Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Larian's biggest oversight

Again guys, it's not about gameplay versus story, I have no issues with the gameplay. Another example I came across today. Pay attention that not the combat is the problem here, but the way the quest, dialogue, and flags works in it:
More on the druid grove another choice that seem to be something the game might expect you to do - as I entered the grove the guard tries to stop me. I ignore them and then choose the attack option. This creates a lot of cheos. Initially I thought I had to fight only several guards but then I noticed many of the NPC's are leaving the grove area towards the camp (among them, khaga, Nettie, the tiefling bard and others). After I finished off the guards I went to the tiefling camp to so what's going on. There was a big battle between the tieflings and the remaining druids, all the tieflings were at my side against the druids. For reasons unknown Rath the druid fought at my side against the others. After the battle was over I went to Zavlor to try to figure out what the hell happened. Now this is the important part - Zevlor wasn't very clear, only said it had to be done and steered the conversation to the goblin threat. I went back to the grove to try to understand why Rath, with which I never talked before fought with me in the battle. Rath was standing and blocking the entrance to the grove. He also didn't have any explanations but curiously he said "we won". How did you won if all the druids but you are dead? Wtf.
Then I came back to my camp and gale is complaining to me about something that happened with the druids.
Now what the hell happened here other than standard Larian's mess? I think at some stage, I don't if it happened when I chose attack in the dialogue or at later stage, the quest to kill Khaga triggered. But no context, no proper resolution, no nothing. And it all started from me choosing a dialogue line, so again, I didn't even try to break the game but it broke so easily.

Or not? You chose to fight the druids when they tried to prevent your entry. There are story reasons for Rath to say "we won", and just because you didn't get the dialog, doesn't mean that his stance suddenly changed, it just means that you didn't get to the point where you got his dialog about the situation. While Zavlor didn't give you his quest, it's on his mind when he sends you to talk to Khaga, that's why there's an actual quest for it, after all. You chose to break that continuity. So the only way to fix this is to eliminate player choice at that juncture? Choices have consequences, you made your choice, and now it's somehow because the game is broken?

Anyone else think the first interaction with Astarion feels, off? I think it's because by the time I meet him, I've usually already recruited Shadowheart and on my second playthrough, Gale. Which means they're both standing there while I rassle him on the ground with a knife to my neck, doing nothing. This could be fixed with either a simple move or a line of dialogue. Maybe having him be the first possible companion you meet, just after waking up on the beach, even sooner than Shadowheart. That way you're alone when he attempts to attack you. Or, by including a line where he says something along the lines of "stay back or I'll slit his/her/their throat!" If the game detects party members with you.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree with Abits estimate about Larians priorities. This feels more like a DOS3 with D&D adjectent rules. But I disagree, that they should refocus on story.

My biggest hope is actually a GM mode, where a DungeonMaster can set up fights for players. I would love to have a beautiful digital platform for the fights of our tabletop group (especially the online games). The social interactions would be done by GM narrative, wheras any battles are handled by the game engine. But this hinges on Larian actually implementing a 'true hardcore tabletop rules mode' or at least offering one as an option.
If combat rules and monster statblocks are implemented faithfully.... I already plan to pressure five more people into buying this game or gift it to some outright (that's 300$ more for Larian). But only if it's follows the tabletop closely.
Even if the story is great, at most two other people in our group would actually play an rpg on the computer.

Their current construction of a DOS and D&D hybrid is a useless distraction for me. Rules changes (like granting too easily advantage) warps the rules and requires rebalancing many, many other things. This causes a chain reaction of changes. This costs Larian time and money. Time and money that could have been spent in implementing the core rules exactly as written and on the story I suppose.