I just saw the first few minutes of the gameplay video (missed the live event, because I was playing Starbound with friends) and I'm so disappointed.
As the game is now, it will end up being a fiasco like "Sword Coast Legends", we all know how dissapointing that shitshow was, because of how they tackled the DnD 5e ruleset.
While BG3 looks amazing, it does the exact same thing. At the moment it looks like a Divine Divinity Clone set in a Faerûn, I (and I think most other people who care about the BG-Legacy) DO NOT want this.
What we want is:
- A "True" DnD 5e Experience
- Real-Time combat with Pause Function
- ALL the spells (and I do mean ALL spells)
- Preparing Spells for spell-casters
- Spell Slots that go away making you a useless wizard if you're not carefull.
- Correct Character Stats
- a BORING fighter with zero to no buttons to press
I really hope that someone from Larian reads this post and stops the train in the direction it is moving. While you guys do an amazing job storytelling, it's time to tell WotC that fans don't want a simpleton-RPG, we want our good ol' friend BG back.
#1: You want a "true DnD 5e experience" but advocate for a RTwP system. BG2 is my favorite game of all time, but it's combat doesn't work like DnD (it got close with having rounds/turns behind the scenes). In 5e, you get an action, bonus action, and movement during your turn. How does that work in a RTwP scenario? Either you want the experience more true to the table top, or a RTwP system...I am of the opinion they are mutually exclusive.
#2: You want "ALL the spells." They showed off a pre-alpha build, so no doubt there will be more spells...but there are some that just can't work in a video game. How does the Dream spell work in-game? What about Clone, Augury, Scrying, Geas, Glyphs and Wards? The list goes on. I have no doubt they will have as many as possible, but not even BG2 had all of the spells and some were modified to work in-game.
#3: Preparing Spells will no-doubt be a thing. Again, this is pre-alpha, but it stands to reason you should be able to prepare spells in camp (for those classes that can).
#4: There will be "Spell Slots that go away." An audience member asked "do spell slots come back after a long rest?" and the answer was "yes." The descriptions for cantrips says there are spells that don't need slots to cast...that literally tells you that spellcasters have finite spell slots.
#5: Not sure what you mean by "correct character stats." It seems to me that Larian implemented the point-buy system for stats at character creation. This is the most balanced form of character stat placement in 5e.
As for my own opinion, I don't think we should be able to see enemy HP, and Fog of War needs to be implemented. Other than that, I'm impressed by how close they are getting to the feel of DnD 5e.
