Anybody else lose motivation to finish the game?

[sere]

I had a great time up to act 3. I didn't think act 3 was as bad or falling apart like many people claim. Though, some things seem rushed and leave my scratching my head, it wasn't the end of the world. My problem is that I reached max level and everything felt stale. Quest quality and gameplay have also topped out by this point. Act 2 should have had some of the meat offered in act 3 so that the end would be in sight once act 3 begins.

Some people claim act 3 suffered from cut content. I think it suffers from too much content. I found myself following a staggering amount of threads, some only beginning in act 3. Being max level, I was hoping the game would be winding down and streamline the main quest. Well, it does do that if you skip much of the character arcs for your party members. I guess that sort of plays into my underlying problem with motivation. BG3's cast of characters leave alot to be desired when you know what Dungeons and Dragons is actually capable of. Also, the characters whine so often about their problems that the conclusions to their arcs are telegraphed through the sheer amount of whining. If they would shut up a little bit and stop hitting on me, I might be more curious about where their stories will lead. The most interesting thing you can do with the cast of characters is betray them!

While the writing behind the game is good, even best among AAA peers (not saying much), it's still overrated and not suitable to sustain the act 3 slog. Baldur's Gate, as a location, is daunting. Maybe it was a mistake to make it the final location?

Summary: Game just got stale in act 3. Supporting cast of characters are a poor representation of D&D. While story is based on an excellent premise, the narrative sags under its own weight and further brought down by underwhelming character arcs near the end. Wish act 3 was trimmed down and had some conclusions moved to act 2. Not motivated to cross the finish line even if ignoring the side quests. =/

[JustinGayme.TTV]

There was just an article larian posted about this. They acknowledged that they understood that a lot of people needed to take a break after act 2 and they’d keep this in mind for future game structuring.

Me, I powered right through, but I do think the end of act 2 transitioning to act 3 felt like quite a jolt. It seems the world is ending but then you’re in a sunny place with a circus,Cheeey weather and gorgeous views.

Not complaining but I can see why this turned some off. Put the game down for now and you may be motivated to come back sometime.

[LordOfTheBread]

Not just you but I can say it totally worth pushing through.

[Draknalor]

Did not feel like that on ny first or Second playthrough.

Act 3 did feel a bit ”Let’s just get this over with”

Had a great plan for the 4th playthrough sowanted to start that, But the 3rd playthrough was tactician do had to finish for the achive

[Blanch Warren]

I've barely started the game, I'm waiting for the next patch.

[Eminem]

wait there is an end game with credits? Am too busy trying out different builds.

but again, back in the day when I played Skyrim (says I logged 400+ hrs on steam) the farthest i got to main quest was meeting daphne at the inn.

[Eden]

I love the game but it's not perfect, and Act 3 has most of my issues. A lot of them are related to bugs. My friend and I just lost an honour mode run to Orin because she was straight up bugged out and broken. And there's been a lot of weird interactions and minor bugs throughout it. Stacks of things don't get removed properly/sometimes I straight up cannot attack and right clicking is entirely broken/etc...

Besides the bugs though, Act 3 is also just so open-ended, in a way that is a bit de-motivating. I've beaten the game once on my original run, but I don't know if I will again outside of attempting honour mode with friends and playing the game like the world's longest roguelike.

The game is also really, really linear outside of the player having control over who gets to still be alive in act 3. I suppose all CRPG's are linear, but for some reason I am bored by almost everything that happens in act 3. It all feels like a chore. It's totally subjective but it just doesn't grab me. For a game so well-presented and cinematic, it feels REALLY small.

I still love it, but like I said it's not perfect. Just my opinion though

[kbiz]

I hear you about the level cap. One of my favorite things to do in a game is level up my characters. But you and I both grubbed as much XP as possible before then. Regular players may not hit the level cap until further in Act 3.

I started Act 3 as level 10 characters and maxed out soon thereafter.

As for Act 3 itself, it was my favorite act. I liked the sandbox. I liked high-level battles. I liked the setting and atmosphere. That bridge looks super cool.

[ChuckyDontCare]

Act III is really all about the big encounters with some side stuff thrown in to help you get there/gear up.
Hitting 12 early kinda of sucks, but as Act III is extremely non-linear, if you are not 12 and walk into the House of Grief or Cazador's for the first time, you're going to get smeared on the floor and likely get frustrated.
Beyond that, you really start accumulating some great gear in Act III and hitting 12 early allows you make the most out of any possible respec's. Like for my Monk, I had taken Tavern Brawler(pre-nerf) at 4 to have in my back pocket for any tough fights. I ran with the Cat's Grace robe which still allowed me to hit 20 Dex with the bonus; but since I wasn't using TB/potions and needed to swap robes, once I hit 12 I dumped TB and pump another ASI to hit 20 Dex naturally.

[Chaosolous]

Nah. But I play in binges and long breaks.

[arntbv]

Its about people loosing interrest in their character I think, because I find act 3 on par with act 1 when it comes to content etc. There are tons if challenging combat and interesting stories and interactions, both for good and evil characters.

Having a character that you are really into on RP level is the key. If its only for combat prowess you have your character you probably had more than enough already when you reach act 3.

[Tim Wukong]

I love this game so much, but I also felt the same way about Act 3. Mind you, the last Act in Divinity 2 also had a similar feeling in my opinion. I have nothing to knock about this masterpiece apart from the mood and pathing of act 3.

The city should be panicking, barricades and soldiers should be everywhere. It should be dark, lighting and rain. Dark Magic is afoot, clouds should be ominous. Mercenaries, Heroes and Legends should be everywhere, Rallies are being mustered in the Inns and encampments for sorties against the approaching horde. Anything but the pleasant, sunny, contented and laid back place that we turned up in. Having to assist the guards, adventurers or Heroes on these sorties or threads and quests to bring them together over various missions would've gave sense of attachment to the notion of trying to save Baldurs Gate and it's citizens, that the game as it is doesn't really achieve.

The Level cap also takes away the motivation that pushed progression, after that it feels a little flat, missing 'something'. Those rewards, those few character decisions that are taken when levelling up until the cap aren't extensive or deep, but it gave something to strive toward that just isn't there after reaching the cap.

Still a 10/10 game though, gave me a lot of enjoyment and raised the bar.

[Lani]

Act 3 can feel overwhelming. The main quests drag you across the city and every side alley seems to have it's own optional quest or interesting NPC to distract you and before you know it your Journal changed from a handy set of notes to keep you organized to an unholy mess, looking more like a ball of yarn than organized notes.

If you've been conditioned by AAA games (Which Baldur's Gate 3 isn't btw. Larian is and independent studio) to be a completionist this is just made worse. Also the game's pacing does give you a 'get on with it' sense and then throws lots of convoluted intrigue at you.
To put it another way, you're expecting a 3rd act of about equal size to the first two and get one that has the same amount of content as the other two together.

And yes, despite this some people feel it's too short or can not imagine that cut content was cut for a good reason. We'll let those people be themselves and focus on how to deal with act 3 if it feels a bit much.

My best approach to it is to not want to do and see everything in your playthrough.
Usually, you're Level 10 or above at this point and hit 12 halfway through the act. For some hitting 12 'early' is demoralizing, for others it's a freeing moment when they can get off the XP treadmill, relax and smell the roses, or sewers, at leisure.
But it also means you don't have to search high and low and follow every byway to chase XP and loot. (Though of course, you still can. Loot anyway)

Stick to the main quests you feel you need and the side quests which catch your fancy or offer a reward that'll fill a gap in your build but if the main storyline urges you onward, you can leave the rest for later playthroughs or it may start to feel like you're getting bogged down in a swamp of finely crafted chores.

[sere]

It also doesn't help that most of my build experimentation was done by end of act 2. A little bit in early act 3. I had the "fun but not optimal" build for RP/lore purposes as well as synergistic multiclassing when not going a pure class. I've had 3 different builds for Gale, I've done an automaton, and even put baby masks on a pary with a hireling to have an entourage of unsullied (GoT); among other things. You get so much crazy gear before act 3 that you can easily get lost trying out new things early on and seeing most of what there is to see in build potential around halfway through the game.

I left off at the house of hope because after I made a certain choice, there wasn't anything left to look forward to and nothing left in the story to be revealed.

I think Larian would solve the slog and knock it out of the park if they limited the scope of their projects a little bit.

I disagree that Baldur's Gate 3 isn't a AAA game. Larian is handling a major IP and secured funding and investment from huge companies, least of which is Tencent. It production and marketing same as anything from a mid-sized to large publisher.

[petitlu44]

IMHO all character quests should have been finished before entering ACT3
There is to much to do in ACT3 and it should have be the conclusion of the journey

But I like this game so much !

[harken23]

I've played most of Act 1 a couple of times (Act 2 starts after the Underdark? I haven't got that far yet), but reading all the complaints about Act 3, I'm in no hurry to get there. Hopefully they'll fix all that before I get to it. The first act is buggy enough.