Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Multiplayer Discussion Deactivate forced Split Screen?

In DOS2 only one player could control the camera when the screen was merged. It worked great =(

With this method, could you essentially connect the 2nd controller when you want to split up and then when you meet back up, disconnect the 2nd controller and play as a single merged screen? This almost sounds like a workaround for split screen merging if that's the case. And if it really is that easy, no idea why Larian won't just implement split screen merging themself.

Larian has not responded to this at all since its PC release despite multiple fans from DOS 1&2 days raising concerns on multiple separate threads on multiple different platforms, along with its lack of ability to invert camera controls on controllers.

It's becoming painfully obvious that the PS5 version was an afterthought and was rushed out simply to compete with Starfield.

I'd love to know who they have testing this game because it's obvious they are incompetent. You can't have over 1000+ fixes in one patch and then turn around and have yet another 1000+ fixes in another and say with a straight face that you actually tested this.

It is clear that we are still too few to arouse even a response from Larian. The problem of forced split-screen does not exist for them. Either this thread sees a real surge in participation or it is better to let it go.

The problem here is that only a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of players will even seek out these forums... I really thought going here and commenting on posts that concern this is going to do something... But I'm convinced at this point that Larian does not even visit their own forums.

So many people don't care about sending feedback to Larian, despite all the problems they may encounter... so they should listen to the few who do. I don't enjoy being here, checking these forums every day for 2 weeks. I do it because apparently I'm naive enough to think that if this keeps getting bumped we're going to get a reaction. We do for free what Q&A should be doing. The least we could get is acknowledgement.

I've sent a support note to Larian myself - generally they don't reply, but I presume they get thousands, if not more (!), it can't hurt!

It is an awesome game, and just sooo great that we even have split-screen, indeed many of the additional features/tweaks I personally think are fab. But I agree, the lack of a toggle to go between split-screen and not would be really appreciated.

I would hope that they do occasionally have a ganders at their own forums here. who knows?

A shared-screen toggle really would be useful.

Books are also unreadable in split-screen mode. By permitting a full-screen mode this would make it sooooo much easier to read them (they could also just show a single page of the book at a time, but go figure ;-p )

Pease, the books are just ridiculous in split screen. Lost the motivation to even read them with the minuscule fonts. Also impressive that there is no option to adjust that in the menus. Combine that with all the split screen bugs before patch 3, I think it just shows that the coop was not really tested before launch. Only thing we can do is to keep complaining I guess.

I would agree except for the fact that these complaints are not just here. Along with the 4-6 different threads here alone on this subject, I have seen people complaining about this on Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter as well.
There is no way someone from Larian is not aware of this issue, and that makes it even worse that they are avoiding the subject.

I just want to add my own voice. I also player D:OS 1 and 2 in Local Coop, and want to do so again with BG3. Since I play alone before that, it took my brother to tell me, he cannot find a way to get full sceen in coop.
It just sucks. They should make an option to disable acting at the same time in combat, if you prefer having a full screen instead.

Whenever I see demand for shared screen, I'm adding my voice, too.

My wife and I spent like half an hour exploring then we had our first combat, still in forced split screen, we gave up and requested a refund from Steam.

We will gladly but only purchase it again with shared screen enabled.

I agree with some people here that the couch co-op for this game wasn't worked on enough to be ready for release.

The dynamic split-screen is the biggest indication of this of course. But also:
- Reading books (not notes) in split screen is a pain. We get an open book that doesn't take advantage of the horizontal space and we are left with super tiny text.
- When both players are handling inventory at the same time and one decides to apply a Filter or Sort, something happens that affects whatever the other player is doing at the same time (i.e. They were trying to select an armor and suddenly the pop-up window closes)
- There's not a proper way to handle cut scenes. They seem to be handled completely separately for each player, and me and my partner have missed parts of them because they initially only show in one player's side of the screen.

Anyway, going back to the dynamic split-screen... For me that's the biggest problem! Especially in combat!!
I must say that I don't really like the decision of allowing players to do things simultaneously. I think it goes against the idea of TURN-BASED combat.

I hope that this design choice isn't the reason why we are getting the forced split-screen. Because if it is, I think it was the wrong call.
It's a step away from turn-based combat, and people who fell in love with turn-based games (especially the D:OS series) are the ones getting hit the hardest.

I remain hopeful that all of this will be addressed eventually, but Larian not saying anything about this makes me worry a bit.
My partner and I had been waiting for this game for years, expecting at least the same level of co=op experience as in D:OS, but so far this experience has been worse.

I joined this forum just to chip in on this thread. I also filled out an official request.

I heard ppl say that two people bring able to do things simultaneously is precisely the reason why we have this perma-split screen situation. Personally I couldn't care less about simultaneous actions. Give us the big screen couch co-op experience!

Agreed! If that truly is the reason we are stuck with this awful permanent split screen, then Larian screwed up big time. Just go back to how it was done in Divinity.

No one was asking to be able to fight simultaneously with their partner. Turn order based on Initiative and turn based mean exactly that. You go when it's your turn. Not when it's your party's turn.

Another day, another bump from me. I'm going to try out the controller disconnect method.

Larian, if you're out there, please help us. It's unfortunate that couch co-op, something I think as a studio you have mastered, is the worst way to experience this game.
Save us Lari-Kenobi, you're our only hope.

Agreed! My wife gets lost pretty easy, and the graphics really take a hit just like VR does by having to draw the scene twice for each player. I wouldn't be super annoyed by everyone having to stick together.

I don't know about you but the way I see it, the reason why there is no merged screen in combat is because you can choose what party member goes first if their turns are one after another.
It only gets worse when all 4 characters are right next after another. Explain how would you solve that problem in merged screen with two controllers basically playing at the same time.

It was easy in Divinity, you wait your turn, when it comes, you control the screen.
That can't be applied to Baldurs Gate 3 unless you are willing to give up on mechanic where your can chose who goes first in chained order. I personally, am not willing to give up on that. It's a great mechanic and often times it created some unexpected advantages that I couldn't have if say, my buffer was 4th and damage dealer is 1st. I could just swap it for buffer to cast buffs on my party, even if it technically goes last... It's wonderful mechanic that Divinity didn't had.

You solve how will that work with two controllers on 1 screen, and then we talk about merging. Come on it's not a rocket science... right...

It's definitely not rocket science. One player can push a button on the controller to yield so that the other player within the chain order can go first with full screen control. The other player can push a button to yield and the full screen control will be back to the other player in the chain order.

Is this a joke? Is the same as if you are playing alone, just change to the character you want to play first.