So what's up with BG 3 and what would you like to see it be?
Kalenvex
Member Posts: 6
Ever since these remakes of my favorite RPG came out, I've been looking at what's been said about the possibility of BG 3 being a possible project. I'm excited about this, because if it continues the original storyline then your main character and the NPC's that transfer through will attain a ridiculous level and I would like to see what they do with new abilities for these levels. I only have two real concerns though that I feel are relevant. One is that I'm worried they might deviate from the established storyline which is a huge turn off for me as a day-one player. By that I mean that I think they might do their own thing with BG 3 if they make it, and while that could make for a great game, it might be a kick in the nuts for the people who played when BG was on six disks. That concern aside, my real worry is what rule set they will implement if they make the game. I know 4e is the new thing out there, and while I haven't played 4e yet, I haven't heard much in it's favor either. Now mind you, I don't know anything about 4e rules or gameplay, I just know that I've been told it's poorly balanced and some have even said that it really sucks compared to 3e and the 3.5 revisions. I've been playing 3e and 3.5 for a good long while now, probably not since it came out, but for a long time. I know most of the content of that rule set and I have to say that I was happy with what NWN did with 3e. People in the older posts here have been saying that "IF" they make BG 3 it would "HAVE" to be 4e and to be frank, that notion in ridiculous. Personally, I believe that 3e and the 3.5 revisions are very well balanced minus a few points like Deathless Frenzy and other similar game breaker capable character abilities. Not to mention the plethora of content available for 3e, if you count any of the non WOTC books there are in the area of 90+ books to draw from. And even if you don't include non WOTC content there are still a ridiculous number of classes, monsters, feats, spells, prestige classes, playable races, etc. Five Monster Manuals, Fiend Folio, Complete Mage, Complete Divine, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, and on, and on. I would love to see the complexity that 3e and 3.5 offers brought to life in its entirety. Multi-classing beyond two classes, meta magic feats, monstrous races for PC's, actual feats when you level, the complete collection of available spells and class features, you know, playing a warlock/fighter that can use hideous blow through his full blade because you have the option of taking exotic weapon proficiencies... that kind of stuff. Now tell me that last sentence didn't make you at LEAST think of the possibilities a bit more than before. Playing a Dragon Wrought kobold, or implementing actual skill checks, allowing you to make your own build and not just some cookie cutter pre fabricated character. I don't know about you guys, but I would pay 100+ dollars, right now, for a game that accurately presented all 3e - 3.5 materials in their entirety. And I would probably play it until my fingers fell off and my eyes bled, and then I still might try with my feet by ear. I've heard it said that the amount of work it would take to make such a monster of gaming would be massive, and I agree with that. But God help the rest of the RPG world when a company does make such a game, because they're going to flood the block with it and absolutely decimate any semblance of competition in their franchise. I can see Beam Dog metaphorically disemboweling gaming giants like Blizzard with a masterpiece of such epic magnitude. To hell with WOW, let's see MMORPG BG 3 with single player functionality and full 3e - 3.5 content... and BOOM goes the dynamite. A nuke to the gaming world leaving nothing but shadows on the concrete, the only remains of once proud companies that thought they knew what an RPG was, but woe to the ignorant fools, they had not truly seen the sun, for it was only just the dawn... a bit much? I can see gamers putting down their dice and grabbing keyboards and mice like they had been poisoned and the antidote was in their computer. I see the bar being raised to an unattainable level in the RPG world and the stragglers being left forever in the dark. In short, I see a new standard of gaming excellence only inches from Beam Dog's fingers. An RPG that was instantly accepted as an awesome triumph, more that ten years dead, risen like the Phoenix, and the possibility of a sequel to bring the Lord of Murder back onto the field with the massively expanded possibilities of 3e - 3.5 content. Two things that come to mind are the Epic Level Handbook and The Book of Elder Evils for things that could challenge a God. Maybe Asmodeous, or possibly Orcis, the possibilities are so open it's ridiculous. Maybe our character has offended the Gods by ascending from a mortal and we have to duke it out with Helm or Mystra, who knows? No one, that's who, unless someone makes the game. All I can tell you is that if such a game were to come into being, I would throw down mighty on it! Sorry for the REDICULOUSLY long post, but God I'm excited about the possibilities for BG 3... anyone who made it to the bottom of my ranting, please let me know your opinion. 
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As far as the topic is concerned, I am increasingly of the opinion that any future outing in the BG universe needs to either be a reboot or something "in the vein of" the BG story. I was kind of disheartened by the number of 'boss level' minions that you ended up facing in BG:TOB. Facing a lot of Uber-Orcs and giants just felt kind of awkward and unrealistic.
which isn't to say that it "Couldn't" be done. But the original core rules were never really designed or balanced for Extreme high levels. This isn't Diablo where you can merely tack on 10 more levels and everything is OK. it just becomes unwieldy pretty much above 20 or so.
With all of that having been said, I would love more adventures in the BG universe, maybe another Bhaalspawn's story? Or a reboot where Charname gets defeated and sent back 'naked and alone' and starts again at 1st level, but having to figure out what he/she lost? Could be done.
I'd much rather see a new story.
I'd rather see a whole new game than a level 40+ adventure to continue ToB.
In my personal view, MMO games are not RPG games. People play them for different reasons than they play RPG games. They target a different market and, although there are crossovers, generally the one would not make a very good version of the other (either way).
However, It would be interesting if it used your character as some sort of backdrop for the next game. You wouldn't continue with that character but things that character did would have some sort of impact.
...What? I still think BG3 is a terrible idea. It'd be forced to use the new system, the story of BG is complete so it'd be BG in name only for the most part, new players might try it but be confused by the sudden change in story and gameplay and old players would have little interest in it because most of us are old enough to realize making sequels to really old games nearly never works out unless its a complete redoing of the entire thing and even then failure is pretty likely.
I'd much rather have IWD:EE
However at the last moment you realise there is some good in him, after an epic battle which results in the castle going supernova due to an epic simultanous battle outside, conducted by elves on dragons firing fireballs down the castles exhaust ports (something to do with the air conditioning), you remove his helmet so he can breath more easily, only for him to spit acid in your face. This allows him to escape to regroup so he can destroy you in BG4...
Just to get that early horrible spoiler in first.
Boo dies after proving to one and all he is a giant space hamster after knocking down the fortress projecting the castles energy shield.
I cried when I found that out...
But possibly the biggest spoiler that puts the whole franchise on its head is this...
More likely, if we get a BG3, it'll be set in Baldur's Gate after the Spellplague with fourth edition rules. Everyone from BG would be dead, save for perhaps the elves (all the dwarves in the game are pretty old, or in Korgan's case, die triumphantly) (and Aerie and Xan will likely be dead as well, considering how mages faired during the Spellplague). We might see a few decedents of the characters ("Hi, I'm Coran's child! Look at this tie in! Yay!"), but it would probably be pretty ham-fistedly done. It wouldn't be the characters we know and love, and... comparing Dorn, Rasaad, Neera, and Hexxat to well, Anomen, Viconia, Aerie, and Jaheira... I'm not sure I'd want the new characters, as character writing doesn't seem to be the team's strongest point.
Personally, I'm hoping we see Icewind Dale/II or Planescape: Torment enhanced, instead.
I'm sterile.
That said I don't think Overhaul is large enough for this kind of an undertaking either.
Also... Never say never!
I intend to wait until 2020 when BG3, is re-released for 3D holo projector tv's that beam everything in isometric view...
BG is finished, its over! Make something new. Same goes for movies stop it with the reboots, sequels and all that bollocks. Sick of it.
:P
As Boo's offspring... I'm not sure if I could handle the ancestral awesomeness of being Airie's love child as well...
Can't really understand all the negativity about not making BG3?
Baldur's Gate is better than Final Fantasy, James Bond, Spiderman and The Wurzels combined (Okay, I pushed the envelope to the limit including The Wurzels...)
They have been around for ages, new material is still being produced, and they all pretty much rock!
(Especially The Wurzels cause they have rocking chairs...)