Seriously, does anyone expect people with the pointbuy system to not put a minimum of 17 and 16 on these stats? Same thing for roll stats, just they are 2 different ways to create the character and get better optimization. Having an 18 allows you to choose one or even two feats throughout the adventure without leaving you without maxing out your main stat. In other ways, the only way to make characters different is about what gear you have, and all you have to do to see that there are a lot of people getting the same specs or gear templates is go to youtube, redit, or similar and search info, all the people do the same thing with electric damage combos, tiefling flaming blade and all that stuff. At least if we can choose a couple of feats we can be different from others.
It's not necessary to waste your feats on ASI in most cases when there are items and potions in game that will raise stats beyond 18 either until long rest or as long as you are wearing them.
We have already seen the ogre strength belt, and there are potions of hill giant strength, the headband of intellect (unwarped) is probably available, the dexterity gloves are likely available.
When I make a Barbarian I give them 14 Strength and then use Potions of HGS to kick str to 21 and just use another every long rest. Then I can grab GWM and really go to town damage-wise while also having 16 con and Dex.
There is way more flexibility in just the EA than most people realize. The full game is probably going to allow for some insane builds especially compared with a full gamut of magic items you can aquire, expanded feats, subclasses, and multiclassing.
But look, there is already a mod for stat rolling, and even setting stats to whatever you want for people who want to do that. BG3 is SUPER mod friendly. Single player chads in particular will have an easy time of it just picking and choosing what experience they want based on a few mods here and there.
I am honestly perplexed by all this doom and gloom negativity. This is the most advanced and complex game I have seen in 40 years of gaming and it has a LITERAL Battalion of mods who are ready to go once the full game drops.
Has anyone considered waiting until the game comes out, playing it, and then providing feedback once you get to actually experience it in full context?
There are some fair points here. I haven't thought of it the way that involves treating consumables as an integral part of the builds and gameplay. This reminds me of Witcher and elixirs, no one complained about Geralt consmuning tones of potions to peak the build. But on the other hand, you've described a type of a world where everyone uses performance-ehancing drugs and revels in it. This can be upsetting to some people who want to roleplay classic fighters for example, not potion-drugged gigachads with 18 in every ability score. It is even more concerning how they'd balance the game around such shenanigans. Something tells me they won't at all.
