Area-effect damage isn't a thing that can effect any of the world at all when I hit escape?
Of course not ... since escape dont pause your game at all, and everything is running there just as if you didnt hit it at all ... it logicaly dont have any effect, that including it do not stop Area-effect damage ...
What puzzles me is question why would anyone mess with their settings (since that is the only reason to even hit escape right now) while his party stands in fire ...
I mean, it my seem like good fabricated situation ... but how often does this happen?
Also, i know its not my business, so this is purely rethorial question, but what exactly do you do that you need to leave computed "right now and imediatly" and dont have litteraly two seconds to click next to that fire (wich btw takes as much time as hiting that escape), so your characters dont die while you are away? O_o
Also ... if your apsence is so critical, do you really feel that is good time to play a game?
And finaly ... note that if you start turn-based mode your characters stop getting Area-effect damage, since time is stopped in that moment, until you start moving or doing something.
> In my opinion ... solved.
Party NPCs aren't doing their own thing, that can get them killed or trigger combat early?
You mean patrols?
Sure ... they do keep their routine and if you indeed just went off your coputer somewhere where they can spot you ... you can engage combat.
When combat is engaged, initiative is rolled ... nothing you can do with that ... and every enemy who had more initiative than you, will attack you ... again, nothing you can do with that, no matter if you are present or not.
I believe the only encounter where you can get your party MEMBER killed before your turn starts (and game practicaly pause itself until you decide to end that turn) is Githyanki patrol.
But as abowe, there is nothing your presence can do with that ... also they dont have patrol, you need to engage them manualy.
Honestly the only patrol i can think off is inside the Crypt ... maybe that guarding goblin if you decide to sneak around instead of confront guards by the gate ... phase spiders ... Hook Horrors ... and Minotaurs. But that would be all, as far as i know (maybe i forgot some tho).
Unless you start turn-based mode, before you leave, same reasons as abowe.
> In my opinion ... solved.
You're saying that the *entire* game world is *fully* paused, when it's my turn, when dialogue or cutscenes are happening, or any time that I press escape?
Turns > yes, in single player ... even more than just that, i claim that *entire* game world is *fully* paused whole time of its existence ... except surrounding your curently controlled characters ... everyone else, every encounter, every interaction, every object, every conversation, everything ... is just standing there waiting for you to come and enjoy it, and unless you do, it simply stands there and wait.
Escape > no and never said that.
Dialogue & Cutscenes > certainly not ... there was countless paiges of feedback written about how frustrating it is, when conversation starts while your character is standing in AoE Damage (especialy easy with Astarion, that is damaged even by standing in water) ... but that is something, that was kinda solved by the fact that uncontrolled followers actively try to avoid dangerous surfaces.
It still can backfire tho, since all you need for disaster is Gale that have some DoT active on him (like Burning for example) ... that kills him ... not that you cant do anything by that while being in conversation (unless its one of conversations where you can switch to any other companion you have and heal him ofc.) but he also starts spreading his Necrotic damage aoe once he dies. -_-
But if you ask me ... your companion didnt die bcs you cannot pause your game while you conversating ... he dies bcs you decide to conversate instead of helping him (even tho its fast stuff ... 3 death rolls take 18seconds if im not mistaken).
//Edit:
To be honest, most of this "pro-pause" topics seems to me like people demand something they are simply used to have.
They often dont even realize what for they want it, and if there isnt different way to get the same result ... they are used to *THIS* therefore that is what they demand. And i can respect that, i feel the same in many situations ...
But question here is: Is that really necesary?