Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Time to STOP

I per-ordered BG3 (EA) and am playing and the one thing that I realized is how tiring/exhausting it is to play this type of turn based games!

Bugs/glitches aside (Patch 9), the spell slot limitations, the short rest/long rest, all that stuff just (for me) takes away from the game play, not to mention that things just slow down.

Don't get me wrong, I played Dragon Age Origins way back when and I loved it (companions had AI that I could specify and did not have to micro manage them) and yes, I played DOS and DOS II on PS4

So I say, Larian STOP making these type of games, its 2023, move to a open world "normal" type game, have companions, give them each AI that the player can tune and build a open world RPG, you have the story telling talent, heck, you even have the IP, you could use the worlds of DOS or DOS II to expend upon or create/buy a new IP, there are thousands of fantasy books written every year!

But I'm kind of tired of playing these turn based games, yes I will play BG3 but I wont be playing non stop like Cyberpunk 2077 or the Witcher 3 from years ago (on PS4)

With Starfield and other games coming out, BG3 maybe a game on my "to paly" list instead of "currently playing", yes, Larian Studios got my money but............

Oh boy this is a hot take that the forum will certainly discuss.

I truly hope so, its time Larian Studios expanded their horizons, come on Swen, buy into Unreal Engine 5.x and start making RPG's like I know you can, you've got the talent and the money!

Don't just play in the "safe" zone, expand, be creative and you will be remembered for more than just the isometric turn based games, leave that for the Indie studios who have low budgets and less talent!

Just gonna say it. BG3 is based on D&D 5e, which is, hear me out here, also a turn-based game. So it is entirely in keeping with the rules of the source material. If they were making almost any other sort of game, you might have a point. But 'Turns' have been part of D&D from the beginning.

Yep, this.

I also find the turn-based combat makes me think much more about positioning and strategy than I do in other games, and it feels much more as though every move is significant so I pay closer attention. Which can be exhausting, but in a good way.

I’ve also not played enough other turn-based games to feel burnt out by them, and on the contrary BG3’s approach still feels fresh and different to me.

I’m not saying I’d only want to play turn-based RPGs (and I loved DA:O and DA2’s tactics systems), but I think Larian’s approach suits D&D and BG3.

Have you ever played DOS or DOS II? Why do you think early on and maybe even now, BG3 was/is refereed to as DOS III?

My original comment has nothing to do with how D&D is played, its a table top game and each player gets their turn, fine I get it.
This is about making/creating a World which a single player or one with companions can explore, do what ever is the story line, etc...
In a open world type environment such as the WItcher 3 or Cyberpunk 2077, or even Fallout 3/4 or, or dare I say it, the grand daddy of them all, Skyrim, which people to this day cant stop playing!

I'm not a game developer but I would think it would not take longer to make a open world single player RPG than its taking to create BG3, yes, maybe they would need to use a different engine and learn how to use it effectively which would take time, but they also don't need to make it a 100hour + game, maybe start small, make a 50 hour game, to get your feet wet, see how its accepted and work from there.

Also, the idea of "spell slots" rubs me the wrong way, if I'm a Wizard/Sorcerer, I learn my spells, have then reedy and the only thing I need to worry about is my MANA (or some other unseen magic force), MANA which can replenish over time and perhaps faster if i camp or sleep at an Inn or eat some food, etc....

Well, I’m sure Larian could have made a totally different, non D&D game, and perhaps they will. But I wouldn’t want them to have not made BG3 the way it fundamentally is (niggles about some of the details aside).

you hate turn-based games and tabletop rules, we get it . but unfortunately, this is what Larian/Swen wanna do for so long. do you know that they wanted to make this game before DOS2 and DOS2 is the reason make them get the chance of making this game? do you really think turn-base RPGs are not as much popular as those you mentioned? if you really like those games you mentioned that much, go play those rather than tell Larian they didn't make the game type you like. go cry somewhere else. Larian would make whatever game type they wanna make. your dislike of turn-based game/dnd rules is not a very valid reason for them changing their goals .

If only there were some way to translate the turn based D&D rules in to an exciting computer game with things happening in real time that don't need you to take turns because you're not sitting at a table with other people where the physical limitations of time and space require you to take turns.

I like being able to drink a coffee and play at the same time. Turn-based for me please.

I can walk into a store and find 30 of those games and they all look and feel the same. I've been waiting 15 years for someone to do the DnD genre justice since Neverwinter Nights 2...

This has to be the weirdest complain. OP, do you know that you are on a CRPG forum? Do you go everywhere and tell people to conform to your "normal" life choices? Please answer, I am baffled here.

I think you should stop playing turn-based games and focus on action-rpg if that's what you like.
But please don't ask studios that make great TB games to stop. Many players love turn-based games, so go away and leave Larian to us!

Every-god-damn-time.

To be fair, there has been plenty of discussion in the past about RTWP at least (eg https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=&Number=814004, https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=805905), it just feels as though that ship sailed a long time ago for BG3.

I would just like to show my full and unconditional support to this topic ...
100% agree ... its "time to STOP" play games you dont like ...

And i wish you all willpower you need to manage that as soon as possible.

I strongly disagree with your sentiment, but I will do my best to respectfully explain why.

First of all you are asking for Larian to stop making certain type of a game, and switch to a completely different genre of games. Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher3 are not cRPGs. They are hardly RPGs. Those are Rockstar/Ubisoft inspired open world action games with some light RPG elemenents. Not that this is wrong to like them (I thought Witcher3 was brilliant) but those are just different type of games. Might as well suggest for Larian to make an online hero shooter, cause those are popular.

Yes there is completely different pace and cadence to games you describe, and I might pick one over another depending what I am in a mood for. What you describe tiring/exhausting I call engaging. Sure, Cyberpunk and Witcher and stuff are easier to "play" as they don't require much thought - just following a dotted line, clicking couple times instead of combat, completely one tast after another. But it is also pretty empty. I played Cyberpunk for the first time two months ago, and aside from some cutscenes I struggle to remember much about the title. Similar with Witcher3. Using Ubisoft formula, they are build around shallow, repetitive activities, which trigger satisfaction from completing another task on the list, but nothing much more than that - no interesting choices to make, no unique experiences. On the other hand, I know every nook and cranny of BG3 map (same with Elden Ring) - those are just different kind of titles, engaging players in different ways. There was an interesting Extra Punctuation around this subject not so long ago.

More importantly we have a lot of those. I have endless open-world games sitting on my drive untouched. Haven't touch Assassin's Creed title since Blackflag. Still have Shadow of War to play. There is still one Spiderman game to play.

Actual cRPGs are far and few inbetween, and no one with as much budget as BG3 has. I understand how it could not be your cup of tea, especially if you are interested in narrative only, and see gameplay as obstacle between cutscenes, rather than core of the experience, but even though I have many issues with how Larian does things, it would a shame to have them join the pile of homogenized open world games. We just have too many of those.

As someone who plays a lot of RPGs, I must say that turn-based is far more relaxing than it's real-time alternatives. Try playing PoEs or Pathfinder and keep a track of what is going on, as all actors move at the same time, and multiple rolls are being made all the time, by everyone. Now, that can be ehxausting!

You are excited about Starfield - that's good! I am not. I found Oblivion, Fallout3 and Skyrim to be extremely repetitive and forgettable, and I expect to not think much about Starfield as well. So you have release you are excited about, and we have ours.


Here is the thing - there are many kind of turn based games. UFO: Enemy Unknown is fundamentally a different game than FiraXCOM, Into the Breach is fundamentally different than those, Invisible Inc. is also different, and so is D:OS1&2, BG3 and D&D etc.

When people call BG3 "D:OSIII" it is not because it is also turn-based, it is because it inherited campaign structure and many fundamental design ideas that were part of D:OS1&2 but are alien to D&D system. If Larian would done what you suggest it would be "D&D theme AssCreed", which would be a much further departure from the inspiration than what we have now.

To be honest, I would love an open world game like the elder scrolls based in the Forgotten Realms. However, not this game. Yes Fallout started with a turn based model and became open world real time. I think there is room for both. I am sure WotC would be more than happy to rack in the cash Skyrim has.

It would be IMPOSSIBLE to translate turn based to real time though. You would burn your magic in 10 minutes. A new rule set would have to be created and endorsed by WotC. Could it be done? Sure, but would it still feel like D&D? Unless world building, lore etc was on the mark, I doubt it would be even close.

I would still like to see it. But BG3 must be as close to the original feel as possible.

You know it's interesting, I actually do agree that turn based games can be more mentally exhausting. I personally find that sort of exhaustion very satisfying. However, it is also why in my Multiplayer Guidelines for my Discord I tell people to keep games to "under 5 hours" because people start to get snippy and distracted after that point and its from exhaustion.

Posts like these is what kills tabletop RPG games. Variety is good. You like your open Skyrim world, I HATE these kind of 3D games. Gives me headaches.
I like my top down 3D world strategy games and playing god micro controlling everything
Its like saying, to hell with 2D pixel art games or indie games like Hades should all be in 3D first person...
HELL NO.
Its really kind of sad that you cannot see the appeal of such a game (BG3). The Witcher3 isn't really an RPG game in my book. Its a <run and gun> Action/Adventure Tell tale game marketed as a next gen RPG. And a VERY good one at that. Nowdays even Diablo (an Hack & Slash action game) is considered an RPG . lol that would gotten a good laugh in the 90s.