Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General 2 year EA ANNIVERSARY event? (OCTOBER 6)

Well this sucks.

I understand they don't like to emphasize 2 years EA, but it's here, we can see it.

Meh.

Just because our date hasn't shown up doesn't mean we can't get the party started. Pop the champagne!

Here's to two more!

Weird analogy, but I appreciate the sentiment. Let’s get hammered! Two more for me too, barkeep!

One warm milk in a cup shaped like a skull bartender!

And make that cup dirty!

Congratulations to anyone who predicted Larian wouldn’t do or say anything for EA’s 2nd anniversary.

Am I the only one who finds this worrisome? If they had any good news, they would have shared it, right? Even just “we’re on track to meet our goals” would have been something.

What? Why? O_o
I like my milk clean, thank you. :-/

Probably ...
It quite soon to search for hints that something went wrong ... give it at least weak or two ... if Larian will share some artwork today, their message is quite clear ... they either indeed didnt want to draw atention to this anniversary, or it was not significant enough for them to mention.

Or as likely or not, they simply don't want to communicate (which has been shown to be highly likely by the silence/non-interaction we've had for most of the two years).

I'm not worried. Larian's been on their own timetable from Day 1. They give us patches when they are ready and don't cater to anyone or anything. People have screamed out here in the forums for more news and content and such and they don't ever address it. It's just holding true to form.

And, ya know... In some ways I respect them more for that. In some ways.

Hey all, first of all, thank you for staying with us on this adventure for these 2 years and for all the feedback you have shared with us so far.

And also, not to worry! The team continues to work very hard on Baldur's Gate 3 as we head on to 2023, I can't wait to share more with you all!

Not to be rude, but yeah, we're waiting for that part (communications).

The bartender moves to turn off the light...a lone figure sits at the counter, staring mournfully into their glass...it seems their date really wasn't going to show *cue slow fade out*

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

Think Cyberpunk. People were impatient. The devs released too soon. Things fell apart.

Sometimes even communicating too quickly can create untold issues.

Let's say they promised to have the next PFH on October 18th. But then, as the day approached, they discovered a major issue. Suddenly, they've got to tell everyone there's no patch coming for a bit. But then, suddenly, they find and resolve the issue. Now they can keep with the 18th for their PFH. Now another communication says it's back on. Confusion ensues.

Or let's say they are planning on the next patch being Day/Night cycle. Oh! Huge patch for many. They get closer to PFH they've announced and all at once there's an issue with Day/Night. Crap! The highlight of the patch just died. People are really looking forward to something big, and it just died. Now what?

I've come to accept the silence. They are waiting to reveal what they've been working on so it's both a surprise AND if they can't do something they want to do they don't get people's hopes up and then smash them. What if they are really trying to make Day/Night work on their engine but no matter what it's just not working?... Yet they're still trying... Maybe.

If nothing else, silence builds anticipation, so they're smart to not say too much. It keeps people guessing which keeps forums talking and alive. I mean, after 2 years, we're still here talking. Aren't we?

There is some really important midstep missing ...

People were impatient > people started canceling preorders > shareholders (investors?) were affraid of their money > they forced devs to release no matter the state > things fell appart.

Im sorry for offtopic, but i personaly know people who were working on Cyberpunk ...
And it pains me dearly to see how many (and how often) people blame devs for something they cannot really affect. :-/

//Edit:
Back on the topic tho (a little) look what Facebook showed me today as 2y memory.
My very first character!

I literally wasn't expected a patch or surprise drop, but some kind of video like they did during DOS2 development on October 6th would have been appropriate.

That's my point exactly. I want BG3 to be great. So I'm starting to emphasize the importance of patience. Let's not become like the Cyberpunk fans who basically destroyed their own experience by getting impatient. I'd rather have Larian take their time and not give us constant updates and feedback than to start harassing them to finish too soon and make promises they can't keep. We're still getting patches every few months. They seem to be holding steady. Let's not ruin that.

But that said... Yeah. Something would have been nice. Even a soundtrack release would have been fun, of a teaser image of something from a later act. But whatever.

We don't want impatience or a patch right now, just some info.

For example, ahem, can we haz Hexblade plox? :3

Well. GM4him. What I'm about to write is critique towards Larian and not you but you did brush on some points that I will use in mentioned critique. So, Salo, Nicou, the rest of the community team and Larian Studios overall, this is for you.

It's true what GM4Him said about patience. It's a virtue. One that too few of us humans hold in high regard and those few that do, have limited supply of. Silence do indeed build anticipation but after a while it also leads to disinterest.
I do understand that you want to keep things under wrap until it's ready for a reveal but there are a few things to say about communication besides that.

Take this very thread for instance. It was first created august 7th. Two months ago. Two...months. During these two months you, the community management team, has read and watched several people's hopes and expectations fold out for a reveal or event etc on Oct 6th. Considering that scouring the forums is part of your job description, there's no way that your whole team can have missed this thread during the 60(!) days it has existed. And, regarding it's topic, and in the spirit of what GM4Him wrote, there are several scenarios that could have happened. In none of them can this be considered sufficient communication.


Scenario 1:

You (Larian Studios) did plan for an event or reveal this week but something messed it up so you didn't want to go through with it. Sufficient communication here would have been something like :
Sorry everyone. We did infact plan for a little celebration to commemorate the fact that you have stuck with us and this development for so long but sadly, when reviewing it we felt it didn't held up to the quality you, our consumers, are used to so we have to postpone and/or incorporate it for the next big reveal, of which date still has to be announced.

Scenario 2:
You (Larian Studios) had no such thing planned at all. Sufficient communication here would have been something like...let us know way sooner than one day afterwards? You guys had 60 days! A single phrase(ok, two phrases) like "We see that some of you have expectations for a celebratory event on Oct 6th but sadly we'll have to inform you that no such event is scheduled. Stay tuned for the next big reveal though!" given to us a couple of weeks ago and the matter had been settled. Sure, some people might have been disappointed by reading that but those same people are just as disappointed now.
You give me the impression that you are so worried to lose out even a single costumer with some information you give out that you prefer upsetting even more with not giving any information at all.

Scenario 3:

You (Larian Studios) just didn't know if or how you would do an event this week and couldn't decide on the matter until beginning of this week when it was way too late to start on something. And if this was the case; if such a simple decision take that long, your company works so inefficient that I will have to join the mob that wonder if you'll ever get the game done. Sufficient communication here would have been something like, no communication at all.

It might seem...petty...of me to pick on this and I can agree that the communication suggested in scenario 1 and 2 don't differ that much from what we got. With one big difference. Direct integration with the community and reaction to what we costumers talk about. Stop treating your costumers like lab rats that you can just observe when you feel like it and occasionally feed some new untested substance to see how we'll react. We are humans. We have feelings. And we are the ones that decide the future of your company.

Edit: Not saying that rats don't have feelings btw and in no way do I support animal testing, it was just used as an analogy.

Edit 2: Yes GM4Him. We're still talking. But how many of us are left doing it and about what...

Well, you're not wrong as well. The risk of long EA is people losing interest. I, personally, hardly ever play BG3 anymore because I am tired of the same convos and content. So I will say, I have lost a tremendous amount of interest. I no longer even care that much about what they do and don't implement in terms of what I have suggested and want.

So...