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Baldur's Gate III gameplay premiere set for February 27

Alexios

Cores, shaders and BIOS oh my!
Rtwp is sweet (but not in any way better than turn based, that's a dumb claim, both can work great), just not as a bastardization of great turn based systems like D&D. Rather have new rtwp geared rulesets like in Aarklash: Legacy but since BGIII obviously has to be D&D, turn based is best for it.

It also makes it actually workable for full party online campaign play, ie, the way it's meant to be played (and btw it's like the dialogue systems evolved in the OS games were basically made as trial runs for BG, awesome).

Now phase based, that's one mechanic I can do without ever seeing in a game again. But I'll deal with it if the game's cool still :d
 
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Waltz8bit

Neo Member
Turn based makes sense when you think about implementing elements from D&D not so much focused on combat such as dash, jump, bonus actions, magic hands, etc. All in all, turn based translates better to the source material which Is the core book of D&D. I think that fidelity to the original system is very high on the list of directives for both Larian and wizards of the cost.
 

DiscoJer

Member
I am convinced that people who prefer turn based over RtwP have anxiety issues.

I dunno about anxiety, but I feel like that officer in Aliens when the squad gets wiped out by xenomorphs and I start yelling at the people on the screen instead of trying to control them.
 

Airbus Jr

Banned
Squid vs Dragon? Squid tentacle rape on human body? Parasitic creatures coming in from your eyes?

tenor.gif
 

Metnut

Member
This looks great. Never really liked the Baldur’s Gates games (combat was awful) but loved Divinity OS2. Pumped that this looks like another Divinity game with stronger IP.

Ill buy day one. Can’t wait to dig in and explore this world.
 

Handel

Member
Game looks absolutely amazing, love that they have a half-drow race option.

Even the assets are the very same from D:OS2.
This looks more like a mod than a whole different game.

Nice strawman. NO ONE was expecting that. We were just expecting Divinity 3 to be called Divinity 3, not Baldur's Gate 3.


Oh, and this comes from someone who absolutely loves Divinity games.
It is BG3, and is clearly different from DOS2 with its 5e ruleset. Let Larian play to their strengths, rather than try to play off people's nostalgia by trying to imitate the older games to a tee.

All anyone should want is a great CRPG set in the Forgotten Realms with the city of Baldur's Gate as a focus. There is every reason to believe Larian will deliver that. You're never going to get your idealized BGIII, and trashing on this before even playing it just shows you don't want to be happy.

What gamers think they want is rarely right.
 
Let Larian play to their strengths, rather than try to play off people's nostalgia by trying to imitate the older games to a tee.

I am not militant about this, but i think you're reasoning without putting proper consideration into what BG2 was. It was, is, the mac daddy, the golden standard, the WoW-to-MMORPGs of is brand of RPG. It's combat system was challenging and sometimes hectic, but it was edge-of-your-seat tactical heaven, turn based real time, and gave users plenty of space in which to express themselves.

What is Larian's system? Final Fantasy Tactics on pretty steroids. It's great fun and full of surprises, but it is the gameplay equivalent of a rail shooter compared to the pause, simultaneous turn rounds combat of the BG titles and their ilk. Certainly DOS 1 & 2 have been industry leading titles, but there titles have no right, in my mind, to have any kind of influence on the gameplay of the next installment in what is, to me, a sacred RPG series.

The way the guy at the unveiling just drops "it's turn based combat because dnd is a turn based game" was just agonizingly callous. BG2 had turn based combat, it was just an advanced juicing up of the tabletop formula to allow battles to flow while still adhering to the same rules. Larian has genuinely dumbed down, slowed up and spaced out battles. That was fine when they were bringing out their first D:OS, that's fine for its sequel... It's not fine when they're entrusted with such a precious series.

Pillars of Eternity, Icewind Dale, these games didn't dare mess with the core combat of BG. I am sad to see that after 20 years of waiting the next installment in this series is basically just a mod of the new developer's flagship title.

I was so pissed at the single line where he totally rejected any kind of fan opinions on the combat system that i went and bought a bunch of pillars of eternity dlc just to support the people who knew what they were messing with.
 
The Pillars of Eternity combat system is fucking terrible, though.
Fair enough man, call it as you see it, but i didn't quite react that way. I guess I'll say i didn't exactly go in with sky high expectations,i was prepared to take what i got and soak it in, could be why I'm not very critical of it~
 
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Handel

Member
I am not militant about this, but i think you're reasoning without putting proper consideration into what BG2 was. It was, is, the mac daddy, the golden standard, the WoW-to-MMORPGs of is brand of RPG. It's combat system was challenging and sometimes hectic, but it was edge-of-your-seat tactical heaven, turn based real time, and gave users plenty of space in which to express themselves.

What is Larian's system? Final Fantasy Tactics on pretty steroids. It's great fun and full of surprises, but it is the gameplay equivalent of a rail shooter compared to the pause, simultaneous turn rounds combat of the BG titles and their ilk. Certainly DOS 1 & 2 have been industry leading titles, but there titles have no right, in my mind, to have any kind of influence on the gameplay of the next installment in what is, to me, a sacred RPG series.

The way the guy at the unveiling just drops "it's turn based combat because dnd is a turn based game" was just agonizingly callous. BG2 had turn based combat, it was just an advanced juicing up of the tabletop formula to allow battles to flow while still adhering to the same rules. Larian has genuinely dumbed down, slowed up and spaced out battles. That was fine when they were bringing out their first D:OS, that's fine for its sequel... It's not fine when they're entrusted with such a precious series.

Pillars of Eternity, Icewind Dale, these games didn't dare mess with the core combat of BG. I am sad to see that after 20 years of waiting the next installment in this series is basically just a mod of the new developer's flagship title.

I was so pissed at the single line where he totally rejected any kind of fan opinions on the combat system that i went and bought a bunch of pillars of eternity dlc just to support the people who knew what they were messing with.

One thing to consider is that even if Larian wanted to do combat closer to the other Baldur's Gate game, WOTC likely wanted the gameplay to be largely turn-based, to mirror how 5e plays. In WOTC eyes, this game is a gateway for people to get into playing 5e.

Series change up gameplay all the time, yet having this be turn-based is somehow blasphemous. The heart of RPGs and D&D are the roleplaying/narrative/characters. Larian is out here trying to make a great D&D game, and everything they have showed so far in that regard is stellar.
 
RtwP was always just a fad/mistake trying to cash in on the popularity of the RTS genre at the time.

RtwP allows you to do things you can't do in turn based. It allows you to use your skills and spells in more efficient way.

You can have 2 fighters engaging a mob at a choke point and you can order your mage to cast fireball at them. Those two fighters are in range of the blast but once the mage is about to finish casting the spell, you pause and tell your fighters to move away from the blast area and unpause the game. Your fighters run away while a fireball sails over their heads hitting only enemies.
 

V4skunk

Banned
The thing is most people here have not even played Baldur's Gate.
I recommend every one picks up BG2 enhanced edition and be prepared for 200 hour epicness.
Baldur's Gate 2 is also pretty much the only rpg where you can become super over powered, like being able to enter your own pocket universe in real time, where time stands still so you can sleep/heal and buff your party any time even during battle. Just hilarious...
Jon Irenicus is also one of the greatest villains of all time.
Some crazy mind control and dispel stuff can also be done that will blow your mind.
 
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GreyHorace

Member
Hmm... Interesting. Definitely intrigued by this. Some thoughts:

- I liked that it's turn based. More specifically I like that Larian is implementing it's turn based system from their Divinity series on this game. I know that people are pissed that it's not using the original realtime/pause (RTP) system of the early Baldur's Gate and other Infinity engine games. Honestly though, I think it's a change for the better. No offense to old BG fans but I found the old RTP system doesn't hold up by today's standards and there were a lot of ways you could cheese through combat. This was painfully clear to me when I played through Pillars of Eternity. I wasn't really having much fan with that to be frank.

Whereas I had a ton of fun with Divinity Original Sin 2's turn based system. That at least felt like a tactical battle system with a lot of freedom for improvisation and strategy. I'm glad that Larian is playing to their strengths with this game and not trying to half ass an attempt at the old RTP.

- The story hook is intriguing. A bunch of random adventurers are infested with parasites that are slowly turning them into mind flayers? Well, at least it's not continuing the Bhaalspawn saga of the early games. Though I'd like hints to the previous saga in some form. I know Minsc and Boo are now wandering Faerun with a new party so maybe they can do a cameo. Maybe even an older Imoen could show?

- Cinematic cutscenes look good. Though I'm not fan of your character being silent during conversations. At least we don't have that cheesy narration from Divinity.
 

down 2 orth

Member
Looks decent. The way they made the portraits is unfortunate, but then again, nobody expected Larian to get everything right given the real-time/turn-based arguments.

I think the critical success of the game will come down to how well they handle the lore and come up with a compelling story.
 

Lanrutcon

Member
No buy from me at full price, no chance.
Baldur's Flop 3 confirmed.
This game should not be called Baldur's Gate at all.
People are fuming at this decision. And it will 100% effect sales.

But dude, you guaranteed us it was going to be rtwp.

What happened to your sources?

Could it be that you were talking from your ass?

Say it isn't so!

The game looks great but its MASSIVELY disappointing were going turn based. Every encounter will be dragged on forever.

Feels like it will be a game for Divinity fans rather than Baldurs Gate fans.

Uh. You lot have it so backwards. You keep forgetting it's a D&D game first, and anything else second. Like I said weeks ago: this is the flagship video game for 5E, the most popular iteration of any tabletop RPG ever. Anyone who thought that WotC was going to let their baby be bastardized into some awkward real time conversion is immensely out of touch. The brand exists outside the sphere of video games, and is way bigger than those infinity engine games you remember from back in the day. I'm calling it now: within the next 6 months WotC will announce modules and/or campaign material for 5E based on the events in/around the game, to be published around the time of the game's release.

Tldr: BG3 is aimed at D&D fans. The license was given to Larian to push 5E.
 

Hostile_18

Banned
But dude, you guaranteed us it was going to be rtwp.

What happened to your sources?

Could it be that you were talking from your ass?

Say it isn't so!



Uh. You lot have it so backwards. You keep forgetting it's a D&D game first, and anything else second. Like I said weeks ago: this is the flagship video game for 5E, the most popular iteration of any tabletop RPG ever. Anyone who thought that WotC was going to let their baby be bastardized into some awkward real time conversion is immensely out of touch. The brand exists outside the sphere of video games, and is way bigger than those infinity engine games you remember from back in the day. I'm calling it now: within the next 6 months WotC will announce modules and/or campaign material for 5E based on the events in/around the game, to be published around the time of the game's release.

Tldr: BG3 is aimed at D&D fans. The license was given to Larian to push 5E.

If the Baldurs Gate games are so unimportant why use the IP at all? Why dont they just make a new Dungeon and Dragons game?

Your severely downplaying how influential the original games were and what they did for WotC.
 

Lanrutcon

Member
If the Baldurs Gate games are so unimportant why use the IP at all?

Why not use the IP? It's theirs, it's a recognizable part of the setting, and it's free sales. Look at all the people in this thread frothing for a sequel, but they don't even play actual D&D. Marketing 101.

Why dont they just make a new Dungeon and Dragons game?

They are. They just announced it. It's called Baldur's Gate 3. That may sound like I'm mocking you, but it's the actual point of this dicussion: BG3 is a primarily a D&D game, not a sequel.

Your severely downplaying how influential the original games were and what they did for WotC.

No, I'm pointing out the the folks complaining have no idea how much the brand has grown from those original games. Those games now represent a fraction of the D&D license and popularity. Most of the people playing the game nowdays weren't even born when BG was released. You want a modern comparison? Critical Roll. Critical Roll is to the license today what the BG games were 19 years ago.
 

Hostile_18

Banned
Each to their own but if what you say is true in that its primarily a new IP I find it incredibly misleading to call it "Baldur's Gate 3".

There are going to be alot of disappointed fans of the original games. It's gone from Day 1 to deep sale for me. Turn based just doesn't interest me as much. More than likely everything will be so drawn out. Ultimately I don't want a DnD game more a true sequel to Baldurs Gate games which I loved.
 

Lanrutcon

Member
Each to their own but if what you say is true in that its primarily a new IP I find it incredibly misleading to call it "Baldur's Gate 3".

There are going to be alot of disappointed fans of the original games. It's gone from Day 1 to deep sale for me. Turn based just doesn't interest me as much. More than likely everything will be so drawn out. Ultimately I don't want a DnD game more a true sequel to Baldurs Gate games which I loved.

That's a fair opinion, and I respect it. Leveraging the old games to sell what's essentially digital 5E is a bit of a sucker punch. I'm happy with what we're getting (disclaimer: things could still change), but I understand why you're not.
 

Handel

Member
Each to their own but if what you say is true in that its primarily a new IP I find it incredibly misleading to call it "Baldur's Gate 3".

There are going to be alot of disappointed fans of the original games. It's gone from Day 1 to deep sale for me. Turn based just doesn't interest me as much. More than likely everything will be so drawn out. Ultimately I don't want a DnD game more a true sequel to Baldurs Gate games which I loved.

Is RE4 a new IP from other Resident Evil games, or BOTW a new IP from other Zeldas? The most well known RPG series in Final Fantasy only has some recurring elements like Moogles and Chocobos between games.

Baldur's Gate as an IP doesn't hinge on it being RTWP. It is a setting first and foremost.
 

anthraticus

Banned
Each to their own but if what you say is true in that its primarily a new IP I find it incredibly misleading to call it "Baldur's Gate 3".

Ultimately I don't want a DnD game more a true sequel to Baldurs Gate games which I loved.
Well you'll already have at least 5 rtwp games between the 2 Pillars & Pathfinders and Siege of Dragonspear.

And what about Black Geyser
o62vIAA.gif
Anybody heard anything about that one ?

They really should of just called it D&D.....whatever and not Baldurs Gate, but I guess they think they can get a lot more sales with the BG name.
 
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Handel

Member
But dude, you guaranteed us it was going to be rtwp.

What happened to your sources?

Could it be that you were talking from your ass?

Say it isn't so!



Uh. You lot have it so backwards. You keep forgetting it's a D&D game first, and anything else second. Like I said weeks ago: this is the flagship video game for 5E, the most popular iteration of any tabletop RPG ever. Anyone who thought that WotC was going to let their baby be bastardized into some awkward real time conversion is immensely out of touch. The brand exists outside the sphere of video games, and is way bigger than those infinity engine games you remember from back in the day. I'm calling it now: within the next 6 months WotC will announce modules and/or campaign material for 5E based on the events in/around the game, to be published around the time of the game's release.

Tldr: BG3 is aimed at D&D fans. The license was given to Larian to push 5E.

Best post in this thread. As for your theory, it's already fact. Baldur's Gate : Descent Into Avernus is a module for 5e that acts as a prequel to BGIII.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate:_Descent_Into_Avernus
 

Hostile_18

Banned
Would people be happy if the next Divinity was real time? "Because its NOT based on DnD" so it can be"?

Ultimately earlier games in the series set the expectations and usually they are fondly remembered because of how they played. To change that is a risk, usually taken when a franchise is suffering from fatigue I.e Resident Evil, God of War etc. I don't think you can level that criticism at Baldur's Gate.

I'm happy for the people that are happy, genuinely. I just cant see myself enjoying the game no where near as much when the game is getting paused every single combat scenario (rather than just in a complex/challenging fight).
 

Irobot82

Member
Dissapointed? You don't even know how it feels. Have you seen Dungeon's and Dragon's: Dark Alliance .. imagine being a Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance fan, waiting for #3 also (it's been 15 years btw), and getting this :


Ok the trailer is lame but my problem is what is it? It's it a Diablo like game with Drizzt and crew becuase that's kind of badass.

Or is it like a Gauntlet clone, which would suck.
 

anthraticus

Banned
Would people be happy if the next Divinity was real time?
Wouldn't bother me and I'd take that trade off in a second. Don't really care for the Divinity setting.
Ok the trailer is lame but my problem is what is it? It's it a Diablo like game with Drizzt and crew becuase that's kind of badass.

Or is it like a Gauntlet clone, which would suck.
So what's the big difference between Diablow and Gauntlet...besides character progression and inventories ?

And Jesus Christ....that trailer :messenger_tears_of_joy:
Reminds me of 'the new shit'...




hUOTFHj.jpg
 
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DelireMan7

Member
Never played a Baldur's Gate but was always somehow interested in the franchise.

This look pretty nice. I might try the old ones (but I have an already too long list of RPGs to play...).

As an outsider I find funny the debate "RTwP vs Turn based". Personally I don't mind I like both :)
 

Handel

Member
Would people be happy if the next Divinity was real time? "Because its NOT based on DnD" so it can be"?

Ultimately earlier games in the series set the expectations and usually they are fondly remembered because of how they played. To change that is a risk, usually taken when a franchise is suffering from fatigue I.e Resident Evil, God of War etc. I don't think you can level that criticism at Baldur's Gate.

I'm happy for the people that are happy, genuinely. I just cant see myself enjoying the game no where near as much when the game is getting paused every single combat scenario (rather than just in a complex/challenging fight).

Baldur's Gate last had a mainline game two decades ago, and was made by a different company at a different time for the D&D license. The gameplay should aim to reflect that of the D&D TTRPG as best it can while still being satisfying to play. The first two games ran off the 2e ruleset, BGIII runs off the 5e ruleset. Larian has made a turn-based combat system better than any that came before it, which fits perfectly for the pacing of a D&D game.

For me I am fine with either turn-based or RTWP, but I guess for some it's a deal breaker. I would think that the majority of actual TTRPG campaigns would also then not be up their alley, as actual combats with a real live party take longer than turn-based games, you even have to wait for your turn for several minutes at a time sometimes!
 
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