Baldur's Gate 3

[Cern]

Act 3 is a problem for the game.

Leaving aside the issue of the unfinished and unpolished ending, which I'm sure they'll address at some point, the storytelling in Act 3 is incoherent and all over the place. You get dumped into a big city feeling rudderless and overwhelmed, while the plot takes a huge pivot. I can see why so many players seem to hit a wall at this point.

Spoiler

A big part of the problems seems to be the way the story pivots massively in Act 3. Everything in Acts 1 and 2 links together, makes sense, is intricately and intimately interconnected in fantastic detail. Then in Act 3 the story gets turned on its head and widened out into a frankly rather tired "save the world" trope where suddenly all these big players enter the scene. You're expected to choose your side, but ultimately nothing really matters due to the ending and there's some truly bizarre storytelling decisions. Whilst there's some very good side-story stuff in Act3, it's all made to feel hugely unimportant by the truly terrible ending.

It's as if they HAD to make it all about Baldur's Gate, because that's what the series is named after. But therein was the Achilles Heel from a storytelling perspective.

 

[Devil_Spawn]

is it really obvious when you reach a new act of the story? just trying to match up where I am in the game with what everyone is talking about

 

[Cern]

is it really obvious when you reach a new act of the story? just trying to match up where I am in the game with what everyone is talking about

You usually get a zone transition warning about moving the story on and making sure you've tied up loose ends etc. There's two different routes from Act 1 into Act 2, but only one from Act 2 to Act 3 (if I recall right).

 

[Devil_Spawn]

You usually get a zone transition warning about moving the story on and making sure you've tied up loose ends etc. There's two different routes from Act 1 into Act 2, but only one from Act 2 to Act 3 (if I recall right).

ah that's really good to know, thanks

 

[FlamBango]

Act 3 is a problem for the game.

Leaving aside the issue of the unfinished and unpolished ending, which I'm sure they'll address at some point, the storytelling in Act 3 is incoherent and all over the place. You get dumped into a big city feeling rudderless and overwhelmed, while the plot takes a huge pivot. I can see why so many players seem to hit a wall at this point.

Spoiler

A big part of the problems seems to be the way the story pivots massively in Act 3. Everything in Acts 1 and 2 links together, makes sense, is intricately and intimately interconnected in fantastic detail. Then in Act 3 the story gets turned on its head and widened out into a frankly rather tired "save the world" trope where suddenly all these big players enter the scene. You're expected to choose your side, but ultimately nothing really matters due to the ending and there's some truly bizarre storytelling decisions. Whilst there's some very good side-story stuff in Act3, it's all made to feel hugely unimportant by the truly terrible ending.

It's as if they HAD to make it all about Baldur's Gate, because that's what the series is named after. But therein was the Achilles Heel from a storytelling perspective.

im struggling with act3 as well now. I hit level 12 pretty early in the act so there is nothing left , power wise, to aim for and the multitude of story lines in act 3 is overwhelming.

Spoiler

even the NPC's are bored with it i think. I'm in the counting house literally emptying vaults out under the nose of the guards and they even say "oh get on with it then". Orrin keeps appearing to taunt us, why the hell cant i just throw a disintegrate into her face! she just pops in and out. I want to fight her!

I've got so many story lines left to finish, i'm 140 hours in (with early access play) must be at least another 30 hours left in it for me, especially for the party members stories to do, but just cant get the enthusiasm to go through with it. I applaud them for the content but a lot of this game should have been DLC.

 

[Mobius 1]

I’m finding act 3 overwhelming. So much so I’ve actually shelved it for now

 

[zom247]

Slowly plodding on through Act 1 but got a couple of questions cos I think I've missed stuff:

1. Items with an orange outline, I take it you need to keep them as they are quest items.
2. Books/Letters, do I keep them, sell them, drop them?

Cheers, back to killing things again!

 

[ljt]

Slowly plodding on through Act 1 but got a couple of questions cos I think I've missed stuff:

1. Items with an orange outline, I take it you need to keep them as they are quest items.
2. Books/Letters, do I keep them, sell them, drop them?

Cheers, back to killing things again!

Orange outline means it's generally something to do with a quest so I tend to keep most until the quest line is finished. Once it is finished, if you still have it you can keep/sell whichever you wish.

You don't need to keep books (unless they are outlined in orange for a quest) so you can sell, drop, throw them at enemies

 

[Neil79]

I’m finding act 3 overwhelming. So much so I’ve actually shelved it for now

Act 3 should've been a wider spread between the City and the outskirts. Instead it's City, more City, underground, back to the City again zzzz

 

[NeilFaz]

I had a bag for books. Stopped actively sending all of them to my stash and sorting them towards the end of Act 2. Had about 700 seperate ones by the end. Ill know that was a waste of time for the next play through!

 

[Tombstone]

I had a bag for books. Stopped actively sending all of them to my stash and sorting them towards the end of Act 2. Had about 700 seperate ones by the end. Ill know that was a waste of time for the next play through!

Knowledge is power they say...so you should be pretty powerful

 

[Neil79]

 

[VincentHanna]

It's funny that Eurogamer were getting caned for their review (not necessarily here), because it dropped the metacritic score down and everyone was loving Act 1 and 2

But they were so right.

 

[NoobTeamAgain]

Also shelved. I don't mind Act 3 sure yeah it is flawed but I applaud the effort they've made (as opposed to Divinity 2 where everything is a pile of rubble?). So I think to complain it is 'overwhelming' is kinda spoilt.

What isn't forgivable however is the waning difficulty. This is the second time I've given up on a Larian game as it becomes too easy and it's just boring when there is no longer a challenge. Games are supposed to get harder as you progress, not easier :/

Anyway, had a blast playing acts 1 and 2. The environments, artwork, graphics whatever I think are easily the best I've seen in this type of game.

 

[Needmorevram]

Also shelved. I don't mind Act 3 sure yeah it is flawed but I applaud the effort they've made (as opposed to Divinity 2 where everything is a pile of rubble?). So I think to complain it is 'overwhelming' is kinda spoilt.

What isn't forgivable however is the waning difficulty. This is the second time I've given up on a Larian game as it becomes too easy and it's just boring when there is no longer a challenge. Games are supposed to get harder as you progress, not easier :/

Anyway, had a blast playing acts 1 and 2. The environments, artwork, graphics whatever I think are easily the best I've seen in this type of game.

I've not shelved it but i agree on the waning difficulty, the game from the start is too easy and just gets easier. I think i've used Displacer beast once as i'm sure this thing could solo most of the game.

 

[Noxia]

Games are supposed to get harder as you progress? Didn't realise that was a standard design principle lol.

 

[Cern]

What isn't forgivable however is the waning difficulty. This is the second time I've given up on a Larian game as it becomes too easy and it's just boring when there is no longer a challenge. Games are supposed to get harder as you progress, not easier :/

I've not shelved it but i agree on the waning difficulty, the game from the start is too easy and just gets easier. I think i've used Displacer beast once as i'm sure this thing could solo most of the game.

I've noticed this too but I have a feeling it has more to do with the mechanics of D&D itself rather than Larian's game design.

It's a fair few years since I last played tabletop D&D but I do recall how so many of the abilities and spells you get as you level up start to trivialise encounters. The sheer number of attacks per turn that high level melee and physical ranged characters get, plus the power of high level spells and extra spell slots, means it all adds to a sense of overwhelming power. Beyond about level 12 it can get a bit ridiculous (perhaps no coincidence that Larian decided to cap things at level 12 for BG3).

A human Dungeonmaster can be creative about how to interpret dice rolls to offset this a bit, but a video game has less scope. Hence the way Larian attempt to fudge difficulty by rigging massaging the dice rolls in Tactician mode.

Perhaps someone with better knowledge of current tabletop D&D rules can comment further?

 

[gilljoy]

I stuck through and yeah act 3 is def the weaker of the 3.

I did enjoy it though and would happily play through it again

 

[Mobius 1]

Games are supposed to get harder as you progress? Didn't realise that was a standard design principle lol.

It’s not due to the fact it’s “hard”, as it is not. It’s the fact that there are so many places to go and so much to see, not to mention the amount of characters to talk to, which by the way, you don’t know who is important to talk to or not with regards to quests and side quests. and it is totally acceptable to say it’s a little overwhelming.

 

[Noxia]

It’s not due to the fact it’s “hard”, as it is not. It’s the fact that there are so many places to go and so much to see, not to mention the amount of characters to talk to, which by the way, you don’t know who is important to talk to or not with regards to quests and side quests. and it is totally acceptable to say it’s a little overwhelming.

The comment was in relation to the combat I assume as being too easy.