all this stuff" remark. When it comes to storing items and selling them later on, you'll most probably appreciate what the developers have come up with. The game automatically changes the character's weapon should he come across one more powerful than he's carrying. The stronger item is consequently placed in the hands of the character, while the discarded one is literarily converted into gold so you won't have to bother with additional trading. In addition to that, an onscreen pop-up menu allows players to intuitively switch between different weapons, spells, or abilities, as opposed to going through clogged tree-style options and sub-options.</blockquote>That last line reminds me of the kitchen gadgets' commercials. They always show some retarded people who can't peel a potato or cut an onion. Same here. The first scene shows a moron who tries to use menus and sub menus, randomly clicking everywhere, but fails miserably. The next shot is a happy moron who plays in the "intuitive mode": decision-free!
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>
 

Rosh

Erudite
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
1,775
Wow, combine this design with that of Dungeon Siege, and you'll come up with a game design even Brian Fargo could "play".
 

Rosh

Erudite
Joined
Oct 22, 2002
Messages
1,775
ProgressQuest.com is very killer, according to these peoples' thinking. Brian Fargo and Chris Taylor should both look into licensing a sequel for it.

Argh...damn, I remember how there was about 5 years ago a spoof "game" built for morons. "Click to win." Click. "You win!"
 

Oyarsa

Novice
Joined
Feb 11, 2004
Messages
94
Location
Refugee status
Can we pelt monsters with gold coins at least?

How does this:
When it comes to storing items and selling them later on, you'll most probably appreciate what the developers have come up with. The game automatically changes the character's weapon should he come across one more powerful than he's carrying. The stronger item is consequently placed in the hands of the character, while the discarded one is literarily converted into gold so you won't have to bother with additional trading.

jive with this:

In addition to that, an onscreen pop-up menu allows players to intuitively switch between different weapons,
 

Human Shield

Augur
Joined
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Messages
2,027
Location
VA, USA
I am guessing there is a weapon for each element and it replaces +1 with +2 and then +3. So you have to switch to the water sword to fight the fire beast, strategy!
 

Voss

Erudite
Joined
Jun 25, 2003
Messages
1,770
Ah yes, a bard, at his best as a mobile weapons platform.

Anyone else think that a constant barrage of sarcastic remarks is going to get old *really* damn quick? Sarcasm is best used with judgement, precision and timing- just being full of sarcasm- theres no balance or foil...nothing as a counterpoint.
That, and there will probably be a max of ~50-odd one liners that get played over and over again...
 

Nightjed

Liturgist
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Messages
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Location
Wasteland
Voss : I think "the bard seems like a whinning little bitch" editor note answers your question :P
 

Seven

Erudite
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Messages
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Location
North of the Glow
Editors can be cool some times. BTW, does any one else think that this'll be the first and last game Inxile makes?
 

GreenNight

Liturgist
Joined
Dec 22, 2002
Messages
135
Location
Barcelona, Spain
Rosh said:
Argh...damn, I remember how there was about 5 years ago a spoof "game" built for morons. "Click to win." Click. "You win!"
Do I have to click to win? This is too much of an effort. I'll wait till they patch the webpage and make it redirect itself to the winning page.
 

Diogo Ribeiro

Erudite
Joined
Jun 23, 2003
Messages
5,706
Location
Lisboa, Portugal
GreenNight said:
Rosh said:
Argh...damn, I remember how there was about 5 years ago a spoof "game" built for morons. "Click to win." Click. "You win!"
Do I have to click to win? This is too much of an effort. I'll wait till they patch the webpage and make it redirect itself to the winning page.

And i want the page to redirect itself because i blink my eyes at it, because moving the mouse is too hard!
 

Otaku_Hanzo

Erudite
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Messages
3,463
Location
The state of insanity.
Role-Player said:
GreenNight said:
Rosh said:
Argh...damn, I remember how there was about 5 years ago a spoof "game" built for morons. "Click to win." Click. "You win!"
Do I have to click to win? This is too much of an effort. I'll wait till they patch the webpage and make it redirect itself to the winning page.

And i want the page to redirect itself because i blink my eyes at it, because moving the mouse is too hard!

Dungeon Siege: The Website?
 

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