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Are We Really Doing This?! (BG3 Announcement Trailer)


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#1 AlphaMonkey

Posted 07 June 2019 - 02:00 PM

I know this place has seen better days. I know hardly anyone posts here, anymore.

 

But I was talking about THIS

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=OcP0WdH7rTs

 

on Reddit, and felt the urge to spread the news here just in case any of the old guard were still checking in from time to time.

 

...

 

Holy crap, folks. :)



#2 Nimloth

Posted 07 June 2019 - 02:15 PM

Hello AlphaMonkey, I'm Nimloth, nice to make your acquaintance :-)

Holy turnips, Baldur's Gate 3! I watched the trailer drooling all the while...Seems like the PC will have to face an invasion of Illithid. The transformation was creepy as Hell, but so cool! Can't wait to put my hands on that game *jumps up and down excitedly*

Thank you for sharing this!



#3 Theodur

Posted 07 June 2019 - 04:34 PM

Oh hey there.

 

Baldur's Gate 3 'might' sound awesome, but I'm not sure Larian is the studio that will do a good job with it. The Divinity series has a lot of strong points, but writing is definitely not one of them. I thought it was embarrassingly childish most of the time. Their attempt to create a dark, gritty and morbid setting was so over the top that it became comical. If this comes to something I might end up playing it, but I'm not expecting much. It's not at the top of my hype list. I'll be happy if they prove me wrong!


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#4 AlphaMonkey

Posted 10 June 2019 - 01:57 AM

Hey. I'm actually surprised this drew attention. :)

 

Nim: Hi! :)

 

Theo: Viga told me to tell you that you and I actually agreeing on something may just be a sign that the world is ending. :P

 

He and I tried to get through Divinity 2 as a multi game. We didn't get very far, mostly because I got bored real fast. So I think I do agree with you that I'm a little skeptical right now of how well Larian is going to pull this off. Fingers crossed, but yeah...



#5 Blue-Inked_Frost

Posted 13 June 2019 - 11:12 AM

This is very interesting news. :D Illithids sound fascinating, and I hope that I will play this game when it comes out.



#6 Laufey

Posted 30 June 2019 - 09:58 AM

So, is this a new PC then? Because the Bhaalspawn saga feels very much concluded after ToB, and if they're doing this I'd rather start with somebody fresh and new. I liked the illithid transformation scene mind you! That's something I've read about and always thought sounded nicely disturbing. 


Edited by Laufey, 30 June 2019 - 10:01 AM.

Rogues do it from behind.

#7 Theodur

Posted 01 July 2019 - 04:55 AM

It's most certainly a new PC, this game appears to be set at least 100 years after ToB.

 

I'm not sure if it will actually feel like Baldur's Gate successor, because I don't know if Larian creates real-time with pause games, as far as I know, all they do is turn-based combat.

 

At least we can look forwards to splendid romance scenes like this one:

 


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#8 Laufey

Posted 01 July 2019 - 06:47 AM

Oh dear. I guess she likes to lick things to claim them as her own?


Rogues do it from behind.

#9 AlphaMonkey

Posted 04 July 2019 - 02:29 AM

So, while not too much has been revealed, relevant details can be found here:

 

https://old.reddit.c...ils_megathread/

 

And if you guys don't like Reddit (Because yeah, it's a cesspool. :D ) then here:

 

  • BG3 will be available on GOG, Stadia, and Steam[2]

  • BG3 will not release in 2019[5]

  • Not a direct sequel to the original games, takes place immediately following the soon-to-be-released tabletop module Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus[1]

    • This means BG3 takes place about 100 years after the end of ToB
  • Still a party-based game[1]

  • No confirmation on turn-based vs real time with pause

  • Multiplayer will be included[1]

  • Based on D&D 5e rules, with changes by Larian[1]

    • No chance to miss on dice rolls? "You miss a lot in D&D—if the dice are bad, you miss. That doesn't work well in a videogame."[3]
  • A dense game world with a lot of game mechanics[1]

  • Lots of missable content based on choices[1]

  • Isometric is not confirmed[4]

    • It has not been ruled out, either
  • No confirmation on modding capabilities

 

So... yeah.



#10 Theodur

Posted 04 July 2019 - 04:56 AM

  • Based on D&D 5e rules, with changes by Larian[1]

    • No chance to miss on dice rolls? "You miss a lot in D&D—if the dice are bad, you miss. That doesn't work well in a videogame."[3]

 

Wait, what. How does it not work well in a videogame? It's not just YOU who misses, the enemy rolls can and will miss, too.

 

I don't understand the thinking or reasoning here. But having played the Divinity series, I guess I can see they have been made with this design choice in mind, because I don't think anything missed in those games, especially the enemy attacks. Whoever got the turn, just obliterated the opposition. Building a tank often felt meaningless, you just had a larger health pool and could maybe avoid getting killed in first turn.

 

In BG games, giving your main tank crazy AC and watching the enemies flail and miss was actually fun as hell. So I don't know about this, it seems like in their thinking they're just making another Divinity game and the BG name is just there for branding purposes.


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#11 AlphaMonkey

Posted 06 July 2019 - 12:36 PM

Wait, what. How does it not work well in a videogame? It's not just YOU who misses, the enemy rolls can and will miss, too.

 

 

 

I actually think I get what they're trying to say, there.

 

I've been playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker and I want to stab myself in the eyes with a fork with that game.

 

I mean, I'm enjoying it for the most part. Until I have to disarm a trap. Or open a treasure chest. Or have a conversation with someone. Or climb up a hill. Because everything requires a skill check, and the RNG HATES YOU. And the game just pulls absolutely no punches whatsoever when it comes to dice rolls. It follows Pathfinder/D&D 3.5 rules SLAVISHLY, which means "Roll 1d20, add your skill ranks. Result > Difficulty #? You pass. Result < Difficulty #. A loser is you." And because, like I said, the RNG hates you, you will inevitably roll a 1 for everything. Or, like, a 3 when all you needed to pass was a 4.

 

And with a live DM, who understands that, hey, your character is a trained diplomat who has tons of experience negotiating with angry people in tense situations, they'd probably be willing to work with you if you just kept getting crappy luck with the dice. But not this game. This game only understands "Big number better than small number."

 

And so, if you're like me, you're stuck quicksaving every 5 seconds so you can reroll EVERYTHING because "Well, didn't detect that trap since EVERYONE in the party failed their perception checks." "Couldn't unlock that treasure chest since the party rogue missed the check target by ONE, and you can't try again until you've leveled up and increased your Trickery skill." Yay. Even garbage like "I need to go to this location on the world map but I haven't found the road going there because my people have all apparently been struck blind, deaf and dumb and I can't make new Perception checks to see the big friggin' sign in the middle of the road that says 'This way to Troll Lair' until I level up again" happens all the time.

 

I know this isn't strictly about combat rolls, but I think this is the sort of thing the Larian guys are getting at. It is IMMENSELY frustrating being so beholden to the whims of the RNG in games like these. Especially early on when there's nothing you can do to mitigate just how epically bad your party are at EVERYTHING. And I think what they're trying to suggest is that they want to work in some way to make it so that it's just less bloody painful to sit there and watch your people fail over and over and over again because of a slavish adherence to a rule system that relies entirely on random numbers that can and will screw you over.

 

I mean, we all got used to the idea of getting eaten by wolves just outside Candlekeep. Start a new game, expect to get eaten by wolves at least a dozen times because you can't hit squat. Expect to see your combat log go "Miss. Miss. Miss. Miss. Miss." a dozen times before you see a single hit. Followed by being eaten by wolves. You just learn to live with it. Doesn't mean it's fun. Doesn't mean it's good, yeah?



#12 Nimloth

Posted 07 July 2019 - 03:04 PM

Quote: And with a live DM, who understands that, hey, your character is a trained diplomat who has tons of experience negotiating with angry people in tense situations, they'd probably be willing to work with you if you just kept getting crappy luck with the dice.

 

Heh, you were lucky then...I once was in a RPG group and our DM enjoyed immensely making things awful for our characters when the dice roll wasn't favourable. It didn't help that my level 1 mage kept on rolling low numbers and so the spells always backfired on her face, leaving her to spend two thirds of the time under a bad case of magical confusion or, as he loved to put it, she "wandered around picking up flowers" xD

 

 

Quote: Even garbage like "I need to go to this location on the world map but I haven't found the road going there because my people have all apparently been struck blind, deaf and dumb and I can't make new Perception checks to see the big friggin' sign in the middle of the road that says 'This way to Troll Lair' until I level up again" happens all the time.

 

LOL Yeah, the strict adherence to the rules can have such effects and it's both hilarious and bloody frustrating when it happens. It also takes away any feeling of immersion the player could have, because come on, that's just downright absurd

 

 

Quote: I mean, we all got used to the idea of getting eaten by wolves just outside Candlekeep. Start a new game, expect to get eaten by wolves at least a dozen times because you can't hit squat. Expect to see your combat log go "Miss. Miss. Miss. Miss. Miss." a dozen times before you see a single hit. Followed by being eaten by wolves.

 

And the Ankhegs, don't forget the Ankhegs! Kossuth only knows how many times I had to reload because my party kept getting killed by those beasts

If this Baldur's Gate 3 follows such strict rules, it will no doubt turn the player's experience into a huge pain in the backside. I really hope they'll find a way to balance the necessary roll-check with the need to make the gaming experience satisfying.



#13 AlphaMonkey

Posted 12 July 2019 - 11:25 PM

There was an interesting thread on Reddit I saw with people discussing which game dev studio out of the ones currently known to be working on (have worked on) computer RPGs recently should have been given the green light to do BG3.

 

There is a fair amount of support for Larian. Mostly from folks who played Divinity: Original Sin and who like that style of game/gameplay. But there are just as many people that -don't- like it. Folks who either don't like turn-based, or who thought Larian's ability to world-build wasn't very good. Folks who thought they weren't very good at creating characters or whatever. But to be fair, a lot of the other contenders also have issues.

 

Obsidian never really got it right with Pillars of Eternity, in my view. And their whole reason for making their own stuff was because they didn't want to be beholden to someone else's lore settings, someone else's gameset rules, etc. You have Owlcat (the guys behind Pathfinder: Kingmaker) and as I said, I have issues with them. Their excessive adherence to the "letter of the law" when it comes to Pathfinder rules is one of them. They just didn't really get a good balance of "faithfulness to the tabletop" and "concessions for difference of format."

 

There's Beamdog, but aside from being likely too small an outfit to handle a full-sized project like BG3 would have to be, Siege of Dragonspear wasn't exactly beloved. It wasn't -bad,- but it did a lot of things wrong even if it did some things right.

 

An interesting thought someone had was HareBrained Studios who I like for their work on the ShadowRun games and because I'm a fan of big, stompy giant robots and they did Battletech. But as much as I like Battletech, well, it's kind of a kludgy, poorly coded mess even now, months after its original release. And HareBrained is another studio that might not have the resources to handle a really big project like BG. Not to mention they're still working on Battletech expansions, so are probably kinda busy.

 

And, of course, there's BioWare itself who... well... they're kind of a shadow of their former selves, aren't they? Not even a shadow of their former selves. Shame.



#14 Theodur

Posted 13 July 2019 - 08:26 AM

The only developer who could handle a volatile hype-bomb like BG3 would be Obsidian. Pillars of Eternity series is in many ways superior to the Baldur's Gate games. I think I've spent more time in Deadfire than I've ever spent in Amn. And let's face it, Throne of Bhaal was a shitshow, while all three Deadfire DLC's were absolute masterpieces and added excellent content to the game. Further, Obsidian's attitude as a studio in supporting their game is remarkable, for example adding an extra subclass to every character class in the game at no cost and without nobody really expecting it, same as adding the previously unannounced turn based mode.

 

Another option might be inXile, especially now with Microsoft backing. But they're a rather quirky studio, and I'm not sure they are really the developer who can create something with mainstream appeal. All their games are pretty niche. Although I have to say, Wastelands 2 is one of my favorite games of last decade. Bethesda and Fallout can go fuck themselves.

 

I absolutely love Shadowrun games by HareBrained. They have some amazing characters, too. Gobbet, Glory. <3 But I think they're too small for BG3.


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#15 AlphaMonkey

Posted 15 July 2019 - 05:26 PM

I helped out on the Kickstarter for the first Pillars game, but I was kind of disappointed. I think it was a little too gloom & doom for my tastes. Not to mention I got my ass kicked by the difficulty curve. I never ended up finishing it, but I've since reinstalled it after I walked away from it a few years ago, and if I find the time, I might give it another try. I'm of the opinion that the mechanics are a little clunky, though. I mean, Obsidian went and made their own ruleset so they wouldn't have to license one from someone, and in some ways that's good, but in other ways... well... it feels like a homebrew set, all right. It doesn't feel quite properly balanced.

 

Anyway, seeing as how I was kind of lukewarm on the first Pillars game, I never got around to picking up Deadfire, but I decided to during the most recent Steam sale. So, again, time permitting, I'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll like it after all.

 

Wastelands was another thing that was on my radar, but I kinda heard some mixed reviews on that one, so I never jumped at it.

 

But yes, I tore my way through all of Harebrained's Shadowrun games and loved 'em. Again, though, I think it's a case of "good writing/story but not so great on the actual game mechanics." Even Battletech isn't quite as smooth from a gameplay perspective as it could be. I have little experience with the tabletop game, so I can't say for sure, but I've heard that their interpretation of the tabletop rules is kind of hit or miss sometimes and as a result, the actual game feels kind of too slow-paced and a little clunky, even if a lot of the rest of it (like the story and the characters) is fun. That being said, that's part of why I'd be a little leery of Harebrained doing a BG3. They'd probably do ok with the story, but the actual "game" would probably be a little iffy in spots.

 

I don't know. I'm probably talking out my rear at this point. :P



#16 Clovis

Posted 03 August 2019 - 06:28 AM

I know this place has seen better days. I know hardly anyone posts here, anymore.

 

But I was talking about THIS

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=OcP0WdH7rTs

 

on Reddit, and felt the urge to spread the news here just in case any of the old guard were still checking in from time to time.

 

...

 

Holy crap, folks. :)

Hey, Alpha!  How have you been doin'?



#17 AlphaMonkey

Posted 07 August 2019 - 09:30 PM

 

Hey, Alpha!  How have you been doin'?

 

 

Hah. That's a long, boring story which no one is interested in hearing. :D

 

But it's good to see you. I really should check in more often here. Keep forgetting to, what with all the craziness in my casino penthouse suite, people impinging on my gunrunning business, and just the general hard work that comes with being the CEO of a multinational conglomerate.

 

... oh, wait, we're not talking about life in GTA Online? My mistake. ;-)



#18 Clovis

Posted 24 September 2019 - 05:28 PM

 

 

Hey, Alpha!  How have you been doin'?

 

 

Hah. That's a long, boring story which no one is interested in hearing. :D

 

But it's good to see you. I really should check in more often here. Keep forgetting to, what with all the craziness in my casino penthouse suite, people impinging on my gunrunning business, and just the general hard work that comes with being the CEO of a multinational conglomerate.

 

... oh, wait, we're not talking about life in GTA Online? My mistake. ;-)

 

D'Oh  I guess I should be checking this site more often, too!   Sorry for the delayed response.  Glad to hear from ya. 

Can't say my real life has been all that unusually exciting the past few years, either.   I am doing some writing professionally now, which I'm enjoying.   No fiction, alas, but the exciting and dangerous world of tri-fold brochure design and the like.

 

Of course, I usually tell people I'm employed by "The Section", and that the only details I can share of my work there is that I'm a wanted man in Estonia, Guatemala, and Sea World. :-)






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