Im a newbie. BG 3 or Divinity first?

[Samuel L Jabson]

Im a total beginner and now I don't quite understand what game to play first.
Both are extremely deep and profound. A bit confused
Can you give me some suggestions please
Thank you in advance!

[Chaoslink]

Hmm... I want to lean on saying to do this one first if for no other reason, than because this one came before BG3 so you get that natural progression of mechanics and engine upgrades and whatnot. Sometimes its hard to go backwards in game progression, regardless of whether the games are related narratively.

Do note that the actual mechanics of both games differ wildly. This game uses its own rules while BG3 uses D&D rules.

[MF]

Originally posted by Samuel L Jabson:

Im a total beginner and now I don't quite understand what game to play first.
Both are extremely deep and profound. A bit confused
Can you give me some suggestions please
Thank you in advance!

I learned the ropes with DOS 1, then moved on to DOS 2. They're very similar. BG3 has a lot of similarities but a different rule set - it's more like a computerized D&D game. All are good.

PS : DOS is a huge improvement in graphics over DOS 1 imho. I honestly dropped DOS1 2/3 of the way thru because I couldn't stop DOS 2 once I'd started. Having said that, DOS 1 was invaluable for learning how to play these types of games.

[jmlapointe808]

tl:dr version: go straight to BG3.
I have played the whole BG3, and despite a few frustrations overall it's an absolutely amazing game, and importantly for you I'd say it's not too hard to figure it out progressively and become proficient at it over time, as the mechanics of playing and building up your characters are relatively simple, intuitive and straightforward. In about 200 hours of my run-through I've only had to look up external references a couple of times on how to do stuff (mainly a couple of atypically tricky fights). I had never played DOS 1 or 2 before, so after the fun of BG3 I thought I'd give it DOS2 a go. I've now played about 20 hours and am about to give up, frankly. Compared to BG3, the mechanics of fighting and skills are completely different, totally byzantine and borderline nonsensical, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game. Doing DOS2 will not provide you with significant advantages if you then go on to BG3, as the rulesets are totally different. Plus graphically, BG3 is on a completely different planet than DOS2, just visually breathtaking; the rough graphics of DOS2 just look amateurish next to it.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by jmlapointe808:

tl:dr version: go straight to BG3.
I have played the whole BG3, and despite a few frustrations overall it's an absolutely amazing game, and importantly for you I'd say it's not too hard to figure it out progressively and become proficient at it over time, as the mechanics of playing and building up your characters are relatively simple, intuitive and straightforward. In about 200 hours of my run-through I've only had to look up external references a couple of times on how to do stuff (mainly a couple of atypically tricky fights). I had never played DOS 1 or 2 before, so after the fun of BG3 I thought I'd give it DOS2 a go. I've now played about 20 hours and am about to give up, frankly. Compared to BG3, the mechanics of fighting and skills are totally byzantine and borderline nonsensical, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or decipher Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game. Plus graphically, BG3 is on a completely different planet than DOS2, just visually breathtaking; the rough graphics of DOS2 just look amateurish next to it.

I mean, I think that kinda explains my point. IF you want to try DOS2, its probably best to do it first.

Though some people prefer DOS2.

[jack_of_tears]

Originally posted by Chaoslink:

Originally posted by jmlapointe808:

tl:dr version: go straight to BG3.
I have played the whole BG3, and despite a few frustrations overall it's an absolutely amazing game, and importantly for you I'd say it's not too hard to figure it out progressively and become proficient at it over time, as the mechanics of playing and building up your characters are relatively simple, intuitive and straightforward. In about 200 hours of my run-through I've only had to look up external references a couple of times on how to do stuff (mainly a couple of atypically tricky fights). I had never played DOS 1 or 2 before, so after the fun of BG3 I thought I'd give it DOS2 a go. I've now played about 20 hours and am about to give up, frankly. Compared to BG3, the mechanics of fighting and skills are totally byzantine and borderline nonsensical, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or decipher Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game. Plus graphically, BG3 is on a completely different planet than DOS2, just visually breathtaking; the rough graphics of DOS2 just look amateurish next to it.

I mean, I think that kinda explains my point. IF you want to try DOS2, its probably best to do it first.

Though some people prefer DOS2.

I tried DOS1 when it came out and didn't really like it. It felt more like a proof of concept for their new engine than a game. Then I played DOS2 and it was an improvement in every way.

When the game first released it had a very steep learning curve, and the difficulty was much higher even on the "story" setting. It has been made a lot easier since then, so this person is lucky they didn't try to play it at that time.

The game requires you to be meticulous, take your time, talk to everyone, do every quest early in the game - and explore! Also, keep an eye on the level of your foes so you know if you should tackle an area because the game won't stop you but fighting anything more than 1 lvl above you is suicide for the first half of the game.

Once you get your feet under you it is really an amazing game. The entire time I was playing it I said "this feels like playing a ttrpg, I wish they'd make BG3", and that was echoed by my friends, so I was quite thrilled when it turned out that was happening.

As for DOS1 - it is a lot better with the Enhanced Edition, now, and is a decent game, though still not as good as the second.

In BG3 it feels like they learned a lot of lessons about storytelling from DOS2's weak story, and improved upon them tremendously.

[lawjax]

I recommend both games. Divinity 2 is not cinematic like Baldur's Gate 3, it lacks severely in terms of companion interactivity despite all origin characters having intersecting stories, there are some inconsistencies in the timeline of Divinity 2 as well (nothing horrific, but it is noticeable enough that I caught some of these holes on my first playthrough), and this game simply has more content under its origin characters than you will be able to wring out of a custom-created character, which may or may not be a detracting point for you. The voice acting and musical scores are good; the spell mechanics of this game are arguably better than Baldur's Gate 3 - this is a point of contention, but I have no intention of conceding on it, as the spells in this game can have a noticeably high degree of interplay and environmental usefulness that Baldur's Gate 3 simply does not have. You have plenty of utility in how you resolve scenarios via dialogue and combat. Divinity is also a thoroughly crunchy experience on its highest difficulty, for whatever that is worth.

Baldur's Gate 3 is highly cinematic, has a higher degree of companion interactivity (though still modest compared to a Dragon Age title or even its predecessors), also has some inconsistencies and oversights in the narrative and writing but these are also far more cleverly concealed and not so obvious, and creating a custom character does not feel like a downgrade from playing as an origin character. Say nothing of the fact that there is a storyline that is unique to the player and only accessible if creating a custom character instead of selecting an origin character. Graphically, the game is more polished - the difference in budget is immediately apparent. The gameplay mechanics are also polished, but the overall system is different from Divinity - Baldur's Gate 3 is modeled after Dungeons and Dragons 5e, which if you have no familiarity with that system then you will likely have no idea what you are looking at for the first several hours of gameplay as far as the UI is concerned, and so descriptions should be read carefully as the wording of things is important. The voice acting is exceptional, the musical scores reminiscent of those used in Divinity with some alterations made. The game is also receiving consistent updates and fixes and has been since launch as it was released with a multitude of bugs, which Larian has been patching regularly. Most notably are the innumerable reports of Act 3 being broken for some people, or unplayable, due to severe latency - I cannot comment further on this point, as I personally did not experience anything beyond some stuttering during Act 3, which did warrant an eye-roll from me as my computer is not exactly slow.

So, in short, both games make for worthwhile experiences and if you like RPGs in general then your library will simply be incomplete without both games. As for which you should pick now and which you should pick later, I think it hardly matters, as either game is sure to occupy you for several hundred hours.

[Nima2150]

Originally posted by jmlapointe808:

tl:dr version: go straight to BG3.
I have played the whole BG3, and despite a few frustrations overall it's an absolutely amazing game, and importantly for you I'd say it's not too hard to figure it out progressively and become proficient at it over time, as the mechanics of playing and building up your characters are relatively simple, intuitive and straightforward. In about 200 hours of my run-through I've only had to look up external references a couple of times on how to do stuff (mainly a couple of atypically tricky fights). I had never played DOS 1 or 2 before, so after the fun of BG3 I thought I'd give it DOS2 a go. I've now played about 20 hours and am about to give up, frankly. Compared to BG3, the mechanics of fighting and skills are completely different, totally byzantine and borderline nonsensical, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game. Doing DOS2 will not provide you with significant advantages if you then go on to BG3, as the rulesets are totally different. Plus graphically, BG3 is on a completely different planet than DOS2, just visually breathtaking; the rough graphics of DOS2 just look amateurish next to it.

That sounds like a skill issue dude and maybe a bit of laziness

[jack_of_tears]

Originally posted by jmlapointe808:

, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game.

Also, it should be said that the vast majority of people played this game without looking up gameplay and references online - you just have to pay attention and learn the system as you go, like you would with any game.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by jack_of_tears:

Originally posted by jmlapointe808:

, and in order to progress successfully would probably require tons of looking up outside references on how to build your characters and fight properly, which for me takes away all the fun of a game. If you have to look at endless youtube videos or Reddit messages to learn the basics of a game, it's not a well-designed game.

Also, it should be said that the vast majority of people played this game without looking up gameplay and references online - you just have to pay attention and learn the system as you go, like you would with any game.

Don’t get me wrong, the character creation system has flaws like Warfare being so strong but not being very obvious about it. That said though, builds aren’t that complicated. You stack your main attribute, your main skill and possibly dip a skill or two for utility spells. You can stick to that and have a powerful enough character to do whatever you need. That’s all pretty basic and obvious going in if you have any experience with other games, not even specifically other games like this, just games in general.

[The HR Department]

I'd recommend playing D:OS 2 first because it's an easier game to introduce you to CRPGs if you're a complete newb to the genre. I found that 5th edition D&D and Pathfinder rule sets to be more difficult to play than whatever rule set Divinity uses. Divinity allows for a lot more experimentation, and is way more forgiving, so the step up to BG3 will still be noticeable if you're not a CRPG savant already.

[Molotov Milkshake]

play OS2 first because it's probably a lot worse than BG3 since Larian's rules are jank. Whereas DND actually works.

[Echsrick]

you honestly may not even want to play bg3....that game feels like a major downgrate in gameplay from dos2...less freedom of gameplay choice, worse and more annoying companions, you have to do more out of the way for full custom team then dos2...choices that you dont get to control because rng, missing alot of times in combat with 80+% and if you hit its the lowest possible damage while enemies seemingly with worse hit chances hit way more often with the highter damage ranges aswell....and enemies surviving with 1 hp...alot of times...gold being mostly useless because theres nothing worth buying ever and for what ever reasons they decidet to make gold have a weigth in bg3, because thats what everyone likes right? more inventory weigth management, wich is alsol worse in bg3

and the seemingly forced romance trash that is spammed in bg3 wich adds litteraly NOTHING to the game and just feels forced and arkward....the companions there dont even have a prefference they just see the player character and go "i want fug" and even random npcs feel like they goin over the line with there sexuality.....like it feels unnatural at times....even creepy....and the community of bg3? dont...just do not interact with them if possible....i have blocked so many toxic people in there its not normal anymore...story alsol falls apart later on aswell, like its nonsentical nonsense even, not makin any sense realy

so yes, i say save your money, play dos2 and ignore bg3

[Catman]

Originally posted by Samuel L Jabson:

Im a total beginner and now I don't quite understand what game to play first.
Both are extremely deep and profound. A bit confused
Can you give me some suggestions please
Thank you in advance!

I am also pretty new to the genre, got hooked from a gamepass collection called pillars of eternity, fantastic games. I purchased DOS2 last night and instantly sunk 6 hours into it. it's very good, just be prepared to feel a bit overwhelmed for the first few hours. UTILIZE SAVE SCUMMING like there is no tomorrow.

[jack_of_tears]

Originally posted by The Wheel:

I am also pretty new to the genre, got hooked from a gamepass collection called pillars of eternity, fantastic games. I purchased DOS2 last night and instantly sunk 6 hours into it. it's very good, just be prepared to feel a bit overwhelmed for the first few hours. UTILIZE SAVE SCUMMING like there is no tomorrow.

Yeah, it was a lot worse on release, the newer version is easier. That's just to point out how steep the early learning curve in the game was, and still can be, but it says a lot about the game that I was engaged enough to put in the effort to get over that initial hump and learn the system. I have nearly 200 hours in it now and am entirely sure I'll return at some point to play it again.

[Jestic]

Originally posted by Echsrick:

you honestly may not even want to play bg3....that game feels like a major downgrate in gameplay from dos2...less freedom of gameplay choice, worse and more annoying companions, you have to do more out of the way for full custom team then dos2...choices that you dont get to control because rng, missing alot of times in combat with 80+% and if you hit its the lowest possible damage while enemies seemingly with worse hit chances hit way more often with the highter damage ranges aswell....and enemies surviving with 1 hp...alot of times...gold being mostly useless because theres nothing worth buying ever and for what ever reasons they decidet to make gold have a weigth in bg3, because thats what everyone likes right? more inventory weigth management, wich is alsol worse in bg3

and the seemingly forced romance trash that is spammed in bg3 wich adds litteraly NOTHING to the game and just feels forced and arkward....the companions there dont even have a prefference they just see the player character and go "i want fug" and even random npcs feel like they goin over the line with there sexuality.....like it feels unnatural at times....even creepy....and the community of bg3? dont...just do not interact with them if possible....i have blocked so many toxic people in there its not normal anymore...story alsol falls apart later on aswell, like its nonsentical nonsense even, not makin any sense realy

so yes, i say save your money, play dos2 and ignore bg3

I do suggest DOS2 its a very good game.

I will agree on that. BG3 has a lot of issues and not very finalized gameplay features. its selling point which was the narrative progression is also a downgrade from DOS2. Not sure what went wrong with BG3. Do hope they can steer the game close to what Dos2 is or hoping that a future game will hold better game experience.