tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post4492633682006850387..comments2024-03-29T02:34:55.592-04:00Comments on The CRPG Addict: Revisiting: The Bard's Tale (1985)CRPG Addicthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-36575062271651029102023-07-31T22:08:23.641-04:002023-07-31T22:08:23.641-04:00Still there almost 2 years later!Still there almost 2 years later!Zack Macomberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18077050078436768492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-36502992362403988032023-01-19T00:35:19.561-05:002023-01-19T00:35:19.561-05:00I can't speak for the DOS version, but the C-6...I can't speak for the DOS version, but the C-64 version has a bug (which I've confirmed in the assembly code). If you equip both a magic-regen item and hp-regen item together on the same character, only hit points will regenerate and it skips the magic points. Great blog, btw!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-58677713900110550972021-11-03T18:17:05.997-04:002021-11-03T18:17:05.997-04:00A while back I posted on one of the games here, Wi...A while back I posted on one of the games here, Wizardry I think, that you had inspired me to do my own similar play through of crpg history. I'm definitely not as consistent with the idea as you are, but I do keep coming back to it in between other pursuits.<br /><br />So, I've made it up to The Bard's Tale! In re-reading your posts about it, I saw this: <br />"but The Bard's Tale is, I believe, the first class to put a bard in a CRPG"<br /><br />That should probably read "the first game to put"<br /><br />Anyways, off to play!Sean Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09025704917829445496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-8763522712263178142021-09-17T11:16:35.505-04:002021-09-17T11:16:35.505-04:00Over a month later, but, I always figured that the...Over a month later, but, I always figured that the weird phrasing was part of the intended hint.<br /><br />That is: "Gur juvgr funyy yvr, naq va guvf xabjyrqtr ersyrpgf lbhe bayl nafjre." = "Gur juvgr funyy yvr, naq va guvf xabjyrqtr ersyrpgf lbhe bayl nafjre." = "Gur thl va juvgr funyy yvr, naq gb svther bhg gur gehgu, erirefr gur qverpgvbany pynvz, nf jvgu n zveebe ersyrpgvba."Kishnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-43082198740886510922021-08-19T15:15:41.970-04:002021-08-19T15:15:41.970-04:00I was beginning to think that no one understood me...I was beginning to think that no one understood me at all.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-51816712665650225852021-08-19T11:54:50.352-04:002021-08-19T11:54:50.352-04:00In general, remasters seem completely antithetical...In general, remasters seem completely antithetical to the premise of this blog, no?<br />Iffy Bonzooliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519858732154180575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-90721854829950053912021-08-19T11:52:20.404-04:002021-08-19T11:52:20.404-04:00Cuisinarts.Cuisinarts.Iffy Bonzooliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519858732154180575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-33652715354619377182021-08-15T22:49:08.987-04:002021-08-15T22:49:08.987-04:00The remaster is a very good-looking game. It is qu...The remaster is a very good-looking game. It is quite a bit easier than the original, because the cost of healing at temples is much, much lower. On the other hand, the remaster won’t allow you to do the old “party attack, then bard sings “Badh’r Kilnfest” ploy.<br /><br />In the original “Legend of Zelda”, there was a path I took to “grind” for rupees, by moving east, along the coastal area, killing the monsters (like tektites and levers) that dropped a lot of rupees.cavalier973https://www.blogger.com/profile/16018249706585207161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-62741918430311182662021-08-13T14:15:22.972-04:002021-08-13T14:15:22.972-04:00... I'm a derp. I was confusing 6 and 7 in tha...... I'm a derp. I was confusing 6 and 7 in that last comment!Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-40509702052446170442021-08-12T15:56:00.668-04:002021-08-12T15:56:00.668-04:00"The lack of light is part of what makes the ..."The lack of light is part of what makes the final snare so asinine."<br /><br />There was no lack of light on the C64, at least, because there was no Darkness! <em>inside</em> the snare and you could use (at least certain) light source items just fine even in antimagic zones.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-23033297780869249272021-08-12T14:30:45.148-04:002021-08-12T14:30:45.148-04:00I take your picks and raise you
Kids, don’t eat y...I take your picks and raise you<br /><br /><em>Kids, don’t eat your Halloween candy without having your parents inspect it first because there are SICKOS out there who will put RAZOR BLADES in it and you will CUT YOUR MOUTH and GET A POISONED INFECTION and DIE, all from eating your candy early. So don’t do that.</em><br /><br />which is a real game, albeit a silly one written under very short time constraints for SpeedIF 2.<br /><br />(I'm sure if you get into indies there are some other equally silly options.)Jason Dyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292199216981320170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-4026068675106309612021-08-12T13:41:31.671-04:002021-08-12T13:41:31.671-04:00I'll admit that I started getting weary of the...I'll admit that I started getting weary of the first game towards the end and put the game on hiatus a little ways into the first floor of Mangar's Tower... although I imagine that some of that is because I've been playing the remastered versions. Even with the Legacy mode options turned on, there are some differences, one of the biggest being the fact that the first game keeps track of armor class values lower than -10, which allows you to completely avoid physical attacks from enemies that you couldn't do that against in the original game.<br /><br />That being said, I just jumped back into my old game today and watched half of my party get completely slaughtered by an encounter on the second floor of Mangar's Tower, so maybe I'm underestimating the endgame difficulty a bit.Elkovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07300584537977591552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-76553791990368285702021-08-12T13:27:04.357-04:002021-08-12T13:27:04.357-04:00Thanks!
V riraghnyyl svtherq gung "yrsg vf u...Thanks!<br /><br />V riraghnyyl svtherq gung "yrsg vf unmneqbhf" ersreerq gb gur UC ybff fdhnerf va gur yrsg fvqr bs gur faner.<br />Ubjrire, V nyjnlf svtherq gur ylvat zntrf jrer fnlvat zrnag gung gur qbbe gb gur evtug yrnqf gb unez/qrngu. V ARIRE pbafvqrerq gung vg zvtug unir zrnag gung gur qbbe gb gur yrsg yrnqf gb fnsrglEthernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-76830704837522149282021-08-12T07:39:17.764-04:002021-08-12T07:39:17.764-04:00Ether, you're exactly right, and that's pa...Ether, you're exactly right, and that's part of my entire complaint.<br /><br />ROT13:<br /><br />Bar zrffntr: "Sne evtug naq yrsg vf unmneqbhf, jura gvzr ehaf fubeg, lrg va gur sne pbearef vf xabjyrqtr..."<br /><br />V guvax "unmneqbhf" vf ersreevat gb gur gencf naq qnzntr ng gur fvqrf bs gur ebbz, ohg n cynlre pbhyq whfg nf rnfvyl vagrecerg guvf gb zrna gur sne evtug naq yrsg QBBEF ner unmneqbhf, naq gb gnxr gur pragre.<br /><br />"Cbaqre guvf: Gur juvgr funyy yvr, naq va guvf xabjyrqtr ersyrpgf lbhe bayl nafjre."<br />Oynpx: "Gur qbbe ba gur evtug yrnqf gb fnsrgl."<br />Juvgr: "Gur oynpx-pybnxrq bar fcrnxf gur gehgu."<br /><br />Gur fgergpu lbh'er gnyxvat nobhg vf gur vqrn gung vs "evtug yrnqf gb fnsrgl" vf n yvr, gura gur nafjre vf gur rknpg bccbfvgr, gung gur YRSG yrnqf gb fnsrgl. Ohg gung'f abg ubj yvrf jbex. Gur pragre qbbe erznvaf ha-pbzzragrq-ba. Vg'f n cbbeyl pbafgehpgrq chmmyr, yvxr zbfg bs gur fanerf.Sporkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-20482554130855633092021-08-12T05:15:52.933-04:002021-08-12T05:15:52.933-04:00I use AutoHotkey to convert recurring many-keystro...I use AutoHotkey to convert recurring many-keystroke sequences into a single keypress. In this case, after choosing party combat and setting up the bard song, each time I press my macroed hotkey, it automatically spits out a sequence of keys to say yes, defend 6 times, and say yes again, all in the course of a quarter of a second. It has the appearance of raising every injured party member's health by one hit point for each keypress.<br /><br />Autohotkey has a way of reducing any keyboard drudgery that is predictable and happens often enough to be worth the time and effort to create a macro.Rangeroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384980667033682190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-26734321845432332182021-08-12T04:19:32.389-04:002021-08-12T04:19:32.389-04:00I always, and that includes the remastered version...I always, and that includes the remastered version, grinded the 69 wights and the 99 skeletons. When I came to the berserkers, the game was already done.sucinumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198771998880365061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-20328584163571779452021-08-11T20:03:02.869-04:002021-08-11T20:03:02.869-04:00The award for most pointlessly long game title eve...The award for most pointlessly long game title ever has to go to the recently released Japanese Switch RPG "Monster wo Taoshite Tsuyoi Ken ya Yoroi wo Te ni Shinasai. Yuusha Tai ga Maou wo Taosu Sono Hi wo Shinjiteimasu." or in English "Defeat Monsters to Get Strong Swords and Armor. We Believe in the Day the Heroes Will Defeat the Demon Lord." <br />Yes, that is the title. No, I am not making this up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-25527764048288000172021-08-11T16:21:24.193-04:002021-08-11T16:21:24.193-04:00Feel free to supplement. However, it should always...Feel free to supplement. However, it should always be understood that I mean COMPUTER RPGs when I say things like that. I don't know famous anything in console RPGs.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-45510890367296704072021-08-11T16:14:56.399-04:002021-08-11T16:14:56.399-04:00I decided to be the change I wanted to see, etc., ...I decided to be the change I wanted to see, etc., and I edited the Wikipedia page. We'll see how long it lasts.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-88278425049863689992021-08-11T16:05:38.240-04:002021-08-11T16:05:38.240-04:00Petrus, you must have been one :)
Honestly, I'...Petrus, you must have been one :)<br />Honestly, I'm still not sure how people completed that game without help, though I suppose playing on a platform where you could save the game right at the entrance would help a lot.<br /><br />Martin, I think snare #3 is pretty similar to snare #4.<br />The remaster, BTW, does make the snares a little easier by throwing in a few more clues and reducing some of the repetition. It also provides a timer.<br /><br />The lack of light is part of what makes the final snare so asinine. One puzzle I that I also think is asinine is the one to get out of the first level of the Grey Crypt. Let's just say the answers the clue book provided weren't particularly abundant.<br /><br />BTW, can someone explain why the answer to the 2nd snare is what it is? ROT 13 below<br />V'z arire svtherq bhg jul gur qbbe va gur zvqqyr vf jebat. V zrna, V guvax V unir, ohg vg frrzf yvxr n fgergpu.<br />Ethernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-47241629607910775942021-08-11T15:59:58.947-04:002021-08-11T15:59:58.947-04:00That's interesting to hear, particularly since...That's interesting to hear, particularly since no one posts pictures of the spines online.<br /><br />I think the better evidence comes from the copyright inside the manual: "Tales of the Unknown, The Bard's Tale, and Electronic Arts are trademarks of Electronic Arts."<br /><br />If the title was Tales of the Unknown, Volume I: The Bard's Tale," then "Tales of the Unknown" and "The Bard's Tale" wouldn't be listed separately. Since they are, if the title of the game is "Tales of the Unknown," what is "The Bard's Tale"? The only way to reconcile it is that "Tales of the Unknown" is the series title and "The Bard's Tale" is the game title.<br /><br />Then you have the fact that "Tales of the Unknown" never appears at all in the text of the game manual. Instead, it starts off by saying, "<i>The Bard's Tale</i> is a fantasy role-playing game. <b>First in the series of Tales of the Unknown</b>, this one is set in the city of Skara Brae."<br /><br />It annoys me that Wikipedia and MobyGames have it listed as "Tales of the Unknown." Some pedants got hold of the submission and editing process, and they were the worst sort of pedants--the kind that are wrong but smugly think that they're right. CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-9565659301210668442021-08-11T15:53:26.897-04:002021-08-11T15:53:26.897-04:00Yeah, I tried that, but honestly, defending round ...Yeah, I tried that, but honestly, defending round after round and having to say yes that you want to continue the fight all to restore a single hit point per round, then having to go get a drink before you could do it again, was more annoying than just paying for healing.CRPG Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01238237377918550322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-2819630025962659642021-08-11T08:51:35.416-04:002021-08-11T08:51:35.416-04:00There is if Doppelgänger have caused dissension in...There is if Doppelgänger have caused dissension in the ranks.PetrusOctavianusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-7295700634682099892021-08-11T08:18:11.571-04:002021-08-11T08:18:11.571-04:00... and intra-party combat doesn't really requ...... and intra-party combat doesn't really require combat. Everyone can choose whether to attack or defend, and in this case there's no reason to attack one another ... is there?Rangeroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384980667033682190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6162314467762792782.post-39659609751599186042021-08-11T08:16:33.643-04:002021-08-11T08:16:33.643-04:00"There are no healing spells on the first lev..."There are no healing spells on the first level, so you spend most of your gold at the temple, where it costs 10 gold to heal each hit point."<br /><br />In the PC version, the "Badhr Kilnfest" bard song heals each injured character one point per combat round, so if you just initiate intra-party combat and sing your little heart out, you can save beaucoup bucks :)<br /><br />Of course, this further cements the pub as your haunts, so that even at level 1, you can start each fight with all party members at full health.Rangeroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05384980667033682190noreply@blogger.com