Now. When I say it doesn't require a struggle and it works great for me... that's entirely what I mean. It works well. I love it. I don't want them to change a thing about it.
If you thought it was getting ridiculous before lol. This thread has been very charged from it's inception and it's author definitely framed it that way at the outset, but for some reason it was selected as the catch-all Megathread to discuss everything movement and selection related on these boards. It just kept absorbing other threads like a gelatinous cube. This whole forums section was basically created as an excuse to get rid of this thread, the 4v6 thread and the RTWP thread, so they could be moved out of the Feedback section where they were being bumped constantly for months and apparently taking up too much attention there.
To me it is curious and kind of refreshing to hear from an actual apologist for the game's current movement mechanic, since as I mentioned earlier, I think you're the first one to chime in here without equivocation or caveat, to express a genuine preference, even love, for the BG3 party movement controls and the chain. I disagree completely with your assessment, but it's a nice change of pace hehe.
It's even more fascinating, because contrary to what I might expect, we seem to be roughly similar in age and previous gaming experience (just judging from your feedback in other threads), such that I can't blame this one on a generational divide or take it down to someone just being habituated by DOS systems with no other point of reference for comparison.
To me its a bit like being given a left handed pair of scissors by a left handed person, and hearing about how intuitive and ergonomic they are. Then I try to use them with my right hand, being right handed, and know instantly that this is all wrong and a terrible design for anyone like me. Then trying to make the case for something more universal or ambidextrous in the design, in the hopes of not being forced to use these whack scissors all day long lol.
It's cool that you enjoy playing the game and find it comfortable, and that you'd rather just play it than read arguments here about extraneous clicks and whatnot, when they don't seem to affect your enjoyment and aren't really on your radar. For me it's the exact opposite situation, in that I'd rather just play the game and enjoy it, but because it's controls are so onerous and so awful, I just can't do that. I'm locked out of the thing and can't enjoy it. So instead I'm here trying to raise the red flags so that hopefully they take note and actually do something about it. As it stands I would never have purchased this game had I known how little development there would be on this issue over the course of a year, and I'd certainly never buy another Larian game if they just let it ride like this. I'm not generally a detractor, but I can't imagine myself having very nice things to say about Larian as a developer or what they've done with the legacy of my all time favorite CRPG franchise if they stay the course on this one. When someone says something like 'sorry, if you don't like it, but they really shouldn't change anything or try to accommodate you cause that'd just be a waste of resources, the "sorry" part feels a bit disingenuous lol.
I know these forums are full of sometimes abrasive personalities and that it's easy to spiral downward with a quickness here. Turning up the volume and resorting to ridicule is not always the most helpful dynamic, to be sure, and if you see that being directed at you apologies for the general climate here. That said, I don't consider myself to be exaggerating in the least when I say I find the 'movement mechanic' in BG3 to be extraordinarily annoying, just like I don't take you to be exaggerating when you say you love it. Were the positions reversed, and the game worked perfectly well for me in that regard, but not for you, it's entirely possible I wouldn't even be here cause I'd be buried so deep in the game I'd have no use for these forums. I mean I clocked probably 2000 hours in BG1 in the period after its initial release (and many more since) and never once felt the need to join random boards to gripe about anything. I was entirely satisfied and happy there to just enjoy what was on offer and praise it when the odd occasion might arise. Of course BG3 is characterized as Early Access, and I don't have the same experience here, so I spend an inordinate amount of time on these boards trying to get a foot in the door and raise the issues where I see them.
This one, the party movement scheme and the chain (and more than that even, the single character movement and camera control) are major barriers to my enjoyment of the game. Overshadows everything else about the game for me. Sure I could just quit and write it off, I certainly don't need to be reminded of the sunk cost fallacy here, I'm definitely living it heheh, but long as there is the possibility of some redress I hold out hope. Also I don't think you're a Larian employee trying to defend the game. I don't question your rationality or ability to assess your own opinion. I can't speak for anyone else here, and wouldn't want to be grouped into a faction with anyone. I appreciate your participation and your feedback, even though I completely disagree with it on this issue. Though I'm sure someone else's remarks will probably grab the spotlight, and this reply will soon be buried by others. That's just how it seems to work here, unfortunately. But I'd love to hear the spirited defense of the current system from someone who truly enjoys it, if only so that others might tune their rebuttals in a way that's more constructive.
