Larian Studios - New Malaysian Studio & BG3 Complexity

IGN interviewed Larian Studios about its new Malaysian Studio and asked about Baldur's Gate 3.

Have you asked the previous developers BioWare and Interplay about making Baldur's Gate 3?

Swen: Well, the team who made previous Baldur's Gate games have spread around but we talked to a whole lot of them. We chatted with them about how to do it. We also talked to the people of Wizards of the Coast obviously since they're the owner of Dungeons & Dragons. So we came up with something that I think it's good. We'll see.

I'm fascinated by how you're able to translate tabletop gameplay to video games. Tabletop games are quite complex already. Will Baldur's Gate 3 has the gameplay mechanics similar to Divinity: Original Sin?

Swen: No, it's not the same as Divinity: Original Sin. It's very different at its core. For me, the biggest difference is probably the class-based gameplay. The similarity, however, is that both Divinity: Original Sin and Baldur's Gate 3 will try to give you a lot of player agency. You decide to do something. The Dungeon Master thinks and says, "Sure, roll D20". They just check and we'll see if it goes or not. That's the fun of it.

We're trying to do the same but in a video game, the game itself becomes the Dungeon Master. So we have to figure out upfront on what you're going to be doing, for example, in terms of stupidity and have the game world reacts to you. That's what we want to try. I think we have cool stuff in there.

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Interesting. Wander if such time management is usual reason behind position choice of subsidiary offices. Sounds quite efficient, but also sounds like hell of a management job to keep it under control on a daily basis.

They must go UgoIgo. UgoIgo or die.

Originally Posted by ChienAboyeur
They must go UgoIgo. UgoIgo or die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPfQhxoTULw

What this game needs is coop and a NWN-type level editor.

Originally Posted by Andrew23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPfQhxoTULw

UgoIgo players are pleased: re inforcements in approach.

Sill no game-play so I have no opinion. Just hope its not like the Original Sin games.

Originally Posted by BriefDArt
What this game needs is coop and a NWN-type level editor.

Strongly disagree, those are last things this game needs. But that only reflects my own preferences ofcourse.

Originally Posted by Andrew23
Strongly disagree, those are last things this game needs. But that only reflects my own preferences ofcourse.

I'm pretty sure that reflects the preferences of most Watchers.

Many probably forgot that BG and BG2 both had cooperative multiplayer.

But I think there's a good reason to expect coop, and potentially the level editor.

D:OS 2 had both, though the editor was exclusively for the DM mode - or so it seemed.

I hope they expand upon it, but we'll see.

I can't imagine why anyone would be opposed to a level editor. Are you afraid someone else is going to edit your game?

Originally Posted by BriefDArt
I'm pretty sure that reflects the preferences of most Watchers.

Many probably forgot that BG and BG2 both had cooperative multiplayer.

But I think there's a good reason to expect coop, and potentially the level editor.

D:OS 2 had both, though the editor was exclusively for the DM mode - or so it seemed.

I hope they expand upon it, but we'll see.

Never said Im against those things. I just said I disagree those should be priorities. If it has all prequisites for exellent single-player adventure and strong story, why would I complain it also gets coop and editor. If its barebones thing with aim for cooperation and make-your-own-adventure system, I will avoid it.

Originally Posted by BriefDArt
Many probably forgot that BG and BG2 both had cooperative multiplayer.

You say forgot, I say neverheard.

The truth is many people just didn't care.

Originally Posted by Andrew23
Never said Im against those things. I just said I disagree those should be priorities. If it has all prequisites for exellent single-player adventure and strong story, why would I complain it also gets coop and editor. If its barebones thing with aim for cooperation and make-your-own-adventure system, I will avoid it.

Why would it be barebones because of such features? Have you played BG, BG2, D:OS and D:OS2?

This is the sequel to Baldur's Gate 2 - made by people with a clear history of making strong singleplayer content.

Also, what would be the appeal of coop in a CRPG with barebones content? Because I don't see it.

For me it will depend on whether it is turn based combat or RTwP.

I suspect it will have both TB and RTwP.

Not having real-time combat would alienate too many BG fans, and not having TB would be a waste of all their experience developing such a fine system, as well as disappoint a bunch of Larian fans.

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
For me it will depend on whether it is turn based combat or RTwP.

I would rather see turn based but if its RTwP is done as good as Kingmaker, then I would be happy either way.

Originally Posted by BriefDArt
Why would it be barebones because of such features? Have you played BG, BG2, D:OS and D:OS2?

This is the sequel to Baldur's Gate 2 - made by people with a clear history of making strong singleplayer content.

Also, what would be the appeal of coop in a CRPG with barebones content? Because I don't see it.

I played D:OS and on release this was in my opinion quite barebone. How many companions? 2? And as far as I remember the companions were quite detached from the story as their characteristics were set by attitude setting which simulated similar interaction as if played in coop. That didnt work for me and felt artificial. As per my opinion that was part of the compromises that had to be done to make coop integral part of the campaign.

It had many other problems for me, including story tone, how environmental effects were integrated in combat, and other things.

D:OS was nowhere close to BG or BG2 for me. D:OS2 I didnt even try yet because of that. If there is some RPG drought I might pick it up in future.

Nevertheless, Im giving Larian benefit of the doubt from my side, because I still believe in their potential to make great party-based RPG. Hopefully, BG heritage will shift them further from how D:OS was design. At least that is my wish.

Originally Posted by Andrew23
I played D:OS and on release this was in my opinion quite barebone. How many companions? 2? And as far as I remember the companions were quite detached from the story as their characteristics were set by attitude setting which simulated similar interaction as if played in coop. That didnt work for me and felt artificial. As per my opinion that was part of the compromises that had to be done to make coop integral part of the campaign.

It had many other problems for me, including story tone, how environmental effects were integrated in combat, and other things.

D:OS was nowhere close to BG or BG2 for me. D:OS2 I didnt even try yet because of that. If there is some RPG drought I might pick it up in future.

Nevertheless, Im giving Larian benefit of the doubt from my side, because I still believe in their potential to make great party-based RPG. Hopefully, BG heritage will shift them further from how D:OS was design. At least that is my wish.

D:OS barebones? Ok, that's a first

The rest of your criticisms make more sense (even though most aren't relevant to my question) - apart from companions being detached from the story because of the coop integration, as it was quite the opposite from my point of view (coop sophistication actually made companions feel more alive and responsive, because they used the same mechanics as players would), but that barebones statement is a little too far away from what I consider the realm of plausible reality.

Well, to each his own and all that.

Well he is correct about the companions of D:OS. You either role-played them yourself or picked their attitude. At least D:OS 2 corrected the problem but I didn't like the combat.

I wouldn't mind an editor but they had one for D:OS 1&2, and not many mods were made. Yes mods were made but nothing like NWN in the past. Guess not much interest.

Originally Posted by BriefDArt
I suspect it will have both TB and RTwP.

There is no such thing, and I suspect there never will be. They might make some awful, unholy hybrid, but creating two functioning combat systems would be a huge waste of resources.