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Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 Pre-Release Thread [EARLY ACCESS RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

Generic-Giant-Spider

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We need a term for the Larian model of RPG which, like it or not, may define the next half-decade of isometric roleplaying. Perhaps we can call it "the new turn-based" - Nu-TB.

The Swendle.
 

AwesomeButton

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is it me or they just stole it from Disco Elysium?
They were inspired by DE for the dice animation, and they are on record about it.

That's just it, isn't it? It may be that the the root of a large part of Codex anti-Larianism, which began a year after D:OS 2's release and how now erupted in full, is just how unusual yet bizarrely successful their approach has been. How much it goes outside the box and our preconceptions of what an "oldschool turn-based RPG" is supposed to be like.

Turn-based combat...with multiplayer? Throwing your boot at enemies and dipping your arrow in fire? Weird third person dialogue options with BioWare-esque characters? They do all this weird playful crap in a turn-based context, and it works for them. It works beyond belief. "This...this isn't how it's supposed to be!", cries the grognard.

We need a term for the Larian model of RPG which, like it or not, may define the next half-decade of isometric roleplaying. Perhaps we can call it "the new turn-based" - Nu-TB.
What bothers me about both D:OS games is not the 3d or the turn based with multiplayer (why would it?), or the environmental combos thing. It's the fact that both games are bloated with combat and offer nothing interesting once you get past the first act. That, and that their writing is irredeemable shit. I think it's really that simple.
 

fantadomat

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We're witnessing a very bizarre design approach here. With all that enormous focus on cinematics, cut-scenes, visuals in general which are suppose to lead to immersion they also add something like this (I dont wanna mention thouse fucking dialogue options once more which are all about the same thing, apparently). Even if they'll remove that dice eventually (simply coz it's jarring af), what were they thinking?! Epic cinematic PnP experience, my ass.

That's just it, isn't it? It may be that the the root of a large part of Codex anti-Larianism, which began a year after D:OS 2's release and how now erupted in full, is just how unusual yet bizarrely successful their approach has been. How much it goes outside the box and our preconceptions of what an "oldschool turn-based RPG" is supposed to be like.

Turn-based combat...with multiplayer? Throwing your boot at enemies and dipping your arrow in fire? Weird third person dialogue options with BioWare-esque characters? They do all this weird playful crap in a turn-based context, and it works for them. It works beyond belief. "This...this isn't how it's supposed to be!", cries the grognard.

We need a term for the Larian model of RPG which, like it or not, may define the next half-decade of isometric roleplaying. Perhaps we can call it "the new turn-based" - Nu-TB.
Hmmm antilarian is going too far. It is just that their last games were really bad and with terrible writing. The big deal is that it is BG3,if it was DOS3 people would have been "Yeah,it is another dos game,whateva".

I personally don't care if it is a success or not,there will always bee good rpgs made by passionate people. Fallout3 didn't kill RPGs,nor MMOs killed rpgs,and DOS3 won't kill them too.

I am curious about how successful BG3 will be,for all we know it could flop.
 
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Infinitron

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What bothers me about both D:OS games is not the 3d or the turn based with multiplayer (why would it?), or the environmental combos thing. It's the fact that both games are bloated with combat and offer nothing interesting once you get past the first act.

I think being bloated with combat (and also each combat encounter being kind of slow) isn't just something that Larian are doing by accident. They really believe that the combat is a selling point of their games, and that people savor it and want lots of it.

See that 2018 interview with Larian's publishing director that LESS T_T posted earlier in this thread. They see themselves as being more in competition with XCOM than with "true RPGs".
 

Dedicated_Dark

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We're witnessing a very bizarre design approach here. With all that enormous focus on cinematics, cut-scenes, visuals in general which are suppose to lead to immersion they also add something like this (I dont wanna mention thouse fucking dialogue options once more which are all about the same thing, apparently). Even if they'll remove that dice eventually (simply coz it's jarring af), what were they thinking?! Epic cinematic PnP experience, my ass.
It's typical Larian. You would know if you played DOS2, they write some utterly nonsensically dark shit then make some quirky joke. It's like watching a marvel movie.
 

Ontopoly

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I went to BG3 steam and see a lot of people are thinking that BG I and II weren't loved because of combat system but writing.

Jesus.

It's literally blatant historical revisionism. It's combat is still inspiring games 20 years later. Are we going to act like Icewind Dale doesn't exist? Or any of the other games that copied the combat? Nobody just blindly copies a games combat, they do it for a reason. I see a lot of zoomers totally ignorant to the fact of how big an impact BG had on the entire rpg industry.

Ahhh that is why he is passionate,just like most of us. Sure the world won't end and won't affect your life,but it is understandable to be butthurt because of that shit for a few days.

Yes. I hate how people act like I'm not allowed to have emotions or be passionate about something that has literally shaped my life. I'm a huge bg2 fan, it's my favorite game. BG2 and age of empires 2 are the two games that I'm passionate about because they not only gave me a ton of enjoyment but they also led me to play other games similar. People may call that nostalgia but both games still have tons of fans today and are still getting things like spiritual sequels or definitive editions so it can't all be nostalgia. Maybe graphics don't stand the test of time but if a game is good it's good and bad graphics won't hold it back. I feel like we have a bunch of people that see these great games and judge them as bad just because they look outdated. Mechanics and writing stand the test of time, human minds aren't becoming that enlightened over time that mechanics just become trash in a 20 year gap. Mechanics are just math, and math still works the same way 20 years later. There's a lot of people that won't even touch old games and that's pretty disappointing to me because once you get past the graphics it's a normal game underneath.

I see some old people supporting bg3 too but mostly I see the new people who haven't even played the games and are just making shit up. Most of them are Larian fans first and don't bother to even care about the BG series.

I still remember everyone discussing BG and the great spells that can only be used in combat and how great mage vs mage battles were. I remember everyone planning builds. I remember people trying to solo or Beat the game in interesting ways. I remember people trying out a ton of new builds. Or sharing their builds. Or getting excited over new equipment or items. I remember people sharing strategies for fights and sharing interesting ways to combo spells. I remember people asking a ton of questions on the forum about combat mechanics and game rules instead of just playing on easy mode and ignoring it all. I can't be the only one who sees a contradiction between all those things existing in a game with bad combat. These are all hallmarks of a game with great combat.
 

AwesomeButton

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I think being bloated with combat (and also each combat encounter being kind of slow) isn't just something that Larian are doing by accident. They really believe that the combat is a selling point of their games, and that people savor it and want lots of it.

See that 2018 interview with Larian's publishing director that LESS T_T posted earlier in this thread. They see themselves as being more in competition with XCOM than with "true RPGs".
Well, they may have been seeing themselves that way and that's ok. But when we look at the steam achievement statistics, the reality is different. Most people play for 20-30 hrs and drop it there.
 

fantadomat

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We're witnessing a very bizarre design approach here. With all that enormous focus on cinematics, cut-scenes, visuals in general which are suppose to lead to immersion they also add something like this (I dont wanna mention thouse fucking dialogue options once more which are all about the same thing, apparently). Even if they'll remove that dice eventually (simply coz it's jarring af), what were they thinking?! Epic cinematic PnP experience, my ass.
It's typical Larian. You would know if you played DOS2, they write some utterly nonsensically dark shit then make some quirky joke. It's like watching a marvel movie.
Also it is filled with faggots. I lost count at how many faggots i blew up in dos2. It was really annoying,just walking in the city and seeing your text box getting filled with some story about dick sucking and muh bigotry.....fallowing with me blowing them up and proceeding toward the next faggot couple.
 
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Serious_Business

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We're witnessing a very bizarre design approach here. With all that enormous focus on cinematics, cut-scenes, visuals in general which are suppose to lead to immersion they also add something like this (I dont wanna mention thouse fucking dialogue options once more which are all about the same thing, apparently). Even if they'll remove that dice eventually (simply coz it's jarring af), what were they thinking?! Epic cinematic PnP experience, my ass.

That's just it, isn't it? It may be that the the root of a large part of Codex anti-Larianism, which began about a year after D:OS 2's release and how now erupted in full, is just how unusual yet bizarrely successful their approach has been. How much it goes outside the box and our preconceptions of what an "oldschool turn-based RPG" is supposed to be like.

Turn-based combat...with multiplayer? Throwing your boot at enemies and dipping your arrow in fire? Weird third person dialogue options with BioWare-esque characters? They do all this weird playful crap in a turn-based context, and it works for them. It works beyond belief. "This...this isn't how it's supposed to be!", cries the grognard.

We need a term for the Larian model of RPG which, like it or not, may define the next half-decade of isometric roleplaying. Perhaps we can call it "the new turn-based" - Nu-TB.

I agree with the news bot here. Larian games are by no means terrible, but they are getting a lot of shit right now because they are successful. Otherwise, you'd think most people would be sympathetic or indifferent towards them. The thing is, success has not even exactly changed their goals or design ethics ; they're still doing the kind of games they want to make. You can't fault them for trying to cater to some kind of mainstream audience - the mainstream audience is coming to them. Through all of that, they've even been doing games which are actually better in many respects - you'd be fucking around saying that Divine Divinity 1 or 2 were some kind of great classics or something.. If anything Divinity 2 was the biggest mainstream compromise and this game is very well-liked, even if it was third-person and action-based. Their new turned-based approach is superior in every respect, and it sells. Pretty abhorrent from the stagnating "decline" mentality that thinks everything is continually going to shit by default. The truth of the matter is, gaming right now is no longer unified into a single mainstream market, it does many things in many ways. We're just not in 2001 anymore, where consoles dominated every game design decision. The old warriors need an enemy I guess, but this is why you need to have them fight each other
 

AwesomeButton

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If you want to suffer: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/1750150007019243913/

I can't stop reading this trash, it's a self destructive behavior, please help.
the only thread that matters https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/1750150007024924167/
Well, the guy kind of has a point. He likes the femme-fatale types, although doesn't know what the type is called, and he is feeling left out. I'd also agree that the emphasis on "strong, independent" is already very cliched and dull.

We do need someone to smell nice in our party, and it's not going to be my barbarian.

I was going to say they dont make femme-fatales the way they used to, but we just got Klaasje in Disco Elysium, so if you want quality content, play quality games. ;)
 

fantadomat

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I think being bloated with combat (and also each combat encounter being kind of slow) isn't just something that Larian are doing by accident. They really believe that the combat is a selling point of their games, and that people savor it and want lots of it.

See that 2018 interview with Larian's publishing director that LESS T_T posted earlier in this thread. They see themselves as being more in competition with XCOM than with "true RPGs".
Well, they may have been seeing themselves that way and that's ok. But when we look at the steam achievement statistics, the reality is different. Most people play for 20-30 hrs and drop it there.
Ahhh which makes their point legit. People get their fill of the combat and just walk away. If they were hyped on the story they would have finished the game. It make really sense,it is simple combat system and flashy on top of it. It makes the normies feel smart when they cast a fireball on to poison cloud and see some explosion killing an enemy.
 

Lacrymas

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I don't know about you people, but I'm still not over how they butchered ceremorphosis lore. If there's something to be outraged about, it's that + the gith not being gith-like.
 

AwesomeButton

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Steam achievement statistics shouldn't be used in the design phase of anything ever.
Why not? If you have access to data which shows you can't retain the interest of your customers, why shouldn't you use that data? I guess your implication is that designing future content around telemetrics will result in content being inferior artistically. But I'd counter that content is usually already shit enough from the outset. There are games which I think have delivered better results thanks to telemetry - Deadfire (compared to PoE) and Hitman 2 come to my mind as games I've played.
 

Lacrymas

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Games are already designed with telemetrics in mind, that's why Cyseal was vastly superior to every other area in D:OS1. I hate that. Here's the thing, though, if they know most people don't complete 100+ hour RPGs, why make them 100+? Make them 20-30ish but with a lot of replayability potential.
 

fantadomat

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It was really annoying,just walking in the city and just seeing your text box getting filled with some story about dick sucking and muh bigotry.....fallowing with me blowing them up and proceeding toward the next faggot couple.

Queers are huge into tabletop and cRPGs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And i am huge into nukeing them with a fireball. Still DOS games have one of the worst writing in RPG history. If you want some well written faggot,go play spellforce 3,even a far right bastard like me didn't mind it.
 

Ontopoly

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Steam achievement statistics shouldn't be used in the design phase of anything ever.
Why not? If you have access to data which shows you can't retain the interest of your customers, why shouldn't you use that data? I guess your implication is that designing future content around telemetrics will result in content being inferior artistically. But I'd counter that content is usually already shit enough from the outset. There are games which I have delivered better results thanks to telemetry - Deadfire (compared to PoE) and Hitman 2 come to my mind as games I've played.
Am I the only one who constantly has achievements messing up? Even on consoles they've always given me trouble so I feel like they don't actually mean anything.
 

Dedicated_Dark

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I don't know about you people, but I'm still not over how they butchered ceremorphosis lore. If there's something to be outraged about, it's that + the gith not being gith-like.
Seriously though! Baldur's Gate 3 has the material to make a horror themed deep disturbing DnD game, but unfortunately Larian is going to butcher that opportunity.
 

Fairfax

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Reviewing the presentation I see action economy has been mangled beyond recognition and in favor of the player: clerics casting two spells in a turn, free disengagement with anime jumps, free attacks with improvised weapons...
You can cast 2 spell.
Shield of faith is bonus action so you can also cast a cantrip.

She casts Guiding Bolt, moves, casts Shield of Faith and ends her turn.
That's the biggest change they've made (so far). Being able to cast Misty Step/Healing Word/Healing Spirit/Shield of Faith/Sanctuary/Spiritual Weapon/others and cast another non-catrip spell is a huge deal. This changes combat completely for a lot of classes and builds, and it only gets stronger with higher levels.
 

Theodora

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And i am huge into nukeing them with a fireball. Still DOS games have one of the worst writing in RPG history. If you want some well written faggot,go play spellforce 3,even a far right bastard like me didn't mind it.

I mean it depends on the kind of 'faggot'.

Steam achievement statistics shouldn't be used in the design phase of anything ever.
Why not? If you have access to data which shows you can't retain the interest of your customers, why shouldn't you use that data? I guess your implication is that designing future content around telemetrics will result in content being inferior artistically. But I'd counter that content is usually already shit enough from the outset. There are games which I think have delivered better results thanks to telemetry - Deadfire (compared to PoE) and Hitman 2 come to my mind as games I've played.

I get the impression a lot of people never lost their kneejerk reaction to achivements after how clumsily their first iterations were a decade ago. So no matter the context they come up they're deemed worthless.
 

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