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TALES OF THE UNKNOWN, VOLUME 1: THE BARD'S TALE
List Price: $44.95 from Electronic Arts
Requires: Apple II Plus, IIe, or IIc; 64K RAM; one disk drive (second drive, SpeeDemon board, and 128K optional)
by Jeff Hurlburt
It is nearly evening when you sight the battered silver 'A' marking an otherwise nonedescript facade. Once this was the Alchemists' Guild Hall... but that was years ago; before Mangar the Dark cast a spell of Eternal Winter about peaceful, contented Skara Brae, unleashed a monster horde, and swept aside alchemists, sorcerers, warriors-- anyone who might oppose his rule. Yet, if the bartender at the "Scarlet Bard" spoke sooth, some continue the fight; and you now stand before the hall of the secret Adventurers' Guild!
In "The Bard's Tale" you lead a ragtag crew of up to six heros on a shining quest to overthrow the wicked Mangar, a quest which all too soon proves to be a distant star. Monsters of every description, from innocuous kobolds to deadly spellcasters and fearsome dragons, roam Skara Brae's labyrinthine byways. Others lurk in abandoned buildings and dungeons or take the form of guardian monoliths. Long duration shield, second sight, and levitation spells (verified via on-screen picteographs) help even the odds; still, only a foolhardy braggart would lead a beginning party far from the guild hall after dark.
All of the town's 32x32 real estate and some sixteen 22x22 dungeon/tower mazes must be explored for clues, one-of-a-kind magical artifacts, and monsters (whose booty is your chief source of income). Good mapping is critical where your very survival often depends upon reaching the nearest temple for healing or getting to Roscoe's Emporium for a spell power recharge.
While exploration and combat are your main activities, character development remains an ongoing concern. Heroes may include warriors, spellsinging bard's, hunters, thieves, and four classes of magic users drawn from a roster of up to thirty player-created characters. With six races, some thirteen parameters (such as strength, dexterity, armor class, hit points, etc.), and perhaps the most elaborate of schemes for character advancement, you can tailor parties to suit virtually any strategy. There is even an option to 'recruit' your favorite, fully developed characters from "Ultima III" and "Wizardry". Two or three such veterans are a great help in getting started, especially since 'experience' and gold won in combat are shared equally by party members. Of course, it is possible to abuse the transfer option. As in the best "Dungeons & Dragons"-type adventures, developing "Bard's Tale" characters from scratch is one of the more entertaining aspects of play.
Featuring full-color, forward-view displays of streets and buildings, animated monsters, and even a sky which darkens at night (very spooky!), this first of Electronic Arts's "Tales of the Unknown" quickly envelopes you in one of the all-time great adventure challenges. Pacing is leisurely, perhaps a bit too much so during combats; and the documentation exhibits some curious gaps. Fortunately, single-key commands with good menus take up most of the slack. Emmensely entertaining, "The Bard's Tale" is begun; but only you can supply the ending of a saga fit to be sung through the ages.
Electronic Arts
2755 Campus Drive
San Mateo, CA 94403
(415) 571-7171