I loveBaldur’s Gate 3, and respect thatLarian Studioshas committed to updating the game even as it moves on from the Dungeons & Dragons license to pursue original projects. However, a sense of dread now sets in when I read new patch notes, becoming palpable when I bear witness to the ensuing discourse surrounding every change made to Baldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is not a live-service game and the fact it is starting to act like one is the fault of both the community and Larian itself. Though well-intentioned, the constant tweaking of character interactions has created the perception that everything in Baldur’s Gate 3 is up for debate.
Larian has made various changes since release, such as adding anepilogue party,new evil endings,new kissing animations, more companion interactions and normalising an unintended and convoluted way ofrecruiting Mintharawithout any of the prerequisite murder - it takes the edge off her character to ensure everyone gets the shiny new toy.
A Culture Of Appeasement
Almost none of these changes were necessary, instead added to appease a vocal minority within the community. These are the people who wanted to recruit Minthara without paying the moral cost for doing so, the players who didn’t want to accept that some companion’s story arcs are too complicated to be miraculously solved as soon as the narrative ends. Romance has gone from realistically layered to taking on a more is more approach, where every interaction is rewarded with an ever-increasing amount of fan service.
Is Baldur’s Gate 3 a homage to a legendary game series; filled with interesting characters, engaging narratives and an enthralling open world? Or is it an elaborate dating simulator, crafted to foster a connection between the player and their object of affection? I’m not saying romance shouldn’t play a significant part in Baldur’s Gate 3, but each subsequent patch’s focus on fleshing out these interactions raises the question of who Larian is updating the game for. By adding features, the game is losing its character.
Larian is catering to the ‘mega fan’, a particularly online breed of Baldur’s Gate 3 player. These are the people you see on every social media post, the type to engage in debate on whether an Ascended Astarion romance is abusive (it is) or accusing Larian of prejudice because Wyll doesn’t have as much going on as some of the other characters. They love their proclaimed wife/husband and would appreciate Larian adding more reactivity at certain moments to fulfil their fantasies. It’s not surprising, but it has become increasingly militant as patches have rolled in over the last year.
Larian’s willingness to placate this type of player isn’t unexpected. These fans post the most about the game, shouting demands directly at Larian endlessly, and are ostensibly the most dedicated with hundreds of hours over multiple playthroughs on the clock. However, a large swathe of Baldur’s Gate 3 players simply played the game and moved on, perhaps they even played it a couple of times to see more content. This is the reality of any popular game, the majority of players who are pleased with the experience don’t feel the need to voice their opinions online.
While the majority are satisfied, the biggest fans (who should be most satisfied, it stands to reason) instead believe Larian has a duty to shape the game around their individual interpretations of the characters and narrative. And they have no problem letting the studio know that. Parasocial relationships have been formed not only with the characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, but also with their creators. People feel a personal connection to Larian, in part thanks to the studio’s willingness to engage with the community and its more casual communication style, but this has allowed them to make demands Larian has largely caved to.
I understand that these are fully realised characters with hundreds of lines of dialogue, motion-captured facial animations, and importantly, you may see them naked if you’re nice to them. Naturally, players are going to form strong attachments to these people. But everyone needs to be cognizant that the game was not made solely for them and their preferences. Adopting headcanon and writing fan fiction are tools fans have used for decades to fulfil their normative view of media, and the Wattpad faithful of old never needed the original author to change their vision to enable fans to have their own.
The constant demands made of Larian by the most ardent in the community is tiring to witness. No, Larian isn’t going to do extensive rewrites a year after release because you calculated a character has one page more dialogue than another. No, we don’t need Larian to add a happy, conclusive ending to the character who was written to have a tragic and ambiguous fate. And we definitely don’t need a facial expression changed because you don’t think a character isn’t reacting appropriately to certain situations.
The ability of everyone to immediately publicise their opinions has changed how certain people engage with the medium. Could you imagine writing a letter to Todd Howard in 2003 complaining that Ahnassi just doesn’t seem too buzzed about her new relationship with the player? Maybe someone did, but I didn’t have to read thousands of people enabling their delusion, either.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece, and I wish everyone was able to accept the occasional shortcoming or perceived flaw. Larian had a vision when it shipped Baldur’s Gate 3, and that original vision is far more important than the collective demands of a community who have been coddled. The game is finished - the characters written, the plot unfolded and the romance blossomed. Everyone needs to accept that.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Baldur’s Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.
