Fascintating RPG creator
The Bard's Tale series is one legendary amongst fantasy RPG fans, and which are famous for their dungeon crawling antics which remain popular even today. At the height of the series' success, developers Interplay decided to let ardent followers of the games in on the action, with the release of this construction set which allowed them to create simple adventures of their own, using the Bard's Tale engine. While the results to be achieved by today's standards are undeniably crude, this remains a fascinating excursion into RPG production and is worthy of some investigation. The game uses a fairly simple interface which allows would-be designers to create their own monsters, spells, items and levels from pre-defined styles while also allowing them to draw them themselves for that truly unique look. The set is also designed so that you can take either a heavily combat-oriented approach to your idea, or include puzzles to test those or a more cerebral bent. Everything from an item or spell's name, to its cost or effect can be defined, while monsters have options including thaumaturgical resistance and attack moves, and with maps being edited on a simple-to-use editor. As an added bonus, a ready-made adventure is also included, entitled Star Light Festival, which shows what can be done with the software. As something a little novel for retro RPG fans, this is quite the treat. It is lacking in certain options and you are never going to create a classic adventure of depth and sophistication, but as simple game creators go, it certainly is intriguing enough to warrant giving it a spin.
