Divinity What makes a "Baldur's Gate" to you?

[Farewell into the night]

BG is BG. It's a city name and a great game.

Larian is just doing it's take on the setting (5e).
It's not BG3 from an orthodox point of view.
It's just a third game that is set around place called Baldur's Gate.

 

[Onionguy]

I feel like I played different versions of BG1/BG2 than the rest of you guys.

I don't think anyone has ever claimed every aspect of the writing was top tier. Jan and Minsc are both horrible

For some reason Jan is really divisive. I personally really like him, and don't think there is anything wrong with his blabbermouth, comedy relief personality, especially when he is mocking that prick Anomen as shown above. Minsk can be annoying, but at least he is memorable. Same cannot be said about Amiri in P:K.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

It's just a third game that is set around place called Baldur's Gate

4th.
Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Dark Alliance II used the city before.

 

[GhostCow]

For some reason Jan is really divisive. I personally really like him, and don't think there is anything wrong with his blabbermouth, comedy relief personality, especially when he is mocking that prick Anomen as shown above. Minsk can be annoying, but at least he is memorable. Same cannot be said about Amiri in P:K.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. The only character I really thought was funny was Korgan if you had him in the same party as Mazzy. Mazzy and Haer'Dalis were my favorite companions personally. Too bad Haer'Dalis is a bard. That's one of my least favorite D&D classes. He's a bro though and Tieflings are cool. I like using the level 1 npcs mod to change him to a swashbuckler instead

 

[DraQ]

You know what game perfectly captured the feeling of going around on a combat-centric crawl with a goofy adventuring party?
Not BG1.
Not BG2.
Wizardry 8.

As for BG, some of the good defining features for me would be narrator and possibility of intraparty situation going to hell in a handbasket - both of which are very Larian-y.

 

[Farewell into the night]

4th.
Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and Dark Alliance II used the city before.

Oh yeah, right. I even pyated BG: DA.

That makes it even 5th.

 

[Daidre]

For me Baldur's Gate name (for CRPG) is first and foremost Bhaalspawn Saga. Because without it, everything from IWD and PS:T to NWN 2, D:OS 2 and DAO could be called a fucking Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[Melcar]

Probably missed some, but to me the important things are AD&D ruleset, isometric, party based, decent encounter design with rewarding semi-strategic combat and either rtwp or tb. Setting could be anything, I don't mind as long as it's done right. Good artwork (don't mind if it's 2D or 3D) that's not cartoony. Also good loot with overpowered items.

 

[Farewell into the night]

For me Baldur's Gate name (for CRPG) is first and foremost is Bhaalspawn Saga. Because without it, everything from IWD and PS:T to NWN 2, D:OS 2 and DAO could be called a fucking Baldur's Gate 3.

For me Baldur's Gate name (for CRPG) is first and foremost is Bhaalspawn Saga. Because without it, everything from IWD and PS:T to NWN 2, D:OS 2 and DAO could be called a fucking Baldur's Gate 3.

Yeah, it's about characters and story and place. Well, BG is a place, IWD is a place, NW is a place. They're pretty much the same thing, because it's D&D: Forgotten Realms.

 

[Vulpes]

"Memorable antagonist character"? Well, it's a good thing it's singular since the only BG antagonist I ever found interesting was Sarevok. I barely remember anything about Irenicus except the fact that he had a smoking hot vampire sister and that he was trying to steal the MC's soul. As for the Bhaal priestess and the rest of your siblings in ToB, I can't even remember their names

Also, you're forgetting one key element of the Baldur's Gate series;

Spoiler

the black and white morality

 

[octavius]

Fighting lots of enemy parties is perhaps the most outstanding thing about the BG games.

 

[DraQ]

Yeah, it's about characters and story and place. Well, BG is a place, IWD is a place, NW is a place. They're pretty much the same thing, because it's D&D: Forgotten Realms.

Amn is a place... Oh.

Also, you're forgetting one key element of the Baldur's Gate series;

Spoiler

the black and white morality

Implemented in the facepalm inducingly shitty way as reputation system and quest rewards.

Fighting lots of enemy parties is perhaps the most outstanding thing about the BG games.

The only good encounters too.

 

[Fedora Master]

The question is entirely moot because the Baldurs Gate series is over and done.

 

[Erebus]

A memorable antagonist character being one of the essential features of a BG game is a surprisingly popular option. I did not realize so many people liked Amelyssan.

 

[Melcar]

She had big tiddies.

 

[Aemar]

Aesthetic(not only visual but audio as well)

No Baldur's Gate game would be complete without top-tier tavern music. And then the soundtrack itself, the bustling sounds of the cities with their various quarters, the ambiental sounds of the wild lands, the incantations of the spells, etc. The sound and music productions played a pivotal role in the success of these games. Using the latest state of the art 3D technologies and some gimmicky gameplay is pointless if there is no soul behind this effort.

 

[Saerain]

Bhaalspawn or Baldur's Gate.

 

[deuxhero]

Baldur's Gate is two games their expansion packs. Everything else is just cashing in on the name. It may be good or terrible, but it's not Baldur's Gate.

 

[jackofshadows]

I think it would be more interesting to aswer this question w/o BG3 announce in mind entirely. Or at least if one haven't seen yet gameplay vid etc. In that case, for me, core features would be:

- RTwP combat with some core tough encounters but as well as relaxing trash mob fights during exploration.
- Exploration of a nice high-fantasy world with beatiful backdrops, animation, appropriate sound effects etc. Big city requirement. (PoE2 as a good exaple, actually)
- Memorable party members of 3-6 size with all that banters, personal quests alighment issues.
- Epic main quest w/o strong constrains and too many check points
- Charismatic antagonist, yes.

But with announce in mind, even if not for gameplay reveal, it would be moronic to assume that Larian will try to deliver old gaming experience so...

 

[Roguey]

Looks like almost everyone agrees a Baldur's Gate should be a party-based D&D game, everything else is up for debate. BG3 going to be a New Classic.

 

[Quillon]

It should be party based sims expansion where sims larp as dnd chars and party.

 

[Delterius]

a franchise with more brand outreach than it ever deserved

 

[Quillon]

a franchise with more brand outreach than it ever deserved

a franchise with brand name father legendary feargus urquhart :D

 

[Delterius]

a franchise with more brand outreach than it ever deserved

a franchise with brand name father legendary feargus urquhart :D

we all joked about the lord hervé, little did we know about shadowlord urquhart

 

[Vulpes]

Fighting lots of enemy parties is perhaps the most outstanding thing about the BG games.

I wholeheartedly disagree. Besides BG1's finale, the most memorably battles for me were against a single, extremely powerful opponent (namely dragons and liches like Firkraag and Kangaxx)

I did not realize so many people liked Amelyssan

Who?