D&D 5E BG3 is once again a Platinium Selling Game in 2024, without selling a DLC.

[Parmandur]

Or Minecraft, the graphics of that game are so bad they make Pool of Radiance's graphics look state of the art, but it's crazy popular.

The graphics in Minecraft do exactly what they set out to do, it us a stylization to allow the simulation of non-visual elements (physics, etc.) more computing power

 

[Reynard]

Agree that they should try harder, but that may not be enough.
Larian had a couple of other things occur that usually would not be allowed. Delayed for what, approximately 2 years (including covid), were allowed to work without interference by WotC, Larian being privately owned so can control its own fortunes.
Plus they had enough $ to expand and get people to sure up capabilities.

Solaria was a decent games made with very limited resources, saying they should make a game the equivalent of BG3 is not realistic.

No one said that. What people -- that is, developers and publishers for AAA studios, in the wake of BG3's success -- said was that they should not be held to the same quality standard as this other studio.

Yes they should. they are asking for my same money. I don't particularly care that they are owned by massive publicly traded corporations who can only see to the next quarter. Make a good game, or don't expect my money.

Sven's public takedown of the industry at the Game Awards was long overdue.

 

[Cergorach]

The comparison is a bit skewed. The only reason that BG3 doesn't have any DLC is because the developer (Larian) said "We're done with D&D and WotC!", not because the IP owners (WotC/Hasbro) didn't want any DLC. Some people also forget that BG3 also had the Early Access scheme for almost three years... You know "Pay me for an incomplete and buggy game, and maybe we'll deliver what we promised in a couple of years...". Note: Have bought BG3, but not played it yet.

Something like Elden Ring did have DLC released this year, because both the developer and IP owner wanted a DLC. And looking at the sales of the expansion, also a LOT of customers wanted that DLC. DLC isn't inherently bad, it can be anything, from Horse Armour to a completely new campaign/adventure. In the case of Elden Ring it isn't a bad exploitative model. Note: Bought Elden Ring, not the DLC, have also not played it yet.

Touting BG3 as the be all and end all of computer games is just dishonest. It caters to a very specific niche. I even think that if Larian did the BG4 at the exact same quality, many people who bought BG3, won't BG4. Because at a certain point BG3 became a hype and thus a LOT of people outside of the niche bought into the hype, but aren't really the intended audience.

Something like Path of Exile is probably one of the best Diablo like games, it's a F2P game with a live service model. But it's again aimed at a certain niche. And something like Diablo 4 has people playing it that will never play PoE, while PoE is often considered the better game... There's always a relationship between intended audience, hype, etc. Sales != Quality.

That BG3 is a game you and many like, and that it sells well is something completely unrelated to actual 'quality'. I'm kind of interested how BG3 is reviewed in a couple of years when all the hype has died down.

 

[Reynard]

The comparison is a bit skewed. The only reason that BG3 doesn't have any DLC is because the developer (Larian) said "We're done with D&D and WotC!", not because the IP owners (WotC/Hasbro) didn't want any DLC. Some people also forget that BG3 also had the Early Access scheme for almost three years... You know "Pay me for an incomplete and buggy game, and maybe we'll deliver what we promised in a couple of years...". Note: Have bought BG3, but not played it yet.

Something like Elden Ring did have DLC released this year, because both the developer and IP owner wanted a DLC. And looking at the sales of the expansion, also a LOT of customers wanted that DLC. DLC isn't inherently bad, it can be anything, from Horse Armour to a completely new campaign/adventure. In the case of Elden Ring it isn't a bad exploitative model. Note: Bought Elden Ring, not the DLC, have also not played it yet.

Touting BG3 as the be all and end all of computer games is just dishonest. It caters to a very specific niche. I even think that if Larian did the BG4 at the exact same quality, many people who bought BG3, won't BG4. Because at a certain point BG3 became a hype and thus a LOT of people outside of the niche bought into the hype, but aren't really the intended audience.

Something like Path of Exile is probably one of the best Diablo like games, it's a F2P game with a live service model. But it's again aimed at a certain niche. And something like Diablo 4 has people playing it that will never play PoE, while PoE is often considered the better game... There's always a relationship between intended audience, hype, etc. Sales != Quality.

That BG3 is a game you and many like, and that it sells well is something completely unrelated to actual 'quality'. I'm kind of interested how BG3 is reviewed in a couple of years when all the hype has died down.

Yes. "Hype" wins you every major GotY award across the industry.

As to "early access scheme" -- I would much, much rather have a company be honest and say "Hey, we want to make the best game possible, and we need two things to do that: cash and feedback." That is what a well run early access program provides, and it paid off with Larian and BG3.

 

[Seramus]

The "No DLC" thing is mostly just a Larian preference and not specific to BG3. They've never been big on it. Amusingly, I think Patch 8 can rightfully be called DLC even if they don't use the specific term. It has all the hallmarks of a DLC, especially if we combine it with all the bonus ending content they've been adding over the last year or so.

 

[Sliversmith]

i still think Slivers from MTG need to be modded into it. The vanilla game itself is fine, but every god damn fantasy game has goblins, dragons, orcs, skeletons, demons, dwarves, etc. The more innovative monsters they came up with was stuff like the bullet/land shark and the mind flayers were a welcome change of pace.

Yes I know D&D was the modern western foundation for a lot of these creatures and we're talking decades old stuff like githyanki being more than just another race of long eared white tree huggers but the genre really hasn't evolved or innovated much since then. A similar kind of RPG set in the magic the gathering universe would blow BG3 out of the water as long as they keep the woke garbage out of it. Its also ironic because BG3 is a part of it now with its collab sets and wizards also owns D&D. This is also why BG3 has no DLC planned

 

[MGibster]

That BG3 is a game you and many like, and that it sells well is something completely unrelated to actual 'quality'. I'm kind of interested how BG3 is reviewed in a couple of years when all the hype has died down.

I think BG3's success is directly related to the quality of the game itself. There have been plenty of games that were hyped and ended up falling flat on its face upon release because nobody liked it. Sometimes a decent game doesn't find an audience, but I can't recall a bad game becoming immensely popular.

 

[MGibster]

Yes I know D&D was the modern western foundation for a lot of these creatures and we're talking decades old stuff like githyanki being more than just another race of long eared white tree huggers but the genre really hasn't evolved or innovated much since then. A similar kind of RPG set in the magic the gathering universe would blow BG3 out of the water as long as they keep the woke garbage out of it. Its also ironic because BG3 is a part of it now with its collab sets and wizards also owns D&D.

Woke garbage? I don't know what that means.

 

[Parmandur]

Woke garbage? I don't know what that means.

Some folks are lamentable upset woth Magic for having diverse representation in the art and lore. For the Lord of the Rings set, for example, Aragon's design was as a black man...some acted like that was the end of world. Telling on themselves.

 

[Sliversmith]

you trolls never have any idea what anything means. Get some new material.