Everyone says BG3 is a great starting point, and I’ve even set it to the lowest difficulty, but I’m still struggling to get anywhere. I know nothing about D&D, so the combat system just feels really overwhelming and restrictive. Like, being able to cast a spell once or twice before needing to rest at camp feels weird to me.

On the flip side, I’m loving the visuals, the voice acting, the characters, and the story. It’s just the combat that’s throwing me off. I think I might be playing it too much like a JRPG or something like Mass Effect or Skyrim, which probably isn’t the right approach.

Any tips on how to actually get into CRPGs? Or is there maybe a different game that’s a bit more beginner-friendly?

  • Susaga@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    9·
    1 year ago

    BG3 tips:

    • Try focusing on cantrips a little more. You can cast these as much as you like. They aren’t as powerful, but they’re reliable.
    • Save your spells for when you need them. No point casting an area effect spell on a single target, or a powerful spell on a guy with 5 hp, for instance.
    • Pay attention to concentration. Some spells last multiple turns, so you can just keep the effect going rather than casting a new spell. Heat Metal, for instance.
    • Some classes can regain spells between long rests. A wizard has arcane recovery, and a warlock regains spells on a short rest instead of a long one. Clerics and druids don’t do this, but they can change their spell list on the fly, so it balances out.
    • Don’t be afraid of long rests. This is where a lot of story moments happen, and you aren’t as pressed for time as the game claims you are. There’s a few long-rest dependant quests, but not many.

    For an alternative, I’d say Dragon Age. Bioware made the original Baldurs Gate games, then made Mass Effect, so Dragon Age is a good midpoint between the two. Start with Origins, which is both the first in the series and the most crpg of the bunch.

    And if you still can’t get into the crpg genre, that’s fine. Not everything is for everyone.

    • cloudless@piefed.socialOPMEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      Thanks. Would this be a good party setup for me?

      • Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue, Warlock

      Or should I replace one with a Cleric? I like Shadowheart’s character.

      I have Dragon Age in my library too, but not so keen on the real-time with pause combat. I should try playing it again if it is easier than BG3.

      • Susaga@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        It’s hard to go too wrong, honestly. Healing in combat is not that useful, so think of classes as either tanks, DPS, or both. Clerics lean more towards DPS, and are the best healers if you still want that. I say to just fill your party with whoever you think is best narratively, then check you have someone to take hits, disarm traps, or deal huge damage to the enemies.

        As far as I know, most CRPGs are real-time with pause. BG3 is the outlier, even in the Baldurs Gate series.

        • cloudless@piefed.socialOPMEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          Divinity: Original Sin series is turn based too, also by Larian Studios. I find the combat in DoS2 more approachable than BG3. But I haven’t gone far in the game.

      • [deleted]@piefed.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        BG3 has plentiful items and easy access to resting so a healer isn’t necessary. Plus the faster you put down enemies the less healing is needed, and healing during combat instead of doing damage means longer fights which makes more healing necessary. Avoiding damage in the first place is the most important thing, and can be done through positioning, higher armor class, shutting down enemies. and damage reduction. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a cleric or other healer, but when you do make sure to take spells that reduce damage and the cleric should be doing damage or crowd control stuff most rounds.

        The biggest consideration is that you should really have a mix of long range and close range damage so that you can counter their ranged stuff while the melee characters duke it out in melee.

        There are also a lot of items and environmental effects that can have way more impact on combat than character abilities. Pushing enemies into fires, away from friendlies, and items that push or pull stuff around has way more impact that one would think. Sure, high strength is needed to do it reliably, but if you have a free push and nothing else to do give it a try!