Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 RELEASE THREAD

[Space Satan]

Like I wrote earlier, Obsidian couldn't pull such a project off even if Swen handed them the engine, the tech and the documentation, hell even the engine and tools developers. Obsidian is creatievely and organisationally paralyzed.

They probably could make something of the size of one big map, but in RPGs quantity has a quality of its own, memorable RPGs are big enough to let you get lost within the world.

Both Obsidian and boware had good engines - DAO: Inquisition had little problems with lag or performance. Their problem is lack of competence, creativity and love for RPG genre. Obsidian wants to bring back their old glories without innovation and realizing that games in 2023 needs more than a precice rework of old games people loved in the past and bioware sees RPG genre as their private tool to express their degenerate fetishes and lgbt agendas.

 

[Grauken]

It’s never going to happen, but Larian would be the ideal studio for Spelljammer. Heck, BG3 is 50% Spelljammer as it is :D

Shame we never got a proper Goldbox Spelljammer game instead of the garbage game we actually got.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

I know its not the same staff, and its not the same production values, but lets not pretend Bioware and Obsidian just make third person shooters, because thats what their last games have been.

Like I wrote earlier, Obsidian couldn't pull such a project off even if Swen handed them the engine, the tech and the documentation, hell even the engine and tools developers. Obsidian is creatievely and organisationally paralyzed.

Another irony is that if EA, say, wanted to chase this trend, they would probably comission BioWare, likewise Microsoft Obsidian.....

Problem is, Dragon Age 4 has been in development for years, so its not like they'll change it to turn based cRPG randomly now. And Obsidian is (allegedly) making Avowed, a Skyrim type of game, and has years of work on it still.

Yeah, I could almost see EA forcing them to change development of Dragon Age 4 *yet again* (something like 4th time?), but it's probably too close to completion. These numbers are going to turn heads in the industry though... 2.5 million early access. Top of PS5 pre-order chart. 800,000 concurrent Steam players (currently; it may well breach a million this weekend). That is the kind of numbers that DOTA and shit like that deal in.

In my most fabulously optimistic hopes, I would like to see someone try a sci-fi RPG with BG3's production values. I'm guessing Larian's immediate future will be a Baldur's Gate III expansion, then Baldur's Gate IV developed with a new in-house engine. However I would love Larian or someone to give say Traveller a shot.

It’s never going to happen, but Larian would be the ideal studio for Spelljammer. Heck, BG3 is 50% Spelljammer as it is :D

I know 100% it will not work, as Zarniwoop said, and for the reasons stated; BioWare just isn't a studio that can be trusted anymore given it's politics, and Obsidian seem to just develop uninspiring world after world. It's just I'm thinking about what weird consequences might come out of this inevitable noticing of CRPGs by the industry.

For example, one weird consequence, might be the idea that big publishers should revive other late 90s dormant CRPG franchises, that they have sitting in their IP bins. Something like Icewind Dale III.

 

[Space Satan]

You are recounting the facts correctly, but what is your point? What you recount confirms what I said: same as BG and BG2 back in the day, same as Witcher 3 in 2015, same as Crusader Kings II, BG3 succeeds on the back of two main advantages: more accessible than before, higher production values.

DAO: Inquisition and Mass Effect had much much more production values than prequels and much more accessible, with heavy marketing. It didn't save them. Production values alone cannot make a good game - studio team is what matters. Owlcat managed to make Pathfinder into a decent RPG with meager resources but a ddgood creative team.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I have a question about Waukeen's Rest and the Toll Collector's office. They seem pretty disconnected from the rest of the 1st map's story, and I'm constantly feeling like I've stumbled into some place that I have no business being in.

The game’s biggest structural issue by far is lack of cohesion and sense of place

Probably the result of reworking things and making shit up along the way.

I think it’s entirely the fault of the map design. The fact that you only paint maps and hardly ever retread areas or have “quest hubs”/towns means the game has levels rather than dynamic areas.

I don't think the map design force the devs to exclude quest reactivity.

Go back to PnP. You have the quest board in the center of the village. There are five notes pinned on the board, once the player does 3 of those, you take the other two off and progress to the next stage. In simplified terms, that's the usual structure isn't it? Nothing prevents the designers of BG3 from using the same approach. After the player explores 2 or 3 possible options for curing his condition, disable the other quests.

 

[Grauken]

For example, one weird consequence, might be the idea that big publishers should revive other late 90s dormant CRPG franchises

That sounds like a monkey's paw wish if there ever was one

 

[Zarniwoop]

Yeah, look at how AMAZEBALLS all the other revivals, remakes, reboots and reimaginings are

 

[AwesomeButton]

For example, one weird consequence, might be the idea that big publishers should revive other late 90s dormant CRPG franchises, that they have sitting in their IP bins. Something like Icewind Dale III

This, definetly. I was also pondering an Arcanum II, but in currentyear all the fun would be castrated. The magic vs science conflict would be reimagined as another round of "mages vs templars", all the ironic takes and cartoonish Gilded Age references including the racism would be scrubbed out or turned into moralizing preaching... Better leave that setting alone.

 

[AwesomeButton]

DAO: Inquisition and Mass Effect had much much more production values than prequels and much more accessible, with heavy marketing. It didn't save them.

Yes, I expected that you wouldn't count good writing and story among production values, but you should, that's your mistake (and also the mistake of US developers of course)

Also, good writing by definition is not didactical, i.e. doesn't preach, therefore is by definition de-wokefied, therefore most US developers don't have the personnel capable of producing good writing....
Therefore -- most US developers are severly handicapped on the production values front, as soon they try to compete in the story-heavy genre of RPG.

Case in point - both the current and the previous trendsetting RPGs seem to come (mostly) from Europe (Witcher 3 and BG3). At least the ethos is that of Europe, not the anglosphere. And as soon as the anglosphere touched the Witcher IP the product turned to shit (Netflix Witcher).

There is a reason they all want to turn their games into MMOs - the cost/benefit ratio, the SaaS model, not having to deal with writers and politics that much.

 

[ArchAngel]

BTW FSR is pretty good. This is the first game i've actually got a chance to try it on. At ultra pre-set i gain around 20-30 FPS. Haven't really attempted to see if i can spot the visual degradation but i think the gains are worth it no matter what. Currently getting around 60-65 FPS with all the graphics at max setting except for depth of field which i took out entirely. Of course this is just the tutorial and i'm sure the performance will degrade battling large groups or when hitting a town but i'm surprised at how well it plays considering i heard people bitching the game was slow on nu-shit like 4000 series Nvidia cards.

Maybe you should worry less about sniffing out faggotry and degeneracy and non-whites in video games and more about not being a poorfag so you can afford a better video card.

Instead of spamming the codex with edgy 4chan anti-woke takes, you could work a couple of hours and earn some money. Something appropriate to your intellect, like shoveling shit at your local pig farm for minimum wage.

It would be an all-around win-win. We would be spared your shitposting, the pig farmer gets the shit shoveled from the pigsty and you might be able to afford a new video card so you can enjoy this great game with better frame rate and image quality.

Did you get fucked by a bear yet dick boy?

 

[whydoibother]

For example, one weird consequence, might be the idea that big publishers should revive other late 90s dormant CRPG franchises, that they have sitting in their IP bins. Something like Icewind Dale III.

With Tolkien Jr. dying somewhat recently, that franchise has been whored out a bunch. We could get a Middle Earth cRPG.
Or with KOTOR nostalgia, maybe we could see a Star Wars cRPG again.
Both are big brands, bigger than Baldur's Gate/Forgotten Realms. Both are a good fit for cRPGs. Both have a history of video games made for them, so you can "borrow" mechanics, aesthetics, inspiration. Both have much of their voice actors alive, or synthetic interpretations of them past legal issues.

But honestly, I'd rather an X-COM game, which is somewhat story driven, with characters who have names and personalities, and where you control a small team rather than a base with an army.

 

[Reinhardt]

once the player does 3 of those, you take the other two off

fuck off, i take all 5. AND ask villagers if there is any rats in the basement.

 

[Zarniwoop]

By the way, I'm guessing all the faggots that rated my post "disagree" or similar when I said how good the game looks are playing without HDR monitors.

Or even worse, AMD peasants with no DLAA option

 

[AwesomeButton]

once the player does 3 of those, you take the other two off

fuck off, i take all 5. AND ask villagers if there is any rats in the basement.

Ok, but you're not the one complaining their RPGs are formulaic and lack C&C, other guys are.

With Tolkien Jr. dying somewhat recently, that franchise has been whored out a bunch. We could get a Middle Earth cRPG.

"Who?" is the operative question. The money seems to be mostly in the Anglosphere, but the creative talent is in Europe. If you have creative talent, you can gradually develop your own IPs (Witcher), but if you have the money you are in danger of using it to damage your IPs and brands (LotR). In theory you could use your money to buy or hire out the creative talent, but when your "religion" prohibits you form producing good writing in your entertainment, well, you see where Hollywood is today?

 

[AwesomeButton]

By the way, I'm guessing all the faggots that rated my post "disagree" or similar when I said how good the game looks are playing without HDR monitors.

Or even worse, AMD peasants with no DLAA option

You dare adress me, a member of the 1080ti nobility?

 

[Eisenheinrich]

So I've played enough of the game to where I think I can give an honest impression. ... The games main story can be beaten in 20 hours or less.

Just curious: Did you beat the main story in 20 hours or less?

I'm pretty sure certain, let's say autistic "no fun allowed run and gun" gameplay runs, lead to a subpar gaming experience as this game was not designed to cater to that specific demographic (we all know it's catering to handsome perverts like me). I can't see enjoying this game speedrunning main story.

52 hours in and still dabbling around in Act 1.

 

[Avarize]

You are recounting the facts correctly, but what is your point? What you recount confirms what I said: same as BG and BG2 back in the day, same as Witcher 3 in 2015, same as Crusader Kings II, BG3 succeeds on the back of two main advantages: more accessible than before, higher production values.

DAO: Inquisition and Mass Effect had much much more production values than prequels and much more accessible, with heavy marketing. It didn't save them. Production values alone cannot make a good game - studio team is what matters. Owlcat managed to make Pathfinder into a decent RPG with meager resources but a ddgood creative team.

There has to be something solid to start with that you then make more accessible and as you continue down that road eventually that solidity disappears and accessibility is all that remains. No one seems to be able to strike that balance.

 

[Eisenheinrich]

His name is Godfrey btw lmao.

Jesus lmao, that's hilarious! You should do stand up sometimes.

 

[ADULF HITLOR FAN KLUB]

I wasn't planning on trying BG3 out so soon, but now even I am genuinely curious.

Also LOL if you thought I would ever give Larian even a nickel for their coomer games.

You're still playing the coomer game, you're just being a cheap Jew about it, so joke's on you.

My download finished. I will start up Baldur's Gayte Bear Sex 3 later tonight to see what all the fuss is about.

 

[AwesomeButton]

You are recounting the facts correctly, but what is your point? What you recount confirms what I said: same as BG and BG2 back in the day, same as Witcher 3 in 2015, same as Crusader Kings II, BG3 succeeds on the back of two main advantages: more accessible than before, higher production values.

DAO: Inquisition and Mass Effect had much much more production values than prequels and much more accessible, with heavy marketing. It didn't save them. Production values alone cannot make a good game - studio team is what matters. Owlcat managed to make Pathfinder into a decent RPG with meager resources but a ddgood creative team.

There has to be something solid to start with that you then make more accessible and as you continue down that road eventually that solidity disappears and accessibility is all that remains. No one seems to be able to strike that balance.

Well, the whole art of making a trendsetting game, that becomes a watermark for years to come is this - you have to reconciliate production values and accessibility with interactivity (branching story, C&C). The more interactivity, the higher the cost will be once you combine it with those high production values, so people start to sacrifice things. And when you have to choose what to sacrifice, production values are more scalable, and visual stimulation works easier on us humans, so of course the sacrifices are directed at the interactivity. It's all banalisms but that's basically the reasoning behind the "Decline".

 

[Konjad]

So I've played enough of the game to where I think I can give an honest impression. ... The games main story can be beaten in 20 hours or less.

Just curious: Did you beat the main story in 20 hours or less?

I'm pretty sure certain, let's say autistic gameplay runs, lead to a subpar gaming experience as this game was not designed to cater to that specific demographic (we all know it's catering to handsome perverts like me). I can't see enjoying this game speedrunning main story.

52 hours in and still dabbling around in Act 1.

Considering it's possible to skip almost all of the first map I wouldn't be surprised. That said, I don't see the reason unless you do one of these weird speedruns for fame.

 

[rubinstein]

We could get a Middle Earth cRPG.

a bit offtopic, but you have just helped me unlock some core memory. me, around 12 yo, going home from shopping with my mom to play some middle earth II, i am in the backseat with some sweets and a fresh copy of video game magazine, and im reading about upcoming lotr rpg called "white council". i am hopeful and optimistic that this will be the best game i have ever played...

this artwork was attached to the article, i still remember it

its really surprising we have never been given big lotr crpg. instead we were handed fucking 2/10 Gollum game, what the hell...

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

Tuco Benedicto Pacifico has been really quiet since launch

I'm busy playing the game. Which I'm enjoying a lot, despise its occasional shortcomings.

EDIT - Few things more annoying than your phone "auto-corrrcting" a grammatical error into your sentence.

 

[Strange Fellow]

Is there a way to mute the narrator? I hate her.

 

[Nifft Batuff]

I am still in Act 1 but so far I love that there aren't any conspicuous quest-hubs or boring town levels, but that everything is interconnected (not only geography, but also story and quests) and explorable.