Baldur’s Gate 3was a massive success, so it’s no wonder that there are already talks of a sequel. In a recent interview, a representative from Hasbro mentioned that a potentialBaldur’s Gate 4would have some pretty high expectations on it, and the hope would be that the game could exceed expectations creatively. This got me thinking about ways thatBaldur’s Gate 4could up the ante from the original, and it wasn’t long until I landed on the perfect solution.
I’veplayedBaldur’s Gate 3a lot, and I’ve also been playingD&Dweekly for years.One of the most exciting parts ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s success was how it taught players aboutD&Dand made them more interested in it. I even had a few friends I’d been playingD&Dwith for a while say thatBaldur’s Gate 3helped them finally wrap their heads around some of the TTRPG’s mechanics. It could easily become a huge hit ifBaldur’s Gate 4leaned into its connection withDungeons & Dragonseven more than the previous game.
Baldur’s Gate 4 Should Allow Players To Create Custom Combat Scenarios
Custom Combat Scenarios Could Be Made With An In-Engine Level-Builder
Dan Ayoub, Hasbro’s SVP of digital games, recently spoke withIGNat GDC about his desire foraBaldur’s Gate 3sequel to “go bigger” than the previous game. The perfect way forBaldur’s Gate 4to raise the bar creatively would be to allow players to create their own custom combat scenarios. LikeMario Maker’s custom levels,Baldur’s Gate 4could allow players to grab in-game assets like monsters or structures and place them onto a map (or various maps) to create fun and challenging combat encounters.
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Baldur’s Gate 3had a wonderful enemy variety and a lot of cool creaturesthat, when combined, could make for some exciting scenarios. Imagine the chaos of trying to defeat a large enemy like a dragon while avoiding phase spiders constantly teleporting around the map and forcing you out of your safe spots. A separate game mode like this would also give players an easy way to test out new builds. This could save time and in-game resources if you don’t have to Respec each time you want to test something new.
An additional game mode would also make it easier to jump in and out for short multiplayer sessions. As is, sitting down toplayBaldur’s Gate 3with friends, while exciting, also feels like a significant investment of your time and attention.GivingBaldur’s Gate 4a more casual multiplayer mode would help set it apart fromBaldur’s Gate 3, and this type of customizable content would likely be a huge hit with the game’s community.
The Baldur’s Gate 3 Community Has Already Shown They Want Custom Campaigns
Baldur’s Gate 3 Modders Are Making Custom Campaigns
SeveralBaldur’s Gate 3custom campaignsare being worked on by modders in the community. One example is the already-released campaignThe Grand Theater - Sell your Lute to the Devilby modder Moezilla, which features the Red Wizards of Thay fromD&Dlore.The prospect of moreBaldur’s Gate 3content is always exciting, and playing through custom campaigns will likely be similar to testing outD&Done-shots that DMs share online.
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Now, I don’t thinkBaldur’s Gate 4should go all-in on allowing players to create custom campaigns. While things like custom dialogue trees or NPCs wouldn’t be impossible to implement, a complete campaign-builder would probably be too big of a project to manage alongside an entire campaign forBaldur’s Gate 4.I wouldn’t give upBaldur’s Gate 3’s existing campaign for more customizable content, and I would prefer to see something similar fromBaldur’s Gate 4’s main game mode.
A combat-building mode could take environments fromBaldur’s Gate 4’s main quest, allow players to rearrange or add assets, and populate them with monsters from the campaign
However,I think it would be smart forBaldur’s Gate 4to have an official way to satisfy the desire for customizable content, and building custom combat encounters seems like a good compromise. A combat-building mode could take environments fromBaldur’s Gate 4’s main quest, allow players to rearrange or add assets, and populate them with monsters from the campaign. Not only would this be a fun add-on forBaldur’s Gate 4, but it could also be a useful tool forD&D.
Baldur’s Gate 4 Could Be The Perfect VTT For Dungeons & Dragons
IfBaldur’s Gate 4had a custom combat creator,it could easily double as a way for DMs to create combat encounters inD&D. As much as I love traditionalD&D, after years of playing it, I tend to find my eyes glazing over as soon as my party enters combat. I already know what moves I want to do each turn, and if I recognize the enemy, I can pretty much guess the outcome of the encounter. I would love to have the added flair of visuals and sound effects fromBaldur’s Gateto spice things up.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Best Villain Isn’t Even Around For The Climax
The best villain in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t the big bad evil Guy; it’s not even a character players meet in the third act and is around for the ending.
This decision wouldn’t just make sense from a player standpointbut could also be smart for Hasbro on the business end of things. I paid forBaldur’s Gate 3once back in early access and have been playing it for years without spending another penny on it. A custom-encounter mode would allowBaldur’s Gate 4’s developers to add new monsters and magical items as paid DLC packs. This would help monetize the game, but in a way that feels more optional and avoids a less-appealing model like live service or loot boxes.
I know not everyone would be on board with the idea of having such a fully realizedvirtual tabletop forD&D. Imagination and theater of the mind are significant aspects ofD&Dcombat, and the tabletop allows for the flexibility to bend the rules in situations where it makes sense. Still, I thinkhavingBaldur’s Gate 4as a potential tool for building encounters would be a fun optionand one I could see myself using.
Dan Ayoub and Hasbro are right to look for ways to up the ante fromBaldur’s Gate 3. Replicating the game’s success and popularity will be difficult, and expectations will be very high this time around. Giving players an exciting new way to interact with the game could be just what the company is looking for.
Source:Rebekah Valentine/IGN
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
