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

[Orud]

Swen had it easy though, uploading pirated software is illegal in Belgium. Downloading isn't.

 

[Zeriel]

Swen had it easy though, uploading pirated software is illegal in Belgium. Downloading isn't.

That's basically the case everywhere? Functionally anyway. The amount of people who actually get charged let alone sentenced for pirating software/music/whatever can be counted on a single hand. And generally these are abusive SLAPP cases which if argued on the merits would fail, the copyright lobbies just bring them to scare people.

I can't remember the last time I heard of one though, they seemed to be brought in that era when ISPs were still protecting customers. Now that ISPs will just cut users off and disconnect their service after 3~ notices, that's not needed anymore. Not that pirating stopped, we just all use VPNs now, lmao. Congratulations, copyright owners, you managed to turn indie VPN providers into a download-all-games subscription service, instead of just providing your own subscription service.

 

[Larianshill]

I'd like to point out that Astarion is bisexual, as are all the NPCs apparently. He's flamboyant in his personality, but not a homosexual. Not more so than any of the others anyway.

Astarion has the typical mannerisms of a flaming homo-faggot. He might be bisexual in the game code, but he is canonically a putrid fag.

 

[Zeriel]

I'd like to point out that Astarion is bisexual, as are all the NPCs apparently. He's flamboyant in his personality, but not a homosexual. Not more so than any of the others anyway.

Astarion has the typical mannerisms of a flaming homo-faggot. He might be bisexual in the game code, but he is canonically a putrid fag.

That's what all videogame bisexuals are anyway. None of them are highly hetero coded. They just make a fag and say he's a bi as an afterthought.

And all women are essentially bi by nature anyway, so it's not even worth mentioning in that regard. Bi = gay man who doesn't hate women, for all intents and purposes.

 

[gurugeorge]

Reminder that tranny shit has always been hovering in the wings:-



The Pythons, being well-educated and Left-leaning themselves, were fully au fait with trends in thinking in those directions in 1979. But obviously at that time, Feminism was the gender-related subversive trend to support, and trannyism would have clashed with that (as it does today), so it was a minor side-phenomenon. (Most of the "oppressed" groups' interests clash under the "intersectional" umbrella, the only thing that unites them is anti-White misandry.)

Now, with women's well-being and prerogatives having been thrown under the bus (as if Feminism was really ever about women's well-being, except for the rubes and useful idiots), trannyism is being pushed out of every available orifice of the Great Satan 24/7.

That's the difference: whereas before it would have been an interesting, amusing side-light, now it's a form of normalization of degeneracy that you have to support and promote, or you lose funding, finance, your job, even the ability to bank at all.

 

[Swen]

Still number 1

https://store.steampowered.com/search/?sort_by=_ASC&supportedlang=english&filter=topsellers

 

[Theodora]

A lot of the drama around that twitter thread calling BG3 an anomaly seemed to lose track of what the original post actually said. He was trying to convey that Larian have access to a huge, pre-existing IP and had already built much of the technology required to realise BG3 over the development of DOS 1 and 2; that they saved a tonnn of developer time that instead went directly to building the game, which alongside a successful Early Access phase allowed them to build something far grander in scale than most ""AA"" RPG developers could safely afford to.

The risk being that it can only takes one big, expensive commercial failure for a studio to go bust, as happened back in the day with a handful of RPGs that are now beloved, or 'cult classics'. He's essentially talking about what happened with Troika after Bloodlines, or Clover after Ōkami and God Hand (simultaneously developed) both flopped. Of course there were external factors, but there always are; complications have to be anticipated.

I'm sure some of the devs sharing it did so out of insecurity, but the OP seemed genuinely focused on the boring economics of game development and the existential risk posed to studios by expensive projects not promptly recuperating their costs. Arguably those boring economics, whether you want to call them capitalist incentives or something else, are the bigger problem; because they motivate developers to play it safe rather than take ambitious risks. Games are expensive (increasingly so), and making art means taking risks. Which is why companies like Ubisoft, that could most easily afford such risks, would rather regurgitate the same game endlessly, because reliable sales give investors a hard-on in a way shaping culture simply does not.

I would actually say that talking about that is the improvement, since they've been crying over cinematics and day/night cycles since before the EA.

Just a little funny (in an absurd way) that anyone expected to find their dream trad-waifu in that setting.

I'd like to point out that Astarion is bisexual, as are all the NPCs apparently. He's flamboyant in his personality, but not a homosexual. Not more so than any of the others anyway.

Sparkly bisexual vampire elves on the other hand are exactly what you expect from D&D high fantasy in 2023.

 

[Orud]

Modern vampires are by definition sexual deviants.

 

[Swen]

 

[FreeKaner]

I don't think there is an issue with PoE1's opener, having everyone in a caravan killed and going to closest settlement to get your bearings is normal. How it is done with magic religion storm is related epic scale.

I understand that it's normal. It's just not terribly interesting because it barely involves the player. You're just a guy that has weird stuff happening around him.

You are also not necessarily involved in what happens in that settlement

Which is my point. Compare that to BG2's opening: You're immediately involved in the politics of the city: cowled wizards, vampires, thieves. And all of it relates to you. You have incentive to explore your new surroundings and find some kind of foothold.

Or even BG1: you have two potential allies waiting at the Friendly Arm, you have Gorion's body to the north. There's a reason for you to go to both.

There's no such hook in PoE's start.

I do quests in Beregost because I went out of my way to talk to people.

I guess BG1 didn't offer too much motivation to do sidequests either, so that's valid. But at least it had several sources of motivation to propel the player on the main quest, and encouraged exploration (e.g., find the bandit camp, go to the gnoll fort).

You get a hook to ask for why you started seeing dead people in Gilded Vale, who sends you off to Defiance bay. In my experience PoE starts to fall apart as you deal with Baron and leave Gilded vale not before. That's why it's fortunate you can go to White March soon after.

BG1 has a good hook throughout and plenty motivation for it but it has absolutely zero motivation for doing any sidequests beyond metagaming reasons. Which is fantastic actually. Still I like BG1 a lot more than BG2.

In general I prefer personal stories more than epic ones, my hope with BG3 (and it looked this way in Act 1) is that you will be able to keep it personal and individual.

 

[Abu Antar]

This thread moves too fast!

15 days left. No way that I beat Jagged Alliance 3 in time.

 

[Kiste]

This thread moves too fast!

15 days left. No way that I beat Jagged Alliance 3 in time.

https://flingtrainer.com/trainer/jagged-alliance-3-trainer/

Problem solved.

 

[Nerevar]

BG1 has a good hook throughout and plenty motivation for it but it has absolutely zero motivation for doing any sidequests beyond metagaming reasons. Which is fantastic actually. Still I like BG1 a lot more than BG2.

I am really getting this feeling on my pre-launch playthrough just wrapping up BG1 now. I've hit XP cap and gotten all the tomes and I might just finish up before doing everything. The only reason for me doing everything for gear would be if I play SoD.

Which I am conflicted about.

 

[Grunker]

He was trying to convey that Larian have access to a huge, pre-existing IP

this complaint in particular is so weird to me

like, it's ironic: the reason bg2 was possible was asset reuse

so yes: bg3's is possible because of asset reuse

so maybe more of you should fucking asset reuse instead of chasing trends, motherfuckers

imagine if the guys at Tactical don't make another game using Solasta's engine. that would pretty much be case in fucking point now wouldn't it

 

[Silverfish]

I want to know why you think this is okay? What exactly is the payoff here for having NPC's stand around in place all day waiting for you to interact with them, like some fucking lifeless MMO?

The payoff is that day/night cycles are and always were gay timewasters. Fuck your immersion, I have loot to sell.

Can't wait to make a hot Body Type 2 with a big fat cock, boys.

Total Bible Black Gang victory.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Likely the build I will use, pretty cool video about the Sorcerer / Warlock multiclass.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

A measure of the quality of a cRPG is how much of the combat skills/spells/mechanics you can use outside combat to solve and overcome problems, and vice-versa. I.e. how much the game allows you to think out of the box.
From this point of view, I think DOS and DOS 2 are above average among peers. Admittedly this average is very very low on an absolute scale. BG 1 and 2 are in the lowest part of this scale, while Fallout 1 and 2 are high in this scale.
I have no idea where BG 3 could be in this scale. I haven't touched the EA.

 

[Swen]

A measure of the quality of a cRPG is how much of the combat skills/spells/mechanics you can use outside combat to solve and overcome problems, and vice-versa. I.e. how much the game allow you to think out of the box.
From this point of view, I think DOS and DOS 2 are above average among peers. Admittedly this average is very very low on an absolute scale. BG 1 and 2 are in the lowest part of this scale, while Fallout 1 and 2 are high in this scale.
I have no idea where BG 3 could be in this scale. I haven't touched the EA.

Easy win for BG3 in the "thinking out of the box" category.

 

[whydoibother]

A measure of the quality of a cRPG is how much of the combat skills/spells/mechanics you can use outside combat to solve and overcome problems, and vice-versa.

So you're saying Icewind Dale is the worst game ever made?

 

[Fedora Master]

Likely the build I will use, pretty cool video about the Sorcerer / Warlock multiclass.

Who asked?

 

[whydoibother]

Likely the build I will use, pretty cool video about the Sorcerer / Warlock multiclass.

Who asked?

Wow, why is he posting game builds in the game thread, instead of talking about trannies and beastiality? Ugh, gamers ruining our SJW thread, uuuuughhhhhhhhh.

 

[BlackAdderBG]

A measure of the quality of a cRPG is how much of the combat skills/spells/mechanics you can use outside combat to solve and overcome problems, and vice-versa. I.e. how much the game allow you to think out of the box.
From this point of view, I think DOS and DOS 2 are above average among peers. Admittedly this average is very very low on an absolute scale. BG 1 and 2 are in the lowest part of this scale, while Fallout 1 and 2 are high in this scale.
I have no idea where BG 3 could be in this scale. I haven't touched the EA.

Easy win for BG3 in the "thinking out of the box" category.

Stacking boxes and blowing barrels. Larian masterclass of thinking outside the box, guys, make way!

 

[Nifft Batuff]

A measure of the quality of a cRPG is how much of the combat skills/spells/mechanics you can use outside combat to solve and overcome problems, and vice-versa.

So you're saying Icewind Dale is the worst game ever made?

I havent played ID, but I have played other IE games, and these aren't particularly good from this point of view.

Edit are -> aren't

 

[Fedora Master]

Likely the build I will use, pretty cool video about the Sorcerer / Warlock multiclass.

Who asked?

Wow, why is he posting game builds in the game thread, instead of talking about trannies and beastiality? Ugh, gamers ruining our SJW thread, uuuuughhhhhhhhh.

Didn't ask, don't care plus you're a Bulgur

 

[Nerevar]

I'm thinking about builds too but it depends on what is available/strong.

CHA based class is a good idea for MC.