Baldur's Gate 3 - Gameplay and Impressions

I believe the marketing angle of a BG3 is what's really behind it, but since I've actually enjoyed most of Larian's games I'm sure this one will have its strengths and weaknesses, but still be an enjoyable experience!! Will it be a successor to BG 1&2? Somehow I doubt it as expectations are too high and diverse to please everyone!!

I expect many of Divinity's UI elements will be given a more Baldur coat of paint before release day. So long as the underlying mechanics more resemble D&D than their own "thing" (Sword Coast Legends anyone?), I'll be fine with it.

I'm happy to hear there's a more serious take on the story. One thing I never cared for about Larian games is the silly undertone. Always felt a little, why should I care if you don't? Baldur's Gate 3 may be finally my chance to really immerse myself in one of their games - even if it ends up not being very Baldur's Gatey.

I'm looking forward to it.

Originally Posted by FizzyShellfish
Also: I'm hoping for more small battles. D:OS2 ended up being one giant, 30+ minute fight after another. Not every encounter needs to be so sprawling and epic.

I only played Lone Wolf with 2 characters (first run), then solo after that was proved too easy and I only recall a few fights that lasted that long.

I used to be a RTWP advocate since BG2 but, and I don't know how and when it happened, suddenly found myself skipping RTWP entirely in POE2 in favor of turn-based and not wanting to play Pathfinder:Kingmaker because of the lack of a similar option.

Originally Posted by SonOfCapiz
I used to be a RTWP advocate since BG2 but, and I don't know how and when it happened, suddenly found myself skipping RTWP entirely in POE2 in favor of turn-based and not wanting to play Pathfinder:Kingmaker because of the lack of a similar option.

It was similar with me. I mean, I still have fun playing BG 1 and 2, but I would prefer it, if it had ToEE's combat.

There is a turn-based mod for Kingmaker btw. I haven't played it yet, but apparently it is very good:
https://www.nexusmods.com/pathfinderkingmaker/mods/109

Originally Posted by Winterfart

Sure buddy.

A denial of the global scope of the american system.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
Your gaze pierces the night. Only you can free our eyes from the gloam of ignorance.

Turning tables. People in the dark can not show the light to the enlightened.
Ignorants can not teach people who know.

The result of two centuries of institutionalized double standards.

Only you can show us the way out of institutionalized double standards. Stream your way into our hearts, oh Chien. Lead us to a greater tomorrow.

The american system brought institutionalized double standards. It has shown humanity the path.

Inversion all over again.

Originally Posted by Maylander
I'm somewhat baffled by this. Why not just make D: OS3? Or, if they really want to do D&D, start a fresh franchise with Wizards of the Coast?

The end game is known: BG3 is going to be the most BG vid product ever.

Originally Posted by Dez
I'm basicly on the same boat.
Edit: I can't help myself of not quoting this article: https://www.pcgamer.com/it-sucks-tha…is-turn-based/

That is part of the tricks: speculating about what is unlikely to happen.

From the look of it, they opted to go for a sort of group initiative. Which means a powerful tool to shorten fights as the enemy might be obliterated during the first player's turn or at least severly diminished.
It has consequences as for example, this cancels the claim of waiting for the enemy to take turns.
Part of the tricks, it helps selling the idea that some imminent threat was fended off, especially as the threat never existed in the first place.

This group initiative thing has by products though.

It is now common for players to claim that because it happens in this same way in boardgaming, tabletop gaming, PnP gaming or whatever, it must happen the same way in cRPGs.

Without mentioning that they go at the opposite of the massive trend found in tabletop etc gaming.

Usually, those games involve other human beings and this kind of one sided big turns as expected from group initiative is a put off. Getting a human being side lined for ten, fifty minutes is a big no.

And this even though the emptiness in tabletop etc gaming might be filled with human interactions like chatting that do not belong to interactions provided by the game. It is a luxury that board gaming etc has, the capacity to fill empty spaces with content brought by players themselves. People are sold space so they use it to that effect. Socialization.

Even with this massive asset, board gaming etc has gone the way of trying to get players' turns overlapse as much as possible. They have been trying to get players to interact as much as possible anytime on gaming ground.

Here comes BG3, with this potentially massive one sided turns. Supported by so called solo players.

Streamers have zero issue, they will use the empty space to socialize with their viewers/customers, a core part of their job.

Then so called solo players: five, ten, fifty minutes one sided action, no socialization, no adversity. Key notion. They are going to be able to prevail, even though players are very likely to complain about a supposed difficulty. They will be handed down the initiative for an entire round yet they will struggle.

On the ground of supposedly doing as it is done elsewhere, they go the opposite way of what is done elsewhere. Institutionalized double standards.

And this as an effort to lower down even more the skill requirements on anything gameplay related.

With such a massive boon provided to them, non gamers wont manage to step up their game to rejoin the community of gamers, the gap is too large, they will need specifically dedicated programs to keep them afloat.

RtwP is out of the question. But it will affect also other structures including UgoIgo. Because this boon is rare.

They go unhindered, reigning supreme on the battlefield. Not because of the massively powerful boon they were bestowed on, but because they are tactical geniuses, an elite.

Originally Posted by Dez
Edit: I can't help myself of not quoting this article: https://www.pcgamer.com/it-sucks-tha…is-turn-based/

Two articles were released at the same time on pcgamer. The one you linked and this… https://www.pcgamer.com/it-rules-tha…is-turn-based/

To each their own I suppose. I like turn based a bit more but i have enjoyed RTwP games as well. For a D&D game though I was hoping for turn based.

I could write a full article titled "It rocks that BG3 will be turn-based" and explain why, in my eyes, it's a much superior and enjoyable way to play RPGs. But I won't, for two reasons.

First is, I don't have time, or care to explain why my choice is the right choice above all others. I rather spend time with my friends and family.

Second is, it's going to be turn-based, so I don't need to convince anyone. Those who prefer RTwP can go throwing their manbaby tantrums while I chill and enjoy the game.

The presentation was rich, many things to gather.

On continuation of the group initiative and one sidedness in BG3.

This is enabled because it happens in computer products. In board gaming, forcing this kind of segmentation generally is avoided as human players could not put up with it. They will not bear it.

An AI is not asked its opinion about this state of things. Therefore it is a possible design of things.

Nevertheless, human beings still are involved: the player(s) who are going to play versus the AI.
And they will not tolerate that one sideness when it plays against them.

A group of fifteen kobolds, they win the initiative. The player must then wait for the kobolds to complete their round. An unbearable situation.

Hence the introduction of the socalled stealth mechanics, a kind of permanent ambush system, which exists to ensure that players secure the initiative since by design players are meant to enjoy initiative so they must not wait for an enemy group to complete a round.

The regular course of an encounter will be players start first, they unleash the power of a full round on the enemy, they suffer a retaliation from what remains.

This structure dries up the potential make up of an encounter. Players are meant to seize initiative so they can dance around a non existing enemy.

Originally Posted by Giovanni1983
Two articles were released at the same time on pcgamer. The one you linked and thisÂ… https://www.pcgamer.com/it-rules-tha…is-turn-based/

Playing both sides. As a servant must.

Now the point is that it rehashes the same point over RTwP: it is messy.
A denial of players'inputs since in RTwP, inputs are conceived in order to bring order to the battlefield. By his line of action, a player brings a configuration to the battlefield she expected to be benefitial.

If the battlefield appears messy and remains messy, it is because the player fails at bringing order to it.

In a UgoIgo BG3 like vid product, there is no mess to start with, the battlefield is already ordered.

Originally Posted by Nereida
Second is, it's going to be turn-based, so I don't need to convince anyone. Those who prefer RTwP can go throwing their manbaby tantrums while I chill and enjoy the game.

A point.

Originally Posted by Nereida
I could write a full article titled "It rocks that BG3 will be turn-based" and explain why, in my eyes, it's a much superior and enjoyable way to play RPGs. But I won't, for two reasons.

First is, I don't have time, or care to explain why my choice is the right choice above all others. I rather spend time with my friends and family.

Second is, it's going to be turn-based, so I don't need to convince anyone. Those who prefer RTwP can go throwing their manbaby tantrums while I chill and enjoy the game.

You're just so cool and edgy. 😉

Lots of gnashing of teeth here, we won't know until this is released how good it will be.


Looks fabulous to me.

It doesn't "look" like a BG game to me and being turn-based doesn't seem "right" either….I really don't care though. I'm happy to get any new party-based CRPG that is well done.

As a D&D nerd, I'm also happy to see a 5e pc game coming out (as with Solasta). I just started playing again with some friends and I think 5e will be good on the PC.

I don't want to watch the entire videos but I'm not a fan of what Chien mentions (your whole group goes at the same time?), I'd rather see it being based on individual initiatives, otherwise you lose one aspect of the character building. I suppose it doesn't have to be that much of an issue, lots of great games like Xcom do it that way, but still…sounds wrong to me.

Originally Posted by rune_74
Lots of gnashing of teeth here, we won't know until this is released how good it will be.


Looks fabulous to me.

True, I would much rather 135 posts that all say “ I will reserve comment until it’s released”

Originally Posted by TomRon
I don't want to watch the entire videos but I'm not a fan if what Chien mentions (your whole group goes at the same time?), I'd rather see it being based on individual initiatives, otherwise you lose one aspect of the character building. I suppose it doesn't have to be that much of an issue, lots of great games like Xcom do it that way, but still…sounds wrong to me.

Part of the "improvements" brought to you by Stadia, although I'm still not sure from the one video I watched whether character initiative is out the window, or if it's just a matter of collecting the orders from multiple players without an "orders" phase.

Originally Posted by sakichop
True, I would much rather 135 posts that all say “ I will reserve comment until it’s released”

But…what would be the fun in that?

Originally Posted by Capt. Huggy Face
Part of the "improvements" brought to you by Stadia, although I'm still not sure from the one video I watched whether character initiative is out the window, or if it's just a matter of collecting the orders from multiple players without an "orders" phase.

Oh my god, that has nothing to do with freaking Stadia.

I'm more inclined to go with Chiens assessment (!) that it's to make it simpler. You know, for all the slow players who want to think they're actually gamers. And smart.

Originally Posted by TomRon
But…what would be the fun in that?

That’s my point. It’s a joke.