Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Modron]

My opinion: The Ring of the Ram is probably the most OP, because it can damage a Demi-Lich, interrupt spellcasting and push it. (also 5d6 dmg is pretty good, too)

Don't the liches just die from two flame strikes or whatever you call that pillar of fire spell cleric's have and that one sword lets you cast x amount of times a day. Regardless of what spell defenses they have up?

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

you are referencing the Deathstalker Mantle. unfortunately no item link, since it's not in EA due to Dark Urge being 1.0 origin content. also i'm considering not rolling Dark Urge, since apparently the more you resist the Dark Urges ™ the harder it is to fight it later, meaning you might be more or less locked into doing things you, the player, don't want to do.

Sounds like if you'd stick to your role at least some of the time, you wouldn't have any issues. Kick the squirrel or whatever.

This is the same mentality that used to complain that the paladin class was hard to play because one little murder could turn you into a fallen paladin.

If you want to roll a serial killer, you need to play one.

 

[Zeriel]

The year DA:I came out was probably the worst year in the last 10 years.
The game literally had no competition and this was a time when the Bioware brand still meant something.
If I remember correctly only Shadow of Mordor, Borderlands, Banner Saga, South Park and DoS1 came out this year.
These are probably the most important games that did not turn out to be a failure.
These were dark times when Skyrim was still considered the model of an AAA RPG.

2014 also featured Might & Magic X, Wasteland 2, Dark Souls 2, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and most importantly Legend of Grimrock II.

Might and Magic X -> failure
Dark Souls 2 -> considered a failure
Wasteland 2 -> niche
Legend of Grimlock 2 -> niche
Shadowrun: Dragonfall -> niche

The blobber renaissance dying for no reason was the saddest part of this timeline. MMX was a great game, sucks that we never got a sequel with a proper budget.

 

[blessed king of longing]

you are referencing the Deathstalker Mantle. unfortunately no item link, since it's not in EA due to Dark Urge being 1.0 origin content. also i'm considering not rolling Dark Urge, since apparently the more you resist the Dark Urges ™ the harder it is to fight it later, meaning you might be more or less locked into doing things you, the player, don't want to do.

Sounds like if you'd stick to your role at least some of the time, you wouldn't have any issues. Kick the squirrel or whatever.

This is the same mentality that used to complain that the paladin class was hard to play because one little murder could turn you into a fallen paladin.

If you want to roll a serial killer, you need to play one.

i'm glad we're back on track to actually discussing the game. but yeah, i'm not sure it's that clear-cut - we don't actually know what the Dark Urge is yet, do we really know that it's a serial killer/bhaalspawn? etc. it's obvious that the Dark Urge is a troubled individual (i actually think amnesia is the lowest form of writing, btw - very cringe method of exposition if you ask me), but we also don't know where those thoughts are actually coming from. so i would reserve judgment - although it does seem like Dark Urge leads you down a pretty interesting path in the game. maybe it's for a playthrough when you already feel satisfied with what happens in the story and just want to fuck shit up.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

has it been said why you create a character you dream of after you're done with yours? inb4 the dark urge is somehow related to that

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

we don't actually know what the Dark Urge is yet, do we really know that it's a serial killer/bhaalspawn?

He's compelled to do evil things because he hears voices or whatever. Sure, there might be a cause. Maybe something that could be combated or fixed entirely later on. Swen did say you could become a sort of hero even as TDU, so who knows.

But you didn't roll a schizo so that you could see a few different cutscenes and make sane choices every time. It was so that you could roleplay being an actual violent lunatic.

(i actually think amnesia is the lowest form of writing, btw - very cringe method of exposition if you ask me)

Depends on why it's used and how. The Nameless One, for example.

In general, it's bad though, yes. E.g., the first Witcher game.

has it been said why you create a character you dream of after you're done with yours? inb4 the dark urge is somehow related to that

It's an effect of the tadpole, or whatever special magics that have been worked on it. The dream avatar is (basically) there because of the tadpole (even though it's not the tadpole itself, apparently). So, now that it's in your brain, you hear it in your head asking you what the perfect avatar you'd actually want to listen to and interact with would look like.

I assume TDU has a similar mechanic that may or may not be related, but I don't know.

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

we don't actually know what the Dark Urge is yet, do we really know that it's a serial killer/bhaalspawn?

He's compelled to do evil things because he hears voices or whatever. Sure, there might be a cause. Maybe something that could be combated or fixed entirely later on. Swen did say you could become a sort of hero even as TDU, so who knows.

But you rolled a schizo not so that you could see a few different cutscenes and make sane choices every time. It was so that you could roleplay being an actual violent lunatic.

(i actually think amnesia is the lowest form of writing, btw - very cringe method of exposition if you ask me)

Depends on why it's used and how. The Nameless One, for example.

In general, it's bad though, yes. E.g., the first Witcher game.

has it been said why you create a character you dream of after you're done with yours? inb4 the dark urge is somehow related to that

It's an effect of the tadpole, or whatever special magics that have been worked on it. The dream avatar is (basically) there because of the tadpole (even though it's not the tadpole itself, apparently). So, now that it's in your brain, you hear it in your head asking you what the perfect avatar you'd actually want to listen to and interact with would look like.

I assume TDU has a similar mechanic that may or may not be related, but I don't know.

I found the whole thing truly fascinating. I could say more but... Avoiding to make spoilers.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Items in the Real BGs were a little bit more subtle than BUTTON -> AWESOME

Well, yeah. Most of them were passives, so no button press required. Nothing like walking in Bodhi's lair and one-shotting everything in there the second it appears on the screen.

An item that sets iNT fo 17, for example, and in a game where unlike BG/BG2 you can already raise your attribute scores with feats, is a bit much.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

An item that sets iNT fo 17, for example, and in a game where unlike BG/BG2 you can already raise your attribute scores with feats, is a bit much.

Except you could raise attribute scores in BG1 and 2 via tomes and a few choices, and you had magic items and potions that could either permanently or temporarily raise them to high levels.

I remember reading one guide to BG2 that flat out told people to set their CHA as low as possible and put the points into other stats, since you could get the Ring of Human Influence at the start of the game, and it would set it to CHA 18.

Again, this is another moment of criticizing BG3 for something BG1 & 2 did themselves, if not did worse.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I'm aware you can raise your ability scores in BG, I've actually played those games. The example I cited comes from a youtube video of a guy telling his impressions of Act 2, and is just one of many. I've already given the link to the video a couple of pages back.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Again, this is another moment of criticizing BG3 for something BG1 & 2 did themselves, if not did worse.

Let me get this straight - cricisim of BG3 isn't allowed if the completely unrelated as story and gamepay two games from 20+ years ago had the same flaw as the one being criticized?

Wow, that's what "discussing the game" is like, huh?

 

[Yosharian]

Btw, is Shadowheart based on a real actress?

Her voice actress looks similar.

Look guys, FEMININE HAIR.

 

[Gradenmayer]

Speaking of killing companions and NPCs, here is a question - what class would Anton Chigur be best represented by?

The origin could be Dark Urge obviousky, or could be no origin at all.

Wild magic barbarian with dip into rogue and bard.

 

[Nerevar]

According to the (((canon))) story Coran got a really good ending what he just gets to be the best archer in BG1 and then doesn't die and has kids?

Do any of the other henchmen get happy endings?

Just decided to look up Coran because of what a chad he is for an Elf.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Except you could raise attribute scores in BG1 and 2 via tomes and a few choices, and you had magic items and potions that could either permanently or temporarily raise them to high levels.

I remember reading one guide to BG2 that flat out told people to set their CHA as low as possible and put the points into other stats, since you could get the Ring of Human Influence at the start of the game, and it would set it to CHA 18.

Again, this is another moment of criticizing BG3 for something BG1 & 2 did themselves, if not did worse.

Let me get this straight - cricisim of BG3 isn't allowed if the completely unrelated as story and gamepay two games from 20+ years ago had the same flaw as the one being criticized?

Wow, that's what "discussing the game" is like, huh?

Oh, so now it's a flaw in both? Before you were defending it in BG1 & 2 and saying it was different in 3 because 3 lets you raise your attributes.

Nice try with the goalpost shift. And with the strawman about *criticism not being allowed.

You're free to criticize all you want. But people are going to call you a hypocrite for excusing it in the originals (which you did here) and not in BG3.

 

[Darth Valer]

If I understood correctly the ring sets INT to a fixed 17, lowering it if your actual value is higher than that. It was described as thought specifically for multiclassing, so that you could give a good (but not superlative, especially later on) spellcasting modifier to characters unfit for that.

I'm not an expert in D&D 5e, but it sounds powerful in a fair and not broken way.

 

[Gradenmayer]

Again, this is another moment of criticizing BG3 for something BG1 & 2 did themselves, if not did worse.

Let me get this straight - cricisim of BG3 isn't allowed if the completely unrelated as story and gamepay two games from 20+ years ago had the same flaw as the one being criticized?

Wow, that's what "discussing the game" is like, huh?

You straight up said it wasn’t a thing in BG2 dumbass

in a game where unlike BG/BG2 you can already raise your attribute scores with feats, is a bit much.

 

[Darth Valer]

According to the (((canon))) story Coran got a really good ending what he just gets to be the best archer in BG1 and then doesn't die and has kids?

Do any of the other henchmen get happy endings?

Just decided to look up Coran because of what a chad he is for an Elf.

If you're interested in Coran he appears in some fashion I won't spoil in the Mindbreaker comic series (5 issues) which is linked to the story of BG 3

 

[Gradenmayer]

Speaking of items there were some interesting story affecting items.

Like the ring that forbids using tadpole’s powers, but stops it’s growth in return.

 

[Nerevar]

Another example of the decline in BG3 the Urgespawn has to wear a circlet to have 17 (not 18) INT whereas the Bhaalspawn can have 18s across the board and just dump wisdom and charisma.

It seems that BG3 is forcing you to play as a weak low statted faggot this is further reinforced by the choice in romances making all the women dumb evil whores or look like shit and the guys have loads of different options (twink, hairy dad guy, negro, Wizard).

Really thought provoking character design choices by Larian here. They traded powerfantasy for faggot fantasy.

 

[Orud]

An item that sets iNT fo 17, for example, and in a game where unlike BG/BG2 you can already raise your attribute scores with feats, is a bit much.

I'm more withholding atm when it comes to itemization. I think both "+2 or +3" and going "overboard" with items like in BG2/ToB have merit, it just depends on how they fit with the other systems.
If they go the route of making every item class specific and/or only give a handful of classes/builds really powerful items, then yes, it'll suck. If they make sure there's plenty of support across many builds for these items, and that the game is balanced around them, then it can be okay.

It's a bit my entire stance on the game. When viewed individually, certain systems can look shit, but it's often how they're setup with the other systems that determines how good they really are. It's why I nitpicked OP items in BG2 as a response, since I can also easily isolate systems from that game that aren't ideal.
Tldr: I'll wait and see.

 

[Zeriel]

>Larian
>Balanced

Hilarious.

 

[Gradenmayer]

Let’s not pretend D&D 5 is balanced as well when Clerics and Wizards exist.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

About the actual game, I had the time to skim through Larian's livestream from a few weeks ago (on 2x speed) instead of just watching clips.

Some interesting things I noticed that we haven't talked about much due to the thread's consuming fascination with ursine romance:

Corruption influence quests similar to helping Anomen choose whether to be LG or CN, is possible with all the companions in BG3. If they are on an evil route, it will change their influence reactions to your choices.

Anyone in a multiplayer game can apparently pick an origin character, meaning that you can have one person play Astarion and another Shadowheart. (Or pick the bearsex druid and play it straight, denying the furfags in your party their prize.) I think this is old info that I didn't actually realize until now, since origin characters weren't in the early access without hacks.

The artifact Shadowheart is carrying is responsible for allowing you to escape the Absolute's control.

 

[ADL]

Not sure if it's been posted already but this thread is making the rounds on gamedev twitter.

https://gameworldobserver.com/2023/07/12/baldurs-gate-3-new-standard-for-rpg-genre-opinions