What I love is that means this game would have been a success at 100k concurrent. That makes this a runaway success. Hopefully other triple As are paying attention to what Larian is doing.
Releasing an early access game as a full release? Other devs are doing that already.
Care to elaborate? The game had an early access and the official release has been incredibly well polished with few bugs that are already being patched out
Plus they limited it to act 1 only. So I don’t get how you could even claim it was a “full release game released as early access”. You literally couldn’t even play the whole game.
But you would have to pay full price as if it was the full game so the fact that it wasn’t the full game is even worse.
I don’t think so. You got the full game when it came out if you preordered, and they even gave every pre order digital deluxe for free. They were also very blatant about what you’re getting in early access (act 1 only, only access to certain classes, way more content to come with the full release).
The game is riddled with game ending bugs. I’ve lost about 5 hours of play time from reloaded saves. Bugs that have been reported in EA are still present.
Missing key RPG fetures that were requested by almost everyone during EA. Such has more PC voice options, ability to change style of character in game and can’t see full class or race level progression before starting.
The game feels too much like a Divinity game and not like a Baldurs Gate game. It’s 100% a reskinned Original Sin. It’s beautiful and has the lore of D&D but it has me longing for the dungeon crawl of BG 1 and 2, planescape, ice wind Dale.
Jump height and distance is insane. Maximum jump height for a running start is 3 feet yet my PC can jump the height of a 2 story building from standing.
Difficulty scale is backwards, the game gets easier the further along you get rather than scaling with you, like the original games.
Classic skills from 5e have been tweeked for no apparent reason other than to fit the reskinned Divinity skills. Skills with no comparable in Divinity, like dodge, were cut.
The ability for other party members to step into conversations is still missing. My fighter should be able to step in and intimidate rather than silently watching off to the side. My character that has buisness with an NPC should be able to jump into the conversation rather then having to select them and talking as party lead.
The spell icons resemble the pictographs of Divinity more than the previous BG games or anything from D&D.
I dunno, I got the early access for half price (of release price) with the 1st act (as advertised), and the full game at no extra cost.
The 1st act alone probably net me ~50+ hours of play, so their beta is better than 90% of AAA releases recently
There have been no discounts on EA.
Oh, I meant I got the early access right when it came out and was only like $30ish
The price of Early Access has not changed on Steam or GOG.
Did you buy it the day it released?
Want to continue to be a pedantic jerk?
Want me to share a receipt?
Sorry you are butthurt people are enjoying a thing. Now shut up
Yes. I bought it day one of release $60 USD.
That’s awesome. Also the lack of micro transactions makes me want to support them more. I kinda wish they had a donate button or something.
The donate button is buying the game and their previous titles.
Especially Divinity 2: Original Sin.
Or gift friends. Then play with them
When you’re out of friends, gift to random strangers!
Awesome idea that I totally just did!
The digital deluxe upgrade is basically that. You get some bonus stuff like extra bard songs, some cosmetics I think and the official Soundtrack. Stuff like that.
Is the soundtrack in the game files I assume? I haven’t seen it yet, and I can’t seem to get the dice skin to work so I wondered if I even got the deluxe edition for a moment.
Buy the Divinity games. They’re all good.
You could always buy a second copy to gift to a friend. Then you’d be able to play together on top of giving them another sale!
I almost never buy a game on opening day for full price. But fuck microtransaction nonsense – as soon as the devs made an official statement about it, I was on board.
Day 1 dlc.
And?
The key is that nothing in that DLC is needed to win the game. In fact, the only real game advantage at all is some camp supplies. The rest is art, character sheets (they’re PDFs), and the soundtrack. It also allows Larian to throw a little extra at the early adopters who bought the game in early access.
“Day 1 dlc” means nothing without context. Not all DLC is pay-to-win.
It’s also not egregious where you get a piece of a game, then have to finish out with dlc. It’s one thing if you get a full game, then some optional add-ons. But we can’t trust the “AAA” game makers to do that. Too much greed.
Buy the DRM free version on GOG if you haven’t already.
Can steam and gog players play together?
There was in their previous game DOS2 and Larian’s website says you can.
Sorry, dumb question, what’s GOG?
It is another digital game store owned by CD Project, parent company of company that made the Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077. They originally started by selling old games that they would get running on newer OSes. They have since started selling new games and have an alright launcher that you can link to other stores to see your entire game collection.
Most importantly, GOG as a storefront does not allow DRM. If you buy a game on GOG and keep the installer around (on a drive that’s regularly backed up), you’ll always have the ability to play that game even if GOG’s servers die.
Gog.com Alternative games with some focus on old games.
Gift me and I’ll enjoy it 😉
I’m open to the idea.
steamcommunity.com/id/renegade1506 if you’re not joking!
I don’t know why this sentiment is so popular. It’s a single player game, most single player games don’t have microtransactions… In fact I think it’d be odd and outside the normal if it did
Something something Skyrim horse armor something something….
Oblivion horse armor even
It’s not a single player game. It has online and LAN co-op. Lots of single player games have micro transactions these days too.
Its like everyone forgot Civ 6 exists
@qwertyWarlord @AlecSadler I would like to respectfully disagree. Witcher 3 had DLC. Skyrim had DLC. Dragon age origins also had DLC. Many many single player games had DLC. I’m not sure where you’re looking.
Dlc and mtx aren’t really the same thing tho.
@StinkyRedMan got it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell because in both cases I’m not getting a complete game or there’s some sort of FOMO involved. Heh. I get what you’re saying though.
There will most definitely be an expansion/enhanced edition for BG3. Expansions are not “in game purchases”
I wouldnt call it single player
The game has LAN support as well as steam cloud. While it’s designed for single it handles multiplayer extremely well. The only annoyance I’ve ran into is that only one person can interact with a merchant at a time.
Game is designed for multiplayer from the ground up. Its the same engine they used for divinity. All about partying up, but has great single player support too.
You could request they offer something small…maybe cosmetic…within the game that you could buy to support them.
I bought it only because of their stance on microtransactions.
It wasn’t really on my radar because turn based rpgs are not my thing.
I saw their press release and figured just for that upfront refusal to try rip everyone off to make money was good enough for me to buy the game and try it out.
I love dnd so it can’t be bad
Also they published the game on GOG - so it’s DRM free!
We need to support and embrace this kind of games and studios more. They put so much love and effort into the game. But in the end, this game will probably profit as much as what Fortnite make in a couple months.
It’s always sadden me to know that even something as successful as Elden Ring, which sold 20 millions copies and made 1.2 Billion dollars, is nothing compared to what microtransactions make in games like CoD (2 Billion dollars per year) or Fortnite (over 5 Billion dollars per year).
And people complain why they “don’t make good games anymore”.
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Pokémon is regularly one of the best selling games out there, so saying most people don’t want turn-based RPGs doesn’t sound right.
Pokemon is so much less complex than BG3. It’s a bad comparison. If you exclude competitive pokemon, which 99% of people never engage with.
I consider computer RPGs to be more in the vein of tactical RPGs rather than Pokemon/Final Fantasy style turn based RPGs tbh. It’s turn based, but positioning is key. Or, at least they scratch the same itch for me.
And Fire Emblem, XCOM, FF Tactics, etc have never exactly had mind blowing sales.
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In some ways I agree they are pretty different, but fixating too much on particularities while glossing over core mechanics is a bit strange. We have space for a plethora of FPSs and action games of different styles, why are turn-based RPGs dismissed like this on a regular basis? Every gen or so we have yet another reminder that, yes, people do still like RPGs.
Baldur’s Gate may not have all ages cutesy characters, but D&D-style fantasy has its own appeal.
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These things don’t necessarily follow one from another. Just because many fans are casual players, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a liking for the genre. D&D is not inherently repealing to the same group either. As much as Baldur’s Gate targets an adult audience, Pokémon as a series is over 25 years old, there is a sizable number of adult players. Not only there is an overlap, the differences may make it appealing to players with differing interests too.
Mind you, I am an adult Pokémon fan who plays D&D. As much as I understand that not everyone is like me, it’s not like Pokémon fans all evaporate when they hit 18, or they never again care for turn-based games.
Ultimately, the success of the game vindicates that there are people who want that.
There’s definitely some overlap. Almost all D&D players have played at least one pokemon game at this point. Hell even us old M:TG holdouts that thought that “Pokemon was for kids” when it came out when we were teens played Pokemon GO, though I know enough to know that PG wasn’t really a pokemon game.
I will admit that D&D players still make a minority of Pokemon players, but I maintain that’s mostly because people think D&D is way more complicated than it actually is. The rule books don’t help here. In all actuality most players will never read most of those books, because 90% of the “rules” won’t apply to your game.
Are you really gatekeeping a video game
No, but they’re both turn based rpgs?
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Good thing is, it runs flawless on my Linux desktop too 👍 Just one of the best games I played in years. Good it payed out for larian to invest so much time into it. Maybe a good example for others that you do not need to rush a launch.
I love Lemmy. Geeks are everywhere. Linux is everywhere.
Seeing “runs flawless on my Linux desktop” on a gaming community is awesome! :)
Steam Deck is changing PC gaming. The better Steam Deck gets, the better gaming on Linux becomes. There are dozens of us.
Can we all take a moment to appreciate Proton? Shit is basically magic as far as I’m concerned.
GE-Proton too, that dude does good work.
I remember when years ago I launched Payday 1 and oh dude - 3D objects where white lines only, no textures, and 2-3fps. Things progressed quickly since DXVX project started. <3
I can also mention that it works flawlessly on Linux even with the GoG version (still through proton). It’s uncommon for such games to be on GoG day one, and I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise.
Oh nice, I went with GOG as well and was wondering if I’d be able to get it running on Linux.
Most GoG games can be run through steam/proton, but it’s a bit tedious. I’m guessing that there are better approaches than what I do, which is to
- Download install files from GoG. For BG3 it’s like 27 or so files and one setup executable. Place all of them in the same folder
- Add the install executable from 1. as a “Non steam game”. Through the “Games” -> “Add non-steam game to my Library”.
- Edit the entry from 2. and add compatibility. (Right click and “properties”. “Compatibility” and check the “Force the use of a specific Steam …”. I used Proton 8.0.3
- Run it, and complete the installation. The install allows you to run the game directly, but don’t do this. Just exit it after finishing the install.
- Locate the wine installation for the game. Something like “/home/<$USER>/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/pfx/drive_c/GOG Games/Baldurs Gate 3/bin/bg3.exe”
- Edit the entry again from 2., set a nicer name. And the adjusted path above as the TARGET. And full path of the bin-directory it’s in, in quotes, in START IN.
You should be able to run it as a normal steam game. I’ve done this with all gog games I own without much issues. Though, I usually check if it works on protondb.com before I buy it.
If anyone stumbles upon this comment, I would also mention that you can install any subsequent update in the same way, by editing the entry to the update file(s), run the update executable, and then edit the entry back.
Why do you use Proton instead on WINE? I’ve never tried, so I’m curious if I should look into it.
Proton is WINE on steroids, I haven’t used it for a while, but ever since proton came out it’s been a much smoother experience, at least for the sample size of me.
It is not recommended to use Proton outside of Steam. Use Wine + DXVK instead for GOG.
Good to know, thanks!
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It isn’t native, but it works very well. It uses Vulkan.
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unfortunately, my system seems to need to compile the shaders before I start the game if it’s the first time I’ve started the game that steam session.
It does compile shaders
I don’t hear much talk of the optimization but the simple fact this is running great on a wide range of devices says a lot of the engineering prowess of the studio. Its amazing how well this game is runningnon my five year old machine. I know thats not too old but some new games make my cooling loop hot and this one doesn’t even make my components work that hard.
Seems like the pre release was more demanding/less optimized. Running Fedora 38 and proton. Combined with the Vulkan option it’s been fantastic. And I think this weird glitch I was having two nights ago has already been patched ʘ‿ʘ
Specs: ryzen 5 1400, 16g ram, and a Radeon 5500xt. I had bumped a few options down on ultra, shadows to medium, and fog medium. Didn’t need to, but it’s helped without any noticeable graphic difference.
Now if we could just let our friends drop-in and out so I don’t have to keeo a separate save/character for them. I played with one yesterday and their character was stuck in my active party after they left.
Honestly I’m not surprised, it looks like something out of the mid 2000s. That’s not to say something bad about it. Graphics don’t make a good game on their own.
Wtf is this? Have you seen the in-engine character expressions? Shit looks phenomenal.
I love headlines like this.
Larian makes such great games. This kind of success means maybe a BG4 somewhere down the line.
I haven’t played any Baldurs gate before, but the hype has definitely made me look into it.
Definitely seems like a game I’d like, a fantasy RPG, I haven’t always loved turned based combat, so that’s one of my hold ups. What do y’all think of the combat system?
As someone who hasn’t played a single game remotely close to it before (Titanfall, a little call of duty, Final Fantasy 14, Halo), all I can say is PLAY IT. It’s disorienting at first but once you play it for an hour you’ll like it, and after three you won’t he able to pit it down.
The combat is fairly challenging - it’s easy for one or two bad moves (or bad luck) to kill your whole party in a battle. It also takes a bit to learn the combat system if you haven’t played D&D.
That being said, I love it. Once you get the basics of combat down and get used to playing carefully, it’s a lot of fun and you get to build out the character that you think is both effective and just cool - and there’s probably a way for you to succeed with whatever build you end up making.
If you don’t love turn based combat I’ll say that it will probably feel very dense at first. You end up with 4 different characters with different strengths and weaknesses and each with a bunch of different abilities that have different rules for when and how often you can use them. Turn based means you get the time to make an educated decision about what you want to do next, but it’s a lot of information to juggle.
The combat is fairly challenging - it’s easy for one or two bad moves (or bad luck) to kill your whole party in a battle. It also takes a bit to learn the combat system if you haven’t played D&D.
I’ve always been interested in D&D, but no never played it.
You end up with 4 different characters with different strengths and weaknesses and each with a bunch of different abilities that have different rules for when and how often you can use them.
I have played quite a few games with the party system, so I have so previous knowledge on the strengths and weaknesses of party members, which may help. Thanks for the info!
BG3 would be a good introduction to dnd. 5th edition tabletop plays pretty much the same. notable differences are in how movement is and the obvious aspect of being on more guardrails in a video game. although they still managed to make those guard rails feel near nonexistent.
No problem! It is a lot of information at once but I’ve been having a great time playing it so I’d really recommend it to anyone who thinks it could be interesting.
If you’re unsure if it will be for you, pick up divinity original sin 2, same maker and very similar style, but (a) without the d&d license and (b) will cost much much less. Both BG3 and DOS2 are incredible games which you can easily pour a hundred hours into
DOS2 is my favorite RPG ever. The game uses tactics and positioning far better than any other RPG I’ve tried.
The AI uses it a bit TOO well and too much, imo. It always find some impossible angle to fire at me.
Also got annoying with surface magic effects. AI covered the battlefield in it. Particularly that super-fire that one needed a limited spell to remove. BG3 has a better balance between combat and surface elements. At least so far in the game.
I personally like it very much, it feels dynamic?, for a lack of a better word, despite it being turn based.
However most encounters can be avoided, via conversation, choices, environment kills etc. So you don’t need to fight much, if you don’t end up liking it. ^(*as of act 2/3)
Pacifist playthrough 100% when?
The combat system is classic but with tactical Larian improvements from their other games.
I like it, but you can definitely get burned out from really long combat sessions. You can always lower the difficulty and blast your way through it, though.
Outside the combat, how have you liked the game?
Apart from a few glitches here and there, the game feels really complete. The story is really well made and the writing is top tier. If you come for the RPG elements of talking to every NPC and finding a lot of fun dialogue, you’ll love it.
If you want something without combat, although not fantasy, Disco Elysium has become my favorite CRPG ever.
So… I’m the only one not playing it?
what are you even doing right now that’s so important
Being lazy
Yes
Don’t worry, I’m too poor to play (weak ass laptop, game cost a bunch in my country, and work, and kids)
If it wasn’t for those pesky kids
Nope, I’m playing DOS2, since that’s been sitting in my steam library for way too long!
THEN maybe I’ll BG3. If my laptop can handle it…
Currently playing it too after a 3 year break. :)
Me too, but only because I’m waiting for the PS5 version.
Oh! That will be my excuse too. Didn’t realize it wasn’t on consoles yet.
I’m finishing D:OS2 first with another party. Also Larian games are always better a couple months or so after release, so I don’t mind waiting. So no not the only one :)
I’m waiting for it not to be 90 bucks, probably pick it up in a year
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Dang. Here I thought we had it bad in CAD
There is still time to change that.
I have added the Baldur’s Gate series to my backlog, I will probably play these in 10-15 years, wish me luck.
Just in time for BG4! (probably)
Odd headline. Seems very rooted in the assumption of online gaming these days to me but then you get in and the article is basically just saying the game is a huge success, which is great news I’m sure we can all agree. :)
The game does have multiplayer. If it’s not using P2P connections, preparing for 100k players and having 700k could make that slower. But I’m pretty sure it’s P2P so that doesn’t make any difference.
There’s still going to be some server overheads in connecting players together initially (I don’t think it works just by IP), but yeah I think the game stuff itself is P2P.
The Steam Matchmaking API is included in their 30% cut. They can have 0 servers.
Really? What’s the benefit of going solo instead of paying the 30% thru steam.
If you’re launching on Steam you’re paying the 30% anyways.
If you publish elsewhere there’s a lot you have to build yourself, but it would allow more freedom in the way you implement it. It might also be cheaper, but that depends on the way you do things.
I’m not suggesting they do, just that it’s a feature Steam provides. I just didn’t want to call it free as they pay for it.
Obviously 30% higher revenue per unit is the benefit of self publishing.
750k concurrent players several days after release, quite the feat!
As someone who hasn’t ever really gotten into cRPGs before, how is the game? Is it hard to get into/is there a big learning curve to this game?
It’s heavy on the D&D 5e rulebook, if you have any level of familiarity with that it will all come naturally.
If you don’t, that’s ok too, they did a really good job describing rolls, saving throws, attack rolls, etc, in the guided tooltips.
If you haven’t played a game like this, there is a learning curve. I’ve been playing stuff like this for decades and there’s still lots to explore, in purely mechanical terms, with BG3.
That said, it is very much worth the initial investment. I found playing Divinity 2: original sin very much prepared me for BG3. You could start there a little more cheaply before delving into this expensive title. At least then you can see if you enjoy this style of game.
Being familiar with dnd 5e will give you a head start in the basics. Things like how ability scores and combat/social interactions can play out. But not necessary. They’ve changed quite a few minor things that deviate from the tabletop game that I’ve found myself having to actually unlearn dnd.
Monks are actually useable. Went with a 4 elements subclass. So I have a mix of spell-like abilities for range, and can still smack things with my staff and fist.
The main thing is, being aware of the micromanaging you’ll have to do in combat. Don’t be afraid to use consumables. And explore! I’m still only in act 1.( I’ve had pre release for over a year, so I’m taking it slow to see what changes are in the actual release).
And like regular DND, positioning is really important. Use the environment to your advantage: block line of sight, have the high ground, use spells that have an AOE to drive enemies where you want them to be.
If you go charging into the middle of the open room surrounded by baddies you’re probably gonna get wrecked.
Yup, and action economy is still king 👑. Action surges, flurry of blows etc. Even at lvl 5 vs lvl 2 goblins can still be dangerous if your group is outnumbered.
You can do what I did: turn down the difficulty until you get the hang of it. It’s adjustable during the game, so you can crank it back up later.
If you’re passingly familiar with 5E D&D, you should be pretty much good to go. The CRPG-ness of it shouldn’t be too much to get your head around if you know the underlying system at all.
I mean yeah, bear sex
Plus Goblin and Ogre sex. THAT was an eye opener.
wait… we can have sex with goblins and ogres? quietly takes furious notes
Goblin slayer would be disapointed in you.
Bugbear, not goblin. A goblin probably could have climbed right in there.
#virile!
I absolutely adore and admire those at Larian studios. Divinity 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played. I hope I can play BG3 one day since I don’t have the funds for a system that will run it or better yet, it becomes available on Geforce Now or something because I got a damn wedding to pay for and bills to pay!
As someone who has played Divinity Original Sin 2 and some of their older titles. You won’t be disappointed, BG3 is phenomenal. Interactions between characters has been massively improved that the added animated cut-scenes when speaking to characters gives them significantly more life. I think I still prefer the combat system in DOS2 but I don’t hate BG3 combat, it’s just different.
My buddy has been playing co-op with me using GeForce now and it’s worked great so far
Why is it a problem that IT was not prepared for so many concurrent players? Yes, it has multiplayer, but it’s mostly a single-player game. Did they pull a Diablo?
They didn’t pull a Diablo because you don’t have to wait in a login queue to play single player.
A lot of people are playing with their friends, not just alone
Is it not p2p and should barely matter?
It is P2P. The only thing Larian runs is a lobby service to facilitate these connections.
Yeah players can drop in and out of games pretty fast plus there’s stuff like user authentication
