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

[ArchAngel]

Lilura
How do I get BG2 running without 3D acceleration? (Without it lagging)

Install BG2EE.

 

[Viata]

At least this thread is funner than any of Larian's games.

 

[Efe]

they probably would be renaming hit chance to smt like "precision" and flat out multiplying your outgoing damage with it..

 

[Volourn]

This talk about how missing is D&D is so horrible, and how 'casual's will hate it', and how it ruins games. It is funny they say that considering how popular D&D is with the basically the same hit or miss system for decades. Clearly it RUINS the game or peopel's fun. L0L And, they are remaking one of the most popular and famous CRPGs of all times. I can't recall one person refusing to or hating BG (or any IE/D7D game) because of hit and missing. Story, combat challenge, etc. maybe but hit/miss? This is a non issue being made out of thin air. The same nonsense other idiots spew.

If D7D is so horrible you want to get rid of a basic principle of it then why work on it cause you clearly don't like it?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LOOK FORWARD TO A GAME MADE BY PEOPLE WHO HATE THE GAME THEY ARE WORKING ON!?!

 

[Chippy]

Lilura
How do I get BG2 running without 3D acceleration? (Without it lagging)

Lilura will kick you in the balls for asking that.
If I remember correctly, the originals worked best on WINXP, and WIN98 (if you track down a copy of WIN98, it doesn't need verification which is great for all the oldies, but you probably can't get the cds). But I have a PC set aside for both. EE still has that screen tear/flicker that you get on WIN7 as you're scrolling. If you really want to score some points with the Codes, track down that mod on Spellhold that works with autohotkey and get it to work as per EE quick weapon slots. Then I can't see any reason to touch the EE ever again.

 

[Reader]

Casuals have been complaining about player characters missing for decades

And i wonder why. They play on easy difficulty with 'silver tongue' characters anyway. Plus Arcanum for example on easy ups To Hit Chance to 95% if my memory serves me well.

 

[Lacrymas]

I can't recall one person refusing to or hating BG (or any IE/D7D game) because of hit and missing.

Refusing to play it or hating it, no, but I've heard some reviewers mentioning in retrospectives how BG1 is annoying and frustrating to play because of missing. The problem has always been that they are terrible at the game, and it's obvious they just sit there and watch puppets flailing at each other instead of casting spells or maneuvering around, or using consumables, or anything. They also deride THAC0.

 

[Roguey]

I can't recall one person refusing to or hating BG (or any IE/D7D game) because of hit and missing.

Refusing to play it or hating it, no, but I've heard some reviewers mentioning in retrospectives how BG1 is annoying and frustrating to play because of missing. The problem has always been that they are terrible at the game, and it's obvious they just sit there and watch puppets flailing at each other instead of casting spells or maneuvering around, or using consumables, or anything. They also deride THAC0.

The first couple of levels are an annoying miss-and-sometimes-die-to-an-unlucky-crit-fest. AD&D and 3.5 both only start to get fun at level 3 because your characters have enough health, accuracy, and spell slots to not be terrible.

 

[Lacrymas]

Maybe try equipping ranged weapons and memorizing Sleep and Blindness next time.

 

[Strange Fellow]

The dice haters are the peak of retardation, but there's no need to pretend like low-level AD&D isn't a crapshoot in terms of ThC when whacking people, which will be your only strategy for most enemies. You don't have many spell slots in the beginning.

 

[vortex]

https://kotaku.com/the-ranger-class-is-getting-some-changes-in-d-d-and-ba-1835659585

In podcast he said that after playing D:OS2, he couldn't enjoy combat of Deadfire anymore. Hmmm.

Swen explained that origin narrative from D:OS2 will be expanded in BG3 even further.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

and-sometimes-die-to-an-unlucky-crit-fest.

accurate depiction of high-level D&D

 

[Harry Easter]

The first couple of levels are an annoying miss-and-sometimes-die-to-an-unlucky-crit-fest. AD&D and 3.5 both only start to get fun at level 3 because your characters have enough health, accuracy, and spell slots to not be terrible.

That's not a bad point. So could they tweak the game a bit, until you reach the first two levels in the first two hours and than business as usual like in BG1 and 2? When I started BG1 back in 2001, I died a lot of frustrating deaths until I got to level 2. Then the game became manageable, but it was my first RPG, so it took me a while to reach this point. So helping newcomers with this and then doing a regular D&D game wouldn't be that bad, wouldn't it?

 

[Strange Fellow]

That's what DOS2 did, along with the option to forego the origin stuff entirely.

 

[Lacrymas]

D:OS2 didn't let you play through your origin, though. One of the coolest things in DA:O was indeed the origin sections and how they affected further reactivity, the best being human noble and dwarf noble.

 

[glass blackbird]

Maybe try equipping ranged weapons and memorizing Sleep and Blindness next time.

15 minute adventure day

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Alternatively, Baldur's Gate III could have a custom Prologue depending on the RACE you choose, not class.

half-orc prologue will involve assaulting flaming fist, newspaper propaganda saying you just began worshiping the triad, and gnomish lawyers defending you in court

 

[Roguey]

Maybe try equipping ranged weapons and memorizing Sleep and Blindness next time.

Counters to this

a) One shouldn't have to play in a specific way in a role playing game

b) Ranged weapons aren't a sure thing when the enemy also has ranged weapons

b) The number of spells you can cast per rest is extremely limited, which means rest spam if you want to rely on those a lot

The Obsidian solution to unfun early game D&D was to just bump you up to level 3 immediately after the (skippable) tutorial in NWN2 and start you off at level 4 in SoZ.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Mid-level d&d is the most fun because there are few instances where you get killed in 1 hit.

 

[Lacrymas]

Counters to this

a) One shouldn't have to play in a specific way in a role playing game

b) Ranged weapons aren't a sure thing when the enemy also has ranged weapons

b) The number of spells you can cast per rest is extremely limited, which means rest spam if you want to rely on those a lot

The Obsidian solution to unfun early game D&D was to just bump you up to level 3 immediately after the (skippable) tutorial in NWN2 and start you off at level 4 in SoZ.

a) You don't HAVE to do it like this, as exemplified by numerous reviewers who bang their head against the wall and still win. It's just wiser/more optimal. When something you are doing seems ineffective, try other things, but we all know they don't do that, don't we.

b) Ranged weapons on enemies are always a problem, regardless of whether you have some of your own or not, this is a good thing. Maybe something should be done if winning against ranged enemies always depends on RNG, but that's another discussion.

c) This is "balanced" by the fact spellcasters get extremely powerful later on, while still being able to contribute in a pinch at low levels with things like Blindness and Sleep. This is called class differentiation and it's also a good thing. Maybe mages shouldn't become as powerful as they do later on, but that's a different issue.

Sawyer's solution to the "mage problem" at low levels was to give Wizards a per-encounter spell that can be used 2 times. Was that successful at creating fun? They still had only 2 spells per day at level 1 otherwise. This discussion seems moronic in the context of a party-based game. Why does it matter that wizards are a bit limited at the start? They aren't the only characters in the party. Do people only play their PC and leave the others to the AI? I really can't wrap my head around this. And why does this discussion only center around mages? Clerics and Druids also have a limited spell selection at the start, and they aren't *that* good at meleeing yet. I'd argue they have less useful spells than Blindness and Sleep.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Casuals have been complaining about player characters missing for decades, why are you guys acting like this is some controversial statement that needs a citation.

I only hear complaints about missing several times in a row or a suspiciously high amount of misses at supposed 95% success rates. That blanket "missing isn't fun" statement just feels random.

 

[CoolioMaximus]

why would missing matter in a real time action rpg?

 

[fantadomat]

GUYS! FFS! Stop posting Baldur's Gate porn!

We already have a thread for that:

Adult Baldurs Gate Fanfiction Fanart

My favourite :

 

[Lilura]

The Obsidian solution to unfun early game D&D was to just bump you up to level 3 immediately after the (skippable) tutorial in NWN2 and start you off at level 4 in SoZ.

That actually isn't "the Obsidian solution": NWN OC did that before Obsidian even existed. Note that SoU did not do that, nor does Swordflight, nor ToEE and nor lots of other great cRPGs.

Please stop talking about unfunning D&D by bumping newbies up levels. That is some really sad shit right there.

Check this comment out, it talks about miss chance in the original Baldur's Gate (THAC0 - AC = to-hit).

It assumes an average player, so it's fair.

If we assume a current gen player, then miss chances are going to plummet because this is the generation of walkthrough/wikis, and gamers don't experiment or think for themselves.

 

[Roguey]

That actually isn't "the Obsidian solution": NWN OC did that before Obsidian even existed. Note that SoU did not do that, nor does Swordflight, nor ToEE and nor lots of other great cRPGs.

I couldn't remember if NWN did that or not. I vaguely recalled having to go through a bit of combat before hitting level 3, but I could also be conflating it with SoU (didn't like or finish either).

My impression of Swordflight was that the sewer beginning was the worst part, an absolute nadir. https://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.p...wn2-modules-thread.34529/page-68#post-5494266

In ToEE you're expected to do the combat-less Hommlet daisy chain to bump your level up to 2 before going to the moathouse. If not, the first fight with the frogs instantly bumps everybody up to 2. You hit 3 before you fight Lareth.