The Bard's Tale Interview

IGN PC has conducted an interview with InXile's Brian Fargo, asking the former Interplay CEO over twenty questions about his upcoming action RPG, The Bard's Tale. A snippet:
Q: Is combat similar to Champions of Norrath? If not, how does it differ?

A: In many ways combat is similar to Champions of Norrath, both games share a similar perspective and emphasis on melee combat. We tried to take the solid melee combat that games like Dark Alliance and Norrath have provided and add in a few wrinkles of our own. The most major difference in combat is that the Bard never fights alone. The inclusion of summoned companions keeps the player constantly making strategic decisions, finding the best combination of creatures for any given situation.

Defense is also very important in the Bard's Tale, parrying a blow will not only stop an enemy from damaging the Bard but also opens that enemy up to an often brutal series of counterattacks. The final thing that comes to mind when thinking about what makes our combat fun is the inclusion of many different types of behaviors and special abilities on our enemies. Each individual enemy is relatively simple but when combined together they can provide the player with a huge variety of combat experiences. From enemies that knock the Bard to the ground to others that eat their fallen comrades to heal [themselves], there is no shortage of interesting and fun situations confronting the player.