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Is BG3 worth it for someone who doesn't like the setting?
Hi, I'm a long time D&D fan, although most of my experience comes from the older editions (B/X edition and AD&D 1e are my faves), not much 5e experience (tried to run 5e campaigns on two separate occasions and various things got in the way).
I know very little about Baldur's Gate 3, but everyone keeps recommending it to me, from close friends, random people I meet to even some of my college professors. If this many people like it, then maybe I think it might be worth checking out, although sadly, the game does cost money, so I do want to see if it's right for me before biting the bullet and buying it (I haven't spent money on video games in a while).
I want to trust people's recommendations, but the thing is, I really don't like the setting of the Forgotten Realms. Of the many premade D&D campaign settings, FR is probably my least favorite. I've read some of the novels and some of the sourcebooks on the setting and really don't like it.
My first issue with the setting is that it often breaks my suspension of disbelief with unrealistic things that make no sense, only existing because they drive adventures forward (I find the city of Menzoberranzan to make no sense politically, with the drow's reasons for being evil to be flimsy, for example).
My second issue is that way too much stuff has been grandfathered in from other settings with very little grace. For example, I find that outside of their original setting of the Planescape, Tieflings have very little identity and purpose. This has resulted in the Forgotten Realms feeling like a setting with very little identity of it's own, just a kitchen sink of random fantasy concepts that have no rhyme or reason for existing alongside each other. .
My third issue is that it rarely makes sense as a functioning medieval society, with it's take on religion to be thing thing that takes me out of the setting the most. Religion in the setting is basically free-market monotheism, where despite there being a whole pantheon of gods, clerics devote themselves to one single god, which isn't how polytheism functions at all. It would make more sense if clerics had a closer bond to their gods, almost like a personal pact, more akin to Elric of Melnibone, but it's not like that. What's worse is that despite this being a medieval society, you have people who aren't very religious, which isn't how medieval society functioned. Theoretically, everyone should be a cleric (if you define cleric by the modern D&D version of cleric, just being someone who is religious rather than being a religious leader themselves and/or active member of the church) because everyone should be religious, due to the time period.
Again, please understand that I know basically nothing about Baldur's Gate 3, other than apparently there's a sex scene with a bear (which I hope makes sense in context) and that there's some dude named Shadowheart that people apparently like. These are my thoughts on the world of the Forgotten Realms as someone who has tried to engage with the setting through the novels and D&D sourcebooks, but found that I really didn't like it. There was just too much breaking my suspension of disbelief.
Are my complaints with the setting present in Baldur's Gate 3? Do they not really matter for the game itself?
I will say, for the record, there is one thing I like about the Forgotten Realms. I like the city of Waterdeep and with some adjustments to suit my tastes, I have used it in campaigns before.
Question from user EvilPersonXXIV at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.
Answer:
Are my complaints with the setting present in Baldurs Gate 3?
Absolutely. Every single one, maybe even worse than you imagine.
Do they not really matter for the game itself?
Absolutely not. Never have.
although sadly, the game does cost money.
Well that depends on your alignment, now doesnt it?
Answer from user DrRatio-PhD at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.
Hi, I'm a long time D&D fan, although most of my experience comes from the older editions (B/X edition and AD&D 1e are my faves), not much 5e experience (tried to run 5e campaigns on two separate occasions and various things got in the way).
I know very little about Baldur's Gate 3, but everyone keeps recommending it to me, from close friends, random people I meet to even some of my college professors. If this many people like it, then maybe I think it might be worth checking out, although sadly, the game does cost money, so I do want to see if it's right for me before biting the bullet and buying it (I haven't spent money on video games in a while).
I want to trust people's recommendations, but the thing is, I really don't like the setting of the Forgotten Realms. Of the many premade D&D campaign settings, FR is probably my least favorite. I've read some of the novels and some of the sourcebooks on the setting and really don't like it.
My first issue with the setting is that it often breaks my suspension of disbelief with unrealistic things that make no sense, only existing because they drive adventures forward (I find the city of Menzoberranzan to make no sense politically, with the drow's reasons for being evil to be flimsy, for example).
My second issue is that way too much stuff has been grandfathered in from other settings with very little grace. For example, I find that outside of their original setting of the Planescape, Tieflings have very little identity and purpose. This has resulted in the Forgotten Realms feeling like a setting with very little identity of it's own, just a kitchen sink of random fantasy concepts that have no rhyme or reason for existing alongside each other. .
My third issue is that it rarely makes sense as a functioning medieval society, with it's take on religion to be thing thing that takes me out of the setting the most. Religion in the setting is basically free-market monotheism, where despite there being a whole pantheon of gods, clerics devote themselves to one single god, which isn't how polytheism functions at all. It would make more sense if clerics had a closer bond to their gods, almost like a personal pact, more akin to Elric of Melnibone, but it's not like that. What's worse is that despite this being a medieval society, you have people who aren't very religious, which isn't how medieval society functioned. Theoretically, everyone should be a cleric (if you define cleric by the modern D&D version of cleric, just being someone who is religious rather than being a religious leader themselves and/or active member of the church) because everyone should be religious, due to the time period.
Again, please understand that I know basically nothing about Baldur's Gate 3, other than apparently there's a sex scene with a bear (which I hope makes sense in context) and that there's some dude named Shadowheart that people apparently like. These are my thoughts on the world of the Forgotten Realms as someone who has tried to engage with the setting through the novels and D&D sourcebooks, but found that I really didn't like it. There was just too much breaking my suspension of disbelief.
Are my complaints with the setting present in Baldur's Gate 3? Do they not really matter for the game itself?
I will say, for the record, there is one thing I like about the Forgotten Realms. I like the city of Waterdeep and with some adjustments to suit my tastes, I have used it in campaigns before.
Question from user EvilPersonXXIV at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.
Answer:
Are my complaints with the setting present in Baldurs Gate 3?
Absolutely. Every single one, maybe even worse than you imagine.
Do they not really matter for the game itself?
Absolutely not. Never have.
although sadly, the game does cost money.
Well that depends on your alignment, now doesnt it?
Answer from user DrRatio-PhD at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.
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