In terms of the pathing changes - It's a major issue in Larian's game engine ... that spells, AoEs and ranged attacks all have to run through the gauntlet of the actual world physics engine BEFORE they get calculated at all.
The way it should work is:
- You have a clean shot and can select the target as an appropriate target fro your current position.
- The spell/attack/item/ability has 'these' mechanical effects and works 'this' way.
- Therefore, 'this' is what happens, since it was correctly input and used.
- Visuals simulate this in the visual world engine with physics etc.
- Sometimes something goes wacky with the physics and it doesn't 'look' like everything hit right; but mechanically, the ability had this effect, which you knew and which was accurately reports, so you know that it did
- The combat log reflects the reality of what happened, not the occasionally wacky visual.
The way it works in Larian games, including BG3:
- You have a clean shot and can select the target as an appropriate target from your current position.
- Visuals simulate this in the visual world engine with physics etc.
- Sometimes something goes wacky with the physics and it doesn't 'look' like everything hit right; shots hit obstructions that weren't listed, AoEs don't hit the figures that were highlighted, magic missiles hit the ground near their target and don't connect.
- The spell/attack/item/ability has 'these' mechanical effects and works 'this' way - but it is only calculated for the targets that were actually hit by the visual simulation, meaning that the player often does not receive the effects that the game itself reported to them that they would.
- The combat log reflects only the calculations that happened after the physics simulation, showing nothing at all for the 'packets lost' as a result of that simulation.
Interesting. I've occasionally noticed weird stuff happening with spells and ranged attacks but hadn't given a lot of thought as to why, but it makes sense now. I absolutely agree with your statement of how things should work, and that it's shoddy that they don't already.
