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| Thread: The Bard's Tale: Tales of the Unknown (Bard's Tale I) | |
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Khayman
Promising
Famous Hero
Underachiever
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posted September 27, 2005 11:31 PM |
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The Bard's Tale: Tales of the Unknown (Bard's Tale I)
The Legend of Skara Brae
Long ago, when magic still prevailed, the evil wizard Mangar the Dark threatened a small but harmonious country town called Skara Brae. Evil creatures oozed into Skara Brae and joined his shadow domain. Mangar froze the surrounding lands with a spell of Eternal Winter, totally isolating Skara Brae from any possible help. Then, one night the town militiamen all disappeared.
The future of Skara Brae hung in the balance. And who was left to resist? Only a handful of unproven young Warriors, junior Magic Users, a couple of Bards barely old enough to drink, and some out of work Rogues.
You are there. You are the leader of this ragtag group of freedom fighters. Luckily you have a Bard with you to sing your glories, if you survive. For this is the stuff of legends. And so the story begins ...
[End Game Intro]
Hello, Heroes and Adventurers! Khayman here. Now, before I continue, I am aware that there are only about a handful of us 'old school' computer RPG players still hanging around Heroes Community, and of those, probably only a few may recall this particular game. However, I know that some of you younger 'die hard' RPGers may have heard of The Bard's Tale, especially since it was updated and re-released earlier this year, and perhaps this topic may interest you (or at least peak your curiosity) enough to check out the game.
On a personal note, The Bard's Tale: Tales of the Unknown was one of the first computer RPGs that I had ever played, and back in its day (1985), it was a very state-of-the-art and (dare I say) advanced game. Also, The Bard's Tale was one of the first computer RPGs that came extremely close to representing the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules and gameplay. Of course, with computer technology and PC power being what it was back in the mid-1980's, replicating the AD&D rules and gameplay in a computer game would have been practically impossible. Throw in the additions of graphics and movement, and you can imagine the challenges that designers and programmers had to face. Nonetheless, The Bard's Tale provided me countless hours of enjoyment, as I can recall spending a majority of my free time manually mapping out the towns and dungeons, while watching my characters progress from fledgling adventurers to hardy veterans of the land.
Unfortunately, as real life moved forward and as responsibilities (school, sports, work, etc.) began to emerge, I found that I was unable to devote the time and effort required to complete this wonderful game. Now, twenty years later and with even more responsibilities to boot, I have decided to once again embark on my quest to solve the mysteries of The Bard's Tale and discover the secrets of Skara Brae. The original game (DOS version, 1985) is now free ware, so I was able to download and install the old version of the game on my new system. Admittedly, the graphics are ancient, the music is primitive, and the gameplay is nowhere near as exciting as some of the modern-day computer RPGs. Regardless, it still has enough of that RPG challenge and playability (for me, at least) to hold my attention just long enough so that I still find myself (two decades later) wanting to uncover the hidden secrets of Skara Brae.
As always, any additions to this topic are encouraged and welcomed. If any of you have any stories or memories that you would like to share about The Bard's Tale, then I hope you will take the time to post. As for me, I plan on listing a few helpful tips and tricks that would make any player's experience (old or new) a much more enjoyable (and less frustrating) one. The game is indeed challenging, while it also requires a lot of time, re-adjustment, and most importantly, patience. Please let me know if you ever give it a try.
Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to Khayman's Tale. Now, where did I put that pad of graph paper and box of pencils...
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"You must gather your party before venturing forth."
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Consis
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Of Ruby
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posted September 29, 2005 08:03 AM |
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Interesting . . .
I wonder if the original creator was influenced by the real Skara Brae on the southern shore of Sandwick; discovered in Orkney at around late 1800's.
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Roses Are Red And So Am I
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Khayman
Promising
Famous Hero
Underachiever
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posted September 30, 2005 04:41 PM |
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Skara Brae
Consis wrote:Quote:
I wonder if the original creator was influenced by the real Skara Brae on the southern shore of Sandwick; discovered in Orkney at around late 1800's.
I am not sure if that is where the creator, Michael Cranford, got his influence for using Skara Brae. I do know, however, that in Ultima III there was also a town called Skara Brae. Coincidence? I think not. 
I also have read that Michael Cranford was influenced by religion, which may have led him away from the gaming world. If I recall correctly, there were a few biblical references buried somewhere within The Bard's Tale. If I run across them this time, then I will post them here.
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"You must gather your party before venturing forth."
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