I like that idea. Druid was my favorite class archetype. They were really cool pretty cool in BG1, but then in BG2 they got short shrift, since their stronghold was basically a one off. The Lion stone was cool there and all, but I wanted some kind of epic Moot and stuff that delved into Ogham cipher. Establishing a new Grove and recruiting animals to defend it, stuff of that sort. Creating a Circle, becoming an Arch Druid or even the Grand Druid of all Faerun and then choosing a successor from among a few choices (with consequences there) and afterwards joining a Hierophant style secret mission to save the world. The whole idea of Druidic as a secret language or secret society isn't very well tapped into. But I was actually pretty pleased to see how much attention BG3 has given already to the Class/Type. I really hope it's not just an Act 1 one off, but that everything that happens at the grove will have rippling effects into the endgame, with more stuff to come along the same themes with the Shadowdruids and such.
A campaign with a good Druid/Ranger theme always has some staying power for me, and replay cause it rewards the player really exploring the environments. Also just the tracking and ability to move through brambles and thorns, I wish that was more of an exploration element. Like were a druid could walk through terrain where others can't, or maybe just cross some water or through hidden rocks. I liked that they at least gave it a narrative treatment, with the ritual going down, but it would be cool to have stuff that is more exploration oriented and gameful, instead of just like a plot beat. I agree with the idea there to do the animal talking thing, cause it's like if they can't pull all the other stuff off, at least it makes for nice something. Rather than nothing, as you say hehe.
Same stuff above mentioned re high elves. Its very thematic to have the races that live long with access to secret speak, but that doesn't come into the game all that much, except for Lae'zels Gith one liners, which I like a lot haha. I think they could probably have done a sort of gibberish with subtitles for some things, and then you could maybe do some code type thing, where if the player is fluent they get all the info, but if only have a passing or basic knowledge some stuff can't be deciphered. Or like just having more opportunities to do the Goonies Latin translation style moments hehe. Anyhow, good call!
