Originally Posted by AnonySimon
Originally Posted by Dragon_Master
There are a series of questions I ask over on the Steam forums every single time someone says BG3 is DOS3.

1. How many action points does it take to move?
2. How many action points does it take to attack?
3. How many rounds of cooldown would you need to wait before you can cast a fireball spell a second time?
4. Where in Rivellon is the city of Baldur's Gate located?
5. Who has access to Source in the Forgotten Realms?

Every single time I ask these questions I'm either insulted or they double down and never make any attempt to answer any of the questions. The answers are very basic and simple. No action points to move or attack because D&D 5E, and BG3 don't use action points whereas DOS does, there are no cool-down rounds for using spells and abilities, only spell slots, Rivellon is not the Forgotten Realms and Source is not a thing.

Of course, answering these questions always disproves the very premise that BG3 is DOS3 so no one ever answers them when they're also saying BG3 is DOS.


I don't necessarily agree.

The first three questions could be just a matter of using an updated rules system. Case in point, Icewind Dale 1 uses an adapted Advanced 2nd Edition rules, while Icewind Dale 2 uses D&D 3rd Edition rules. Both are very different editions of D&D; one uses THAC0, the other doesn't. One has race/class restrictions, the other doesnt. One has different XP/Level advancement per class, the other doesn't. I could go on, and list every difference between the rules systems, but yet it still FEELS like a continuation of the Icewind Dale series.

The last two questions could just be a matter of reskinning/refluffing; i.e. renaming city X to match Y setting. Or renaming ability or power X to fit in with Y setting.

The fact is, there are many who are of the opinion that BG3 doesn't FEEL like a continuation of BG; And this isn't necessarily about graphics. For example, I personally find that Pillars of Eternity I & II evoke the feeling of BG I & II more than than BG3 does.


And therein lies the point. Different games have different systems, and D&D itself has evolved over the years as well to be different.

My questions are designed to stab the heart of the issue of whether or not a game is or is not the same as another game. They tackle game-mechanics, lore, setting, characters, level-design.

Between Dragon Commander, The Dragon Knight Saga, Divinity: Original Sin and Original Sin 2, they all take place in Rivellon and the lore is roughly the same but the mechanics are completely different between them. However, a lot of the people I ask these questions to are saying that BG3 is DOS3, or a clone of DOS2. Between Divinity Original Sin 1 and 2 they kept the action points and power skills, which anyone could do as they wished, whereas the Baldur's Gate games, the Icewind Dale games, and the upcoming Baldur's Gate 3 all are based on an already existing game with set rules and mechanics, setting, lore and characters.

The two are as different as night and day.

For that same reason, people over on the Steam forums actually make the argument since it's not Inifinity Engine and AD&D 2E as well as TB, it can't be a Baldur's Gate game, and they reject the evolution of D&D over the past twenty years while also defending Icewind Dale 1 and 2, despite them both using separate mechanics as you yourself pointed out.

My questions tend to draw out people's double-standards for what is and is not a Baldur's Gate game and they aren't even designed to do it. I first asked them in good faith to someone on the Steam forums because someone was saying there was absolutely no differences between DOS2 and BG3. Their reaction inspired me to ask these questions every time I see someone conflate the two games because they never, ever answer them. They'll give reasons for not answering them, or they'll insult me and double down on their original take, but no one who has said so has yet been able to answer me in good-faith how they are similar beyond a few aesthetics and TB combat, and even then they will not admit that the mechanics for how TB combat works can be different between games.

One person even made the claim that there is no difference in combat between DOS and Pokemon because they're both TB.

So, I'm quite comfortable continually asking these questions because I feel they cut into the heart of the matter, and a person cannot answer them in good faith while also saying DOS2 and BG3 are the same.

"I used my last magic poo to check in on my daughter." Scanlan Shorthalt.