WotC World Reveal of Baldur's Gate 3

At PAX East today, gameplay footage of Baldur's Gate 3 was revealed for the first time by Larian Studios.

According to PC Gamer, the Early Access version of the game will launch this year with five characters:

• Wyll, Human Warlock
• Shadowheart, Half-elf Cleric
• Lae'zel, Githyanki Fighter
• Gale, Human Wizard
• Astarion, Elven Vampire Spawn Rogue

And you'll be able to create characters using these six classes:

• Fighter (Battle Master, Eldritch Knight)
• Wizard (Evocation, Abjuration)
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster, Thief)
• Ranger (Hunter, Beast Master)
• Cleric (Life, Light, Trickery)
• Warlock (Fiend, Great One)

15 races include (amongst others):

• Elves
• Dwarves
• Humans
• Githyanki
• Drow
• Tieflings
• Vampire Spawn

 

[gyor]

I don't want a camp mechanic. I want the ability to have as large a party as I desire with the game scaling the challenge to fit.

A 10 - 20 person party consisting of PCs/companions, henchman, hirelings and a mule train was not uncommon in OD&D or 1e AD&D.

We don't know how many followers in addition to the four companions we can use in a party. Plus there is always animate undead.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't want a camp mechanic. I want the ability to have as large a party as I desire with the game scaling the challenge to fit.

And I want immortality and infinite wealth.

Baldur's Gate has always stuck to the format of central character + 5 NPC companions, DOS2 was much the same but with 3 companions, I'm confident BG3 will stick to a similar format (probably no co-incidence they went for 4 companions). Both games allow in-combat summons if you want extra minions on the battlefield.

Both games have largely steered clear of scaling encounters - which is as it should be. I would rather use my judgement about whether I can tackle an encounter at a particular point, or come back later when I'm stronger. I hate scaling in CRPGS (like Skyrim) because it makes progression meaningless. You run away from an encounter to try and increase your abilities, but when you come back you find the kobolds are now level 40.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Which isn't a concern in a game where one person is playing all the characters.

More to the point it isn't a concern when you can reload a saved game.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Sorry if you got that impression. And indeed Diablo III was kind of an extreme example of the opposite to turn-based. I did play BG1 and BG2 back then and I am familiar with how they work, but now I am curious to know whether you played them with the "pause" on or real-time, because I remember how I found them unplayable without the "pause"... it was just not possible to adequately manage multiple characters special abilities in real-time.

This is actually a main point for me: to give me a very D&D feel, the game must let me play a whole group of PC, each with her own role. Real-time is impossible to manage multiple PCs (well maybe 2...) so you can only get a proper D&D party by playing in multiplayer with other people. But then I hate how multiplaying online commonly takes the competitive route... it's one reason why I could never enjoy playing WoW with other people. Turn-based is my only chance to playing a game where I can have a party of PCs, and I am controlling all of them.

Ever played Dragon Age: Origins?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Millions of jRPG players disagree. This is also marketed to them as well.

And a lot of jrpgs are less truly turn based than they used to be. Even Final Fantasy is just not turn based anymore.

But we will see.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Even Final Fantasy is just not turn based anymore.

And the series has greatly suffered for it.

 

[MarkB]

Ever played Dragon Age: Origins?

It does okay. But area effects can be a real pain to land unless your front-liners already have the enemy pinned down, and even custom-scripted actions only go so far in terms of managing your team. Typically, you'll spend a combat pausing so often that you might as well be playing turn-based.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It does okay. But area effects can be a real pain to land unless your front-liners already have the enemy pinned down, and even custom-scripted actions only go so far in terms of managing your team. Typically, you'll spend a combat pausing so often that you might as well be playing turn-based.

Not in my experience, but okay.

 

[Xethreau]

1) I wonder why all the text options are in the past tense. It reads clunky. And what--is this story told in media res?
2) WHY can't I play as a Dragonborn?

 

[MarkB]

1) I wonder why all the text options are in the past tense. It reads clunky. And what--is this story told in media res?

I'll be interested to see what framing device they use to justify it. Maybe it'll work out.

2) WHY can't I play as a Dragonborn?

Because they haven't built them yet. Races and classes are going to be gradually introduced over the Early Access period.

Bear in mind that this is the company that let you play fire-breathing lizards in their last game. They're not going to shy away from doing dragonborn.