How to play the original Bards Tale

[ButterZ]

Hello, first i do not like emulators.
My quest is to buy or build a computer that will run bards tale on the hardware that was common at the time.
My first search for a pc that i came across ebay was a Commodore PC10 which has a 8088 processor and CGA graphics. But i am seeking reports of people that have done just that.
I know it sounds crazy since we have now a remake of Bards Tale but i really like the idea of the orignal hardware and the feeling to play it the way it was.
So, does anyone have suggestions?

Thanks

[Nailfoot]

Buy a C64 and a color monitor to go with it. IIRC the C64 had RCA out jacks for the three colors.

Or even a C128. At least this way you don't have to worry about what "guts" are inside the machine.

But you will also need a 1571 (or 1541) drive and the games themselves. Those drives were very touchy and finding one that works after 30 years....good luck.

[Kensloth]

Be aware that load times are going to be a lot longer than you are used to, unless you grew up with these games and remember from back in the day.

[Nailfoot]

Yeah, I really don't think its feasible to play these games on vintage hardware. You'd spend thousands to get a running set up.

Better to wait, or if you legally can, run these on a c64 emulator. There are some great ones out there.

[cmsho]

IIRC correct I played the MS-DOS version of Bard's Tale in DosBox on a modern PC some five years ago. Version coming from the above mentioned Ultimate RPG archive, also maybe available through the 10 Years of Interplay Anthology CD-ROM. https://www.amazon.com/Interplays-10-Year-Anthology-Collection-PC/dp/B000K5782S

[ButterZ]

Yes, i do know. Its quiet pain. I used to have an Amiga at the time and yes, i did buy bards tale at the time. To be honest, at the time i totally sucked at it and thus never finished the game.
Forward to today, i do not have that Amiga anymore.
I faintly remember my C64 which did not had the fastload module which you really need since the loading times are so long, even with floppy drive.
It is true that you can play it with an emulator but there is still a difference in how it works. That is in my opinion though.
Eisberg, yes that seems to be a good idea. Computers of 486 days seem to be a good option and monitor that can do the low resolution of games of old.
I have to search a little more.

I tried to play some games with an emulator but it never quiet gave me that satisfaction of the orignal feel of how you experience games of that time.
Most games loook pretty aweful if you run them since they were made for lower resolution which the current monitors can not produce. I think mine goes as low as 800x600 and if you stretch the game to fit your monitor is looks quite ugly. In a window certainly better but then it is too small. That is a least my experience.

Commodore or other home computer of the time seems great but its hard to find functioning hardware and all the items you want with it. Though there is a work around for floppies. I have seen an sd card reader that can be connected but i am not sure how well it works.

[kanoobi]

Originally posted by CatNip:

Yes, i do know. Its quiet pain. I used to have an Amiga at the time and yes, i did buy bards tale at the time. To be honest, at the time i totally sucked at it and thus never finished the game.
Forward to today, i do not have that Amiga anymore.
I faintly remember my C64 which did not had the fastload module which you really need since the loading times are so long, even with floppy drive.
It is true that you can play it with an emulator but there is still a difference in how it works. That is in my opinion though.
Eisberg, yes that seems to be a good idea. Computers of 486 days seem to be a good option and monitor that can do the low resolution of games of old.
I have to search a little more.

I tried to play some games with an emulator but it never quiet gave me that satisfaction of the orignal feel of how you experience games of that time.
Most games loook pretty aweful if you run them since they were made for lower resolution which the current monitors can not produce. I think mine goes as low as 800x600 and if you stretch the game to fit your monitor is looks quite ugly. In a window certainly better but then it is too small. That is a least my experience.

Commodore or other home computer of the time seems great but its hard to find functioning hardware and all the items you want with it. Though there is a work around for floppies. I have seen an sd card reader that can be connected but i am not sure how well it works.

I've still got my C64 but it doesn't work. It gives a black screen which was commonly said to be the PSU. I never got round to fixing it though. I had a disc drive and the Action Replay cartridge which made games on disc (backed up in a certain format) load in 5 seconds. I also had a C128 in the 90's, with a built in disc drive. Sadly it gave up living, but If you could get one of those on Ebay... however I just had a look and blimey that stuff is now expensive.

[ButterZ]

Originally posted by kanoobi:

Originally posted by CatNip:

Yes, i do know. Its quiet pain. I used to have an Amiga at the time and yes, i did buy bards tale at the time. To be honest, at the time i totally sucked at it and thus never finished the game.
Forward to today, i do not have that Amiga anymore.
I faintly remember my C64 which did not had the fastload module which you really need since the loading times are so long, even with floppy drive.
It is true that you can play it with an emulator but there is still a difference in how it works. That is in my opinion though.
Eisberg, yes that seems to be a good idea. Computers of 486 days seem to be a good option and monitor that can do the low resolution of games of old.
I have to search a little more.

I tried to play some games with an emulator but it never quiet gave me that satisfaction of the orignal feel of how you experience games of that time.
Most games loook pretty aweful if you run them since they were made for lower resolution which the current monitors can not produce. I think mine goes as low as 800x600 and if you stretch the game to fit your monitor is looks quite ugly. In a window certainly better but then it is too small. That is a least my experience.

Commodore or other home computer of the time seems great but its hard to find functioning hardware and all the items you want with it. Though there is a work around for floppies. I have seen an sd card reader that can be connected but i am not sure how well it works.

I've still got my C64 but it doesn't work. It gives a black screen which was commonly said to be the PSU. I never got round to fixing it though. I had a disc drive and the Action Replay cartridge which made games on disc (backed up in a certain format) load in 5 seconds. I also had a C128 in the 90's, with a built in disc drive. Sadly it gave up living, but If you could get one of those on Ebay... however I just had a look and blimey that stuff is now expensive.

Indeed. Fewer machines are left and more buyers want them.
Honestly, i gave up on these machines. Even to get the original software is pretty hard to aquire.
I found a original copy of Bards Tale for $50 which seems ok priced. It had all the stuff that came with it and the disks were supposed to work too.

The time i had my C64 i wrote down lines of code from a magazine that would eventually become a Tron clone. It actually was a really great game. You would ride out of 3th person perspective. So all you were seeing was the walls on the side and in front of you. Never seen a game like this.
Sadly, i am not great with a solder so it is hard for me to repair a computer if i had to solder something. C64 and early Amigas were easier to repair. Chips were attached but not soldered.
So to a certain degree it was easy. Once they changed the manufactoring process eveything was soldered except the cpu and the special chips.
In any case. I do not think that i want to go so far back in time with a machine. The only reason for me for an old pc was that it is more available and also closer to the current platform. Except of course for CGA graphics card and connector issues.
It may be worth it, not sure.
If i think about it, if the legacy mode for the remastered version comes to see the light, maybe that will be all that is needed.

[kanoobi]

Originally posted by CatNip:

Originally posted by kanoobi:

I've still got my C64 but it doesn't work. It gives a black screen which was commonly said to be the PSU. I never got round to fixing it though. I had a disc drive and the Action Replay cartridge which made games on disc (backed up in a certain format) load in 5 seconds. I also had a C128 in the 90's, with a built in disc drive. Sadly it gave up living, but If you could get one of those on Ebay... however I just had a look and blimey that stuff is now expensive.

Indeed. Fewer machines are left and more buyers want them.
Honestly, i gave up on these machines. Even to get the original software is pretty hard to aquire.
I found a original copy of Bards Tale for $50 which seems ok priced. It had all the stuff that came with it and the disks were supposed to work too.

The time i had my C64 i wrote down lines of code from a magazine that would eventually become a Tron clone. It actually was a really great game. You would ride out of 3th person perspective. So all you were seeing was the walls on the side and in front of you. Never seen a game like this.
Sadly, i am not great with a solder so it is hard for me to repair a computer if i had to solder something. C64 and early Amigas were easier to repair. Chips were attached but not soldered.
So to a certain degree it was easy. Once they changed the manufactoring process eveything was soldered except the cpu and the special chips.
In any case. I do not think that i want to go so far back in time with a machine. The only reason for me for an old pc was that it is more available and also closer to the current platform. Except of course for CGA graphics card and connector issues.
It may be worth it, not sure.
If i think about it, if the legacy mode for the remastered version comes to see the light, maybe that will be all that is needed.

It would be really cool to get a C64 setup working again, even if just on cassettes. I think for me after a couple of weeks I'd put it away again for a long period though lol. I haven't looked at the current emulator scene, I had a decent one several years ago with loads of games. Some of them were unplayable due to needing the manual for protection. Remember that? "Page 23, 3rd line down, 4th word: what is the word?" It was fun playing some old favourites though, such as System 3's Last Ninja. Last time I looked there wasn't many decent emulator projects around. I'd be happy with a full screen one.

[Yido]

Im really surprised you dont like emulation, I think its very close to original Amiga.
Have you used WinUAE? (bit tricky as you need the ROM file and Kickstarts)
Have you used Amiga Forever (Cloanto) (Has everything u need but has a price!)
You can boot into a lovly back in the day Amiga 500/600/1200 etc...

But if you have your heart set on it, I went through same stage about 7-8 years ago and bought an Amiga 1200 and a few others as it was a lil cheap if you searched hard enough on Ebay.
Did enjoy it but its now in the Attic collecting dust.
When i want an Amiga fix its simple as booting an Emulator and playing, Feels the same to me.
Main games i play are Moonstone, Sensible World of soccer, Wizball.

Good luck in your find tho!

[kanoobi]

+1 for Wizball.:)

[jessiepeabody]

Originally posted by Eisberg:

One problem you will find is finding the games on disks that are guaranteed to work. The life expectancy of a 5.25 in disk is about 10 to 20 years, they start losing the magnetism after 10 to 20 years, that is provided the flimsy disk casing is still in good shape.


Honestly you would be better off buying this
http://www.mobygames.com/game/ultimate-rpg-archives/techinfo

And buying a PC that matches the minimum spec shown on that above link.

yep thats what i bought

[jessiepeabody]

i have an old windows xp computer idk why it quit working but id sell it

[Yido]

Originally posted by kanoobi:

+1 for Wizball.:)

Quality game indeed,

have you played the Remaster Version Wizball? If not google search it for PC, its a free download and just as tough as the original :-)

[Longhaul]

https://www.dosbox.com/
http://www.abandonia.com/en/search_abandonia/Bards+Tale

Totally legal and safe. I have them installed on my old HP laptop... plus a couple hundred other games from abandonia. Everything you find on that site is legal to distribute.

plus i still have them all for my c64.

[Trojanski]

The Amiga, never before or since has so much awesomeness existed in one place at the one time. It had the best ‘scene’, the best games. It is absolutely devastating to allow yourself to imagine what could have been. An alternate reality where AmigaOS was the third option along with Wintel and Apple. Or should I say the first option.
Sometimes I allow myself to wonder what it would take to relaunch Amiga. A 64 bit one that could stand toe to toe with modern alternatives. What hardware would be used. Would it be closer to a modern pc or a modern console? Weather the OS should remain proprietary or be open source. What form factor (I vote for a modernisation of the 500) it should be. What price point etc. What kind of user base it could generate. Would it get a million users? 5 million? Would that be enough? Could it get more.
Unfortunately too many people would have to learn to work together to put pride, ego and self interest aside to make it happen. It would need a company or someone with the cash and the vision and the ability to not totally f@#k it up. I suppose it is too much to ask for lightning to strike twice but just for a minute, allow yourself to imagine.........