Ex-Skyrim Developer Explains the Key Difference Between Bethesda Games and Baldur’s Gate 3 | IGN - eviltoast
  • echo64@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

      • ringwraithfish@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        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.

        • papabobolious@feddit.nu
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          It’s good in some ways. I was disappointed in the removal of attributes and how the equipment stats were kind of simplified and boring. The lack of proper stat scaling, since there’s no stats.

          I was also sad to see spellmaking go.

          There’s still plenty of good in it, don’t get me wrong.

          • halvo317@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            No. Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Baldur’s Gate 3 all draw influence from Skyrim. I think open world games are better because of Skyrim.

            • subignition@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              Dragon Age: Inquisition and Witcher 3 both began development in the same year Skyrim released. I don’t know if I can really say they were influenced by Skyrim because of the timing, but I haven’t played either.

              Baldur’s Gate 3 drawing influence from Skyrim I will have to vehemently disagree with. That assertion just makes no sense at all.

        • GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          So many games wanted to be the next Skyrim, and so they brought over a lot of its systems and design choices. Including the bad ones.

          The flood of games going open world, reliance on mods, and marketing through memes.

          • halvo317@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            I can’t think of many games that do that. I can’t really think of anyone that tries to be like Bethesda games in the bad ways.

        • chunkystyles@sopuli.xyz
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          1 year ago

          People enjoy shitting on things and loudly, hyperbolicly saying that they are objectively bad and the worst thing ever. Especially Skyrim.

          It’s ok to not like the game or even hate it. Doesn’t make it objectively bad or somehow the downfall of video games.

  • Rhoeri@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

  • BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    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.

    • FireTower@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      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.

    • delitomatoes@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      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

  • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Sadly I’m one of those people who doesn’t enjoy turn based combat, so I always preferred elder scrolls, warts and all.

        • teft@startrek.website
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          1 year ago

          For me turn based is great because you can chill and think about your next move. You don’t have to rely on instinct. I love me some soulslike but sometimes just chilling is great.

        • lowleveldata@programming.dev
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          So you have turn based allergies? Have you noticed that all those so called non turn based games have things like cool downs and reloads which are just turn based in disguise? Actually real life also takes turns which we call “days” to lie to the turn based haters. They never knew we were all in a turn based game from the beginning.

          • Cringe2793@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The guy doesn’t like turn based games, just let him dislike it. People have preferences.

          • glimse@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            things like cool downs and reloads which are just turn based in disguise?

            Those are categorically not turn-based lol

          • Son_of_dad@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            What a weird reply and dedication to turn based. But no, I despise it, final Fantasy made me hate turn based and not a single turn based game has been able to undo that hate.

    • ANGRY_MAPLE@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      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.

      • chemsed@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        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.

    • Everblue@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      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.