Baldur's Gate 3

[Ag3ma]

Bringing up that some people will ditch a game that looks similar but has worse graphics in a conversation about the above is a total bait and switch. Nobody was talking about those graphics-obsessed people until a moment ago.

"necessarily has inferior graphics or other elements" i.e. UI, gameplay, content, as discussed in previous posts, which it's reasonable to expect you to remember.

I only laughed at what the AAA devs said... How much more money went into say Witcher 3 or Diablo 4 or Starfield compared to BG3 and the scope of those games are so much smaller than BG3.

These are not readily comparable things. You're not thinking about the time it takes to code graphics, or pathfinding, or AI behaviours, various mechanics etc. Any of that sort of thing can require huge amounts of coding time and resources.

Secondly, there's no right and wrong way in the way you're making out. They are spending on different things and delivering different things, to some extent with different customers in mind. For instance, if you're playing a game like RDR or Skyrim, part of the fun is exploring, checking out the nooks and crannies of the game world - Starfield is said to have 1000 planets to explore - but there's vastly less of that in BG3. Diablo is really a Rogue variant for people who prefer action games. I think there are RPGs with better narratives and characterisation than BG3, and some people want that.

And your awesomeness proclamation just whooshed right over your head. You totally never get suckered and never dislike article just because they disagree with your view, sure thing... You must just be so awesome yourself!!! That's why I responded in the way I did because your reply was so pretentious.

You know what? I could get behind this in principle, because I am not immune to that by any means. But on the other hand, in practice in this particular debate, I happen to be right.

Also, protip: don't write a large tract on how great you are for all your indie gaming, sneering at AAA titles like Starfield just because they're AAA (unreleased to even be able to assess their quality!), and then accuse other people of being pretentious.

 

[Baffle]

O RLY?

 

[Ag3ma]

O RLY?

Surely it's every emperor's dream to live in a spiky d20 and psychically beg randos to save them.

 

[CriticalGaming]

Who the Fuck is the Emperor?

 

[Baffle]

Who the Fuck is the Emperor?

The red lady at the back, I accidentally cropped the crown.

 

[Bartholen]

20 hours in. About to wrap up act 1, committed goblicide, now just need to see what lies in auntie Ethel's house. I fucking love the underdark, it's where this game gets proper weird. Goblins and owlbears are kind of whatever, but a myconid colony with a hobgolin and a mindflayer with intellectual ambitions? This is my bag, baby! And like Divinity Original Sin 2, this game just never seems to run out of places to explore. Just when I'm starting to think I've got the map covered, there's some new nook I notice I haven't been to. And on it goes. One of the most satisfying things so far was burning the Phase Spider Queen's webbing out from under her with Firebolt - twice - and watch her take like 50 fall damage from it in total. Also, shoving the Gnoll Flind into a chasm and watching it disappear into the abyss.

I've somewhat inadvertently ended up playing with essentially a harem protagonist party, meaning I'm running Shadowheart, Lae'zel and Karlach alongside my male human fighter. I prefer a melee-focused playstyle I suppose, and having two fighters gives plenty of flexibility to how to approach situations. I multiclassed my main into a rogue to 1. have someone with Sleight of Hand and 2. to take advantage of the Wolfheart Barbarian's ability in conjunction with sneak attack.

And sorry Shadowheart, I prefer more assertive women, so my character's hittin' that gussy! In fact he already did, and is def gonna again.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

​

Sterling's videos are normally appointment viewing for me but I got bored halfway through as they were going on about some D&D campaign... But I'm guessing they're gonna say save scumming is fine if that's what you wanna do and who cares how others play a game or some such. Which.. sure.

The reason I was making fun of save scumming is that it feels like the kind of thing you do to get around something that you don't like or is broken. Like when someone buys a used sports car and they're telling you how great it is and then the engine cuts and they're like "oh it just does that sometimes" and you're like "wait... then it's not that good of a car dude!"

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm guessing they're gonna say save scumming is fine if that's what you wanna do and who cares how others play a game or some such. Which.. sure.

Yes.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Divinity 2 difficulty was pretty cranked up combat-wise. I'm still haven't gotten very far in BG3 but the combat so far is very doable without even the knowing the systems in and out. If Larian is balancing the battles based on CR (actual DnD) then the battles won't be too tough. My current DnD 5e campaign is being run by a person pretty new to DMing and just this Saturday we had a fight go super easy and after the session she was saying how surprised she was with how it went because it was supposed to be a hard battle based on CR. Another player who also DMs 5e said basically that you gotta make a "hard" battle twice as hard for it to actually be hard. The CR system has trouble accounting for using normal spells normally (let alone min/maxing or exploiting shit). For example, I'm a druid and casted conjure animals (just a 3rd level spell) that brought out 8 giant owls and totally skewed the action economy completely in our favor (that's 8 more attacks per full round). The fact that BG3 is based off the DnD ruleset changes all the little things most video game RPGs do poorly (like Divinity 2).

Hm...ok.
Plus, you know... there's an easy mode...

Now I kinda wanna play it lol. Getting bored with my current game (Everspace 2) and then I check on games sites and it's BG3 and I'm like "oh man I could go for a wacky adventure story like that."

Well I'm gonna play Armored Core first and see how I feel. More importantly I'm gonna see how it looks on a PS5. If I do it play it then easy mode with a character that can b.s. her way out of stuff is up my alley.

I was curious about playing a character that can sort of bully his way out of situations- I don't think there's an "intimidation" attribute per say. Well I'd have to research that more and ask specific questions about a character if/when I decide to play this game. I mean I wouldn't want to just avoid combat either- it's an important part of the game and I would want to enjoy it. I just wouldn't want to get stuck on some battle that take 20 minutes I can't get past. And I know sometimes you can "find another solution" but I also am guessing sometimes you can't. After all, there are key story things that have to happen no matter how many choices and paths there are.

 

[thebobmaster]

Hm...ok.
Plus, you know... there's an easy mode...

Now I kinda wanna play it lol. Getting bored with my current game (Everspace 2) and then I check on games sites and it's BG3 and I'm like "oh man I could go for a wacky adventure story like that."

Well I'm gonna play Armored Core first and see how I feel. More importantly I'm gonna see how it looks on a PS5. If I do it play it then easy mode with a character that can b.s. her way out of stuff is up my alley.

I was curious about playing a character that can sort of bully his way out of situations- I don't think there's an "intimidation" attribute per say. Well I'd have to research that more and ask specific questions about a character if/when I decide to play this game. I mean I wouldn't want to just avoid combat either- it's an important part of the game and I would want to enjoy it. I just wouldn't want to get stuck on some battle that take 20 minutes I can't get past. And I know sometimes you can "find another solution" but I also am guessing sometimes you can't. After all, there are key story things that have to happen no matter how many choices and paths there are.

Actually, while it falls under the same umbrella as Persuasion in terms of attributes, there are often dialogue options explicitly referred to as "Intimidation".

 

[Satinavian]

Firstly, obviously indie games can be compared to AA/AAA. Anyone who says there is some magic shield that means Queen's Wish, Encased or Black Geyser can't be compared to BG3 or Pathfinder: WotR, and aren't potentially competing for the same gamer time and money, is just delusional.

Wait, i see a name i don't recognize. Having had a lot of fun with Encased and at least an acceptable experience with Black Geyser, how is Queen's Wish ?

 

[Satinavian]

Shadowheart is possibly quite uneven as a character.

She seems to like a certain level of selfishness and sneakiness, but also seems to like benevolence and peaceful solutions (or at least she strongly dislikes cruelty) - however this seems strongly at odds with her deity, who seems to murder and torture for shits and giggles. Although later in the game with the right options, she'll switch to Selune which probably suits her personality better.

I think she is suppossed to come over as a conflicted character in the beginning who sorts out who she actually is during her character arc. Either abandoning Shar when her goddess' demands become too cruel or fully embracing Shar's ideals.

Lae'zel has something similar going on with her arc. But not to the same extend.

I have just refused to engage with Astarion at all: not done his quests, won't speak to him, etc.

This is mostly because I just fucking hate vampires as anything other than evil antagonists. No time for that Anne Rice and Poppy Z Brite emotionally tortured, fanged lust bullshit.

Astarion seems to be just an evil companion though. But i don't really like him either, so i don't know too much about him. Maybe i could do an Origin playthrough eventually and give him another personality. Or not.

Has anyone ever murdered all the druids and tielings and got the paladin as companion ? It is pretty much the only companion i know nothing about but i am not sure that is a playthrough i want to do.

Actually, while it falls under the same umbrella as Persuasion in terms of attributes, there are often dialogue options explicitly referred to as "Intimidation".

It is actually a proper Charisma skill you can train. But it won't allow you to skip most combats. It obviously never works with people who shoot first and ask questions later.

 

[Ag3ma]

Actually, while it falls under the same umbrella as Persuasion in terms of attributes, there are often dialogue options explicitly referred to as "Intimidation".

"I'd really like to intimidate you just now, but I started this conversation with my mage and therefore the huge, muscular barbarian standing just behind me with +5 isn't allowed any input, just like if she started the conversation I wouldn't be allowed to tell her anything about history and magic."

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Sterling's videos are normally appointment viewing for me but I got bored halfway through as they were going on about some D&D campaign... But I'm guessing they're gonna say save scumming is fine if that's what you wanna do and who cares how others play a game or some such. Which.. sure.

Funny, that's exactly where I stopped watching too, although I haven't watched them for years.

It was a fairly predictable take. I assume, not having actually watched it that far. I was honestly surprised to discover that "save scumming" was considered a "thing" and even more that it was subject to derision or even hostility.

 

[Ag3ma]

Wait, i see a name i don't recognize. Having had a lot of fun with Encased and at least an acceptable experience with Black Geyser, how is Queen's Wish ?

Queen's Wish is the latest series from Spiderweb Software (Avernus, Geneforge, Avadon). They're all different, and yet they're also kind of the same. Very low tech compared to others mentioned.

There's some good stuff on the way probably by the end of the year. "Starfield", obviously. But then "Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Roleplay Game", "Broken Roads", and "Skald: Against The Black Priory" (for some retro fun) all look like they're arriving in the current months. I guess there's also "Zoria: Age of Shattering" but I'm a little fuzzier on what that will be like.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I've beaten the game a second time with the Dark Urge. A ton more programming issues have shown up, and the Dark Urge ending is extremely disappointing. The play itself is fine and there's a lot of fun to it, but the ending well and truly sucks.

 

[Satinavian]

Queen's Wish is the latest series from Spiderweb Software (Avernus, Geneforge, Avadon). They're all different, and yet they're also kind of the same. Very low tech compared to others mentioned.

There's some good stuff on the way probably by the end of the year. "Starfield", obviously. But then "Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Roleplay Game", "Broken Roads", and "Skald: Against The Black Priory" (for some retro fun) all look like they're arriving in the current months. I guess there's also "Zoria: Age of Shattering" but I'm a little fuzzier on what that will be like.

Ah, ok, Spiderweb. I have tried some of their games, so i have an idea.

I also have played a lot of Colony Ship in EA already and i fully recommend it to fans of the genre. Bought it because i liked Age of Decadence from the same developer and it is in many ways similar though now party based and more refined.

 

[Ag3ma]

I also have played a lot of Colony Ship in EA already and i fully recommend it to fans of the genre. Bought it because i liked Age of Decadence from the same developer and it is in many ways similar though now party based and more refined.

I played the EA Colony Ship about 6+ months back for a few days, then stopped because if I go too far I don't enjoy the game so much when the whole thing is a available.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

> I was honestly surprised to discover that "save scumming" was considered a "thing" and even more that it was subject to derision or even hostility.

Video game discourse has become insane lately, tbh. I mean it's always been, like all media/discourse, but this whole year in particular has been bonkers. BG3 just let people fill up the barrel of piss all the way to the top and it's spilling over. It's just wild.

I've beaten the game a second time with the Dark Urge. A ton more programming issues have shown up, and the Dark Urge ending is extremely disappointing. The play itself is fine and there's a lot of fun to it, but the ending well and truly sucks.

Woa you beat BG3 2x? How? Isn't the game like 500 hours long?

 

[Ag3ma]

> I was honestly surprised to discover that "save scumming" was considered a "thing" and even more that it was subject to derision or even hostility.

Video game discourse has become insane lately, tbh. I mean it's always been, like all media/discourse, but this whole year in particular has been bonkers. BG3 just let people fill up the barrel of piss all the way to the top and it's spilling over. It's just wild.

I might suggest there is a certain level of dissonance between letting a player choose their own way, and then railroading them into consequences by a dice roll. Save scumming is going to be a likely consequence. Although I'd say here that I don't think BG3 is bad for this: often your rolls give you options, but not necessarily critical ones.

I have noticed that I save scum when I'm pissed off: a sort of "I can't be arsed, make this end up the way I want it".