"We are excited to announce the eagerly anticipated gameplay reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3. Our Creative Director Swen Vincke will be playing live on stage with Jesse Cox, revealing more about the story, mechanics, and the answers to much asked questions. With seating for 1000 people, don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live show, it’ll also be streamed on YouTube. For those at PAX, there will also be a short, live Q&A where your questions can be asked and answered.
We will also be present in the expo hall of PAX East, with an all-new booth dedicated to Baldur’s Gate 3. At the booth, our team will be serving up live gameplay presentations for the entire weekend, starting after the live show concludes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was announced back at E3 last year, and since then we’ve have been continuing to grow to 350 people (including outsourcers), and working on new technology and pipelines that allow the team to create a truly next-generation RPG, spanning 100+ hours of content, with all the depth you’d expect, and many surprises along the way that even fans of critically acclaimed Divinity Original Sin 2 won’t expect.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
Here are also a few responses from their CM on Reddit:
It will not be necessary to have played BG 1&2. Like the Divinity series, any story or lore necessary for the game will be included; hypothetically there could be some minor references or easter eggs that people who have played the earlier games could notice, which a new player would miss.
We are aiming for a similar amount of content as D:OS 2, so presumably 50 to 100+ hours, depending on playstyle and difficulty level.
Swen Vicke: “Join us as we return to Baldur’s Gate for the first time in 20 years!”
Hahahahahahahaha, Beamdog just got destroyed.
Anyway... it'll be good to see the gameplay reveal finally so we have something solid to discuss instead of this air of vague and unsubstantiated paranoia that's prevalent here.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
Does that almost sound like the PC will be undergoing the transformation into an Illithid? That would be a really weird plot device.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
Does that almost sound like the PC will be undergoing the transformation into an Illithid? That would be a really weird plot device.
That would be interesting... Chapter 1 could be you trying to avoid metamorphosis.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
Does that almost sound like the PC will be undergoing the transformation into an Illithid? That would be a really weird plot device.
That would be interesting... Chapter 1 could be you trying to avoid metamorphosis.
Which would then also make it a very timed thing, which I would absolutely hate.
"Return to Baldur's Gate for the first time in 20 years"
Everytime someone says that a BeamPuppy dies.
Wow. Screw off, Larian.
if anything makes me care about bg 3 even less. yes i know people hate beamdog but this reminds me of how much Bethesda screwed over obsidian with new vegas.
and you wanna know what i did due to that? i considered fallout 3,4 and 76 non canon. and i may do the same with bg 3.
"We are excited to announce the eagerly anticipated gameplay reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3. Our Creative Director Swen Vincke will be playing live on stage with Jesse Cox, revealing more about the story, mechanics, and the answers to much asked questions. With seating for 1000 people, don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live show, it’ll also be streamed on YouTube. For those at PAX, there will also be a short, live Q&A where your questions can be asked and answered.
We will also be present in the expo hall of PAX East, with an all-new booth dedicated to Baldur’s Gate 3. At the booth, our team will be serving up live gameplay presentations for the entire weekend, starting after the live show concludes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was announced back at E3 last year, and since then we’ve have been continuing to grow to 350 people (including outsourcers), and working on new technology and pipelines that allow the team to create a truly next-generation RPG, spanning 100+ hours of content, with all the depth you’d expect, and many surprises along the way that even fans of critically acclaimed Divinity Original Sin 2 won’t expect.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
That feeling when you wait all of February for the news to come only for the news to be that there won't be any news until the very last day of February Dx
It will be a third-person game in the AAA action RPG style, but instead of the usual RT/RTwP of such games this game will introduce TB combat into the action RPG genre. That will be what Larian will claim is their "next-generation" innovation.
It will be a third-person game in the AAA action RPG style, but instead of the usual RT/RTwP of such games this game will introduce TB combat into the action RPG genre. That will be what Larian will claim is their "next-generation" innovation.
to be fair larian has been wanting to go back to the devinty 2 combat system for years. they just could not with the original sin games.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?
Also, this part of the announcement is revealing. Based on the tidbits gleaned from the "first character reveal" post, my guess is that the PC will be somebody who is afflicted with ceremorphosis, but for some reason the process is halted/suspended as per the conversation the mysterious Tchokl is having. Perhaps Larian is going for a theme similar to the previous two BG games (or NWN2!) where the dormant illithid tadpole within them can grant them great power, but at the cost of losing oneself to the alien being inside you, and possibly even giving in to it altogether and losing your own identity.
All this secretiveness up to this point just for Early Access...? So people must shell out a AAA price tag for getting the "priviledge" of being unpaid beta testers?? Now that's what I call a good joke!
Yup, won't bother with Larian's newest brainchild for at least two and a half years. There are better things on the horizon worth my money.
D:OS games had amazing Early Access programs, so I don't see anything bad with that. They really grew during those periods.
You know, our own Axis & Allies 1942 Online is in Early Access, it's getting constant updates with new features (and not only bug fixes) based on the community feedback. It's one of the best ways to develop something staying close to your community.
In a way, I'd compare it to a Kickstarter campaign - where people also spend money on different features they want to see in the game. Of a much smaller scale, of course. But when you buy an Early Access title, it stays yours after the full launch.
It's time to stop thinking about Early Access as a necessarily bad thing - everything is different for each developer. Just look at how many people wished NWN:EE launched in Early Access as well.
There are hundreds of games which started in Early Access and then became wonderful games: Oxygen Not Included, Rimworld, etc.
And if you recall, PoE also launched with a small beta, in Dyrford Village, a bit similar to how D:OS 2 had the Fort Joy area in Early Access.
Early Access is a useful tool when used correctly: i.e. as a temporarely, late-stage open beta testing phase of their current developer build. That's it. You'd be surprised how many games stay indefinitely in EA due mismanagement and/or misuse of said steam program. I agree with you that Early Access is not necessarily a bad thing - but at the same time it isn't inherently a good thing either.
Another rather important aspect of Early Access titles is their price. This will be a subjective matter for everyone individually. Yes, I also have purchased games which were in EA before. Subnautica Below Zero as well as Adore for example. None of them did cost me more than €17. Which for me personally is still tolerable in my book. Axis & Allies 1942 Online would also fall under this criteria as well. But I honestly have no interest in that game whatsoever. Not now, nor in the future. Historical war games are just not my thing.
On the other hand there is no way for Baldur's Gate 3 to cost less than Divinity: Original Sin 2 when entering its Early Access phase. Paying €45~€60 for an incomplete game? No way in hell, not worth my money. Better wait until it has come out of EA and also is included in a steam sale down the road. I know I will do so.
As for Early Access being comparable to crowdfundings: they're not. That's a dangerous misunderstanding which drove not a few indie studios into ruin: lack of exposure equalling lack of sale, meaning lack of fundings and therefore developers not getting paid - thus the studio closes for good. A story which can be found all around steam. That's one of the misuses I mentioned above.
When isn't inherently a good thing, the best indicator should be previous programs of the same developer: D:OS 1&2 both had good Early Access periods. Just as you say, it was a late-stage open beta testing phase to make the game even better.
And yes, Early Access should not be comparable to crowdfunding - for the developer. But for the end customer, is there a big difference to pay 30 USD to support a project on Kickstarter and then pay 30 USD to buy the released game, or pay 40-60 USD for the game in Early Access?
is there a big difference to pay 30 USD to support a project on Kickstarter and then pay 30 USD to buy the released game, or pay 40-60 USD for the game in Early Access?
In short? Yes.
Both crowdfundings and Early Access are risky gambles for backers/customers to take. But there are more merits in being a backer than a customer who purchased an EA title.
1. Backing is cheaper compared to buying at the retail price. This goes even more so for Early Bird pledge tiers.
2. Backers are aware of the overall fundings at the studio's disposal. Whenever those fundings are utilzed responsible or not is a different matter altogeher. But it's true that this gives people greater transparency. Early Access games do not provide such insight.
Again, the safest way for customers would be to neither be a backer or partake in an Early Access due to the risks involved. The smart way is to wait until a game is both complete and bug-free. It's not like there's anything else to play in the meantime.
But this same story has come up again and again going on two years now. So I for one am now in a position of wanting to see the games and not buying the BS newsline from WotC. Digital games include games exclusively for phones, for example. So I'm not buying into what I see as fake hype.
I encourage everyone to watch this video about D:OS 2, which explains, among other things, how player gameplay patterns during the Early Access period helped reveal some issues in Fort Joy, and overall helped make the game much better.
The Early Access D:OS 2 wasn't a half-baked product - they closely engaged with the core player-base over what the issues were and what needed to change. Very similar to what we're doing with Axis & Allies 1942 Online.
Comments
So at 15:30 ET.
From the newsletter:
"We are excited to announce the eagerly anticipated gameplay reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3. Our Creative Director Swen Vincke will be playing live on stage with Jesse Cox, revealing more about the story, mechanics, and the answers to much asked questions. With seating for 1000 people, don’t worry if you can’t make it to the live show, it’ll also be streamed on YouTube. For those at PAX, there will also be a short, live Q&A where your questions can be asked and answered.
We will also be present in the expo hall of PAX East, with an all-new booth dedicated to Baldur’s Gate 3. At the booth, our team will be serving up live gameplay presentations for the entire weekend, starting after the live show concludes.
Baldur’s Gate 3 was announced back at E3 last year, and since then we’ve have been continuing to grow to 350 people (including outsourcers), and working on new technology and pipelines that allow the team to create a truly next-generation RPG, spanning 100+ hours of content, with all the depth you’d expect, and many surprises along the way that even fans of critically acclaimed Divinity Original Sin 2 won’t expect.
You are burdened with a great power devouring you from within.
How far down the path of darkness will you let it take you?
The fate of Faerûn is on your party’s shoulders.
Will you carry it to salvation, or descend with it to hell?"
It will not be necessary to have played BG 1&2. Like the Divinity series, any story or lore necessary for the game will be included; hypothetically there could be some minor references or easter eggs that people who have played the earlier games could notice, which a new player would miss.
We are aiming for a similar amount of content as D:OS 2, so presumably 50 to 100+ hours, depending on playstyle and difficulty level.
Everytime someone says that a BeamPuppy dies.
Hahahahahahahaha, Beamdog just got destroyed.
Anyway... it'll be good to see the gameplay reveal finally so we have something solid to discuss instead of this air of vague and unsubstantiated paranoia that's prevalent here.
i know alot of people still have a grudge towards sod.
but this is out right disrespect here.
Does that almost sound like the PC will be undergoing the transformation into an Illithid? That would be a really weird plot device.
Loved the voice of the actress, she kinda remember me of Morrigan.
That would be interesting... Chapter 1 could be you trying to avoid metamorphosis.
Wow. Screw off, Larian.
if anything makes me care about bg 3 even less. yes i know people hate beamdog but this reminds me of how much Bethesda screwed over obsidian with new vegas.
and you wanna know what i did due to that? i considered fallout 3,4 and 76 non canon. and i may do the same with bg 3.
Or both...
Or neither.
That feeling when you wait all of February for the news to come only for the news to be that there won't be any news until the very last day of February Dx
It will be a third-person game in the AAA action RPG style, but instead of the usual RT/RTwP of such games this game will introduce TB combat into the action RPG genre. That will be what Larian will claim is their "next-generation" innovation.
to be fair larian has been wanting to go back to the devinty 2 combat system for years. they just could not with the original sin games.
"revealed that Baldur’s Gate 3 is scheduled for Early Access later this year"
https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2020/02/wizards-of-the-coast-reveals-the-next-five-years-of-dd-gaming.html
Yup, won't bother with Larian's newest brainchild for at least two and a half years. There are better things on the horizon worth my money.
You know, our own Axis & Allies 1942 Online is in Early Access, it's getting constant updates with new features (and not only bug fixes) based on the community feedback. It's one of the best ways to develop something staying close to your community.
In a way, I'd compare it to a Kickstarter campaign - where people also spend money on different features they want to see in the game. Of a much smaller scale, of course. But when you buy an Early Access title, it stays yours after the full launch.
It's time to stop thinking about Early Access as a necessarily bad thing - everything is different for each developer. Just look at how many people wished NWN:EE launched in Early Access as well.
There are hundreds of games which started in Early Access and then became wonderful games: Oxygen Not Included, Rimworld, etc.
And if you recall, PoE also launched with a small beta, in Dyrford Village, a bit similar to how D:OS 2 had the Fort Joy area in Early Access.
Another rather important aspect of Early Access titles is their price. This will be a subjective matter for everyone individually. Yes, I also have purchased games which were in EA before. Subnautica Below Zero as well as Adore for example. None of them did cost me more than €17. Which for me personally is still tolerable in my book. Axis & Allies 1942 Online would also fall under this criteria as well. But I honestly have no interest in that game whatsoever. Not now, nor in the future. Historical war games are just not my thing.
On the other hand there is no way for Baldur's Gate 3 to cost less than Divinity: Original Sin 2 when entering its Early Access phase. Paying €45~€60 for an incomplete game? No way in hell, not worth my money. Better wait until it has come out of EA and also is included in a steam sale down the road. I know I will do so.
As for Early Access being comparable to crowdfundings: they're not. That's a dangerous misunderstanding which drove not a few indie studios into ruin: lack of exposure equalling lack of sale, meaning lack of fundings and therefore developers not getting paid - thus the studio closes for good. A story which can be found all around steam. That's one of the misuses I mentioned above.
And yes, Early Access should not be comparable to crowdfunding - for the developer. But for the end customer, is there a big difference to pay 30 USD to support a project on Kickstarter and then pay 30 USD to buy the released game, or pay 40-60 USD for the game in Early Access?
Both crowdfundings and Early Access are risky gambles for backers/customers to take. But there are more merits in being a backer than a customer who purchased an EA title.
1. Backing is cheaper compared to buying at the retail price. This goes even more so for Early Bird pledge tiers.
2. Backers are aware of the overall fundings at the studio's disposal. Whenever those fundings are utilzed responsible or not is a different matter altogeher. But it's true that this gives people greater transparency. Early Access games do not provide such insight.
Again, the safest way for customers would be to neither be a backer or partake in an Early Access due to the risks involved. The smart way is to wait until a game is both complete and bug-free. It's not like there's anything else to play in the meantime.
The Early Access D:OS 2 wasn't a half-baked product - they closely engaged with the core player-base over what the issues were and what needed to change. Very similar to what we're doing with Axis & Allies 1942 Online.