So Baldur's Gate 3 is happening

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

And to answer the obvious question: no, it's not being developed by BioWare, tho that might maybe come as a relief.
Nope, it's in the works at Larian Studios, who have a bit of a wrpg pedigree of their own with the Divinity series. Apparently, Wizards of the Coast turned them down once, but turned around and approached Larian when they saw Divinity Original Sin 2. Anyway, they've promised the game will include the best of Divinity and D&D 5th edition.

I'm currently playing Original Sin 2 and I think it's quite excellent. So yeah, I believe they might have the chops to bring this to a satisfying conlusion. Not exactly hyped for it, because no game does anymore, but as an avid D&D fan, I wouldn't mind going back to the Forgotten Realms.

More info here [https://www.pcgamer.com/baldurs-gate-3-will-combine-the-best-of-divinity-and-dandd-5th-edition/]

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

It better be 2nd Edition or GTFO........just kidding.

Though I don't know how 5th Edition D&D plays like.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Divinity is a great series, I have high hopes for this. That last BG expansion that came out a couple years ago was very disappointing.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

It better be 2nd Edition or GTFO........just kidding.

Though I don't know how 5th Edition D&D plays like.

No. THAC0 needs to remain dead and buried, where it belongs.

Anyway, if you're familiar with 3.5e, 5e is similar enough that a 3.5e player can quickly graps a lot of the basic mechanical ideas of that system but tweaked to address a lot of the major flaws of the 3.5e system. Prestige Classes are gone and replaced by stuff like subclasses and backgrounds. Attack bonus, saves and skill points and a lot of other values that scale with level got replaced with a single value called Proficiency. Feats got entirely reworked into something you can take in place of an ability stat increase, so you more or less trade a better stat for some kind of other ability. All kinds of modifiers got turned into a much simpler advantage/disadvantage system. The action economy got simplified. In all, a lot of the numbercrunching of 3.5 got streamlined in 5e, resulting in a system that is overall leaner, yet also more flexible.

Oh, and high level Clerics, Wizards and other formerly tier 1 classes are no longer ludicrously more powerful than martials like the Fighter. A well-played 3.5 lv17+ Wizard or whatever was a living god who could break encounters or even whole campaigns with a single spells, while Fighters got a little better at hitting things with a pointy stick. The old Linear Fighter, Quadratic Wizard trope is still sort of true in 5e since lv9 spells are still meant to be gamechangers, but the gap isn't as vast anymore.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

Ooh, Mind Flayers. Wonder if that's because of the internet's general love of all things Lovecraftian or because Strange Things S2 named their big bad after them?

 

[Abomination]

The old Linear Fighter, Quadratic Wizard trope is still sort of true in 5e since lv9 spells are still meant to be gamechangers, but the gap isn't as vast anymore.

The main thing is the limitation on concentration spells for casters, so they can not just stack buffs and become unkillable. Clerics are still the most powerful class in the game due to sustainability, but the martial classes are fully capable of bringing down any opponent rather than just bouncing off higher level casters.

I am honestly looking forward to seeing the first 5E video game adaptation - but I am not sure why it's called Baldur's Gate III when the Bhaalspawn saga was well and truly ended.

 

[sXeth]

And to answer the obvious question:

Uhhh... If I might propose an alternate obvious question.

The Bhaalspawn were all dead Highlander style at the end of the last one, with McProtagnoist either becoming the new murder god (Explicitly non-canoned) or getting rid of his powers.

So uh.... how do you get a sequel out of that again?

Reputable studio or not, this reeks of desperate nostalgia grubbing efforts that have been a plague lately (whether its ill-fated Kickstarters or EA dredging up names for mobile games)

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

And to answer the obvious question:

Uhhh... If I might propose an alternate obvious question.

The Bhaalspawn were all dead Highlander style at the end of the last one, with McProtagnoist either becoming the new murder god (Explicitly non-canoned) or getting rid of his powers.

So uh.... how do you get a sequel out of that again?

Reputable studio or not, this reeks of desperate nostalgia grubbing efforts that have been a plague lately (whether its ill-fated Kickstarters or EA dredging up names for mobile games)

The Divinity folks strike me as people for whom BG is still a "current" series and not something they dig up to earn nostalgia points and they prolly wanted to make a game in that series for forever so they finally got their chance and are jumping at it. That's how I see it.

Granted, how you make the lore make sense is an obvious issue, but I doubt they can do any worse than the last BG expansion we got so I have high expectations.

Who knows, maybe it's a prequel just titled 3, like MGS3.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Ooh, Mind Flayers. Wonder if that's because of the internet's general love of all things Lovecraftian or because Strange Things S2 named their big bad after them?

And they are as annoying to deal with as Basilisks and Beholders

 

[Saelune]

Personally, Id prefer somewhere else besides the Sword Coast. Like, people so easily forget that THE REST OF FAERUN EXISTS!

Cormyr, Dalelands, Moonshae Isles, Thay, Sembia, Calimshan, Dragon Coast, Moonsea, etc.

Spoiler

We keep just going to 3 cities along the same coast, same road even. Hell, none of these games even take place in Waterdeep except as a gateway to the Underdark in NWN: HOTU.

 

[meiam]

So I like divinity 2 but the balance was an absolute wreck and I constantly felt like what I did before was useless because the power curve was this insane logarithmic thing where level 10 to 11 would give you +100 health point and 13 to 14 would give you +10000 health point. You'd replace a legendary quality weapon from previous area with a grey trash. Them being forced to use an already existing system should help with that (hopefully).

Otherwise I was actually kinda so-so on baldur gate, but then again I never liked silent protagonist (or you know quasi silent) that were the center of the story. I hope we just play as a regular adventurer rather than another demi god being/thing.

 

[Abomination]

So I like divinity 2 but the balance was an absolute wreck and I constantly felt like what I did before was useless because the power curve was this insane logarithmic thing where level 10 to 11 would give you +100 health point and 13 to 14 would give you +10000 health point. You'd replace a legendary quality weapon from previous area with a grey trash. Them being forced to use an already existing system should help with that (hopefully).

5E has some of the best scaling I have ever seen. Both for equipment and characters. Even at higher levels, having basic full plate armour STILL feels like it's effective.

Certainly some aspects of the game can use improvement, but it should solve Larian's horrid scaling issues.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Ooh, Mind Flayers. Wonder if that's because of the internet's general love of all things Lovecraftian or because Strange Things S2 named their big bad after them?

Maybe, but I also think part of it is that WotC has the copyright to some quintessentially D&D monsters, like Beholders. Only someone with WotCs blessing can use them. But Beholders aren't really big bad material. Mind Flayers are tho, and they're also exclusive.

Everyone can have dragons, goblins and trolls, but only Larian can have Mind Flayers. So why not use them and at the same time announce to the world "yeah, we're official".

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Holy moly...for years I've wondered and debated the creation of this game. I have so many conflicting thoughts I honestly don't know what to think.

On the one hand, Baldur's Gate II is *the* seminal PC RPG, shaping a genre and defining BioWare as the storytellers par excellence (until EA happened). It's a life-alteringly good game, better than everything they've made in recent years. It's both deeply personal and most epic in scope. It has a great supporting cast, a rich world, complex, rewarding mechanics and a cool, fantasy story. I would love to see more and what happens next.

But OTOH, Throne of Bhaal finished the story of the Bhaalspawn, tied it up in a neat bow and did everything that a game ending should do. We got to choose whether to accept or reject the mantle of the new Lord of Murder, learned what the implications of our choice were and the fates of our beloved party members. We were immensely powerful by the end, with many HLAs (high level abilities) at our fingertips, the best gear, etc. It ended well, on a high, the story concluded.

So I'm conflicted. I simultaneously do and don't want more. If it doesn't continue the story of the Bhaalspawn, then they shouldn't be calling it Baldur's Gate III, as that is what the name is implying. That it's continuing the story that started at Candlekeep, gave us Gorion, Imoen, Sarevok, Irenicus and Melissan. Will we use our same characters/import our saves? Probably not, so already that's a negative thing.

I think almost 20 years later, only the most die hard fans and older gamers would care for the name. Will it be consolised or made for "mass-market appeal"? Funny, I just (re)installed the original games and downloaded some mods...I was genuinely geared up for another 100 hour+ return to Faerun for a few yearly replay, when City of Heroes was reborn.

So I'm excited and nervous, curious and laid back, hopeful and cynical, all at once. I both want and don't want it, because I'm afraid that in revisiting an old trove of IP, a new entry could tarnish the old. I think Larian could certainly do it justice...a talented, passionate studio who pour genuine love into their games. Will have to wait and see.

You must gather your party before venturing forth.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

oh cool, never got to try the series before. apparently they're available on android though, in some form. will probably have to look into catching up on the tentacle face parasites through that method. it says the 3rd is currently only aiming for Windows 10 platform and...stradia? *sighhh* of bloody course it is.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Everyone can have dragons, goblins and trolls, but only Larian can have Mind Flayers. So why not use them and at the same time announce to the world "yeah, we're official".

That's not strictly the case. There are analogues in other fictions. Lovecraft in particular, IMO would've had a very large influence on D&D. Certainly it did on BioWare games, like DA:O and Mass Effect (the Archdemon and Reapers seem drawn straight from Lovecraft).

I get your point about the D&D license, there are undoubtedly some things that are its own. I think a carbon copy of a Beholder or Illithid would absolutely be an issue, but a floating eye or bipedal squid monster are not in themselves.

What makes D&D unique IMHO, is the way it combined otherwise disparate things. To illustrate, consider Shadowrun, another ficitonal PnP property. It combined fantasy elements (elves, orcs, magic) with contemporary (guns, cars, seedy nightclubs) and cyber/futuristic (drones, slicing, net running) in a punk/dystopian world (corporations, technology, power). D&D combined the fantasy of middle-earth, the eldritch (I don't know what the noun for eldritch is) of Lovecraft, the divine/religious aspects and politicking medieval nations.

Comic books kinda have it too. I can't cite specifics, but I believe in Marvel at least, there are gods (Thor, Hercules, Zeus), demons (like Mephisto), arcane magicians (Dr. Strange), cosmic entities (Galactus) and characters from everywhere in between.

I suspect (young) Old Ones and their Emissaries from Lovecraft are the closest direct analogue, so sure Illithids might be a specifically unique combination of other influences, but I'm sure many other sources could have something similar.

 

[Saelune]

So I'm conflicted. I simultaneously do and don't want more. If it doesn't continue the story of the Bhaalspawn, then they shouldn't be calling it Baldur's Gate III, as that is what the name is implying. That it's continuing the story that started at Candlekeep, gave us Gorion, Imoen, Sarevok, Irenicus and Melissan. Will we use our same characters/import our saves? Probably not, so already that's a negative thing.

I think almost 20 years later, only the most die hard fans and older gamers would care for the name. Will it be consolised or made for "mass-market appeal"? Funny, I just (re)installed the original games and downloaded some mods...I was genuinely geared up for another 100 hour+ return to Faerun for a few yearly replay, when City of Heroes was reborn.

So I'm excited and nervous, curious and laid back, hopeful and cynical, all at once. I both want and don't want it, because I'm afraid that in revisiting an old trove of IP, a new entry could tarnish the old. I think Larian could certainly do it justice...a talented, passionate studio who pour genuine love into their games. Will have to wait and see.

You must gather your party before venturing forth.

Well, it is called Baldur's Gate 3, not Bhaalspawn 3. The name is because of the setting and that BG1 and 2 are canon to it. (Though the BG series is canon to Forgotten Realms lore as is). It will not be a direct sequel though, but I am sure plenty of cameos and maybe some returning companions who are weirdly de-leveled. No doubt Minsc will show up because there is a weird sudden hard on for him. (Though I think he is kinda lame).

As for renewed interest, DnD is in a new golden age, and BG1 and 2 were remastered by Beamdog, so they have regained relevance again. I never played BG until then. (Still need to finish Dragonspear and play BG2 though).

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Everyone can have dragons, goblins and trolls, but only Larian can have Mind Flayers. So why not use them and at the same time announce to the world "yeah, we're official".

That's not strictly the case. There are analogues in other fictions. Lovecraft in particular, IMO would've had a very large influence on D&D. Certainly it did on BioWare games, like DA:O and Mass Effect (the Archdemon and Reapers seem drawn straight from Lovecraft).

I get your point about the D&D license, there are undoubtedly some things that are its own. I think a carbon copy of a Beholder or Illithid would absolutely be an issue, but a floating eye or bipedal squid monster are not in themselves.

What makes D&D unique IMHO, is the way it combined otherwise disparate things. To illustrate, consider Shadowrun, another ficitonal PnP property. It combined fantasy elements (elves, orcs, magic) with contemporary (guns, cars, seedy nightclubs) and cyber/futuristic (drones, slicing, net running) in a punk/dystopian world (corporations, technology, power). D&D combined the fantasy of middle-earth, the eldritch (I don't know what the noun for eldritch is) of Lovecraft, the divine/religious aspects and politicking medieval nations.

Comic books kinda have it too. I can't cite specifics, but I believe in Marvel at least, there are gods (Thor, Hercules, Zeus), demons (like Mephisto), arcane magicians (Dr. Strange), cosmic entities (Galactus) and characters from everywhere in between.

I suspect (young) Old Ones and their Emissaries from Lovecraft are the closest direct analogue, so sure Illithids might be a specifically unique combination of other influences, but I'm sure many other sources could have something similar.

You're right that anyone can create something that is functionally the same as Mind Flayers. Similar appearance. Similar traits and abilities. Similar lore. Even similar name. But not the same appearance. Exact traits and abilities. Same lore. And lastly, they can't be called Mind Flayers or Illithids. Because WotC has a copyright to that specific configuration. I mean, you could try, but you'd likely call down WotC's horde of lawyer devils straight from the Nine Hells on yourself. It's also why Mind Flayers and Beholders and such aren't in the publically available Open Game License SRD's for D&D D20 systems.

So, yes, it IS strictly the case that only someone with the D&D license can have Mind Flayers specifically.

It's kind of like how many comic books other than DC have a character that is basically Superman, but only DC can do actual Superman.

 

[Elfgore]

I am honestly looking forward to seeing the first 5E video game adaptation

Glad to see we all forgot about Sword Coast Legends. That's not sarcasm either, it's probably for the best.

Yeah, I'm kinda looking forward to this. I don't have too much time for super long RPGs anymore, but what I played of Divinity: Original Sin 2 was great. Some of the most enjoyable TPC I've played. I've got high hopes for this one, plus Mind Flayers are the tit. Anyone more familiar with D&D lore know if not-Cthulhu in the sky at the end is a thing in D&D? Last I checked, Elder Brains were peak Mind Flayers.

 

[Saelune]

I am honestly looking forward to seeing the first 5E video game adaptation

Glad to see we all forgot about Sword Coast Legends. That's not sarcasm either, it's probably for the best.

Yeah, I'm kinda looking forward to this. I don't have too much time for super long RPGs anymore, but what I played of Divinity: Original Sin 2 was great. Some of the most enjoyable TPC I've played. I've got high hopes for this one, plus Mind Flayers are the tit. Anyone more familiar with D&D lore know if not-Cthulhu in the sky at the end is a thing in D&D? Last I checked, Elder Brains were peak Mind Flayers.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Nautiloid

Though with a seemingly improved design, less boaty.