Is the Parasite Required?

[ckirmser]

Is it possible to play this *without* the burden of a mind flayer parasite?
It's one thing to become so infected due to one's actions in the game, but to start out that way is, for me, not a way to sell the game.

[Lanilen]

Honestly, the illithid powers make the game piss-easy (perilous stakes alone is a power that should have never left the drawing board). You can play without using the parasites, the dream guardian will give you some ♥♥♥♥ for it, but that's it, nothing else changes.

[paladin181]

Can I play Cyberpunk 2077 without Johnny Silverhand?

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by SotiCoto:

Originally posted by ckirmser:

Is it possible to play this *without* the burden of a mind flayer parasite?
It's one thing to become so infected due to one's actions in the game, but to start out that way is, for me, not a way to sell the game.

I can totally relate... It is the same plot as Cyberpunk 2077, and I hated it there too. Can't abide parasite plots. Especially when the parasite has plot armour and all attempts at removing / curing it are automatic dead ends because they need to keep the disgusting thing stuck in your head.
I'm not sure which is worse honestly... turning into an Illithid or turning into Keanu Reeves.

My eye-worm is now called Johnny Silverslug.

Wake the ♥♥♥♥ up Truesoul, we got a city to infect. - Johnny Silverslug.

[Calv]

"This Doom game sounds interesting but can I play it without killing demons? I don't like having that forced on me."

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by guska:

While you're partly right that a competent DM should be able to run the game without forcing players down a specific path, you're asking for the DM to completely rewrite the entire campaign setup to suit one player. A good DM should be able to guide the player/party down the general path they intend, but make it seem like its the player/party's idea.

Actually, that's what I've been doing since the 70s. At one time, each player had a week of game time to run, before going on to the next player, and each had their own unique path. The overall environment was the same, but though Bob is running around in a dungeon, Frank is busy storming a castle and Phil is trying to open his own tavern in the City State.

My players tend to lump together into groups now, but I have had rogue players who go off on their own.

The week turn thing is the main impetus towards travelling together; a week of game time is not the same for each player. One may eat up his week in travel, never encountering a thing, in a few minutes, while another may spend an hour on his week with combat, exploration and investigation.

If, even with all of this in mind, you still can't get pas the parasite part, well, then it's probably not for you, and that's fine. However you also say that you hate plot lines being forced on a player, so, maybe gaming isn't for you, since I don't know of a single story driven game that doesn't have some kind of forced plot line, whether it be tabletop, board game or video game. You're definitely asking/expecting too much freedom, I feel.

I recall, in BG1, that my thief was able to become the Master of the local Thieves Guild. I had more fun chasing that goal than any of the built-in quests. I still used the built-in quests, but only as a means to gain experience, treasure and explore the map. Otherwise, I like as sandbox as I can get.

Yeah, I get that games have plots, and that's an evil I have to put up with, until my FtF group can get back together - but, with wives, kids, bills and other RL obstacles, I don't see it changing soon. But, this parasite thing seems a bit heavy handed.

I'm looking forward to a time when AI can run an entire campaign ad hoc, without a single storyline hindering what I want for my character; essentially, the way I ref a game.

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by DeMasked:

If you don't like the starting plot to the story of BG3 then don't buy the game.

That will probably be the end result, which is unfortunate, because it looks pretty nifty.

Computer games can have limitations that pen and paper role playing games don't have to adhere to.

That is indeed true.

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by BeautifulFlowerField:

The parasite is another skill tree with no downsides, nothing bad ever happens or is even implied to happen in the story and certainly not in the gameplay. Not using it is just a combat handicap, which is a good idea because the game is way too easy.

If it can be played without my character being railroaded down paths dictated by the parasite, that maybe a saving grace.

If it's at all possible to take this game and put my campaign into it - like with Neverwinter Nights - that would be a huge boon.

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by paladin181:

Can I play Cyberpunk 2077 without Johnny Silverhand?

I don't know, can you?

[KasparL]

thats the whole premise of the game ...

you have choices in the game to resist or embrace the influence of it though

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by Calv:

"This Doom game sounds interesting but can I play it without killing demons? I don't like having that forced on me."

Yeah, like that.

Maybe I want my character to join up with the demons.

But, then I hate shoot-em-ups with a passion.

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by KasparL:

thats the whole premise of the game ...

you have choices in the game to resist or embrace the influence of it though

I'm just worried whether or not the game will inflict negative effects to force one to play their storyline.

I mean, I like to roll up Hobbit thieves. I'd love to be able to just hang around a big city, pilfer the citizens, maybe find a thieves guild - as I did in BG1 - and work my way up the ranks.

Or, maybe, open a tavern and try to be a successful bar owner - if the game's AI could handle that.

I'm not a big fan of Hero-type games. I don't want to be a Hero, just an adventurer in a well-defined and visually interesting game. BG3 looks to cover those two points, but has unwelcome side-effects; which it seems there are ways around, from what I read here.

[Tenor Sounds]

The parasite and overall Mind-Flayer threat is the driving force of the plot, kind of how like being trapped in Barovia is the setup and premise of the classic Curse of Strahd DnD tabletop campaign. If you don't like that idea, then you probably won't enjoy the premise and setup of this game.

Edit: You can ignore the parasite story for quite awhile and just explore, do other quests and stories, but the 3 "Acts" of the game are still heavily tied to the story of the parasite and the Mind-Flayer threat. It's not like Skyrim where you can kind of just ignore it all-together, eventually your character will start having plot dreams and being affected by psychic messages. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then you'll probably be annoyed by how it's all implemented.

Now, if you're fine with a main plot you can mostly ignore until it does come up, then there's still tons of content that is not the main quest. But like BG2 (and to a lesser extent BG1) if you want to explore new areas you eventually have to do some of the main story.

[ckirmser]

Originally posted by Tenor Sounds:

The parasite and overall Mind-Flayer threat is the driving force of the plot, kind of how like being trapped in Barovia is the setup and premise of the classic Curse of Strahd DnD tabletop campaign. If you don't like that idea, then you probably won't enjoy the premise and setup of this game.

Edit: You can ignore the parasite story for quite awhile and just explore, do other quests and stories, but the 3 "Acts" of the game are still heavily tied to the story of the parasite and the Mind-Flayer threat. It's not like Skyrim where you can kind of just ignore it all-together, eventually your character will start having plot dreams and being affected by psychic messages. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then you'll probably be annoyed by how it's all implemented.

Now, if you're fine with a main plot you can mostly ignore until it does come up, then there's still tons of content that is not the main quest. But like BG2 (and to a lesser extent BG1) if you want to explore new areas you eventually have to do some of the main story.

OK, Thanx for that info.

[Calv]

Originally posted by ckirmser:

Originally posted by Tenor Sounds:

The parasite and overall Mind-Flayer threat is the driving force of the plot, kind of how like being trapped in Barovia is the setup and premise of the classic Curse of Strahd DnD tabletop campaign. If you don't like that idea, then you probably won't enjoy the premise and setup of this game.

Edit: You can ignore the parasite story for quite awhile and just explore, do other quests and stories, but the 3 "Acts" of the game are still heavily tied to the story of the parasite and the Mind-Flayer threat. It's not like Skyrim where you can kind of just ignore it all-together, eventually your character will start having plot dreams and being affected by psychic messages. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then you'll probably be annoyed by how it's all implemented.

Now, if you're fine with a main plot you can mostly ignore until it does come up, then there's still tons of content that is not the main quest. But like BG2 (and to a lesser extent BG1) if you want to explore new areas you eventually have to do some of the main story.

OK, Thanx for that info.

Just to add a little to that, it's worth mentioning that bg3 isn't fully open world. Unlike the original BG games where you can travel around anywhere you like, bg3 is split into 3 acts and each act takes place within a very large, but restricted area.

For example, the actual city isn't accessible until act 3, and once there you can't return to any of the previous areas or leave the city at all.

[hagare]

Originally posted by ckirmser:

Originally posted by id795078477:

Well.. that's the whole premise of the game. Think of it as if during the zero-session DM tells that the campaign is about being infected and chasing for the cure. It's the plot, the crux of it.

So.. if you don't like it - you just say you won't play it and the DM washes his hands away. In this case - you don't buy the game,

Well, see, that's basically where I'm at. I will probably not buy this game, if I can't start off without the parasite - I hate plot lines being forced on a player. If a Ref tells me I have to have a parasite and that's just it, then I'll bid his game farewell.

A Ref should be capable of running his game without forcing players down a specific path. I figure this game should be able to do the same. But, maybe not. I guess I'm expecting too much.

bye