Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Overdone VFX design

The whole design in BG3 in terms of classes is that each and every one should feel so different, that you'd want to go multiple playthroughs for the sole purpose of choosing different class. So spellcasters should feel really magical, fighters should feel massive, strong, brut force without all that flashy stuff and so on.

And there is a problem. Dash, disengage, jump, shove and basically all common actions presented to us like we are in some theatrical play. Its animations doesn't fit its purpose(e.g. when you dash your characters jump a little and beat himself in the chest, i thought when you dash you need to enter some running-ready stance or something), but more to that vfx around these animations is really bad. It looks as if we're casting a spell. And it shouldn't

Overdone visuals make whole design look worse. Common actions should be grounded to keep contrast between magic and non-magic things

That’s Larian’s way - there wasn’t much distinction in D:OS1&2 between physical and mage classes either.

I always felt spellcasters were more fun in cRPGs like that, and it seems Larian answer was to make all classes feel like spellcasters rather then enhancing their own feel.

Yeah, I really wish Larian would cut back on the exessive Vfx. Especially for martial classes (which is one of the main reasons I prefer them), but also for some caster stuff (bards mainly).
I really hate those flashy Vfx for everything. They are not immersive in the slightest and actually look ridiculous.

Our best hope seems to be mods at this point, if I knew a thing about modding I'd try to create one but unfortunately I don't.

I definitely think they should tone down the animations a bit, but I do think some level of vfx is required due to their ability activation system.

Right now, the vfx/animations are needed because everything you do in BG3 requires 2 clicks (activate ability, then target/confirmation). Most of the gestures and animations happens when you're waiting in the target/confirmation stage. So the animation is basically user feedback to let you know you are at a "ability has been selected, now choose a target" stage. It's visual confirmation to request further user input.

With that said, I think there's enough cues that Larian can tone this down without losing much information. Right now, we have a sound cue, a vfx cue (air gathering underneath the character), AND an animation cue whenever someone enters the targeting stage.

At least they should make animations more distinct - if you want to dash, you're getting ready to run, if you want to disengage, you turn your back to the opponent quicker to evade an attack and so on

Wouldnt a disengage be a back or side step that turns
in to a run while still watching your opponent? Turning your back is what gives them an opportunity attack

i can be anything really. just animation itself needs to be meaningful

Yeah, the visual effects are pretty vomit-inducing at times, additionally the animations when activating abilities look silly. It's a shame they spend so much time on the relatively cool looking models only to drape them in silly effects and animate them comically. Not that all the animations are comical, of course.

If anything, it will be modded, i'm sure

Yeah ,this is something I voiced my disappointment for several times in the past.

It's like the game doesn't exactly knows what it wants to be.
We have a dramatic and almost grim opening, high-end graphics and highly detailed, somewhat-realistic models, some spells that look exceptional and pack a genuine punch (Guiding bolt comes to mind) but then we have cartoony effects all over the place.

You push someone down a precipice or building, you'd expect to see the poor bastard plummeting fast and VERTICALLY to their death. Instead, what we get is their body tracing a funny arc mid air and sort-of floating their way to the ground.

You shoot with a bow or crossbow and you'd expect a quick and lethal projectile flying in what's more or less a straight line. Instead, what we get is slow projectiles tracing slow, floppy arcs mid-air as if we were dealing with cheap toys and rubber suction darts.

You dash and somehow you have to go through the Super-Sayan charge up instead of taking a sprinting stance or just giving up on your action to move more.

You jump and rather than feeling, uh, graceful and/or athletic, you do the Hulk stomp, including loud sound effect and the occasional breaking of things.

At this stage of development, it would be impossible to implement any significant portion of all of the great suggestions on these forums...mods may be able to.

All of the feats have been added, including Tasha's.


Many of the Eldritch invocations are also being re-introduced. Wyll chose Eldritch Speer for extended range. He can now look across the rooftops and reach out and touch someone.

How do you like me now?

I really hate it when I'm playing a non-magical class, and the animations make them look like they're using magic. Being non-magical IS the appeal in that case! If everyone is magical, spellcasters won't feel special either. It all blurs into a meaningless mess with no dynamics.

From a general gameplay point of view I also find Dash really annoying when the animation interrupts the flow of movement. I want to MOVE, not look at some magical ability activation VFX. It's not an ability, it just means you run or move more during your turn. So let me just move.

And it looks and sounds like Haste, Longstrider or some other magic related speed enhancement. How are you going to differentiate a magic spell or a potion from a basic action if they both look super-saiyan?