There should be a day and night cycle in Baldur's Gate III.
Larian decided not to do this with Divinity: Original Sin 2 and they remained firm on this throughout that game's development. They may very well have been right—but I think they should give it a go for BG3. I don't think the night time ambience of the campsite is sufficient, by the way. And I'm not suggesting they get carried away with it.
Here's why:
- Even though there was little substantive difference between day and night in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, the change in mood and feel was enormous, and it added a great deal to the atmosphere of those games. And even though quests didn't "expire" if you waited too long, there was a sense that time was marching on in the world, even if you just sat there. In other words, the world is much grander than the scope of this one adventure story, and it will move on regardless of what you do.
- In D&D, night time is a big deal. Traveling through a forest after sunset. Arriving in a small town in the dark. Battling an army of the undead near a ruined temple in the hope that dawn will bring some salvation. In D&D, just as in the real world, you can do things during the day that you can't do (or, might have more difficulty doing) during the night—and vice versa. This is a very important part of the game's flavour. In fact, if a player asked a DM to wait until darkness to enact some plan, and the DM said, "no, I don't do night time." Well, I can't imagine a DM ever saying that.
- More specifically, some classes may excel during the night. Obviously, the rogue might have an easier time sneaking around. even if most merchants pack up their stuff at the end of the day. But what about a fallen paladin who prefers darkness to the vengeful light? Or a monk with a ninja flavour, who specializes in darkness? Or a warlock bound to a lunar patron? The possibilities not just for NPCs and storytelling, but for roleplaying on the part of the player, are endless.
There are more reasons why this should be implemented, and feel free to add them.
I appreciate some of the arguments against a day/night cycle. It could add a massive amount of workload for the developers. It could be frustrating for players who just want to have that fight, or complete that quest, right now. I get it. But you don't have to create an entire parallel universe for night alongside the day. Why not just start with a different mood and music, before getting carried away with the idea that every NPC will react differently at night? Why not have merchants go away at night, with their items locked up, before writing entire nighttime quest lines? Yes, a day/night cycle could add so much more depth and complexity to the world, but I am not necessarily asking for that.
Thoughts?
