Bards Tale Marcros

[Tempest]

Has anyone playing the GS/OS version of Bards Tale gotten the Macro feature to work yet? The manual says you can push option (0-9) (on the keypad) to start recording a macro and again to stop, but this doesn't seem to work for me. Am I doing something wrong?

[Tempest]

On Sunday, January 6, 2013 11:48:30 AM UTC-5, Tempest wrote:
> Has anyone playing the GS/OS version of Bards Tale gotten the Macro feature to work yet? The manual says you can push option (0-9) (on the keypad) to start recording a macro and again to stop, but this doesn't seem to work for me. Am I doing something wrong?

The more I look at it, I wonder if it's because numlock isn't on. I'm using an Apple Extended Keyboard II, but I can't figure out how to turn it on. I'm using a ROM 3 GS so it should work with this keyboard.

[Tempest]

Got it working. No clue what I did differently though. I think I may have turned the Numlock on, but the light just doesn't show.

[CC Rider]

I've played this game numerous times but was not aware of the Macro option.

Is there any way to distinguish the hard disk version from the floppy version just by looking at the packaging?

Clay

[Tempest]

I'm not sure. I also was not aware of there being two different versions of Bards Tale I & II for the IIgs. I apparently have the older versions which are basically identical to the Amiga version. I didn't know there was a GS/OS specific version until I was troubleshooting why it wouldn't install on my hard drive and found the GS/OS version's reference card online. You can get the GS/OS versions from the IIgs Gaming Fairway.

In addition to being able to make macros, the GS/OS version features better music and sounds (there are fighting sounds now), an automap feature, and the ability to save and restore anywhere which to me is the most important new feature. You do lose the ability to import characters from Wizardry and Ultima, but I never used that feature anyway (the characters always sucked).

Here's the new reference guide: http://www.mocagh.org/ea/bt1brcc-refcard.pdf

[CC Rider]

> I'm not sure. I also was not aware of there being two different versions of Bards Tale I & II for the IIgs. I apparently have the older versions which are basically identical to the Amiga version. I didn't know there was a GS/OS specific version until I was troubleshooting why it wouldn't install on my hard drive and found the GS/OS version's reference card online. You can get the GS/OS versions from the IIgs Gaming Fairway.
>
>
>
> In addition to being able to make macros, the GS/OS version features better music and sounds (there are fighting sounds now), an automap feature, and the ability to save and restore anywhere which to me is the most important new feature. You do lose the ability to import characters from Wizardry and Ultima, but I never used that feature anyway (the characters always sucked).
>
>
>
> Here's the new reference guide: http://www.mocagh.org/ea/bt1brcc-refcard.pdf

On one set of the documentation I see that it was distributed by the Big Red Computer Club. I cannot wait to try this version.

I wonder if it's possible to get a complete package of this version.

Thanks.

[Alex Lee]

As complete a package as you're likely to find can be found at:

http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/bard-s-tale-i-tales-of-the-unknown-the

http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/bard-s-tale-ii-the-destiny-knight-the

I recently added documentation from the Big Red GS/OS edition to both
Bard 1 and 2.

- Alex
--
http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/

[Antoine Vignau]

MaDe it easy. From Big Red Computer Club, The Bard's Tale:

- I: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2iwt5l1nvq9vn70/brcc_thebardstale.zip
- II: https://www.dropbox.com/s/36v30m6d7st0jxh/brcc_thebardstaleii.zip

Antoine

[CC Rider]

I don't suppose there are any original packages of this available for sale, are there?

Clay

[CC Rider]

On Monday, January 7, 2013 3:07:09 PM UTC-9, CC Rider wrote:
> On Monday, January 7, 2013 2:04:30 PM UTC-9, Antoine Vignau wrote:
>
> > MaDe it easy. From Big Red Computer Club, The Bard's Tale:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > - I: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2iwt5l1nvq9vn70/brcc_thebardstale.zip
>
> >
>
> > - II: https://www.dropbox.com/s/36v30m6d7st0jxh/brcc_thebardstaleii.zip
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Antoine
>

One other question: Who is it that made the HD-installable version (Big Red Computer Club) with macros, auto-mapping, midisynth sound, etc? Was it BB Heineman?

Clay

[Antoine Vignau]

I had, now sold.
Av

[Tempest]

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 1:10:29 AM UTC-5, Antoine Vignau wrote:
> I had, now sold.
>
> Av

Was the packaging or disk any different? Did it indicate that it was the GS/OS version?

Not sure if BB did the enhancements, but given the level of sophistication I'd say yes.

[bloomer_au]

On Tuesday, January 8, 2013 6:59:55 AM UTC+11, CC Rider wrote:
> > I'm not sure. I also was not aware of there being two different versions of Bards Tale I & II for the IIgs. I apparently have the older versions which are basically identical to the Amiga version. I didn't know there was a GS/OS specific version until I was troubleshooting why it wouldn't install on my hard drive and found the GS/OS version's reference card online. You can get the GS/OS versions from the IIgs Gaming Fairway.
>
> > In addition to being able to make macros, the GS/OS version features better music and sounds (there are fighting sounds now), an automap feature, and the ability to save and restore anywhere which to me is the most important new feature. You do lose the ability to import characters from Wizardry and Ultima, but I never used that feature anyway (the characters always sucked).
>

This thread is making me confused. Are you guys saying there are two 16-bit IIGS versions of both Bard's Tale I and II? You're not just talking about the 8-bit versus the 16-bit? You're talking about an original 16-bit edition and then a Big Red edition?

When you say 'better music and sounds' in a GSOS version (Big Red?), is it the same music as the, uh, 'other' 16-bit version? (I would expect so, as the creation of the music was a major undertaking.) What is meant by 'midisynth'? I have the non Big Red version of both these games and at least one of them definitely has sounds of swords clanging and stuff.

- Wade

[Tempest]

> This thread is making me confused. Are you guys saying there are two 16-bit IIGS versions of both Bard's Tale I and II? You're not just talking about the 8-bit versus the 16-bit? You're talking about an original 16-bit edition and then a Big Red edition?

Correct. There are two 16-bit versions for the IIgs. One is a self booting disk that plays pretty much identically to the Amiga version and the other only works out of GS/OS and has the enhancements listed above.

> When you say 'better music and sounds' in a GSOS version (Big Red?), is it the same music as the, uh, 'other' 16-bit version? (I would expect so, as the creation of the music was a major undertaking.) What is meant by 'midisynth'? I have the non Big Red version of both these games and at least one of them definitely has sounds of swords clanging and stuff.

The music is definitely improved over the regular 16-bit music. It sounds 'fuller', like they added more voices to it. It's also in stereo now, whereas it wasn't before.

Maybe the battle sounds were in the original version as well, I assumed they were added to the newer version but I could be wrong.

[Tempest]

I've noticed two bugs in this version so far:

1. The chanting in the temple can loop and stutter sometimes. Eventually it will stop and you'll be healed, but it's kind of annoying.

2. The Bardsword and Laks Lyre don't give your bard unlimited songs like they're supposed to.

Are these bugs present in other versions?

[Antoine Vignau]

Becky's answer:

"I was the one who made that version of bards tale. [cut]

Becky"

[Antoine Vignau]

Le mardi 8 janvier 2013 12:38:08 UTC+1, Tempest a écrit :
> Was the packaging or disk any different? Did it indicate that it was the GS/OS version?
> Not sure if BB did the enhancements, but given the level of sophistication I'd say yes.

Download the package and you'll see the differences ;-)

[Alex Lee]

I disagree about the music. MIDISynth sounds tinny and requires too
much processing time for playback. Give me the original ProDOS 8 based
IIGS version any day :-)

From memory, the battle sounds are only to be heard from Bard 2 on the IIGS.

[Tempest]

Well I am running it on an accelerated IIgs so that helps, otherwise it was a titch too slow.

[CC Rider]

> Well I am running it on an accelerated IIgs so that helps, otherwise it was a titch too slow.

I prefer the "old" sound, not the midisynth version, although the temple music is better with midisynth - at least in my view.

I "fully stocked" Garth's Shoppe in Bard's Tale I (the HD installable version) so every item is available for sale at the beginning of the game. I did not change any of the prices. Please let me know if anyone wants it. Interested Alex? I can do the same thing for BT2.

Clay

[Alex Lee]

Definitely interested, got the Bard I maxed out store that you sent in
an email. Send on the BT2 maxed store and I'll include both of them on
WITA2GS?

[Tempest]

On Sunday, January 6, 2013 11:48:30 AM UTC-5, Tempest wrote:

> Has anyone playing the GS/OS version of Bards Tale gotten the Macro feature to work yet? The manual says you can push option (0-9) (on the keypad) to start recording a macro and again to stop, but this doesn't seem to work for me. Am I doing something wrong?

I would be as well. I just found out that you can't transfer characters between games in the OS/GS version so if I have to start all over again I'd at least like all my cool stuff back.

[CC Rider]

> I would be as well. I just found out that you can't transfer characters between games in the OS/GS version so if I have to start all over again I'd at least like all my cool stuff back.

I'll see about getting that to Alex this weekend.

Clay

[Alex Lee]

It's all online now, hacked character disks including the full
inventory for the stores included in both ProDOS 8 and GS/OS versions
of Bard's Tale I and II. Check em out:

http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/news/

[Tempest]

I got impatient and started anyway. I'm doing alright so far, but my fighters seem to just plain suck.

For some reason every time I cast Instant Slayer my Slayer turns on me and starts attacking me in battle. What's up with that? I've never had that happen before. I thought only monsters you picked up in the dungeons could turn hostile?

[Tempest]

Found another bug in GS/OS Bards Tale II (not that anyone cares). When you enter the Death Snare in the Destiny Stone dungeon it doesn't display the proper message. Instead of giving you the normal 'Welcome to the death snare' message it shows a message and screen about approaching a bronze statue with two options ((A)pproach it or (L)eave) both of which just make the screen disappear and the snare start. This screen actually belongs early in the dungeon and is just be called incorrectly for some reason. I'm not sure if this happens in the disk version or not.

[Sean Fahey]

On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 9:48:30 AM UTC-6, Tempest wrote:

> Found another bug in GS/OS Bards Tale II (not that anyone cares).

Any chance of these bugs getting patched sans source code?

[Tempest]

Probably not. They're pretty minor bugs anyway, nothing that really breaks the game.

[Alex Lee]

On 2013-01-14 00:54:53 +1100, Tempest said:

> I got impatient and started anyway. I'm doing alright so far, but my
> fighters seem to just plain suck.
>
> For some reason every time I cast Instant Slayer my Slayer turns on me
> and starts attacking me in battle. What's up with that? I've never
> had that happen before. I thought only monsters you picked up in the
> dungeons could turn hostile?

I vaguely remember you needed a decent/powerful group to summon
creatures to help you AND keep them under control :-)

[Tempest]

I guess I never really messed with summoned creatures before, just illusions and they never turn on you.

[twalkowski]

I don't have anything to add to the thread, really. I just would like to say that I really think that's a cool sentence!