Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Initial thoughts/questions etc. (SPOILERS - obv.)

I am coming at this game from various angles, considering that I have played BG1/BG2 to death since they were first released (as well as both Pillars of Eternity games), play D&D 5e with friends on a weekly basis but have never played any of the Divinity games. Whilst BG3 hasn't yet hit me as a 'Baldurs Gate' game – I am thoroughly enjoying the experience (playing on Stadia).

Below are some of my observations/comments/suggestions/questions (in no particular order), which I am sure have been raised already by other players:

1) Highlight items – Using the highlight items button (default – L-Alt) should highlight ALL items that the characters can interact with. Currently it only seems to highlight certain things (bodies etc.). It should also show whether the container is empty or not, once a character has checked it once.
2) The 'keybind' settings don't currently save between game sessions. I change it to be how I like (i.e. 'Q' for quicksave) but the next time I load up the game, it has reverted to defaults.
3) Jump & Disengage should be a separate option.
4) The jump action should require an 'acrobatics' or 'athletics' check, failing which means you fall on your arse.
5) Items have an 'add to wares' option when you right-click on them. What does this do/mean?
6) If a party is grouped, and at least one of the party members has dark-vision, than it should be shared by the party (I figure the person who can see most in the party is relaying what they can to see to the others). However, if one/two/three party members wonder off into the dark on their own without someone who has dark-vision, than that's their problem... (or you should at least have an option to turn this on/off)
7) Versatile weapons – I couldn't seem to wield a versatile battle-axe in just one hand without also equipping a shield. I may want to wield the axe in one hand without a shield, rather than use it 2-handed.
8) I don't particularly like the 'dip' option, but if it stays in the game, it should have various changes. i.e. only certain weapons/items can be dipped in certain things (mainly arrows into fire – not metal swords). I would prefer the character have to gather the element (acid, poison) and then apply it to the weapon/item within the inventory. Also, the animation needs changing so that it doesn't look like your whole wooden bow is on fire.
9) You shouldn't be able to pick up large objects, such as crates, and put them in your inventory. If we are meant to use them to avoid traps or move to higher elevations etc., than the character should push/pull them around, rather than put them in their pocket!
10) When not directly controlling characters, they should have enough initiative not to walk straight through dangerous terrain that they are aware of (i.e. acid pools). If you manually direct someone into these, than that's your choice.
11) Things such as the vine traps should have an awareness check to see if the character spots them before walking straight into them.
12) The beard animations need work. My dwarf character's beard is always halfway through his armour, when it should sit outside of it.
13) You should be able to click on the mini-map/main map to jump the screen view to that position.
14) When I quicksave, it stops my party moving. It shouldn't do this when continuing the game, but when loading a quicksave, the characters should begin stationary.
15) Why do some ability checks get the option for a re-roll?
16) The interaction with Nadira, after saving her from the bugbear assassin always seems to happen twice (although I only ever receive 1 soulstone)
17) What is the difference between 'apply' and 'accept' in the options menu?
18) You should receive some XP, however small, for discovering a new area.
19) You should have the option to re-order your inventory (i.e. by value etc.) and to tidy it up with 1 click (i.e. move items that are dotted about within your inventory and stack them all neatly together).
20) If a party member in a grouped party goes into stealth, the rest of the group should do the same (or you should at least have an option to turn this on/off)
21) Character creation. It would be awesome if, instead of (or as well as) the 'face' choices, there were sliding scales for all features (face and body) so that we could TRULY customize our characters (like in Fallout 4)
22) If the party is following your lead and you jump to somewhere otherwise unaccessible, they should follow you without you having to individually make them jump the same gap too.

That's it for now. I haven't actually come across any major bugs or glitches - especially nothing game-breaking, but will continue taking notes and see where we get to. I have to say I am VERY excited for what this game is already shaping up to be

Some more:

23) The animations of people holding things in cut-scenes/interactions are pretty wooly. For example, the interaction with Alfira - the lute animations are all over the place (sometimes disappearing completely so she looks like she isn't holding anything)
24) You should be able to wield a torch in your off-hand, either as a weapon or otherwise
25) You can light candles etc in environment without actually having a source of ignition, but you need to dip a torch into pre-existing flames in order to light it? It would be better to remove this requirement and be able to auto-light a torch when wielding it.
26) I hope there are hidden items throughout the wilderness (Ring of Wizardry or Ankheg Plate anyone? )
27) There should be a log of dialogue so that you can refer to things that are said (or read them if you miss them happening at the time) - I am specifically thinking about party banter here, but it may be useful in a more general sense.
28) Helmet animations should be optional, and your portraits should reflect what equipment you have
29) I hope you will be able to use custom portraits and sound-sets
30) For some reason, Scratch starting attacking me in camp for now apparent reason, forcing me to kill him (😩) - assume this is a bug?
31) The long-rest option when you go to camp - there should be regional variations/themes. I.E if I long-rest in a settlement, the camp should look appropriate to that setting rather than always being the same one.
32) Special combat moves and finishing moves would be awesome (I'm thinking slow-mo arrows to the head etc) - ESPECIALLY if you roll a nat20 crit
33) I think weapons, particularly swords, should be kept at your side (eg. In a scabbard) rather than strapped to your back
34) The music and voice acting so far is superb - keep it up 👌
35) There should be an option to make the camera automatically follow your character without you having to constantly move the camera manually
36) The game should auto-pause (move to turn based) as soon as a hidden item (eg. trap) is found, and the camera should centre on the item
37) when in dialogue, the skills of your whole party should be available to influence options (I. E. You may be speaking to someone with your grumpy dwarf character but rogue dialogue options would also pop up as an option if there is a rogue in your party, meaning the rogue can interject in the conversation). This is how it would work in real/tabletop D&D and make more sense - especially in multilayer.
38) Spells such as 'charm person' should also be viable options during dialogue/interactions (it may already be a thing that I've just not come across yet)
39) I want to be able to change the colours of items/clothing to make my characters look their best (either through buying dyes or just at free will in the character options)
40) Your characters should be able to move past/through each other in combat. This is possible in tabletop D&D (as long as the character you are moving past/through is willing to allow you through of course 🧐)
41) I came across an area that had a secret room with some treasure in (a pretty cool axe) that I could only get to by solving a small puzzle to open a door. However, even before I solved the puzzle, I could move the camera and see into the secret room and all its treasures/items. This took away the mystery and excitement of finding a secret room. It would be better if areas like this remained in 'fog of war' until they were actually accessible. If the secret door required an investigation/perception test to notice it, you would know there was at least something there worth trying to figure out.
42) creatures/people etc should drop loot equivalent to everything they would actually be carrying (i.e. weapons, armour, potions, food etc) - I've killed plenty of things which were attacking me with a particular weapon only to find they aren't carrying anything at all...

I think the suggestions are great. I second them. I hope the devs will listen to these.

I think I agree with all of your suggestions. Big time on 22.
Apply and Accept in options: I think apply applies your changes and leaves the options screen open where accept applies and closes.

this is a great list! following that thread
Btw "add to wares" undoubtedly is a yet-to-be-implemented option to bulk-sell all marked items to a trader. (and iirc in DOS2 you could ctrl+click on an item to send it to wares i think)

Have to agree with most of the points. Especially number 1): please highlight all items the character can interact with. I often pass a perception check and then have to start a pixel search, where the found item could be, because it is not highlighted.
Good List!

+1 on the feedback of jumping while exploring and having to make your entire party individually jump the same gap. If the portraits are combined, party follows jump (safe basic jumps - not when a jump causes damage). There's mechanisms to split party so if i want to jump solo i can do it, but if i want my team to jump with, i currently can't. This is a big quality of life improvement

Thanks - I assumed as much, and thought it was just an area of the game that hadn't been fleshed out yet with an explanation/tooltips but wanted to check whether I was just missing something 🤔

A couple more whilst I thought of them:

43) Magic items should require attunement as they do in tabletop D&D 5e. This would limit the amount you can use as currently they seem pretty common (far more than I would expect anyway in a 5e game). They should feel really special when you find them.
44) Also, at the moment you don't need to identify magic items. Normally you need to use the identify spell or take them to a vendor who can do it for you, before you can use them.
45) going back to short/long rests - so far it seems like camp is always a safe place (no ambushes or interruptions or whatnot). Camping in the wilderness should be risky, and riskier in certain places (like the Underdark) than others. Our D&D group actually quite enjoys the camping mechanic of 5e, having to assign people to watch and then rolling perception vs events etc. If that could somehow be replicated in-game that would be cool. The only safe place to rest should be in an Inn somewhere.
46) Something I've noticed when reading through the forums is the HUGE differences of opinion around what elements make for a good game (video-game or D&D) - so it would also be awesome if, within the game settings, you could customise as many elements of the game as possible, to make it personal to you/your group. For example, random encounters when camping/fast traveling (see above). I love them, others do not. Being able to choose whether they happen would make for a happier player base 😎
47) What does 'critical miss' even mean? Critical hit, when rolling a natural 20, means extra damage, but crit miss doesn't seem to have any negative connotations/effects (i.e. missing next turn or giving your opponent advantage on their next strike). If it doesn't mean anything, there's no point making a show of it.
48) it would be good if you could set the default lead character, so that when you finished in dialogue or mucking about in the inventory screens etc, when you return to the game it defaults back to whomever you have set (rather than centering on whoever it was you last had open)
49) I REALLY hope there are going to be strongholds available for our hero's to claim (like in BG2) and that they are upgradeable (like in Pillars of Eternity) - which bring with them tasks/quests/rewards etc