A lot of video game genres had their roots in Arcade machines, especially fast paced games.
Electronic role-playing games on the other hand were born on mainframe computers in universities, so only some students working on these expensive machines could play them. The 8-bit home computers (f.e. Apple II and Commodore 64) and third generation of home consoles (NES + Master System) finally brought this great genre with better story-telling and more complex gameplay to a broader audience.
When I got my first home computer in 1987 (Commodore 128) I tried out several of them. I never got into the first Ultima and Wizardry games, but I instantly fell in love with the first "The Bard's Tale" game (Tales of the Unknown). After I finished it, The Destiny Knight, Thief of Fate and the spiritual successor Dragon Wars followed. It was very gratifying that I could transfer my party from game to game. My version of the Dragon Wars also included the awesome cover art as a big poster.
Of course I had to support the Kickstarter campaign for "The Bard's Tale IV" in 2015 and this summer it finally has paid off:
Last month I got the first chapter of the remastered "The Bard's Tale Trilogy" with new high-res graphics, good soundtrack and some nifty comfort functions (f.e. auto-mappping).
And yesterday The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep was released. I instantly installed and played it... love it so far (although it plays a lot different than the old games)!
So which was your first RPG (video game) you played through? Do you still like the game / series?
Last edited by Conina - on 18 September 2018
