Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Too many NPCs are jerks

Doing a bit of playing prior to launch, and I just saved the Tiefling from the Bugbear assassin. I don't expect her to bow and scrape and call me master, but her sarcasm and lack of gratitude is missing verisimilitude. ''Thank you, mighty slayer of Bugbears.' if there were a dialog option of "How about I just finish the job?" I might be tempted to take it.

Everyone is a Jerk even the Passive Aggressive Drug Wizard with a Bomb in His Chest Companion, If Gale needed a cure for his curse so badly, he could've paid the Most Powerful Mage in Waterdeep a visit, Halaster Blackcloak would've fixed him up instantly, probably would've also kept Gale as one of his Adventurer Killing Monsters as payment but who knows...

And just did the Flying Gnome encounter. Yet another ungrateful jerk. Lae'zel demanding to be set free is entirely in keeping with her character, but puny Gnome guy? No. Even Shadowheart, in all her secretive arrogance, is more deferential (trapped in her pod) than this guy, whom you just saved from a pack of Goblins who were probably going to eat him at some point. If I were playing in a PnP game and the GM played an NPC similarly to this guy, I'd just leave him there (which is an option in the game, I know).

Shadowheart was a lot harsher at the beginning of EA three years ago, and Larian made her more deferential after one year of complaints. I don't feel the need for NPCs to be deferential to me because I usually extort them ANYWAY, but I guess I can see why some people expect some respect.

The gnome has a reason to be mistrustful. He is actually a re-occurring character that'll you'll get further insight to later.

The Tiefling you mentioned is either a thief or is has something she shouldn't from some other method. She is standoffish because of it.

Alfira is a bard tiefling on a cliff across the way, and she is great. If you haven't met her, I would seek her out in the mountain area within the grove.

There are definitely a lot of jerks, but that seems to be pretty common IRL, too.

I've seen the "later." But in the "now" he's trapped on a windmill in a village overrun by Goblins and you just saved him from eventual certain death, and his reply is a petulant "Cut me loose!" One of the reply options is 'What's in it for me?" I would prefer "Show a little gratitude, guy. I'm holding all the cards, here and you're barking at me like I'm the guy who empties your chamberpot. How about I leave you there until you learn some manners?"

Again 'i just saved your life, and all you got for me is sarcasm?"

Nothing jerk-like about her, she's just weepy. Not sure how she got roped into a conversation about jerks.

I just saved your life. I am clearly way more skilled than you. I have three tough-looking buddies with me. And you decide to give me a bunch of lip. Doesn't work for me.

And the three mercenaries you save in the fight at the grove gate. When you talk to the archer afterwards and express concern about her wound, her reply is sarcasm. Now, I"m a pretty sarcastic guy, but not in situations where gratitude is the more reasonable option.

The fact is other gaming companies have spoiled you by inundating you with NPC's who are one-dimensional Pollyanna's. IRL people are often not grateful for help because it undermines their own internal locus of control, sense of self-worth, or because they don't know how to express gratitude.

When I was very young I was an EMT - and like as not the family/friends of the injured party would not express gratitude for our attempts to save the life of their loved ones as much as you might expect. Sometimes, they just physically assault you for any number of reasons - "save their life faster" seemed to be a common reason.

Some people WILL straight up resent you for helping them. That's just life. I actually applaud Larian for creating a more realistic range of responses for your 'heroic' actions.

Like who? Viconia? Cassandra? Kaliyo Djannis? One-dimensional, maybe. Pollyanna, no. So how about an example of a one-dimensional pollyanna and we'll see if I've played that game.

+1

True, so what?

Agreed ...
I was complaining about Larian writing for whole EA there is often no proper response and pur character is constantly forced to situation where they are basically bullyed ... and our only option is to withstand the suffering.

The Gnome pisses me off aswell ... he acuses you for ignorance, while he litterally few second earlier concidered you to be a looter for no reason at all really ...
It gets even worse if you are Duergar or Drow.
Whos ignorant here?

I made whole topic about cases where our responces felt ... lacking. Will edit it here later, if i dont forget.

//Edit:
Here: https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=741085#Post741085

To be fair to the gnome, he's probably seconds away from throwing up and has a murderous headache from the massive amounts of blood flooding to his head. The discomfort he's experiencing when he demands you cut him down is probably terrible.

Then when you do cut him down he makes it clear he expects you to mistreat him anyway. The guy's just a cynic who's probably been abused most of his life. He's more cordial once he realizes you're NOT going to extort him for the rescue, but he seems too socially awkward to apologize and just offers his backpack as recompense.

I agree, Barcus, the gnome, becomes more open and friendly after you tell him, that you are not here to loot him. He even tells you, why he is on the road. I totally understand, why he is standoffish at first.

So I don't like it. I bet there are things you don't like about the game, either.

He sends you off with 'I ALWAYS help my friends" in a petulant tone, as if to imply you didn't just help him.

While on these forums I of course expect everyone to be polite, I have no such expectation in the game and actually enjoy the variety of responses we get from NPCs

I do hope we get some additional snappy comebacks to some of the sarkier NPCs though. I've no interest in being violent to people who are a bit rude, but sometimes I'd like my character at least to be able to say something to take them down a peg. But not Barcus. Barcus is great just as he is.

I really didn't got that feeling, he tells you, that he always helps his friends as a if he is ( rightful) proud of that. I didn't find that antagonistic at all personally

"Ooh thank you for saving my kitten, m'lord! I am ever so grateful, please accept this token of my appreciation. 'Tis not much, but 'tis all I have."

Nope. Bring the jerks.

To the OP your welcome to your own opinion offcourse, but Id strongly disagree, most NPCS are not jerks, and many who are can become non jerks depending what you do.


Like several pppl who have commented here, I prefer stand offish npcs to npcs who fawn over me just because Im the main protagonist.

Well, let's see...he's a Swirfneblin, so that explains his behavior partly. I assume Forst or Rock Gnomes would have been nicer...

Also, there's an option to do something far more funny to him (or at least there was in the early days of EA)

Yes, Larian’s characters tend to be unpleasant. The game pushes player toward being mean to others, and I suspect lack of empathy is intentional, so player doesn’t feel too bad when using all the mean options Larian build for the payers. Some responses come out as rather bizarre, that’s for sure. It is still way, way better than D:OS2 was in that regard, so I will take it as a win.