Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Baldur's Gate 4

I liked Tides of Numenara quite a bit actually, but it didn't really feel like Planescape: Torment, IMO.

It has fairly bad combat, so whether you like it or not will depend heavily upon whether you like the copious amounts of dialogue. I did, and hence enjoyed the game, but the steam forums at release indicated that many people loathed the writing. YMMV.

Also... what about a completely new setting?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_campaign_settings
Which would people choose?

Hard to say... I'd love a real RPG set in Al-Qadim or the Birthright setting. Both had previous video games taking place in their settings, but none was an actual RPG.
Dark Sun would be another setting I'd love to play in again, though I'm not sure how well it would translate to 5e and the current philosophy at WotC.

I agree 100%

Didn't I say exactly this some posts ago?

Grayhawk and Dragonlance would be the only other D&D settings that would interest me. I am very set in my LOVE for the Forgotten Realms.

Does it really change that much?
A setting is just as a good as the use you make of it.

The plus here is that Larian is essentially creating a 5e Engine. Much like the Infinity Engine spawned an entire genre of games in the late 90s/early 00s based around RTWP, party-management, 2D world exploration, and an isometric perspective, this engine offers the potential for diverse experiences with Turn-based Combat, story cinematics, 3D world exploration, and a quasi-isometric perspective. Independent of what you think about the execution of Baldur's Gate 3, the raw ingredients for other 5e experiences are already here, in a very well-polished engine (relative to its competitors). Supposing BG3 comes out and Larian catches flak for a handful of game elements or mechanics, it is entirely possible they might switch directions in some areas. Providing a new setting keeps the content fresh, granting a new experience while using the same engine.

Then, there's the potential for modding. If Larian ever decides to provide greater support to modding, making games in new settings would provide a wealth of tools and assets for the modding community. Planescape: Torment is widely regarded as one of, if not the best cRPG of the 90s-00s era. Its setting and method of presenting itself is quite distinct from games set in the Forgotten Realms, which was a factor in its appeal (though its writing more being the main appeal). Different settings provide new opportunities for twists on the base experience.

Let's keep in mind that Larian's team has grown ten times over since the Divinity: Original Sin 1 days, and that they have a greater income as well. A google search says that they grew their employee count by 26% last year, they have an annual revenue of 87.4 million, and apparently Tencent owns 30%. That's a lot of money and a lot of talent devoted specifically to the prospect of a DnD video game experience with previous experience in the space.

The situation is a bit different then in times of Infinity Engine - while Bioware created the engine for what became Baldur's Gate, they were working closely with Interplay and that relationship resulted in couple Interplay lead projects. Larian doesn't have such association - they get licence from WotC of course, but I would be surprised if all that they create wouldn't be theirs to keep. That said, they already greenlit a side project like that before - there was a tactical RPG to be made using D:OS2. In general, Larian doesn't seem to have luck with hired help - from what I understand the title I mentioned got scrapped, and Divinity board game seems to have troubled development as well.

No one comes to my mind, who could take an advantage of Larian's engine - all potential candidates have been bought up Microsoft, so an allience is unlikely. One could dream of Solasta team using BG3 engine, but they would need to upscale greatly to take advantage of it - and from what I understand they are not interested in that.

You make good points. But who knows?
Edit: To add, my main point is that Larian has a lot of WOTC-aligned tools at their disposal now and they are growing rapidly as a company, apparently with the revenue to match.
Edit 2: And Dungeons and Dragons is currently more popular as a brand than it has ever been.

All of this, plus I'm not at all sold on the Larian BG3 engine being some sort of definitive D&D 5e engine. Many of the big/more serious issues we all have with BG3 are either confirmed to be because of engine limitations or else I personally suspect to be engine limitations.

Larian took that shelved project Divinity Fallen Heroes and used it for BG3.

Remember, the shared initiative + co-op turns happening together if they were next to each other was going to be a new feature for Divinity Fallen Heroes.

They're good at recycling elements, so it wouldn't surprise me.

That's just good asset turnover.

I doubt it.
If nothing else because the Divinity Fallen Heroes spin-off wasn't supposed to be from Larian at all.

It was from Logic Artists, the developers of Expeditions Vikings, Expedition Conquistadores, etc.

Well, at least that explains the exceptionally dull setting/premise/story that they were setting up.

Two is better than one. Also: "exactly?" Nope.

Didn't they already say this was a one time thing and no sequel was coming? Truthfully dos3 would probably be coming next and I could see them taking this game and adding onto it making it a cinematic version of dos series scrapping custom characters and forcing there own down your throat.

Google didn't turn up anything, but I might just not be asking the right things. If no sequel is coming, they better give us an expansion or consider a much higher level cap. Outside of how it was handled in DOS2, I am NOT a fan of Rivellon, its timeline, or its themes (DOS2, in my opinion, is very unlike the rest of Larian's games). If they are returning to DOS, I hope they reconsider the story and gameplay direction they chose for Fallen Heroes.

I think a relationship with WOTC at the current height of DnD popularity is still good. Sales for BG3 must have been nuts so far. A new setting would be nice. While I am not a Critical Role fan, I understand they are working on a video game with WOTC, and making a game set in Exandria could be a nice way to boost Larian's presence in some of WOTC's more popular properties. Along with the potential for a full, well-known, voice cast. It would be a point toward notoriety and widespread appeal of Larian's games toward the tabletop community, especially with the integration of online shows (not into gameplay, more as a brand).

While I cannot find WOTC's sales comparisons by setting for anything in the current century, I found some data from the previous century, which indicates the popularity of Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, and Spelljammer. I also know Planescape is immensely popular with cRPG fans. My personal votes would be toward a Planescape game or a Ravenloft game, with a stronger emphasis on the tension and horror Larian is hinting at in BG3.

Edit: In case it wasn't clear, I'm not only speaking from the perspective of personal taste, but also a business perspective. I am a fan of studios that I like making more money.

I'll make here and now what may be a highly controversial prediction. Early in 2019, right around the time that BG3 was first announced, Swen Vincke said in an interview precisly in response to the question of why BG3 instead of D:OS3, something to the effect of: Life is short. I have only so much time to make the games I want to make. I don't want to spending all my years making the same games again and again and want to do something new/different.

In the light of Vincke's remarks in that interview, I doubt there will be a BG4 or even a D:OS3. After BG3, I expect Vincke will want to move on to yet another new IP to create a new game that is NOT D:OS or BG and likely even NOT fantasy.

I expect full credit (and worshipping at my feet) when my prediction comes true.

I would be completely on board with a new IP using what Larian has learned and developed in BG3. Turn-based, 3D explorative, story cinematic, character-driven RPG in a new setting would be very fun. Lots of worldbuilding potential there. I could even live without the turn-based part if Larian so chose.

On the other hand, I think there is more money in WOTC properties, especially with the direction of its popularity due in no small part to the pandemic, Stranger Things, Critical Role, and the widespread availability of programs like Fantasy Grounds and Roll20, along with its historic cultural presence since the 80s. Combining the enthusiastic fanbase Larian developed during the cRPG renaissance with the absolutely rabid DnD fanbase might be a smart call.

Edit: All of this to say Larian has a lot of momentum going into BG3. It is up to them how they want to direct that momentum, but it would be a shame to waste it.