What are you going to be doing during the initial planned launch window for Endwalker

[Kaoru_Nagisa]

It plays quite a bit like Neverwinter Nights actually, but turn based instead of real time with pause. I disagree with many that it is like a Divinity OS2 reskin.

I very fondly remember my hours and hours playing NWN1 and 2 way back in the day, and I honestly didn't really feel that vibe from BG3, personally. Maybe a bit of NWN2, but something about it just doesn't hit the same notes as they did.

It feels far more like DOS2 with a D&D coat of paint right now, though I am hoping that feeling changes once the full game is out and we move away from the "Fort Joy" section that is Chapter 1. But the opening segment of BG3 in specific was almost verbatim the opening segment of DOS2... which didn't give me high hopes for Larian handling this project, honestly. :x I loved DOS2, but when I think "Baldur's Gate", I don't want to feel like I'm playing DOS2 again... when I could literally just boot that up instead.

They've certainly done better than I anticipated with it from that, but still not really hitting the mark so far.

For that matter, DnD is turn based in the first place, and the game is using the 5e ruleset translated.

Larian's also modified a some of the D&D 5e ruleset and inserted their own brand of "fun" combat options from DOS2 (I don't find them fun, just needlessly overpowered and unnecessarily goofy), which most older BG and RTwP fans vehemently dislike, from what I've been seeing.

I can understand why Larian was chosen to make it, as they wanted a more modern turnbased take on the franchise, and Larian had already proven themselves prior with successful crpgs.

Larian's certainly a good studio, I agree! That said, I still think Obsidian or the people in charge of Solasta would have been a better choice to hand over such a beloved franchise to.

Pillars of Eternity was practically a love letter to the glory days of cRPGs, and Solasta's done a much better job of 1:1 translating 5e's ruleset into a game.

I see a lot of people say this in concern to BG3's plot. The thing is the Bhaalspawn story has already been concluded, like in what Throne of Bhaal (granted it's been a long time since I've played BG2)? For that matter, BG2, didn't even take place in Baldur's Gate.

My issue with the story isn't so much a lack of connection to the older games beyond name drops and etc. I actually like where it's going so far, I just think some of the writing needs polishing. That said, I wasn't super fond of Descent into Avernus - which is what BG3 is coming off of, storywise (at least, iirc), so that doesn't really help matters.

The issue with focusing on cinematics and gorgeous graphics comes from a place of concern over the writing and roleplay elements being a secondary thought to those. I don't need my game to push the limits of graphics and look photorealistic - I just need a good RPG that offers tons of roleplay variety. I got that in WotR and Pillars, not... really feeling it in BG3 so far. :x

Also, BG1 wasn't even that deep as an RPG, and was very goofy, so funnily enough right along the lines of Larian's usual writing style.

Larian's never had bad writing, per say - I just feel it's being bogged down right now with a lot of other issues. Plus the mostly-evil party we have access to right now can kinda grate on people who play good-aligned characters (like me). I liked all of them except Wyll (he just... didn't stand out and has a personality that rubs me wrong, but eh, hard to fully judge with just a single chapter available in EA), but they could still be kind of irritating at times. Astarion and Lae'Zel stand out as the more fun options, though I've been hearing Shadowheart's story is shaping up to be interesting.

And compared to DOS2, BG3 definitely got a lot more serious in and less campy than the former - which I do appreciate! I prefer less goofy stories and more well-timed comedy sprinkled within an otherwise serious tale, and BG1 for all its silliness actually hit that balance pretty well. WotR has as well, perhaps even more so, which is part of what enamored me to it over BG3 - despite being wholly unfamiliar with the Pathfinder setting and lore, let alone its mechanics (I've come to adore both, though, but I'm glad the game handles number crunching instead of me needing to. I'm hella bad at math and Mathfinder is a meme I know well from my friend who's played it exclusively for years).

All that said, I've basically swore off the EA after getting through to the start of the Underdark. I don't want to burn out too soon on the game and not have any enjoyment out of it when it's fully released, plus my above-mentioned issues just haven't made me that keen on continuing with it in its current state. Still following development here and there, though, and I do hope you're right that it'll end up being an excellent entry to the D&D cRPG franchise once all's said and done!

For now, it just isn't clicking with me like the old games (and some new ones) did. I'll reserve full judgement for it until after it's out and I've had time to fully experience all the game offers, though!

Anyway, I'm going way off-topic. I do like my RPGs though, they are usually what I play when I am not playing FFXIV.

Mood though. My bad, I just wanted to share my thoughts in more detail since you took the time to type all that up! I tend to exclusively be playing various cRPGs, western RPGs, or jRPGs in my spare time during content lulls in FFXIV - so I hear where you're coming from. xD