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

[Harthwain]

Guess what? I've already got an answer to a theory I've posted many, many pages ago. The game is in development hell.

Best news of the year.

I don't see the news. All I see are some claims of "digging and asking around". Digging where? Asking whom? Why didn't he do that before? Why didn't he add the proof of the deed in his previous post? My anti-scammer sense is tingling. I'll wait for something more concrete before wasting champagne.

 

[Heinrich]

Add to that, by common game industry standards every single Larian game was in development hell. Take a look at those GDC talks by Swen about the making of DOS 1 and 2 once. That's just how they roll.

 

[Atchodas]

As I mentioned numerous times before its BG3 nobody has any doubts that they are in development hell and thats why we wont see any news for a while

 

[Viata]

How speaking Chinese helps you in this? Is Larian Studios being controlled by the Chinese government now?

 

[Lacrymas]

When in doubt - go with TB.

 

[Roguey]

You have no idea how many Chinese sub-contractors are hired by various companies.

What would artists know about the state of the game?

Additionally, Larian has a studio in Malaysia (in addition to the ones in Russia, Ireland, and Canada) so it seems odd they'd also have to go with Chinese as well.

 

[fantadomat]

When in doubt - go with TB.

Meh,when i doubt just go with the third person racing rpg action fighting game game.

 

[Viata]

When in doubt - go with TB.

Meh,when i doubt just go with the third person racing rpg action fighting game game.

When in doubt, go like these guys:

Just put all genres in a single game.

 

[LESS T_T]

Additionally, Larian has a studio in Malaysia (in addition to the ones in Russia, Ireland, and Canada) so it seems odd they'd also have to go with Chinese as well.

Well Swen said (in E3 interviews) there are 100 external developers (in addition to internal 200) working on this game. Considering the level of fidelity (possibly coupled with a closer camera perspective) they're going for this time, I'd assume they're using a lot of art outsourcing studios, Chinese or not. (Also there's tech outsourcing to Poland.)

(It's not like I believe or disbelieve the supposed leaks though.)

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

How speaking Chinese helps you in this? Is Larian Studios being controlled by the Chinese government now?

You have no idea how many Chinese sub-contractors are hired by various companies.

To answer a different question, about the combat mechanics (turn-based, real-time, RTWP etc.) - Larian is basically a decapitated chicken in this regard, running around blindly. Currently three different teams are experimenting with three different system and seeing what sticks. That's right - after all this time they haven't decided upon such basic mechanics.

If this was true it would end with every team saying that their combat system is the best, because their managers would be hoping to get a promotion to the position of combat lead on the basis that they know the most about the system being used. Larian wouldn't get the best feedback this way.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I don't understand how Chinese art contractors would know all of this.

 

[fantadomat]

How speaking Chinese helps you in this? Is Larian Studios being controlled by the Chinese government now?

You have no idea how many Chinese sub-contractors are hired by various companies.

To answer a different question, about the combat mechanics (turn-based, real-time, RTWP etc.) - Larian is basically a decapitated chicken in this regard, running around blindly. Currently three different teams are experimenting with three different system and seeing what sticks. That's right - after all this time they haven't decided upon such basic mechanics.

If this was true it would end with every team saying that their combat system is the best, because their managers would be hoping to get a promotion to the position of combat lead on the basis that they know the most about the system being used. Larian wouldn't get the best feedback this way.

Yep, this is one of the reason the development is such a huge clusterfuck right now.

As to any questions about the story, the answer I've heard is, and I quote - "What story?" accompanied by a bitter laugh.

If true,sounds like anthem level of retardation. When you can't pick a combat system,just go with the franchise's default lol. Sooo what were they doing the past few years?

 

[Lacrymas]

You don't need the combat system for art assets and player/creature models. This still wouldn't explain why they've said nothing, though, they could at least post some creature concept art on their Twitter account.

 

[Delterius]

You have no idea how many Chinese sub-contractors are hired by various companies.

What would artists know about the state of the game?

Look.

There's a difference between when belgians go for the weed munchies or go full cokehead. And that alters the requests they make to their subcontractors.

Its as simple as being asked to draw orc x imoen pornography or asking for a purpose in life and a return to childhood.

Thats when the help realizes that something is wrong.

And boy does the help talk.

 

[boobio]

Is this "game" turn biased or not?

 

[LESS T_T]

It's turn-based. We've been waiting 6 months for Swen to end his turn in this marketing game.

 

[Abu Antar]

It's real-time with pause. We're in the real-time part and development is in the pause part.

 

[Dodo1610]

I wouldn't be surprised if Larian is currently having troubles, they are in the complicated process of becoming a large studio. I have never heard of any studio where this process worked smoothly.

 

[Harthwain]

Yes, because that's the first thing leakers do: post their sources. Let's just say that my workplace + speaking Chinese helps a lot.

Do they? Because I thought - and correct me if I am wrong - that they reveal the existence of a problem to the public by sharing important details. But you were literally pulling Sven on us: saying you've got something, but sharing nothing meaningful. Next time lead with at least a bit of the supposed insider knowledge, otherwise your investigative journalism is no different from "My uncle works at Larian and he says..." joke.

Chinese sub-contractors

You spelled "slave" wrong.

If true,sounds like anthem level of retardation. When you can't pick a combat system,just go with the franchise's default lol. Sooo what were they doing the past few years?

Let's assume, for the sake of discussion, that the information is not false. The next question should be: is it up-to-date?

 

[fantadomat]

I wouldn't be surprised if Larian is currently having troubles, they are in the complicated process of becoming a large studio. I have never heard of any studio where this process worked smoothly.

I never got why they do that. Being a very successful studio doesn't have anything to do with being large one. In reality it is pretty much the opposite,a successful studio ends up becoming large and begins producing shit,thus it goes down the EA grinder. Being successful on the amount of pure profit,which depends on quality of the product,which in it self depends on the quality of the devs and not their quantity.

Yes, because that's the first thing leakers do: post their sources. Let's just say that my workplace + speaking Chinese helps a lot.

Do they? Because I thought - and correct me if I am wrong - that they reveal the existence of a problem to the public by sharing important details. But you were literally pulling Sven on us: saying you've got something, but sharing nothing meaningful. Next time lead with at least a bit of the supposed insider knowledge, otherwise your investigative journalism is no different from "My uncle works at Larian and he says..." joke.

Chinese sub-contractors

You spelled "slave" wrong.

If true,sounds like anthem level of retardation. When you can't pick a combat system,just go with the franchise's default lol. Sooo what were they doing the past few years?

Let's assume, for the sake of discussion, that the information is not false. The next question should be: is it up-to-date?

Meh nobody is taking this "leak" very seriously here. Don't get me wrong,there is a good chance to be for real,also pretty sure that Auraculum is not lying bastard that wants a cheap laugh from it. But also not really fully believing it. Either way it spices up the thread and make us talk about something,so a win win. In the end i am leaning toward half true.

 

[Elex]

It's not development hell, is "we are under licensing and they have a huge marketing team that decide when we release news" remember that the last D&D 5e campaign is promotional marketing for BG3.

Don't think like older D&D edition that release books each month.

In the 5e era they release few book each year, someone 1-2 campaign each year Max.

Remember that was the D&D twitter account to tell to check game award for new about a D&D game.

(and yes I implying that Larian don't actually decide how to make the game but WOTC decide if is TB or not)

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I never got why they do that. Being a very successful studio doesn't have anything to do with being large one. In reality it is pretty much the opposite,a successful studio ends up becoming large and begins producing shit,thus it goes down the EA grinder

Because it isn't a rational decision. Businessmen believe that growth is a goal in itself, the same way the artist see a quality and expression as a goal in itself. Business people grew up idolizing owners of big corporations, so they want be as their idols. It's is obviously assuming that the company is owned by it's CEO, not shareholders, which is rare nowadays, (shareholders are even more obsessed with growth than business people).

 

[fantadomat]

I never got why they do that. Being a very successful studio doesn't have anything to do with being large one. In reality it is pretty much the opposite,a successful studio ends up becoming large and begins producing shit,thus it goes down the EA grinder

Because it isn't a rational decision. Businessmen believe that growth is a goal in itself, the same way the artist see a quality and expression as a goal in itself. Business people grew up idolizing owners of big corporations, so they want be as their idols. It's is obviously assuming that the company is owned by it's CEO, not shareholders, which is rare nowadays, (shareholders are even more obsessed with growth than business people).

That is very american way of thinking,i don't disagree tho. The one i have seen here,care more about profit and raw income than growth,and a lot of companies are owned by a dude or some shady subsidiary. It is pretty much the opposite,you could meet a dude having a bunch of multi million companies under him. The whole idea of shareholders and shares in it self seems very stupid to me. It is loss of income for short term injections of money. So i am pretty surprised that Swen want to go that road,since he is European and not american.

 

[Harthwain]

Meh nobody is taking this "leak" very seriously here. Don't get me wrong,there is a good chance to be for real,also pretty sure that Auraculum is not lying bastard that wants a cheap laugh from it. But also not really fully believing it. Either way it spices up the thread and make us talk about something,so a win win. In the end i am leaning toward half true.

Agreed.

What I meant to say: the information could have been true at some point in time. But I find it unlikely that they're still trying to figure out which approach works and which doesn't. The real development hell would be - in my opinion - Larian deciding what combat type to use and then keep adding feature creep, with the result of constantly reworking the in-game mechanics. This would also fit into Sven's attitude of "you can do this cool stuff!". At some level I do root for him and his notion of bringing a video game closer to tabletop, but I am unsure if he will be able to contain himself.

 

[Atrachasis]

I never got why they do that. Being a very successful studio doesn't have anything to do with being large one. In reality it is pretty much the opposite,a successful studio ends up becoming large and begins producing shit,thus it goes down the EA grinder

Because it isn't a rational decision. Businessmen believe that growth is a goal in itself, the same way the artist see a quality and expression as a goal in itself. Business people grew up idolizing owners of big corporations, so they want be as their idols. It's is obviously assuming that the company is owned by it's CEO, not shareholders, which is rare nowadays, (shareholders are even more obsessed with growth than business people).

On the contrary, business-wise, it is an entirely rational decision. While fantadomat is perfectly right in pointing out that a high profit margin (earnings divided by revenue) can be achieved with a small studio just as well (or better) as with a big one, from the point of view of the owner (or shareholder), return-on-investment, not profitability, is what you want to maximize - the cumulative earnings divided by the initial investment that you made some time, perhaps years ago, when you bought a share in the business. And unlike profit margin, that figure stands to gain from scaling up the operations.

Anyone know the headcount of Larian right now? Lots of small businesses pass through an "identity crisis" when they pass the mark of 30-50 employees, when all of a sudden, people working in different parts of the building don't necessarily know each other any more and "middle management" begins its cancerous growth. But Larian are well past that stage, aren't they?