Baldur's Gate 3

[Norfleet]

I understand the realism part of the argument yet I was flabbergasted when I learned on this forum lol that games lie about probabilities, in the tim Cain thread.

Games lie about probabilties because ultimately, players don't care about probabilities. Players ultimately evaluate their satisfaction with the outcome of things not by what the stated probabilities are, but by whether that outcome feels sensible and natural/realistic. That's why you hear far less complaints about the game being rigged in something that isn't framed in any kind of realistic scenario, like Poker: There's no framing device that creates an expectation of how things are supposed to work in a purely abstract game.

Like it never occurred to me in my life why would anyone do that because as someone else said if I knew the real probability I would plan my actions otherwise.

Developers often don't like it when players make informed decisions, too. That's why so many games actively work to deny you that information and you have to resort to often extreme measures to dig up that information.

Plus in discussed games like XCOM2 you don't always get a second shot because one missed shot may very well **** you up for good.

That's X-Com, baby! That's why I liked the bazooka. Even when you miss, you still hit something. I was using starter rocket launchers all the way to Mars.

[revenant]

That is still dancing around the problem because the game provides me information explicitly that is wrong. If you don't want the player to know his chance to hit, don't display it at all instead of providing me a wrong number.

[J1M]

Probably. But the description is really misleading. It doesn't just avoid failure streaks, it basically adds 5 to each roll and avoids failure altogether. I probably failed 4-5 checks (rather unimportant ones) in 15h tops.

I would assume that it does something like grant a 20 if you've had 20 rolls without one and possibly use a pink noise distribution since that is supposedly how humans think randomness should work.

[J1M]

Posting this for all the BG3 haters, just to rattle the cages a bit.. but I noticed when you select the "Non-Binary" gender option (yes that exists) your pronouns are always "they / them" (Voiced dialogue, they paid real money to voice that)

Since there is no such thing as non-binary in real life it seems appropriate to have it in a fantasy world with other made up stuff like orcs and elves.

More appropriate for fantasy world to be divorced from real world politics. Or at the very least to have fantasy words for fantasy concepts.

[rusty_shackleford]

The city is pretty massive from what I've seen so far. The lower city area alone is probably one of the bigger cities in any RPG, and that's excluding the outskirts town area.

[J1M]

This was probably mentioned earlier, but it is really jarring that 90% of the frontline companions are women and the men are lithe/spellcasters. Also, the generic followers you can buy all look like clowns. Feels like someone slipped a pride parade into every aspect of the game.

Hypocritical for people so concerned about consent.

[rusty_shackleford]

This was probably mentioned earlier, but it is really jarring that 90% of the frontline companions are women and the men are lithe/spellcasters. Also, the generic followers you can buy all look like clowns. Feels like someone slipped a pride parade into every aspect of the game.

The companions overall feel like they were made by a completely different developer, it's so jarring wrt the rest of the game.

[GhostCow]

This is how I feel trying to avoid all the gay **** in this game (sound on)

[The_Mask]

Why does he have a chemical compound tattooed? That's probably the gayest thing about the video.

[Shillitron]

Why does he have a chemical compound tattooed? That's probably the gayest thing about the video.

Lmfao.

If this video was accurate the voice would just be playing 24/7 GAYGAYGAYGAYGAYGAY until he got it removed.

[Shillitron]

This was probably mentioned earlier, but it is really jarring that 90% of the frontline companions are women and the men are lithe/spellcasters. Also, the generic followers you can buy all look like clowns. Feels like someone slipped a pride parade into every aspect of the game.

The companions overall feel like they were made by a completely different developer, it's so jarring wrt the rest of the game.

Karlach especially feels like xer was designed as a squee lolrandom teen wannabe.
I know exactly the lardass woman who wrote this character. It oozes in self-insertion.

All the companions come off as teen high school sitcom drama characters.. Gale being so hohum like "Oh just the greatest mage in the world ngl, I'm besties with Elminster and ****** Mystra" - yes actually . It's ******* cringe.

Then I meet a NPC and they feel super chill and grounded in the setting. YIKES

[General Reign]

[J1M]

In what I'm sure was unintended design, by granting you followers that can be swapped mid day they have reintroduced prebuffing into D&D. You can have a follower in camp cast permanent buffs like protection from evil, mage armor, longstrider, and more for the cost of a spell slot that sits in town anyway.

The clicks involved is annoying, but giving them all Bard 2 gives you additional short rests so it would be viable for a more martial party.

Haven't bothered to do this myself, but discovered it while swapping companions. Also discovered you can "tire out" your parasite and it will not be usable in dialogue until you have a long rest so there's a hidden resource tied to that too.

[rusty_shackleford]

I try to rest as little as possible, I find it more fun tbh.
Not using any cheesy tactics like mentioned above either. Might if it was less annoying.

[aweigh]

Probably. But the description is really misleading. It doesn't just avoid failure streaks, it basically adds 5 to each roll and avoids failure altogether. I probably failed 4-5 checks (rather unimportant ones) in 15h tops.

i read it does the same for enemies too, which can make a fight harder. one guy did tests with the EA build and said with weighted dice on (earlier name for the feature) his 24ac character got hit at about the same rate as a 16ac character in a 100 roll test.

[Humbaba]

Can you kill/immediately ditch companions like in a good game like Wrathfinder? And why do you people put up with mercs being all pre-set characters instead of being able to make your own party?



-Humbaba

[rusty_shackleford]

While you get a few "timed" quests(related to long rests) earlier, there's a lot more in the city itself.
Also, **** is this city massive. And quests are incredibly open-ended/reactive.

[rusty_shackleford]

Also, **** is this city massive

******* hell, just realized I'm not actually in the city.

[Shillitron]

In what I'm sure was unintended design, by granting you followers that can be swapped mid day they have reintroduced prebuffing into D&D. You can have a follower in camp cast permanent buffs like protection from evil, mage armor, longstrider, and more for the cost of a spell slot that sits in town anyway.

The clicks involved is annoying, but giving them all Bard 2 gives you additional short rests so it would be viable for a more martial party.

Haven't bothered to do this myself, but discovered it while swapping companions. Also discovered can "tire out" your parasite and it will not be usable in dialogue until you have a long rest so there's a hidden resource tied to that too.

This sounds super tedious.

I've found something 100x more cheesier..

~Barrelmancy~ Collect all Wine / Oil / Gunpowder barrels you find.. right click and "Send to Camp" - (Gunpowder is best) and in dialogues with bosses you can start placing barrels around them. Or just place them in combat. Those gun powder barrels do Force + Fire damage and explode each other and all stack in damage.

TL;DR you can basically one shot any boss on tactician like this.
Even enemies who are immune to fire, take Force damage although if they absorb fire damage then it's a no-go.

Good barrel spots are near Toll House, Zhent Hideout, Zhent Storeroom in Goblin Castle, Zhent cave area around the back.. Basically anywhere you find zhents you'll find an assfuck ton of Powder barrels.

I haven't found any way of crafting outside of specific item combinations, so I collect every barrel I see, water included.

Warning: This will completely trivialize the game but it's funny as ****. I can also see this being useful for some strong early fights like Ogres when your level 1 but want the stat bonus items.. you can literally beeline to ogres with a couple of barrels and nuke them with a single cantrip. Speed run capabilities are endless.

While you get a few "timed" quests(related to long rests) earlier, there's a lot more in the city itself.
Also, **** is this city massive. And quests are incredibly open-ended/reactive.

I'm still waiting for my "rustic village" you promised.. if you meant "Last Hope Inn" when you said that I'm gonna be mad.

[rusty_shackleford]

I'm still waiting for my "rustic village" you promised.. if you meant "Last Hope Inn" when you said that I'm gonna be mad.

It's later.
Also, once you leave that area you can't return.

[Shillitron]

I'm still waiting for my "rustic village" you promised.. if you meant "Last Hope Inn" when you said that I'm gonna be mad.

It's later.
Also, once you leave that area you can't return.

To that area specifically or all of Act 1?

Also is the "Mountain Pass" a real area? Is it worth going to?

[rusty_shackleford]

To that area specifically or all of Act 1?

Everything up to that point.

Also is the "Mountain Pass" a real area? Is it worth going to?

Yes, yes.

[Shillitron]

To that area specifically or all of Act 1?

Everything up to that point.

Also is the "Mountain Pass" a real area? Is it worth going to?

Yes, yes.

I'm gonna be Level 12 before I finish this ******* act.. lol

[rusty_shackleford]

I find trying to rest as little as possible to be pretty fun tbh. Have to be much more conservative with my spells and also use consumables.

[J1M]

The main reason I mentioned the prebuffing thing was because it could be useful for a 'solo' run which some people had been discussing.

Along the same line, I found a couple hand crossbows at the tiefling smith for sale so Astarion at level 3 assassination rogue can open combat with ~50 damage. (Sneak attack, then a full turn so another sneak attack and offhand attack with guaranteed crits.) I expect the potential to go up a lot as I pick up the sharpshooter feat and extra attack next.

Anyone know if there is still an obscure way to get both Halsin and Minthara to join?

[Shillitron]

The main reason I mentioned the prebuffing thing was because it could be useful for a 'solo' run which some people had been discussing.

Rotating companions to buff your character doesn't really feel like a "solo run" to me.
I would guess a true solo run would require you to reject / refuse all companions as soon as you meet them. Self-buffing with scrolls and potions only.

I find trying to rest as little as possible to be pretty fun tbh. Have to be much more conservative with my spells and also use consumables.

I might change my opinion on Tactician but I rarely need to long rest ever. Healing is in such abundance and Wizards easily can spell recharge themselves.
(There's an amulet that gives them an extra 3 levels of recharge @ underdark merchant)..

Honestly.. I usually rest when everyone is barking at me because there's a "story event" that's gonna happen.

[J1M]

The main reason I mentioned the prebuffing thing was because it could be useful for a 'solo' run which some people had been discussing.

Rotating companions to buff your character doesn't really feel like a "solo run" to me.
I would guess a true solo run would require you to reject / refuse all companions as soon as you meet them. Self-buffing with scrolls and potions only.

I find trying to rest as little as possible to be pretty fun tbh. Have to be much more conservative with my spells and also use consumables.

I might change my opinion on Tactician but I rarely need to long rest ever. Healing is in such abundance and Wizards easily can spell recharge themselves.
(There's an amulet that gives them an extra 3 levels of recharge @ underdark merchant)..

Honestly.. I usually rest when everyone is barking at me because there's a "story event" that's gonna happen.

What about using a hireling to make alchemy more efficient? Asking Withers to respec you? Barrels? Interested where you would draw the line.

[Shillitron]

What about using a hireling to make alchemy more efficient? Asking Withers to respec you? Barrels? Interested where you would draw the line.

Does a companion join your party or not?
That's the line.

Companion to improve alchemy: Not Allowed
Asking Withers For Respec: Allowed
Using Barrels: Allowed

I'm not saying Withers and Barrels aren't game breaking mechanically.. but if you call it a "solo run" it means you play solo. You can also do a "no respec" run which many achievements are hooked into.

[Shillitron]

Quadposting but I found a learnable recipe for Potion of Animal Speaking in mountain pass.

So you *can* learn potion recipes... that's one more complaint I had removed.

[The_Mask]

Yeah, when you find enough of 2 ingredients that work together, you unlock recipes. You can also unlock them by finding papers in the world.

Just keep your eyes peeled.