What I think me and some of the other posters are saying is that clearly there is a line to be drawn SOMEWHERE between ultimate player choice and freedom, while maintaining balance and difficulty. It’s just that we disagree on where that line is. I like having a game, looking at my toolbox of options, and finding a creative way to solve the puzzle in front of me. If I need to enter the Drow base up ahead, I might use disguise self to look like a Drow. But now, I could for less resources, go and just change my race to Drow. I won’t, because that’s cheesy as hell, but the mere fact of knowing the ‘best’ solution was a dumb one that I intentionally didn’t use so I didn’t break my immersion, bothers me.
It’s the same reason some people don’t like barrelmancy, because it’s a narratively unsatisfying but extremely effective way to beat encounters. I come across what’s supposed to be a difficult encounter, I look at it like a puzzle, and go well I know I could just beat it with barrels. Or changing my class to wizard for this specific fight. Or using stealth cheese, or using double spells on Sorcerer even though that’s not how it’s supposed to work or or or…and sure I could just not use these. And I won’t, but the mere fact of them existing still makes the experience worse for me. That’s why I at least am bothered by changes like these.
I honestly have trouble understanding any of this. I'm not trying to be rude; I'm just saying this is entirely alien to me.
"I don't want to do this dumb thing, but it's an option. So now I feel like I have to do this dumb thing because it's an option? Or if I don't do the dumb thing that's an option then I'm unsatisfied with the non-dumb thing I did because I could have done the dumb thing instead?"
None of this makes any sense to me. I don't even know how to sympathize. I mean that sincerely, not in an antagonist, snarky, or rude way.
There are numerous dumb things you could do in life. The option to do the dumb thing doesn't mean you have to do it or feel unsatisfied about doing the other thing.
It's like, imagine this. Your kid comes to you, upset. "What's wrong?" you ask. And they tell you that the video game they're playing lets them change their stats when they want to.
"But why are you upset?"
"Because I don't want to do it!"
"Then don't do it?"
"You just don't understand!"
"Um. Okay."
*
Larian made a game for the masses. I see people talking about how it's "lazy" design to let people respec because "options" somehow translate to lazy design?
Except it's obvious Larian is not lazy. They have put tons of effort into this game. It looks amazing. It looks complicated and full.
