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

[Ontopoly]

Yosharian you seem angry. Would it be possible for me to convince you to not buy the game?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Yosharian you seem angry. Would it be possible for me to convince you to not buy the game?

You start like that, you've already lost.

 

[Saravan]

Yosharian you seem angry. Would it be possible for me to convince you to not buy the game?

Even Jehovah's witnesses have a better sales pitch than that.

 

[Feyd Rautha]

Will you be able to travel outside of Baldur's Gate and visit locations from BG1 like Candlekeep?

 

[Ontopoly]

Yosharian. This game doesn't seem to appeal to you so much. Can I interest you in a list of different but similar enough games, so that you don't have to partake in this soulless, passionless project while still enjoying the genre you love?

 

[Thac0]

Yosharian. This game doesn't seem to appeal to you so much. Can I interest you in a list of different but similar enough games, so that you don't have to partake in this soulless, passionless project while still enjoying the genre you love?

I would love to hear what you would have to suggest, since you stated that you never played an rpg where max difficulty was hard for you. Since that I wondered if you are just very intuitively good at games or just have never played an rpg that wasnt popamole or dialogue focussed.

 

[DraQ]

Yosharian. This game doesn't seem to appeal to you so much. Can I interest you in a list of different but similar enough games, so that you don't have to partake in this soulless, passionless project while still enjoying the genre you love?

Clippy, is that you?

 

[Ontopoly]

Yosharian. This game doesn't seem to appeal to you so much. Can I interest you in a list of different but similar enough games, so that you don't have to partake in this soulless, passionless project while still enjoying the genre you love?

I would love to hear what you would have to suggest, since you stated that you never played an rpg where max difficulty was hard for you. Since that I wondered if you are just very intuitively good at games or just have never played an rpg that wasnt popamole or dialogue focussed.

I never said I haven't played a game where Max difficulty was hard. I said there has never been a game with a hard difficulty that requires min maxing and power gaming to beat then specifically said it might be needed for some games hardest difficulty, such as Pathfinder kingmakers unfair. At least reread the comment you're referencing before trying to call me out. I've never claimed to be amazing at games and I'm definitely not someone who goes around complaining that games are too easy. I pretty much never play on the hardest difficulty, I usually stick to whatever they label as hard mode or whatever is one step above normal then adjust if I have to later on.

Also it you're actually curious about the games I would recommend him, I would recommend him literally anything other than what's been put out my swen-led Larian.

 

[Sweeper]

It's gonna come out and it's gonna be shit like so many people have predicted already, but then you'll get the small minority of Larianfags who will refuse to accept the truth.
3.5 was the pinnacle of D&D, Larian following someone else's ruleset doesn't help when the ruleset is simplified retarded shit.
But that I suppose is ultimately a good thing, Larian is developing the fucking thing after all, no complexity allowed.

It's Fallout 3 all over again, except Larian is worse than Bethesda.
And I swear, 3 is a cursed number in gaming.
The third game of Troika being the last one. Fallout 3. Dead Space 3. Far Cry 3. Max Payne 3. FEAR 3.

Spoiler

Baldur's Gate 3

3 is the number of decline.
When you realize this, you'll realize that Gaben is a fucking genius.

 

[Tigranes]

Oh, don't be so harsh. The only reason anyone's optimistic about this is the same reason that some people are holding hope for Black Geyser and Cyberpunk:

You know, deep, crushing boredom.

 

[Sweeper]

You know, deep, crushing boredom.

If you must play something, might as well replay the stuff you know is good, instead of holding out for shit.

 

[Tigranes]

Hey, don't look at me, I agree with you. But seems like everybody else downloaded Outer Worlds

 

[Sweeper]

But seems like everybody else downloaded Outer Worlds

I fucking hate this place.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Nearly all Baldur's Gate companions were far from optimized, I’m not sure what the fury is about. They were obviously attempting to make plausible characters, not murder munchkins.

 

[Lacrymas]

Nearly all Baldur's Gate companions were far from optimized, I’m not sure what the fury is about. They were obviously attempting to make plausible characters, not murder munchkins.

Most evil companions in BG1 were ridiculously good, the cherry on top was Edwin who was a better mage than the PC. From the good companions, Coran had an illegal dex score of 20.

 

[Haplo]

Hey, don't look at me, I agree with you. But seems like everybody else downloaded Outer Worlds

Easily worth those 3 bucks or whatever it costed me.

 

[Haplo]

You know, deep, crushing boredom.

If you must play something, might as well replay the stuff you know is good, instead of holding out for shit.

Yep, that's generally what I'm doing. Replaying Deadfire for the 4th time.
Then, after the Turn Based patch comes out for Kingmaker, I'll likely replay that for the 3rd.

Not counting half play-troughs and beginnings in either, that is.

 

[Thac0]

Nearly all Baldur's Gate companions were far from optimized, I’m not sure what the fury is about. They were obviously attempting to make plausible characters, not murder munchkins.

Most evil companions in BG1 were ridiculously good, the cherry on top was Edwin who was a better mage than the PC. From the good companions, Coran had an illegal dex score of 20.

Thats pretty cool actually, since the good ones were extremely weak. Viconia is stronger than most good companions in BG 1+2 even with her shitty CON. Only real good powerhouse is Aerie with her potent mage/cleric multiclass.

 

[Incendax]

Most evil companions in BG1 were ridiculously good, the cherry on top was Edwin who was a better mage than the PC. From the good companions, Coran had an illegal dex score of 20.

Yeah, Coran was a monster with 20 Dex and 3 pips. But Edwin, Viconia, Kagain, and Tiax were all cheaters in their own way.

 

[Thal]

Some BG1 companions are more powerful than others, but you need to evaluate them as the whole.

Edwin is often regarded as the best mage, but to get him you have to pass up on Minsc, who is the best melee fighter (aside from Charname) but forces you to take Dynaheir (a simple, but subpar mage if you know anything about mage specializations). You want Minsc too, because Ajantis and Kivan are what you'll be working with if you don't. The Gnoll Stronghold is actually one of the better C&C quests in crpgs, because it affects what kind of party you'll be using for the rest of the game. That's a way bigger consequence than a different ending slide.

An evil party has two decent melee fighters but both of them have handicaps. Kagain has high CON (more important than HP, it heals him when resting and between maps), but low DEX and STR, making him reliant on Gauntlets of Ogre Power or Dexterity. Moreover, to get the most out of him, you'll have to stick to Battle Axes, meaning waiting until Chapter 5 for a low THAC0 (If you find it, same as The Gauntlets of Ogre Power). Shar-Teel hits hard but her low CON will make her inferior to Minsc, who has no weak spots. Viconia is a good cleric, but her magic resistance blocks beneficial spells too and you may also want to give her The Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

You can always solve these problems by mixing alignments, choosing the right class for PC, letting Dynaheir die, dual classing, using the right spells (meaning you'll effectively have one spell slot less for each time you do it), but you need to figure out these things yourself. Coran is the only one I would say is too good, but even in his case, the game puts his Thief skills to everywhere except Open Locks and Find Traps. You need to rush to Cloakwood to get him at level 4, if you want him to be your only Thief, which is again something that only discerning players will do. However, he's still a better archer than Kivan, which he shouldn't be.

In short, BG1 companions are very well designed and balanced. You got a shit ton of combinations to choose, all of which come with tradeoffs. Naturally, EE ruins this design by changing the system to BG2s and by introducing Dorn (ruining Edwin vs. Minsc tradeoff). What a shit enchancement. Don't play it, my friends.

Edit: one more thing. Edwin is not hands down the best mage. He has more spell slots than anyone else, but what you want is your spells to pass saving throws. Xan with Sleep, Hold Person, Dire Charm, Emotion, Confusion and wands is much more effective than Edwin, who can't even identify your magic items.

 

[Cael]

Some BG1 companions are more powerful than others, but you need to evaluate them as the whole.

Edwin is often regarded as the best mage, but to get him you have to pass up on Minsc, who is the best melee fighter (aside from Charname) but forces you to take Dynaheir (a simple, but subpar mage if you know anything about mage specializations). You want Minsc too, because Ajantis and Kivan are what you'll be working with if you don't. The Gnoll Stronghold is actually one of the better C&C quests in crpgs, because it affects what kind of party you'll be using for the rest of the game. That's a way bigger consequence than a different ending slide.

An evil party has two decent melee fighters but both of them have handicaps. Kagain has high CON (more important than HP, it heals him when resting and between maps), but low DEX and STR, making him reliant on Gauntlets of Ogre Power or Dexterity. Moreover, to get the most out of him, you'll have to stick to Battle Axes, meaning waiting until Chapter 5 for a low THAC0 (If you find it, same as The Gauntlets of Ogre Power). Shar-Teel hits hard but her low CON will make her inferior to Minsc, who has no weak spots. Viconia is a good cleric, but her magic resistance blocks beneficial spells too and you may also want to give her The Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

You can always solve these problems by mixing alignments, choosing the right class for PC, letting Dynaheir die, dual classing, using the right spells (meaning you'll effectively have one spell slot less for each time you do it), but you need to figure out these things yourself. Coran is the only one I would say is too good, but even in his case, the game puts his Thief skills to everywhere except Open Locks and Find Traps. You need to rush to Cloakwood to get him at level 4, if you want him to be your only Thief, which is again something that only discerning players will do. However, he's still a better archer than Kivan, which he shouldn't be.

In short, BG1 companions are very well designed and balanced. You got a shit ton of combinations to choose, all of which come with tradeoffs. Naturally, EE ruins this design by changing the system to BG2s and by introducing Dorn (ruining Edwin vs. Minsc tradeoff). What a shit enchancement. Don't play it, my friends.

Edit: one more thing. Edwin is not hands down the best mage. He has more spell slots than anyone else, but what you want is your spells to pass saving throws. Xan with Sleep, Hold Person, Dire Charm, Emotion, Confusion and wands is much more effective than Edwin, who can't even identify your magic items.

People tend to equate spell slots with power with mages, when in reality, in a game like BG, it doesn't really matter. Spell school restrictions matter more, but even that is really only restricted to Necromancy (Skull Trap) and Evocation (Fireball).

One thing though: that dwarf in the Mines is not a bad Fighter type for a Good party. You just need to give him the Gloves of Dex, and he makes a pretty good tank.

 

[Lacrymas]

Minsc, who is the best melee fighter

Shar-Teel can be dualled to Thief at lvl 7, so Minsc's advantages pale in comparison.

 

[Thal]

Minsc, who is the best melee fighter

Shar-Teel can be dualled to Thief at lvl 7, so Minsc's advantages pale in comparison.

Yeah, after 134,000 XP and just in time for Durlag's Tower.

 

[Elex]

Number of slot don’t matter because Spam resting is a plague, kingmaker is the only one making it right.

 

[Elex]

Minsc, who is the best melee fighter

Shar-Teel can be dualled to Thief at lvl 7, so Minsc's advantages pale in comparison.

Also minsc can’t use one quick slot.