Larian Banner: Baldur's Gate Patch 9
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#812150 23/03/22 03:14 PM
Joined: Mar 2022
Deirdre Offline OP
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
Joined: Mar 2022
I really enjoy how dialogs/cutscenes looks like... well, mostly. There is one thing that I dislike: companions in there.
99% of the time they stand like a statue or do some movements like stratching or exercising with a poker-face. They don't even look on my opponent, just stare somewhere with empty eyes! That's doesn't looks good at all

Not the best example, but still
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

And here... shouldn't they be looking... well, different direction? (+hag is clipping through Astarion half of the scene frown )
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

Ouch crazy
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

And it`s even worse in cutscenes, where it may look really horrible.
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

I understand that it is hard/costly to add reaction into every scene, but it looks so immersion breaking! Can they at least look at the camera (where opponent (sometimes dangerous!) is supposed to be) and not stratch their hands showing how bored they are?

P.s. And about companion interactions... where is Shadowheart during our first meeting with Astarion? He is jumping on me with knife and she is what, watch and eat popcorn? I am not saying she must rush to save me (even thought she was talking how grateful she is that I saved her 5 min ago...) but can she react at least somehow?

Last edited by Deirdre; 24/03/22 10:41 PM.
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: Savage North
addict
Offline
addict
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: Savage North
I don't remember how much I have already posted on this topic, and where else this has already been discussed, but I couldn't agree more.

Larian said in interviews that they chose to go full-cinematic for everything, for every single dialogue (however inconsequential it is), in order to bring the party front and centre. Which is kind of funny-and-sad. Because all that these cinematic dialogues and cutscenes are doing is putting the spotlight on how much the game currently fails to place the party at the front and centre.

Here's a quick recap of some of the ways this fail happens.
  • The companions don't stand in appropriate places and don't look at the action or person we're talking to, as pointed in the original post.
  • The companions don't help the Speaker when they are in difficulty. (The wrestling with Astarion was mentioned. I'll add the scenes with the Dying Mind Flayer and with Brother Edowin's tadpole.)
  • The companions are prevented from using their own senses or knowledge during cutscenes. (Think of entering the Sunlit Wetlands. Or recognising Abdirak's religious symbols.)
  • We cannot switch who is Speaker during a cutscene, and let the more appropriate companion attempts Ability Checks.
  • In Multi-Player games, players controlling non-Speaker party members must actively click the Ear icon to see/hear what's happening. And they cannot see what dialogue options the Speaker choose.
  • The writing of some scenes ignores the presence everyone but the Speaker. (I'm thinking of the interactions with Nettie of Priestess Gut. Granted, this would be striking even without the cinematic spotlight.)

Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Italy
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Italy
As a bonus: if you modded the game to include more than 3 companions (and so more than 4 party members), the characters tend to overlap/compenetrate into each other on a regular basis.

I know some may argue that Larian has no obligation to worry about the correct work of a mod )or more specifically here a savefile edit), but for context I'd like to point that they are the ones that since the beginning refused to implement an OFFICIAL option to play with a six-men party and they are the ones that said "It's not the problem if we don't do directly, people will be able to do it with mods". Well, what about putting in place a system that keeps that into account at very least, then?

It's not even the worst issue, since there's a specific point in the story in EA (when you are taking the boat toward the Grymforge, specifically) where the game is hard-coded to kill/remove from the party any character above the default quartet.

Last edited by Tuco; 24/03/22 12:55 AM.

Party control in Baldur's Gate 3 is a complete mess that begs to be addressed. SAY NO TO THE TOILET CHAIN
Joined: Mar 2022
Deirdre Offline OP
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
Joined: Mar 2022
Yes, scene with Brother Edwin's tadpole is also a mess, "thanks" to the companions at the background

Tadpole at hand
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

Crashing tadpole crazy
[Linked Image from cdn.discordapp.com]

Atmosphere? Immersion? No, never heard of such things frown


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5