Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 RELEASE THREAD

[SpaceWizardz]

People say how True RPGs were dead and BG3 brought them back, despite having a literaly revival since, idk 2014..

General audiences don't care about Pillars or Wasteland 2, the masses yearn for stuff like New Vegas/KOTOR.

 

[felipepepe]

You can't monopolise this genre. It's too tentacular and open to do so.
Bethesda never monopolised anything despite Skyrim's cult classic status that still lingers to this day. You still had several names that rose in the wake (CDProjekt, Arkane mainly) and that's only talking about their specific subgenre of RPGs.

There was a very real duopoly of Bethesda & BioWare in the Oblivion/Fallout 3 & Dragon Age/Mass Effect era, for like a decade they were synonymous with mainstream RPGs. You had other studios making RPGs, but they were either trying to copy their formulas or just niche.

Sure, we had stuff like Risen, The Witcher, Drakensang and Divinity II, but who played those outside of hardcore RPG fans? The River of Time is so obscure it doesn't even have a metacritic score, only two websites reviewed it. But a lot of that was related to distribution, some of these games simply were never available worldwide. A good example is Xenus II: White Gold: it was released in 2008 in Russia, but only in 2010 in English, and only as a download on defunct website GamersGate.

I think we're now "safe", digital distribution has evolved, there's a healthy indie scene and several middle-sized studios interested in RPGs. The ones that should be scared are Bethesda and BioWare, I really doubt Dragon Age 4 looks good next to BG3.

 

[Fedora Master]

Oh no no no no, not him.

 

[gurugeorge]

Based on a lot of steam posts I've seen I'm hopeful that the playersexual companions and general horny level will be viewed in the medium to long term as one of bg3's bigger flaws. This is the most thorough implementation of nymphomaniac playersexuality I've ever seen and consequently the best (self-) refutation of it as a premise - hoping other crpg developers reach the right conclusions in spite of the very good sales.

I have clocked 35+ hours into the game. As of today, only Lae'zel asked me for non-romantic sex, and Wyll told me about his dance which I suspect leads to romance. I told him I don't really care about his dancing. Is everyone else a faggot? Or maybe they're illiterate and keep selecting obvious flirting lines? Is the game bugged? Do people spam long rest and get constant camp events because they're retards and the story advances as a result? It's still a mystery for me as it is, but after 35 hours that's the only sexual suggestive encounter I've encountered other than the bugbear + ogre barn joke. No sex has even happened. I've cleared the goblin camp, basically explored the entire map. I likely have only 5% left of Act 1 as I'm wrapping up the last quest in the Underdark.

My theory is that people are retards obsessed with spamming long rests and Larian made it so that something happens every time you long rest.

It is actually partly that, I think. I semi-spam long rests because you get supplies out the wazoo if you open everything, which I obsessively do (I'm like Pavlov's fucking dog looking for that Larian-iconic little golden chest icon), and I like having all my toys in as many encounters as possible, so there's no real reason not to spam long rests (though sometimes I do use short rests and try to eke things out as much as possible, it depends on my mood - sometimes I want to progress the quest/story asap, sometimes I'm content just to wander about).

But I think part of it is also that the affection system is a bit overtuned out of the box, so the companions start slavering over your dick waaaay too early, which is unsettling and breaks immersion. Plus, again, it's the fact that the weighting for the dialogue options you have is overwhelmingly towards variations of modern-day flirting dialogue, plus there doesn't seem to be a male there who isn't bisexual or a faggot, while at the same time, you usually get only one relatively normal response, and it usually makes you out to be a brusque asshole; there are precious few options where you can avoid the "adult relationship" bs in a nice guy way. It's exceptionally annoying sometimes.

There is a mod to tone down the rate at which you get affection now, so that's good.

 

[Herumor]

Anyone else finished Shadowheart's personal quest? I feel like they shouldn't have brought in Viconia for this.

View attachment 39819

Oh no no no no, not him.

I currently have him in Act 3 bugged out near my campfire, there's a pop up telling me he wants to talk, but when I try, he says he's waiting for something and it never goes anywhere. Probably have to do more for Gale quest, but there's really nothing more I can do.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Oh no no no no, not him.

Elminster is there in every era, too busy with sex change fantasies to notice the planes themselves being destroyed and remade, along with half the lore.

Glad to see him doing actual work for a change.

 

[Herumor]

Glad to see him doing actual work for a change.

His mouth's doing all the work.

 

[Seethe]

Based on a lot of steam posts I've seen I'm hopeful that the playersexual companions and general horny level will be viewed in the medium to long term as one of bg3's bigger flaws. This is the most thorough implementation of nymphomaniac playersexuality I've ever seen and consequently the best (self-) refutation of it as a premise - hoping other crpg developers reach the right conclusions in spite of the very good sales.

I have clocked 35+ hours into the game. As of today, only Lae'zel asked me for non-romantic sex, and Wyll told me about his dance which I suspect leads to romance. I told him I don't really care about making him dance. Is everyone else a faggot? Or maybe they're illiterate and keep selecting obvious flirting lines? Is the game bugged? Do people spam long rest and get constant camp events because they're retards and the story advances as a result? It's still a mystery for me as it is, but after 35 hours that's the only sexually suggestive encounter I've experienced other than the bugbear + ogre barn thing. No sex has even happened. I've cleared the goblin camp, basically explored the entire map. I likely have only 5% left of Act 1 as I'm wrapping up the last quest in the Underdark.

My theory is that people are retards obsessed with spamming long rests and Larian made it so that something happens every time you long rest.

With the exception of Shadowheart the companions (the ones I haven't killed, I mean) all make nonstop passes at the mc, and of course their playersexuality is common knowledge. Maybe you're not resting, not talking to them, or crit failing irl insight checks.

I've wasted all conversations possible with everyone in sight. Every time a companion does something or is part of a quest, I check in with other companions in the camp to see if they give in their opinions on the matter. I haven't rested more than 6 times in total.

 

[Eisenheinrich]

One would think the SJW crowd would be riled up against the "No means yes" attitude companions show towards PC.

It's all fine and dandy in a video game, but let's the how those pink haired feminist weirdos react If horny men approach them babbling about their sweat being intoxicating.

Followed by some penis C clipping through their pantaloons.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Anyone else finished Shadowheart's personal quest? I feel like they shouldn't have brought in Viconia for this.

I haven't and I clicked the spoiler. It was pretty obvious that's who it was from the first memory of the wolf when it didn't show her face.

Bringing in any of the old characters was a mistake. But isn't that what all the haters itt said for two years? "REEEE it has nothing to do with Baldur's Gate! There aren't any characters from the first game in it!"

Well, now you have Jaheira (and her kids), the cartoon barbarian etc. This is what they all wanted. Doesn't make things better, does it?

 

[gurugeorge]

Lmao, i can't make myself play this, even just to check this shit out.

Imma try to see if i can get past character cration later tonight just because i want to see how 5E actually works. Last DnD game i've played was NWN2 i'm genuinely curious to see what they did since then.

If your intention is to examine "D&D 5th edition" rules as applied to a CRPG, try Solasta instead, since it's very much a tactical RPG (more focused on combat than BG3), allows the player to generate four customized party members rather than relying on three pre-generated companions, and has comparatively little in the way of cutscenes or dialogue.

I would also say that the way Solasta does the party interaction, where you kind of build a character that has modular responses according to the personality you build into it, is actually a better representation of PnP in that area as well, the problem is just that while it's a genius idea, they just didn't have the money to do it the way it needs to be done. I mean, imagine that system with the budget and amount of VO that BG3 has - it would be absolutely stellar. You could literally build the personality of your cranky dwarf, fickle mage, etc., etc., just as you like them, and they'd interact together with each other just as you imagined them, with intelligent, context appropriate responses all the way through.

Maybe as AI progresses we'll have a fuller realization of that sort of thing. And you could still use all those fine British character actors too - like, youl would have certain set conversations that are meaningfully related to key story points that would be acted properly, and the AI could take it from there, filling in a lot of more casual dialogue, interjections, etc., trained on that voice, with the personality you set.

 

[Mojobeard]

Barbie berserker has been strong and fun. I'm used to playing skill monkeys, so this is a nice change of pace. Did zero planning either.
3 attacks, with advantage, at level 5. And even with it also giving enemies advantage, I'm always the one with most health at the end. The intelligence headband and Guidance gets you through checks. When in doubt [Barbarian] [Berserker].
High strength and the jumping feat makes it so enemies running away never matters. I can jump up 10 metres after they retreat to a vantage position and still attack them twice.
Picking tiefling was a bit a of a goof, as the higher level racial spell requires concentration, which you can't maintain in rage/frenzy. And I haven't picked any of the "dey my peoples" options either, that are really plentiful at the start. But I haven't regretted that either, at all, maybe gith's Astral Knowledge would have been better, or wood elves' movement speed, but nah.

 

[Herumor]

Well, now you have Jaheira (and her kids), the cartoon barbarian etc. This is what they all wanted. Doesn't make things better, does it?

Sorry for spoiling you.

Personally, I could have done without any of them. But I don't mind it, I'm not frothing at the mouth for them being brought back. I just think they feel out of place - well, maybe not Jaheira, given that she's a Harper and likes to get involved in things.

I'm surprised we haven't seen Korgan around. Or Edwin. If they were gonna bring back the old favorites, should have given us the option for an evil party as well.

 

[Shaki]

They made it obvious in this game that a dialogue choice is going to be gay. If you can’t tell the difference…you are gay.

Ok, here is a challenge - which of the options here are gay?

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Personally, I could have done without any of them. But I don't mind it, I'm not frothing at the mouth for them being brought back. I just think they feel out of place - well, maybe not Jaheira, given that she's a Harper and likes to get involved in things.

I do mind it. It taints the memory of originals and the story itself, since you have to mentally divorce the original characters from Larian's interpretation.

I'm surprised we haven't seen Korgan around. Or Edwin. If they were gonna bring back the old favorites, should have given us the option for an evil party as well.

Larian is known for doing enhanced editions and the like. Maybe we can get some old favs. Hopefully not Shar-Teel though. I feel I have to specify that for Larian given their proclivities and general poor taste.

edit: actually, we should be careful what we wish for there, since it could end in more gayness.

 

[Jermu]

regarding durge and 1 specific bard (slight act 3 spoiler nothing major)

Spoiler

guess slaughtering thiefling bard without skill check was too much, pathetic

 

[Agame]

Based on a lot of steam posts I've seen I'm hopeful that the playersexual companions and general horny level will be viewed in the medium to long term as one of bg3's bigger flaws. This is the most thorough implementation of nymphomaniac playersexuality I've ever seen and consequently the best (self-) refutation of it as a premise - hoping other crpg developers reach the right conclusions in spite of the very good sales.

I would hope so to, but given the direction of Western civilisation rapidly sliding into the abyss it will likely go the opposite way, and we will see even more turbo charged pozz and rank faggotry. Don't forget for every post someone makes complaining about this shit there is an army of pearl clutchers who will pile onto them screeching about tolerance and bigotry and muh racisms.

Seems like you do a lot of pearl clutching yourself

No, I am just a realist, and I have accepted the fact that the best I can hope for is to have fun with products like this while doing the best I can to ignore all the degeneracy inserted into it.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

They made it obvious in this game that a dialogue choice is going to be gay. If you can’t tell the difference…you are gay.

Ok, here is a challenge - which of the options here are gay?

In any other game, 1 would be a bro moment.

2 is obviously gay.

3 is kind of weak.

4 seems a little faggy or womanly.

5 is the only straight option, sadly.

 

[Hagashager]

I am actually rather sad about BG3 release for a wrong reason.
The standart Larian set means we won't see a decent RPG for a long time, as other studios will reassess their standing and developement due to inevitable comparison with BG3.
There is also risk of devolving into a Paradox state - where only they develop Grand Strategies that sell in sufficient numbers and others simply cannot enter the competition due to huge gap in experience and resources available.

If Larian will "monopolize" RPG genre, that could result and magnificent RPGs of similar quality in cherished settings, like Waterdeep or Nevewinter Nights, Eye of the Beholder even or Menzoberranzan (marketed as a porn product of course) but with risks of monopoly and lack of competition corrupting them.
In case of RPG releases we have maybe Rogue Trader upcoming, and it is not a "heavy RPG", more like a tactical combat with RPG elements and dialogues. Other than that - Dreadwolf is being held for years on life support and BG3 release is cutting wires one by one.

Very unlikely. RPGs, even braindead simple ones like Skyrim, are still too niche to ever be captured by a single company like the FIFA games for EA or Call of Duty for whoever the fuck makes them now. Unless vast swaths of society suddenly grow a taste for (even shallow) stat growths, you will never see RPGs get taken over by a single dev and still be profitable for very long.

More likely that this is Larian's "Oblivion Moment". They made an ultra mega hit that puts them in the upper brass of RPGs, alongside Bethesda. Their games will be taken more seriously.

And ya know what happened the last time an upstart European company flew too close to the sun?

Cyberpunk 2077...

 

[gurugeorge]

They made it obvious in this game that a dialogue choice is going to be gay. If you can’t tell the difference…you are gay.

Ok, here is a challenge - which of the options here are gay?

In any other game, 1 would be a bro moment.

2 is obviously gay.

3 is kind of weak.

4 seems a little faggy or womanly.

5 is the only straight option, sadly.

You learn pretty quickly from savescumming and trying things out a few times that in a situation like that at least 3 of those options are going to tend towards gay shit. The question is, why is every male-on-male interaction like that? Why can't he just act like a normal Druid? Why can't your male character stay hetero without having to make the dullest kind of response like the last one?

It's kind of funny that from a male point of view the Shadowheart relationship starts off as a quaintly old-fashioned "dating" type of thing. It's a shame she's one of the less good actresses (though she's not terrible by any means, it's just that most of the others are better).

The subtext is clear: if a male wants to be a faggot the world is his oyster, he can slut himself around as much as he wants. If he wants a hetero relationship it has to be hedged about with consent forms - or he can stick his dick in crazy (Froggy).

 

[Shaki]

In any other game, 1 would be a bro moment.

2 is obviously gay.

3 is kind of weak.

4 seems a little faggy or womanly.

5 is the only straight option, sadly.

Yes, all except 5 are gay, and not in a "little womanly" or "weak" way. 1,2,3,4 are all interpreted by the game as you obviously thirsting for the bear cock.

 

[Johnny Biggums]

Based on a lot of steam posts I've seen I'm hopeful that the playersexual companions and general horny level will be viewed in the medium to long term as one of bg3's bigger flaws. This is the most thorough implementation of nymphomaniac playersexuality I've ever seen and consequently the best (self-) refutation of it as a premise - hoping other crpg developers reach the right conclusions in spite of the very good sales.

I have clocked 35+ hours into the game. As of today, only Lae'zel asked me for non-romantic sex, and Wyll told me about his dance which I suspect leads to romance. I told him I don't really care about making him dance. Is everyone else a faggot? Or maybe they're illiterate and keep selecting obvious flirting lines? Is the game bugged? Do people spam long rest and get constant camp events because they're retards and the story advances as a result? It's still a mystery for me as it is, but after 35 hours that's the only sexually suggestive encounter I've experienced other than the bugbear + ogre barn thing. No sex has even happened. I've cleared the goblin camp, basically explored the entire map. I likely have only 5% left of Act 1 as I'm wrapping up the last quest in the Underdark.

My theory is that people are retards obsessed with spamming long rests and Larian made it so that something happens every time you long rest.

With the exception of Shadowheart the companions (the ones I haven't killed, I mean) all make nonstop passes at the mc, and of course their playersexuality is common knowledge. Maybe you're not resting, not talking to them, or crit failing irl insight checks.

I've wasted all conversations possible with everyone in sight. Every time a companion does something or is part of a quest, I check in with other companions in the camp to see if they give in their opinions on the matter. I haven't rested more than 6 times in total.

As a gesture of goodwill I will grant that a number of complaints about the game are overblown. For instance, I turned off genitalia at the opening prompt, so the only trannydick I've seen has been on these forums (where unspoilered filth is shared by based right wing trads for the sole purpose of saving western civilization, of course). It goes without saying that Swen will be raped eternally by the demons of hell for even conceiving of this, let alone investing in creating it, but what I'm saying is you can easily avoid the trannydick. Horny, universally pansexual companions create a basic and, in many players' experience, unavoidable flaw in the experience.

 

[DeepOcean]

Anyone else feel the game could use a little grit? Everything is just so whimsical, flowery, and casual. While talking to a druid who demands I swear to kill myself if I'm about to turn, the scene is brightly lit and colorful and the music is someone energetically plucking away at what sounds like a harp or some other stringed instrument. What I see and hear completely clash with what the story seems to want to convey. It's just another day adventuring except I've got a tadpole in my brain, no big deal.

I had the same issue with DOS2. Obviously I'm not too far in, so maybe things change?

Yes, this is what is mostly annoying to me, half the characters are agitated crackheads doing jokes all the time and the other half just boring. Larian always had this difficulty with tone, their idea of "light hearted" adventure is a bit too close to satire to me, I cant take anything that happens seriously if the characters themselves dont.

 

[Hagashager]

To be fair, that's very DnD. It's extremely hard to keep a PnP campaign from devolving into Monty Python, even with veteran players who get into character more aggressively.

I actually quite like Larian's D:OS 2, I'd argue it was pretty good at balancing whimsy with grit.

BG3 looks like it's very much capturing the tone and aburdism of a bog standard 5E group.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

It is quite easy to rework the system, really. Just toss it all in the garbage and fetch the 2nd edition books.

I love AD&D 2nd Edition but it does have issues of its own, mainly melee classes being fucking boring and a joke. Fighters in the PHB get fuck all. HP, lower Thac0, proficiencies and specializations.... and that's it? The Combat & Tactics splatbook intodroduced weapon masteries.

The problem with procifiency, specialization and mastery is that it doesn't really open up new options for the fighter. It's just straight up better hit, more attacks and maybe a tiny damage bonus. It's dreadfully boring.

The class kits from the Complete Fighter splatbook didn't really add anything of relevance either and most of the kits were purely RP fluff anyway. IIRC, only the Berserker kit even did something new in terms of class mechanics.

In that regard, the core AD&D 2nd edition rules for fighters (and related classes) weren't really any different from the previous five editions of Dungeons & Dragons. PHBR1 The Complete Fighter's Handbook followed the core AD&D 2nd edition rules within just a few months, and it included 25 pages of new rules for various combat actions (e.g. pull/trip, pin, parry), specializations, and related items for the usual, one-on-one, melee combat that fighters engage in.

whats up with those preset faces? Even Cyberpunk allowed for more customization freedom. If you want to play as a white guy there's only white guy face and that's it.

The lack of face options is due to facial animation limitations I heard.

Your character makes expressions so much its hardly surprising they had to limit that. And even with the limits, it's still extremely hit or miss. Some make you go "ok that was actually pretty good" and others take you for a ride to the deepest trench of the uncanny valley.

Reminder: Dragon's Dogma had an innovative character appearance customization system that allowed the player to choose the basic shape of important facial elements from a lengthy list of options (in similar fashion to selecting a hairstyle in many games, including BG3), supplemented by sliders to change size, positioning, etc. And it even had a more limited customization of the body, allowing the player to select from a smaller number of options for arms, torso, and legs, plus a height slider, a musculature slider, a weight slider, and (for women) a bust slider. And this game was released in 2012 for a console released in 2006. The expressions made by the player-character in Dragon's Dogma weren't all that much worse than the expressions made by the player-character in BG3, despite Larian limiting the player to a handful of heads (once sex and species have been chosen).