Discussion Baldur's Gate 3

[Ranulf]

FOR ROCK AND STONE YOU BEAUTIFUL DWARF!!!

ROCK AND STONE BROTHA!

 

[Zeze]

It's jarring how infrequent the auto save is.

Something major would happen and if I hadn't manually saved, the last auto save gets me back like an hour earlier.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

It's jarring how infrequent the auto save is.

Something major would happen and if I hadn't manually saved, the last auto save gets me back like an hour earlier.

-No reason the game can't auto save every 5 minutes or scene transition.

Bad auto save systems need to be a source of shame for modern devs.

If you want to really knock it out the park let it be a user controlled setting. NVME? Save every 5 minutes and keep 3 rolling auto saves. Rust drive? Only save on major plot beats.

It's within their power we just have to make some demands...

 

[Stg-Flame]

-No reason the game can't auto save every 5 minutes or scene transition.

Bad auto save systems need to be a source of shame for modern devs.

If you want to really knock it out the park let it be a user controlled setting. NVME? Save every 5 minutes and keep 3 rolling auto saves. Rust drive? Only save on major plot beats.

It's within their power we just have to make some demands...

I disable auto-saves in every game that let's me. Historically speaking, auto-saves have only served to screw me in the end or they take the Bethesda approach and fill your PC with 17,896 separate auto-saves over the course of a single play through.

I'm fine with auto saves only if the game doesn't allow manual saves but that's it.

 

[Dannar26]

It's jarring how infrequent the auto save is.

Something major would happen and if I hadn't manually saved, the last auto save gets me back like an hour earlier.

Agreed. Rolled a 4 on a DC 5 check...got nommed. Had to go back quite a ways...I now compulsively manually save.

 

[sze5003]

Yup I manually quick save right before interactions or when arriving at a new unexplored area or if I have just healed everyone. For example the Dank Crypt I saved right before I dropped in luckily as there were like 6 enemies inside.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Eh the Auto save, the Quick save, and the Manual save are the holy Trinity of gaming for me now. I ain't got time to go back and replay 1-2 hours of gameplay cause an auto save didn't trigger (and I virtually never do now cause I compulsively quicksave).

But having multiple layers of saves has saved my bacon and a run more times than not.

 

[WelshBloke]

Loving the voice acting in this game! I'm getting dragged in like I was when I first played a BG game!

 

[Dannar26]

Loving the voice acting in this game! I'm getting dragged in like I was when I first played a BG game!

I'm like at about an hour of play time, and holy hell is this ever true. There's no way I'd make my own party like I did sometimes in BG 1 and 2. There's too much gold here!

 

[sze5003]

I need to stop reloading my save when I get into some conversation or quest related dialogue where I want to see how else it would play out. Have to leave that stuff for another playthrough.

The dialogue and story telling is really well done.

 

[Zeze]

Oh yea,

I am utterly amazed by the graphics. It's not just the pure texturing and modeling, but the facial mo cap and voice acting are SO GOOD that sometimes I get creeped out when companions look at you straight in the eyes and talk and nod at you.

You can have the next next gen graphics, but it would be awful without actual great dialogue and action.

 

[RPD]

I'm like at about an hour of play time, and holy hell is this ever true. There's no way I'd make my own party like I did sometimes in BG 1 and 2. There's too much gold here!

GO FOR THE EYES BOO GO FOR THE EEEEYEEEESSSSSS

 

[WelshBloke]

GO FOR THE EYES BOO GO FOR THE EEEEYEEEESSSSSS

I shall fan boy excessively when I meet him and Jaheira again!

 

[sactoking]

Just lost about an hour of game play including two large battles. The game never once autosaved during that time despite me hitting several major goals. I didn't quick save because it really affects performance and I thought it had been autosaving. Then I misjudged a black powder barrel and blew up the entire party with one errant firebolt.

 

[WelshBloke]

Just lost about an hour of game play including two large battles. The game never once autosaved during that time despite me hitting several major goals. I didn't quick save because it really affects performance and I thought it had been autosaving. Then I misjudged a black powder barrel and blew up the entire party with one errant firebolt.

F5 is your best friend in this game! I don't really notice the performance hit from F5ing, and it makes my led lighting do funky things so I'm all over it!

 

[sze5003]

Yup I learned to quick save before I talk to anyone important or move to an area where I haven't been before, before a fight, after a fight, etc.

Don't see a performance hit at all doing this.

How far is everyone in the game?

I'm currently level 4 and still in act 1. I've got the goblin camp left and then the swamp area, and the gith patrol mission still in the journal. I think for the swamp area you should be level 5 but I'm not finding anything else to do that would get me there.

My biggest problem is you have no idea what order any of the quests should be done so you could end up walking in under leveled which is why quick saving really helps.

 

[hardhat]

I would do the swamp area next. Some of the fights are more difficult, especially the boss, but they should all be doable at 4.
To get through the swamp and Hag's quest here is some advice:
To get through the door you put a mask on, on one character, then take the party through, then take it off immediately.
It is very important to kill the mage in the top left extremely quickly (if you start at the bottom) when fighting against the hag's puppets. The healer can also be a problem but usually not nearly as bad.
You can jump around the gas. Do it controlling one character at a time.

For the hag fight itself:
If at all possible have someone with magic missile ready to go, as the hag will create illusions that do full damage but die in one hit. Use magic missile to split into three guaranteed hits, removing at least two illusions.
To start the fight make sure your whole party is together so they don't spend running into range. The hag reappears opposite the entrance of the final battle area.
If you have a debuff applied to the hag that helps to know which is which when she is tricky.
You can put the cage out by throwing a water carafe or other water item at it.
Otherwise, just wail on her as best you can. If you have a rogue then can walk behind the hag, cunning action hide, then sneak attack her.

If you still are having trouble, try these easily miss able areas to see if they can get you to 5.
Save the tiefling child from the harpies. In the lower druid grove follow the path down to the beach to find them.
Fight the undead in the alchemy cellar in the derelict village.
Fight the phase spiders in the barn in the derelict village. Look for a breakable wall, or an area you can climb by stacking boxes.
Fight the hyenas on the Risen Road to save the Zhentarim.
Fight the false paladins in the tollhouse on the Risen Road.
Confront Kagha about the shadow druids (find her stash in the inner druid grove where you find her, then find evidence against her in the swamp (away from the teahouse)).

One other piece of advice for everyone. If you are going to piss off a diety, save first.

 

[sze5003]

If you still are having trouble, try these easily miss able areas to see if they can get you to 5.
Save the tiefling child from the harpies.
Fight the undead in the alchemy cellar in the derelict village.
Fight the phase spiders in the barn in the derelict village.
Fight the hyenas on the Risen Road to save the Zhentarim.
Fight the false paladins in the tollhouse on the Risen Road.
Confront Kagha about the shadow druids (find her stash in the inner druid grove where you find her, then find evidence against her in the swamp (away from the teahouse)).

I did all of these except maybe the phase spiders in the barn at the blighted village. I also did the whispering depths by going down the well in that village. So I'll try going back to the grove to find that evidence, try to find the spiders in the village and then move to the old hag quest.

 

[hardhat]

If you still aren't 5 after Kagha you can clear the above ground portion of the goblin camp without alerting those inside. There's the outer guards that can be killed, freely, then the goblin camp itself. I recommend doing that tactically, and at least go speak to the npc's in the goblin camp because they are a lot of fun. Maybe save a person or two beforehand. And you could even buy a weapon you then use to kill the shopkeep with later. AOE abilities are great against the swarm of gobbo's outside, and enemies have a tendency to run right through stuff like cloud of knives if they need to in order to attack you, which makes them easy pickings for your bow/crossbow/casters stationed above their heads.

 

[sze5003]

In the derelict village did you kill all the goblins there? I'm thinking that's probably a good amount of xp. I sweet talked my way in there so I can easily walk around there without problems and the same goes for the goblin camp outside, free to walk around although I have not gone inside the goblin sanctum area yet.

I'll be on vacation for a while and when I come back Starfield and armored core 6 are going to be out as well so I'll continue with BG3 where I left off. This game is going to remain installed like witcher 3 as it will take me forever to make sufficient progress.

 

[hardhat]

I did kill all of the goblins in the derelict village, and the ogres. There weren't very many, and I wanted to rescue the gnome on the windmill.

More things to learn early are that you should be using those magical arrows when necessary. They help a lot, and are pretty common. Also, you can throw those smokepowder bombs to great effect. And if you get someone wet (throw a water item at them or cast the 'create water' spell) then your ice and lightning damage will be doubled against them. Or throw oil to make them slip/set the ground on fire. My rogue's main value after the initial sneak attack is shooting elemental arrows or chucking bottles of water/oil.

 

[KMFJD]

this was well made, had a laugh

 

[Ranulf]

Heh, the barrel crafting. The song that starts around 3m38 works great with the video and then its capped off with a classic to end it all. Fun to see after going through the gobbo camp myself.

There was a great telekenesis method in DOS2 where you could load up a heavy chest and use it to beat up enemies with it. Fireballs? What about a trunk of heavy junk to the head?

 

[KMFJD]

I believe Spiffing Brit had a video with the telekinesis hack, flying chests of death

 

[Zeze]

This is my first CRPG and I'm having a blast.

Did you know Gale gains 'Sculpt Spells' subclass feature at level 2 which allows him to totally ignore party damage? You can nuke your own party with the fireball, only enemies will get hurt.

After a lot of learning, I'm finally in a nice groove.

1. My pally hits like a truck with his divine smite.
2. Gale's hurling fireballs at everyone - 1 shot kill at start.
3. The Gith girl is two handing a Gith weapon which deals a massive damage and she takes 4 swings in a single turn (Double action + extra attack per turn)
4. I had Karlach doing Frenzy and doing damage, but honestly not as good as Gith. I swapped her out for Shadowheart.
5. I respec'd the subclass of Shadowheart from Trickster to Life Domain. Now she has tons of party heals.

I'm now considering to up the difficulty to Tactician. Enemies die just too quickly.

Also I have a question on the attack formula. If my Shadowheart is casting a spell that says a DEX save, do I have below right?

Spell Difficulty Class (base 8) + Proficiency 3 + Ability modifier of WIS 3 = 16
The enemy must do a Saving Throw of 16 or more. So he will be Die throw + DEX modifier of enemy 3

Is that right? Where does my proficiency come from? Is it the quarterstaff weapon?