What drove BG3's success, game mechanics or emotional engagement?

[NecroLord]

a certain vibrant quality

A certain vibrant quality? Are you talking about a game or perhaps perfume or wine? I guess the guy ranting off about the decline of quality in posters was shut down with the little rating system (which is really the root of the true decline, at least as far as forming coherent sentences is concerned), but I agree his overall point. Saying you like this and dislike that is useless and waxing lyrical on the case is also worthless. We all know that the game and Larian is being blasted sorely on the fact of their mainstream success with casuals that have little to no crpg culture (if there is such a thing at this point). The success is obviously due to presentation and accessibility. That in itself is boring. The thing is, the criteria for these two things have changed a little. We're no longer in Bioware-movie territory as far as mainstream games go, as mentionned elsewhere. In other words, movies are not an ideal for games anymore. That's a kind of maturation for the medium, I guess. I mean fuck it, this is a turned-based game. If you don't see the change at stake here, you were just too young to remember how much everyone craved turned-based gameplay 20 years ago. It is what it is. I'm not saying turned-based is inherently good, but fuck you. I'm trying to be helpful here. Take that, you shite. Take the help right up your ass

You ok dude?
Almost sounded like you were having a stroke there for a second...

 

[Jeskis]

BG3’s success was based on the promise that disappointed, bitter ol gamers like me would finally have fun playing a RPG. The promise that was only partially fulfilled.

 

[Reinhardt]

por: ruins of myth drannor > bg3

 

[luj1]

We all know that the game and Larian are being blasted sorely on the fact of their mainstream success with casuals that have little to no cRPG culture. The success is obviously due to presentation and accessibility.

Infinitron

Well there is your answer, idiot. What are you bewildered about?

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

BG3 technically has only 2 districts but the city "feels" like 10 times bigger.

It feels like a shoebox. The fucking inauguration of the bathrobe guy takes place in gatehouse barracks that are three steps away from the slums, which are right next to the industrial wharf, which makes for a great view from the back entrance of the evil vampire mansion. It's the urban equivalent of dehydrated food packets.

 

[Harthwain]

The game's innate appeal we can only appraise looking at people who are still there now. This game's sheer numbers are owed to a hypewave. And like all hypewaves the answer is marketing and human stupidity.

Doubtful. If selling games was down merely to "marketing and human stupidity" then it would've been much easier and consistent to make big money than it actually is.

 

[agris]

delivers what rpgs have been promising for decades. Its the rpg closest to the tabletop experience

Yeah, this is pretty much it

have either of you ever played tabletop?

ill put you down as a “no”, then

 

[Tyranicon]

The explanation for any success of this scale is memes. The average person is really stunningly stupid. They will say things like that Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3 held the same appeal to them. They don't know what they're doing. Language is like lego to them. They pick up things they hear and stack them together. Like more clever parrots.

The game's innate appeal we can only appraise looking at people who are still there now. This game's sheer numbers are owed to a hypewave. And like all hypewaves the answer is marketing and human stupidity. Seeing people act like voices of reason ascribing reason to a mob is so absurd. The people who are still interested now, yes, we can actually look at what the game is to explain why they are still playing. And as others have said, it's why Bioware succeeded in less mob-driven times. It's a trashy overproduced buttfantasy VN for women and D&D Americans.

The greatest joke in my porn parody BG3 game is that it's actually meant to be a cerebral and philosophical alternative to BG3.

It's going to be hilarious whether I succeed or fall flat on my face.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

por: ruins of myth drannor > bg3

If Ruins of Myth Drannor erases your hard drive, it will spare you from playing Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[Butter]

If BG3 erased your hard drive, it could erase the evidence that you'd been watching furry midget porn.

 

[luj1]

BG3's success = presentation + accessibility + BG name + DOS name

 

[Lhynn]

delivers what rpgs have been promising for decades. Its the rpg closest to the tabletop experience

Yeah, this is pretty much it

have either of you ever played tabletop?

I have. And I can say a lot of what you do in tabletop works here, and the other way around as well. The implementation of the rules, while it takes minimal liberties, it is very much a 1:1 of the dnd 5e ruleset. The freedom to tackle encounters is very much there, verticality included, and line of sight mechanics, and because of this you have more freedom than in any other rpg.

Theres also the fact that theres an astounding amount of reactivity to whatever you do, its truly exhaustive.

Finally, there are also long term consequences to most of your actions, even endgame consequences to it.

Like, its nowhere near what can happen in tabletop, but its the RPG thats gotten the closest so far.

 

[HappyDaddyWow!]

Knights of the Chalice

When some of you guys unironically claim that some indieslop that only 5 people have played is somehow comparable to one of the most critically and commercially successful RPGs of the last decade, do you understand how silly you look

Saying this as someone who's never played BG3 and has zero interest in it.

 

[Butter]

Knights of the Chalice

When some of you guys unironically claim that some indieslop that only 5 people have played is somehow comparable to one of the most critically and commercially successful RPGs of the last decade, do you understand how silly you look

Saying this as someone who's never played BG3 and has zero interest in it.

You don't deserve good RPGs.

 

[Tyranicon]

while it takes minimal liberties, it is very much a 1:1 of the dnd 5e ruleset.

Yes, it is probably the best video game adaptation of 5e that I've played with the caveats that:

1. Almost all the additions BG3 added were horrible and unbalanced the game terribly.
2. 5e is universally hated on this board and by most grognards.

When some of you guys unironically claim that some indieslop that only 5 people have played is somehow comparable to one of the most critically and commercially successful RPGs of the last decade, do you understand how silly you look

Saying this as someone who's never played BG3 and has zero interest in it.

There are video games that less than 5 people have played that beat BG3 in every metric possible besides production value and popular acclaim.

A reminder that video game critics are absolute nobodies, financial success only matter to those who get rich from it, and that gatekeeping is one of the primary duties of the codex.

 

[HappyDaddyWow!]

while it takes minimal liberties, it is very much a 1:1 of the dnd 5e ruleset.

Yes, it is probably the best video game adaptation of 5e that I've played with the caveats that:

1. Almost all the additions BG3 added were horrible and unbalanced the game terribly.
2. 5e is universally hated on this board and by most grognards.

When some of you guys unironically claim that some indieslop that only 5 people have played is somehow comparable to one of the most critically and commercially successful RPGs of the last decade, do you understand how silly you look

Saying this as someone who's never played BG3 and has zero interest in it.

There are video games that less than 5 people have played that beat BG3 in every metric possible besides production value and popular acclaim.

A reminder that video game critics are absolute nobodies, financial success only matter to those who get rich from it, and that gatekeeping is one of the primary duties of the codex.

There are indie RPGs that aren't beloved by a wide audience because they're purposefully niche and focused towards a smaller and more dedicated playerbase, i.e. battle brothers. But in general if you're genuinely claiming that some no-name indieslop from 2009 with 87 steam reviews is somehow better than one of the most popular RPGs of the past decade, you're being so contrarian that your opinion is either trolling or you're actually on the autism spectrum.

 

[HappyDaddyWow!]

And, btw, I'm all on board with contrarianism. I'm so contrarian I don't even play most of these big releases and don't care about them. I'm a true RPG hipster. But let's keep the contrarianism realistic.

 

[Tyranicon]

There are indie RPGs that aren't beloved by a wide audience because they're purposefully niche and focused towards a smaller and more dedicated playerbase, i.e. battle brothers. But in general if you're genuinely claiming that some no-name indieslop from 2009 with 87 steam reviews is somehow better than one of the most popular RPGs of the past decade, you're being so contrarian that your opinion is either trolling or you're actually on the autism spectrum.

Look, I didn't play either of the KoTC games but from everything I've seen and heard, it seems like there's a great deal of heart and soul poured into those games. He's a solodev who's pursuing his passion. Like the dude literally had to subsist on roots to get his game delivered.

I respect that a hell of a lot more than some mega budget, committee-designed, 7/10 game that won the jackpot merely by having the most production value, best tik tok moments and appealing to the broadest, most modern audience.

It's like rooting for a Marvel movie. Why the fuck would I do that?

 

[Cohesion]

Cleve didn't eat roots. Jeff Vogel didn't eat roots.
VD will be eating roots.

 

[Tyranicon]

Cleve didn't eat roots. Jeff Vogel didn't eat roots.
VD will be eating roots.

Doesn't VD have a high-paying office dayjob? If so, I think he'll be fine.

 

[Gerrard]

What drove BG3's success​

The same thing that shoves globohomo shit down your throat on every corner of the industry.

 

[Fink]

I am yet to play it, but I have several normie friends (ie - they do not play RPGs generally) who have been playing it, and when they talk about the game, they talk about TB combat, character building, etc. Not story, NPCs, romances/bearsex.

 

[Lhynn]

1. Almost all the additions BG3 added were horrible and unbalanced the game terribly.

5e isnt terribly balanced to begin with. While yes, some stuff is downright broken, the most broken stuff is still very much what you can do in core.

2. 5e is universally hated on this board and by most grognards.

Solastas reception means this isnt entirely true. They have something against the aesthetics of this game and their criticism really has no leg to stand on.

My problem here is that there are a bunch of pretenders posing as codexers, they are just retarded contrarians with no taste or discernment that only follow the cargo cult design. They are, essentially, niggers.

 

[GamerCat_]

The game's innate appeal we can only appraise looking at people who are still there now. This game's sheer numbers are owed to a hypewave. And like all hypewaves the answer is marketing and human stupidity.

Doubtful. If selling games was down merely to "marketing and human stupidity" then it would've been much easier and consistent to make big money than it actually is.

Were you not paying attention when 'The Day Before' became one of the most pre-ordered games of all time? 'Horizon: Forbidden West' made more money than all of this site's favourite CRPGs put together. It is pretty fucking easy to make money in gaming. Day One Purchase Americans will reflexively purchase anything with marketing force behind it. Most sales of anything do not go to discerning types who made a judgement and considered the thing worthy and valuable. They go to complete fucking idiots who treat all experiences as a way to numb existential anxiety so that they don't have to think about anything until sweet horrifying death finally comes to relieve them.

Imagine the kind of person who pre-ordered 'The Day Before'. This person doesn't just exist. They're most people you'll ever meet.

 

[Harthwain]

Were you not paying attention when 'The Day Before' became one of the most pre-ordered games of all time?

For any No Man's Sky there are plenty of games that do not get that kind of recognition or commercial success. So this is more of an exception rather than the general rule you claim it to be.

'Horizon: Forbidden West' made more money than all of this site's favourite CRPGs put together.

It is pretty fucking easy to make money in gaming.

You contradict yourself here. On one hand you say it is easy to print money by making games, on another you admit that "this site's favourite CRPGs put together" made less money than some action game. Apparently it is not so easy to make money in gaming.