So I fought the Tax Collector again. I knew about her tricks but went in role-playing the party without metagaming any preparations. She won the initiative and one-shot the entire party because everyone had quite a bit of gold. So I had no choice but to reload, metagame, and dump all gold before fighting her. And then it was an effortless snooze-fest of a fight. From an impossible extreme to a boring easy fight. It wasn't fun the first time around, and it wasn't fun the second time around. What's the point of such combat design?
I believe this game and this kind of games should be played the other way around:
always role-play a role-play game first!
You did the opposite way: you had already known all the bells and whistles and even tricks when trying to role-play. Hence the puzzling: why me a player had to die when trying to role-play!
I learned her tricks while I was "role-playing" my Gnome Durge. What truly matters is the first time. The fun. The thrill. My first fight with this tax collector was fun as I was slowly uncovering her unique capabilities. But the thrill was not as great as the "battle" over drinking nearby: when I won several approvals plus inspirations while drinking a big bad boss into death, how great the thrill was!!! I did not lose a single check. And that was my first time ever there. However, that kind of thrill can never come back, no matter how many times I reload or replay pretending knowing nothing.
Grym is the same but his "puzzle" is even more obvious. Abuse the gamey targeting AI and bludgeon him to death. It doesn't really matter if the party is level 4, level 8 or level 15. Once an easy puzzle is cracked, it's not a fight anymore. Beating it feels more like cheating than the characters being particularly skilled at anything. How's that supposed to feel rewarding in an RPG if character development and character skill doesn't matter?
By making what I considered a biggest mistake that might lead to my Gnome Durge's fighting Grym alone, I accidentally discovered the by far easiest no-risk way to destroy Grym. The frustration-turned thrill was unforgettable as well.
Again, what really matters is the first time. When I came back with a different character and repeat the same strategy (trick), there can only be a little bit of fun - that thrill is long gone.
The game punishes the player for role-playing the encounters. Combat design that forces the player to metagame in an RPG should be a huge red flag. That is, using knowledge the player has but the characters shouldn't have.
No, not really.
If you role-play a role-play game first, you will feel rewarded for uncovering an easy way to defeat a supposedly powerful boss.
On the other hand, if you just pretend to role-play BG3 as if it were your first time, obviously, there cannot be any thrill left to you for discovering what you actually have already known.
Basically, there is no real way to cheat oneself for fun, for thrill.
I have so far spent 600+ hours on BG3 almost exclusively playing on Tactician. I have not died once yet. I even rescued all 15 prisoners in 1 go during my first time stumbling into Iron Throne while chasing the master of a monster - even with the harassment from a naughty devil, no one was left behind. The fun. The thrill. The level of satisfaction. All is unforgettable. However, I personally believe,
the thrill can only be had during the first playthrough - and - before you have learned all the spoilers. The thrill cannot be faked.
