In the last two Larian RPGs, you could potentially get 1-2 higher levels by the end of the game by killing every single person you met in the game, even allies and neutral characters. This worked because, for some reason, you were granted extra XP but given no real consequences for killing every person you met. From an RPG perspective, I think this is a big problem if you are claiming to make a game where "choices matter" and there are actual systems in the game named "Reputation," etc.
Since BG3 is not complete yet, I can't comment on whether or not the same mistakes are being made this time. However, the deliberate inclusion and advertising of "Speak With Dead" seems to indicate that it's now officially expected that you will always kill everyone you meet in the game to get the most XP out of it. This seems to be yet another step in the wrong direction of implementing a faithful and complex alignment aspect to an RPG. Why is everyone killable? Why do you always get XP from it? Why are there no major consequences? Why is there now a built-in way to fix the minor consequences that may have existed for doing so?
From a D&D perspective, this is really inconsistent with the strict alignment expectations of many of the characters you will roll in a typical party, and some of the ones you must have in your party to complete certain quests or receive certain bonuses. I am not a BG purist or a Larian hater at all, but this is one of those instances where I can't help but see "DOS3" instead of "BG3."
Last edited by Machinus; 04/03/21 11:09 AM.
