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

[hexer]

Yeah, when you think of it better Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem, Unreal, Half Life and generally 3D were huge zeitgeists in the late 90s and BG was still 2D isometric.

 

[Quillon]

Is google conference in SF?

 

[whydoibother]

The game industry is in a general state of decline, and there hasn't been a new "zeitgeist" for game play since, I'd argue, mine craft.

There was a 4X boom started by Civilization V, a grid based tactical turn based combat boom started by XCOM probably, a MOBA boom, a "MOBA FPS" boom with stuff like Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, all their knockoffs, Hearthstone started a card game boom, rogue-lite, etc.
There are plenty of such trends. You just fall in the trap of "trends i like are zeitgeist, trends i don't like aren't".

 

[Cael]

The game industry is in a general state of decline, and there hasn't been a new "zeitgeist" for game play since, I'd argue, mine craft.

There was a 4X boom started by Civilization V...

 

[whydoibother]

The game industry is in a general state of decline, and there hasn't been a new "zeitgeist" for game play since, I'd argue, mine craft.

There was a 4X boom started by Civilization V...

That is when it started. After Civilization V, many more 4X games released compared to before Civilization V. It revived the market, and rekindled interest.
Stop being a victim complex special snowflake jaded retard looking for ways to get offended. Every time I see your avatar I know I am about to read some inane shit that has nothing to do with the rest of the thread, and is just a throwaway "MAN I SURE DO HATE THINGS" post.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Civilization V, and regardless of my personal opinion of Civilization V (which I haven't stated ITT even), the game enabled the release of many more 4X titles by bringing the genre to the forefront of a wide audience, at least for a while.

 

[hexer]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I've listened to the background track several times, and I swear by my wretched soul that the "chimey" tune in the first several seconds (right at the beginning), is a piece of old music from one of the previous games. Could some fine gentlemen with a more discerning ear take a closer listen and either confirm or deny?

It just kinda reminds me of a song "Night Falls on Baldur's Gate".
The structure is kinda similar... starts slow and calm, and then a sharp, loud sound is dropped on us about 3/4 into it .



P.S. 7 more hours until the conference!!

You can watch it here

 

[Yosharian]

 

[hexer]

LOL, I know what it means but I'm not a native English speaker.. I just like the sound of the word

 

[DalekFlay]

Google offer a streaming service not a console.

Turn base is not necessary for game available in google stadia. PAd is possible for RTWP game.

It's too big an IP to be PC/Stadia exclusive, turn-based works much better on a controller and even more importantly than both of those turn-based is "in" right now since the Xcom reboot and their Divinity OS games were big successes with turn-based. The only reason to go RTwP would be to match the old games, and I doubt that outweighs the rest.

 

[onemananadhisdroid]

The thing is, the creators themselves do not understand it. Die Weltseele is carrying them, yet they cannot see it or feel it.

And then they make the mistake of thinking that they succeeded just because their own ideas are so great.

In various articles with then Bioware staff they seem to recognize an influence beyond their mere skill though too. It's hidden behind expressions such as "It was the perfect storm at the Right time", or their modest expectation of shipping maybe 100-200k units and similar. Humans in General are also very bad when assessing the role of "luck" involved though. That naturally goes for those who merely analyze and create too. Slightly off-topic, but everybody involved with Football Analysis and making money with it contrary to any media doesn't focus on any results or tables or scoring streaks or whatever; in fact, they all promote that results and the league table "lie" significantly due to the ultra low scoring nature of this sports; which encourages luck to play a far more significant part than in higher scoring ones, even over perceived streaks of "form". Yet telling that to anybody outside of this specific niche would spring reactions as if somebody had told them the earth were flat. This is simply human nature. We prefer to have an illusion of control over things, our lives included. And everything must have that cause. It cannot simply be random.

FelipePepe's main Argument may be "Zeitgeist", but another Thing missing, that aside aside of the luck involved is the technology. Video gaming as an industry that's highly driven by technology. 20 years down the road, BG surely isn't representing the same thing as it did back then, as it couldn't. Simply aping it to the T would be fairly akin to somebody aping Sierra games of the 80s, without understanding what they represented in the context of their time. King's Quest I wasn't merely another Adventure Game (capital A, capital G), it was one of the first graphical "3D" open world Exploration games. Similar to how Police Quest was an attempt at a Police Simulation -- which nowadays may look similar to something like LA:Noire, but hopefully with a Little more brains involved.

 

[Cael]

The game industry is in a general state of decline, and there hasn't been a new "zeitgeist" for game play since, I'd argue, mine craft.

There was a 4X boom started by Civilization V...

That is when it started. After Civilization V, many more 4X games released compared to before Civilization V. It revived the market, and rekindled interest.
Stop being a victim complex special snowflake jaded retard looking for ways to get offended. Every time I see your avatar I know I am about to read some inane shit that has nothing to do with the rest of the thread, and is just a throwaway "MAN I SURE DO HATE THINGS" post.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Civilization V, and regardless of my personal opinion of Civilization V (which I haven't stated ITT even), the game enabled the release of many more 4X titles by bringing the genre to the forefront of a wide audience, at least for a while.

 

[Strange Fellow]

Re: Matrix/Deus Ex
The Matrix is the ultimate conspiracy theory, and Deus Ex is chock full of that stuff. I'm surprised you don't see the parallel J_C

 

[Taxnomore]

I definitely think they're going to do a Stadia reveal. Capcom has also teased some announcements for today. It makes no sense to unveil games like that when everyone is looking away.

 

[Morgoth]

Re: Matrix/Deus Ex
The Matrix is the ultimate conspiracy theory, and Deus Ex is chock full of that stuff. I'm surprised you don't see the parallel J_C

I do remember this ancient game magazine cover, with Warren Spector posing with a long leather coat and a seriousbeeznees visage. To explain the Matrix reference, it must have been all about JCs coat and his shades.

\marketinggenius

 

[Efe]

That is when it started. After Civilization V, many more 4X games released compared to before Civilization V. It revived the market, and rekindled interest.
Stop being a victim complex special snowflake jaded retard looking for ways to get offended. Every time I see your avatar I know I am about to read some inane shit that has nothing to do with the rest of the thread, and is just a throwaway "MAN I SURE DO HATE THINGS" post.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Civilization V, and regardless of my personal opinion of Civilization V (which I haven't stated ITT even), the game enabled the release of many more 4X titles by bringing the genre to the forefront of a wide audience, at least for a while.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_4X_video_games
i dont see any jumps? it might have helped sales but doesnt look like it affected number of releases

 

[Cael]

That is when it started. After Civilization V, many more 4X games released compared to before Civilization V. It revived the market, and rekindled interest.
Stop being a victim complex special snowflake jaded retard looking for ways to get offended. Every time I see your avatar I know I am about to read some inane shit that has nothing to do with the rest of the thread, and is just a throwaway "MAN I SURE DO HATE THINGS" post.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Civilization V, and regardless of my personal opinion of Civilization V (which I haven't stated ITT even), the game enabled the release of many more 4X titles by bringing the genre to the forefront of a wide audience, at least for a while.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_4X_video_games
i dont see any jumps? it might have helped sales but doesnt look like it affected number of releases

Civ 1-4, Master of Magic, SMAC, Call to Power 1-2, AoW 1-3 (I think 3 as well?), AoW:SM, Master of Orion 1-3, Galactic Civilisations 1-2, Star Trek: Birth of the Federation, Star Wars: Rebellion, Disciples 1-3, Lords of Magic.

These are just the ones that I have played and remember. All came out before Civ5. After Civ5 we have what? Civ 6, Beyond Earth, Warlock 1-2, War of the Elementals, GalCiv3?

Guy talks absolute shit. If anything, it was Civ 2 that spawned a ton of 4X games.

 

[Alpan]

That is when it started. After Civilization V, many more 4X games released compared to before Civilization V. It revived the market, and rekindled interest.
Stop being a victim complex special snowflake jaded retard looking for ways to get offended. Every time I see your avatar I know I am about to read some inane shit that has nothing to do with the rest of the thread, and is just a throwaway "MAN I SURE DO HATE THINGS" post.
Regardless of your personal opinion of Civilization V, and regardless of my personal opinion of Civilization V (which I haven't stated ITT even), the game enabled the release of many more 4X titles by bringing the genre to the forefront of a wide audience, at least for a while.

https://www.wikiwand.com/en/List_of_4X_video_games
i dont see any jumps? it might have helped sales but doesnt look like it affected number of releases

There is no such jump. He's falsely attributing the general indie/AA boom of the first half of the 2010s to Civ V.

 

[whydoibother]

You are comparing 15+ years before Civ5 to 5 years after it. And that list includes many lower profile titles just for volume.
I am sure that every poster here was actually alive and playing video games at the time, so I am sure you all saw the little renaissance the genre had. I don't get why you are pretending to be retarded for the sake of "winning" an internet argument. 4X went from a desperation genre where every fan played everything due to the low supply, to people having to decide if they want to play Age of Wonders, or Endless Legend, or Warlock, etc. Went from nothing to play, to choosing what to play.
This has gone away from the original intent of my post, which is to show that it isn't some vague global culture event that drives video game trends, rather one big hit drives them. One big successful best seller game drives a lot of new entries into that genre, clones, imitators, and other iterations on the successful idea. Why everyone decided to specifically go after 4X is weird and unintended.

 

[Cael]

You are comparing 15+ years before Civ5 to 5 years after it. And that list includes many lower profile titles just for volume.
I am sure that every poster here was actually alive and playing video games at the time, so I am sure you all saw the little renaissance the genre had. I don't get why you are pretending to be retarded for the sake of "winning" an internet argument. 4X went from a desperation genre where every fan played everything due to the low supply, to people having to decide if they want to play Age of Wonders, or Endless Legend, or Warlock, etc. Went from nothing to play, to choosing what to play.
This has gone away from the original intent of my post, which is to show that it isn't some vague global culture event that drives video game trends, rather one big hit drives them. One big successful best seller game drives a lot of new entries into that genre, clones, imitators, and other iterations on the successful idea. Why everyone decided to specifically go after 4X is weird and unintended.

Considering that every AoW so far came before Civ5, IIRC, except maybe 3, you talk complete rubbish. If people were having to make a decision, that is because the plethora was already there before Civ5 came along. Civ4 easily did more for the genre than the vapid 1 upt shit that was Civ5 ever did. Especially when Kael and gang released FFH2, which not only showcased how powerful that engine was, but spawned a number of modmods of its own, something which was not even heard of before.

 

[Alpan]

Why everyone decided to specifically go after 4X is weird and unintended.

This is not weird because no one specifically went after 4X games. The early 2010s (Civ V was also released in 2010) coincided with Steam becoming the driving force in PC gaming as well as the associated rise of indie and midrange developers and publishers like Paradox, Devolver, Nordic Games etc. Self-publishing became a real and then-viable thing. All sorts of games in previously forsaken or unattended genres started to get published. The examples you mention are only the 4X parts of a bigger picture.

 

[whydoibother]

I don't like Civilization V, therefore it wasn't influential and didn't revive the genre.

Age of Wonders III would not have been made if not for the success of Civilization V. Do with that as you like.

 

[whydoibother]

Why everyone decided to specifically go after 4X is weird and unintended.

This is not weird because no one specifically went after 4X games. The early 2010s (Civ V was also released in 2010) coincided with Steam becoming the driving force in PC gaming as well as the associated rise of indie and midrange developers and publishers like Paradox, Devolver, Nordic Games etc. Self-publishing became a real and then-viable thing. All sorts of games in previously forsaken or unattended genres started to get published. The examples you mention are only the 4X parts of a bigger picture.

I am much more willing to accept this chicken-or-egg view of the period than the previously suggested opinion that nothing happened around the time of Civilization V's release, and there was no revival of the genre.
Some genres like RTS or flight sims disagree with you, but for others the overall growth of the market did mean they grew disproportionately too (like multiplayer FPS).

 

[Cael]

I love Civilization V. Everything before and after can be attributed to it.

Fixed it for you, child.

 

[Incantatar]

He confuses the needs of the zeitgeist with what is popular, while that can't be further from the truth.

Things become popular because of zeitgeist.

Die Weltseele is carrying them, yet they cannot see it or feel it.

 

[d1r]

Inb4 it's Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance III with split-screen coop and heavy focus on multiplayer.