Lol. I was really just trying to say that it is definitely not a board game because it can be played completely without a board. I know you can play with a board, but it is totally not dependent upon a board.

This was in response to those who were trying to argue that it is a board game. It really isn't. A board is a supplement to the game, a tool people use to make it more visual.

The thing about D&D is that it can be played in so many ways. Some play it more like a board game. Solasta is actually designed in a way that is more for these types of players, and they've even said this was what they are going for. Baldurs is more story based.

So, if we were to put Larian and Tactical Adventures into DM types, Tactical Adventures would be more like the Board Game D&D players who like to map out every dungeon room and the focus is a bit more on mapping out and finding monsters.

Larian seems more story focused. They don't care as much about the rules and having you measure things out properly and such. BG3 feels more to me like the DM is describing things more loosely.

Here's an example of the difference.

Gale is fighting a goblin. In Solasta's DM gameplay experience, the DM measures out and says, "The goblin is 15 feet away." Gale says, "I will use Magic Missile and drink a potion." Solasta DM gets down level with the map and says, "Nope. Can't. Blocked. Oh, and potion is an Action. Not Bonus." Gale decides to move his pawn so that he has line of sight. He gets level with the map. "There we go. And fine. I won't use potions. I forgot. You don't allow potions as bonuses."

Larian Dm is more like, "You see a goblin ahead of you." Gale says, "I jump behind him and hit him with my staff." Larian DM says, "Ok. Roll to hit." Larian DM doesn't even have him roll to jump. He doesn't really measure things out. That takes too much time. He wants faster paced gaming to focus on story. So he just agrees yo Gale jumping behind a goblin and attacking. "Can I use a potion?" Gale asks. "Sure," says Larian DM. He doesn't want Gale to get even close to dying, because he is focused more on story, not on the finer details of the combat.

So Solasta DM is more like a board game. Larian DM is more like a choose your own adventure DM who isn't so much about the board.