The dungeon crawler by Brian Fargo and inXile is set to finally launch on Linux soon. The new director’s cut will bring more than just a new coat of paint.
Direct Link
It’s taken some time for the Bard’s Tale IV [Official Site] to make its way onto Linux. The continuation of the classic RPG series was originally crowdfunded several years ago with Linux support promised but eventually delayed at launch. A recent Kickstarter post confirms that the long wait will soon be over. The new Director’s Cut update will be free for all existing owners and will also introduce support for our platform of choice.
If you’re unfamiliar with the Bard’s Tale series, then you can expect to explore dungeons, build up a specialized party, fight all sorts of monsters and solve puzzles to get through the game. There’s a lot of different ways to customize characters and approach the turn-based combat. There’s a fair amount of content to explore and you can expect to spent several dozen hours to beat the game.
This new updated version of the game seems like a step up from the original launch version. Judging from the first look reveal, there’s a fair amount of new content. Some of it falls into the quality-of-life type and balance improvements categories but there will also be a new area to explore and other high level content. There are also engine updates and graphical improvements that have been made, the end result of which is that most of the game has been reworked in some way.
I’m excited to finally be able to play soon, as I’ve had the game on my radar for a while. If you want to place the new director’s cut in your wishlist so you don’t forget when it launches, you can do so on GOG or Steam.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
PublicNuisance Jul 12, 2019
Last edited by PublicNuisance on 12 July 2019 at 5:56 am UTC
My only issue is that it might screw with the numbers of platform sales, as people (such as myself) immediately activated my key, which may or may not count it as a Linux sale (depending on how Steam counted it at the time). That said, I was actually able to install it the moment it launched... Might that have been an early Proton beta? Dunno.
Not to discount the frustration some feel at being asked to wait for a long time after Windows users, if they've been really, really looking forward to the game. It sucks. But they're delivering, unlike some who, for various reasons, decides to scrap the Linux build.
slaapliedje Jul 14, 2019
Quoting: AppelsinCan't say I mind the wait, really. These games, with a relatively small devlopment team and financed via Kickstarters are really released in a late-beta state, with DLC down the road. I would have waited for the finished game anyway, just as I did with Pillars of Eternity (1 and 2). It does result in a much better product in the end, and I would argue that the "Director's Cut" is in fact the proper release.
My only issue is that it might screw with the numbers of platform sales, as people (such as myself) immediately activated my key, which may or may not count it as a Linux sale (depending on how Steam counted it at the time). That said, I was actually able to install it the moment it launched... Might that have been an early Proton beta? Dunno.
Not to discount the frustration some feel at being asked to wait for a long time after Windows users, if they've been really, really looking forward to the game. It sucks. But they're delivering, unlike some who, for various reasons, decides to scrap the Linux build.
You know what the funny thing is? I have so many games, with so little time to play, waiting for me isn't really that bad. But I am now starting to think of it this way;
I don't have the time to play the games I have, but I know eventually I'd like to play game X. X is released, usually somewhat buggy, and missing features. Since this is the case, and there will be the inevitable (hopefully) patches to fix the game, then to have DLC released, then to have that bug fixed, and eventually the game is in a 'done' state, then probably by then I'll be able to have the time to put forth enough to win the game.
Some games people start playing them as soon as they're released, they're buggy piles of crap, everyone reviews them and says so, then the developers try their best to fix the issues, but do reviewers ever release updates? No, that game has already failed, and they have Y amount of new ones to review.
So some really great games languish in the 'it's buggy shit' pile, without getting their potential. This is really because the games industry has become insane. Hard core deadlines, publisher bullshit, etc.
Sadly, the Kickstarter method was supposed to fix a lot of this, but they're just as bad or worse. With a lot of stuff being released in Early Access, and then people testing it, giving back feedback, and then in some cases, the developers just dump their work on the game, and it sticks in perpetual EA. This is crap, and I think this needs to change.
I was thinking the other day that with EA there should be some method somehow where if it doesn't get some sort of update within say a 6 month to a year period, everyone should have the option to refund. How many games have you bought that were in Early Access and then just stopped getting updates? I'm sure I have a ton of them now. So many that if I see a game is EA, I put it on my wishlist and don't buy it unless it's getting updates.
Then there is the 'promised Linux version!' that they throw in the kickstarter just to get some few stragglers. Would LOVE a poll on how many people give money for that reason alone. Tower 57 did that. Hell the Amiga version was released, but not the Linux version??
Quoting: slaapliedjesnipp
I too usually get to them by the time they're either abandonware or are actually release-ready simply due to not being in a hurry to play them (backlog ahoy).
But I completelyt agree. Games mostly live or die by their first impression. And the trend being to push games out earlier and earlier is nothing but detrimental. All players are essentially beta testers for the first 6 months after release. I would much rather they take another 6 or even 12 months to complete the game.
But then again, (serious) Kickstarter type projects usually are in a pinch for funding, and "release early vs. wait for bug fixes and complete game" is likely not an easy decision for every project.
Patreon
PayPal
Oh and the name doesn't mean anything but coincidentally could be pronounced as "Buttery" which suits me just fine.
See more from me