r/BG3 • u/Haygirlhayyy • 2d ago

Quality of life game design decisions other companies should take note of

Here's a list of my favorite game design/development things in this game:

  1. When I talk to an NPC and I have to step away from my computer from a moment, the game displays the last sentence spoken by them, so I actually remember wtf I was talking to them about.

  2. Freakin' Quicksave like, at any time ever. I'm almost embarrassed how many save files I have and it's only my first playthrough.

  3. Integrated mod management, are you kidding? Do I even need to explain this one?

  4. Being able to respec for merely pennies on the dollar (coppers on the gold?). In D&D, just talk to your DM, and you can likely work out mechanically fixing what you don't find fun about your class/subclass. Translating this to a videogame by making respeccing cheap is wild, generous behavior and should be appreciated. The devs could have easily hard forced you to play the class you picked at the beginning.

  5. Choices that actually influence the environment. My husband and I have VASTLY different stories and experiences with this game. I'll be talking about a scene and he goes, "wait? THAT PERSON is there? wait what, how did you do that? wait, that was an option...?, etc"

  6. Instead of having a map that spans the actual distance of the actual world, just jam pack your maps with content. I don't feel like there is one pixel of unused space in this game and the maps aren't HUGE HUGE, they're segmented, which makes it feel less daunting and encourages exploration.

  7. Alt to see interactables.

  8. Holding T on linkables that actually explain what things do (in general, the UI is so incredibly clean and intuitive. Being able to click Actions/Bonus Actions to quickly see what I can do, grouping/ungrouping, seeing all buffs/debuffs, toggling light sources)

  9. Warnings about traveling to places that I'm underleveled for. Don't punish me for being exploratory, okay?

  10. How even the NPCs are so full of life and interesting. I click on every named person and every one of them has their own line of dialogue, even if it's just to comment on the environment. Absolutely so immersive.

I know there's a million other things, but I am in the throes of my first playthrough, absolutely scouring every corner, talking to every NPC, looting every vase... I can't get over how FUN the game is. Obviously, the actors and writing and gameplay and all that is so polished and perfect, but it's the little quality of life things that just allow me to enjoy the game, instead of fighting against it to get to the content I want to see, of which I am so incredibly thankful. <3

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u/usernamescifi 2d ago

I really love quality of life improvements/features, but the part of me that has been Stockholmed Syndromed by older games always lashes out whenever a modern game tries to make the player experience more friendly/accommodating.... 

Anyone else feel a bit of that or should I go back to my gollum cave? 

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u/stalkakuma 2d ago

Depends on what you mean

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u/Haygirlhayyy 2d ago

Sure. Oldschool WoW wouldn't hold your hand with quests, making completing certain ones feel like a true achievement, especially back in the day when there weren't really online guides explaining how to do everything. Progression was earned and satisfying because of the struggles of the journey of discovery. There is definitely merit in these ideals!