Coming From BG3, some questions

[Duff_Vader]

Hey guys after pumping over 130 hours in my first playtrough of BG3 and waiting for further patches and added content for a next playtrough of that I was hyped to try the other praised Larian game original sin 2. I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?

Also many people say you can have a much better experience with DSO2 if you are installing some mods.

Are there any essential mods or mods you would recommend for a first playtrough?

In BG3 I was a bit dissappointed about act 3 and about the fact that your evil playtrough just takes you content away instead of givin you alternative content. Is this here as well a problem? I love evil playtroughs but most games just take you content, companions etc away instead of giving cool alternative routes such as really cooperating with the evils etc

Last question: I really loved the story and companion of BG3 to ACt 2. Act 1 and 2 were nearly perfectr 10/10 for me narrative and story wise, sadly Act 3 began wasnt that great any many things seemed narrative unfinished and there was missing a huge wow moment or plottwist. The whole third act is just a bit anti climatic and I would wish it would have been more dramatic or that my character became more insanely powerful. How is the story in DSO2 and does the game have a well written ending? thanks in advance for every lovely guy answering

Have a nice day

greetings from germany

[Razorblade]

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?

Level, both character and item, significantly affect damage and armor. It's not like BG3 where you get your second attack and Adamantine armor at level 5, then are set for the rest of the game. It's perfectly normal to level-up and burn through gear to get through higher level encounters.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Are there any essential mods or mods you would recommend for a first playtrough?

No. Imo, one should trust professional game designers over randos on the internet about what makes a well-designed game, at least before they've played the game and formed their own opinion. Game designers get paid for a reason.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

In BG3 I was a bit dissappointed about act 3 and about the fact that your evil playtrough just takes you content away instead of givin you alternative content. Is this here as well a problem? I love evil playtroughs but most games just take you content, companions etc away instead of giving cool alternative routes such as really cooperating with the evils etc

The game is more-or-less linear, like BG3. I wouldn't expect any more reactivity than you saw in BG3; the game is ultimately designed to funnel you to a predetermined end-point.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Last question: I really loved the story and companion of BG3 to ACt 2. Act 1 and 2 were nearly perfectr 10/10 for me narrative and story wise, sadly Act 3 began wasnt that great any many things seemed narrative unfinished and there was missing a huge wow moment or plottwist. The whole third act is just a bit anti climatic and I would wish it would have been more dramatic or that my character became more insanely powerful. How is the story in DSO2 and does the game have a well written ending? thanks in advance for every lovely guy answering

Anti-climax is a Larian specialty.

[Duff_Vader]

Originally posted by Razorblade:

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?

Level, both character and item, significantly affect damage and armor. It's not like BG3 where you get your second attack and Adamantine armor at level 5, then are set for the rest of the game. It's perfectly normal to level-up and burn through gear to get through higher level encounters.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Are there any essential mods or mods you would recommend for a first playtrough?

No. Imo, one should trust professional game designers over randos on the internet about what makes a well-designed game, at least before they've played the game and formed their own opinion. Game designers get paid for a reason.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

In BG3 I was a bit dissappointed about act 3 and about the fact that your evil playtrough just takes you content away instead of givin you alternative content. Is this here as well a problem? I love evil playtroughs but most games just take you content, companions etc away instead of giving cool alternative routes such as really cooperating with the evils etc

The game is more-or-less linear, like BG3. I wouldn't expect any more reactivity than you saw in BG3; the game is ultimately designed to funnel you to a predetermined end-point.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Last question: I really loved the story and companion of BG3 to ACt 2. Act 1 and 2 were nearly perfectr 10/10 for me narrative and story wise, sadly Act 3 began wasnt that great any many things seemed narrative unfinished and there was missing a huge wow moment or plottwist. The whole third act is just a bit anti climatic and I would wish it would have been more dramatic or that my character became more insanely powerful. How is the story in DSO2 and does the game have a well written ending? thanks in advance for every lovely guy answering

Anti-climax is a Larian specialty.

So DOS2 has no statisfying ending as well? :/

About Mods:
True about some games and game developers, but not often there are mods which just give qualitf of life features or just improve the whole experience. Especially in rpgs or strategy games. For example in Witcher 3 fast traveling really got on my nerves because you couldnt fast travel out of the map and fixing this with a mod enhanced my second playtrough a lot. Also I am no fan of inventory managment and Inventory limits. I dont want to spend 10 hours of each playtrough in massive RPG with inventory managment of thousands of items. Other than Oualitfy of life mods there are sometimes essential mods in RPGs because the developers couldnt deliver a bug free and content wise finished experience: best examples Vampire bloodlines, Kotor 2 or Fallout New Vegas, they essentially require mods and fan patches to have the best possible experience.

[Chaoslink]

The game has built in mods for quality of life. Be wary of the bag sorting one. In theory it would work like the alchemy bags of BG3, but in practice, you’ll probably regret using that one. Its an unrefined version of BG3s system, so there’s issues not present in the BG3 bags that make them a hassle.

The main thing to be aware of is level, both item and NPC. Just as mentioned above, level matters a lot. A level 5 character using a level 1 weapon might as well still be a level 1 character. Mages aren’t affected as much since they use spells over weapon attacks, but you want to keep your equipment up to date for the most part. Kinda sucks as you’ll find a really nice unique weapon but have to get rid of it just an hour later when you level up, or face a damage loss that only gets worse the longer you use it. There’s a mod in the gift bag options found in the esc menu in game called Sorcerous Sundries that allows you to level items up. It’s costly, but can help alleviate that.

The way level works, the game is actually quite linear in progression. You don’t have as much freedom to roam around as you do in BG3. While enemies of higher levels can be dealt with, you’ll find just one level difference to be noticeable and multiple levels potentially impossible.

Also, 90% of this game’s difficulty comes from your character builds. Some things work and others don’t. For instance, don’t try to build a weapon and shield tank character. They’re just not good at all. Mages wield shields more effectively because it doesn’t hinder their damage too much. You want a damage forward party with a little survivability mixed in. Keep your damage output balanced between magic and physical damage or pick just one type. Mages focus enemies with weak magical armor while physical focused characters focus the enemies with weaker physical protection. Break armor, CC, repeat. You want to be tipping the action economy into your favor at all times.

[phenir]

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

In BG3 I was a bit dissappointed about act 3 and about the fact that your evil playtrough just takes you content away instead of givin you alternative content. Is this here as well a problem? I love evil playtroughs but most games just take you content, companions etc away instead of giving cool alternative routes such as really cooperating with the evils etc

You can literally side with the main antagonist and nuke the city of the final act if you want. Your party might not like you doing that though.

[M.A.C.H.I.N.E.]

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Hey guys after pumping over 130 hours in my first playtrough of BG3 and waiting for further patches and added content for a next playtrough of that I was hyped to try the other praised Larian game original sin 2. I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?

I would recommend checking out Fextralife for some beginner guides, they really helped me understand the systems in this game. The build guides are also good and something I usually go back to for some ideas.

It's a great game, hope you enjoy it

[Sardorim]

Get some QoL mods, like the one that will level your gear to your current level. A mandatory mod, IMO.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by M.A.C.H.I.N.E.:

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Hey guys after pumping over 130 hours in my first playtrough of BG3 and waiting for further patches and added content for a next playtrough of that I was hyped to try the other praised Larian game original sin 2. I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?

I would recommend checking out Fextralife for some beginner guides, they really helped me understand the systems in this game. The build guides are also good and something I usually go back to for some ideas.

It's a great game, hope you enjoy it

Eh, maaaaybe look to their build guides for inspiration or something, but I don't recommend following them too closely. Many builds on there are mostly RP focused, leaving effectiveness on the side. Some of the builds are just bad outright and many teach bad habits. There are others out there that are better to learn from, Sin Tee was always the common recommendation from my knowledge. I'd recommend just learning how to invest your stats and making your own builds that way though. I'm always happy to assist people with this.

[kkeeffer]

Go in to the game blind, read nothing about it and just enjoy the experience. No tips and tricks, no guides, just go enjoy it, thank me later.

[VonFIDDE]

So the game is still a solid pick after BG3? I do fear i will compare too much breaking the true enjoyment and that would be a shame.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by VonFIDDE:

So the game is still a solid pick after BG3? I do fear i will compare too much breaking the true enjoyment and that would be a shame.

Given the major differences between the main systems of combat, they still feel very different from one another. It’s still very much a different game.

[Leo Major]

Originally posted by kkeeffer:

Go in to the game blind, read nothing about it and just enjoy the experience. No tips and tricks, no guides, just go enjoy it, thank me later.

yes and don't use the built in herb mod to cheese gold.... after having unlimited gold from it and buying whatevre spells/items i wanted... the game got too easy and too boring.

You can pickpocket/steal gold/stuff but at least that has it limits.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by Leo Major:

You can pickpocket/steal gold/stuff but at least that has it limits.

Meanwhile... the 2 million gold in my inventory after finishing act two... Yes. Limits. Mhmm.

Albeit, that's major min/max on thievery, still.You can make a LOT of gold using it, enough to make gold worthless.

[Shellbie]

Mods disable achievements.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by Shellbie:

Mods disable achievements.

And can enable them again. The script extender does exactly that.

[slovakiaman]

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Hey guys after pumping over 130 hours in my first playtrough of BG3 and waiting for further patches and added content for a next playtrough of that I was hyped to try the other praised Larian game original sin 2. I have no idea about this game or its systems and combat mechanics, so are there any tips you can give me?
...
Are there any essential mods or mods you would recommend for a first playtrough?

No. I'm a person that almost always mods their games but I don't feel like this game really needs mods to feel great. I have done 4 playthrough of Divinity Original Sin 2, 2 were without mods (first playthrough and then achievement hunting playthrough) and 2 were fully modded with new classes, new take on the controversial armor system, expanded party size and more and stronger enemies mainly.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

In BG3 I was a bit dissappointed about act 3 and about the fact that your evil playtrough just takes you content away instead of givin you alternative content. Is this here as well a problem? I love evil playtroughs but most games just take you content, companions etc away instead of giving cool alternative routes such as really cooperating with the evils etc

Honestly I don't feel like Divinity Original Sin 2 does better than Baldurs Gate 3, or much different at all. IMO the "good" playthrough is the intended playthrough in larian games, and the "evil" playthrough is more about being a d*ck rather than being a genocidal freak.

Originally posted by EyeAmVengeance:

Last question: I really loved the story and companion of BG3 to ACt 2. Act 1 and 2 were nearly perfectr 10/10 for me narrative and story wise, sadly Act 3 began wasnt that great any many things seemed narrative unfinished and there was missing a huge wow moment or plottwist. The whole third act is just a bit anti climatic and I would wish it would have been more dramatic or that my character became more insanely powerful. How is the story in DSO2 and does the game have a well written ending? thanks in advance for every

The quality (and performance lol) of the game dropping is unfortunatelly a Larian thing. Baldurs Gate 3 has nearly perfect act 1 and act 2, and for me the act 3 has enough content on it's own, but the game really feels like there is something missing (and a big chunk at that).
Divinity Original Sin 2 has really good Act 1, Act2, but the quality starts dropping in Act 3 (short act) and is still dropped in Act 4.
I have to say though, that the Divinity ending felt much more complete and fleshed out than the Baldurs Gate 3 ending. Divinity ending (and I mean the post final fight scenes) feels much longer, with giving the player much more information as to what this journey through the game meant for the locations that the player went through in the game, what happened after the final fight scene, what your decisions during the game done to the world. In Baldurs Gate the ending felt much more abrupt and I was given hardly any info on how much the events of Baldurs Gate 3 impacted the world, how went the restoration of the city of Baldurs Gate, or even what the hell happened with some of my companions that I've spent so much time with...