Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Am I the only one looking forward to this game?

I do look forward to BG3.

Baldur's Gate is 100% my favourite game of all time. BG1&2 represent a "true" masterpiece in the artistic sense where the confluence of writing and the level of player influence over the story hit a peak that, quite honestly, have NEVER been seen since. And they likely won't be. The only other game to ever match BG was Chrono Trigger - which I think is the best game of all time (even if I *like* BG more - mostly because I love RTwP combat).

I also believe 100% that Larian wants to make the best game they can, I am never going to fault Larian for passion or desire or intent. They love games, they love RPGs. But I honestly have reservations about how much they actually love Baldur's Gate, given the repeated bashing of it by Imbert and others which has created a negative atmosphere amongst the easy persuaded fan base.

I think that the hints of the Three pulling the strings is an interesting narrative choice, and the subtle hints that perhaps the mind flayers aren't actually the villains is also neat.

But why is this a Baldur's Gate game? I would be sincerely surprised if the links were more than just easter eggs and setting throwbacks.

None of the graphic style remains, none of the characters remain, none of the combat or innovative D&D adaptations remain. It could be called anything other than Baldur's Gate and still be an impressive new entry for D&D fans.

Imagine if DOOM Eternal were a tactical shooter like Rainbow Six and it's only link was the past existence of the Icon of Sin and demons from Hell, and Doom Guy easter eggs. Would you still call it DOOM?

I do not like Larian games. I find their writing and their goofiness to be off putting and insipid. I find their combat design to be exceptionally basic and gimmicky. Without flinching from the fact, when I first heard that Larian got the BG license, my heart dropped.

But BG is something I love, so I am willing to sit through all of the hatred from Larian fans who think I am just a troll because I am disappointed. I will buy the game because I am a collector, and because I cannot fully judge the game until I play it.

But I have been gaming for 3 decades. I've seen everything that has come out and I have followed every thread of the evolution of the gaming industry. I have absolutely no faith that what we saw in the gameplay reveal will substantially change. I have absolutely no faith that Larian is capable of making anything but re-iterations of what they've already done. They are taking zero risk by editing the DOS2 engine. No matter how you slice it, BG3 is just a heavily modified DOS2.

Swen himself said in an interview in Malaysia that he thinks BG has wider reach than Divinity, and so this is an opportunity to show more people what Divinity games are like, and to sell more Divinity games. Although, much of what he said during the AMA gave me more respect for him. Part of me thinks that Wizards is pulling more strings than the marketing is letting on.

I have zero faith or expectation that BG3 will be anything more than Divinity: Forgotten Realms. Which would be amazing and great if they didn't openly admit to gutting the soul of Baldur's Gate to do exactly that.

It's heartbreaking.

Imagine if DOOM Eternal were a tactical shooter like Rainbow Six and it's only link was the past existence of the Icon of Sin and demons from Hell, and Doom Guy easter eggs. Would you still call it DOOM?

what does that even mean "teach you how D&D is meant to be played"? As if I need to be taught? Baldur's Gate is a computer RPG based on D&D. It was never meant or designed to be an accurate translation of PnP rules.

Even Larian is making exceptional changes to D&D to make it work as a video game. Which is the same reason Bioware went with RTwP, to harness the video game part of the product.

Wizards is making a HUGE error in trying to push BG3 as an entry to PnP D&D.

Of course BG3 will be a success, though. It already bought its success through marketing.

The game mechanics will gonna be D&D 5e; with changes(always to worse), so the game will not gonna be like divinity.

what does that even mean "teach you how D&D is meant to be played"? As if I need to be taught? Baldur's Gate is a computer RPG based on D&D. It was never meant or designed to be an accurate translation of PnP rules.

Even Larian is making exceptional changes to D&D to make it work as a video game. Which is the same reason Bioware went with RTwP, to harness the video game part of the product. (...)

Think of it as a lecture. Everyone loves one, don't they? For decades fans of the original games have had their heads stuck in the sand thinking their favorite games were some sort of gospel for the video game industry. Well, BG3 is being made just to prove people like you wrong. In fact, BG1 and 2 were terrible games and you'll see why when this game launches.

Do you know that BG is not the unique D&D adaptation? ToEE proved that you can have a faithful adaptation

Excuse me? BG1/2 are a MASTERPIECE not just for BG fans, but regarded by THE ENTIRE GAMING INDUSTRY as the greatest cRPGs ever made.

The very notion that BG fans need a "lecture" about how to play D&D is fucking insulting.

The very notion that you think that BG fans expect a new game to be exactly like a 20 year old game is fucking insulting.

Larian fans, in general, are just fucking insulting.

it most certainly did not. you may really like it, but it is not a "flawless cut diamond".

the writing is crap.
the narrative is stunted.
the characters are memes.
the combat is repetitive and too reliant on cheese mechanics.
the combat is slow and tedious and lacks impressive set battles.
the restrictions to ranged combat are arbitrary and clearly a bandaid to some other design flaw they couldn't overcome.
the itemization of gear and loot is atrocious and meaningless.
the graphics look like they were all wrapped in saran wrap to keep them fresh until opened.

I could go on.

the graphics look like they were all wrapped in saran wrap to keep them fresh until opened.

but my point about it being flawless was the amount of polish and perfection they made to "improve" from DOS1.

yes, TOEE, the lowest selling least memorable D&D cRPG ever made, next to maybe Sword Coast Legends.

a highly polished turd is still a turd, but at least DOS 1 was an artistic turd, where DOS 2 was a corporate marketing turd.

Agreed. At least BG3 will capture the mood of the times - the early 21st century has been a highly polished turd after all.

Could you guys sound any less bitter lol

(...)
Do you know that BG is not the unique D&D adaptation? ToEE proved that you can have a faithful adaptation