WotC World Reveal of Baldur's Gate 3

At PAX East today, gameplay footage of Baldur's Gate 3 was revealed for the first time by Larian Studios.

According to PC Gamer, the Early Access version of the game will launch this year with five characters:

• Wyll, Human Warlock
• Shadowheart, Half-elf Cleric
• Lae'zel, Githyanki Fighter
• Gale, Human Wizard
• Astarion, Elven Vampire Spawn Rogue

And you'll be able to create characters using these six classes:

• Fighter (Battle Master, Eldritch Knight)
• Wizard (Evocation, Abjuration)
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster, Thief)
• Ranger (Hunter, Beast Master)
• Cleric (Life, Light, Trickery)
• Warlock (Fiend, Great One)

15 races include (amongst others):

• Elves
• Dwarves
• Humans
• Githyanki
• Drow
• Tieflings
• Vampire Spawn

 

[Leatherhead]

In most PC games it is not necessary.

Of course it's not necessary.

It is, however, a totally different genre of play than action games, which people happen to enjoy for it's own merits, such as accessibility and the emphasis on strategy. It is not a downgrade or more primitive combat system for a game.

Personally, I hated how they morphed the Final Fantasy series into action games, leaving the turn based combat games in the ghetto of hand-held devices for so long.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I can’t imagine wanting a video game studio to adhere as closely as possible to the details of the rules of a tabletop game.

Nothing about this game has me more worried that it’s going to suck.

 

[Prakriti]

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

Turn-based only. Asked during the Q&A.

 

[MarkB]

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.

That seems unlikely at this point. As mentioned during the gameplay, making it purely turn-based allowed them to directly import a lot more D&D mechanics and implement them more faithfully. It doesn't look like what they've implemented leaves much room for a hybrid system.

 

[miggyG777]

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.

Of course it's not necessary.

It is, however, a totally different genre of play than action games, which people happen to enjoy for it's own merits, such as accessibility and the emphasis on strategy. It is not a downgrade or more primitive combat system for a game.

Personally, I hated how they morphed the Final Fantasy series into action games, leaving the turn based combat games in the ghetto of hand-held devices for so long.

You can still allow the pausing of real time combat, so the argument for less strategy does not hold.

It's just another way 5e restricts the capabilites of BG3. When Vicke is asked whether there will be real time combat he says (paraphrased): "No, we use turn based combat because it allows us to implement the 5e rules."

Resolving actions turn-based is an artifact of tabletop games, but unecessary if you have a PC that can calculate simultaneous actions and allow real-time pausing. Heck, Baldurs Gate 2 did this, back in the day.

 

[HarbingerX]

I have to respectfully disagree with the statement that D&D 5e is bad for a CRPG. The user experience between an AD&D 1e, 2e or 5e computer game will be negligible. The computer game just won't have as much stuff to automate under the hood.

 

[Horwath]

Turn-based only. Asked during the Q&A.

well, guess it's Pillars of Eternity then....

Like Independence Day 2; you had 20 years to prepare and you came up with... this?

 

[Leatherhead]

Well, if you don't like turn based, you could always go play Dark Alliance.

 

[miggyG777]

well, guess it's Pillars of Eternity then....

Like Independence Day 2; you had 20 years to prepare and you came up with... this?

Mearls could literally have Larian Studios elevate D&D to the next level, but instead he chooses to enforce them to adhere to the 5e ruleset to the T. When the DMG says "If a rule stands in the way of your game, throw it out."

Just shows that Mearls cares more about his own legacy than collaborating with Vicke & Team. Which is what I feared would happen.

Sadly this fail will mostly affect Vicke who will be held responsible for this shortcoming by many. It was an impossible project to begin with. I know how much Vicke loved Baldurs Gate and I wished he had the creative freedom that he needed to create the true successor, that he envisioned.

 

[Horwath]

Mearls could literally have Larian Studios elevate D&D to the next level, but instead he chooses to enforce them to adhere to the 5e ruleset to the T. When the DMG says "If a rule stands in the way of your game, throw it out."

Just shows that Mearls cares more about his own legacy than collaborating with Vicke & Team. Which is what I feared would happen.

Sadly this fail will mostly affect Vicke who will be held responsible for this shortcoming by many. It was an impossible project to begin with. I know how much Vicke loved Baldurs Gate and I wished he had the creative freedom that he needed to create the true successor, that he envisioned.

Yeah.

This is like designing a brand new car and then put a Ford model T engine inside.

It all looks great until you press on the gas pedal for the 1st time...