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.
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! :)
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.
Is it native then?
Squeals in Arch
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”.
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.
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.
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!
Buy the DRM free version on GOG if you haven’t already.
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.
Gog.com Alternative games with some focus on old games.
Can steam and gog players play together?
There was in their previous game DOS2 and Larian’s website says you can.
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.
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.
Gift me and I’ll enjoy it 😉
I’m open to the idea.
steamcommunity.com/id/renegade1506 if you’re not joking!
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!
The saddest thing is that with the destruction of the media over the past 20 years, I’m still waiting to hear whether it’s actually any good or not.
It’s super fuckin good. If you liked dos2, it’s basically that but with more immersive conversations, more potential dialogue trees, more DnD like, and more titties and dongs.
Msdos?
It’s good, best with a group
Definitely not unless your group is insanely dedicated to keeping it serious. All it takes is one person who doesn’t care about lore or the story or some NPC talking to rush through something or make a joke and completely take you out of it. I could never play it in a group on my first serious play.
it’s best in any format, imo. shaping up to be my all-time favorite game.
The group glitch where someone can’t leave your party once they join is pretty bad.
It’s very good. Larian studios really went above and beyond with the level and attention to detail. The replayability is incredible. Most streamers are still on act one and there is no shortage of stuff to do. Edit: autocorrected a word
Latharian studios
Guessing some kinda typo/autocorrect business going on here, but just to cover the bases, it’s Larian, not Latharian.
Yeah I think part of the reason there’s so few reviews is that the game is so large that not my reviewers have finished it yet. Or at least a lit of what I’m seeing are “reviews in progress”
What are you even talking about
It’s fantastic, if you have any familiarity with d&d and enjoyed that experience then you’ll love this.
I love headlines like this.
Larian makes such great games. This kind of success means maybe a BG4 somewhere down the line.
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
Dang. Here I thought we had it bad in CAD
There is still time to change that.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The game is mostly about talking to people and choosing your own adventure with the occasional tactical combat. There’s a lot of complexity if you want to get into it, but most of it can be ignored if you play on easy. While the combat is fun for those of us that like that sort of thing, the big draw is the story and how reactive it is to your choices.
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!
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
750k concurrent players several days after release, quite the feat!
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!
My buddy has been playing co-op with me using GeForce now and it’s worked great so far
Well deserved, haven’t play it a lot personally but friends are very much still raving about it after playing for 20+ hours, so well worth it.
