Ex-Skyrim Developer Explains the Key Difference Between Bethesda Games and Baldur’s Gate 3 | IGN
Ex-Skyrim Developer Explains the Key Difference Between Bethesda Games and Baldur’s Gate 3 | IGN
The lead designer of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has discussed the difference in design philosophy between Bethesda games and Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3.
It's worth noting that this guy is talking not of old Bethesda but modern Bethesda. The writing team behind Morrowind and half of Oblivion absolutely cared about the details that only 1% of people might see. Morrowind especially is a world built around you exploring the world building. It's not about levelling up (wowee I can miss the flying fuckheads 2% less now), it was about exploring the politics and cultures in the world.
At some point, Bethesda games became about the mechanical exploration, about going over there because that looks like it might be interesting, oh it's just a cave with combat in it oh well maybe over there will be interesting.
Skyrim was a blight on the games industry.
Skyrim is a great game.... for its time. Todd Howard is the blight on the games industry for putting so many resources toward so many Skyrim remasters/re-releases/money grabs. Even if he outsourced all that work, those are dev houses he could have spent their time helping Bethesda actually fill their huge open worlds and perhaps get the same feeling of "every decision actually matters" that Larion did.
Bethesda makes a buggy mess of a semi-passable base game and relies on free labor to turn it into a playable and interesting game.
Larian doesn’t.
There’s your difference.
Saved me a click. Thanks!
I think a very good distinction is the open-worldness of Elder Scrolls. When you have a virtual map spanning hundreds of acres, all of which you can visit, means the content gets thinned out and walking/climbing/riding around turns into a grind. Not every corner of BG3 has some amazing secret stowed away but I can't think of any place I've visited so far that felt like a waste of my time.
I think it's a symptom of the old trend of making games 'bigger'. Fallout 4 was four times bigger than Fallout 3 for example.
Bigger isn't better. I want a world where I don't feel the need to fast travel because I know I'll have fun getting to my destination.
Elden Ring had a hybrid approach, oh look a cave, but 80% of the optional areas had interesting enemies, layouts and loot.
Definitely over tuned some extras, but for such a big game it was way better than Shrines or Koroks in Zelda
That’s one of the best parts about out Bv games- nothing feels contrived.
Is it attention to detail? It’s attention to detail, isn’t it?
Read that as Astarion, so thanks! Lol
Sadly I'm one of those people who doesn't enjoy turn based combat, so I always preferred elder scrolls, warts and all.
Have you been able to try it? If a friend has a copy, or if you can rent/buy it and then return it, I would try it if you can.
I used to also be very against playing anything turn-based. I thought it was odd and unrealistic. In older games, that was definitely the case at times.
This game though, it draws you right in. You can be very creative with how you fight your enemies, and there is nearly always something new to discover. In my opinion, this game's turn-based mode is more of a strategy game than it is a click and fight. I kind of love that about it.
I initially started playing on my girlfriend's insistence, but sometimes I find it very difficult to put down.
I hope this doesn't come off as pressuring you to play. I'm still kind of shocked I like a turn-based game now, to be honest. I thought that I would always dislike them.
Do you have an exemple of a turn-based game that lacks strategy? The closest that I can think of are the JRPGs, but even them have a bit of strategy IMHO. All turn-based games are strategy games in my opinion.
Love people down voting you for having an opinion. Some people don't like turn based, that's that. I enjoyed BG3 but I just can't bring myself to start another game, maybe in a couple months or a year. Trying to get through the main storyline in starfield so I can move on to some of the new games coming out, but I keep getting sidetracked.
I played DOS:2 so knew exactly how combat in bg3 would be. Just has a coat of d&d paint is all.