The more I think about this, the more certain I become that WotC will insist that the plot of BG3 have product tie-in with "The Sundering." The Sundering is an event that is occuring in the Forgotten Realms and will be unfolded via six novels by seven different renowned Realms authors over the next several years.
The Sundering moves the Realms forward in time from the world established in the 4th edition FRCG in 1479 DR. Therefore, I think there is virtually zero chance that BG3 will be any sort of continuation of the tale of Gorion's ward. There may be descendants of Gorion's ward. And Bhaal's essence was locked away in the plane of Mount Celestia although it could conceivably seek to escape and reassert itself. But in all events, I think any sort of continuation of the the story for CHARNAME culminating in ToB will be out of the question.
If WotC insists on a tie-in with the Sundering, the story will be taking place some time post 1479 DR. All the dramatic changes to Realms in 4th ed. will therefore have occured.
During the Spellplague (1385-1395 DR) the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, collided. The overlap resulted in a violent disruption of the Weave. This collision of dimensions also caused a super cataclysm on the physical landscape with multiple simultaneous mega-natural disasters. Entire geographical regions were destroyed or massively changed. The devastation to the Shining South was particularly horrendous. Lantan was wiped out by a tsunami. Mulhorand and Unther were destroyed. Chult became an island. In some areas of the globe the two dimensions actually switched physical places.
This is essentially a post-apocalyptic Forgotten Realms.
There were dramatic effects on the gods and Realms' epic level characters, as well. (Too much to go into here.)
Due to the massive disruption of the Weave, spells typically failed to work or misfired in Wild Surges. By 1395 the great storm ended and most magic returned to normal, relatively speaking, in most places. However, by 1479 certain areas continue to suffer the effects of the Spellplague, called Plaguelands. In 1479 Abeir-Toril is still experiencing an overlap of the two dimensions. The shock of the collision itself apparently wrought the worst of it. Some stabilization has occurred. But Abeir and Toril are still mingled.
The Sundering will tell the tale (collectively, through 7 novels offering different perspectives) of how the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, will eventually be fully separated again, thereby bringing to a close the Age of Upheaval. When this happens, the supreme god Ao will rewrite the Tablets of Fate. All the gods expect this, and their mortal factions on the planet are all scrambling to position themselves as advantageously as possible.
Ah damnit, here we go again with a cataclysm ala Dragonlance. I wish they would stop doing that. I can't seem to understand why they keep ruining their worlds.
If there will be a third Baldur's Gate, I really think it should continue having Bhaal as the main god/force of focus. It doesn't have to continue the bhaalspawn saga, which I prefer has very much concluded, and should bring a new protagonist and a complex and interesting antagonist. I know WotC is most likely saying no no.
The story would take place much much later after ToB, so there would only be mentions of Charname and his/her adventures (possible to make the game randomly generate Charname's gender/party etc in the story?)
So "The Sundering". Me gusta. Even somewhat close to my idea of a story from last page.
As long as they don't move too much forward in time (so it turns into industrial age), i'm cool with that.
By the way: the reason why worlds get ruined is that it just makes things different, allows many new plots (otherwise you end up having a soap opera). Many interesting worlds had their beginning in a cataclysm (e.g. the witcher world, if you have read the books).
Getting way ahead of ourselves, I know. Ages off, if it ever sees the light of day at all. The very fact that the possibility is up for discussion blew me away. But there it is in the FAQ, plain as day: "We are pursuing the idea."
So let's play with the far-off concept that pursuit becomes reality. How could it be implemented in a way that would make a good game?
As has been discussed by the developers themselves, by the end of ToB your character is either a full-blown god...or as about as close to a god as a mortal can get, with the days when gaining a level meant anything meaningful to you at all long behind you. You can cut a bloody swath through dragons, eat liches for breakfast, and finish up the game by stomping a woman who is about 99% divinity into a mushy paste. How could the adventure possibly continue from there?
As I see it, there are only a few possibilities, all of which have major problems, IMHO:
1) New character, new setting, etc. For those with long memories, this was to be the approach of the original Baldur's Gate III before it got cancelled. If this approach was taken, however, wouldn't it be too much in-name-only? At the very least, it should have strong links to the original storyline, reappearing characters from the BG series, etc.
2) Your original character, but massively depowered through some plot contrivance. Maybe the only way to both keep your original character and not turn the challenge of the game into a joke, but also pretty cheesy and frustrating stuff. It would be hard to explain in-game and, even if explained half-way decently, would still feel like you'd been robbed. At least that would be how I would feel.
3) Your original character in their full glory. But what could they possibly throw at you to make the game a challenge? As mentioned above, you're either actually a god or the closest thing to a god. How could they possibly make the game a challenge?
There may be other options, but the above three seem the most obvious.
I'm genuinely curious, does anyone think there is a way to make a satisfying BG3? Of the above three options, which would you prefer and how would you suggest they duck the negative side-effects of that choice? Or maybe I'm overstating some of those negative side-effects? Or are there other major possibilities I'm just not thinking of right now?
there was actually a forum on this site somewhere talking about this but maybe its deleted or some such, what i think should happen is that your character ( that you play) is the offspring of the bg1 and 2 charname ( i guess go along with that your character had a romance with aerie and that little baby that was in the back pack is now you) and for whatever reason you travelled back to baldur's gate ( so the title could have some actuall sense) for whatever reason and go from there, now i've heard rumors that the 3rd game is going to spin off of the 2nd dark alliance game, and of coarse its going to use the newest dnd rule set, so probally 5th edition when it comes out, i kind of see this game going to be a big flop, but who knows, maybe some magic might happen, and unicorns will come and save us with their flying pigs with wings yes?
Great question. I despise the nerfing possibility, it just feels cheap these days.
I think there are two possibilities that would be the most interesting, the first one overlaps with your third:
1) Continue with your character from ToB - become a political force (ie taking over the Iron Throne, mayor of BG, that kinda thing), deal with huge dragons, massive undead armies, diplomacy with other countries and head up your own organisation, make decisions that shape the city/state/country/world. There are a lot of other planes that I'm sure can throw more ridiculous monsters at you, i'd definitely enjoy that.
2) Start with a new character, but your god/demigod from ToB is basically the end boss and villain through some cruel twist of fate. Perhaps you are the offspring of your previous character or are seeking revenge against that party - perhaps the demigod offspring of a different god - Myrkul has perhaps had enough of Bhaal, etc.
2) Start with a new character, but your god/demigod from ToB is basically the end boss and villain through some cruel twist of fate. Perhaps you are the offspring of your previous character or are seeking revenge against that party - perhaps the demigod offspring of a different god - Myrkul has perhaps had enough of Bhaal, etc.
This!
Basically, I think a BG3 should be a trilogy again, being released with sufficient intervals in between, and just as epic as BG1 and 2 were. It should be about a completely new character who starts all over at level 1. It could even take place on a different plane, with the end boss being the new Bhaal (charname).
I am pretty sure that in every discussion I have seen of this, the vast majority of participants have despised the idea of continuing the story with the same characters, and yet It keeps coming up as a suggestion
I dont want a potential bg3 to become a fan-wank of bg1 and 2. That would be my overall guiding principle for a sequel, so suggestions 2 and 3 would be bad.
Dont really matter to me; been a fan of BG games from the start so something new i would enjoy. new environment, character kits, races/sub races, would be a must in my eyes tho.
I would love the same setting, same style, but a new story. The BG series is a masterpiece, let's not spread it thin. I would absolutely love to get engaged in a new adventure, but retain the depth of DnD lore, history, and depth. If you can't let BG characters go, they could make comforting (or violent!) cameo appearances, just like Drizzt did.
I think they've strongly implied it would be a new character. It should definitely be the same setting though, Baldur's Gate IS the Forgotten Realms. Unless by new setting you just mean a new part of the realms.
I think in order to make it actually feel like a sequel, the story would need to be connected somehow, and some of the old characters would have to appear, if only as cameos or plot devices. I do think the idea of making the new protagonist the child of the BG1&2 protagonist has some promise. On the other hand I really dislike the idea of making the BG1&2 protagonist the villain, since in the canonical version of the story he declined to become a god, and I think most people probably played BG1&2 as a good character.
Also if they went with the child of BG1&2 protagonist idea, they could let you import your BG2EE save and then at the beginning they could have a scene where the character talks to his parent - Aerie by default, but could be Jaheira, Viconia, or Anomen if you imported a save with a romance with one of those characters. That could be pretty cool and give some continuity.
The possibilities seem limitless at this point, although from my understanding they would be limited (as R.A. Salvatore was) in the new content - namely, sticking to the newest version of Forgotten Realms and incorporating 5e rules. From what I've seen of 5e, I think it could make a quality RPG Adventure. For the plot to be any good or make any sense, I think it would have to be set in the Forgotten Realms (in the Baldur's Gate area) but should be more of a successor - not a direct spinoff. I agree with those above that the original saga is complete - it would do the story a disservice to stretch the plot any thinner. Let us start a new hero in the new Forgotten Realms, while keeping the spirit and nature of the original Baldur's Gate alive. I think this is the best way to make BG3 a success.
Hopefully, BG3 will be Baldur's Gate only in the engine. I don't think i would like yet another FR game, especially with all the IP constraints Overhaul would be hit with.
Philip Daigle has also said that we should expect that BG3, if it does come to pass, will be in sync with related WotC products at that time. And where the setting is concerned that is going to be the 4th ed. FRCS and "Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster's Forgotten Realms" (hitting the shelves this month); and, I would think also the Sundering, which is a world changing event told in six FR novels by six different authors to be released over the next couple of years.
These books are going to place the setting (at least) over 100 years from the end of ToB. So how could there be any continuation of the tale told in the BG series? At least not with the same characters, it won't. Humans would be dead. Half-elves would have one foot in the grave. Not to mention that they're all ridiculously high level. And for the races that live hundreds of years, there is no telling what happened to any of BG series long-lived NPCs during the cataclysmic Spellplague.
The ruleset will probably be Edition Next, but that might allow devs to design something quite similar to the one we know and love from the BG series.
As far as a brand new story goes, I think there probably could be tie-ins woven between the Sundering and the legacy of the Bhaalspawn Wars--including in particular that Bhaal's essence was locked away in Mount Celestia.
The story of CHARNAME, I believe, has been sufficiently concluded. The fact that we keep dreaming "what could happen next" is a testament to the quality of the story but not necessarily an indicator that it should be revisited.
One opportunity to create something fresh but still claim a Baldur's Gate title is the destruction and chaos wrought by the Bhaalspawn. Their actions could have easily upset balances, created power vacuums, awakened ancient evils, etc. Other then the event of the passing of the Bhaalspawn allowing these conditions to arise, a myriad of stories could emerge with no further connection to the old games yet still be a natural conclusion to BG2 - ToB.
It absolutely could not happen without being set in the FR. I would be happiest with a few vague echoes of the original story to make it part of the same timeline, and 'canonise' the events of the previous games, maybe see the return of some artefacts etc.
I think a more interesting question would be how would we want to see the game deal with modern technologies? I think it would be a little regressive to just say they'd like it to be just the same as the old infinity games, which I think some people seem to expect. What I'd like to see it a similar look, fixed angle but zoomable isometric viewpoint (when you can rotate the camera you just end up with things in the way. I never felt like I wanted to look around any corners in BG) but more interactivity in the world and the environment. Things like implementing cantrips, thief skills like scaling walls, languages etc. would allow character creation and class choice to have a greater effect on gameplay outside of combat.
One thing I don't get: Where is the problem with making BG3 with 2.5 Edition rules? I don't get why it has to be the current version of the P&P game.
Regarding the story: I think there should be a strong connection to the previous games. Preferably one that is much better than anything we - unprofessional as we are - can come up with.
WotC are partners with Beamdog, and they own the rights to the setting, characters, and story. So Beamdog can't design anything that WotC doesn't agree to. 2nd ed. AD&D is no longer supported. WotC presumably wants tie-ins to their current products, not old, no-longer-supported ones.
But fortunately Edition Next looks like a pretty flexible framework with which to design customized rulesets. At least that's what I'm reading. Edition Next is currently undergoing a playtest by fans.
The more I think about this, the more certain I become that WotC will insist that the plot of BG3 have product tie-in with "The Sundering." The Sundering is an event that is occuring in the Forgotten Realms and will be unfolded via six novels by seven different renowned Realms authors over the next several years.
The Sundering moves the Realms forward in time from the world established in the 4th edition FRCG in 1479 DR. Therefore, I think there is virtually zero chance that BG3 will be any sort of continuation of the tale of Gorion's ward. There may be descendants of Gorion's ward. And Bhaal's essence was locked away in the plane of Mount Celestia although it could conceivably seek to escape and reassert itself. But in all events, I think any sort of continuation of the the story for CHARNAME culminating in ToB will be out of the question.
If WotC insists on a tie-in with the Sundering, the story will be taking place some time post 1479 DR. All the dramatic changes to Realms in 4th ed. will therefore have occured.
During the Spellplague (1385-1395 DR) the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, collided. The overlap resulted in a violent disruption of the Weave. This collision of dimensions also caused a super cataclysm on the physical landscape with multiple simultaneous mega-natural disasters. Entire geographical regions were destroyed or massively changed. The devastation to the Shining South was particularly horrendous. Lantan was wiped out by a tsunami. Mulhorand and Unther were destroyed. Chult became an island. In some areas of the globe the two dimensions actually switched physical places.
This is essentially a post-apocalyptic Forgotten Realms.
There were dramatic effects on the gods and Realms' epic level characters, as well. (Too much to go into here.)
Due to the massive disruption of the Weave, spells typically failed to work or misfired in Wild Surges. By 1395 the great storm ended and most magic returned to normal, relatively speaking, in most places. However, by 1479 certain areas continue to suffer the effects of the Spellplague, called Plaguelands. In 1479 Abeir-Toril is still experiencing an overlap of the two dimensions. The shock of the collision itself apparently wrought the worst of it. Some stabilization has occurred. But Abeir and Toril are still mingled.
The Sundering will tell the tale (collectively, through 6 novels offering different perspectives) of how the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, will eventually be fully separated again, thereby bringing to a close the Age of Upheaval. When this happens, the supreme god Ao will rewrite the Tablets of Fate. All the gods expect this, and their mortal factions on the planet are all scrambling to position themselves as advantageously as possible.
Also, re: the engine for BG3... from everything I have read thus far from both the developers and modders helping BG:EE, the Infinity Engine is a total beast to work with. It was coded a decade and a half ago. With the source artwork lost, especially, I don't think we're going to see even the Enhanced Infinifty engine used to make BG3.
But IIRC the devs here have said that BG3 will use an isometric perspective.
Hopefully the modularity and flexibility of Edition Next will allow BG3 to have a very similar gameplay to what we're familiar with from the BG series. I'd love to see them stick with what works with the BG series, modify what could arguably be improved on it, and make a truly extraordinary game engine and ruleset.
I'm very optimistic for BG3. It could be awesome. I do expect it to be set over a century in the future, but in a world which has had some time to recover from the devastation of the Spellplague. I do not worry that we will see a Steampunk sort of world. (Although one of the results of the Spellplague is a movement by some towards developing more technology and mechanical devices.) From what I'm reading, the Sundering is "moving the Realms back to its roots," by which I think they mean a lower magic setting.
I once posed the question to Ed Greenwood at the Candlekeep forum of how high magic "should" be in the Realms, and this was his response, via his friend and confidante The Hooded One:
June 2, 2005: Hello, all. Ed replies to this question from Lemernis: "I have a question for Ed about the level of magic in Faerun. The 3rd ed. FRCS pp 92-94 implies that adventuring magic is not particularly common, and in fact may be rather hard to come by. Is real magic (as opposed to gimmick magic) extremely familiar to most or something of a rarity? How difficult is it to come by? Is it found commonly in stores?"
Ed speaks:
Well met, Lemernis. The reason why Realms sources tend to be vague about "how much" magic is out there, and how easily obtained it is, is simply because "we" (the Realms designers) want to leave the 'magic level' of any campaign up to the DM and players in that campaign.
It's easy to be misled by the endless writeups of new spells and magic items into thinking of the Realms as some sort of vast candy store of magic, and by seeing the Chosen of Mystra endlessly flitting about using magic (particularly if you forget that the Chosen of Mystra are charged by their goddess to EXPAND MAGIC USE throughout Toril, putting more magic into the hands of all who won't use it primarily to seize magic from others, slay those who work magic, and by other means restrict magic).
In 'my' original Realms, magic is gained in two ways: by adventuring (as shown in a scene in THE TEMPTATION OF ELMINSTER, Chosen of Mystra actually go around 'planting' scrolls, spellbooks, and magic items in tombs, for adventurers to find), and by undertaking training or study (which often involves temporary service with) someone who possesses more powerful magic. Apart from 'THE' MageFair, magic is never for sale in a store (as opposed to 'secret deals' where someone sells or auctions individual items to discerning persons). The published Realms does have some magic stores, because some gamers prefer that style of play and the published Realms was intended to be the "campaign setting for all" for the 2nd Edition of the D&D game.
Myself, I believe you should pick the level of magic that's most comfortable for you and your fellow gamers/DM, and always err on the side of 'low magic' or at least 'mysterious magic' (the sword glows, and can slice through coat-of-plate, but it started humming that one time, and on that other occasion made a doorknob glow green, so I'm not quite sure what else it does, and what it was crafted to do), to keep roleplaying to the fore and avoid any temptation or possibility for your game becoming a sort of football-huddle tactical arms race wherein attention shifts to game rules and mechanics in endless fighting.
So saith Ed.
As one of his players, I can confirm that we Knights SAW a lot of magic hurled and carted (in the form of gleaming magic items) around, but rarely got our hands on all that much of it - - and when we did, we tended to worry, because it meant we were soon going to face a challenge that would test us to the utmost and we'd better be able to USE that magic if we didn't want to perish. Which is one of the reasons that the first decade or so of real playing time took us up to the lofty heights of 7th to 9th levels!
love to all,
THO
So I am thinking... well, hoping... that what we'll see in BG3 is an experience rather like what we're about to go through again with BG:EE in terms of starting off at level 1, and where magic is a really precious and truly special thing.
I guess it won't hurt putting the Infinity Engine to rest for BG3. That being said, I wish for the possible sequel to be as close to the Infinity Engine as possible. What I'm saying is: don't discard all the good stuff that is in there. Study the Infinity games well. Analyse what is popular and WHY they are popular and learn from it.
I'd love to see BG2 being 2d - maybe with 3d unit and spell models. One thing that was so fascinating about the Infinity games was, that even despite their ANCIENT age, they still look good until today.
Make the backgrounds and landscape pre-rendered 2d images with layers, the same way the Infinity engine did. But make it HD. And with HD, I mean *real* HD. Using pre-rendered backgrounds allows for an almost unlimited amount of detail and polys and graphics without actually sucking on the hardware - which is totally awesome. I'd love to see backgrounds looking almost like a photograph. Then add the 3d character, npc and monster models. Smooth and natural animations and equipment you can actually see on your characters.
I'd say isometric view all the way. It's simply the best anyone could ever do for RPGs. It combines the best of all areas: Tactical combat with overview, no trouble with annoying camera angles, improving the imagination aspect of roleplay (allowing our mind to fill in the gaps that the graphics can't tell us - we don't want our meat chewed, we want to chew it ourselves, so please spare us with annoying hollywood-esque cutscenes!)
About the Story: I don't really care. As long as it's a good writer and awesome narrative, I don't mind giving up on my beloved BG trilogy characters. The connection could be established the same way the original Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights did: Simply make the events happen around the city of Baldur's Gate. But I wouldn't mind if they use the BG name as a token name to make the product sell better as long as the quality matches the old games, even if it has nothing to do with BG1 or BG2 at all.
Looking forward to seeing the 4th or 5th edition in action. I am not one of those "2.5 all the way" nerds. I feel that both the old and the new editions have a certain, unique appeal to them and despite not being close to each other, they still are both of high quality.
As I see it, there are only a few possibilities, all of which have major problems, IMHO:
1) New character, new setting, etc. For those with long memories, this was to be the approach of the original Baldur's Gate III before it got cancelled. If this approach was taken, however, wouldn't it be too much in-name-only? At the very least, it should have strong links to the original storyline, reappearing characters from the BG series, etc.
2) Your original character, but massively depowered through some plot contrivance. Maybe the only way to both keep your original character and not turn the challenge of the game into a joke, but also pretty cheesy and frustrating stuff. It would be hard to explain in-game and, even if explained half-way decently, would still feel like you'd been robbed. At least that would be how I would feel.
3) Your original character in their full glory. But what could they possibly throw at you to make the game a challenge? As mentioned above, you're either actually a god or the closest thing to a god. How could they possibly make the game a challenge?
There may be other options, but the above three seem the most obvious.
I'm genuinely curious, does anyone think there is a way to make a satisfying BG3? Of the above three options, which would you prefer and how would you suggest they duck the negative side-effects of that choice? Or maybe I'm overstating some of those negative side-effects? Or are there other major possibilities I'm just not thinking of right now?
While I'm really, really, really hoping they do not use the D & D 4th Edition system for the rules system, if they use the changes to the Forgotten Realms campaign setting they can dodge a lot of the problems by simply using a new character. The new setting would be easy to justify in terms of the disaster that struck, and lots of room to roam with new material. You could link the new character to the old by having them be a descendant. Aerie, Jaheira, the elven ranger whose name I forget, and Halderis could all still be alive and reappear as NPCs as well.
...While I'm really, really, really hoping they do not use the D & D 4th Edition system for the rules system...
I don't think there is any risk of that. Beamdog sitll has to release BG2:EE in 2013. And then they begin work on BG3, assuming that they meet their sales goals with the Enhanced Editions. By the time they're actually designing BG3, Edition Next will be out. They're building a new game from the ground up, so figure this is going to take at least a year if not a couple. Since Edition Next is (reportedly) based on customization and modularity, future editions will hopefully simply tweak and expand that framework, which seems to be a reasonable solution to the 'edition wars' problem of splintering the fan base. Anyway, I think we have good reason to hope for an amazing ruleset in BG3. How they put together the ruleset will be a crucial test of the developers' judgment, to say the least.
Comments
The Sundering moves the Realms forward in time from the world established in the 4th edition FRCG in 1479 DR. Therefore, I think there is virtually zero chance that BG3 will be any sort of continuation of the tale of Gorion's ward. There may be descendants of Gorion's ward. And Bhaal's essence was locked away in the plane of Mount Celestia although it could conceivably seek to escape and reassert itself. But in all events, I think any sort of continuation of the the story for CHARNAME culminating in ToB will be out of the question.
If WotC insists on a tie-in with the Sundering, the story will be taking place some time post 1479 DR. All the dramatic changes to Realms in 4th ed. will therefore have occured.
During the Spellplague (1385-1395 DR) the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, collided. The overlap resulted in a violent disruption of the Weave. This collision of dimensions also caused a super cataclysm on the physical landscape with multiple simultaneous mega-natural disasters. Entire geographical regions were destroyed or massively changed. The devastation to the Shining South was particularly horrendous. Lantan was wiped out by a tsunami. Mulhorand and Unther were destroyed. Chult became an island. In some areas of the globe the two dimensions actually switched physical places.
This is essentially a post-apocalyptic Forgotten Realms.
There were dramatic effects on the gods and Realms' epic level characters, as well. (Too much to go into here.)
Due to the massive disruption of the Weave, spells typically failed to work or misfired in Wild Surges. By 1395 the great storm ended and most magic returned to normal, relatively speaking, in most places. However, by 1479 certain areas continue to suffer the effects of the Spellplague, called Plaguelands. In 1479 Abeir-Toril is still experiencing an overlap of the two dimensions. The shock of the collision itself apparently wrought the worst of it. Some stabilization has occurred. But Abeir and Toril are still mingled.
The Sundering will tell the tale (collectively, through 7 novels offering different perspectives) of how the planet's two dimensions in the multiverse, Abeir and Toril, will eventually be fully separated again, thereby bringing to a close the Age of Upheaval. When this happens, the supreme god Ao will rewrite the Tablets of Fate. All the gods expect this, and their mortal factions on the planet are all scrambling to position themselves as advantageously as possible.
The story would take place much much later after ToB, so there would only be mentions of Charname and his/her adventures (possible to make the game randomly generate Charname's gender/party etc in the story?)
As long as they don't move too much forward in time (so it turns into industrial age), i'm cool with that.
By the way: the reason why worlds get ruined is that it just makes things different, allows many new plots (otherwise you end up having a soap opera). Many interesting worlds had their beginning in a cataclysm (e.g. the witcher world, if you have read the books).
So let's play with the far-off concept that pursuit becomes reality. How could it be implemented in a way that would make a good game?
As has been discussed by the developers themselves, by the end of ToB your character is either a full-blown god...or as about as close to a god as a mortal can get, with the days when gaining a level meant anything meaningful to you at all long behind you. You can cut a bloody swath through dragons, eat liches for breakfast, and finish up the game by stomping a woman who is about 99% divinity into a mushy paste. How could the adventure possibly continue from there?
As I see it, there are only a few possibilities, all of which have major problems, IMHO:
1) New character, new setting, etc. For those with long memories, this was to be the approach of the original Baldur's Gate III before it got cancelled. If this approach was taken, however, wouldn't it be too much in-name-only? At the very least, it should have strong links to the original storyline, reappearing characters from the BG series, etc.
2) Your original character, but massively depowered through some plot contrivance. Maybe the only way to both keep your original character and not turn the challenge of the game into a joke, but also pretty cheesy and frustrating stuff. It would be hard to explain in-game and, even if explained half-way decently, would still feel like you'd been robbed. At least that would be how I would feel.
3) Your original character in their full glory. But what could they possibly throw at you to make the game a challenge? As mentioned above, you're either actually a god or the closest thing to a god. How could they possibly make the game a challenge?
There may be other options, but the above three seem the most obvious.
I'm genuinely curious, does anyone think there is a way to make a satisfying BG3? Of the above three options, which would you prefer and how would you suggest they duck the negative side-effects of that choice? Or maybe I'm overstating some of those negative side-effects? Or are there other major possibilities I'm just not thinking of right now?
I think there are two possibilities that would be the most interesting, the first one overlaps with your third:
1) Continue with your character from ToB - become a political force (ie taking over the Iron Throne, mayor of BG, that kinda thing), deal with huge dragons, massive undead armies, diplomacy with other countries and head up your own organisation, make decisions that shape the city/state/country/world. There are a lot of other planes that I'm sure can throw more ridiculous monsters at you, i'd definitely enjoy that.
2) Start with a new character, but your god/demigod from ToB is basically the end boss and villain through some cruel twist of fate. Perhaps you are the offspring of your previous character or are seeking revenge against that party - perhaps the demigod offspring of a different god - Myrkul has perhaps had enough of Bhaal, etc.
Basically, I think a BG3 should be a trilogy again, being released with sufficient intervals in between, and just as epic as BG1 and 2 were. It should be about a completely new character who starts all over at level 1. It could even take place on a different plane, with the end boss being the new Bhaal (charname).
I dont want a potential bg3 to become a fan-wank of bg1 and 2. That would be my overall guiding principle for a sequel, so suggestions 2 and 3 would be bad.
I think in order to make it actually feel like a sequel, the story would need to be connected somehow, and some of the old characters would have to appear, if only as cameos or plot devices. I do think the idea of making the new protagonist the child of the BG1&2 protagonist has some promise. On the other hand I really dislike the idea of making the BG1&2 protagonist the villain, since in the canonical version of the story he declined to become a god, and I think most people probably played BG1&2 as a good character.
These books are going to place the setting (at least) over 100 years from the end of ToB. So how could there be any continuation of the tale told in the BG series? At least not with the same characters, it won't. Humans would be dead. Half-elves would have one foot in the grave. Not to mention that they're all ridiculously high level. And for the races that live hundreds of years, there is no telling what happened to any of BG series long-lived NPCs during the cataclysmic Spellplague.
The ruleset will probably be Edition Next, but that might allow devs to design something quite similar to the one we know and love from the BG series.
As far as a brand new story goes, I think there probably could be tie-ins woven between the Sundering and the legacy of the Bhaalspawn Wars--including in particular that Bhaal's essence was locked away in Mount Celestia.
One opportunity to create something fresh but still claim a Baldur's Gate title is the destruction and chaos wrought by the Bhaalspawn. Their actions could have easily upset balances, created power vacuums, awakened ancient evils, etc. Other then the event of the passing of the Bhaalspawn allowing these conditions to arise, a myriad of stories could emerge with no further connection to the old games yet still be a natural conclusion to BG2 - ToB.
I think a more interesting question would be how would we want to see the game deal with modern technologies? I think it would be a little regressive to just say they'd like it to be just the same as the old infinity games, which I think some people seem to expect. What I'd like to see it a similar look, fixed angle but zoomable isometric viewpoint (when you can rotate the camera you just end up with things in the way. I never felt like I wanted to look around any corners in BG) but more interactivity in the world and the environment. Things like implementing cantrips, thief skills like scaling walls, languages etc. would allow character creation and class choice to have a greater effect on gameplay outside of combat.
Regarding the story: I think there should be a strong connection to the previous games. Preferably one that is much better than anything we - unprofessional as we are - can come up with.
WotC are partners with Beamdog, and they own the rights to the setting, characters, and story. So Beamdog can't design anything that WotC doesn't agree to. 2nd ed. AD&D is no longer supported. WotC presumably wants tie-ins to their current products, not old, no-longer-supported ones.
But fortunately Edition Next looks like a pretty flexible framework with which to design customized rulesets. At least that's what I'm reading. Edition Next is currently undergoing a playtest by fans.
For further reference, an article on Edittion Next.
But IIRC the devs here have said that BG3 will use an isometric perspective.
Hopefully the modularity and flexibility of Edition Next will allow BG3 to have a very similar gameplay to what we're familiar with from the BG series. I'd love to see them stick with what works with the BG series, modify what could arguably be improved on it, and make a truly extraordinary game engine and ruleset.
I'm very optimistic for BG3. It could be awesome. I do expect it to be set over a century in the future, but in a world which has had some time to recover from the devastation of the Spellplague. I do not worry that we will see a Steampunk sort of world. (Although one of the results of the Spellplague is a movement by some towards developing more technology and mechanical devices.) From what I'm reading, the Sundering is "moving the Realms back to its roots," by which I think they mean a lower magic setting.
I once posed the question to Ed Greenwood at the Candlekeep forum of how high magic "should" be in the Realms, and this was his response, via his friend and confidante The Hooded One: So I am thinking... well, hoping... that what we'll see in BG3 is an experience rather like what we're about to go through again with BG:EE in terms of starting off at level 1, and where magic is a really precious and truly special thing.
What I'm saying is: don't discard all the good stuff that is in there. Study the Infinity games well. Analyse what is popular and WHY they are popular and learn from it.
I'd love to see BG2 being 2d - maybe with 3d unit and spell models. One thing that was so fascinating about the Infinity games was, that even despite their ANCIENT age, they still look good until today.
Make the backgrounds and landscape pre-rendered 2d images with layers, the same way the Infinity engine did. But make it HD. And with HD, I mean *real* HD.
Using pre-rendered backgrounds allows for an almost unlimited amount of detail and polys and graphics without actually sucking on the hardware - which is totally awesome. I'd love to see backgrounds looking almost like a photograph.
Then add the 3d character, npc and monster models. Smooth and natural animations and equipment you can actually see on your characters.
I'd say isometric view all the way. It's simply the best anyone could ever do for RPGs. It combines the best of all areas: Tactical combat with overview, no trouble with annoying camera angles, improving the imagination aspect of roleplay (allowing our mind to fill in the gaps that the graphics can't tell us - we don't want our meat chewed, we want to chew it ourselves, so please spare us with annoying hollywood-esque cutscenes!)
About the Story:
I don't really care. As long as it's a good writer and awesome narrative, I don't mind giving up on my beloved BG trilogy characters. The connection could be established the same way the original Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights did: Simply make the events happen around the city of Baldur's Gate. But I wouldn't mind if they use the BG name as a token name to make the product sell better as long as the quality matches the old games, even if it has nothing to do with BG1 or BG2 at all.
Looking forward to seeing the 4th or 5th edition in action. I am not one of those "2.5 all the way" nerds. I feel that both the old and the new editions have a certain, unique appeal to them and despite not being close to each other, they still are both of high quality.