Tell that to oldschool Baldur's Gate and having to reload multiple times before reaching the Friendly Arm if you were unlucky, because literally everything has the potential to one-shot you.
Or worse, reaching the Friendly Arm Inn and having your entire party wipe because you couldn't run to Khalid and Jahiera fast enough, and you didn't know you were supposed to scour the maps leading to it of every kobold and wolf for enough experience to level up once or twice.
I'll admit, I never finished any of the premium mods for NWN. I lost interest pretty much the instant I found out I couldn't import my character from HotU.
They have said that the story ties into the events of the previous games, it's not a sequel in name only, so I'm hopeful.
Yeah, gotta love rhe Giff. Also, what drugs were they on when they made Spelljammer? Elves in Undead Bug Mecha, Guyver ripoffs, Giant Space Hamsters, sword wielding penguin people riding flying pigs, and explosiom worshipping hippo men in napoleonic uniforms.Not gon' lie, that there's spelljammers involved as a major plot point is maybe the one thing that might actually get me to buy into a 3D baldur's gate. I've played the first two but like... never actually enjoyed the experience. So hearing about 3 was initially kinda' "meh". But spelljammer? In <current_year>? Damnit all, now I'm interested.
if they involve the hippomercs I might even be sold
Well for one I never considered getting "BG3" from the moment I heard that Larian studios was doing this. Their games have been while technically good, from a writing/dramatic perspective never been great. I mean enjoyed them all but the writing/feel of the game never got me excited.
It was owned by the Githyanki, who're hunting Mindflayers all over the multiverse since forever. They hate mindflayers.
It's pretty unlikely to tie into the original BG trilogy. The Bhaalspawn saga is so over and done with that the protagonist of the novelization (who is roundly loathed by the everyone who knows the games) is the center of a 5e starter adventure. Where he dies horribly and resurrects Bhaal 300 years after the Bhaalspawn Crisis ended.
Nope, nope, now, at this point 5e must be forever destroyed for making that garbage novelization canon. As if the setting hadn't suffered enough in 4e.It's pretty unlikely to tie into the original BG trilogy. The Bhaalspawn saga is so over and done with that the protagonist of the novelization (who is roundly loathed by the everyone who knows the games) is the center of a 5e starter adventure. Where he dies horribly and resurrects Bhaal 300 years after the Bhaalspawn Crisis ended.
Last I heard, BG3 has more to do with Descent Into Avernus, which happens to start in Baldur's Gate but is actually "Mad Max in Hell". So Larian's definitely just using the name to sell more copies. And that's great: I want Larian to make a really good FR-set game with a familiar brand so that they get the green light to do a really good FR-set game to go to the interesting places like Moonshaes, the Sea of Fallen Stars, the Underchasm, Mulhorand and Unther...
So yeah, no CHARNAME. And that's fine.
The novel was always canon.
It's pretty unlikely to tie into the original BG trilogy. The Bhaalspawn saga is so over and done with that the protagonist of the novelization (who is roundly loathed by the everyone who knows the games) is the center of a 5e starter adventure. Where he dies horribly and resurrects Bhaal 300 years after the Bhaalspawn Crisis ended.
Last I heard, BG3 has more to do with Descent Into Avernus, which happens to start in Baldur's Gate but is actually "Mad Max in Hell". So Larian's definitely just using the name to sell more copies. And that's great: I want Larian to make a really good FR-set game with a familiar brand so that they get the green light to do a really good FR-set game to go to the interesting places like Moonshaes, the Sea of Fallen Stars, the Underchasm, Mulhorand and Unther...
So yeah, no CHARNAME. And that's fine.
Oh no, there's no CHARNAME - but more than one thing happened in the original games. Maybe something involving those freaky mind flayers in the Athkatla sewers, given the topic.It's pretty unlikely to tie into the original BG trilogy. The Bhaalspawn saga is so over and done with that the protagonist of the novelization (who is roundly loathed by the everyone who knows the games) is the center of a 5e starter adventure. Where he dies horribly and resurrects Bhaal 300 years after the Bhaalspawn Crisis ended.
Last I heard, BG3 has more to do with Descent Into Avernus, which happens to start in Baldur's Gate but is actually "Mad Max in Hell". So Larian's definitely just using the name to sell more copies. And that's great: I want Larian to make a really good FR-set game with a familiar brand so that they get the green light to do a really good FR-set game to go to the interesting places like Moonshaes, the Sea of Fallen Stars, the Underchasm, Mulhorand and Unther...
So yeah, no CHARNAME. And that's fine.
Huh. Well, a quick wiki walk has taught me absolutely nothing about Minsc post-Bhaalspawn crisis. But I did learn that Bioware's in-house DnD campaign was set in Dark Sun and that Minsc was a character from that.
I'm sure not going to tell you that you're wrong about how you feel. But I don't think the original Baldur's Gate games have anything in common in terms of theme or feel. The original is a very open ended campaign where you're scrabbling for clues about who killed Gorion and why. It's linear, and you're always going to get to the same place in the same way, and I'd call it a personal story but it's pretty barebones until the last two chapters. Being set on the Sword Coast, it's about traveling from place to place, getting lost between the city-states.
That was the Cult of the Unseeing Eye--so, undead/blind beholders. The illithids were in the Underdark segment. I'll be pleasantly surprised if we do see more than references to the trilogy, but I almost hope they decide to push the setting forward rather than look back.
I'm a fan too. Just a lot less so after the POE misfires.I think I just want my isometric and drawn look back. I'm just old like that.
No, I'm referring to that little bit of sewer where you find a bunch of mind flayers. One of the pieces of the Crom Faeyr is down there.Huh. Well, a quick wiki walk has taught me absolutely nothing about Minsc post-Bhaalspawn crisis. But I did learn that Bioware's in-house DnD campaign was set in Dark Sun and that Minsc was a character from that.
I'm sure not going to tell you that you're wrong about how you feel. But I don't think the original Baldur's Gate games have anything in common in terms of theme or feel. The original is a very open ended campaign where you're scrabbling for clues about who killed Gorion and why. It's linear, and you're always going to get to the same place in the same way, and I'd call it a personal story but it's pretty barebones until the last two chapters. Being set on the Sword Coast, it's about traveling from place to place, getting lost between the city-states.
The second game is very goal-oriented, but it's not really about you--it's about Irenicus. While it's much more character-focused, your character specifically is tangential to the story; you're a subject of the plot(s), and a plot device. There are a few different ways to get to where you're going, but little freeform exploration. In exchange, the places you visit are denser, and quite a bit darker--Amn is one of the Lands of Intrigue and it shows. Most of the characters from the first game come back to variously be disposed of, rejoin the party, or do their own thing.
And then Throne of Bhaal. Your main character is the focus again since it turns out that the prophecy of destruction from the first game is what happens if you fail (or embrace it). It's the least grounded given that, and deals entirely with epic level subject matter, like stopping a war singlehandedly, a True Resurrection, killing immortals, and of course the godly portfolio up for grabs. Discounting Watcher's Keep you're basically on the critical path the whole time, since the sidequests are almost entirely things you do along the way to fight the next member of the Five.
Looking at it like this, I think you could easily convince someone that the games weren't connected if you leave out the part where you're (optionally!) playing the same character. Especially since you're not IN Baldur's Gate for 95% of the series, and it's a legacy title by Tales of the Sword Coast. And that's why I'm not concerned about BG3 not being thematically identical--the original trilogy wasn't! Heck, it actually has the most in common with Mask of the Betrayer, which happens to be my favorite PC game.
Art-wise, sure there's nothing here that looks like the BGT... but Pillars of Eternity did and I ended up loathing PoE for being a soulless clone of something real. Which is on-brand at least.
That was the Cult of the Unseeing Eye--so, undead/blind beholders. The illithids were in the Underdark segment. I'll be pleasantly surprised if we do see more than references to the trilogy, but I almost hope they decide to push the setting forward rather than look back.
Wait a tick, is minsc supposed to be a mul? They're generally portrayed as bald and burly, and, well...Huh. Well, a quick wiki walk has taught me absolutely nothing about Minsc post-Bhaalspawn crisis. But I did learn that Bioware's in-house DnD campaign was set in Dark Sun and that Minsc was a character from that.
.............uh.
