Larian wanted more explosions and surfaces. After adding them they realized most low CR enemies would just be one-shot by surfaces so they tweaked them to add HP but reduced AC a bit so they are technically the same difficulty but more durable totally ignoring all the spells that work based on total HD. After increasing HP, they realized that enemies takes too much time to kill so they added more chipping power to the player via dipping, light exploding barrels and a few other rule-breaking. After increasing the power of the player and not limiting long rest, they realized bosses were too weak so they buffed them to the point they aren't D&D creatures anymore.
Rince and repeat, it's a vicious circle of power creep that only matter at level 1 to 4 and will get bulldozed once we reach level 5-6. It also makes a lots of higher level class feature totally useless because they already have cheap replacement available at level 1.
This ,+1. I really worry about higher levels based on how i see it going at the lower levels. I have tried using the environment alot to see the difference vs purposely not using it. Most of the time i use it, it doesn't feel satisfying it feels cheesy. I want combat strategy to be all about what my character can do not what the environment can do. Part of the repeatability of bg1/2 was depending on your class and party composition encounters could play very differently. As it is now it the environment is the best way to do something, therefore any future play though would just be repeating the same strategy over and over. I dont think this game will have as high repeatability from a combat point of view.
Originally Posted by KillerRabbit
Originally Posted by azarhal
so they tweaked them to add HP but reduced AC a bit so they are technically the same difficulty but more durable totally ignoring all the spells that work based on total HD
This. This is my #1 complaint and I'm worried that it's going to get lost because it shows up in so many threads. I think everyone who wants to see the HP / AC go back the 5th ed standard should use the feedback button as well as the forum.
Sacred flame, hold person, sleep, fireball -- all nerfed.
Yes! Their are so many "unforeseen" consequences from these changes which i don't know if they are obvious to or just don't care because its "better". The more they change things the less it closely resembles 5e. During early interviews they said something along the lines of "Our game will more closely implement the 5e rule set then any other game" yet that is not the case at all, especially compared to other 5e games.
