WotC World Reveal of Baldur's Gate 3

Bolares · Feb 27, 2020

I'm hyped that this game will be turn based. Doesn't look like it will follow the past baldur's gate games so much, but I like what they showed

miggyG777 · Feb 28, 2020

Just watched the PAX announcement and I must say 5e is not a system that is well suited for being utilized in a computer game.

5e is a very simplistic system specifically designed for easiness of use in tabletop RPGs and openess to modification. It does not benefit from being implemented in a computer game. 5e's strength, the simplicity, in an automated environment beomes its weakness, because it restricts what the computer is good at.

When I think of BG2 and AD&D it was different. The AD&D rules were more complex and mostly used to resolve combat in the background. Which added depth to the game and made sense to automate. BG2 greatly benefited from that.

In BG3 it looks like everything is built so the player can clearly see, that D&D 5e is used. I.e. the d20 popping up during dialogs to roll if you convince someone.
This approach effectively cripples any innovative design ideas that could've been utilized in a PC game of that calibre.

So instead of using the D&D rules to enhance the game, the game is now wrapped into a straight jacket to fit the 5e rules, despite its capabilities to be more.

Solidifying my concerns is the moment when Swen Vicke says: "WotC, told us to tone down the alignment system, because it is basically non existant in 5e anymore."

My fears that Mearls is having too much say are coming true and it's bad for BG3.

houser2112 · Feb 28, 2020

A "rulings, not rules" game is a bad fit for a computer game? You don't say.

miggyG777 · Feb 28, 2020

houser2112 said:
A "rulings, not rules" game is a bad fit for a computer game? You don't say.

That's exactly what I say.

houser2112 · Feb 28, 2020

Simple isn't so bad in and of itself, but 5E is not only simple, a lot of things that there should be rules for, there's just "whatever the DM says". On the other hand, although I haven't read the various threads discussing it, I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of people that DON'T think 5E is simple.

Oofta · Feb 28, 2020

miggyG777 said:
Just watched the PAX announcement and I must say 5e is not a system that is well suited for being utilized in a computer game.

5e is a very simplistic system specifically designed for easiness of use in tabletop RPGs and openess to modification. It does not benefit from being implemented in a computer game. 5e's strength, the simplicity, in an automated environment beomes its weakness, because it restricts what the PC is good at.

When I think of BG2 and AD&D it was different. The AD&D rules were more complex and mostly used to resolve combat in the background. Which added depth to the game and made sense to automate. BG2 greatly benefited from that.

In BG3 it looks like everything is built so the player can clearly see, that D&D 5e is used. I.e. the d20 popping up during dialogs to roll if you convince someone.
This approach effectively cripples any innovative design ideas that could've been utilized in a PC game of that calibre.

So instead of using the D&D rules to enhance the game, the game is now wrapped into a straight jacket to fit the 5e rules, despite its capabilities to be more.

Solidifying my concerns is the moment when Swen Vicke says: "WotC, told us to tone down the alignment system, because it is basically non existant in 5e anymore."

My fears that Mearls is having too much say are coming true and it's bad for BG3.

They started with 5E as a base, but like all video games based on D&D they modified it.

Larian has put out some great games, I'm looking forward to playing it.

Prakriti · Feb 28, 2020

I'm glad they're using 5E, and I think 5E is a good system for a CRPG. What would really irk me is if they radically changed things under the assumption that 5E wouldn't work for a computer game, but still sold it as a 5E/D&D game. No thanks. The fact that they're actually trying to be as faithful as possible to 5E earns a lot of respect from me.

The best part about a faithful 5E game, by the way, is that is will introduce more people to the tabletop game. People will learn 5E from BG3, and if they ever go on to play the tabletop game, they will already know most of the rules.

Sword of Spirit · Feb 28, 2020

The old Gold Box games mostly followed AD&D. They adapted necessary elements. For example, no action declaration--just act when your turn came up. It may or may not have included speed factors for weapons--if so it was invisible under the hood. After you cast a spell, there actually was a delay (I'm assuming based on the casting time segments) before you got to aim and have it go off. There may or may not have been weapon vs. AC. If there was, it was invisible to the user.

But the point is, that it did use the basic rules of the game as played. It was my introduction to AD&D in fact.

I always prefer D&D games that actually try to stick as close to the rules of the mimicked edition as reasonably possible (and by that I don't mean, "as close as we feel like in our creative artistry"). Even the BG games that looked like they departed from tabletop D&D quite a bit, actually didn't, because they weren't based on 2e. They were based on an edition that was under development at the time, but was eventually scrapped for 3e.

Okay, I take back the always. There is also Planescape: Torment.

But in general, if you don't want to follow the D&D rules, do something else entirely. Don't half-way it.

Horwath · Feb 28, 2020

Bolares said:
I'm hyped that this game will be turn based. Doesn't look like it will follow the past baldur's gate games so much, but I like what they showed

God damn, I'm in complete opposite camp on this.

I hate this hard coded turn based approach.

It is mandatory in tabletops/board games as it would be complete chaos otherwise.
In most PC games it is not necessary.

I hope that they will make both "real time" and "turn based" game modes.