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

[Theldaran]

With a budget like BG3's, no.

What kind of a budget, then?

I think I might get some hate, but here it is: DOS2's graphics were certainly better than that Neverwinter Nights EE abomination, but they weren't masterful either.

I played like an hour or something of DOS2, but couldn't really see the masterpiece.

With DOS1 it's even worse since I own it and I didn't even start playing seriously. Somehow I'm just discouraged about it.

In their time, BGs both nailed the graphics AND the gameplay. The plot, dialogue and missions were serviceable (not great).

 

[Lacrymas]

For games to actually be somewhat interesting, they need to have a lower budget to not require a huge slice of the market to justify its existence. Huge budgets necessitate broad appeal and the Codex isn't known for its love of games with broad appeal.

 

[Theldaran]

That may be a limitation, but not an advantage.

I mean, with lower budget you get less creative freedom. It's true that games get the more generic the wider their target audience is. But with low and medium budget games, they can still be good or bad.

Of course this isn't the late 90s anymore, and we can't have a game that succeeds for what it is (so, well done in at least two big areas).

For example, I don't think that POE at launch costed 4 millions either. Some of that money was used to improve the game later, some of that apparently went to support Obsidian's dwindling coffers. They capitalised well on the lack of BG style games back then. But delivered a problem-ridden, fanbase-dividing game.

 

[SausageInYourFace]

they need to have a lower budget to not require a huge slice of the market to justify its existence. Huge budgets necessitate broad appeal and the Codex isn't known for its love of games with broad appeal.

Yeah, like Witcher 3, a game that everybody on the Codex hates because of its high budget.

We only like little independent games like Disco Hipsterium and the dumb masses would never enjoy something that monocled, they are too busy playing Death Stranding. btw, which game won best narrative at the VGAs this year?

 

[Lacrymas]

There's no accounting for bad taste, even on the Codex.

I mean, with lower budget you get less creative freedom.

Literally the opposite, you get more because you don't need to make the game according to mass appeal.

 

[Atchodas]

Wow you're so smart and always right. And follow the masses because masses never wrong, right? You're epic and I want to be like you. Also DOS2 is so Epic and undead race is so relevant in DOS2, and adds so many mechanics wow, so cool! Very massive indeed and totaly not a useless gimmick.

You do realise that every game developers goal is to print that dollar or not?

They need to follow the masses or they will end up being sold to Microsoft

And yes D:OS2 is very decent game compared to other shit that gets released in recent years, dont have to be genius to realise that

 

[Abu Antar]

I don't even visit this thread for news anymore. I come in here to see how some people are slowly succumbing to madness.

 

[Theldaran]

Why can't we have nice things? Why do you advocate for games with strict limitations, Lacrymas?

I know that nowadays the majority of shekels go into graphics and tinkering with the engine, but that doesn't justify having a game with early 90s graphics... don't you think that then I would play Gold Box games? Do you think that now they can make a game with Gold Box games graphics, but better in the rest of the areas? Huh?

I'm just asking for good games according to this age, otherwise I would only play indies! Also it seems you're confusing strict indies with AA games.

 

[Lacrymas]

I'd sell my soul for more games with 90s graphics, but that's not the point. It is not I who place limits, it's the reality of the market forces. Would I want a great 2D RPG with a huge budget catered to my very specific desires? Yes, but that's not gonna happen.

 

[Theldaran]

I'd sell my soul for more games with 90s graphics, but that's not the point. It is not I who place limits, it's the reality of the market forces. Would I want a great 2D RPG with a huge budget catered to my very specific desires? Yes, but that's not gonna happen.

Well because that case is the niche of the niche, it may happen along the line but probably not.

Not everybody in the Codex is so hard a hipster, I think. There are some, too, sure.

Also... the thing about 90s graphics is that... they were adapted to that era. To have them now you have to imitate them specifically, and just generally hire designers trained in that technology. And that just isn't easy to come by.

 

[Theldaran]

See, all it needs is that CHARNAME was a woman canonically (like Revan).

Still that wouldn't bar her from having children with Viconia or Aerie through just... "a wizard did it" (like an actual wizard). I know that those girls were hetero, but that's what retcon is for, ain't it?

I think that, since the games had blank protagonist and no mention of Abdel was made in them, they could alter canon. In fact, the canon of the BG novels is weak, shitty, and retarded. Why not change it?

Revan is canonically male.

Huh? I'm deluded then. Maybe confused him with Surik? Was it all an illusion? I dunno.

 

[Theldaran]

I'm more worried that they haven't released any story details whatsoever. Not the premise, not a handful of screenshot to illustrate the beautiful and exotic locations we will be visiting, not a sneak peak of a companion or two... nothing. This leads me to two theories:

1. The game is going through development hell.
2. The very premise of the game, its foundation, will involve some huge spoiler that Larian doesn't want to reveal too soon (for example, that we are playing as CHARNAME'S kid, or as another Bhaalspawn, or something completely different).

I agree with that, but not with calling me stupid

 

[Atchodas]

1. The game is going through development hell.

Its BG3... Development hell would be understatement

 

[Theldaran]

IMO they have solid foundations to work with, they just need to expand a bit on materials such as Descent into Avernus, if anything.

The path to follow should be clear, but they seem to want for it to be such a grandiose slam dunk that it can end up biting them in the ass. Great risk, great chances of screwing up obviously. I would be willing to be more optimistic if things like POE had left me fulfilled, which it didn't.

 

[Atchodas]

I would be willing to be more optimistic if things like POE had leave me fulfilled, which it didn't.

And why do you think I am so happy and supportive about Larian making BG3?

I mean it could have been Obsidian doing it

Seriously Godbless Swen and best of luck to him and may Sawyer burn in hell

 

[Theldaran]

I would be willing to be more optimistic if things like POE had leave me fulfilled, which it didn't.

And why do you think I am so happy and supportive about Larian making BG3?

I mean it could have been Obsidian doing it

Seriously Godbless Swen and best of luck to him and may Sawyer burn in hell

Could be worse, could be Beamdog! Honk honk!

 

[Storyfag]

See, all it needs is that CHARNAME was a woman canonically (like Revan).

Still that wouldn't bar her from having children with Viconia or Aerie through just... "a wizard did it" (like an actual wizard). I know that those girls were hetero, but that's what retcon is for, ain't it?

All you need is the Cursed Belt of Gender Bending, which, as a bonus, is an actual in-game item. Either for Charname, or for the girls. Would just have to use the pause-and-drop-gear-to-the ground exploit to smuggle it to BG2. Wonder if it'd break Edwin's questline if used after his... accident. Of course the name should be updated for modern sensibilities. Rainbowy Belt of Gender Bending, anyone?

 

[Atchodas]

Could be worse, could be Beamdog! Honk honk!

Nothing is worse than Sawyer's retarded philosophy

 

[Infinitron]

I don't even visit this thread for news anymore. I come in here to see how some people are slowly succumbing to madness.

Some poor fool: *bump* So guys, is there really no news about this game yet wtf

Everybody else: LOLLLLLLL LET'S HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION AGAIN FOR THE FIFTIETH TIME

 

[Theldaran]

See, all it needs is that CHARNAME was a woman canonically (like Revan).

Still that wouldn't bar her from having children with Viconia or Aerie through just... "a wizard did it" (like an actual wizard). I know that those girls were hetero, but that's what retcon is for, ain't it?

All you need is the Cursed Belt of Gender Bending, which, as a bonus, is an actual in-game item. Either for Charname, or for the girls. Would just have to use the pause-and-drop-gear-to-the ground exploit to smuggle it to BG2. Wonder if it'd break Edwin's questline if used after his... accident. Of course the name should be updated for modern sensibilities. Rainbowy Belt of Gender Bending, anyone?

I was told to my fucking face that apparently there are like 17 genders, I believe it was. Naturally after that I fled the scene posthaste.

So, maybe 17 different items or a single item with 17 choices... being a dev is hard, man.

 

[Lacrymas]

I'm more worried that they haven't released any story details whatsoever. Not the premise, not a handful of screenshot to illustrate the beautiful and exotic locations we will be visiting, not a sneak peak of a companion or two... nothing. This leads me to two theories:

1. The game is going through development hell.
2. The very premise of the game, its foundation, will involve some huge spoiler that Larian doesn't want to reveal too soon (for example, that we are playing as CHARNAME'S kid, or as another Bhaalspawn, or something completely different).

Like I've theorized before, I doubt it's a wise move to force yet another canon. If we play as CHARNAME's child, the only option is for them to be a man of the tall races who romanced Viconia or Aerie, and worse than that the protagonist of this game is going to necessarily be an elf or half-elf. I really have no idea why they are keeping us in the dark about everything concerning this game.

As for it being in development hell, how can that really be? Unless they can't reach an agreement with WotC and everything is being tortuously prolonged.

 

[Lacrymas]

Like I've theorized before, I doubt it's a wise move to force yet another canon. If we play as CHARNAME's child, the only option is for them to be a man of the tall races who romanced Viconia or Aerie, and worse than that the protagonist of this game is going to necessarily be an elf or half-elf. I really have no idea why they are keeping us in the dark about everything concerning this game.

Also, the obligatory Neanderthal summon. He's gonna have a field day with this hypothesis.

 

[Cael]

Like I've theorized before, I doubt it's a wise move to force yet another canon. If we play as CHARNAME's child, the only option is for them to be a man who romanced Viconia or Aerie, and worse than that the protagonist of this game is going to necessarily be an elf or half-elf. I really have no idea why they are keeping us in the dark about everything concerning this game.

Also, the obligatory Neanderthal summon. He's gonna have a field day with this hypothesis.

You are assuming he doesn't die of a massive coronary first :D

 

[Theldaran]

IMO the reason for not having strong canon on CHARNAME was that the game sported the D&D rules, and thus you had pretty amazing variety in a lot of things like race, class, even your degree of intelligence as you could have 3 to 18 base... same with charisma...

As Bioware later proved, in modern times it could be a canonical character like Shepard, Hawke... the only game that did the same was DA Origins.

And leaving your character blank so you can fill it up as you wish, impacts the story to a degree, it has to be a bit "impersonal" because you can't really anticipate what the players want each playthrough. Or at least, that was the case in 1998.

 

[Storyfag]

I'm more worried that they haven't released any story details whatsoever. Not the premise, not a handful of screenshot to illustrate the beautiful and exotic locations we will be visiting, not a sneak peak of a companion or two... nothing. This leads me to two theories:

1. The game is going through development hell.
2. The very premise of the game, its foundation, will involve some huge spoiler that Larian doesn't want to reveal too soon (for example, that we are playing as CHARNAME'S kid, or as another Bhaalspawn, or something completely different).

Like I've theorized before, I doubt it's a wise move to force yet another canon. If we play as CHARNAME's child, the only option is for them to be a man of the tall races who romanced Viconia or Aerie,

Actually, there is one more option. Just have CHARNAME - of whichever race - find xir's spouse - of whichever race - AFTER ToB. Have the whole thing happen offscreen. The connection will be weaker then, but it will allow for any race of CHARNAME's child in BG3.