Bard’s Tale IV and life

I happened across the Kickstarter for The Bard’s Tale IV today.

The map above will likely be unremarkable to you, but it means a lot to me. The Bard’s Tale came out in 1985, when I was a wee 11 years old. I studied the map above and all the other materials that came with, gleaning whatever insight I could gain that would help me “in world”. I explored the streets of Skara Brae with my ragtag band, soaking up knowledge before heading underground into danger. I painstakingly crafted maps on graph paper in a (failed) attempt not to get lost. At one point I’d memorized all of the lower level spells (the higher level ones could wait until I’d gained some XP).

I’m often (constantly?) accused, by myself and others, of being too sentimental… of living too much in the past. But fuck it. It’s time to embrace my past. I’m tired of apologizing for geeking out about The Bard’s Tale or Ultima [2, 3, 4, 5 ,6], Wizardry, 7 Cities of Gold, Mask of the Sun, or any number of other influential titles.

These were formative experiences for me. They helped me better understand myself. I’d say they helped me make sense of the world around me but that’s not true; instead, they helped me escape a world I wasn’t yet equipped to understand. They provided a much-needed escape from adolescent awkwardness.

I’m mostly excited about the continuation of The Bard’s Tale series in a misguided hope it will bring me closer to my 1985 self. The realist in me understands that it can’t. I’m as prone to anyone to the grass-is-greener syndrome.

I miss the simpler times, where the worst I had to worry about was how to get my homework done in time so I could explore dungeons and develop characters. No job or mortgages or family responsibilities. I know I’m better off now, but don’t fault me for being nostalgic.