Bard's Tale -- is it really only top-down?

"Grackle" <nobody RemoveThis @lalaland.ca> once tried to test me with:

> I downloaded the demo, seeing that the original Bard's Tale was my first
> exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera down to a
> normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective charming, or
> retro; it's limiting and annoying. What were they smoking?

I don't know, but I found that perspective to be pretty handy for actual
gameplay but not very pretty to look at. It would have been nice if there
was a way to shift the camera. They could have done it like Dungeon Siege.

--

Knight37 - http://knightgames.blogspot.com

Once a Gamer, Always a Gamer.

"Knight37" <knight37m RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns967AAB6AC8EBknight37m@130.133.1.4...
> "Grackle" <nobody RemoveThis @lalaland.ca> once tried to test me with:
>
>> I downloaded the demo, seeing that the original Bard's Tale was my first
>> exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera down to a
>> normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective charming, or
>> retro; it's limiting and annoying. What were they smoking?
>
> I don't know, but I found that perspective to be pretty handy for actual
> gameplay but not very pretty to look at. It would have been nice if there
> was a way to shift the camera. They could have done it like Dungeon Siege.
>

But the end screen that displays after you quit the demo shows scenes more
at eye level, so maybe it is/will be possible to bring down the viewpoint in
the full version. If the game is rendered in 3d there's no technical reason
it should be top-down. The reviews have to be incredibly good for me to
consider buying/playing the game like this. We'll see.

Reviews on the console version of this game are good in the 8/10 range.
I've read some of the comments on message boards and reactions seem to
be quite positive indicating that it's a decent game with good humor
making it an overall good game. I will be getting this one without any
further question about it (but with the state of crpg's nowadays that
doesn't mean I'll end up enjoying it).

hey I like the top down perspective .
I wish more games would do it rather then a stupid camera that gets stuck in
a wall or in the characters A$$

As far as gameplay goes it's a standard CRPG all the classic stuff , barrel
smashing chests ect.
What makes this game great is the monty python type humor.
If you like the movie The Holy Grail this game will have you on the floor
Laughing
Rick

"Grackle" <nobody RemoveThis @lalaland.ca> wrote in message
news:epite.30982$Kk4.51521@news20.bellglobal.com...
>I downloaded the demo, seeing that the original Bard's Tale was my first
>exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera down to a
>normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective charming, or
>retro; it's limiting and annoying. What were they smoking?
>
>
>

"Rick Ryan" <nighthawk.DeleteThis@axecessnet.net> wrote in message
news:7NGdnULbA6isMSvfRVn-iw@look.ca...
> hey I like the top down perspective .
> I wish more games would do it rather then a stupid camera that gets stuck
> in a wall or in the characters A$$
>
> As far as gameplay goes it's a standard CRPG all the classic stuff ,
> barrel smashing chests ect.
> What makes this game great is the monty python type humor.
> If you like the movie The Holy Grail this game will have you on the floor
> Laughing
> Rick
>

I don't like the top-down view, and from my experience, it seems that what I
don't like is usually in line with the majority. If they want lots of
sales, they better listen to me.

Grackle wrote:

>"Rick Ryan" <nighthawk RemoveThis @axecessnet.net> wrote in message
>news:7NGdnULbA6isMSvfRVn-iw@look.ca...
>
>
>>hey I like the top down perspective .
>>I wish more games would do it rather then a stupid camera that gets stuck
>>in a wall or in the characters A$$
>>
>>As far as gameplay goes it's a standard CRPG all the classic stuff ,
>>barrel smashing chests ect.
>>What makes this game great is the monty python type humor.
>>If you like the movie The Holy Grail this game will have you on the floor
>>Laughing
>>Rick
>>
>>
>>
>
>I don't like the top-down view, and from my experience, it seems that what I
>don't like is usually in line with the majority. If they want lots of
>sales, they better listen to me.
>

I'm sure they will. :p

As with NWN, there will soon be a hack for it, and with a later version
they will unlock the camera angle. I now run around with a ground-level
view in NWN that would have blown my machine through the roof when NWN
was new.

--
Philosophy: That attempt to explain why so much about life makes us cuss.

On Sun, 19 Jun 2005 18:46:09 -0400, "Grackle" <nobody RemoveThis @lalaland.ca> wrote:

>"Knight37" <knight37m RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:Xns967AAB6AC8EBknight37m@130.133.1.4...
>> "Grackle" <nobody RemoveThis @lalaland.ca> once tried to test me with:
>>
>>> I downloaded the demo, seeing that the original Bard's Tale was my first
>>> exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera down to a
>>> normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective charming, or
>>> retro; it's limiting and annoying. What were they smoking?
>>
>> I don't know, but I found that perspective to be pretty handy for actual
>> gameplay but not very pretty to look at. It would have been nice if there
>> was a way to shift the camera. They could have done it like Dungeon Siege.
>>
>
>But the end screen that displays after you quit the demo shows scenes more
>at eye level, so maybe it is/will be possible to bring down the viewpoint in
>the full version. If the game is rendered in 3d there's no technical reason
>it should be top-down. The reviews have to be incredibly good for me to
>consider buying/playing the game like this. We'll see.

Other than the fact that they don't have to waste processing drawing a skybox.
Same trick was done for Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights originally before
they relaxed the camera controls.

I finished the game, as a game it's OK, as a RPG it sucks. It's fun
but the fights are not that good. After finishing it, in
retrospective, I wish I would have rather downloaded all the funny
conversations and watched them, would have used 5 minutes of my time
instead of 15 hours or so.
Things I didn't like:
- Shallow skill building... really shallow
- Shallow inventory management... really really shallow
- Lack of first person view. In a game in which you really only
control one character, I would have liked a first person view combat.

I started in hard mode and I was having some fun with combat, fights
were interesting, but the save game system is tied to this selection,
and I hate 'getting to a glowie to save', so I restarted with medium
difficulty so at least there are more save points in the world, but
that made fights rather too easy for my taste.

I would give it a 7/10

Arcana Dragon <this.RemoveThis@ress.is.invalid> skrev i meddelelsen
news:42b5d752$0$306$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk:

>> first exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera
>> down to a normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective
>> charming, or
> You are very funny. Ha, ha.

Sorry - I thought you were referring to the original Bard's Tales...



--
Arcana Dragon -==(UDIC)==-
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"Arcana Dragon" <this.RemoveThis@ress.is.invalid> wrote in message
news:42ba7437$0$296$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk...
> Arcana Dragon <this.RemoveThis@ress.is.invalid> skrev i meddelelsen
> news:42b5d752$0$306$edfadb0f@dread11.news.tele.dk:
>
>>> first exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera
>>> down to a normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective
>>> charming, or
>> You are very funny. Ha, ha.
>
> Sorry - I thought you were referring to the original Bard's Tales...
>

http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/the_fairway/game_pages/bards_tale.html

Grackle wrote:
> I downloaded the demo, seeing that the original Bard's Tale was my first
> exposure to RPGs way back when. So can you bring the camera down to a
> normal viewpoint? I don't find this top-down perspective charming, or
> retro; it's limiting and annoying. What were they smoking?
>
>

Whatever they were smoking, they'll have to pass the fatty to get me to
play this game. Top-down SUCKS.

"Grackle" <nobody.DeleteThis@lalaland.ca> skrev i meddelelsen
news:tGwue.11971$X57.532079@news20.bellglobal.com:

> http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/the_fairway/game_pages/bards_tale
> .html

Hehe - I got them installed - all three of them, and the construction kit.




--
Arcana Dragon -==(UDIC)==-
d++e++N++T+++Om-KAWML!34567'!S'!8!9!u+uC+uF+++uG-u
LB®----uAnC+nH++nP+nI----nPT-nS+++nT----o---oE---xz
http://www.phyton.dk/games.htm

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