The Bard's Tale Construction Set
| Company type | Software tool |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video game development |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Interplay Productions |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Game creation system for dungeon crawl-style games |
| Parent | Electronic Arts (publisher) |
The Bard's Tale Construction Set is a 1991 software tool for creating computer games, developed by Interplay Productions and published by Electronic Arts. This system allows users to design dungeon crawl-style games utilizing the engine from the 1985 title The Bard's Tale. It was made available on the Amiga and MS-DOS platforms.
Distinct from comparable engines, owning the original Bard's Tale game was not necessary to run titles made with this construction set. Creators had the ability to personalize title screens, which simplified the process of sharing and distributing their custom games. As a result, a variety of freeware and shareware projects emerged from this platform.
Sample scenario
Included with the software was a demonstration adventure called Star Light Festival, intended to showcase both gameplay mechanics and development features.
The story takes place in the village of Isil Thania, where players arrive to observe a yearly celebration marked by the illumination of a star in the night sky. The plot progresses as characters explore underground sewers—using maps originally from The Bard's Tale—and embark on a mission that reveals hidden truths about the Star Cult and the village itself.
Created games
Multiple commercial releases were built using this Construction Set. Among them, VisionSoft’s Alex Ghadaksaz developed a trilogy for PC titled The Bard's Quest (1994). Flying Buffalo Inc. also produced The Buftale, a game reflecting its corporate culture and employees.
Reception
Reviewer Scorpia from Computer Gaming World acknowledged limitations such as basic graphics and a small selection of damage spells but still endorsed the program for enthusiasts aiming to create computer role-playing games. The July 1992 issue of Dragon, with Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser as reviewers, awarded it a perfect score of 5 stars.
Reviews
- Amiga World (July 1993)
- Amiga Joker (February 1993)
- Amiga Action (March 1993)
- CU Amiga (March 1993)
- Amiga Format (April 1993)
- Amiga Power (March 1993)
- Amiga Magazine (July 1993)
Developers
Before establishing Black Isle Studios and Obsidian Entertainment, Feargus Urquhart contributed as a play tester on The Bard's Tale Construction Set.
External links
- The Bard's Tale Compendium
- Bt Builder – an open source reimplementation of The Bard's Tale Construction Set.