Interview Interview with Baldur's Gate 3 lead systems designer Nick Pechenin at Rock Paper Shotgun

[NJClaw]

Are there Larian devs on here? Can we tag them and let them know how shitty their game looks, worse than the original Baldur's Gate which came out 22 years ago?

I don't know anything about Larian devs, but we have one of their public relations managers: Ontopoly

 

[Kaivokz]

He keeps saying they don't want too much complexity, but doesn't that seem a bit shit?

They aren't allowing enemies to combo you like you combo them, because it would "introduce too much chaos" and interrupt the battle plans of the player. But isn't that a good thing? Improvise, adapt, overcome?

The design philosophy seems to be: The most important thing is for people to feel like they are doing cool stuff.

Is it really the case that the average player will be frustrated and quit if their "cool plan" gets interrupted and they have to spend a whole "30 to 40 seconds" thinking of a new one?

 

[Shadenuat]

"we playtested it and found when your whole party always goes first in d&d it's hard to balance"

but i mean ok if they learn they learn

 

[Gyor]

The more I look at gameplay of this thing, the more I hate it.

I have no idea why WotC decided to give their precious license that they held stuffed in their rear end for decades to a bunch of clowns who made two successful games without an art director and are now obviously making a third one without an art director as well.

I think I spotted DOS2 on the steam top seller list again recently. Three years after its release and it's still selling. Why is this such a mystery? WotC obviously wants a bite out of that pie.

I just bought it a few days ago to distract me while my dad was in the hospital after having a heart attack. He is okay.

I wonder how much having the BG3 deal is boosting their sales as curious BG and Forgotten Realms fans buy it to find out why every compares BG3 to DOS2.

Having played some DOS2, I can see some of the influences, but its grossly over stated, and the people who think it looks Cartoonish are out of their fucking minds, go play black and white Othercide when it comes out you bunch of bleached gnomes.

 

[Gyor]

Are there Larian devs on here? Can we tag them and let them know how shitty their game looks, worse than the original Baldur's Gate which came out 22 years ago?

Go get an eye transplant.

 

[hairyscotsman2]

Not looking forward to the Vancian straightjacket and quadratic wizards Vs linear warriors. Everything else looks great to me.

 

[Spectacle]

Not looking forward to the Vancian straightjacket and quadratic wizards Vs linear warriors. Everything else looks great to me.

BG3 uses 5E not 3E.

 

[Saber-Scorpion]

I really hate the art style, or lack thereof. The character/armor designs especially.

I would have much more positive feelings about this game if it was called "Larian Does D&D" or "Divinity & Dungeons & Dragons" or whatever, instead of "Baldur's Gate 3." It just doesn't look or feel like BG in the slightest, and I doubt the story has anything significant to do with it either. Might as well call every random D&D game "Baldur's Gate."

 

[Roguey]

I would have much more positive feelings about this game if it was called "Larian Does D&D" or "Divinity & Dungeons & Dragons" or whatever, instead of "Baldur's Gate 3." It just doesn't look or feel like BG in the slightest, and I doubt the story has anything significant to do with it either. Might as well call every random D&D game "Baldur's Gate."

It takes place in the city of Baldur's Gate.

 

[Fenix]

I can tell about negative part - for me it's CONSTANT moving of camera, spinning and moving and shaking it.
AND those fugly cutscenes.
For cutscenes - which is a cinematography tool - you need to be a DIRECTOR and you need to be CAMERAMAN, to make impact from them.
CAMREMAN isn't anywone who holding the camera or smartphone.

So, in general these cutscenes will be a bunch of mess bullshit at which you will be rollig eyes really high.

 

[J_C]

I have no idea why WotC decided to give their precious license that they held stuffed in their rear end for decades to a bunch of clowns

who made two successful games without an art director and are now obviously making a third one without an art director as well.

Well you gave yourself an answer, didn't you?

 

[Saber-Scorpion]

It takes place in the city of Baldur's Gate.

I'm aware of that, and if the game was called "Baldur's Gate: Shadow of the Illithids" or whatever, then I also would have less beef with it. But it's called "Baldur's Gate 3," which implies it is a sequel to the specific, widely-beloved games Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. A sequel usually has some connection to its predecessors, either through story continuity or at the very least gameplay.

Remember that console hack-n-slash spinoff, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? There's a reason they didn't call that Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[Not.AI]

He keeps saying they don't want too much complexity. [A]

The design philosophy seems to be: The most important thing is for people to feel like they are doing cool stuff.

Very simple rules interacting over enough time and space inevitably produce huge complexity anyway. Most complexity is simplicity.

Simple systems are complex. Complex systems are complex. May as well then go for more complex to get whatever benefits that extra complexity will bring?

Kitchen sink design is good design. Proof.

In fact, a good game should (a) have so much complexity (b) that nobody playing understands the rules of the game.

Then whenever the player does anything, they are always doing cool stuff. By definition. From their own perspective.

They are always surprised they could do it. It was never quite obvious. How many great RPGs run on this strategy?

Real world. Totally boring if you understood what is going on. Most cool stuff people do is cool stuff precisely only they do not really understand what they are doing and what expectations they can form.

So opposite "A" can facilitate "B". Theorem.

 

[Gyor]

It takes place in the city of Baldur's Gate.

I'm aware of that, and if the game was called "Baldur's Gate: Shadow of the Illithids" or whatever, then I also would have less beef with it. But it's called "Baldur's Gate 3," which implies it is a sequel to the specific, widely-beloved games Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. A sequel usually has some connection to its predecessors, either through story continuity or at the very least gameplay.

Remember that console hack-n-slash spinoff, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? There's a reason they didn't call that Baldur's Gate 3.

There is some story connections, Bhaal is important to the plot of BG3, as is the city of Baldur's Gate, and the setting of the Forgotten Realms in general. Most likely a lot more things as well, but it's way too early to know about them all.

 

[Kalin]

Fuck off shillfag go peddle your poz somewhere else

 

[Morality Games]

Dragon Age Origins (yes you read that right) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this abomination

Combat mechanics, camera, and probably also story and c&c are better in DAO. People seem to forget how much c&c you had in DAO. More than Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate and even the codex beloved Planescape Torment.

Stop putting retarded emojis, you retarded elex. You all goddamn know it is true.

C&C was sort of the major thing the D:OS games had a lot of. Almost every quest had multiple solutions and consequences, including just solving every quest by killing every NPC in sight until all problems stopped existing.

 

[Zeriel]

It takes place in the city of Baldur's Gate.

I'm aware of that, and if the game was called "Baldur's Gate: Shadow of the Illithids" or whatever, then I also would have less beef with it. But it's called "Baldur's Gate 3," which implies it is a sequel to the specific, widely-beloved games Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. A sequel usually has some connection to its predecessors, either through story continuity or at the very least gameplay.

Remember that console hack-n-slash spinoff, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? There's a reason they didn't call that Baldur's Gate 3.

There is some story connections, Bhaal is important to the plot of BG3, as is the city of Baldur's Gate, and the setting of the Forgotten Realms in general. Most likely a lot more things as well, but it's way too early to know about them all.

What does Bhaal have to do with BG3? I thought they long since moved past all that stuff in the intervening editions.

 

[Roguey]

What does Bhaal have to do with BG3? I thought they long since moved past all that stuff in the intervening editions.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Bhaal#Reemergence

 

[Ovplain]

It takes place in the city of Baldur's Gate.

I'm aware of that, and if the game was called "Baldur's Gate: Shadow of the Illithids" or whatever, then I also would have less beef with it. But it's called "Baldur's Gate 3," which implies it is a sequel to the specific, widely-beloved games Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. A sequel usually has some connection to its predecessors, either through story continuity or at the very least gameplay.

Remember that console hack-n-slash spinoff, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? There's a reason they didn't call that Baldur's Gate 3.

Yes, as far as I'm concerned, this is basically Fallout 3 all over again. Nightmare. So I'm just trying to stay away, best to just stay away, pretend it doesn't exist.

 

[Bester]

Are there Larian devs on here? Can we tag them and let them know how shitty their game looks, worse than the original Baldur's Gate which came out 22 years ago?

Some of them know I've been told. They have to hide it.

Decision as always are taken by a very small circle of people. Most team members are just grunts.

 

[Gyor]

Most of the fighting is now over a name. This is fucking stupid.

 

[Gyor]

Are there Larian devs on here? Can we tag them and let them know how shitty their game looks, worse than the original Baldur's Gate which came out 22 years ago?

Some of them know I've been told. They have to hide it.

Decision as always are taken by a very small circle of people. Most team members are just grunts.

Are you on crack or just had eye surgery gone wrong? BG3 look way more amazing then BG 1, 2, or ToB.

 

[Trans-Financial-Man]

He keeps saying they don't want too much complexity, but doesn't that seem a bit shit?

They aren't allowing enemies to combo you like you combo them, because it would "introduce too much chaos" and interrupt the battle plans of the player. But isn't that a good thing? Improvise, adapt, overcome?

The design philosophy seems to be: The most important thing is for people to feel like they are doing cool stuff.

Is it really the case that the average player will be frustrated and quit if their "cool plan" gets interrupted and they have to spend a whole "30 to 40 seconds" thinking of a new one?

I talk to devs a lot and a lot of them have this mentallity about RPGs and I fucking hate it.

RPGs do not need to "evolve" or "gain a wider audience" they are an inherently niche genre. And that's okay. I do believe the Codex likes to prop up really stat heavy, autistic games. But those games have an audience. And I can always play the RPGs I like such as Fallout or TOEE. But every RPG maker wants to chase Bioware's audience. I was on their forums since NwN came out. I saw it turn from neckbeards who liked RPGs and modding to mentally unwell teenagers who only cared about their favourite ship. Guess what many of them turned into after 2012. Something involving genital mutilation. You do not, not ever want that audience. They were proto trannies and SJWs before it was cool and they will destroy any company that has their attention. They don't want to play games so when they moan about RPGs being too hard it is only because it is getting in the way of scenes involving their OTP. You could give them a visual novel and those people would be satisfied.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I wonder how much having the BG3 deal is boosting their sales as curious BG and Forgotten Realms fans buy it to find out why every compares BG3 to DOS2.

Probably didn't see a difference at all due to this tbh, but it would be too hard to tell.
WotC is the one banking off of Larian's name, not the other way around. What was the last D&D-licensed video game that didn't sell like a hot turd? Neverwinter Nights? Maybe Dark Alliance(which released shortly after)?

 

[Zeriel]

Probably NWN2/Mask of the Betrayer. To be fair, the reason for that is everything after that was either nonexistent or shovelware.