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I like the writing! The Marvel-humor can get pretty bad, but I'll assert that there actually is plenty of writing between that and the absurdly melodramatic moments (many of which are also pretty bad, yeah). The latter, though, I've basically come to expect from videogame writing in general. All characters need to have deep dark shocking secrets or else they're two-dimensional, or so writers seem to think nowadays. So in that they simply didn't depart from what was already the norm.
For one, the characters actually seem to grow, rather than just eternally playing stereotypes of themselves. Shadowheart is given genuine reasons for her beliefs, but also seems to be inching towards a realization that those beliefs are nevertheless wrong. Same with Lae'zell. Wyll is given a little sidequest where you convince him he was duped by his former masters into pursuing innocent people; its conclusion was very cool. I assume there's much more along those lines, but I've been focusing more on the NPCs whose writing I already knew would be far superior.
More important is the writing in between. Yes, your companion characters generally give either terrible side-quips (when prompted during your conversation with other characters) or immensely melodramatic personal details. But all the other characters are written much better. The tieflings in the druid's grove have an immediately compelling situation where they need help evacuating before the druids seal the grove. They ask, but don't beg, for help, and a lot of attention in-game is given to the fact that they're training children with swords. This is done explicitly not so that the children can fight off any marauding goblins during their evacuation, but so that their skills can hopefully buy time; just a second or two might make the difference between life or death. That's my jam. Rational people in interesting, emotionally stirring situations, doing what they can to improve their situation but still in need of aid. Another good example is a child you talk to at one point who proudly shows off her (IIRC) "magic", nothing more than a crude sleight of hand. While her display distracts you, though, you catch her friend attempting to pickpocket you. They're stealing to try and raise money for the group's evacuation. Just a great little scene IMO. There are plenty of others along those lines--just interesting windows into a world that feels somewhat real and not too scripted.
On romance -- I've been playing a dark and brooding edgelord. I keep getting close enough to each different companion to initiate the romance dialogue (well, I hate to call it that, because really it's just a heartfelt conversation at that point, but I guess in rainbow-land all close relationships are romantic), intentionally ask probing questions about my companions' lives, and then storm off as soon as they ask me anything about my own. Their shocked expressions always crack me up. I figured the actual romance would be poorly written, and also for other reasons didn't want to take things farther (I am highly uninterested in pretending to have a relationship with a videogame character), but up to that point the dialogue felt pretty well-written. Everyone talks about their dark and mysterious pasts, of course, but does so in a pretty cool way. For example, Astarion discusses being given the option of becoming a vampire brood in exchange for having his life saved, and says something along the lines of "I thought an eternity of servitude would be better than death. I didn't realize how long eternity could be." Yes, it's melodramatic, but I still liked it.
I certainly have plenty of complaints but overall have greatly enjoyed the story so far. And I usually hate videogame writing.
Writing isn't that good. Halfway to competent.
I mean, it suffers from being very modern minded.
How many families with 6 children can you count? Is it realistic that a warrior priest would go mad with grief after his wife's death?
Tieflings in old ADD games were nutty if good scoundrels, weird, as you'd expect from such parentage.
Tieflings in BG3 are written as if the entirety of the demonic heritage is biological, and whatever souls they have are entirely human. (I only got to chapter 2 so far).
I don't disagree with the thesis, but a man in grief from losing his wife and daughter taking foolish actions is not some modern affectation... Maybe I'd complain if he was a priest of some dark god, but Selune isn't presented that way.
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The comparisons with Boone from New Vegas make themselves.
Boone didn't really do anything notable or crazy compared to this guy.
Besides people were going through wives due to disease, childbirth risks fairly frequently.
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Sure, not going to argue it's amazing writing, but I'm enjoying it.
I generally give videogames a pass on this since again, that's just what all modern media does. Agreed that it would make things better though.
The main thing that I think hurts writing is simple denial of reality. Sometimes I'll watch a movie or play a game and just think "man, whoever wrote this just has no idea about how anything really works." I recently watched Birdbox: Barcelona and the main character in it, a tallish, able-bodied, well-fed man, first loses a fight to three malnourished and quite elderly blind women, then later has an intense fight/wrestle with a woman about a foot shorter than him. She pretty easily gets the upper hand, and the only way he wins is by pushing her off the platform they're fighting on. It was a great movie to watch because of how terrible it was, but scenes like that were utterly hilarious. Really felt like the writers had just given up on reality entirely. Like maybe if that woman had also been black or lesbian she could have just picked him up with one hand and tossed him casually into the mountains in the distance.
Anyway, BG3 doesn't do that. Its departures from reality are annoying, but they don't quite break my suspension of disbelief entirely, which is all I ask for at this point. Maybe my standards are too low haha.
Re: women fighters with a score of 18..
I've been giving ADD games a pass on this because, hey, it's a setting with magic and dragons. Pretty clear that in that world it isn't just biomechanics like in this one.
I'm also extremely pleased Underrail: Infusion, a Serbian RPG game I'm looking forward more than any other game has decided to directly tie player model to size and strength characteristic. IIRC, almost a first in games, no ?
Finally, some game acknowledging biomechanics. Pretty much every other RPG game allows a willowy female with a 19 strength score. Hey, at least BG3 has strong & tall female models.
I'm hating the odd bit of marvel speak but the game isn't too insulting or boring. It's no BG2 though :(.
EDIT: apart from DPI scaling related CTDs (I had dozens) and too many quicksave CTDs I chiefly hate how long-winded combat is. The game is engrossing.. if not as great as BG2.
In Dragon's Dogma your appearance (at least height and weight) influences for how long you can run, how much you can carry, if you can enter certain secret holes, etc..
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