Baldur's Gate 3

[Tebonas]

You could download the mod that gets you all companions in the party at the same time. Lets you breeze through the game without paying attention too much (because you fight the the battles tuned for half the partymembers) and you get all the companion stories and banter in one playthrough.

It doesn't get more easymode than that.

[Khaldun]

I will say that I wish the default party size was at least 5 without the mod, because at four you're basically having to make some ridiculous choices on party composition--I'm doing a player-created wizard, I gotta have a rogue, I have to have at least one fighter/barbarian, so that leaves me with either another fighter or the cleric, and never the warlock. It's kind of annoying, because it really pushes you towards a player-created character who can do frontline stuff.

[Riggswolfe]

Wow, I was thinking about getting this, and your description completely turned me off (and is what I find tedious about tactical games).  Is there an easy mode?

It's called Explorer mode and it's what I'm playing on actually. I'm old enough and have enough stress in my life I don't play games for "challenge." (It's why I will never touch a From Software game)

It gives you a small bonus on skill checks, makes enemies hit less hard and makes NPCs in your party much less likely to die. I can mostly brute force my way through the combat with that mode on and enjoy the extremely deep story. (seriously, my best friend is playing too and merely based on our companion choices we're branching apart in our experiences already in a fairly major way.)

[Typhon]

Thanks all, appreciate it.  It's funny, I played and loved (and was very obsessive) about Elden Ring, but for something like Baldur's Gate, I just want to be the Chosen One(s) and steamroll through the combat so that I can focus on the story, characters and dialog.

It's a pretty big departure from most games, where I appreciate a bit of a challenge.  I think the reason is because I hate the way that turn-based-tactical devs make encounters hard - by making it so  you need to figure out what abilities you need to use (and therefore have) to cheese the encounter.  I find that is a huge turnoff.

And, like Riggswolfe, I simply am too old and have more than enough stress in my life to put up with that shit in a game.

[Khaldun]

I think the frustrating thing with Larian's games is:

a) they don't build enemy groups that can just be ground up by a well-constructed party--even gnolls and goblins and so on have spellcasters, archers, etc., so you can't just send one character to trigger them and then run them back into a well-situated ambush
b) they don't build environments with choke-points
c) it's very hard to control LOS and isolate one group of enemies from another fairly nearby; you aggro one member of a group and most of the time, you're going to have a big mess of them down on you
d) the enemy AI is pretty good: they know how to self-buff, they will find ways around an environmental obstacle you put in their way to try and crowd-control them, they target the squishies;
e) a lot of enemies in Larian games have way more HP total than the party

So some encounters take massive planning--you have to cast the right spells, drink the right potions, position everybody just so, and you're still going to be save-scumming to get it done because the RNG will screw you occasionally in a way that is fatal. So far in BG3, on the middle difficulty setting, the gnoll encounter is driving me nuts with a party of level 4 characters, no matter how I try to set it up. There's no way to pick off one or two of them effectively beforehand, there's enough gnolls to overwhelm a four-person party no matter how you go about it, etc.  I haven't even tried the githyanki encounter yet because I remember that being nightmarishly difficult.

The goblin base is not so bad if you get in there without aggroing them outside--you can sneak around and pick off several groups in isolation, especially if you're careful to destroy war drums when you can. That sometimes depends on Astarion being able to one-shot kill from stealth, which is often an RNG coin flip. But even there, a few fights are aggravating again because enemy AI is good. If you're standing near the pit with the spiders in it, for example, all the enemies know they can sometimes shove you in it, which is more or less a guaranteed party wipe.

I might switch to the easiest mode myself: I just think otherwise it's not going to be much fun having to replay certain encounters too many times. I'd like to have at least a party of five too just because that's more fun.

[Rendakor]

I think the frustrating thing with Larian's games is:

a) they don't build enemy groups that can just be ground up by a well-constructed party--even gnolls and goblins and so on have spellcasters, archers, etc., so you can't just send one character to trigger them and then run them back into a well-situated ambush
b) they don't build environments with choke-points
c) it's very hard to control LOS and isolate one group of enemies from another fairly nearby; you aggro one member of a group and most of the time, you're going to have a big mess of them down on you
d) the enemy AI is pretty good: they know how to self-buff, they will find ways around an environmental obstacle you put in their way to try and crowd-control them, they target the squishies;
e) a lot of enemies in Larian games have way more HP total than the party

So some encounters take massive planning--you have to cast the right spells, drink the right potions, position everybody just so, and you're still going to be save-scumming to get it done because the RNG will screw you occasionally in a way that is fatal. So far in BG3, on the middle difficulty setting, the gnoll encounter is driving me nuts with a party of level 4 characters, no matter how I try to set it up. There's no way to pick off one or two of them effectively beforehand, there's enough gnolls to overwhelm a four-person party no matter how you go about it, etc.  I haven't even tried the githyanki encounter yet because I remember that being nightmarishly difficult.

The goblin base is not so bad if you get in there without aggroing them outside--you can sneak around and pick off several groups in isolation, especially if you're careful to destroy war drums when you can. That sometimes depends on Astarion being able to one-shot kill from stealth, which is often an RNG coin flip. But even there, a few fights are aggravating again because enemy AI is good. If you're standing near the pit with the spiders in it, for example, all the enemies know they can sometimes shove you in it, which is more or less a guaranteed party wipe.

I might switch to the easiest mode myself: I just think otherwise it's not going to be much fun having to replay certain encounters too many times. I'd like to have at least a party of five too just because that's more fun.

This is exactly why I bounced off of Divinity: Original Sin 1 in less than three hours, and never touched another Larian game.

[Riggswolfe]

I might switch to the easiest mode myself: I just think otherwise it's not going to be much fun having to replay certain encounters too many times. I'd like to have at least a party of five too just because that's more fun.

The Explorer mode really does remove a lot of those frustrations and gives you skill bonuses for conversations and lockpicking and such as well. The only downside seems to be it disables multiclassing for some reason but that doesn't bother me. Also some of these fights can be made massively easier by finding stuff to help you in unexpected ways. For instance in the goblin lair:

[Khaldun]

Yeah, you can talk your way through a lot of things and not murder-hobo everything, though sometimes it's not obvious how to do that or you lose a roll that you should win and you're off to the races. One thing you have to like about the game is that there is an insane variety of ways objects, characters and environments can interact. You can throw health potions at downed characters and they'll be healed (if you don't miss, or if the thrower's strength doesn't actually kill the downed character with a health-pot missile). You can pick up a barrel of firepowder and toss it like a giant grenade at bad guys.

But basically I switched to Explorer mode in the Underdark and started having more fun right away.

[Riggswolfe]

Yeah, you can talk your way through a lot of things and not murder-hobo everything, though sometimes it's not obvious how to do that or you lose a roll that you should win and you're off to the races. One thing you have to like about the game is that there is an insane variety of ways objects, characters and environments can interact. You can throw health potions at downed characters and they'll be healed (if you don't miss, or if the thrower's strength doesn't actually kill the downed character with a health-pot missile). You can pick up a barrel of firepowder and toss it like a giant grenade at bad guys.

But basically I switched to Explorer mode in the Underdark and started having more fun right away.

I'm not even going to pretend I don't save-scum past bad rolls when I should clearly win the roll. "Ok, with my stats and bonuses I only fail this roll on a 2 or less..." *fails the roll* "Eff that." *hits quick load button and retries*

[Khaldun]

I mean, a DM who wasn't a psycho would let you roll it again. And a DM who wasn't a psycho would find ways for quick-thinking players to try and recover from a bad role that was more 50-50, which no matter how well done this game is, that's a bit beyond its reach.

One thing I'm surprised by and don't like at all is that all the NPCs are just a little bit too horny--it feels almost like a bug, you can't have any interaction at all with some of them without them assuming you're looking to sleep with them--in some dialogues there's no option between "I hate you and want you to leave" and "Let's fuck".

[Rasix]

I mean, a DM who wasn't a psycho would let you roll it again. And a DM who wasn't a psycho would find ways for quick-thinking players to try and recover from a bad role that was more 50-50, which no matter how well done this game is, that's a bit beyond its reach.

One thing I'm surprised by and don't like at all is that all the NPCs are just a little bit too horny--it feels almost like a bug, you can't have any interaction at all with some of them without them assuming you're looking to sleep with them--in some dialogues there's no option between "I hate you and want you to leave" and "Let's fuck".

You can just use Inspiration charges to reroll a missed roll.

I'm not finding it all that difficult as of yet, but I'm not playing on Tactician or anything like that. I'm kind of getting carried by Karlach, however. She can do an absolute (heh heh) ton of damage.

[Rendakor]

I mean, a DM who wasn't a psycho would let you roll it again. And a DM who wasn't a psycho would find ways for quick-thinking players to try and recover from a bad role that was more 50-50, which no matter how well done this game is, that's a bit beyond its reach.

This is not true at all. A good DM would make failure just as interesting as success, if a roll was called for at all. If the players need to succeed for the story (or the task would be trivial), don't make them roll.

[Khaldun]

Sure, yes. What I mean by letting quick-thinking players do something is "making failure just as interesting as success", in some way. You never want to do a roll and be told "sorry, everyone just died", unless it was one of those rolls where the players insist on doing something like casting fireball at Odin while he's delivering a prophecy and the DM has said multiple times, "That would be a bad idea".

[Typhon]

The Explorer mode really does remove a lot of those frustrations and gives you skill bonuses for conversations and lockpicking and such as well. The only downside seems to be it disables multiclassing for some reason but that doesn't bother me. Also some of these fights can be made massively easier by finding stuff to help you in unexpected ways. For instance in the goblin lair:

Dammit, I missed that quote and I want to play a Warlock/Bard.  Why do dev's do stupid shit like this?  So frustrating.

[Riggswolfe]

The Explorer mode really does remove a lot of those frustrations and gives you skill bonuses for conversations and lockpicking and such as well. The only downside seems to be it disables multiclassing for some reason but that doesn't bother me. Also some of these fights can be made massively easier by finding stuff to help you in unexpected ways. For instance in the goblin lair:

Dammit, I missed that quote and I want to play a Warlock/Bard.  Why do dev's do stupid shit like this?  So frustrating.

I honestly have no idea why it disables multiclassing. Maybe they think people playing at Explorer difficulty are unfamiliar with D&D or something. It seems kind of arbitrary though.

[lamaros]

Failing rolls in BG3 is often fun and funny. Larian has a pretty good feel for this I think.

Yeah you still get a bunch of ones that just take you to combat, but you can probably work those out in advance and use inspiration rolls (which you rack up quickly) if you don't wanna fail those.

Personally I don't get the appeal of Larian games unless you love TB combat. Their system has its flaws but it wonderfully creating and fun.

Game does need a harder setting though, some good fights but none if them really challenging.

[Khaldun]

The best thing so far for me is the number of times you can roll up Lae'zel or Karlach and push the big bad into an abyss. What I especially love is that if the bad has something you really need, generally their corpse will be obligingly re-deposited back in the play area when the battle is done.

Of course, the bad guys can do it to you too...

[Phildo]

The first time I went into the underdark, I got ambushed by a bulette and it automatically yeeted one of my characters to death.  Had to reload that fight six or seven times before I was able to get out of it without any permadeath.

[Khaldun]

Yeah, I learned with the bulette that you just gotta dash until you're in a safer area where it won't yeet you off. If you try to fight it where it typically emerges, somebody's permadying.

[Riggswolfe]

Game does need a harder setting though, some good fights but none if them really challenging.

I must just suck. Even on Explorer some of the fights damn near wiped my party.

 

The first time I went into the underdark, I got ambushed by a bulette and it automatically yeeted one of my characters to death.  Had to reload that fight six or seven times before I was able to get out of it without any permadeath.

You can just have Withers resurrect the character if you have the coin for it no body required. I had to do that in my first playthrough because a bad guy yeeted my sorcerer into some lava during a big fight in the Grymforge. Also, if you have those revive scrolls you can also rez most of the time. It'll put a little blue orb by where they were yeeted and you can target it to bring them back.

[disKret]

/quote]

I must just suck. Even on Explorer some of the fights damn near wiped my party.

 

The first time I went into the underdark, I got ambushed by a bulette and it automatically yeeted one of my characters to death.  Had to reload that fight six or seven times before I was able to get out of it without any permadeath.

Im playing on normal - some fights will drag you down to composition and configuration of the party. From time to time try to focus on controling opponents (fear, etc).

[Zetor]

Game does need a harder setting though, some good fights but none if them really challenging.

I play on tactician too, and I think it's an OK setting for a blind playthrough if you're used to harder difficulties in tactical games*. There were a handful of challenging fights where I had to pull out all the stops - usually the main challenge in them is not the party getting wiped (though that happened once or twice), but an optional objective failing -- usually some suicidal squishy NPC getting murdered by the enemies since the AI feels pretty damn vicious. For example:

I think the encounters where the environment itself is the enemy (and there's an implicit/explicit turn limit) are the most fun/tense by far... that underwater jailbreak was insane.

* That said, I looked into some builds people are using online and there's some crazy broken nonsense out there. Like, martials doing 300+ damage per turn nonsense... I should've taken Tavern Brawler on Karlach apparently

[eldaec]

Has anyone played Dark Urge?

Realistically I don't play 100 hour games twice, and 'the internet' seems to suggest it's fun even as a first blind play through.

[Khaldun]

I feel like I'll probably do one more playthrough on Tactician but only after they (maybe) patch in some of the content cut before release.

[lamaros]

Dark urge is fine for a first playthrough.

I would suggest it in fact, the origin classes should just be companions really, and Tav is pretty empty.

It's still a Larian story tho.

[Rasix]

Has anyone played Dark Urge?

Realistically I don't play 100 hour games twice, and 'the internet' seems to suggest it's fun even as a first blind play through.

I did Dark Urge, it's neat. It goes places, but largely expected places. It adds a lot of flavor to Act 3.

I'm interested in starting a new game at Tactician, but I don't like to sweat too much playing these game. I can get by playing un-optimally and still feel a sense of accomplishment when I get past a tough encounter. Plus, you know, Starfield.

[Rasix]

Game is soft locked for me at the very end. I cannot initiate a dialogue with a crucial character, thus I can never finish the game. Fan-fucking-tastic.

[Tebonas]

Happened to me a once or twice while initiating dialogs as well. Changing from DX11 to Vulcan and vice versa solved that for me in those instances.

[Riggswolfe]

Game is soft locked for me at the very end. I cannot initiate a dialogue with a crucial character, thus I can never finish the game. Fan-fucking-tastic.

I had a character that happened with. I don't remember how I fixed it but it wasn't anything to big. I think in my case I may have gone back to an older save and replayed to that point or something.

[Khaldun]

There are a lot of small bugs that I can imagine terminating in a soft lock in Act 3. Your companions sometimes react to things that haven't happened yet, for example.

[eldaec]

My main thoughts playing this are ....

"My god D&D character development is still fucking convoluted"

But also...

"Wow bg3 is good enough to make me properly understand D&D character build and combat mechanics for the first time in my life"

Amount of effort visible in encounter design is also great.

[Khaldun]

I'm kind of in awe at how relatively complicated some of the character interactions and story choices can be. Halsin, no--he's just there for sex, otherwise he's really not a companion; Jaheria, no--she's just there for the nostalgia. But the others have distinct personalities and there's a lot of texture to how things shake out. (The major exception I've seen so far is that incidental dialogue between characters in Act 3 reflects that none of them 'know' if La'ezel has decided to go against Vlaakith, but if you stop to talk with her, it's still very clear.)

[grebo]

Just finished my first playthrough, 200 hours, tactician, gnome bard, Will Shadowheart Karlach.

Kinda stupid how much leeway charisma based mains give you, can't imagine passing 25dc persuasion checks with a non charisma based class.
Fights are puzzles, DOT death zones and black hole/shoving are the way. I find that enormously satisfying but definitely not for everyone.
The story is amazing, VA amazing, choices a bit much but not too much like other Larians (DOS2 I was fireballing both sides and screaming I DONT FUCKING CARE at the screen at the end and didn't finish because fuck all those assholes)
Ending gave me a daylong glow where I was smiling stupidly and doing dishes and making food for the GF.
Now starting playthrough 2 with Monk/Gale/Lae'zel/Astarion. Gonna fail checks and roll with it, or at least gonna try to.

Love this game. So good.

[Khaldun]

My main in the first playthrough--almost done--is a wizard. I'm now running with Gale, Shadowheart and La'ezel and fights are fucking hilarious at this point, we just fucking melt and annihilate everything in a couple of rounds in a way that I really enjoy, and yet I'm also using some of the utility spells now and again, including Seeming. I'm enjoying being very sassy now in confrontation dialogues whereas I kind of had to grovel a fair amount up to about halfway through Act 2. Now it's like "oh hai chief servant of a deity--and hey, you, deity I'm talking to YOU ALSO, you can fuck right off and suck this disintegrate spell down your yap." I am REALLY LIKING that in a couple of cases where I figured a cutscene would start and say "no, no, you can't win here, the NPC has plot armor", I get to just fucking crush crush. I even experimented with just taking care of Foozle McGortash the first time I met him but that's not on (no cutscene, he's just got too much muscle in that first meet-up.

[grebo]

I think there's a chance you could funnel everyone through those back doors and make enough of a killing zone, need max lightning.

But my main worry would be if you take Gortash down first that homeless girl might cook and prepare her cat for you.