Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate 3 Pre-Release Thread [EARLY ACCESS RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Fedora Master]

No way in hell will Larian be able to match a series as apotheosized as Baldur's Gate.

 

[vortex]

I think Larian is going to reboot BG while respecting characters like Minsc. It will be unique and modern approach. They don't want to copy-paste Bioware.

Probably, WOTC writers will write main story and characters while Larain writers backup quests and side NPC's dialogue.

 

[Roguey]

1. Because it's called Baldur's Gate III, and not Baldur's Gate: INSERT SUBTITLE HERE (like Dark Alliance did).

Elder Scrolls sequels aren't direct sequels and the masses love those. While Fallout 3 used the Enclave and Harold to its/their detriment, it wasn't exactly a direct sequel either. Fallout 4 had very little to do with 3.

2. Minsc is living proof that this can be bypassed, one way or another.

I don't believe Larian's writers are so hacky that they would rely on "lol magic" for so many characters.

 

[Strange Fellow]

b) Terrible itemization - also addressed by the ruleset

This isn't a given. Low Magic Age is D&D (OGL, but still) and has RNG loot complete with coloured "tiers". It seems likely that itemization will be fixed given how BG is known for good hand-crafted loot, but I don't trust Swen and his Item Fevah.

 

[Jimmious]

b) Terrible itemization - also addressed by the ruleset

This isn't a given. Low Magic Age is D&D (OGL, but still) and has RNG loot complete with coloured "tiers". It seems likely that itemization will be fixed given how BG is known for good hand-crafted loot, but I don't trust Swen and his Item Fevah.

Yeah that's a valid fear, the items. But that's also the thing that annoyed me the least tbh... still too much to speculate atm

 

[Roguey]

1. Tell that to every...single...magic user in the Forgotten Realms, who have their lifespans extended. Or gender changed.

Just Edwin then? That seems acceptable.

2. I'm not talking about Elder Scrolls, or Fallout games. Forgotten Realms games, when given a new number (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights) are either direct sequels and/or take place in the same region and share a shit ton of plot points/characters.

NWN2 had very little to do with NWN other than the city. The companions and the primary antagonist were entirely different.

 

[Chippy]

How does that module written by James Ohlen mange to shoehorn in all the BG party members and ignore the Bhaalspawn? Not being a dick, just curious where the timeline is. I suppose it's right after BG1 and before the kidnapping?.

It's set right before BG2:

It is now 1369 DR, and another faction seeks to pick up the pieces left behind by Sarevok. They are called the Zhentarim, or the Black Network—a predatory criminal organization that seeks to spread its influence throughout Faerûn, accumulating power for its own sake. While others celebrate the end of the Iron Crisis, the agents of the Black Network sense opportunity. The Zhentarim know that the Iron Throne had access to vast amounts of wealth and magic, which are now ripe for plunder. Additionally, one of the Zhentarim, a crazed necromancer named Xzar, has discovered that he is one of the Bhaalspawn—a potential heir to the Lord of Murder. Xzar now seeks to unearth the research of his dead sibling, Sarevok, with the goal of becoming a god himself.

That's interesting.

I know nobody seems to agree with me on this, but to me BG was the most comprehensive example of a game creating an alter-ego in Faerun. Ed Greenwood has Elminster, Salvatore has Drizzt, and the gaming community has the Bhaalspawn. It seems to me that WOTSC wanted to nip that in the bud by making Abdel Adrian canon - probably to spread the popularity of the IP over as many products as possible, and to control the impact of the Bhaalspwan on Faerun.

In short, I think they fucked it up, and there was many ways the bhaalspawn could have continued.

Spoiler

The laziest was that they de-levelled once they gave up their soul

or

Spoiler

Ao wouldn't accept them as another god

I've never understood this multiple personality disorder people are comfortable with every ttime they start a game in the same setting.

 

[Infinitron]

Auraculum seems a little over-concerned about the storyline and lore of the Baldur's Gate games. I think most of us here just want an official D&D CRPG that isn't shovelware for the first time in a decade. That it's called Baldur's Gate is of secondary importance.

 

[pomenitul]

Then why call it Baldur's Gate? Larian + D&D is enough to attract attention, no need to drag a cadaver into this.

 

[vortex]

I bet Larian will make best Baldur's Gate yet. It will set new standard for CRPGs.

 

[Efe]

werent larian games always broken balance wise in one way or another?
i wouldnt count on them to make a competent d&d game right off the bat.
i hope they do early access so people can knock some sense into them with their feedback

 

[vortex]

And let's face it, ladies and gentlemen - this is it. The last, best hope for a "revival" of old school RPG's in the mainstream consciousness. If Larian wastes this opportunity, there are no "X" chances. No further legendary RPG franchises left to ruin. Baldur's Gate is quite literally the last one standing.

In Austin there was just opened new AAA studio for new fresh game led by J Ohlen.

 

[RickOmbo]

Hope Larian Studios is outsourcing visuals to Cooper Dreams guys and writing to POE2 guys.

 

[santino27]

I too would prefer BG3 to be serious, well written story like the original, with a lot of drama and deep characters such as Minsc, plus tense RTWP combat, rather than some referential bullshit with turns like newer Divinities (or FO2 for that matter).

Seriously guys.

Just as long as they also make sure to add in an appropriate mourning time and soul-searching dialogues before allowing us to romance the now-widowed friend of our father. I wouldn't want to offend anyone or spawn another thread about the ethics of BG romances.

 

[Chippy]

Hope Larian Studios is outsourcing visuals to Cooper Dreams guys and writing to POE2 guys.

Is this a trolling post that flew over my head? I don't know about Cooper Dreams, but I'd rather the writing went to Studio FOW than the POE2 guys. At least then I'd get CG anal sex with Viconia.

Spoiler

Might even get that drow mistress sex dream play out from when I was a teen

 

[Circuit the Short]

Hope Larian Studios is outsourcing visuals to Cooper Dreams guys and writing to POE2 guys.

And coding to golden era games guys

 

[PorkyThePaladin]

in all seriousness though wtf porky the in game lines are 'writing'

No, that's flavor sound-bits, which play every time you click on the character, or tell them to attack or whatever. They kinda have to be shallow and funny, since you will hear them 4 gazillion times. Writing is the actual dialogue when NPCs talk.

 

[Xeon]

Are the James Ohlen story and Beamdog's Dragonspear stuff cannon? I can't imagine all these events happening in the time between BG1 and 2 since I think there is only 7 months or something between them, that feels way too short time for all these things.

 

[LESS T_T]

New (??) video looks the same with the prev one: https://larian.com/video/saturday_sashimi.mp4

But with different keywords, seemingly came from someone who still has hangover of Swen's birthday party.

• Taco-Yaki
  
• SUNDAZE SUSHI
• Come and Tako_to_me
  
• hot pot
• Say no to crack Say yes to kraken
  
• SUCKAAAAAAAA!
  
• What arrrg those?
• moby d1ck
• Squidalicous
• seth-alo-pod
• Saturday sushi_party
• KRAKEN me crazy
• Wuts kraken
• Squ1d_werd_adjustment
• ten_tickles
• Saturday Sashimi
• Sashimi_sundays
• Cephalopawd_lighting
• squid.ink
• cash-amy
• Shrimp or die

 

[Lacrymas]

Ugh, now I'm craving sushi.

 

[vortex]

Why are they trolling?

 

[LESS T_T]

Obviously they're teasing the return of THAC0.

 

[Delterius]

Why are they trolling?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's face it: the story will have NOTHING to do with Bhaalspawn. T

...you mean like the two titles in the Baldur's gate video game series already?
"Baldur's Gate" hasn't been exclusively about the Bhaalspawn since 2001.

 

[Lacrymas]

Inb4 their entire gaming catalogue has been with the intention to troll.