You must log in or register to comment.
It depends on wether or not the games free. I’m guessing it’s been paid for.
Love that, but I’ve heard such statements before from companies who flip-flopped a few months down the line.
I’ll reserve my applause for next year(s).
Fair, altho this is not a new company and this is not their first game or anything. They haven’t done it in the last 15-20 years(as far as I know , at least) since mtx were “invented”, what makes you think they might flip-flop now?
I don’t think they will. I don’t hope they will.
I just got burned by too many industry darlings turning out to be just another shop that screws their audience, or their employees, or forces crunch, or harasses minorities, or releases broken titles, or this or that.
Roadmaps, promises and decorations don’t mean a thing. Actions do. And actions can be only judged in time.
So far their record is great. Hope it stays this way. I will applaud them for what they’ve done so far. The rest - future will show.
If it helps none of Larian Studios’s games have had dlc and they’ve continued to support them long after release with major and minor content patches and updates. No company is ever fully above scrutiny and things can always change, but they really do mean it and they’ve been practicing what they preach for years.
They had DLCs which are totally free and given out as free extra content.
Oh yeah, sorry I should have been more clear that I mean no paid dlc
I’ve never played a Baldur’s Gate game before, but I feel compelled to buy this one just to send a message to other developers that it pays to treat your fans with respect.
I’ve never played BG, DnD, and don’t really like turn based combat. This game has been incredible so far. It’s the first game in a long time where I’m thinking about it at work and excited to come home and play.
I’m generally not into turn based combat either. I think that’s why it didn’t immediately pique my interest even though I’m a die hard RPG nerd. Going to download once I have a free moment today, and I will report back!
The RPG aspect of it is exactly what brought it home for me as well! It is an insane RPG so far. The world feels so alive given how much you can fuck it up if you really wanted to.
The turn-based combat also isn’t as bad as I conjured up in my mind. I was kinda imaging the really old FF-style where enemies appear out of nowhere and you basically start a pokemon-style battle. It’s much different than that, and gets really intense when there’s a ton of enemies and you’re trying to make sure your group of 4 doesn’t get destroyed. Good luck!!
The turn based combat system that I really fell in love with, but that is now quite antiquated was the Knights of the Old Republic series. I would put these in the list of my top 5 favorite games of all time. I have played them both through many times, and they remain at the top of my list for favorite world building / lore additions from any IP. If there is any similarity between BG3 systems, and KOTOR then I imagine I will feel right at home!
It’s a shame that most game companies can’t manage to treat both their fans and staff well. It’s rare to treat even one of those well, let alone both. I wonder what the developer of BG3 is like for employees? Crunch time is usually so ubiquitous in game dev that I assume everyone does it until proven otherwise.
Man, BG games are really some of the best! Give it a play!
Pretty sure I played it on PC in like 1994
My only concern is I purchased the collectors edition and it hasnt arrived yet. Havent heard anything about delays, I thought it was supposed to be here on launch day
Not sure if Larian managed to reach out to collector’s edition owners but they said they would ship at the original August 31st release due to supply chain reasons. However the digital code to the game should have been emailed already ahead of launch.
I thought it was supposed to be here on launch day
Dont forget that launch day was moved forward a month. And unfortunately I dont think that affected the physical things.
Indeed. Minsc and Boo stand ready!
I kinda missed the isometric, point and click era of RPG’s because I grew up in an Apple household. So I played a lot of Warcraft 2 during that time period. Is Baldur’s Gate 3 going to be that same style of game kinda in the vein of Divinty Original Sin?
It is VERY similar to the Divinity games. It uses somewhat modified DnD 5e rules, as opposed to Divinitys’ own system (though that system took a lot of inspiration from DnD.) The RPG and world building elements will feel very familiar.
Yep, it feels very much like a dndified version of divinity original sin 2
I will have to go watch more of the gameplay on YouTube. I’m not entirely sure what the addition of DND mechanics do to change the gameplay loop.
I’ve played both casually (BG3) in early access. The ruleset is quite different IMO
Dice rolls and punishes out of character choices, seems like
Yes! It’s the same developer as Divinity.
The games don’t play exactly the same, but they are the same style.
Yeah I’ve never been a fan of the point-and-click isometric mechanics, but I’ve been playing some BG3 and it’s pretty well done, I’m enjoying it. Definitely feels exactly like Divinity OS 2 but with DnD lore. Granted, I wasn’t a big DOS2 fan but that was mostly because the story tried so hard to be miserable all the time and make the player feel like shit for any decision they made. I’m not super far into BG3 but I don’t quite get that same vibe from it.
It’s basically Divinity: DnD Edition.
This is the first BG game I’ve ever played, and I’m having a blast with it. So far, I can’t recommend it enough for people who like tabletops and RPGs, in general.
deleted by creator
BG3 is really good, it’s probably the closest to a tabletop experience as you can get with a cRPG. All they need to do is add in 20 minute side-conversations and Monty Python references and it’s golden.
They released an unfinished game for full price for 3 fucking years. Every developer should NOT be like this.
They said the game were incomplete and it will be in (truly) in early access. This was written even in the games description back then. What did you expect from an early access game ?
It’s the precedent they set for the gaming industry that is appalling. This time it was “only” 3 years but what if it becomes the norm for games to be unfinished after 10+ years? Sure Larion Studios is a darling in everyone’s eyes because the game turned out well, but others will see this enormous positivety and think “hey as long as we finish it ‘eventually’, then it’s ok to do this.” This is bad for gaming in general.
Steam is riddled with Early Access games that were abandoned before ever reaching a final release. If you reach your financial goals before finishing the game, you’ll get a bigger payout by moving on to another project than by keeping your promises. Users are outraged at first, but their memories are short-lived. Lather, rinse, repeat.
There are some notable exceptions, though. Kerbal Space Program comes to mind.
My argument is that companies shouldn’t charge full price for an unfinished game. Your argument is that the funding from early access could help the company develop the game. I believe a compromise would be to lower the price of the unfinished hand. It could be actual price=completion percent * full price. If they can’t do anything as fluid as that then at the very least there should be a significant flat reduction.
What I don’t like is the implication you made that since everyone is doing it, then it’s ok.
Teardown is a great example, can’t remember what I paid but it was cheap when the game only had half a dozen levels - it felt like a full game but s small one, then they added part two and a million mods got made and I think the price went up though it’s still reasonable
I was actually agreeing with you and in no way do I think it’s ok because everyone does it. Rather, I’m very dismayed that everyone does it. Yes, it seems like a good idea on paper to use paid alpha and beta releases to fund development but the system has been shot to hell by the fact that the overwhelming majority of publishers who do this abuse it.
It was plastered all over the place that it was early access and I remember them warning everyone in a live stream that there would be bugs and such.
However, I will agree with you if they ditched paying an actuel QA team in favour of free early access players. I don’t have the answer to that though.
Larian has an actual QA team. It’s just a big, complicated game.
In that case, I have no calms with early access as long as expectations are managed and people aren’t led to believe the game is ready for launch. Which they did well.
I haven’t played a baldurs gate game since dark alliance on the ps2. Probably going to pick this one up though :)
they have day 1 dlc guys
What DLC?
The “DLC” is the digital deluxe version which you can purchase later. If you pre-ordered you got it for free. It’s stuff like a digital art book, and weapon skins.
The weapon skins are debatable but since there are no other skins really in the game as far as I can tell I don’t really see it as an issue in the slightest. And the art book and soundtrack are the perfect pre order bonus imo. Especially for a game where they actually used the early access properly, it’s a nice thank you I feel like.
Technically that’s an out-game purchase.
I think you’re being deliberately misleading. It’s an upgrade to deluxe edition, which is a much better option than having to buy the entire game again just to get the stuff in the deluxe edition. And as far as deluxe editions go this is pretty mild considering the only in game stuff you seem to get are a unique dice skin, camp supplies and some potions, extra bard songs, extra collectible? and items referencing D:OS2.
It’s not like it’s the “From Ashes” DLC for Mass Effect 3. For those who don’t know “From ashes” was a day 1 DLC for ME3 containing missions about the last surviving Prothean. Protheans being the most important race in the story and possibly even in the ME lore. And after the missions that last protean becomes one of your companions. For many it was a very important part of the lore being separated and sold as an extra purchase. I even remember the late great Totalbiscuit boycotting the entire game because of that DLC.
Ah yes, but you see that is a macrotransaction.
They do, but barely. It’s just a couple of minor in game items/skins and some out of game music/art. Still leaps and bounds better than locking entire missions or characters behind deluxe edition nonsense.
And it’s mostly stuff for the beta testers to receive for free
People would stop putting micro transactions in games if users stopped paying for them.
Just make out of game purchases like Paradox.
Paradox? The company that makes like 626264727 DLCs that make a playable game experience like worth 300$
I get the impression Paradox players are either dedicating their whole gaming lifestyle to one simulator, or are only intended to buy a few of those DLCs. The picture of what it costs to buy every DLC at once is probably a bit disingenuous, just like the total cost of buying every Magic: The Gathering card ever produced.
It does sound like keeping the DLC out of in-game menus would at least avoid distraction until you’re out of game browsing the Steam store, which seems like a plus.
I just buy the game and pirate the DLCs, but don’t tell Paradox about it
I’ve bought every Stellaris DLC over the years, and I’m not even a particularly avid Stellaris player (347 hours played (which while notable is peanuts compared to the superfans’ hours) and haven’t played recently). Here’s my thoughts on it:
I buy DLCs day 1 that I am supremely interested in, and everything else I pick up on discount either during a sale or from another site (not sketchy key resellers - I use https://isthereanydeal.com/, which lists more legitimate sites). In multiplayer, all players can use the DLC the host has, so I’ve been the dedicated host for my friend group there. I don’t think the massive amount of DLCs is good, but it is at least tolerable (I liken it to a subscription model) and I enjoy how the devs share some of their insights during the development process. Despite all the flaws it has, Stellaris is a really cool sci-fi 4x game that probably has the least ridiculous learning curve compared to other Paradox strategy games.
I LOVE that the leaned into save scumming on BG3. They know their audience for sure. Lets get those outcomes folks!
They have twitter, facebook, tiktok, discord links on their page, there’s preorders, collection editions and consoles related stuff. I don’t see links to directly buy the game, i don’t see linux support i don’t see source codes. No, every game developer company should not be like this. Fuck that shit actually.
It doesn’t seem like OP was talking about anything other than absence of MTX in a full-price, finished game. That seems like something very much to be encouraged.
Everything should be like this no only game, also software, apps, etc.
Amen to that!
This used to be the way with all games. You had one version. It was one game and everyone got the same thing. All the additional stuff is just a normalized scam.
Buy the game. That’s it. You bought everything you need.
That is what I miss seeing in games.
I would like games to arrive as a single complete package, but I was relatively fond of expansion packs from games like RollerCoaster Tycoon.
They took the game you already had, and pretty much doubled it, they were fantastic!
Far better than any modern DLC for sure.
Expansion packs are the grandparents of DLC. They took something great and corrupted it to try and wring us for all we’re worth.
Actually, DLC is the grandparents of DLC.
Earliest examples I am personally aware of are the shareware and “mission pack” model of the 1990s. DOOM basically was given away for free with the idea that you play Episode 1 and then send iD money to get the disks of Episodes 2 and 3 in the mail. Not sure if they did a BBS/FTP server for that (or Episode 4), but Star Crusader is very much a game that even did the in game advertisement of their DLC. I have fond memories of working my ass off one summer so I had enough money to mail a check to some random dude so he would mail me back login information so I could download the mission pack and see what happened to Roman Alexandria when he was abducted by that ship.
The “expansion pack” model that people praise was the exact same thing, just using store shelves to distribute. Because games were big enough that it was viable to expect players to drive down to Radio Shack and pick up a copy. And the main issue with that is that it meant we needed MUCH coarser grain content because it needed to justify a physical disc printing and distribution. Everyone rightfully shits on Oblivion’s horse armor. But the actual DLC burst that Oblivion had was… not horrible. Whereas the Fallout 3 DLC model was downright amazing for giving us 3 (5?) different mini areas and quest chains. No one DLC was a full expansion (well, people say The Pitt was but they are idiots) but it meant that we got the kind of variety that we had all been wanting ever since we got tired of spending two hours in a single biome in Diablo 2.
Which gets us to where we are now. Some studios do dogshit DLC. Others do good. The Larian model has generally been to NOT do DLC but to instead release an Enhanced Edition one or two years later. I assume with the licensing and the added funding for BG3 they don’t think they will need to but, time will tell.
But, personally? I would LOVE BG3: Throne of Bhaal. Not so much whatever the shitty BG1 expansion nobody played was.
*: and… there are a lot of arguments that stuff like basically every ARPG and RTS expansion pack were overpriced as hell by modern standards. Which is funny since those are the ones that are most praised.
That was Shareware, not DLC.
Edit: The difference being with shareware you didn’t have to pay any money to try the game. Basically the game was the demo as well as a full game, and once you played the first part of it for free, and you decided you liked it, then you paid and the rest of the game you already had was unlocked.
As opposed to an f2p game with DLC? Or buying a full game and, once you played the first part of it, you decided you liked it, then you paid and the rest of the game you already had was unlocked.
I LOVE ARPGs but I am well aware that the Blizzard/Diablo model is almost exactly what people rage against. Diablo 2, Diablo 3, Dungeon Siege 1, Dungeon Siege 2, and plenty of others all followed the model of releasing the first 3-4 acts and then releasing the 4th/5th act for 30 bucks a year later.
You’re being purposely confusing and intellectually dishonest, in an attempt to control the narrative.
Then please, stop me from being “intellectually dishonest”
What is the distinction between a Free to play game with paid expansion packs and DLC and a copy of a game that came on a CD that tells me where I can send a money order to to buy extra content?
Oh, am I being “intellectually dishonest” because I am not respecting the branding? Is that the distinction?
I think wizards of the coast will demand more products that are part of baldur’s gate 3. Tbf, baldur’s gate 1 and 2 are known for their expansions. I wouldn’t be opposed to an expansion or two.
When buying the game actually meant something.
Whereas I love playing AAA games for free because other people spend money on cosmetic items I just don’t care about.
Apex Legends? Yes please, keep charging for skins and not the game.
Tbh I don’t get the hate for this model. I’d much rather be able to play these games for free and get to try them. Skin funded games mean I’ve played a lot of games for free, and I don’t care at all about the skins (and I don’t even get why people would) so I view the skins like a donation. If I really like the game I can spend a bit of money to get a skin to support them.
I’ve played league of legends for literally thousands of hours and never spent a cent on it. I have hundreds of hours on apex and also never spent anythings. It’s way better than games where you spend like 20 dollars and then also need to spend either hundreds of hours or dollars to unlock 2/3 of the playable characters.
I love the modern XCOM games, I love card games, I love games where the story follows a new superhero in an established superhero universe, I love XMen.
Yet.
Whilst I obviously was so excited for Marvel’s Midnight Son’s I was planning ahead to ask for cash to buy it full price for a birthday or something rather (to both play right away and support games that heavily target my tastes) rather than just wait for a deep sale a few years later like I normally would, all the buy this version and add on bits ala carte or buy this version that has some things but not all things but who know which is which or buy this super version that has the entire game or buy this hyper-mega version that has all of that and also stuff that’s not actually part of the game or buy a version that has the stuff that isn’t part of the game and most of the game… bullshit, just completely killed any interest I had in it.
I might pick it up and play it one day when it’s literally a few quid but quite possibly not at this point.
Just sell me the thing. Don’t complicate it. If I need to spend ages figuring out exactly which parts of a game I haven’t even played yet I do and don’t care about so I can try to see how close to a normal price I can pay and still get all the actual game, I’d rather just use that time to go play a game that wasn’t designed by MBE’s.
If you’re a fan of xcom, midnight sons will disappoint you. The tactical depth is reduced, and it’s all around less replayable than any xcom.
I don’t need it to be XCOM.
Yep, I bought the Original Sin 2 for full price and planning to get this for full price too.
Between this, Armored Core 6, and Starfield it looks like my gaming backlog is filled until end of year.
I’m curious what bs Bethesda is going to have for Starfield. From horse armor to weak mods you pay for they keep trying something with every game.
Good luck playing them all.
I literally bought OS 1 & 2 because of how much I enjoyed the EA of BG3 and how much I like the studio’s style. They deserve every penny.
Is OS1 as good as 2 though? I don’t know much about it.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t played yet. It’s on the list though!.. cries in Steam backlog
Game is an absolute masterpiece on top of it all. This kind of game needs unequal levels of support. They knocked it out of the park AND they did it all in the right way. I’m encouraging people to buy it and play if they like RPG, tabletop or even just interested in forgotten realms. One of a few games I’ve purchased for full price on Steam.
It’s just called “Game”? It kinda reminds me of this game store in the UK also called “GAME”, all caps this time.
deleted by creator
deleted by creator
I will defend microtransactions till the day I die!!!
For free to play games, where they belong, where it’s a means for a dev to make money without cramming ads into a game or selling your data.
Full priced games having micros is the most bullshit fuckery. Every MMO you play now, cool mount? It’s a micro! Because grinding doesn’t make these companies more money.
