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Hi guys,

Who knows, maybe such a thread could lead to something... What questions / feedback / suggestions would you ask/talk about with the devs ?

Here are a few of mine :

- At the moment we can eat food during combats. Sometimes it's better than healing potions and it's now free (no actions/bonus actions) for mushrooms.
Some players find it a bit immersion breaking and it devalue the usefullness of healing potions/spells.
Can you explain us why you choose to go this way with food ?

- Everyone agree that the verticality in the game is incredible. Having bonuses through highround is great because we have to play with verticality.
On the other hand, it looks like being higher than the ennemy is very powerfull especially because it gives an advantages to your allies and a disadvantage to your ennemies.
Advantages and disadvantages are the most powerfull bonuses you can have in D&D and giving them easily through highground devalue many spells (i.e faery fire), abilities (i.e reckless attack) and actions (i.e hide).
Lots of us suggested an increased range for ranged weapons + maybe a +2 to attack rolls or +2 to AC if you're higher.
Did you try to give other bonuses to players during your playtests and what were your conclusions ?

- At the moment jump is mixed with disengage.
According to some players, this leads to another very easy advantage for melee characters (backstab).
This allow us to easily increase our %to hit at the single cost of a bonus action without triggering any AoO. We're all jumping at each turns with our melee character, that's a basic of combats.
Some players suggested to dismiss jump and disengage and to make jump a part of the movement instead of a bonus action.
What are your feelings about it and why did you decide to mix jump with disengage ?

- About the chain mechanic. It looks like a fact that this system increase the number of click we have to do if we compare it to other systems. We also have many missclick and "missdrag" for a benefit that is not really clear both in SP and in MP, and both on console or on PC.
Can you explain us why this system is the best according to you and could you consider something else ?

- More actions exists in D&D. Some of them could really increase our possibilities in combats while increasing the tactical value of the game and synergies between companions. I'm thinking about : ready action, shove to prone, dodge action, help as described in the PHB.
Do you plan to add more of those "common" actions ?


Feel free to add yours but try to stay constructive.

This thread is made with the hope someone at Larian would agree to talk a bit with us.

Last edited by Maximuuus; 07/03/21 08:01 AM.

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sure

Do Gith make love on dragons?

Does a druid feel more romantic with animals or humans?

Since this game is rated Mature will there be a feature to smoke a pipe?

Since this is d&d Larian and not 5e will we get to make pizza?

BTW Max, any questions related to the chain mechanic is pointless. I read a post a little bit ago that this game wasn't advertised as a RTS and will be sticking to the chain system.

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Can't see the point with RTS (Wasteland, xcom, pathfinder in turn base, temple of elemental evil, those games aren't RTS the old IE games aren't really RTS too).

Anyway asking why they like it or find it better is just a way of discussing the games mechanics. Agree or not is something else.

But it looks you're not very interrested to discuss about the mechanics and trying to understand their goals smile

Personnaly.I think such Q/A could :
- close a few topics
- help us to give a better feedback
- create a link between the players and the devs.
- why not help devs to think about things they didn't consider

Last edited by Maximuuus; 07/03/21 09:56 AM.

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This looks like good old fashioned journalism.

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I think this is a neat idea for a thread. It's a refreshing change from the usual types of thread being started. I must say, I have zero hope that this will elicit the slightest response from Larian. But that's good in a way : I could only be positively surprised if I turn out to be wrong. At any rate, I like the idea, so ... I'm game.


- What is your philosophy for EA communication ?

Since the EA was open, you have only communicated through your Community Updates, with the occasional Panel From Hell. A number of players have found the content of these communications to carefully avoid the most contentious issues discussed in the community. You must have noticed these topics and it cannot be an accident that you didn't address them. So you must have come to the conclusion that it is preferable to avoid these topics altogether. One would naively assume that more communication is good : it could allow some frequent requests to be dropped and make the feedback reading process easier, for instance. So what is your rationale for avoiding revealing your plans and state of mind on these issues ? In your opinion, what could be the gains and losses, the benefits and risks, if you were to let people know what your vision and thoughts are ?


- How has work been going and what is your timeline for full release ?

In addition to the usual problems of working under the covid19 pandemic, you have now seen the game be played "for real", by players. This generated a lot of feedback, and perhaps brought significant changes to your roadmap. Are things going better than expected ? Or did you find more problems and areas for work than you anticipated ? Before EA, you said you would spend at least one year in EA. Some players have encouraged you to take the time that you need to finish the game properly, taking two years if need be. On the other hand, Swen mentioned in the Panel From Hell 2 that the game "has to ship" at some point. Do you have a hard time limit that you don't want to exceed ?


- How informative are player data at the moment ? How much are you learning from it ? What was that thing about Bless ?

In an interview for Wireframe, you explained that you could see players not using a buffing spell like Bless very much. And that this seemingly supported the view that players want fireworks and damage. What did you mean by that exactly ? Some players feared you were not drawing correct conclusions from the wealth of data you are presently collecting. And that the data collected now would be of lesser value than the data you will be collecting in 3 or 6 months, where you might have a lower volume of EA players.

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Will you please respond to the issues raised in the megathreads: party size, height advantage / disadvantage, movement mechanics and resting mechanics.




Solasta has indicated that it will allow players to select which house rules players want to use. Do you plan to follow suit?

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I would love to know if they plan on leaving it so you can change your prepared spells at any time (it could be a holdover from DOS), or if they plan on fixing that so it’s like D&D. It’s a bit hard to evaluate party balance during EA unless we know either way.

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Originally Posted by LukasPrism
I would love to know if they plan on leaving it so you can change your prepared spells at any time (it could be a holdover from DOS), or if they plan on fixing that so it’s like D&D. It’s a bit hard to evaluate party balance during EA unless we know either way.

I found (probably linked somewhere on this forum) an old interview/stream/... in which they said something like we would only be able to prepare spells and level up at camp.
I think it was in the first interviews about the game. I hope they didn't change their mind.


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Originally Posted by Maximuuus
Originally Posted by LukasPrism
I would love to know if they plan on leaving it so you can change your prepared spells at any time (it could be a holdover from DOS), or if they plan on fixing that so it’s like D&D. It’s a bit hard to evaluate party balance during EA unless we know either way.

I found (probably linked somewhere on this forum) an old interview/stream/... in which they said something like we would only be able to prepare spells and level up at camp.
I think it was in the first interviews about the game. I hope they didn't change their mind.

Any time you are not in combat, you are out of danger, and you can go to camp/have a long rest. So any time you are not actually in combat, you can prepare spells ( and level up I guess ) by going to camp. The 5e rules themselves have no consequences for going to camp except time spent doing so ( This is just one of the inane rules that DnD has always had, and somehow never replaced with something superior ).

So, going to camp just to change spells in the BG3 videogame would be time consuming, boring and pointless, and would attract a lot of criticism. As BG3 has no concept of time, due to the co-op design ( player timelines are not synchronised ) it really makes perfect sense to allow spell preparation/level up when outside combat.

The only reason you might restrict spell preparation/level up to the long rest in BG3 is if you artificially create a hazard as a consequence of resting. In early versions of DnD ( and BG1/2 ) this was by a RNG against "wandering monster" tables. You could do that, but I don't know how popular that would be either.

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Originally Posted by etonbears
Originally Posted by Maximuuus
Originally Posted by LukasPrism
I would love to know if they plan on leaving it so you can change your prepared spells at any time (it could be a holdover from DOS), or if they plan on fixing that so it’s like D&D. It’s a bit hard to evaluate party balance during EA unless we know either way.

I found (probably linked somewhere on this forum) an old interview/stream/... in which they said something like we would only be able to prepare spells and level up at camp.
I think it was in the first interviews about the game. I hope they didn't change their mind.

Any time you are not in combat, you are out of danger, and you can go to camp/have a long rest. So any time you are not actually in combat, you can prepare spells ( and level up I guess ) by going to camp. The 5e rules themselves have no consequences for going to camp except time spent doing so ( This is just one of the inane rules that DnD has always had, and somehow never replaced with something superior ).

So, going to camp just to change spells in the BG3 videogame would be time consuming, boring and pointless, and would attract a lot of criticism. As BG3 has no concept of time, due to the co-op design ( player timelines are not synchronised ) it really makes perfect sense to allow spell preparation/level up when outside combat.

The only reason you might restrict spell preparation/level up to the long rest in BG3 is if you artificially create a hazard as a consequence of resting. In early versions of DnD ( and BG1/2 ) this was by a RNG against "wandering monster" tables. You could do that, but I don't know how popular that would be either.

So once again, the big problem here is the ‘camp anytime’ mechanic. In D&D you have to think carefully about your spell choice, you may eschew utility spells like Knock in favour of some combat spells, but get three levels into a dungeon and majorly regret it. In BG3 you just change your spells while standing in front of the door. Basically having your entire spellbook available 24/7 is quite a change, and makes wizards insanely versatile considering the only cap on their number of spells is how many there are in the game.

Last edited by LukasPrism; 08/03/21 03:56 AM.
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My question:

Why did you abandon your fanbase and stop communication?
Even electronic arts has more communication to their fans and THAT says something.

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Very good questions with good reasoning and a polite tone. I hope Larian will start to communicate more.

I'd like to know about the resting system.

You have chosen to not put any kind of risk factor or resource tax on the resting system. Have you considered the implications to class balance when spellcasters who operate on a "per day" basis can rest at will and peak in every encounter?

A big part of excitement in D&D adventuring is camping in dangerous and exotic locations. Some players find the current resting system unimmersive, when you can instantly access the safety of your camp from remote and dangerous, even impossible locations. Short rests don't serve a purpose if you can always opt for a long rest instead. Is the current resting system still a work in progress and can we expect it to change to become more D&D -like, as in the original BG games and more recently Pathfinder?

Last edited by 1varangian; 08/03/21 04:15 PM.
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Originally Posted by 1varangian
Very good questions with good reasoning and a polite tone. I hope Larian will start to communicate more.

I'd like to know about the resting system.

You have chosen to not put any kind of risk factor or resource tax on the resting system. Have you considered the implications to class balance when spellcasters who operate on a "per day" basis can rest at will and peak in every encounter?

A big part of excitement in D&D adventuring is camping in dangerous and exotic locations. Some players find the current resting system unimmersive, when you can instantly access the safety of your camp from remote and dangerous, even impossible locations. Short rests don't serve a purpose if you can always opt for a long rest instead. Is the current resting system still a work in progress and can we expect it to change to become more D&D -like, as in the original BG games and more recently Pathfinder?

Agreed, although I think short rests are still useful as they are a bit less disruptive than the teleport to camp. I did find it disheartening how Swen was spamming short rest in his druid demo though, it’s as convenient as drinking a potion. In D&D you still need to rest for an hour, so you can easily be interrupted… you’re not going to do it in a dangerous area while you’re sneaking etc.

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Originally Posted by LukasPrism
Originally Posted by 1varangian
Very good questions with good reasoning and a polite tone. I hope Larian will start to communicate more.

I'd like to know about the resting system.

You have chosen to not put any kind of risk factor or resource tax on the resting system. Have you considered the implications to class balance when spellcasters who operate on a "per day" basis can rest at will and peak in every encounter?

A big part of excitement in D&D adventuring is camping in dangerous and exotic locations. Some players find the current resting system unimmersive, when you can instantly access the safety of your camp from remote and dangerous, even impossible locations. Short rests don't serve a purpose if you can always opt for a long rest instead. Is the current resting system still a work in progress and can we expect it to change to become more D&D -like, as in the original BG games and more recently Pathfinder?

Agreed, although I think short rests are still useful as they are a bit less disruptive than the teleport to camp. I did find it disheartening how Swen was spamming short rest in his druid demo though, it’s as convenient as drinking a potion. In D&D you still need to rest for an hour, so you can easily be interrupted… you’re not going to do it in a dangerous area while you’re sneaking etc.

Correct me if I am wrong, as I only skimmed the 5e rules, but it is my understanding that the only consequence of long resting in current 5e DnD is time ( once every 24 hours ). As neither time pressure nor any need to eat exist in the game, the "rest anywhere" mechanic is actully in accordance with 5e.

It may not be what you consider the spirit of 5e, but it does seem to accurately reflect the rules.

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Originally Posted by etonbears
Originally Posted by LukasPrism
Originally Posted by 1varangian
Very good questions with good reasoning and a polite tone. I hope Larian will start to communicate more.

I'd like to know about the resting system.

You have chosen to not put any kind of risk factor or resource tax on the resting system. Have you considered the implications to class balance when spellcasters who operate on a "per day" basis can rest at will and peak in every encounter?

A big part of excitement in D&D adventuring is camping in dangerous and exotic locations. Some players find the current resting system unimmersive, when you can instantly access the safety of your camp from remote and dangerous, even impossible locations. Short rests don't serve a purpose if you can always opt for a long rest instead. Is the current resting system still a work in progress and can we expect it to change to become more D&D -like, as in the original BG games and more recently Pathfinder?

Agreed, although I think short rests are still useful as they are a bit less disruptive than the teleport to camp. I did find it disheartening how Swen was spamming short rest in his druid demo though, it’s as convenient as drinking a potion. In D&D you still need to rest for an hour, so you can easily be interrupted… you’re not going to do it in a dangerous area while you’re sneaking etc.

Correct me if I am wrong, as I only skimmed the 5e rules, but it is my understanding that the only consequence of long resting in current 5e DnD is time ( once every 24 hours ). As neither time pressure nor any need to eat exist in the game, the "rest anywhere" mechanic is actully in accordance with 5e.

It may not be what you consider the spirit of 5e, but it does seem to accurately reflect the rules.
Time pressure, need to eat, etc. exist to the extent that the DM and other players in your particular game acknowledge them. The rules don't strictly dictate what needs to happen because they don't need to; people fill this in on their own based on what makes sense to them.

I've only played in a few games where anyone cared about food - those were usually survival-focused, where resources were scarce. I have only rarely had a game where time pressure didn't exist in some form, and they were usually not very good as a result. I've never had a game where the players could go without sleep for days on end without consequences nor a game where you could get a full night's sleep, wake up and have a 30-second battle, and then go right back to sleep for another eight hours. It seems unreasonable to try to do these things because it is totally inconsistent with how things exist in the real world; there is no verisimilitude. Why would we accept something in this game that seems so ridiculous?

The target we should be aiming for isn't necessarily "a strict, literal interpretation of D&D 5e rules," it should be "this is a good game with engaging challenges and a world/characters/story that draw you in." That might be a result of using 5e rules - it might not (though I personally think that starting with a strong effort at strict interpretation would be a good strategy).

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Exactly. I’ve played a lot of tabletop D&D, and no sane DM is going to let you take even a short rest when there’s a bunch of enemies literally 50’ away. I mean, they might let you try, but you’ll be interrupted within minutes. Common sense needs to be applied.

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I would like to hear them explain their reasons for controls and UI as they are. What value does the hotbar design add over traditional (BG1&2, NWN2, PoE1&2, Solasta) ROG design. What do they gain through single character control+chaining system, over traditional multi-character select.

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Are you gonna expand the modding possibilities, including custom campaigns and audio modding?

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I would ask them what their plans for class progression is.

Ranger especially as they totally re-designed the class and discussing balance involving it is almost impossible without knowing what it gets at higher levels.

But also moon druid, as I suspect they might be holding multi-attack back until level 5 so the druid gets their "second attack" at the same time other melee classes do to avoid the absurdly OP early game moon druid problem.

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I want to know what modding tools are going to be made available. BG3 may turn out to be a great game but with modding tools it could become a classic like NWN. I'm hoping we get the same tools as D:OS2 but with the D&D ruleset. Imagine the adventures and campaigns that could be created.

I'm not too worried about what Larian gets or doesn't get right as long as we have the tools to fix things.

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