Dynaheir is just flat-out dead cannon-wise. This is indisputable. How exactly was that ret-conned?? I suppose I can live with Minsc and the whole being petrified and made flesh again, but a CLONE of Imoen?? Give me a break. Apparently, that source book is meant for you to make your own adventure between Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2. Except in the video game world, we already know what happened. It can't be changed. With Siege (which was licensed by WotC), it's even more defined. Yet we know this game is also going to be a tie-in with the upcoming module. So there seems to be a very real possibility here that stupid tie-ins to the current pen and paper campaign will override what Baldur's Gate ACTUALLY is, which is the most pure form of D&D in a VIDEO GAME context. Because if we end up having an Imoen clone as a companion in this game, I think my eyes are going to roll back so far in my head I'll never see again. That is just Star Wars: Dark Empire comic level stupidity.
So, I own heroes of baldur's gate. HoBG actually has two separate start times. After BG1, or 100 years later. In the second start, Dynaheir is dead, and her role is replaced by another character.
Keep in mind also that it isn't an official sourcebook. It's a DMs Guild release, which allows folks to make and sell content utilizing some of the WotC IP in exchange for a cut of the profits.
James Ohlen headed up the book, and there is some cool art in it, which was enough for me to scoop it up so I could borrow elements of it for my own pnp games. I also make portraits out of the new artwork, which is fun
You don't even have to play them. I don't really remember how it was in DD or BD, but I out of their recent games I played maybe few hours of Divinity 2 and an hour into DOS, and that was enough to just drop it in favor of other games.
Very uninspired and not intelligent at all. I believe they've hired a dozen new writers for DOS2, some of those even had worked on MotB among other things, so maybe things have changed for the better. But, frankly, I'm not particularly interested for another try.
Larian Humour is nothing like "British Humour", unless you by British humour mean all the extremely shitty sit-coms they create and not anything of the actually funny stuff.
Larian is also German or Dutch, I believe. Which probably explains their inability to be funny in any way shape or form.
Edit: A quick Google says they're Belgian. Which is even worse.
Well I happen to think DOS and DOS2 are both awesome game. I played through both and had a great time. I am 100% convinced that if anyone is gonna make Baldur’s Gate 3 that Larian are a very good choice.
Honestly, this quote (from this article) about combat and 5th ed rules does not instil me with confidence at all.
There are some things on the chopping block, however. It's an interpretation of D&D, specifically 5th Edition, because porting the core rules, which Larian tried to do, doesn't work. Or it works, Vincke clarifies, but it's no fun at all. One of the culprits is missing when you're trying to hit an enemy, and while the combat system has yet to be revealed, you can at least look forward to being able to smack people more consistently.
"You miss a lot in D&D—if the dice are bad, you miss," he says. "That doesn't work well in a videogame. If I do that, you're going to review it and say it's shit."
@deltago Larian better not touch the soultaker. That is Beamdog's responsibility. Besides it should be resolved by Gorion's Ward anyway.
I think it’d be cool.
The new PC finds the dagger, gets the soul released and you now have Skie as a NPC character who marvels how much the city has changed, and how her last name is now meaningless, in the 100 years she’s been trapped in the dagger.
It would also tie in the events of SoD to the game, trolling all the haters.
It will be interesting to see what comes out of it. Ten years ago, I would probably get hyped out of roof, but I've learned my lessons over time to stay calm about it. I would generaly recommend anyone not to have high expectations, or even not to have any expectations at all. It makes it much more likely that you won't be disappointed by the result and actually enjoy it.
Given Larian's track record and how deeply inspired and informed by Black Isle games their own games are, I'm gonna go ahead and let myself get extremely overhyped for this one.
Why is this announcement so hidden on these forums??
Probably gonna be a controversial comment. Here goes:
Likely because Beamdog is embarrassed that they spent over half a decade trying to prove themselves capable of making Baldur's Gate III but ultimately failed to woo Wizards of the Coast.
Probably because the original content in the EEs is kind of mediocre and even Siege of Dragonspear, where they had a lot more freedom, was still just decent; nothing groundbreaking.
Let's face it, Beamdog has done a fantastic job reigniting the BG community and consolidating the games into something stable and playable (remember all the game-breaking bugs in vanilla? Ugh!), but umm... Personally I'm glad it's Larian Studios doing this and not Beamdog.
But I genuinely feel for the devs at Beamdog because, like, damn, they've been trying to woo WotC for years.
@deltago Larian better not touch the soultaker. That is Beamdog's responsibility. Besides it should be resolved by Gorion's Ward anyway.
I think it’d be cool.
The new PC finds the dagger, gets the soul released and you now have Skie as a NPC character who marvels how much the city has changed, and how her last name is now meaningless, in the 100 years she’s been trapped in the dagger.
It would also tie in the events of SoD to the game, trolling all the haters.
no i agreee with thacobell. it should have been the bhaaalspawn that resolves it [ it already is in a mod] not some nobody 100 year later.
what would be the point of restoring her 100 years later anyways? everyone involved in the incident is dead and i'm pretty sure baldurs gate is under new management by the time of 5th ed. i know never winter gets destroyed during this time frame and is rebuilt not sure about baldurs gate the city.
the license is going to Larian studios (divinity series). Interesting that beamdog didn't get it but I wonder if the EE versions of these games coming out had something to do with the license being granted after almost 20 years.
Why is this announcement so hidden on these forums??
Probably gonna be a controversial comment. Here goes:
Likely because Beamdog is embarrassed that they spent over half a decade trying to prove themselves capable of making Baldur's Gate III but ultimately failed to woo Wizards of the Coast.
Probably because the original content in the EEs is kind of mediocre and even Siege of Dragonspear, where they had a lot more freedom, was still just decent; nothing groundbreaking.
Let's face it, Beamdog has done a fantastic job reigniting the BG community and consolidating the games into something stable and playable (remember all the game-breaking bugs in vanilla? Ugh!), but umm... Personally I'm glad it's Larian Studios doing this and not Beamdog.
But I genuinely feel for the devs at Beamdog because, like, damn, they've been trying to woo WotC for years.
Ummmm, it's literally pinned at the TOP of the Off-Topic section in a larger font than the ENTIRE rest of that section of the forum. What do you want them to do, hire a PR firm for Larian and take out billboard ads in Los Angeles and New York?? They personally sent Larian a congratulation message on Twitter. The hype for 3 wouldn't be anywhere NEAR the level it is now if the Enchanced Editions didn't exist, and you know why?? Because most normal peope don't scour the internet for mods.
Why is this announcement so hidden on these forums??
Probably gonna be a controversial comment. Here goes:
Likely because Beamdog is embarrassed that they spent over half a decade trying to prove themselves capable of making Baldur's Gate III but ultimately failed to woo Wizards of the Coast.
Probably because the original content in the EEs is kind of mediocre and even Siege of Dragonspear, where they had a lot more freedom, was still just decent; nothing groundbreaking.
Let's face it, Beamdog has done a fantastic job reigniting the BG community and consolidating the games into something stable and playable (remember all the game-breaking bugs in vanilla? Ugh!), but umm... Personally I'm glad it's Larian Studios doing this and not Beamdog.
But I genuinely feel for the devs at Beamdog because, like, damn, they've been trying to woo WotC for years.
Been addressed by a member of the development team in the thread already
Because it's not a Beamdog's game, it can't be in General Discussions. But we created a special subforum on this forum for BG3, a game from another developer, - which is an exclusion to how things are usually run here.
The more I read all those comment in BG3 section of the forum, the more I think Larian devs should visit this forum once and a while and read them too. A looots of feedback in here. And they said, they WILL be listening to feedback.
Should try to collaborate in a small way and tie things together. Something from the new game as an optional bonus in the console ports and future versions of BG1/2/SoD. An item pack, voices, an NPC. And vice versa.
Baeloth is on the horn to his agent and a wall of lawyers trying to make it work no doubt.
"Is three a reimagining? A straight sequel? How much are you taking from the originals?
SV: The previous Baldur's Gate games were based on Dungeons & Dragons 3.5. We're now Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition. A lot of stuff has happened in Forgotten Realms. A lot of stuff has happened in Baldur's Gate, so this is going to be a new entry.
There will obviously be references to everything that happened in the first and the second, but this is very much its own story. You needn't have played the previous Baldur's Gates to understand what's going on, but if you have, you will recognize the references. For example, if you just look at the teaser trailer, you will notice the guy's from the Flaming Fist, he has a flaming fist on his chest."
Shadow(s) over Baldur's Gate (Illithids are very Lovecraftian after all)
Some other titles:
Baldur's Gate (the industry currently LOVES just giving new games the same title as the original)
Return to Baldur's Gate (thematically appropriate. Its the first visit back in video game form in years. Its also 100 in universe)
Baldur's Gate: Siege (the city does seem to be underattack)
Baldur's Gate: The Hidden
That last one might work really well actually. Its a nod to the dropped Illithid questline from BG2. Its one of the more popular topics for fan theory crafting, so its a neat tie-in to the original. It could very easily be adapted to the new game. Only a few lines referencing Illitihd plotting under large cities for a hundred years brings it in line with the originals. And, with the quest being cut, there isn't really any content from BG2 to "step on" as it were. The title is still a nod that will get old fans excited as well. Its really win/win.
Really, Larian. Just put out a release saying you think "BG3" was too generic a title, or that you got feedback from fans that said they were uneasy with an unrelated story sharing an installment number. Both of these statements are true, and it would win back a LOT of goodwill from even the biggest grouches (I am possibly the biggest grouch about this).
The more I've been thinking about the game since its announcement, the more I keep wondering if maybe Swen Vincke has something new (revolutionary?) up his sleave. By this what I mean is that he has, in all his public statements since the announcement, gone out of his way to talk about how this game is going to break new ground and take this kind of RPG to a new level, with things in it never seen before. He is also a rather smart individual who surely knew right from the very beginning in 2017 that RTwP v. TB would be an extremely divisive issue for a BG3 game. So is it possible a big part of what he is cooking up is a new kind of gameplay system for combat, something that tries to bridge the divide between the two systems and use elements from both to make a game that fans of both RTwP and TB can enjoy? A system that allows for tremendous tactical depth even while not being so strictly sequential in character actions that many of us find so utterly frustrating with TB systems? I am cautiously hopeful.
The more I've been thinking about the game since its announcement, the more I keep wondering if maybe Swen Vincke has something new (revolutionary?) up his sleave. By this what I mean is that he has, in all his public statements since the announcement, gone out of his way to talk about how this game is going to break new ground and take this kind of RPG to a new level, with things in it never seen before. He is also a rather smart individual who surely knew right from the very beginning in 2017 that RTwP v. TB would be an extremely divisive issue for a BG3 game. So is it possible a big part of what he is cooking up is a new kind of gameplay system for combat, something that tries to bridge the divide between the two systems and use elements from both to make a game that fans of both RTwP and TB can enjoy? A system that allows for tremendous tactical depth even while not being so strictly sequential in character actions that many of us find so utterly frustrating with TB systems? I am cautiously hopeful.
The thought has crossed my mind as well. Despite my doubts, I am still hoping a veteran like Swen has a reason for this but it could just be the price of dealing with Wizards of the Coast.
You know what would have made me hyped? If I found out a studio like Larian was working on a title called "Whispers in Waterdeep" with the blessing of WOTC complete with 5E rules in a cutting edge 3D engine. Whatever gameplay they felt was best for the game would have been fine with me and I would have bought it as long as user reviews didn't absolutely tank the first week of release.
Not a peep of negativity would have come from me. If they made a sequel that took us to Baldur's Gate in their shiny, new engine with 5E rules, I wouldn't have even questioned it. That is the difference between adding to a series that is already established from another company. Messing with established gameplay expectations, without explanation vs creating something new and exciting.
Baldur's Gate 2 is more popular than Baldur's Gate and thats probably because the city of Athkatla was a better location anyway. The gameplay and importation of the previous character is what made BG veterans come back for more, not the city of Baldur's Gate. In fact, people who like the first game more usually state that the game being more adventurous as the reason.
Comments
So, I own heroes of baldur's gate. HoBG actually has two separate start times. After BG1, or 100 years later. In the second start, Dynaheir is dead, and her role is replaced by another character.
Keep in mind also that it isn't an official sourcebook. It's a DMs Guild release, which allows folks to make and sell content utilizing some of the WotC IP in exchange for a cut of the profits.
James Ohlen headed up the book, and there is some cool art in it, which was enough for me to scoop it up so I could borrow elements of it for my own pnp games. I also make portraits out of the new artwork, which is fun
they just try way to hard to be funny that it misses most of the time.
Very uninspired and not intelligent at all. I believe they've hired a dozen new writers for DOS2, some of those even had worked on MotB among other things, so maybe things have changed for the better. But, frankly, I'm not particularly interested for another try.
Larian is also German or Dutch, I believe. Which probably explains their inability to be funny in any way shape or form.
Edit: A quick Google says they're Belgian. Which is even worse.
Yeah, nope.
I think it’d be cool.
The new PC finds the dagger, gets the soul released and you now have Skie as a NPC character who marvels how much the city has changed, and how her last name is now meaningless, in the 100 years she’s been trapped in the dagger.
It would also tie in the events of SoD to the game, trolling all the haters.
Given Larian's track record and how deeply inspired and informed by Black Isle games their own games are, I'm gonna go ahead and let myself get extremely overhyped for this one.
Likely because Beamdog is embarrassed that they spent over half a decade trying to prove themselves capable of making Baldur's Gate III but ultimately failed to woo Wizards of the Coast.
Probably because the original content in the EEs is kind of mediocre and even Siege of Dragonspear, where they had a lot more freedom, was still just decent; nothing groundbreaking.
Let's face it, Beamdog has done a fantastic job reigniting the BG community and consolidating the games into something stable and playable (remember all the game-breaking bugs in vanilla? Ugh!), but umm... Personally I'm glad it's Larian Studios doing this and not Beamdog.
But I genuinely feel for the devs at Beamdog because, like, damn, they've been trying to woo WotC for years.
no i agreee with thacobell. it should have been the bhaaalspawn that resolves it [ it already is in a mod] not some nobody 100 year later.
what would be the point of restoring her 100 years later anyways? everyone involved in the incident is dead and i'm pretty sure baldurs gate is under new management by the time of 5th ed. i know never winter gets destroyed during this time frame and is rebuilt not sure about baldurs gate the city.
Ummmm, it's literally pinned at the TOP of the Off-Topic section in a larger font than the ENTIRE rest of that section of the forum. What do you want them to do, hire a PR firm for Larian and take out billboard ads in Los Angeles and New York?? They personally sent Larian a congratulation message on Twitter. The hype for 3 wouldn't be anywhere NEAR the level it is now if the Enchanced Editions didn't exist, and you know why?? Because most normal peope don't scour the internet for mods.
Been addressed by a member of the development team in the thread already
Baeloth is on the horn to his agent and a wall of lawyers trying to make it work no doubt.
Woops on that bit about 3.5
Shadow(s) over Baldur's Gate (Illithids are very Lovecraftian after all)
Some other titles:
Baldur's Gate (the industry currently LOVES just giving new games the same title as the original)
Return to Baldur's Gate (thematically appropriate. Its the first visit back in video game form in years. Its also 100 in universe)
Baldur's Gate: Siege (the city does seem to be underattack)
Baldur's Gate: The Hidden
That last one might work really well actually. Its a nod to the dropped Illithid questline from BG2. Its one of the more popular topics for fan theory crafting, so its a neat tie-in to the original. It could very easily be adapted to the new game. Only a few lines referencing Illitihd plotting under large cities for a hundred years brings it in line with the originals. And, with the quest being cut, there isn't really any content from BG2 to "step on" as it were. The title is still a nod that will get old fans excited as well. Its really win/win.
Really, Larian. Just put out a release saying you think "BG3" was too generic a title, or that you got feedback from fans that said they were uneasy with an unrelated story sharing an installment number. Both of these statements are true, and it would win back a LOT of goodwill from even the biggest grouches (I am possibly the biggest grouch about this).
Bonues joke titel:
Baldurs Gate: Cephalapod Boogaloo
The thought has crossed my mind as well. Despite my doubts, I am still hoping a veteran like Swen has a reason for this but it could just be the price of dealing with Wizards of the Coast.
You know what would have made me hyped? If I found out a studio like Larian was working on a title called "Whispers in Waterdeep" with the blessing of WOTC complete with 5E rules in a cutting edge 3D engine. Whatever gameplay they felt was best for the game would have been fine with me and I would have bought it as long as user reviews didn't absolutely tank the first week of release.
Not a peep of negativity would have come from me. If they made a sequel that took us to Baldur's Gate in their shiny, new engine with 5E rules, I wouldn't have even questioned it. That is the difference between adding to a series that is already established from another company. Messing with established gameplay expectations, without explanation vs creating something new and exciting.
Baldur's Gate 2 is more popular than Baldur's Gate and thats probably because the city of Athkatla was a better location anyway. The gameplay and importation of the previous character is what made BG veterans come back for more, not the city of Baldur's Gate. In fact, people who like the first game more usually state that the game being more adventurous as the reason.