Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Custom character expressions/mannerisms

When I play a game I believe like it is important to feel like you are apart of that world. The current facial expressions and mannerisms of the customizable character are so stiff and lifeless that it feels like I'm playing as a robot trying to blend in among real people.

The constant tight lipped, closed smile drives me crazy, and putting their hands on their hips in every conversation like they just schooled you does not seem like the mannerisms of any real person I have ever met.

I would love to see some real expressions from my character: a smile that shows actual teeth, a laugh, a smirk, a sultry glance, a look of disgust, confusion, anger, fear, etc.
The companions all have great facial expressions ,and each has their own unique mannerisms that really bring them to life! I just also want that for my character. There have been one or two instances where my character did show emotion, but those instances are few and far between.

I hope this is just be because it is early access and its easier to place these movements and expressions into every conversation as a place holder but my fear is that its intentional. That in order to allow the player to interpret what type of emotion is behind each conversation choice they left the character's expressions as vague and noncommittal as possible. I don't know about other people, but I would much rather have a character that expresses a different emotion than one who doesn't express any at all.

Please, please, please let my character have some actual character and not be just a hollow shell devoid of any feeling in this vibrant virtual world.

Someone suggested cinematics to be cut and have it more like in BG2 with dialogues.

If the animations are unendurable for you, you might pray this makes it in the game.
About the quality - EarlyAccess or not, Larian is doing quite good I think.
There is a lot of visible progression from the first build also.

Who knows how fine tuned the first official release version will be.


There was only time I disagreed with my characters expression.
Just because I open a coffin and a "Lich" steps out, I would not look like as if I just pooped in my pants.
Gimme my shades.
" Yo undead Bro, it reaches my ear you might gimme gear? "

No expression at all sounds better.

These facial expressions betray how the PC reacts to things. And those reactions are very tied to personality. Which, for a Custom PC, should be player-defined. Maybe I'll want to be play a green city-dweller who's afraid or disgusted of every other new thing met. Maybe I'll be a hardened Outlander who's seen a thing or two. Larian can't cater to all PCs, so it's better to simply not show reactions. Let players imagine how their character would react. The camera could stay focused on the person speaking or the thing happening.

There was a discussion somewhere (OP was Dotsmat, I think, can't remember title), that convinced me that, in Larian's vision, the expected way to play is the play an Origin Character. These generic/vague facial reactions are probably placeholders, to be replaced by the actual, relevant reactions for the Origin Characters.

But I hope they then let the Custom Characters be custom.

Yeah I agree!

100% this. I cringe every time they try to show my character reacting to something. If this were a tabletop game and my DM told me how my character reacted to every conversation (outside of information that I genuinely don't know, but my character would), I would pack up my things and leave (well, I'd probably have a conversation with the DM first, but you get the idea).

I agree that when a situation is vague and the feelings of the character could be a number of things it makes sense for the characters expression to be more noncommittal. However, when I choose an option where my character is clearly expressing happiness or sadness or whatever emotion it should be reflected on the characters face. While in some situations it may be more immersive to have a character be a blank slate for player to fill in, it is equally non-immersive to choose a conversation choice that clearly aligns with a certain emotion and not have it reflected by the character.

There were times when I wished my character didn't show emotion (the scene in the owlbear cave particularly comes to mind) and there were times that I really wished I got to see some expression (the scene when you and Astarion find out the monster hunter is looking for him being one).

Perhaps it would be beneficial to focus more on the npc's expressions rather than trying to show the custom character all the time. That way I don't have to look at that weird closed lipped smile all the time and get to see some emotion from characters, even if it isnt my own. The companion's expressions are so spot on that for me it just totally kills the conversation when I have to see my character. Currently anytime my character comes on the screen I cringe because everything they do just looks so unnatural. If they just don't show my character then I would be able to better imagine the expressions myself.

A blank expression is still an expression (and almost always the wrong one). I'd rather not see my character's model at all. Give me a static head avatar next to a text box with dialog options and I'm happy. Or, if the cinematic-style conversations are really necessary for some reason, just aim the camera at whoever I'm talking to for the whole conversation.

Cameratime on Custom PC must be reduced by 95% and we must have silent protagonist as an option. Focus less on camera and more on writing Larian. YOu can't have a half-decent BG game without good writing, so get on it! Give us more consersation options over cosmetic BS.