Starfield, BG3 & Bluey

[Edward64]

Sept 6, 2023 release date. Currently $70 on Steam. See below for a good summary & gameplay trailer.

Starfield: Everything we know about Bethesda's new RPG | GamesRadar+ (https://www.gamesradar.com/starfield-release-date-trailer-next-gen-news/)

Starfield is on track to be the biggest Xbox Series X release of this new generation. That should come as no surprise, given that this sci-fi RPG is the first new IP out of Bethesda Game Studios in 20 years. The veteran team is breaking away from The Elder Scrolls and Fallout to build a sprawling RPG where you'll be free to define your own destiny in the stars – with thousands of planets to explore, hundreds of star systems to navigate, and countless little stories to get wrapped up in along the way.

Starfield: Official Gameplay Reveal - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmb2FJGvnAw)

[Edward64]

Couple pieces of info from past couple days

Players salivate as Todd Howard confirms Starfield will be a 'modder's paradise' that Bethesda will 'participate' in

Great news. There's no doubt modding has extended the life & popularity of Skyrim and the Fallout series.


'About 10%' of Starfield's 1000+ planets have life on them as the game tries to capture 'the magnificent desolation' of space, says Todd Howard

I think 10% sounds okay to me.

[dubb93]

This was apparently going to be a PS5 exclusive before Microsoft bought out Bethesda. Sony/Bethesda were working out the deal when the company ended up being sold.

[Edward64]

Didn't know that.

Sony must have been willing to make it worth the while. I mean, that's giving up a lot of Windows gamers (and modders).

[Edward64]

Arbitrarily decided to add BG3 into this thread, and combine the discussions.

If you guys prefer to keep them separate, np let me know.

[Edward64]

The Dark Urge sounds like fun.

Haven't quite figured out my class yet. I know I should go outside my comfort zone and do something other than Fighter or Ranger. Maybe Monk?

Baldur's Gate 3 is about choices, but when the Dark Urge takes over you can only react | Rock Paper Shotgun (https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-is-about-choices-but-when-the-dark-urge-takes-over-you-can-only-react)
... as they announced during the final Panel from Hell last week, some of that baggage will be soaked in blood. Optionally available as one of seven starting personalities, the Dark Urge is a mass murderer. Their species, gender, class and eyebrow thickness are up to you, but what you can’t change is their deep and insatiable need to kill for pleasure.
Nice!

Playing as the Urge, I was invited to fantasize about hacking Gale’s hand off as it emerged through the magical gateway - and as I drifted into forbidden reverie, I realised my character had actually followed through, slicing straight through the spellcaster’s arm.

[GrantDawg]

There is some great videos and information that has come out from the people that were hands on with the full game at last weekends "Panel from Hell." Highly recommend checking out Fextralife and Wolfheart FPS on Youtube.

[GrantDawg]

BG3 is the number one non-free game on global Steam sales.

[Edward64]

I'm sure both Starfield & BG3 will win awards but wonder which will be "the GOTY".

I'll give the edge to BG3

[dubb93]

I'm sure both Starfield & BG3 will win awards but wonder which will be "the GOTY".

I'll give the edge to BG3

Depends completely on how good Starfield is IMO. BG 3 is going to be what we all expect IMO, but does anyone really know how good Starfield is going to be? It’s a completely new IP and honestly some of the design decisions sound questionable taken by themselves but we have no idea how it is all going to come together. At this point I’m this game could be the GOTY or it could review worse than Redfall and I wouldn’t be terribly surprised by either outcome.

[GrantDawg]

It really does depend on how Starfield is at release. It has a much larger possible fanbase, but it also has a much larger chance to disappoint early.

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[dubb93]

but it also has a much larger chance to disappoint early.

I'd go further than that. Quite a bit of what I've read sounds like No Man's Sky which continues to disappoint me to this very day.

If everything comes together it could be great. Worst case it's not only buggy....it's also somehow worse than No Man's Sky. If the design choices are poor enough this one could disappoint in perpetuity.

[Edward64]

Who are we kidding ... 90% chance Starfield will disappoint in some key design choices and significant bugs on release.

There's not been any community Beta playtesting (I've read it was all internal) and that is a red flag. No community feedback or bug hunts which BG3 has gotten loads.

My guess is Starfield will need at least 2-3 patches and 6 months before the noise dies down. But I have faith in them, they've done right by FO76.

FWIW. I know its not a popular opinion here, but really wish they developed it as a MMO-like. I really enjoyed interacting & collaborating with others in FO76. It worked well in pve (didn't force you to play pvp).

[GrantDawg]

BG3 might not exactly be bug free either. At least one stream that went to the full game unveil suggests he ran into several. But I do the consensus seems to be that it should be pretty polished for a new game.

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[Galaril]

I'd go further than that. Quite a bit of what I've read sounds like No Man's Sky which continues to disappoint me to this very day.

If everything comes together it could be great. Worst case it's not only buggy....it's also somehow worse than No Man's Sky. If the design choices are poor enough this one could disappoint in perpetuity.

Yes that is what I too see this as another attempt at a No Man’s Sky. I guess we will see.

[Edward64]

Good interview with Larian's Swen Vincke.

Larian on signing Baldur's Gate 3, approaching a new era, and games you've never heard about | Eurogamer.net (https://www.eurogamer.net/larian-on-signing-baldurs-gate-3-approaching-a-new-era-and-games-youve-never-heard-about)

Among other things ...


Ultima 7 was "the game" for him growing up. And he hasn't met Richard Garriott
He played in a D&D group Aug 2020 when BG3 hit EA. I wonder if his group members knew who he was
The "tadpole" was inspired by the Volo's Guide to Monsters
170 hours of cinematics, level 12 cap, 600+ spells & actions (DOS2 had 250)

[JonInMiddleGA]

FWIW. I know its not a popular opinion here, but really wish they developed it as a MMO-like. I really enjoyed interacting & collaborating with others in FO76. It worked well in pve (didn't force you to play pvp).

I can't think of anything I'd want less in a game, much less a Bethesda game.

That said, the kid ended up getting it at some point on a deep sale and I've dabbled with it. I wonder if the animosity I have toward it -- I'd still like to see the heads of everyone involved in approving it placed on pikes outside Bethesda, starting with Todd's -- might be less if they'd gone the eventual route with NPCs etc from the jump.

I don't see any indications that a great or even very good game were in the cards for F76 but I wonder if I might feel differently had they not tried (and faceplanted) the route they started with.

[Edward64]

Yes, adding NPC's a year (?) later helped the immersion quite a bit. And they've been adding more and more NPCs.

How does your son like it? I wish my son played it, it would be great to do some co-op gaming with him. Hope you get the chance with your kid.

re: MMO-like comment. FO76 community is very friendly. There are some higher level asshats & bullies (typical of any community) ... but overall experience is collaboration and helping lower levels. There are some bosses where you need to be in a team working together (unless you have some legacy uber weapons). And there are some fantastic, absolutely fantastic camp builds.

Give it a chance!

(Haven't played it in a while but do have some nice weapons/armor sitting around, doing nothing that I can give you. Suggest you get to level 50+ first)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yes, adding NPC's a year (?) later helped the immersion quite a bit. And they've been adding more and more NPCs.

How does your son like it? I wish my son played it, it would be great to do some co-op gaming with him. Hope you get the chance with your kid.

re: MMO-like comment. FO76 community is very friendly. There are some higher level asshats & bullies (typical of any community) ... but overall experience is collaboration and helping lower levels. There are some bosses where you need to be in a team working together (unless you have some legacy uber weapons). And there are some fantastic, absolutely fantastic camp builds.

Give it a chance!

(Haven't played it in a while but do have some nice weapons/armor sitting around, doing nothing that I can give you. Suggest you get to level 50+ first)

I've ended up playing it a LOT more than he did, almost ironically.

One of the problems at this point, I think, is the whole "season" structure of the outer shell (for lack of a better phrase). It quickly felt pointless to him to play, given how far into the cycle we even stepped foot into it. I played it a fair bit for a while as my "mindless grinder" game in lieu of a Fortnite season I never really got into. I've got so many hours in the FO universe that I can still pretty easily lapse into "side quest stage, side quest stage, side quest stage" grinding and just be zoned out.

As for the other players aspect of it, I rarely see people period. The only noticeable presence they have to me generally speaking is the occasional nuke warning that caused me to check my map quickly to make sure I wasn't gonna be collateral damage ... until realizing that basically nukes were in the same place 90-95 percent of the time (presumably tied to some event or another) and really shouldn't concern me unduly. Their camps are useful as a fast travel point now & then but otherwise that's about it. I suspect the fact that I tend to play between say midnight and 6a (eastern U.S. time) has something to do with the scarcity of other players.

The event oriented team stuff I largely ignore -- "surplus to needs" in terms of how I use/was using the game -- I think I've done maybe ... 3? of those with other players around and 2 of the 3 were accidental where I stumbled upon one or it stumbled upon me.

Still, if you'd have told me that I'd ever get to Lvl 46 (I had to load it up to see where I was, I thought it was in the 40s somewhere) I'd have figured you'd have lost your mind lol

[Edward64]

I've ended up playing it a LOT more than he did, almost ironically.

One of the problems at this point, I think, is the whole "season" structure of the outer shell (for lack of a better phrase). It quickly felt pointless to him to play, given how far into the cycle we even stepped foot into it. I played it a fair bit for a while as my "mindless grinder" game in lieu of a Fortnite season I never really got into. I've got so many hours in the FO universe that I can still pretty easily lapse into "side quest stage, side quest stage, side quest stage" grinding and just be zoned out.
I finished to completion one season and that was it for me. Got some neat stuff that I didn't have to spend scrips for so that was good. But much of the stuff was redundant to me as I was a higher level and had done much of it already. I didn't feel the need to do another.

As for the other players aspect of it, I rarely see people period. The only noticeable presence they have to me generally speaking is the occasional nuke warning that caused me to check my map quickly to make sure I wasn't gonna be collateral damage ... until realizing that basically nukes were in the same place 90-95 percent of the time (presumably tied to some event or another) and really shouldn't concern me unduly. Their camps are useful as a fast travel point now & then but otherwise that's about it. I suspect the fact that I tend to play between say midnight and 6a (eastern U.S. time) has something to do with the scarcity of other players.
Yeah, I don't play that late. Sometimes there weren't alot of people or I see 2+ nukes have already been done, I would exit and try another "world". I also scan the players' levels when I enter. If they are lower levels, I know it won't be as much fun for me. So check number of players, their levels, and if nukes have gone off already; exit and try logging into another world as needed.

There were 2 popular nukes places at Whitesprings Resort & Fissure Prime/Scorched Earth. Whitesprings was fantastic early one but has been diluted some. Fissure Prime is when you do the initial end-game boss. They now also have Colossal Problem with Earl, another boss. Both Fissure Prime and Earl are FUN and need you to cooperate with others to take them down (I have done Earl successfully by myself). But you need to be at higher levels and have nicer weapons to fully participate. If you go in relatively junior, your team mates won't really mind but they expect you to "try" and show effort (e.g. help with stimpaks, use up ammo) vs hide and tag-along.

If you get a chance, highly recommend you do Whitesprings, Prime Fissure and Earl multiple times. There are many other events that require co-op play to succeed but definitely do those 3. Read up on them so you know what equipment you need (e.g. keep down the Rads, Vampire weapons are great for Earl).

The event oriented team stuff I largely ignore -- "surplus to needs" in terms of how I use/was using the game -- I think I've done maybe ... 3? of those with other players around and 2 of the 3 were accidental where I stumbled upon one or it stumbled upon me.
There are some team events that are brainless and too simple. In addition to the 3 I mentioned above, I enjoy these - Project Paradise, Encryptid, Line in the Sand, & Radiation Rumble. (Don't forget to store off your junk because you lose them when you die).

Still, if you'd have told me that I'd ever get to Lvl 46 (I had to load it up to see where I was, I thought it was in the 40s somewhere) I'd have figured you'd have lost your mind lol
I remember you being a non-believer. I'm glad you're beginning to see the light.

[GrantDawg]

RPG of the decade? The hype is real.
<samp class="EmbedCode-container"><code class="EmbedCode-code"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">PC Gamer magazine collector's cover 3/4.<br><br>�� Shadowheart ��<br><br>A high half-elf cleric and also one of the deity Shar’s dark disciples, she possesses an item of great power and a long-buried secret. <a href="https://t.co/wuLQD7qK2m">pic.twitter.com/wuLQD7qK2m</a></p>&mdash; PC Gamer (@pcgamer) <a href="https://twitter.com/pcgamer/status/1681308867987398658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </code></samp>

[bhlloy]

I’m officially unreasonably excited about this one now. Hopefully the hype is at least halfway real.

[GrantDawg]

I'm excited to play solo, but even more excited that I have couple of friends signed on to co-op play. I have never really done that before with a non-mmo game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

{scratches head}

I'm pretty sure I've seen BG mentioned more in the past month or so than I'd seen it mentioned in the entire history of the IP.

Where the fuck has the sudden surge come from?

[GrantDawg]

{scratches head}

I'm pretty sure I've seen BG mentioned more in the past month or so than I'd seen it mentioned in the entire history of the IP.

Where the fuck has the sudden surge come from?
Bear sex.

[GrantDawg]

Dola: Actually more seriously, the game has been in EA for a long time. Larian was coming off a very successful game in Divinity: Orginal Sin 2, but they were still a pretty niche company. I think that most people had this game down as a possible solid game from what had been seen, but then Larian released more information on what they had created before for full release, and it was way above what was expected. This game's scope is massive. While not a open world sandbox, it is still going to create so many differing threads that you could replay it over and over again and have almost totally different experience. There are saying there is 17k different endings. I have a hard time believing that is the case, but does indicate how much flexibility each play-through is going to have.

Add to all that, it is built on DnD 5e which is the most popular RPG on the market, building on the Baldur's Gate history which are two of the best cRPG's ever created (not to mention two of the best games I ever played). It has become a very big deal. Big enough that other developers have come out and said don't expect games of this size and detail in the future, because nobody is going to do this again.

[Edward64]

{scratches head}

I'm pretty sure I've seen BG mentioned more in the past month or so than I'd seen it mentioned in the entire history of the IP.

Where the fuck has the sudden surge come from?

In addition to the bear sex, the Aug 3rd release date (after a very long EA period).

[Honolulu_Blue]

I'm excited to play solo, but even more excited that I have couple of friends signed on to co-op play. I have never really done that before with a non-mmo game.

I am playing it co-op with three friends. We did the same with Divinity 2 and it was a blast.

Me and my three friends have had a standing weekly co-op gaming session for 10 years now! It started with Borderlands 2 and we've been cranking through all manner of games since then. Currently about to wrap up "Grounded", which we started back in October, and then jump to BG3.

[Edward64]

Wow, sounds like you have a great group of friends. I envy you. Congrats.

[GrantDawg]

Just realized that Starfield is going to be on Xbox live. I guess I will get a chance to try it without buying it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Just realized that Starfield is going to be on Xbox live. I guess I will get a chance to try it without buying it.

Hmm ... have we even bothered to discuss the impending end of XBL?

[GrantDawg]

Hmm ... have we even bothered to discuss the impending end of XBL?
No, though it aounds like it doesn't affect me. I'm on Game Pass Ultimate.

[JonInMiddleGA]

No, though it aounds like it doesn't affect me. I'm on Game Pass Ultimate.

We've stuck with XBL due to the family sharing aspect of it (always better to have bought one copy of a game than two copies)

I'm curious to see how much content we lose between us, also curious whether the new pricing scheme will make it worthwhile for me to bother to renew once my carry over XBL Gold expires.

[Edward64]

Starfield skills guide

Starfield skill guide: Every skill we know about so far | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/starfield-skills-guide/)

Skill groups

Physical skills
Social skills
Combat skills
Science skills
Tech skills
Skill progression
On progression, looks like it'll be another one of the Skyrim blacksmith a bunch of useless stuff to artificially increase your proficiency

To rank up a skill in Starfield, you will generally have to complete a set challenge. For most weapon skills, this simply involves killing a certain number of enemies with that weapon type. Security requires you to pick more locks. This feels similar to Skyrim, but is a bit more transparent about the exact requirements and can allow you to grow certain skills in ways other than simply using them over and over.

[dubb93]

We've stuck with XBL due to the family sharing aspect of it (always better to have bought one copy of a game than two copies)

I'm curious to see how much content we lose between us, also curious whether the new pricing scheme will make it worthwhile for me to bother to renew once my carry over XBL Gold expires.

I don't think your family sharing aspect is to be much different on gamepass than XBL. How many Xboxes are we talking exactly?

We have two Xboxes we use. I have one Xbox set to primary and the other I'm logged into but not set as primary. You then log out my game tag on the "primary" Xbox and both can be used at the same time but on different game tags. I don't know the number of Xboxes you can be logged into at a time, but it's more than one.

[GrantDawg]

We have two, but one (mine) hardly gets played. Simon uses Game Pass way more than I do.

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[GrantDawg]

The main developer for BG3 did an interview and confirmed some features that people were hoping for are not going to be in the final product. Nothing major, but disappointing nonetheless. The biggest thing was that he recommended not to start by playing any of the Origin characters. He advised playing your own and then trying an Origin.

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[Critch]

Just realized that Starfield is going to be on Xbox live. I guess I will get a chance to try it without buying it.

Cities:Skylines II too. Xbox PC Game Pass earning it's keep.

[dubb93]

With BG, I assume, being full of choice and having significant replay value could we get a group together to play maybe once a week for a few hours on a dedicated play through?

[GrantDawg]

Depending on time, I'm in.

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[Edward64]

122GB download. I'll probably start the download Thu night and go to bed.

"Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch on August 3rd at 5pm Gent time, or your non-Belgian timezone equivalent as shown ," Larian said today on Steam.[B] "There will be no pre-loading of the game before then.

"The full release of the game weighs in at approximately 122 GB. Please note that your early access save games will not be compatible at launch; however, so much has changed that it’s really worth it to start afresh."

Vincke said essentially the same thing in the itmeJP interview, warning that there's no point in getting into the early access version of Baldur's Gate 3 now because you're effectively going to have to start over from scratch in a few days anyway. "There might be a few bytes that are the same but basically it's going to be a full reinstall," he said.

[GrantDawg]

I don't think theree is going to be any early preload. So the new version won't download until 11am on the 3rd.

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[SirFozzie]

If you have Early Access Baldur's Gate 3, it's suggested by Larian to uninstall the game (and remove saves) just to make sure there's no file conflicts with the installation, and because EA saves (which could be in the cloud) are not playable in full version

[GrantDawg]

Yeah, got mine all cleared out. Can't wait for tomorrow. Took the next two days off, going to pick up some beers. Fun fun fun.

[Edward64]

All ready to download.

Interesting see if there'll be an overload on servers with everyone downloading.

[GrantDawg]

All ready to download.

Interesting see if there'll be an overload on servers with everyone downloading.
Almost certainly. It starts at 11am, I'm just hoping to be playing by 2pm.

[Edward64]

Almost certainly. It starts at 11am, I'm just hoping to be playing by 2pm.

Maybe you should have taken Fri & Mon off?

[GrantDawg]

Maybe you should have taken Fri & Mon off?
Thought about it. I have plans to get somethings done on Thursday morning to prepare for not being disturbed once I start playing.

[GrantDawg]

What beer should I get for gaming tomorrow? IPA suggestions will be yeeted.

[SirFozzie]

What beer should I get for gaming tomorrow? IPA suggestions will be yeeted.

I thought at first he said "What BEAR should I get for gaming tomorrow". Considering, ahem.. THAT scene in one of the previews, that would be... unfortunate.

[GrantDawg]

Well that is a grizzly. Obviously

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[Honolulu_Blue]

What beer should I get for gaming tomorrow? IPA suggestions will be yeeted.

I’m pretty much exclusively a PBR man. If I’m playing video games it’s PBR and kettle cooked salt and pepper potato chips and then eventually water and green apple licorice.

[GrantDawg]

Man, I haven't had PBR since a kegger at a friend's college. That sounds like a winner.

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[GrantDawg]

Man, I haven't had PBR since a kegger at a friend's college. That sounds like a winner.

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Unfortunately no PBR at the Kroger. Instead I went with Sam Adams Summer Ale.

[GrantDawg]

Download started. Looked steady at the begining, but now it is studdering. Hopefully within the next hour.

[Edward64]

Check how much is being downloaded/installed.

Mine says 79GB which is the same as the EA, and not the expected 120+GB. So I'm thinking there's a queue?

[GrantDawg]

Check how much is being downloaded/installed.

Mine says 79GB which is the same as the EA, and not the expected 120+GB. So I'm thinking there's a queue?
Restart Steam. That fixed it for me

[GrantDawg]

Wolfhearts Let's Play for those who are interested in checking it out:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rsnlokMpx-c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Edward64]

Thanks. I saw it was about the 120GB to install.

As it's installing it's saying x of 100.22GB. I assume that's a Steam "feature".

Download seems to be progressing well.

[Thomkal]

I think everybody is probably streaming this one-any of our gang?

[SirFozzie]

Sure, why not.

https://www.twitch.tv/sirfozzie

[GrantDawg]

I'm heading toward character creation. This should only take a few hours.

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[Edward64]

Penis? WTF

At least have pics to show A, B, C etc.


EDIT: okay, I see it now. Softcore CRPG

[SirFozzie]

Streamed for an hour and a half (you can see the VOD in my channel's videos). You know what this game needs? One of those big old strategy guides that gives you clues. It's a big, aweinspiring game, but it does require some getting used to.

Plus being a old style grognard, there's something really neat about a big old book that has every secret inside, so you can read or avoid at pleasure.

[SirFozzie]

Penis? WTF

At least have pics to show A, B, C etc.


EDIT: okay, I see it now. Softcore CRPG

You can show nudity.

[SirFozzie]

dola: ​One thing that's cool, if you watch a streamer play, and they have the twitch extension installed, you can mouseover the top left corner of the stream and a couple buttons will appear, so you can see the streamer's party and quest journal without having to ask

[Edward64]

Finished first battle in the Ruins. So far so good.

Playing a human Monk.

Happy to say my AMD 6850u w/680m works well at low settings. No lags etc. but (obviously) graphics ain't great.

Stupid they left the version #. I do wish they allowed more than 4 party members at any given time. 6 would be nice.

[GrantDawg]

That is cool. Many little things are hidden that are funny. Hover over each companions camp clothes and underwear. My favorite is Shadowhearts underwear. "If pants could brood"

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[SirFozzie]

Version # showing will be patched out

[Thomkal]

Just got an email from Gog.com that they have a "Goodie Pack" available for free-emojis stickers wallpapers for those interested

[Brian Swartz]

I do wish they allowed more than 4 party members at any given time. 6 would be nice.

Balance issues grow exponentially with the number of party members active.

[GrantDawg]

I have gotten pretty far into Act 1 so far, and there have only been a few changes to the story since EA. Wyll is deferent-ish. Some changes to his story and a different voice actor which is ok. I sort of liked the old Wyll but it seems most didn't. Camp is very different, and I really like the seperate tents. I am disappointed there isn't a break down on each subclasses future features when you are making that decision. You can go somewhat by 5e information but they have changed a good bit. They have definitely overpowered the githyaki. My guess is because it was the least played race, and they are trying to get people to utilize it. Didn't work for me. I have no interest in playing one.
Loving all the added spells, and being able to spec Shadowheart out of her crappy subvlass. Moved her to Warcleric, and she is my frontline tank. I'm playing a sword bard, and loving it.

[GrantDawg]

I just had something happen that I don't think was in the EA, and I have never had happen in any game ever. Spoiler time:


crap. I can't get spoiler tags to work

[GrantDawg]

I just walked in on an ogre giving to a bugbear. They were doing the nasty bent over a mangled corpse. Crazy.


Edit: Actually it seems it was in EA. I just never saw it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I feel like that spoiler pretty much sums up BG3 in terms of whether I need to keep any further eye on it.

(Mostly kidding, there's was really no chance I was going to pay any attention to it beyond it's broad performance before that spoiler)

[Edward64]

I feel as if I'm doing extra effort "looking" around the area with my cursor and WASD.

The screen edge panning seems to work with Left-Right-Top but does not work with Bottom because of the "quick/hot bar"? So I always used the S to see the bottom of the screen.

And I seem to use the Q & E rotation quite a bit so I can actually see where I'm going with all the environmental stuff.

[GrantDawg]

I am roughly 20 hours in at this point, and still bopping around the Act 1 area. Done a bunch of things I have done before, but I have also found things I never have. Most were there duting EA, but I kept restarting trying different characters so I never got all the way through the first act. I estimate I am still only half-way, and sitting on 4th level. My notes so far:
1) Love, love, love the Sword Bard. Right mix of utility and combat usefulness. Solid class.
2) I respected Shadowheart twice. First time to War Cleris, which was pretty solid. There were times she felt less useful than others, mainly because she would run out of spells. I just respected her to Tempest Cleric, and now we are talking. Took out three Gnolls in one Shatter using her divine ability perk. Can't wait till she gets even more powerful spells. With her wearing heavy armor and shield plus I took resilience to get her Constitution saving throws, she can take a beating and still keep her concentration.
3) New Wyll is eh. Warlock is still not my favorite class.
4) Gale's "aliment" has been turned up to 11. My original plan was to keep him in the party, but he has been shelved. It is going to be weird not having an arcane blaster, but I guess Shadowheart is going to substitute that part.\
5) Karlach is fun. I really like the Barbarian class. I went beserker even though I believe the Wildheart is the one most prefer. Berserker with tavern brawler equals profit.

[Thomkal]

Just in time for Balder's Gate 3, Humble Bundle has a Beyond Balder's Gate bundle available with a BG 1 and 2,couple other BG games/DLC, Planescape Torment, Icewind Dale, and oddly enough Pathfinder:Wrath of the Righteous.


https://www.humblebundle.com/games/rpg-legends-baldurs-gate-beyond?mcID=102:64cd6569ce7befeaad0a5288:ot:5a303044c438005fac39394b:1&linkID=64cd6bb49b049abeb703a47b&utm_source=Humble+Bundle+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=230805_HumbleHighlights

[Edward64]

I'm about 16 hours in at at Level 3.

Accoding to Gamespot on best classes, the Monk & Druid are last. And I'm a human Monk vs Wood Elf. I guess BG3 is not optimized for a Kwai Chang Caine player.

403 (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/baldurs-gate-3-class-tier-list-best-classes-and-which-one-you-should-pick/1100-6516555/)

I feel that I'm missing out on cool stuff. I may have to re-spec soon.

[GrantDawg]

Don't fret about the min/max. Do what you enjoy. I think the monk looks fun. I might try a play-through with that later down the road.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Atocep]

I just walked in on an ogre giving to a bugbear. They were doing the nasty bent over a mangled corpse. Crazy.


Edit: Actually it seems it was in EA. I just never saw it.

Yeah this one is going to stick with me for a while

[GrantDawg]

My long weekend of gaming update: I still didn't finish Act 1. I have done way more of it than I ever did in EA, but I still have to finish the Underdark section before moving on. I am trying to leave very few stones un-turned. I did get to level 5, and it really is so different. At earlier levels I had to push to keep from resting every couple of battles. By the time you get to level 5, it is pretty easy not to burn through all your spells and abilities with cool downs every fight.

[Edward64]

Yeah this one is going to stick with me for a while

Just finished that encounter.

Should have gotten a magical item worthy of that visual.

[Edward64]

Getting my ass whupped by the spiders (multiple times).

Read up on it and realized I shouldn't have done something earlier.

I killed the 3 Ogres earlier, I should have avoided that so I could have called them to help out

Still at Level 3, may wait till I get to Level 4 and retry.

[Edward64]

FYI some Starfield news

Starfield’s download size – and its preload date – have been leaked online by retailers such as Amazon. There are just weeks left until the long-awaited, highly anticipated game releases worldwide, and we’re expecting leaks and tidbits of information to start flowing thick and fast as that window shortens.

It was revealed that Starfield’s download size tops out at a hefty 125 GB on both Xbox and PC – and it’ll be available to preload from the 9th of August. It’s arguably one of the most eagerly anticipated games in recent years, and many are praying that Bethesda delivers on the promises that have been made over the course of the last few years.

[Thomkal]

Some Balder's Gate stats from the Devs after the first week:


Baldur's Gate 3 - Community Update #23: Here's To You - Steam News (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940/view/6199820457241938859)

[Edward64]

Some Balder's Gate stats from the Devs after the first week:

Baldur's Gate 3 - Community Update #23: Here's To You - Steam News (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1086940/view/6199820457241938859)

WTF? On one hand, I admire the commitment. On the other hand, some people need to get a life. I'm still leisurely strolling through Act I.

And 368 of you managed to finish it within that 3-day weekend. We salute you.

[GrantDawg]

WTF? On one hand, I admire the commitment. On the other hand, some people need to get a life. I'm still leisurely strolling through Act I.
Not really a surprise. There are people that pride themselves at speed running through games. No matter how much content, they'll roll right through it.

[SirFozzie]

they probably use a cheat program like WeMod, and not a couple of them do it so they can be the first to publish endgame spoilers on youtube.

edit: For the love of all that is holy and good, do not click the discuss. Never mind Avernus, BG3's steam discussion board is the worst circle of hell. It's the same message as those we put on long-term nuclear disposal sites:

"This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here. "

All I can say is, the trolls are dedicated to their bits. At least I hope they're trolls, no one can be THAT delusional, can they? (probably they can)

[Edward64]

BG3 benchmarks on different laptop GPUs. Caught my eye because it included my 680m. It shows 35 fps on "low" setting.

Baldur's Gate 3 tech review: Laptop and desktop benchmarks - NotebookCheck.net Reviews (https://www.notebookcheck.net/Baldur-s-Gate-3-tech-review-Laptop-and-desktop-benchmarks.739444.0.html)
The graphics requirements of Baldur‘s Gate 3 turn out to be quite moderate. More powerful iGPUs, such as the Radeon 680M, are already good enough to run the game at 1080p and the lowest settings. You’ll need at least a mid-range GPU to push up the settings at this resolution. Our RTX 4050 delivered more than 60 FPS on average even with the settings maxed out.

[Atocep]

I'm roughly 25 hours in and fairly early in act 2. Act 1 was very good but kind of hit a lull midway through. Act 2 has been absolutely amazing so far.

I have seen a handful of bugs. One rather nasty one that required a reload of a previous save, but nothing else that was a big deal. Considering the complexities of the story, environment, combat mechanics, ect I'd consider that rather impressive.

Larian is the new Bioware. I just hope they're not so successful they get bought up and ruined by a major publisher.

[GrantDawg]

I am right at the end of Act 2 and some crazy number of hours. I have definitely had bugs here in there. Only one crash (using Vulcan, which I stopped using), and most everything was easily navigable. There are a couple of rules that are bugged that could be exploited, but I just haven't used them.
I agree Act 2 has been amazing. I can't wait to get to Baldur's Gate.

[dubb93]

Finally realized I gave my half-orc barbarian an acolyte background so I restarted. Guess I missed that part in the character creation the first time around. Thankfully I'm not very far into the game yet.

[Thomkal]

Cohh Carnage gets to meet the character he voice acted and motion carried for the first time in BG3, and make sure you stick around to see what he does to him:


https://twitter.com/CohhCarnage/status/1691199795547795457

[dubb93]

Ten minutes. BG 3 has been beaten in just over ten minutes.

[bhlloy]

More accurate to say that somebody got a game over in 10 minutes by massively gaming a bunch of mechanics. If that’s the kind of thing that floats your boat, good for you I guess?

I’m 45 hours at the early part of act 3 and honestly it’s overwhelming. The game goes in a hurry from relatively linear to “here’s a massive city and we aren’t really going to tell you what you need to do to wrap all this stuff up”. Definitely an incredible game with unparalleled depth but I’m not sure when I’ll finish it up, maybe just a bit burnt out right now.

[dubb93]

Finally back to where I was when I restarted and already thinking about having a side play through with a different character.

[Edward64]

Starfield pre-load available today.

Anyone getting this for Day 1? I'm still slowing playing BG3 so no rush for me (also, I'm predicting many bugs that'll take some time to resolve)

Bethesda's vaunted space bonanza Starfield is available for preload today on PC Game Pass - if you're downloading it on Steam, you'll need to wait a little longer (even longer, if you plan on playing Starfield on Steam Deck). The file weighs in at 139.84 GB, so be sure to clear some disc space before you force this galaxy's worth of grey rocks, NASApunks and hopefully extensive Event Horizon comparisons into your protesting PC, which has only ever lived to serve you and bring you joy. Might be an idea to double-check those Starfield system specs, too, and make that final call on whether to invest in a new SSD.

[JonInMiddleGA]

re: starfield

The timing of the end of XBL Gold and the forced switch to Gamepass:Core ain't a coincidence.

Core does not have Starfield
the mid tier of Gampass has Starfield ... but no online multiplayer for anything else
So to have Starfield through Gamepass AND retain online multiplayer for other games would be $16.99/month ... for me & the kid EACH.

And I'm still not certain whether the library sharing currently existing between me & Will is going to work on Core.

I'm about ready to just say fuck consoles and just give up, it damned sure ain't worth $34/month for me to be involved and I'm not at all certain it's worth the worry & stress of figuring it all out.

We bought a total of 4 games in the past 12 months, that number might go as high as six in a year depending on release schedules and such. That'd be about the break even on that $34/month shit but honestly, the amount of titles being released on console that we're interested in between us is so limited at this point that coming up with enough to justify (assuming everything is on Gamepass) is iffy.

[GrantDawg]

Starfield pre-load available today.

Anyone getting this for Day 1? I'm still slowing playing BG3 so no rush for me (also, I'm predicting many bugs that'll take some time to resolve)
I'm not even loading it yet. Going to finish BG3 first, and even then might wait till the first major patch. I need more SSD space anyway. My 1TB is near full.

[GrantDawg]

Dola: Of course I could load it on the Xbox. I might do that just to try it out, but still will be next month at the earliest.

[dubb93]

With no DLSS, Starfield is probably going to run brutally on PC. Not really sure why a AAA game in 2023 would ship without that, but XBox seemingly can’t get out of their own way.

(For those not familiar it’s a NVIDIA tech that renders at a lower resolution and then upscales. It’s basically been a breakthrough tech for NVIDIA GPUs and is a major reason for NVIDIA’s advantage over AMD as it’s almost impossible to tell that it’s being upscaled. It also boosts FPS by 4x so you are likely to get 1/4 the FPS on Starfield that you are expecting.

[Galaril]

With no DLSS, Starfield is probably going to run brutally on PC. Not really sure why a AAA game in 2023 would ship without that, but XBox seemingly can’t get out of their own way.

(For those not familiar it’s a NVIDIA tech that renders at a lower resolution and then upscales. It’s basically been a breakthrough tech for NVIDIA GPUs and is a major reason for NVIDIA’s advantage over AMD as it’s almost impossible to tell that it’s being upscaled. It also boosts FPS by 4x so you are likely to get 1/4 the FPS on Starfield that you are expecting.

Yup this makes it easy for me to skip it entirely. Also I read it was due to an exclusive deal with AMD developer.

[dubb93]

Yup this makes it easy for me to skip it entirely. Also I read it was due to an exclusive deal with AMD developer.

According to the latest Steam survey 75% of PC users are using NVIDIA GPUs. Even assuming NVIDIA was the 25%, idk why you wouldn’t allocate some dev time to optimize your game for those users.

[Edward64]

Bethesda is aiming for 30fps on consoles which (maybe) means they aren't really thinking about max performance for PCs either.

[dubb93]

Bethesda is aiming for 30fps on consoles which (maybe) means they aren't really thinking about max performance for PCs either.

That’s called poorly optimized and it’s a huge red flag.

[Edward64]

Don't disagree. I don't expect it to be a BG3 level quality release, but do hope it's an "okay" release with minimal catastrophic bugs.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I’ve been playing BG3 with three friends in co-op. It’s been super fun so far. We’re only 3rd level and progressing slowly, but the story is good and the combat has been a lot of fun.

[bhlloy]

I wrapped the game up this evening at around 60 hours. Definitely still an all-timer, but act 3 is significantly more rushed and slightly more buggy than the first two, and the ending has a lot of people up in arms versus what was originally promised.

[GrantDawg]

I'm pretty close to 60 hours and just finished Act 2. You can say I am slow.

[dubb93]

The older I get the slower I play. I’m still in act 1. It took me over a month IRL time to finish the last game I played which was Hogwarts Legacy. I imagine between this and Starfield I will probably be busy through November.

[dubb93]

Finally got the quest that I’m pretty sure leads to act 2. Just going to finish up a few side quests today and then do that one either this evening or tomorrow.

[GrantDawg]

They just confirmed BG3 for Xbox will be released "this year." No date set. They got Xbox to agree that they will not have to have split-screen co-op on the "S" series, which was the big hang up.

[Atocep]

I'm coming down to the end of BG3 at about 80 hours so far.

I'm excited for starfield based on the videos and preview's I've seen so far. I'm still expecting a standard Bethesda game at launch. At this point I don't know why anyone wouldn't expect a playable, but somewhat buggy mess that gets better with patches.

It's not really the thread for it, but the Cyberpunk expansion also looks really good and the fact that the new systems and systems overhauls that come with it are going to be free for everyone without the expansion is a cool gesture from CDProjekt.

[Edward64]

I don't think we have a Cyberpunk dedicated thread. Glad to add that to this one if you share your gaming stories.

Or heck, just use this thread. It's epic RPG gaming related so it'll count here.

[dubb93]

After all of that I’m finally officially out of act 1.

[GrantDawg]

I'm 110 hours in, and I am maybe halfway through Act 3. I know I have at least two (maybe three) major fights till I get to the final three big fights and I believe there will be several things I need to do in-between those as well. I will say the fights so far in Act 3 have been epic. One even had it's own song which was fantastic. I am just not getting the people bitching about Act 3. My guess they ran right through the main story line and ignored the huge number of side quests. I get that people may not like the ending and from what I can gather/guess about it I probably won't either. But to say Act 3 is a buggy disappointment is just not my experience at all.
Btw, hit highest level today. All the options along with the crushing amount of gear is a bit overwhelming.

[Edward64]

Some cautiously good news on Starfield ...

Starfield is Bethesda's Least Buggiest Game to Date, Say Sources - Insider Gaming (https://insider-gaming.com/bethesda-bugs-game-sources/)
Our first public comment about Starfield being a polished game came from journalist Tyler McVicker, who’s currently under an embargo for the title. Despite being under the embargo, McVicker took to Discord to say, “Also, 15 hours in and not a single bug”.

Taking one person’s comments at face value is never enough, so I reached out to my contacts to delve a little deeper.

Speaking with several sources under the condition of anonymity who are currently under embargo and couldn’t speak publically about the game, McVicker’s comment is the same sentiment given by everyone I’ve spoken to. Five individuals, who have a varying amount of time put in the game have all said that the amount of bugs they’ve experienced can be counted on one hand. In fact, most said one or two at most, with everyone I spoke to having put dozens of hours into the game. In addition, it was also said that almost all the bugs that were found have already been listed to be fixed in the Starfield Day 1 patch.

But that's not to say everyone is happy with the gameplay mechanics or the amount/quality of content etc. But hey, one step at a time.

[Edward64]

Hmmmm. Reminds anyone of anything?

Australia: Doctors remove 3-inch parasitic worm from woman's brain in world first | CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/29/australia/australia-parasitic-worm-brain-scn-intl-hnk/index.html)
When a 64-year-old Australian woman was sent to hospital for brain surgery, neurosurgeon Dr. Hari Priya Bandi was not expecting to pull out a live 8-centimeter (3-inch) long parasitic roundworm that wriggled between her forceps.

“I’ve only come across worms using my not-so-good gardening skills … I find them terrifying and this is not something I deal with at all,” Bandi told CNN of the world’s first discovery of a live worm inside a human brain.

The finding unleashed a mad scramble to find out what exactly the parasite was, Canberra Hospital infectious disease expert Sanjaya Senanayake told CNN.


https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230829101244-australia-parasitic-worm-brain.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_720,w_1280,c_fill/f_webp

[Atocep]

I finished Baldur's Gate, clocking in at about 85 hours. I did purposely leave some content for a 2nd, dark urge playthrough. But I finished just in time for Starfield to release into early access thursday.

[GrantDawg]

I'm not leaving anything out if I can help it. My Dark Urge playthrough is going to be an evil run, so expect it to be very different.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Galaril]

From what I have read playing as evil character has little pay off.

[Thomkal]

Starfield pre-load now available on Steam

[GrantDawg]

Reading this article on how rhe table-top game Traveller inspired Starfield doesn't so much make me want to play Starfield but it makes me want to play Traveller. That game had THE best character creation system. I would spend hours making characters, even though we really rarely played. I think it would be right up my alley now. Less combat focused and more exploration focused.


Starfield owes its existence to Traveller, one of the first RPGs - Polygon (https://www.polygon.com/23843039/starfield-inspired-by-traveller-tabletop-rpg)

[Edward64]

Hey me too.

I remember all those dice rolls for career skills/progression (is that what it was called?)

[dubb93]

I think the review embargo ends tomorrow, right? Hopefully we are looking at 10's with scattered 9's.

[GrantDawg]

Playing with my group tonight, one player tried to jump down a hill and ended up plunged to his death. Then I tried to get to the same spot, and got taken out by a trap. Third friend came down to rez me, cast the spell to get me up, and it immediately set off the trap to kill us both. Then the fourth friend instead of helping us started looting our corpses. After laughing for about 10 minutes, we reloaded.

[Atocep]

I think the review embargo ends tomorrow, right? Hopefully we are looking at 10's with scattered 9's.

I believe it ends at 9am tomorrow. Early Access unlock is 5pm for me.

[SlyBelle1]

I believe it ends at 9am tomorrow. Early Access unlock is 5pm for me.

At this point, I am trying to decide between the Xbox and pc version. I know the Xbox version will be capped at 30 fps but it seems all these big games have performance/optimization issues on the pc when they are first released.

Hoping some of these early reviews will help me decide.

[Edward64]

I don't have an XBox but typically there are more mods for PC? So for longevity, I'd go with the PC version.

[Brian Swartz]

Yep, but that depends on whether you are a mod person or not. Many gamers aren't.

[Edward64]

First accidentally leaked review. Brazilian guy. He took it down quickly but it was archived off. Don't understand Portuguese but there is gameplay video (low quality).

The review also brought up the 30fps lock on Xbox, which the YouTuber played the game on. The framerate cap caused a lot of controversy for the title, leading to some disappointed fans launching petitions to have it changed. Bethesda exec Todd Howard said the reason the game can’t run at 60fps on consoles is because it’d have to sacrifice too much to do so.

Nevertheless, the reviewer said the 30fps was actually quite fluid, and the game does a good job of camouflaging it so it’s barely noticeable.

The YouTuber rounded it off with a final score of 8.5, which might sound low considering the hype surrounding the game, but they apparently have a history of holding Bethesda to very high standards, so fans believe it’s a sign the game is good.

Blocked (https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/165smoo/leaked_portuguese_starfield_review/)

Here is an MegaNz link:

https://mega.nz/file/11hTzKzA#PYOTNXMsvxf3z0Awfu_Ccz4d9FsnSOrW0IrJuIu9tpo

[SlyBelle1]

Yep, I don't really mod so that wouldn't be a deciding factor. I did find out that Starfield is a Play Anywhere game, which means if you buy XBOX version, you get the PC version from the Microsoft Store for free to play. Likely will go that route as maybe the best of both worlds.

Just going to wait for initial feedback from reviews before final decision....although the summary posted above gives me hope about Xbox which is where I am leaning towards.

[dubb93]

The IGN review isn’t great. They gave it a 7.

[SlyBelle1]

I have looked at a bunch of reviews for both PC and Xbox....seems fairly consistent in thoughts. Game seems good but not necessarily GOTY or great. With the amount of content, I don't think it has to be great so doesn't concern me much. As prior review stated for Xbox, seems like 30FPS is not a huge deal, maybe a dip here or there, but I also bet the PC has its own dips depending on hardware setup.

Not entirely sure if I will drop the extra cash for premium as it sounds like it may be a game I can wait a few days....but who knows:)

[Atocep]

The consensus seems to be that it's a mediocre game for the first dozen or so ours before becoming great. Overall, that's earning it 7s and similar scores with some people.

[Atocep]

After reading some reviews this sounds pretty close to what I was wanting. I don't want a space Sim. I want an RPG that's a light Sim but makes space fun.

I'm not interested in actually flying to Mars or walking around a planet. Give a story, quests, fun space combat, some things to build and play with and I'm happy.

[SirFozzie]

CohhCarnage is playing now on stream. Looks very interesting (even if he is a mega-mega-packrat)

[Galaril]

So as expected it is basically No Man’s Sky 2.

[SlyBelle1]

So as expected it is basically No Man’s Sky 2.

Although I have never played that game, many of the reviews mentioned it more than once....

[Atocep]

ACG's review was very positive and he was at 144 hours at completion.

[dubb93]

I actually think from reading the reviews rather than just the scores that I’m going to really enjoy this game.

No Man Sky’s problem (at release atleast) was that it had no content. This game sounds like it has content.

[Atocep]

I actually think from reading the reviews rather than just the scores that I’m going to really enjoy this game.

No Man Sky’s problem (at release atleast) was that it had no content. This game sounds like it has content.

Yeah that's what I was alluding to above. If you read the reviews I love what this sounds like. It sounds almost exactly what I was hoping for.

If you were looking for grand space Sim with rpg elements this isn't that game and when you combine that with some unrealistic expectations for scope you're going to be disappointed.

I obviously haven't played yet, but based on what I've read any comparisons to no man's sky at launch aren't really justified. That game completely missed the mark on promises and what it was described to be. On top of that there really wasn't much to do except fly from planet to planet and check out the biomes.

[GrantDawg]

BG3 patch 2 is up. Looks pretty massive including new content for one of the companions.

[Edward64]

Here's a summarized list of Starfield reviews

Blocked (https://www.reddit.com/r/Starfield/comments/166fbp1/starfield_review_megathread/)


From one reviewer, comparing it to Fallout & Skyrim, basically "good but not great" and no big bugs.

I think I'll buy it soon but have to search on how well, if at all, it runs on my iGPU.

[Galaril]

This quote from Game Radar review does make the world interesting kind of elders rolls in space vibe

The cities you explore, and groups you join, all feel like separate games in their own right with their own rules, culture, and character. New Atlantis is probably the 'main' location; a gleaming Star Trek utopia where the group Constellation will have you scouring the galaxy for mysterious artifacts. You'll also find the United Colonies Vanguard here who task you with fighting alien infestations and going undercover as a Space Pirate. Akila City is basically Firefly space cowboy land, where you'll bring frontier law to laser-wielding bandits. Then there's Neon, a drug-addled, Blade Runner-style cyberpunk dystopia featuring Ryujin, which has you sneaking around doing corporate espionage. And, finally, Cydonia is a rusty industrial Mars settlement that channels The Expanse's whole 'space is rubbish for normal people' thing.

[JonInMiddleGA]

fwiw, not many people (at least among well known YTers) know Bethesda games better than Gopher, his take is lengthy & spoiler free. Largely positive through 45 hours

https://youtu.be/-6vDablSmUU?si=cIruYSJL_22M1b92

[Edward64]

I got my answer running Starfield with a 680m. Below link has a review. He did a good job showing gameplay on Low and Medium quality (with some sort of Dynamic quality stuff turned on/off).

Bottom line - just barely but we're talking about sometimes 10, sometimes 15+ FPS and (obviously) not great graphics. Lags during fast movement & combat. Not a great experience.

Wonder how I'll justify a new computer with the wife.


Testing Starfield on Integrated Graphics (Radeon 680M) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OCyU5h8Zi0)

[Galaril]

I got my answer running Starfield with a 680m. Below link has a review. He did a good job showing gameplay on Low and Medium quality (with some sort of Dynamic quality stuff turned on/off).

Bottom line - just barely but we're talking about sometimes 10, sometimes 15+ FPS and (obviously) not great graphics. Lags during fast movement & combat. Not a great experience.

Wonder how I'll justify a new computer with the wife.


Testing Starfield on Integrated Graphics (Radeon 680M) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OCyU5h8Zi0)

Based on reading about it I personally don’t Starfield as the game to justify buying a new computer just to run it. The main story is not being mentioned as a strong point.

[Edward64]

As a player of the Elder Scrolls, Skyrim & Fallout Games (including FO76 which I'm a fan of) ... I just know I'm going to get that "itch" to play Starfield sooner or later.

My son (who started his PC gaming with me helping him on Sid Meir's Pirates) and I were chatting. He'll be buying it. Maybe I can tell the wife its a father-son bonding thing.

[Galaril]

As a player of the Elder Scrolls, Skyrim & Fallout Games (including FO76 which I'm a fan of) ... I just know I'm going to get that "itch" to play Starfield sooner or later.

My son (who started his PC gaming with me helping him on Sid Meir's Pirates) and I were chatting. He'll be buying it. Maybe I can tell the wife its a father-son bonding thing.


That is a good idea. I play company of heroes with my 16 year old but also play some Star Wars board games. Though once he gives off to college thae later would end.

[Galaril]

As a player of the Elder Scrolls, Skyrim & Fallout Games (including FO76 which I'm a fan of) ... I just know I'm going to get that "itch" to play Starfield sooner or later.

My son (who started his PC gaming with me helping him on Sid Meir's Pirates) and I were chatting. He'll be buying it. Maybe I can tell the wife its a father-son bonding thing.


That is a good idea. I play company of heroes with my 16 year old but also play some Star Wars board games. Though once he gives off to college thae later would end.

[Edward64]

If interested in buying PC Starfield, here's a deal for 17% off. See specifics in link.

Use coupon code FANATICAL17 to get 17% off Starfield ($69.99->$58.09) or Starfield Premium ($99.99->$82.99) pre-order.


bubble2 (https://slickdeals.net/f/16900057-starfield-for-windows-pre-order-skin-pack-free-steam-game-58-09?src=jfy&prop=rcmid-adc97ad71aff074974bb1f9c56ec2368)

[Thomkal]

Not sure why it came up on my Twitter Feed, but here's what happened when one guy decided to explore a random moon in Starfield:


https://twitter.com/MrEvil37/status/1698434272955187304

[Galaril]

Not sure why it came up on my Twitter Feed, but here's what happened when one guy decided to explore a random moon in Starfield:


https://twitter.com/MrEvil37/status/1698434272955187304

What am I missing here?

[Galaril]

This is a very in depth comparison of the two games for those still thinking on which to get. For me I don’t have time for a lot of pc gaming so am cautious where to spend my time. The conclusion they are both very good. Starfield haze a lot of breadth and BG3 has a lot of depth. BG3 is all about party management and set up well for multiplayer co-op. Starfield is really single player solo only.

https://www.denofgeek.com/games/starfield-vs-baldurs-gate-3-which-rpg-is-best-for-you/

[JonInMiddleGA]

BG3 is all about party management and set up well for multiplayer co-op. Starfield is really single player solo only.

That right there probably does as much as any singular thing to explain what I have interest in only the latter.

(It ain't the only reason, but when I read it suddenly my relative interest levels made a lot of sense for a concrete reason)

[Galaril]

That right there probably does as much as any singular thing to explain what I have interest in only the latter.

(It ain't the only reason, but when I read it suddenly my relative interest levels made a lot of sense for a concrete reason)

Same here. The more I read about BG3 it is a very very deep D&D tabletop themed game that is fairly complicated at least if you want to get the most out of it. The question with Starfield is it deep enough. I may just wait 6 months and see where it get patched to.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Well I just did a thing ... not sure what the ramifications are/will be (but since it was prompted by Starfield I'll put this here I guess)

I just converted my XBL Gold over to Gamepass Ultimate.

We'll now see what happens to
a) the shared library between me & the kid (currently the xbox in Athens is set to be _his_ home xbox, the one in Miami is set to be _my_ home xbox). Not losing access to existing games we can both currently play is more important than future game access honestly.

b) whether me having Ultimate -- due to the flipped home xbox settings -- is functionally the same as us both having Ultimate

c) longer term, whether this is worth either $16.99/month (or double that if we end up BOTH needing an Ultimate monthly ... or whether me having Monthly & him flipping to Core is sufficient)

[bhlloy]

That right there probably does as much as any singular thing to explain what I have interest in only the latter.

(It ain't the only reason, but when I read it suddenly my relative interest levels made a lot of sense for a concrete reason)

Honestly, I think it's massively oversimplifying it to say that BG3 is about party management or built for multiplayer. I played it for 60-80 hours solo and probably with the same 4 party characters for 90-95% of that, and it's absolutely one of the greatest games of all time even though the game did get shallower in the last act and the ending was a tiny big underwhelming.

It's definitely a complex game and if you don't like D&D it won't be your bag, but I don't agree with that statement. Or at least not as a primary differentiator between the two.

FWIW, I'm also concerned about the depth of Starfield. PC Gamer really felt like it was shallow which concerns me... but then if worst case scenario it's Fallout 4 I'm going to buy it and enjoy it, and most reviews say it's better than that.

[JonInMiddleGA]

but then if worst case scenario it's Fallout 4 I'm going to buy it and enjoy it, and most reviews say it's better than that.

This was some of the discussion I had this evening with my son, about where the floor/ceiling was.

I won't lie, I'm not anywhere near as enthused about Starfield as my history would suggest. The F76 debacle robbed me of any trust whatsoever, I don't "do" eager anticipation anymore. My expectation, after F76 as the final straw, is that anything & everything released by anyone/everyone WILL be a clusterfuck. It's the same mental shift I had after the Scorpions released Eye II Eye, I haven't really trusted an upcoming musical release since (and that was 1999).

But if not for Bethesda it's unlikely I'd have ever returned to console gaming in any meaningful way. My time spent on both Oblivion/Skyrim and in the Fallout universe combined to be what brought me back AND what kept me around. (The COD/MW franchises probably wouldn't haven't gotten the chance to get my time if I wasn't sucked back in by open world single player universes)

His take was "it may not be Skyrim, but it should at least be Fallout 4" which led me to consciously realize that I really liked F4 better than most people. There's stuff I would have preferred be different but I largely enjoyed myself there (indeed had settlement building been more like what Sim Settlements evolved it into, I'm not sure I'd have ever needed another game). If Starfield can be just F4, I'm good with that. I'm more concerned, having seen a few trustworthy early reviews, that they've dumbed down things I enjoyed most (like the settlement system) and maybe introduced a thing or two that I'll absolutely hate (like the flight stuff, which looks janky as all hell to me).

So no, I don't have the "OMG a new Bethesda game" squeals of delight or breathless anticipation that I would have once had. Sufficient for now that I at least feel like it's worth giving Starfield a shot ... which was far from a slam dunk.

[Thomkal]

Same here. The more I read about BG3 it is a very very deep D&D tabletop themed game that is fairly complicated at least if you want to get the most out of it. The question with Starfield is it deep enough. I may just wait 6 months and see where it get patched to.


I haven't played Starfield yet but it seems very deep from what I have seen. One streamer stayed on the planet you start on for hours before going on to the main quest-there's at least four factions and cities to explore, quests from some of those residents, crafting, etc. And will likely get deeper with DLC's and updates.

[dubb93]

If you can play a turn based game like X-Com you can play BG. It’s a turn based battle system and explains every button. I’m not real sure why people are afraid it may be too complicated. I’ve never once played D&D, but if i didn’t know it was a D&D game I’d just assume it’s another turn based RPG. That’s not to take anything away from it. It’s incredible, but no prior knowledge is necessary any more than you would need to memorize the rules of X-Com or say a Dragon Age game.

[Thomkal]

I see too that when you finish Starfield's main quest, you can continue with Starfield New Game(NG). Sounds like you lose all your companions and possessions though and restart with more dialogue choices and quests

[GrantDawg]

I think I am finally down to the last battle on BG3. I say "think" because of have thought several times that I only had "x" things left to do only to find a bunch of other stuff.
I could have finished this weekend but I downloaded Starfield and played it for a little bit. The character creator is pretty nice, but I am having a problem with face shapes seeming weird. Then I played around with Grand Tactician Civil War for a bit. They have a new dlc where you can play a regimental commander and move up the ranks. The player creator in it was very cool, but the game play still has some serious AI problems.
I did that thing I often do when I am close to completing a game. I will let myself get distracted and if I'm not careful I won't go back and finish. Never finished Battletech for that very reason.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[JonInMiddleGA]

Then I played around with Grand Tactician Civil War for a bit. They have a new dlc where you can play a regimental commander and move up the ranks. The player creator in it was very cool, but the game play still has some serious AI problems.

Yeah, I saw where that dlc had a lot of issues.

[GrantDawg]

Yeah, I saw where that dlc had a lot of issues.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The original game was the same. I think there have been some mods that greatly improved the combat AI in the base game but I have never tried them. It is such an ambitious game that hits all the right spots for a game of its type. I just wish it fulfilled it's potential.

[JonInMiddleGA]

8 hours into Starfield, Level 6. That's basically the initial tutorial, a couple sidequests, and the first couple of main quest missions. (I've seen where most everybody is recommending you get through the first 3 main quest missions (I assume they mean 3A, 3B, and 3C) before getting too far off the beaten path, because of things that get unlocked/fleshed out along the way.

Only a couple of pretty minor bug-like things I noticed, mostly involving getting ahead of a character you should be following or moving ahead before a line of dialogue hit.

The writing is kinda okay'ish but the voice acting overall is a notch above what I'm used to from Bethesda.

Combat is fine enough I guess, the enemy combat AI is definitely upgraded (though their locating you after combat AI is still pretty comical). Movement on foot feels a little ... skatey? Like the floors are freshly waxed or something.

I don't love the space combat, nor the deep space travel , but I will say that I didn't find the space combat nearly as hard on console+controller as I've seen some say it can be on PC+mouse&keyboard.

All in all, I ain't UNhappy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

On a personal sidenote, so far both the kid & I have played simultaneously without issues with the following setup:

Each of us is logged in on the other's "Home" console
We have library sharing set up
I have Gamepass Ultimate, he still has the last few days of XBL Gold

That we could play simultaneously on a Gamepass game shocked me (I expected that to be like library sharing on Steam, so far that's not the case)

If this isn't a bug or something they crack down on, it's pretty significant for our gaming enjoyment long term.

[Edward64]

Nice article explaining what is random and what is not.

Starfield's randomization, explained: what will be the same for every player, and what won't | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/starfields-randomization-explained-what-will-be-the-same-for-every-player-and-what-wont/)

[Atocep]

8 hours into Starfield, Level 6. That's basically the initial tutorial, a couple sidequests, and the first couple of main quest missions. (I've seen where most everybody is recommending you get through the first 3 main quest missions (I assume they mean 3A, 3B, and 3C) before getting too far off the beaten path, because of things that get unlocked/fleshed out along the way.

Only a couple of pretty minor bug-like things I noticed, mostly involving getting ahead of a character you should be following or moving ahead before a line of dialogue hit.

The writing is kinda okay'ish but the voice acting overall is a notch above what I'm used to from Bethesda.

Combat is fine enough I guess, the enemy combat AI is definitely upgraded (though their locating you after combat AI is still pretty comical). Movement on foot feels a little ... skatey? Like the floors are freshly waxed or something.

I don't love the space combat, nor the deep space travel , but I will say that I didn't find the space combat nearly as hard on console+controller as I've seen some say it can be on PC+mouse&keyboard.

All in all, I ain't UNhappy.


Creation engine 2 apparently allows the use of AI for voice acting, which helps explain the jump in quality and should increase the quality of mods as well.

This game really comes down to how much you enjoy Bethesda games along with your interest in space games. You definitely see the same Betheada-isms you see in the ES and Fallout games, for better or worse.

I think my biggest disappointment is this is a new engine and there hasn't been much of a jump in visuals, especially NPCs and animations. You have games like RDR2 released 5 years ago on multiple platforms plus games like Horizon FW, Calisto Protocol, God of War 2, and others that make the NPCs look really dated. Some of the environments don't look too bad, but graphically the game isn't anything to write home about for AAA studio.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think my biggest disappointment is this is a new engine and there hasn't been much of a jump in visuals, especially NPCs and animations.

And that, along with the inevitable frame rate debates that take place around most games, are some of my lowest priorities. I'm story and mechanics driven, with shockingly relatively high priority to ... I dunno what to call it even, "ease of controls" or something?

I don't love the UI here but at least I can figure out most of it. (whereas a game like Kenshi I play a helluva lot more than I have if it had controller support as opposed to the most complex m&K interface I've ever encountered)

Not saying either of us are right/wrong, just more noting how priorities make big differences in how games are perceived.

[JonInMiddleGA]

2nd session with Starfield complete and I'm feeling it a little more than I was after my first (I think I played 7 hours or so day one, another 6 or so day two)

My time was a little more balanced between main quest & side quest this session and I think the side quests gave me more of "the Bethesda feel" than the tighter main quest focus I did the first night.

I don't mean that so much in the sense of "how Bethesda makes games" but rather more "how I play Bethesda games".

[dubb93]

Through act 2 in BG3. They could have ended the game there and I would have been happy. Hopefully act 3 keeps the momentum going, but it has definitely started off slow so far.

[GrantDawg]

Done. 120 hours and a little over a month after starting. I enjoy the game. Are there tweaks I would like to have seen? Sure. Did I find the story gratifying? Somewhat. Will I play it after finishing? Yes. I do agree with most people that it feels like the ending sort of bottlenecks. I wish there were more forks you can take instead really only two or maybe three choices. What I don't agree with is the perception some people have: that there should have been more to do in the Upper city. Basically, the only thing you do there is the final battle. I really have no problem with that. I spent hours upon hours in the lower city and the outskirts. There were so many quests that I actually was very ready to be done by the time I kicked off the ending. I really didn't need another area at that point.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Interesting anecdotal: both me & the kid had our first Starfield crashes in our most recent sessions. Only common thing about them seemed to be that we're in the 25-30 hour range, everything else - location, situation, etc - totally different.

Mine was simply walking toward the New Atlantis trader kiosk, his was a loading screen that simply wouldn't end.

Kinda just hoping that they don't become more frequent as you we get deeper into the game.

[Bobble]

Is something wrong with me that I'm not excited about either of these games? I can't shake that Starfield seems too much like the No Man's Sky that I don't play very often anymore. BG3 reminds me of the Pillars of Eternity II that I didn't get into. Am I broken? Maybe it's just my chance to hang tight and wait until they drop in price...

[Galaril]

Is something wrong with me that I'm not excited about either of these games? I can't shake that Starfield seems too much like the No Man's Sky that I don't play very often anymore. BG3 reminds me of the Pillars of Eternity II that I didn't get into. Am I broken? Maybe it's just my chance to hang tight and wait until they drop in price...

I am with you and decide to go pick up the definitive edition of Divinty: Original Sins 2 I stead and am having a blast. Once I get through that along with playing the campaign stuff from Age of Empires 4 and 2 I may get Wasteland 3.

[GrantDawg]

Everybody has their own thing. Just because many people love something is no guarantee you will. I hated Divinity:Orginal Sin 2. Doesn't make it a bad game, just a game I didn't like.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is something wrong with me that I'm not excited about either of these games? I can't shake that Starfield seems too much like the No Man's Sky that I don't play very often anymore. BG3 reminds me of the Pillars of Eternity II that I didn't get into. Am I broken? Maybe it's just my chance to hang tight and wait until they drop in price...

Eh, generally speaking you're not alone nor wrong I think. My enthusiasm for virtually anything game related has been at a decades long low for the past couple years at least. A combination, perhaps, of not being the target AND the quality control in the industry being at an all-time low.

FWIW, I will say that much of Starfield feels very much like Bethesda's heyday to me. Maybe not as thrilling because, well, we have seen it before but I'm finding no problem with getting stuck in pretty good during a session. The feel is largely right, IF a Bethesda game is what you're looking for.

My son described one particular encounter (which I haven't had yet) as "one of the best, most fun, most exciting, hours of gaming he's ever had in thousands of hours of gaming". (He is NOT given to casual praise, so that's a huge compliment)

[JonInMiddleGA]

fwiw, the deeper I go the more unstable the game kinda feels. Had my 3rd crash in three sessions (I'm on XBX). And 2 of the 3 were hard crashes, not lockup but CTD basically.

Each of mine have occurred between ship and spaceport, either upon touching ground or taking just a few steps.

My suspicion based on the interwebz comments is that it's related to the large amount of saves the game compiles and the sheer size of those saves.

[Edward64]

Broke down and bought Starfield. Got through the mining portion of the tutorial. As expected, the graphics aren't great on my low end right. Best way to describe it is "grainy" but so far, no big issues with frame rate.

Reading other people's experiences with low end rigs, that may change once I get into the bigger, open world.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Kind of depressing as I pass through the teens and go into the Level 20+ portion of Starfield.

Bugs have escalated rapidly, with both crew members and companions missing more than present in my last two play sessions (so give or take 15 hours of real time).

I've hit at least 1 bugged side quest (no way to advance but it won't fail & go away either) and have stopped a main faction quest due to reading how my current missed is bugged with no real workaround fix found so far.

It's kind of frustrating because to be honest, the actual game play has been very close to what I want and expect (in a positive way) from a Bethesda game. I've quite enjoyed nearly every session I've played so far, and it was to the point that each session had been better than the one before. I just wish that didn't come with the return of the trademark bugs :/

[GrantDawg]

I wish I could get into it. It seem interesting, but the first time I hit a time wasting "run and pick up" mission I started losing my interest. I already have a hard time with real time shooters, but top that with run and fetch boring missions isn't a great combo for my interest.

[dubb93]

I wish I could get into it. It seem interesting, but the first time I hit a time wasting "run and pick up" mission I started losing my interest. I already have a hard time with real time shooters, but top that with run and fetch boring missions isn't a great combo for my interest.

I haven’t started it yet, but I’m already of the mindset that I’m going to tell myself that I love Bethesda games and that everyone says the first 10 hours aren’t good but it gets excellent after that.

[Qwikshot]

Greatly enjoying BG3. There are times where I need a break because there is so much.

I'm not entirely sure on replayability either but it is nice that you can respec your character anytime to experiment on builds.

I do think that they didn't think through making it a one and done game. I get why, but seriously it's fun to play and new builds/races could probably enhance some replayability.

I would love if I beat it to be able to say be able to do a new game plus with my current character which would entice replayability as I could try out some things at the beginning with a stronger start.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I haven’t started it yet, but I’m already of the mindset that I’m going to tell myself that I love Bethesda games and that everyone says the first 10 hours aren’t good but it gets excellent after that.

Hours 11 through 40ish (50ish?) have been pretty much what I would have wanted in terms of engagement. There's some design choices I would have changed but to this point I feel like it's their best work since maybe FO3.

[GrantDawg]

Bg3 definitely offers a totally different replay if you decided to go evil. Instead of saving people, focus on gaining power. Not to mention playing with the dark urge background that adds content.
I have started a new playthrough with a dark urge to do just that. I am also playing at the tactician level, but I am playing with a mod that allows 6 players. I haven't gone very far and am taking a break. It has been all of my free time pretty much since about a month before release, and I'm just in the mood for something different for awhile.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[SirFozzie]

I've decided to add a bunch of mods to the game, adding stuff that's missing (the Artificer class, more cleric domains/gods, etcetera) ANd this is without official modding tools yet. (and yes, there are those degenerates with exaggerated nude/futa/etcetera stuff, but I don't have any of that)

Too bad you can't cross play if you have mods.

[SirFozzie]

OH MY GAWD. I'm literally laughing my ass off. Someone found an easter egg in BG 3 from a files search where..

Karlach realizes she's a character in a video game. No one knows how to trigger it in game, but someone's posted the whole conversation. She does ask a very important question.. are you having fun?

https://twitter.com/SamanthaBeart/status/1703158961753502110

[GrantDawg]

Just throwing this in here, but why haven't I heard much about Star Trek: Infinite? I even heard of it till just now. A Star Trek Paradox style game? Sound interesting.

[dubb93]

Just throwing this in here, but why haven't I heard much about Star Trek: Infinite? I even heard of it till just now. A Star Trek Paradox style game? Sound interesting.

I’m extraordinarily disappointed in the scope of the game. Only four playable races? No dominion? No borg? They are holding too much back for DLC. Entire quadrants appear to be missing from the game.

[Edward64]

I remember hearing about it.

The graphics are very familiar. Hmmmm, some could almost say "stellar" like.

[GrantDawg]

I remember hearing about it.

The graphics are very familiar. Hmmmm, some could almost say "stellar" like.
It definitely has the same look. That a game I just never really put much time in, but I feel like if I had a more familiar setting it would interest me more.



I’m extraordinarily disappointed in the scope of the game. Only four playable races? No dominion? No borg? They are holding too much back for DLC. Entire quadrants appear to be missing from the game.
That I get. You do need more scope for a game like this. Then again, the reason I never got into Stellar was that it was so massive. By the time you are several hours in the game there is way too much going on to keep up with for me.

[Thomkal]

Not sure how many here are Critical Roll fans, but the British/Yogscast version, High Rollers might have something interesting for BG3 fans. Several members of the voice cast for that game will be appearing in England at the High Rollers studio for a D&D livecast/adventure. I think this Friday, details are here:


https://twitter.com/HighRollersDnD/status/1703816154756846074

[GrantDawg]

Not sure how many here are Critical Roll fans, but the British/Yogscast version, High Rollers might have something interesting for BG3 fans. Several members of the voice cast for that game will be appearing in England at the High Rollers studio for a D&D livecast/adventure. I think this Friday, details are here:


https://twitter.com/HighRollersDnD/status/1703816154756846074
I love it in theory, but they are such huge time sinks I can never stay in them. This does look great. I just love how nerdy all the voice actors are that played these characters.

[Thomkal]

I love it in theory, but they are such huge time sinks I can never stay in them. This does look great. I just love how nerdy all the voice actors are that played these characters.


Yeah I've not stuck with High Rollers/Critical Role because of that time sink. But High Rollers was fun in its first season-no voice actors, just Yogscast members/friends some of who had not played/very little D&D before

[Ghost Econ]

Can we add Bluey to the title, because thats at the top of my preorders.

[Edward64]

Hah, you got me. I was wondering how come I've not heard of it before. But there's a lot of dog lover here so why not.

Expect at least a couple posts about it from you.

[dubb93]

Phil Spencer says Microsoft will exit the gaming business in 2027 (2028 is their target for the next gen console so this would mean that they just never realise it) unless they have significant off console uptake in Game Pass. Wonder what that would do to Activision (assuming this deal goes though) and Bethesda.

Also, dude needs to realize the PC app is trash. It needs significantly improved before he expects people to dive in headlong on PC. Honestly, if I didn't already pay for Game Pass for my children, I would have just bought Starfield on Steam simply to have it there instead of the XBox app.

Taking functionality aside, threatening to shut down your business isn't a good way to convince people to purchase things digitally from you either. Sometimes I feel like this company just can't get out of its own way.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I've crossed the 90 hour mark with Starfield, I think I'm Level 32? (31?). Probably got another, dunno, 10-20 hours left before I finish the main quest That guess is based on where I am in it and what I believe is left to do with it, I'm not fully spoiler-free about what happens but I'm not spoiled in minute detail either.

I've been weaning myself off faction quests and side quests for the past several sessions, though I did get sucked into one that ate up most of my last session. {shrug} It happens.

fwiw, around 70 hours or so my mind began to wander toward my next playthrough. I suspect I'll fiddle around with the NewGamePlus thing just a little bit but it doesn't have nearly the appeal to me as a clean start with a new character and different focuses. I've basically started saving faction quest stuff for new character runs. Not heavily RP'ing but enough so that I can get 3-4 playthroughs that feel different is my goal.

At 90 hours I haven't touched at least 2 faction lines at all really, have only one faction line that I believe is more than halfway through, I haven't touched religion at all, have done only a single superbasic outpost just to get a feel for how that works, have never done a single cargo delivery, haven't really ever stopped to survey a planet that I didn't have some quest related reason to be on.

Mix-n-match those things I feel like 3-4 different character runs should be pretty easy to find.

[dubb93]

Finally finished BG 3 and my personal way of playing where I explore everything first and then come back and go to quest areas later resulted in an ending that was basically 8 straight boss fights. What a banger. Not that anyone cares, but I would rank this as my favorite game I’ve ever played. I played around with lists of my all time favorite games and I just can’t rank this one anywhere but the top. It’s better than DA: O (my closest comparison.)

In fact, I’d say it basically does the entire Dragon Age Trilogy better and in just one game. Each act feels like a separate game and that isn’t a bad thing in a game of this size and scope.

[Thomkal]

Finally finished BG 3 and my personal way of playing where I explore everything first and then come back and go to quest areas later resulted in an ending that was basically 8 straight boss fights. What a banger. Not that anyone cares, but I would rank this as my favorite game I’ve ever played. I played around with lists of my all time favorite games and I just can’t rank this one anywhere but the top. It’s better than DA: O (my closest comparison.)

In fact, I’d say it basically does the entire Dragon Age Trilogy better and in just one game. Each act feels like a separate game and that isn’t a bad thing in a game of this size and scope.


Of course we care-we are all gamers here! :) So having you rank it as your favorite game goes a long way dubb

[Honolulu_Blue]

Of course we care-we are all gamers here! :) So having you rank it as your favorite game goes a long way dubb

Agreed!

I am loving BG3, too. I play it with three friends and only once a week, so it's very slow going, but a total blast.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I believe I'm in the penultimate mission of the Starfield main quest, one called "Entangled".

This is easily the best quest I've seen in the game so far, almost certainly a top ten in Bethesda universes. This is really good, at least at my Level (32).

[dubb93]

I tried to start Starfield today and realized I need a few days away from videogames after staying up late the last couple of nights to finish BG3. I’ll probably restart Starfield on Monday. What I played so far seemed like it has potential and better yet ran great on my PC.

[JonInMiddleGA]

IMO, a pretty darned good (virtually spoiler-free) description of the different options for the end of a playthrough. How to NG+, whether you should rush to it or slow play to it, what you can do afterwards, etc.

https://youtu.be/KezXsReXhK4?si=s4WC-WigdotHG4xx

[JonInMiddleGA]

So I still have the main quest to wrap up on my original playthrough, but I could wait no longer. My desire to try a more RP play was too strong, I figured it wouldn't hurt anything to just get that character set up and dabble just a little.

I can't say that went so well.

I wanted to RP a "Long Hauler" type character, so B.J. McKay was born. I made it to maybe Level 4, delayed even the first main story quest aside from the unskippable opening ... and realized that playing with moving cargo as a primary activity wasn't gonna work. The credits simply aren't there to make necessary changes to the ship, etc. You'd have to augment that by either doing a lot of combat missions (to scav loot to sell in quantity) or farm XP and credits from outposts or something ... which takes away the point of RP'ing as a space trucker.

So my third character was born. If I gotta kill a lotta bad guys, might as well make sense of it, so Bounty Hunter Papa Thorson is born. I'm up to Lvl 6 but this time I'm going to do the initial main faction quests alongside my other shoot n' loot activities, see if that helps. (i.e. get through the tutorial'esque stuff, go to the point where you've met each Constellation member)

Honestly, my sneaking suspicion is that won't help a ton either.

I'm having moderate to severe doubts at the moment about the viability of any sort of RP playthrough because of how the end game / new game stuff works.

[GrantDawg]

The problem with your B.J. McKay play through is you didn't have a space-chimp with you. That was the missing vital element.

[dubb93]

The problem with your B.J. McKay play through is you didn't have a space-chimp with you. That was the missing vital element.

The other game has a miniature giant space hamster though!

I feel like I've played enough of Starfield to comment on it. I'll just say that it is beyond frustrating how fast I move in relation to NPCs that I'm supposed to be following. WHY DO THEY WALK SO SLOW!?!?!?!? Am I the only one that this drives absolutely crazy? Why do I have to hit W...release...hit it again...release...WHY CAN'T WE JUST MOVE THE SAME SPEED!?!?!?

OK rant over. Besides that I'm enjoying myself. I don't know if I will end up remembering this as fondly as say Skyrim, but I think it's going to be a good experience based on what I've seen so far.

[Thomkal]

The other game has a miniature giant space hamster though!

I feel like I've played enough of Starfield to comment on it. I'll just say that it is beyond frustrating how fast I move in relation to NPCs that I'm supposed to be following. WHY DO THEY WALK SO SLOW!?!?!?!? Am I the only one that this drives absolutely crazy? Why do I have to hit W...release...hit it again...release...WHY CAN'T WE JUST MOVE THE SAME SPEED!?!?!?

OK rant over. Besides that I'm enjoying myself. I don't know if I will end up remembering this as fondly as say Skyrim, but I think it's going to be a good experience based on what I've seen so far.


You are not alone there, one of the first guys I watched on YouTube, commented the very same thing as he followed the main quest line and met the members of Constellation (?) WHY ARE the NPC's moving so slow? Bet it gets fixed in a patch pretty quickly

[bhlloy]

After reading a bunch of reviews of Starfield I ended up spending $7 on the anniversary version of Skyrim and starting a new run. I’m sure when it’s on a sale I’ll pick it up and play it through a few times, but everything I read just doesn’t excite me right now.

[Bobble]

After reading a bunch of reviews of Starfield I ended up spending $7 on the anniversary version of Skyrim and starting a new run. I’m sure when it’s on a sale I’ll pick it up and play it through a few times, but everything I read just doesn’t excite me right now.

Funny, I dusted off (read: redownloaded from Steam) my Skyrim: Special Edition, slapped on a bunch of mods, and started a fresh run as well for the same reason.

[JPhillips]

I started a Fallout 4 run rather than Skyrim.

[Galaril]

Funny, I dusted off (read: redownloaded from Steam) my Skyrim: Special Edition, slapped on a bunch of mods, and started a fresh run as well for the same reason.

mind sharing which mods you are using?

[Bobble]

I did a google search for "best Skyrim mods" and took a bunch of their recommendations. There are a few unofficial patches; some QOL things like SkyUI, Remember Lockpick Angle, and Lightweight Potions; locations Wyrmstooth, Falskaar, Bromjunaar; add-ons like Immersive Armors, Immersive Weapons; and lastly the Sofia Follower. Sofia is perfect for replay. It's a very well-done mod and she says some great in-game meta things about the game.

If you run across some mods you like, I'd love to hear about them.

[dubb93]

I did a google search for "best Skyrim mods" and took a bunch of their recommendations. There are a few unofficial patches; some QOL things like SkyUI, Remember Lockpick Angle, and Lightweight Potions; locations Wyrmstooth, Falskaar, Bromjunaar; add-ons like Immersive Armors, Immersive Weapons; and lastly the Sofia Follower. Sofia is perfect for replay. It's a very well-done mod and she says some great in-game meta things about the game.

If you run across some mods you like, I'd love to hear about them.

This is exactly what I do everytime I fire it up is google best mods and look at 4 or 5 lists and decide what I want from there. I will say I do like to have something like Frostfall (the extreme environments can kill you so if it gets dark and there is a storm you better be getting a fire and shelter) and realistic needs and diseases (you need to meet your needs of sleep, hunger, thirst, while avoiding things like dirty bandit beds and water that hasn’t been boiled or you will end up with diseases.)

Beyond those two I think what is “best” changes every year or so.

[Bobble]

After playing for a little bit, I think I'm finding combat to be a little simplistic and clicky. I also don't care for how you can just "pause", drink a bunch of potions or eat food to heal, and you're right as rain. Having said that, I don't want to make alchemy useless. I may look into a combat mechanics mod.

I also like the idea of a survival mod like dubb is referring to.

[Galaril]

I did a google search for "best Skyrim mods" and took a bunch of their recommendations. There are a few unofficial patches; some QOL things like SkyUI, Remember Lockpick Angle, and Lightweight Potions; locations Wyrmstooth, Falskaar, Bromjunaar; add-ons like Immersive Armors, Immersive Weapons; and lastly the Sofia Follower. Sofia is perfect for replay. It's a very well-done mod and she says some great in-game meta things about the game.

If you run across some mods you like, I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks man.

[dubb93]

I also like the idea of a survival mod like dubb is referring to.

Realistic Needs and Diseases:
hxxps://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/23799

Frostfall:
hxxps://www.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/mods/671/

[Bobble]

the Sofia Follower. Sofia is perfect for replay. It's a very well-done mod and she says some great in-game meta things about the game.

I keep meaning to mention that Sofia has separate storage. Stuff you give her that she can equip and an unlimited weight storage that she won't touch. It's nice having her haul all the dwemer struts, battleaxes, and dragon bones that would never fit under weight limits. Might actually make a heavy armor character viable for a packrat like me.

[EagleFan]

Admittedly I haven't read through here yet but I must say...

BG3 - Loving it

Starfield - sucks (so fucking boring; going back to No Man's Sky after I am done with BG3, unless FOF comes out before then)

[dubb93]

The more I play Starfield the more the world just seems off somehow. The people are all hollow eyed and they just wonder around endlessly like robots. They all have names like “citizen” or some such. It doesn’t feel like a living world. It really feels like a world created specifically for the character I’m playing. This is not Skyrim in space which is what I was hoping for.

I’m still gonna finish this game. I’ve waited a long time for it. I will say that BG 3 coming first (and me playing it first) is really playing a big part in how I view this game. It’s just nowhere near the same quality of setting and immersion. I played Hogwart’s directly before that and again, the setting of that game just blows this one out of the water as well even if it did have a similar problem with NPCs just kind of wandering around aimlessly.

Maybe I’m crazy but I specially remember the NPCs in Skyrim had purpose. They had a routine. They slept at night and got up for work. They went to the bar if they were off. They went hunting for food. Why am I not seeing any of this in Starfield?

[JonInMiddleGA]

The more I play Starfield the more the world just seems off somehow. The people are all hollow eyed and they just wonder around endlessly like robots. They all have names like “citizen” or some such. It doesn’t feel like a living world. It really feels like a world created specifically for the character I’m playing. This is not Skyrim in space which is what I was hoping for.

That take on the NPCs echoes my son's feelings considerably.

I'm not as bothered by it honestly but, yeah, I think they populated the cities (New Atlantis particularly) SO heavily in an effort to make them feel "alive" that they didn't have room to give them any sort of routines.

Things like the shops all being open 24/7 with the same person manning the same counter 24/7 feels wrong. As does every random NPC with any dialogue always being in the same spot whenever you spawn into a city. The people who sweep will always sweep the same spot, people who have random dialogue ("I wonder if my boyfriend and I will miss New Atlantis when we leave") always have it in the same place.

Nobody goes home, nobody that isn't coded to be eating never goes to eat, etc.

[Groundhog]

Agree with the criticism of the Starfield universe. What we have is an amazing framework of a game, and I'm hoping through mods over the years it will grow into the kind of game it shows glimpses of being. Enjoying it as-is, but playing it more actiony/shooty than I do these kind of games.

[Edward64]

I'm sure both Starfield & BG3 will win awards but wonder which will be "the GOTY".

I'll give the edge to BG3

Starfield not in contention for GOTY.

the full nominees for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023:

Alan Wake 2
Baldur's Gate 3
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Resident Evil 4
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

But is in the RPG category

Elsewhere, Starfield is at least nominated for Best RPG at The Game Awards this year, but it has extremely strong competition in the form of Final Fantasy XVI, Sea of Stars, Lies of P and of course, Baldur's Gate 3.

[Atocep]

Starfield not in contention for GOTY.



But is in the RPG category

Top games I've played this year:

BG3
Alan Wake 2
Final Fantasy 16
Chained Echoes (released late 2022)
Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty
Dave the Diver
Hogwarts Legacy


I'd say BG3, Alan Wake 2, and FF16 are all close. I'd go with BG3, though, because it's an incredible accomplishment.

I do think people have slept on FF16. That game is outstanding and isn't really anything like previous FF games. It draws heavy inspiration from ASOIAF and Western RPGs. It's the first FF game I've enjoyed since 7.

[dubb93]

It’s really amazing how many loading screens they have managed to pack into Starfield. Want to jump to a planet? That’s a load screen. Want to then land on the planet? That’s another load screen. Want to go into a building on said planet. You better believe that’s another load screen.

I’m currently frequenting a certain space station due to a quest chain I’m on. It’s one load screen to jump there, another to dock, and then another once you walk about 20 feet into the station because you go through a door. All of this just to get on the damn station. My load times are pretty quick because I have a M.2, but they are still pretty annoying.

[NobodyHere]

I do think people have slept on FF16. That game is outstanding and isn't really anything like previous FF games. It draws heavy inspiration from ASOIAF and Western RPGs. It's the first FF game I've enjoyed since 7.

I'm just waiting for it to come out on PC.

[dubb93]

I'm just waiting for it to come out on PC.

Agreed. One of my most wanted games. Square makes their games exclusive to one console, doesn’t release a PC version, and then cries that games don’t meet their financial expectations. That’s another videogame company that really needs new leadership.

[dubb93]

I've been pretty critical of Starfield due to my disappointment, but I will say playing the game as it is rather than how I wanted it has made it alot more enjoyable. What I mean by that is I've given up any hope of RPing any sort of character and I'm just playing it like a shooter. By playing it like this my experience has improved dramatically.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I've been pretty critical of Starfield due to my disappointment, but I will say playing the game as it is rather than how I wanted it has made it alot more enjoyable. What I mean by that is I've given up any hope of RPing any sort of character and I'm just playing it like a shooter. By playing it like this my experience has improved dramatically.

I think that's probably the best way to play it in the current state.

It almost certainly also explains why I haven't touched it a 2? 3? weeks.
I'm not all that much in the mood for a looter/shooter right now, playing HOI4 with the latest DLC and FM24 mostly.

The whole "New Game+" thing is probably the bigger wet blanket for me though. I mean, that kind of renders almost everything you do irrelevant. Why build bases if they're just going to vanish? Why collect rare items if they're just going to vanish? Why do pretty much anything if it's just going to vanish? That only leaves it being a shooter, and it's not a particularly engaging shooter. The combat in Starfield in considerably easier than pretty much any Bethesda game, a really tough fight is rare to come across & I'm not even all that good at the combat. There's more point to shooting in, I dunno, Fortnite or something.

I think that NG+ approach might very well turn out to be one of the biggest game killing design decisions for me I've ever come across.

edit to add: There's stuff there I like. I'm happy enough with the individual pieces of the story (the whole, eh, not so much), the quests and whatnot. There's a lot there that "feels like Bethesda", which was a must for me. But the dumbed down outposts/settlements are a drag after FO4 (and a fair number of hours with the SimSettlements mod), the irrelevance of them makes that 100x worse for me.

[dubb93]

NVIDIA DLSS patch it out for Starfield and my own performance gains are pretty large. I've gone from medium settings with FPS drops to max settings smooth as possible. YMMV, gains will be larger on newer GPUs and almost nonexistent on older NVIDIA GPUs.

[Edward64]

The article was essentially some reviews saying Starfield was boring and Bethesda support replies.

Hopefully, it gets better with Shattered Space DLC.

IGN Error 403 - Unavailable (IFW-U02) (https://www.ign.com/articles/bethesda-is-responding-to-negative-reviews-of-starfield-on-steam)
Bethesda has updated Starfield a number of times since its launch, which saw 10 million players in three weeks. The latest patch, 1.8.86, added DLSS Support and the ability to eat food on sight. The studio already has a Starfield post-launch story expansion pack in the works, called Shattered Space, and development chief Todd Howard told IGN in an interview ahead of the Starfield Direct that Bethesda plans to release “a lot” of add-on content for the space exploration game.

“We're going to be doing a lot of add-on content for Starfield,” Howard said. “We love doing it. Our fans love it. We're going to do a story expansion pack that's going to be coming. Our plan is to do things of varying sizes, and we've done a lot of that in our previous games, so it's something that we really like doing, our fans like. So despite the size of the game, there's still things we want to add as far as features in the future or stories and things like that. Hopefully it's going to continue for a long time that way.”

[JonInMiddleGA]

Damned if I haven't ended up putting ... I dunno, 8-10 hours I guess, into MW3.

Issues and all, for at least a little while it's kinda cool to see so many of the old familiar maps again.

[Edward64]

Congrats BG3. Starfield nada.

IGN Error 403 - Unavailable (IFW-U02) (https://www.ign.com/articles/the-game-awards-2023-winners-the-full-list)
Not only did Baldur's Gate 3 win Game of the Year and shadow drop its Xbox version, but it also won Best Community Support, Best RPG, Best Multiplayer, and the Player's Voice category. Alan Wake 2 followed with 3 wins in the categories of Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Art Direction.

[GrantDawg]

No surprise. We may never see another title like it.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

[Edward64]

Personally, I'm thinking there's more to the story. I get developers tired of same old thing and not wanting to do the DLC but (1) com'on, its just the first DLC (2) guaranteed income and (3) opportunity to expand & create a Team A and Team B (experienced, new hires).

Have Team B do most of the work. This way, it funds what Team A is doing. Like X-Com, I bet Firaxis could still make money off the DLCs or, at least, create an X-Com 3. See Civ 6 and Paradox games.

'Let's just have closure on Baldur's Gate 3, it's been great. We've done our job': Larian CEO says he hit the brakes on DLC plans because the team's heart wasn't in it | PC Gamer (https://www.pcgamer.com/games/baldurs-gate/lets-just-have-closure-on-baldurs-gate-3-its-been-great-weve-done-our-job-larian-ceo-says-he-hit-the-brakes-on-dlc-plans-because-the-teams-heart-wasnt-in-it/)
'Let's just have closure on Baldur's Gate 3, it's been great. We've done our job': Larian CEO says he hit the brakes on DLC plans because the team's heart wasn't in it
As for putting together that DLC, Vincke notes that some exhausted vibes in the studio put an end to it: "You could see the team was doing it because everyone felt like we had to do it, but it wasn't really coming from the heart, and we're very much a studio from the heart. It's what's gotten us into misery and it's also been the reason for our success."

In the new year, Vincke recalls coming back into the office and telling his team: "You know, we're not going to do it. We're going to [start] doing these other things that we talked about, that we planned on doing before we started on BG3 … let's just have closure on BG3, it's been great. We've done our job. It's a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end."

Contrary to his fears, Vincke then recalls a feeling of "elation" in the studio. "I thought they were going to be angry at me because I just couldn't muster the energy," he says, but that he "saw so many elated faces, which I didn't expect, and I could tell they shared the same feelings, so we were all aligned with one another. And I've had so many developers come to me after and say, 'Thank god'."

[GrantDawg]

There was lots of speculation that it was WOTC that caused them to walk away. Hasbro has laid off the whole team that was the link between Larian and WOTC, and there had been some veiled words from Swen condemning "publisher greed". Except WOTC wasn't the publisher for this game, Larian was. Swen made clear in a tweet that he had no issues with WOTC, that they were supportive throughout the process, and it was an in-house decision that had nothing to do with WOTC/D&D. This is the downside of an independent company whose main driving factor isn't squeezing every dime out of an IP. They move as much or more by their own desires than what will make them the most money. In this case it sucks, but it is what made this game so amazing.

[dubb93]

They were never going to raise the level cap further. They have been pretty open about the struggles of DND 5e and how overpowered you become after level 10 and how it was impossible to balance. They had to be convinced by the community to even increase it from 10 to 12 so they were already going to be limited in what they could do as basically all post-game DLC was out the window from the start.

[GrantDawg]

Never, except they admitted they had already started working on the DLC. I don't think there is any way they could have done a DLC without raising the cap. It would have really been interesting to see what they would hwve done, especially considering it most likely would have taken place in Avernus.

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[Honolulu_Blue]

Larian is walking away from a gold mine by not doing a sequel, but I very much respect their decision to move on.

Me and my group just finished BG3 a couple weeks ago. I loved the game. I immediately started a solo play through, because it’s a very different experience playing it 4 player co-op versus single player.

In my first play through I was a thief/gloomstalker/battlemaster. It super fun. Now, I’m paying a monk and look forward to more NPC interactions and playing around with more classes.