I've been playing and running 5e games for a few years, but I've never picked up a divinity game before. It seems like half of the posts on this forum are criticisms of the game for not being exactly like 5e, which baffles me a little. Sure, I think there are a few things to tone down a little, but I think a lot of the shifts are things I not only enjoy in the game, but would implement as homebrew if I thought I could handle the book-keeping and calculations to use them in pen and paper. I love the creative preparation that surface interactions, even when coming from cantrips, provide. Similar bizarre tactics are capable in the pen and paper game with spells like mold earth, shape water, control flame, and prestidigitation, after all. Exploding barrels could have their damage or convenience reduced some, but again, they offer me a way to interact with the game in more nuanced and creative ways if I want to prep the field instead of fighting with brute force. The rogue should be buffed back up after losing expertise and cunning actions, but I still find them functional and the interplay the new bonus actions allow feels awesome, especially since some 5e combats I've played tend to boil down to close in and attack until angry thing dead.
Is the ability of the wizard to memorize any spell balanced? Hah! Not on your life, and in fact it was never intentional, but I've still had fun messing around with it.
Are things perfect and Larian should run wild, source material be darned? No! but if you strip all the additions, the game would feel really shallow, since it'd just be a 5e clone with less customization and no DM improvisation. I think they are by and large taking advantage of the digital format to make the game more interesting rather than less.
I don't know, it just seems like everyone is frustrated with things I've been having fun with. The game still seems to have significant challenge unless your both very clever and very patient, which I feel like should be a given in a turn-based strategy game. Does anyone else feel like this?
All game forums are notoriously filled with people who, no matter how good the game is, will say "this game sucks because you didn't do everything the way I would have done it," as well as people who, no matter how terrible the game, will say "this game is awesome, and you only hate it because you're stupid!"
I agree with you that, by and large, they have remained true to 5e, but even moreso they have remained true to the "spirit" of D&D by not just going with a strict interpretation of the rules. Instead, they are using them as the foundation for making a fun experience for people. I've never yet played a session of D&D where the DM adhered strictly to the rules. I've had a great time playing this game so far, and I think I'll probably continue to enjoy it for a long time.
