Topic: Baldur's Gate 3

I just unlocked some really nice things and went on a prehistoric and unexpected journey 🧞‍♂️

This game continues to delight.

I now have a ring that allows me to perform a weapon attack and then cast an illusion or enchantment as a bonus action afterwards, which seems perfect for my build, as I lack bonus actions beyond healing/second wind, unless dual wielding crossbows 😁

I think I can now land a sword Critical, get 10 extra hp from that, then perform a second melee attack, then action surge for another attack or Bardic attack, and then end with a spell like fear, dissonant whispers, hypnotic pattern, which then will kind of rule out any retaliation against me from my target, paired with my high AC, this could now make my Sword Bard even more fun, as I don't always have the chance to use my spells as much as I'd like 😁

@Ravix Impressed that it sounds like the game doesn’t drop off in quality on the latter parts. Do you know what your playtime is at this point and how close you are to the end?

I assume there’s multiple endings and multiple ways to get there, given the games intricate adaptability. I know that the amount of side content you engage with will greatly influence your playtime, but I reckon there are also decisions in the main quest that might have you skipping through story beats and thus modifying a runtime.

Regardless, it seems a safe bet that it’s a 100 hr type of game. I noticed that you took a couple small breaks over the last few weeks and played some other games, but if I read this correctly, you’ve really not strayed away from BG3 much since you started. Which for this long of a game is impressive.

@Th3solution yep, not been getting burned out with it at all. Just the few occasional day or two breaks every so often, but usually play it most evenings. Normally if a game is this long, I can tend to tail off and then end up starting something new, even with some 30/40 hour games I end up falling off them, then either pick them up at a later date, or leave them in the graveyard of unfinished games that I kind of enjoyed.

Normally with a AAA I will focus on just the one story based game anyway, so thats nothing new, and supplement it with the usual Fifa nonsense, of course, or general stuff that doesn't require any brain power or emotional investment. But BG3 is so fun, I'm barely even playing much Fifa and it's already been about 3 games worth of content 😁 basically if the ps5 goes on, it'll be for Baldur's Gate 3 (or tv streaming)

Probably about 150 hours 😁 And I guess I must have 50 or so hours to go, as it's only the very start of act 3. But I am literally doing every thing I possibly can (it feels like I could do a new playthrough and get to act 3 in a quarter of the time, in future, but that is if I RP a character that doesnt care about anyone's problems, or just mindlessly follow one quest rather than taking advantage of the branching, overlapping nature of quests) It seems like act 3 might progress quicker, tonaly, but then yesterday evening I played for a few hours and basically just ended up investigating a wierd circus and did some random early area content that kind of sets the story beats of life in the city, rather than progress the main story, but these still had elements of the overarching story creeping in, in a really cool way, too.

My only regret is that I didn't finish FF16 first, because I was really enjoying that, but I just really wanted to jump right in and learn BG3, as a proper RPG always wins for me. And that means a game I feel is a 9/10 for me, has been neglected, as if it were a 7/10 so I will still make sure to play that again this weekend and hopefully finish it 😅

I'd say BG3 will sit atop the playtime list when I'm "done" with it. With the likes of The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverence not far behind, but still noticeably so.

Content wise (and by that I mean sheer amount of worthwhile, fantastic to experience, and well written content) it's probably on par with the PS5 version of The Witcher 3 with all the DLC's, but at launch. Be interesting to see of BG3 gets DLC at some point too 😱

@Ravix It would seem BG3 is a type of game that would be amenable to DLC expansions. So yeah, it will be interesting to see if they do that.

I’m in the same spot with FF16, as far as shooting to complete it before my next adventure. But I’m exploring around and doing all the optional activities so it’s taking me a longer time. But I’m enjoying it, so I haven’t yet felt the need to ‘mainline’ it. Granted the side quests are dross mostly but they’re so short that I don’t mind. And it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something grand when I knock out 3 side quests in one play session! 😂

Ugh, I started over. Again. 😂

I hadn't played in ages and when I got back to it I totally forgot where I was and I decided to just totally reset. Gone with a Drow Half-Elf Druid this time round. Shapeshifting into a bear or spider for combat is awesome and the cat form allows me to be sneaky. Auntie Ethel got slapped silly and Minthara fell to her death. Absolutely great stuff.

Also discovered some new quests that I missed previously as well, so I've explored those and found some cool stuff.

Finally, you already know I'm romancing Shadowheart. She's a babe.

@Falcon94 yeah, pop in and textures is always a bit annoying in games like this, but then again it's never really detracted from epic RPG's for me in a way that truly affects my enjoyment, and I'm kind of used to it, where the games are so packed full of choices and details and objects, there is rarely never an issue. Elden Ring, TW3, KCD, all games like this can struggle for years, this is why I was happy enough playing Cyberpunk at release initially too, until the big crashes caught up to it, and then it really was unplayable

Hopefully it does get sorted down the line though.

Going to take a laughing pendant to, I guess, a monk/monestary next time out, look for a clown, also, I think J... wanted to do something or meet some people too, but I'm going to have to check what exactly that was, or where it was, as I forgot, she said it during an information dump after the ACT II boss fight ffs lol.

It seems like some companion quests will continue here too, so it is looking like a good few hours of gaming just for those few things to unfold more 😅

Played a huge amount of this over the past week or so and made some decent progress. I've missed out on saving Wulbren, the tieflings from Moonrise Towers but I managed to persuade Shadowheart not to kill the Nightsong, so I'm feeling good about that.

This game has been absolutely brilliant so far and I've been pleasantly surprised with it. I'm sure I have some more exploring of the Shadow-Cursed Lands to do but I'll hopefully get to the assault on Moonrise Towers at some point this week!

@KAIRU YOU MONSTER!!! 😱

It does seem like you are catching up fast, must have been some epic game sessions 😁

It's at its best when you just stumble across things, isn't it? I got arrested at one point, and thought "hmm, I'll just roll with it and see" and then that led to finding another story element, some information, and a fun, daring escape, and then discovering a new area that led to more exploring and possible routes to other things.

@Ravix I actually was intending to save them, I just didn't realise you had to do it before the assault! I'm not sure I want to go back about two hours and redo a lot of stuff. 😅😂

@KAIRU oh no, you missed out on being an undercover saboteur behind enemy lines 😆 Did you visit the tower at all first? 😬

I had lots of fun there acting all absolutey while I could get away with it 😁

But yes, push through, got to live with your decisions in this game, such as it is.

@Ravix I didn't visit the tower first so it seems I've missed out there! I'm kind of annoyed as I assumed you'd get the chance to save them during the assault so I could do everything there all at once, but it is what it is. The temptation to save-scum has certainly taken a downturn which I'm pretty happy about, though I have had some seriously lucky dice rolls in some bigger decisions.

The most important thing is Shadowheart has my heart and I have hers. 😂

I have a Drow Warlock playthrough waiting in the wings as well, so that'll be my evil playthrough, which may end up seeing me possibly killing almost everyone once that comes around.

@KAIRU yeah, when you go to Last Light

@Ravix Yeah, I probably should’ve gone there initially. I had planned to go there, like I mentioned, but one thing led to another and before you know it, I’m ready to begin the assault.

Balthazaar had deception options when I met him initially. He gave me a whistle to summon Flesh but I never used it. I found a good trick for the fight against him though which made the fight significantly easier, which was just to stay on the elevated platform above all the enemies and to just shove those that jumped up into the abyss. The bigger enemies couldn’t jump up and attack me so it made the fight next to trivial.

I had a glitch back when I was in Moonrise. When I rescued the tieflings from Moonrise for some reason the pathing got stuck for the male(forgot his name). Everyone else followed me out. When I went back in he was just standing there. I tried thunderwaving him closer to the door, but no luck. He was pushed closer, but no response. I then just roleplayed in my head that be was frozen with fear and could not be helped. I didnt restart a save as it has been a while. Otherwise no major glitches as im nearing the end of Act 3 and only had one crash. I have slowed down playing as well jumping into a couple other games for a bit.

This game is absolutely crazy. When I read about other people's stories and playthroughs, they are so different to anything I have done. I hear about characters that are doing lots of stuff but died early in my playthough but then I have characters in mine doing things I haven't read anywhere. The amount of detail and work that has gone in to this game is incredible. I can't wait to play it again once I have finished just to see what things I have missed.

I'm currently stuck in a jail cell in Act 3 with a skull. Can't seem to get anywhere at the moment, I have no weapons and keep getting in to battles. I'll perservere and see what opens up eventually

Honestly, I think it's a toss up between this, Armored Core VI, and Lies of P for my personal GOTY this year.

It's amazing playing a game where your choices and decisions actually have consequences. I couldn't imagine how tough this game is on Tactician difficulty too, but it'd be amazing doing a co-op playthrough with four players.

@Throb talk to the skull 😁 the crate of stuff is right outside your cell, and if you can't pick the lock with the lockpick you smuggled into jail in your booty, the skull can help. Failing that, remember you can separate party members, so they could technically come and rescue you if you control them (that would actually be really fun, and I wish I'd have done that now)

@KAIRU Lies Of P is incredible too, totally hooked on both of these. I split my gaming time between the two at the moment.

@Ravix Only 1 character got out, picked up the items and became massively encumbered. I then switched character to someone who had dimension door and teleported another out of there. Once you kill one of the baddies, you can loot the key to the cell and then free everyone Now I've got to rearrange all the inventory because it's all on one character

@Throb oooh, you all got arrested. Only my Tav got arrested 😅 but as a Bard I just talked to the skull, got my stuff and killed my way out with another NPC who happened to be in another cell at the time.

I wish I'd have thought of the split party jail break at the time though, that would have been fun sending the three others to break me out from the outside.

@Throb Yeah, the three games I mentioned before are the three games this year that have just completely captivated me and had me hooked. They're all brilliant.

I'm looking forward to playing more of this later tonight. Will finally assault Moonrise Towers!