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

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Has anyone here actually beaten SoD?

I played SoD years ago but it was bland enough that all I remember is that combat gets frustrating because of the number of mobs in some parts and there's a gay gnome companion with distractingly bad sideburns

The gay gnome is the bad kind of pushy rapey gay dude that not even Bioware has written. I don't remember Zevran being this irritating.

 

[Nerevar]

I did. It's short, has some decent encounters, and that's it. Several things were unnecessary. I don't think I'll ever play it again. The final enemy can only be hit with +3 weapons and there's very few of them in the game world, and that's not even considering your build. I think they realized this at a latter stage of development because you can get the help of a character that has a +3 weapon.

Lucky I've got two +3 scimitars that I just found in the wilderness.

 

[Orud]

Okay guys I've got a fun idea for this playthrough. BG1 is finished just gotta go kill Sarevok everything else is done.

I'm going to play SoD. Think of it as a pregame for the faggotry that there'll be in BG. But really what does SoD even give me I lose all the gear anyway.

Has anyone here actually beaten SoD?

I have and it's all over the place when it comes to pacing and encounter design.

The start is painfully slow. The midsection has ok pacing tied to fun encounters and dungeons... to then end with painfully slow pacing and boring encounters.
It doesn't help that the entire thing is wrapped in a big 'MEH' story and lame interpretations of what happened between BG1 and BG2.

If SoD was just a random adventure that your party had between BG1 and BG2 (and unrelated to both of them), skipping the BG parts both in the beginning and end, I would've called it good to great. But as it stands? MEH.

... it still beats ToB when it comes to gameplay though. Fuck ToB's gameplay so hard.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Has anyone here actually beaten SoD?

Yes, at least once. Writing is pretty bad.

The entire thing was unnecessary, but it's still kind of neat for veteran players. Like a really polished mod, but with custom areas - which are probably the best part.

There's only one tranny in the game, who can be ignored. Thank Amber Scott for that. Most of the decline in the game is just from the fanfic-level writing.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

... it still beats ToB when it comes to gameplay though. Fuck ToB's gameplay so hard.

Eh. Demogorgon was nice. Actually, most of that quest was enjoyable.

The plot on rails for the main story was a bit of a snooze though. I guess it had to be in order to be super epic, but whatever.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Notice how nobody is saying "I'll pick the least cringe"

There is no "least cringe" here.

So if you are a male PC, male companions are all automatically homos, is that the principle?

 

[blessed king of longing]

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.

i mean it all amounts to people who make games as a job and people who make games they want to make. it's essentially sour grapes. larian laid the foundation over multiple years, others like sawyer just creatively failed upwards and are now miserable because they churn out coal.

 

[Kiste]

The cartoonishly effeminate way he uses to speak didn't made you realize that?

To me, he sounds more like a stereotye of some sort of degenerate noble or maybe the HedonismBot from Futurama.

 

[inwoker]

Heard there's some drama with this game and that it will be lengthy. Couple of questions:

1) what's codex consensus on it, will it be any good?
2) from wiki and trailers I didn't see it featuring or referencing any old characters or even places. Why did they even call it Baldur's Gate 3?

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

To me, he sounds more like a stereotye of some sort of degenerate noble or maybe the HedonismBot from Futurama.

Take a look at the monster manual entries (edit: actually, I forget where I saw it, but it was some kind of lore for either 3E or 5E, I think) for vampire spawn. He's a textbook recreation of that. So, degenerate noble, I guess is exactly what he's supposed to be. Not a faggot, just a fop.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Heard there's some drama with this game and that it will be lengthy. Couple of quesitions:

1) what's codex consensus of it, will it be any good?
2) from wiki and trailers I didn't see it featuring or referencing any old characters or even places. Why do they even call it Baldur's Gate 3?

1) Probably. It looks well-designed ftmp, but it's got so much tranny crap as options in character creation, I can't in good conscience recommend a purchase. That said, there doesn't seem to be much of it in the main game, so if you think Cyberpunk is fine, I guess this should be too.

It's turn-based and loaded with choices and consequences. It's 5E, so crappy ruleset with lots of woke, dumbed down lore is probably a given.

But other than that, it seems to be more of an RPG than any other studio game we've had since Arcanum.

Codex consensus is a mix of butthurt and anticipation, which is fitting given some of the faggotry in the promotional materials.

2) It takes place in and around Baldur's Gate, and has Jaheira and Minsc in it. Bhaal and/or his worshipers may or may not be involved as well.

 

[Zeriel]

To me, he sounds more like a stereotye of some sort of degenerate noble or maybe the HedonismBot from Futurama.

Take a look at the monster manual entries for vampire spawn. He's a textbook recreation of that. So, degenerate noble, I guess is exactly what he's supposed to be. Not a faggot, just a fop.

Seems more like a one-sided stereotype that misunderstands tropes of nobility to me. It's a limpwristed young kid aristocrat, rather than the cruel, sadistic noble that most vampires would traditionally be patterned after.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Seems more like a one-sided stereotype that misunderstands tropes of nobility to me. It's a limpwristed young kid aristocrat, rather than the cruel, sadistic noble that most vampires would traditionally be patterned after.

He's a vampire spawn, not a full vampire. An errand boy, a slave and basically a kid compared to a true vampire.

Since I can't find the entry I'm thinking of:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire_spawn

When it came to a life of adventuring, vampire spawn would seek vengeance on their creators, or penance for their new damnation. If these monsters could overcome their ravenous emotions, they might seek out knowledge, glory, or power. Pride was the true driver of the vampire spawn, since they believed themselves better than others.

Seems about right.

 

[jackofshadows]

Yeah Astarion just has some sort of a snobbish attitude, very akin to BG2v Edwin actually, just in a different manner (that's why I find him amusing). But the cotex is so obsessed with the faggotry that such mannerism is auto-rasing a red flag, a big no no for any latent homo who's now obliged to state how disgusting or cringe Astarion is.

By the way, I think it's also yet another case of how boring "playersexual" concept is, it would be better if Astarion was either an actual fag or straight or even kinda asexual similiar to WoD vampires.

 

[Yosharian]

There is no "least cringe" here.

So if you are a male PC, male companions are all automatically homos, is that the principle?

Well, do they all hit on you in obnoxious ways?

 

[Rhobar121]

There is no "least cringe" here.

So if you are a male PC, male companions are all automatically homos, is that the principle?

Well, do they all hit on you in obnoxious ways?

Not really, at least in the case of EA.

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

So i was streaming the game to a codexer to see if he liked it. He did however. Something new happened. I was fighting he howlbear. And Shadowheart went down in a couple of hits then with my paladin i gave a couple of good hit and then... Something happened that blown my mind. The howlbear stuck down my paladin nothing actually interesting about that to then jump down on top of my other 2 members of the party causing them to go prone.

That was a very cute display of ennemy A.I i loved that!

 

[Saravan]

So i was streaming the game to a codexer to see if he liked it. He did however. Something new happened. I was fighting he howlbear. And Shadowheart went down in a couple of hits then with my paladin i gave a couple of good hit and then... Something happened that blown my mind. The howlbear stuck down my paladin nothing actually interesting about that to then jump down on top of my other 2 members of the party causing them to go prone.

That was a very cute display of ennemy A.I i loved that!

I have gotten too fucked up by this thread that I expected you to end with “and then something happened that blown my mind, the howlbear decided to fuck both of us”.

 

[Grunker]

The asset reuse of BG3 is infinitely more important to its scope than using a basic bitch hodgepodge setting - which actually comes with its own development pressure as you can't just do whatever you want in it.

The asset reuse of BG3 is infinitely more important to its scope than using a basic bitch hodgepodge setting - which actually comes with its own development pressure as you can't just do whatever you want in it.

I also think the asset reuse (engine and probably a bunch of other stuff they can reuse from DOS games) is probably more important in the equation than the setting reuse.

Having an engine your devs know like the back of their hands and a bunch of generic assets makes things a lot faster.

Again, aside from the engine, what assets? Show specific 3D objects or textures that were reused. Just because a beach is in both series doesn't mean they're reusing it from a previous game. I just want some proof here because people keep claiming it.

Everything from the way inventory works to the environmental interactions or just interacting with the world. The game’s “base” is indistinguishable from interacting with DOS. Must have saved them a bunch of time and ressources.

I’m not sure if you misunderstood me, but I applaud it. It’s very clearly one of the reasons the scope was possible. It also sounds like you’re making the mistake of conflating “asset reuse” with “looks like”. You can see clear resemblances to DOS in stuff like the blood, the general saturation of colours and when environmental things interact, but otherwise it doesn’t look like DOS at all (except for interface elements). But playing it, it becomes completely clear: everything from picking up items in the world (which plays the little “yoink!” animation) to the mechanics of moving a rock out the way, to the way avatars move and function when casting spells etc. Moving around and interacting with the world feels completely like DOS3. It’s so uncanny I doubt anyone who actually play the games would honestly be able to claim the similarities are not crystal clear.

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

The asset reuse of BG3 is infinitely more important to its scope than using a basic bitch hodgepodge setting - which actually comes with its own development pressure as you can't just do whatever you want in it.

The asset reuse of BG3 is infinitely more important to its scope than using a basic bitch hodgepodge setting - which actually comes with its own development pressure as you can't just do whatever you want in it.

I also think the asset reuse (engine and probably a bunch of other stuff they can reuse from DOS games) is probably more important in the equation than the setting reuse.

Having an engine your devs know like the back of their hands and a bunch of generic assets makes things a lot faster.

Again, aside from the engine, what assets? Show specific 3D objects or textures that were reused. Just because a beach is in both series doesn't mean they're reusing it from a previous game. I just want some proof here because people keep claiming it.

Everything from the way inventory works to the environmental interactions or just interacting with the world. The game’s “base” is indistinguishable from interacting with DOS. Must have saved them a bunch of time.

I’m not sure if you misunderstood me, but I applaud it. It’s very clearly one of the reasons the scope was possible. It also sounds like you’re making the mistake of conflating “asset reuse” with “looks like”. You can see clear resemblances to DOS in stuff like the blood, the general saturation of colours and when environmental things interact, but otherwise it doesn’t look like DOS at all (except for interface elements). But playing it, it becomes completely clear: everything from picking up items in the world (which plays the little “yoink!” animation) to the mechanics of moving a rock out the way, to the way avatars move and function when casting spells etc. Moving around and interacting with the world feels completely like DOS3.

Careful tho. Saturation can be actually dosed as you want trough the in game menu.

 

[Pizzashoes]

Yeah Astarion just has some sort of a snobbish attitude, very akin to BG2v Edwin actually, just in a different manner (that's why I find him amusing). But the cotex is so obsessed with the faggotry that such mannerism is auto-rasing a red flag, a big no no for any latent homo who's now obliged to state how disgusting or cringe Astarion is.

By the way, I think it's also yet another case of how boring "playersexual" concept is, it would be better if Astarion was either an actual fag or straight or even kinda asexual similiar to WoD vampires.

If Astarion were this dandy, pompous ass who assaults you and talks down to you while also trying to bone all the women, he'd have an interesting edge to him. There'd be dislike and respect for him. The game would encourage you to kill him to prevent his negative influence. He already looks like a certain real world vampire.

Astarion and Epstein

As it is, he's just a weirdo slave who comes onto you.

Imagine Haer'dalis in the modern age. He was a slimeball who stole your girl. He fully commited to oblivion and the joy of chaos. But he didn't overtly fuck with your character. Maybe I'll give Astarion another shot, but he's way too handsy.

 

[Volrath]

I want to play this fucking game already.

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

I want to play this fucking game already.

Me too! Well the full release! :D

 

[Yosharian]

So i was streaming the game to a codexer to see if he liked it. He did however. Something new happened. I was fighting he howlbear. And Shadowheart went down in a couple of hits then with my paladin i gave a couple of good hit and then... Something happened that blown my mind. The howlbear stuck down my paladin nothing actually interesting about that to then jump down on top of my other 2 members of the party causing them to go prone.

That was a very cute display of ennemy A.I i loved that!

What fucking language is this

 

[Yosharian]

Imagine Haer'dalis in the modern age.

Asterion strikes me as way more obnoxious than Haer'Dalis