Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion [END SPOILS WARNING] Addressing Karlach (PLEASE PUT SPOILERS IN TAGS)

I don't know the exact numbers, I think I read somewhere that BG3 sold 3 million something copies, could be wrong or outdated so whatever, but DE won't boost sales that much for a game that will be years old by the time it's released. Making the game itself may not be that expensive, but VA's, mocap and the worst of all, marketing is very expensive. There is also the whole maintance of the game and studio itself.


Last time they tried that, the whole studio almost bancrupted, I doubt they'll want to risk it again, especially now that they were actually successful and could secure their future.


Then how many copies sold would you expect, mr smart and rational? Half of what was sold around the release? You can't be that delusional, you also forget or don't know how expensive marketing is

I'm straining my damn ears over here


Curious either way, thanks for the clip!

(*squints* Unless there's something coming with the Xbox release but I am NOT banking on that, we been there done that with the PS.)

EDIT2: sure hope no one gets in trouble because of us talking about it though--

Watched the video on youtube as they put up the slightly higher quality there and it really does seem like Sam whispers to Fraze that "that's what's in the game" though, as in the first part he spoke about. The part about Dammon being stuck in oh shit I can only extend your life for a bit.

But that means, the lines about Dammon coming up with a solution in Act 3 were recorded, just didn't make it with the cut. Good thing is, they don't have to re-record them, and if he had that content recorded, so must've Sam for their part as Karlach. Because they seemed responsive/knowing when Frazer talked about that bit of Dammons journey.

Damn it. I really just fucking wand our pretty boy to come up with a solution, with or without the Gondians involved. Like in what world would anyone think that that part should be cut and people would somehow be okay with it?

I mean there's all kinds of reasons why content is cut from the final release. Maybe it wasn't as far along as they would have liked and so didn't release it. Maybe their self-professed "high standard of quality" thought it was too simple and so went with the more emotionally complicated "Avernus or Death route". Maybe they thought the people would like the tragic ending more and were blindsided when everyone hated it so much. Maybe they thought that Dammon just coming in at the end and going "Wait! I figured it out!" would be kinda anticlimactic and so scrapped it. Maybe it's a combination of all of the above (which is my guess).

It's fairly obvious that a path to fix Karlach's engine was at least intended and partially implemented, what with Enriched Infernal Iron (which they still haven't removed despite being completely useless) and the Steel Watchers and the Gondians and Dammon's line about magical coolant and all of the items referencing their cooling powers and etc etc etc. The point is now they know, I mean how could they not, right?

It's not a matter of 'if' there will be a DE. It's the fact that while DE improved DOS 2, it also kind of had to and the end result is still weaker than the rest of the game. A DE on the level of what they did before is likely to smooth out what's already there, not massively change it. Content added in the way of epilogues I could see, content added in the way of Act 2 and 3 living up to the standard Act 1 set, not likely. More banter recorded, main story is probably always going to be a bit of a clusterfuck at the end, etc.

In other words, I think the expectation is for 'good enough' rather than actually 'finishing the game.'

Heh.. What ever it takes to terrify!

When was that stream? Is it something recent?

If that would be the case then we'll have to question Larian's writers competence for real

Of course they know. The possibility to fix her was Im pretty sure in the game or at least almost ready. But then due to combination of various factors like time pressure, bugs, plot holes and I dont know what else it was removed, but only the engine fix itselt. Not all the clues like enriched infernal ore and so on which gives us hints through the whole act3, that at the end we will be able to fix her. I think, if all these items, dialogs, gondians and infernal hearts in steel watchers were not in the game, this whole thread will not exist. Her story will be sad and tragic, but expected and fully ended.

Inb4 they actually forgot to remove them and now it's too late.

But the fact they still remain in game, sort of... gives me a tiny smidge of hope? I don't know, I mean logically, when you remove a whole plot, you also remove parts related to it. There's just no way you loot enriched infernal iron from the steel watchers after that line of Karlach's heart being the prototype and go: 'oh it's just loot!' because this is like literally ignoring the elephant in the room.

I would agree that Dammon just suddenly coming in at the end like WHOOP suddenly the whole tragedy is resolved, all that torment was for nothing actually, would indeed break the emotional flow of her story. I purposefully avoid the word "quest" here, because, what quest? But that's the exact reason it would be anticlimactic if we, as a player, did not fight for it. Absence of agency, just backwards.

Now, if there were supposed to be some tough prerequisites to that happening that didn't make it in the game for some other reason (the mythical cut content or a change in direction or time crunch or whatever else) and they decided rather than make it a sudden and easy solution that you didn't work for they'd rather just cut it along with your ability to, well, work for it... That's an informed decision, I'd say. The result is clearly far from perfect, but. I think we considered multiple times already that the writing could've been undercut by other stuff in development and just did the best they could with what was left.

However, IF that's really what happened (and they weren't, say, recording stuff just in case they decide to go that way and then very much decided otherwise) then that does mean that something can be potentially added back...

The enriched iron and all that is still in the game, so. Yay for tiny smidges of hope.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmTDLWM5ysI

For those of you who missed yesterday's stream, it's up on YT. Also as multiple people have stated, Sam definitely said something akin to "that's kinda what's in the game" as referencing Frazer's comment on how Dammon could only extend her survival, not cure her. Until...AAAAAAAAND CUT great job everybody!

Of course due to all these clues a do really hope we will get our beloved engine fix in the future. Fingers crossed

Larian rt:d some dope emotionally painful fanart of Karlach holding Clive and later hugging him whilst rolled up in a fetal position on her bedroll. Their quote was: Oh this is both adorable and a little heartbreaking.

Within seconds, fandom went: WHATS HEARTBREAKING IS THAT WE CAN'T FIX HER, YOU LOT in like, 30 something comments. The one and only type of comment. Well that and Xbox players wanting some news abt release.

Goddammit I was warned but the heartbreaking part still hurt

The comments are pretty unified though, I must say. It's nice to see >:)

Can we get a time stamp of when that moment is?

Any interesting time stamps? Especially for the Dammon part because from what you posted it seemed pretty obvious that they recorded engine being fixed

Oh shite sorry, on that youtube link that'd be around 01:00:00 stamp!!

I'll type it down for those of you who can't see the vid or can't hear it, this is a bit further down like 2 mins down the line cause at first they talk about pronounciation of demono-ragnax metal alloy
QUESTION ASKED WAS: What was your favorite thing about playing Dammon and Karlach and how do you feeling about the situation that Dammon couldn't fix Karlach's engine.

Frazer:...so I think that for me was just that lovely moment of like...and *excited* then when he's done it, when he's figured it out *finger snap*, cause I didn't know until the next session that he was able to do it cause it was all like-
Sam: Mmm
Frazer: -I can't do it I'm really sorry it would only save you for a bit, it would only extend your life-
Sam: *mumbling quietly* Mmmmm I mean that's kind of what's in the game
Frazer: *places hand on mouth in shock*
Sam: *laughs*
Frazer: We've spoilt it for a lot of people now probably
Sam: That's alright- They asked the question
Frazer: SORRY CHAT, YOU DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THAT DID YOU
Jack: No
Sam/Fraze in unison: Good
Sam: You didn't hear it chat
Frazer: *stressed hand on chest*
Sam: I mean, to be fair, YOU ALL LIKE TALKING ABOUT THIS SO IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT
Frazer: Well what was < your favorite moment between Karlach and Dammon >
Sam: Well I feel like I can't really comment about it because we're talking endings and it's not fair on peopl- XBOX PEOPLE??? I know them's fighting
Frazer: I'm an XBOX people
Sam: There you go, he doesn't know we can't tell him. Um, I think, I mean I've come to it like Karlach's a viking, she wants to go down fighting
Frazer: Yeah
Sam: I don't think she's put too much hope in it, it would be a nice bonus but I think she accepts
Frazer: Why is she so selfless?
Sam: I think she's turning a new leaf, cause people are like oh she's really nice she's really nice, and I'm like she wasn't. She wasn't before. If you meet her friend in Baldur's Gate she says "you know if you're still in the Intimidation Game" come by my shop where we sell weapons so, we know how Karlach was before and how she wasn't the nicest person which is how she ends up being a bodyguard to who she ends up.

Unless my english got extremely bad, this the confirmation that the engine was supposed to be fixable. That is if the VA was honest, but I can't think of a reason why he'd lie

As much confirmation as we can get with the datamine and now this. Plus, he voices plenty of NPCs besides Dammon in the game and is a voice director, he did oop himself this time but this is a definite confirmation that it was supposed to be a third part of the heart fix quest with Dammon.