RukBot
09-18-2023, 03:05 PM
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-sussar-weapon.jpg
Since its August launch, Baldur's Gate 3 has been lauded as among 2023's best games. It's a massive game with enough content to last dozens of hours, and its role-playing variety makes it highly replayable.
Yet, once over 200 hours are logged in, a desire for something more comes. It's a beautiful siren song I have fallen into and one I haven't heard in years. Not since my days playing the PC versions of Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim for days on end.
I'm, of course, talking about installing mods. Mods are a wonderful thing that enhances titles like Deus Ex and makes Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines tolerable. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from bug fixes to DLC-sized content additions that stretch what a mod can be.
Baldur's Gate 3's popularity also makes it a popular game to mod (https://www.destructoid.com/best-mods-in-baldurs-gate-3/), and some are already amazing. I resisted installing them for my first couple hundred hours of play because I love the vanilla game and already crown it as one of my favorites. Yet I couldn't become a sexy magical gunslinger in the vanilla game, and mods were here to rectify that.
I installed the Artificer mod for Baldur's Gate 3, and something awoke inside me. It was like I was 15 again and spending more time modding Skyrim than actually playing it.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-dark-urge-sceleritas-fel.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
I need MORE!
Since I figured out how to make mods work, I asked myself if I could install a few. The answer was yes, so I went a little mad installing various mods that caught my eye. Most were among the most popular mods, including Faces of Faerun (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/429) and Tav's Hair Salon (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/213). Baldur's Gate 3's character creator is already solid, but it never hurt to have more options.
It was around here I remembered being a kid modding Skyrim. A quest here and some new customization options there, but nothing that fixed things like the janky combat. Things got out of hand when I dipped into reshaders and animation alterations, and I would spend lazy days attempting to fix whatever broke.
It got to the point where I changed so much I took a step back and wondered why I invested so much time into this. It's been years since I played Skyrim because I can't stand the vanilla game. This is far from the case for Baldur's Gate 3 because I adore it, but I also worried that going down this rabbit hole could sour my overall thoughts.
Those thoughts dissipated when I remembered that Skyrim isn't a title that aged well with me. Unlike my younger self, I showed some self-restraint with modding Baldur's Gate 3 and stopped at around a dozen mods. I wasn't fixing this game, just adding a couple of things.
I created Ashe once I was done, a tiefling Artificer with a dark urge to kill. She's the type of girl who's as intelligent as she is quirky, and by quirky, I mean thirsty for blood. With her eldritch cannon at her side and a gung-ho attitude, she ventures into the world ready to adventure.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-artificer.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
Going pew pew across the Sword Coast
My original intent for modding Baldur's Gate 3 was to add the Artificer mod (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1779) so that I could play as an Artillerist. Other Artificer subclasses were cool, like Alchemist for potion brewing or Armorer to magically become a tank.
Yet, in my opinion, all these pale to the Artillerist because it's the only option that makes me a gunslinger. Part of the whole appeal behind being a sexy gunslinger is actually slinging a gun around.
Well, it's not a gun per se, but the tiny eldritch cannon is functionally a fantasy pistol. It acts and has the same animations as a hand crossbow but is way cooler because it comes with some deeply overpowered skills.
A part of me considered installing the mod that re-enables achievements (https://www.destructoid.com/bg3-do-mods-disable-achievements-baldurs-gate-3/) in Baldur's Gate 3, but several Artillerist skills shatter the balance. My most used of these is Force Ballista, whose functions similarly to Eldritch Blast and is also a bonus action in the mod.
The mod authors intended to make changes that kept the game's balance, and that shines through even though I can give my entire party temporary hit points at almost any time. I enjoy Baldur's Gate 3's challenge immensely, but I love tripping out on a power fantasy more. Thankfully, the game's difficulty is largely intact even with these buffs.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-outside-monastery.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
Baldur's Gate 3 is wonderful modded and vanilla
My biggest takeaway from returning to modding is how much I just enjoy Baldur's Gate 3. Having more spellcasting options is great, but I largely stick to what Larian Studios included. More face options and hairstyles are fantastic, but that doesn't mean I won't ever use the vanilla options again. The only thing I still don't get is why Hexblade Warlock (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1100) wasn't included because it rocks.
Periodically checking out new mods is also fun in itself because it demonstrates how passionate the community is. My favorites are probably the mods implementing various D&D 5e subclasses that didn't make the vanilla game's cut. Turning Astarion into a Glamor Bard or Lae'zel into an Arcane Archer helps spice up build variety, especially after hundreds of hours.
I still enjoy vanilla Baldur's Gate 3 quite a lot. I've been jumping back and forth between the PC and PS5 versions (https://www.destructoid.com/baldurs-gate-3-ps5-port-impressions-couch-co-op/) and have a blast either way. I don't particularly miss any of my installed mods when on console, and think of it as jumping into a playthrough as another build.
I know I'll install new mods now and again if one catches my eye, but the process is different than before. There is no longer a need to fix every little part of the game I dislike or any moments where I pull my hair out troubleshooting when a game crashes. I just feel amazing adding stuff to a game I love.
Baldur's Gate 3 isn't a perfect game, and no mod or new official content will change my mind. There will never be a perfect game, and that's okay. If Baldur's Gate 3 can be compared to a delicious sundae, the mods are the cherries on top.
The post Baldur’s Gate 3 made me fall in love with modding again (https://www.destructoid.com/baldurs-gate-3-made-me-fall-in-love-with-modding-again/) appeared first on Destructoid (https://www.destructoid.com).
More...
Since its August launch, Baldur's Gate 3 has been lauded as among 2023's best games. It's a massive game with enough content to last dozens of hours, and its role-playing variety makes it highly replayable.
Yet, once over 200 hours are logged in, a desire for something more comes. It's a beautiful siren song I have fallen into and one I haven't heard in years. Not since my days playing the PC versions of Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim for days on end.
I'm, of course, talking about installing mods. Mods are a wonderful thing that enhances titles like Deus Ex and makes Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines tolerable. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from bug fixes to DLC-sized content additions that stretch what a mod can be.
Baldur's Gate 3's popularity also makes it a popular game to mod (https://www.destructoid.com/best-mods-in-baldurs-gate-3/), and some are already amazing. I resisted installing them for my first couple hundred hours of play because I love the vanilla game and already crown it as one of my favorites. Yet I couldn't become a sexy magical gunslinger in the vanilla game, and mods were here to rectify that.
I installed the Artificer mod for Baldur's Gate 3, and something awoke inside me. It was like I was 15 again and spending more time modding Skyrim than actually playing it.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-dark-urge-sceleritas-fel.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
I need MORE!
Since I figured out how to make mods work, I asked myself if I could install a few. The answer was yes, so I went a little mad installing various mods that caught my eye. Most were among the most popular mods, including Faces of Faerun (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/429) and Tav's Hair Salon (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/213). Baldur's Gate 3's character creator is already solid, but it never hurt to have more options.
It was around here I remembered being a kid modding Skyrim. A quest here and some new customization options there, but nothing that fixed things like the janky combat. Things got out of hand when I dipped into reshaders and animation alterations, and I would spend lazy days attempting to fix whatever broke.
It got to the point where I changed so much I took a step back and wondered why I invested so much time into this. It's been years since I played Skyrim because I can't stand the vanilla game. This is far from the case for Baldur's Gate 3 because I adore it, but I also worried that going down this rabbit hole could sour my overall thoughts.
Those thoughts dissipated when I remembered that Skyrim isn't a title that aged well with me. Unlike my younger self, I showed some self-restraint with modding Baldur's Gate 3 and stopped at around a dozen mods. I wasn't fixing this game, just adding a couple of things.
I created Ashe once I was done, a tiefling Artificer with a dark urge to kill. She's the type of girl who's as intelligent as she is quirky, and by quirky, I mean thirsty for blood. With her eldritch cannon at her side and a gung-ho attitude, she ventures into the world ready to adventure.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-artificer.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
Going pew pew across the Sword Coast
My original intent for modding Baldur's Gate 3 was to add the Artificer mod (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1779) so that I could play as an Artillerist. Other Artificer subclasses were cool, like Alchemist for potion brewing or Armorer to magically become a tank.
Yet, in my opinion, all these pale to the Artillerist because it's the only option that makes me a gunslinger. Part of the whole appeal behind being a sexy gunslinger is actually slinging a gun around.
Well, it's not a gun per se, but the tiny eldritch cannon is functionally a fantasy pistol. It acts and has the same animations as a hand crossbow but is way cooler because it comes with some deeply overpowered skills.
A part of me considered installing the mod that re-enables achievements (https://www.destructoid.com/bg3-do-mods-disable-achievements-baldurs-gate-3/) in Baldur's Gate 3, but several Artillerist skills shatter the balance. My most used of these is Force Ballista, whose functions similarly to Eldritch Blast and is also a bonus action in the mod.
The mod authors intended to make changes that kept the game's balance, and that shines through even though I can give my entire party temporary hit points at almost any time. I enjoy Baldur's Gate 3's challenge immensely, but I love tripping out on a power fantasy more. Thankfully, the game's difficulty is largely intact even with these buffs.
https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/baldurs-gate-3-outside-monastery.jpgScreenshot via Destructoid
Baldur's Gate 3 is wonderful modded and vanilla
My biggest takeaway from returning to modding is how much I just enjoy Baldur's Gate 3. Having more spellcasting options is great, but I largely stick to what Larian Studios included. More face options and hairstyles are fantastic, but that doesn't mean I won't ever use the vanilla options again. The only thing I still don't get is why Hexblade Warlock (https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1100) wasn't included because it rocks.
Periodically checking out new mods is also fun in itself because it demonstrates how passionate the community is. My favorites are probably the mods implementing various D&D 5e subclasses that didn't make the vanilla game's cut. Turning Astarion into a Glamor Bard or Lae'zel into an Arcane Archer helps spice up build variety, especially after hundreds of hours.
I still enjoy vanilla Baldur's Gate 3 quite a lot. I've been jumping back and forth between the PC and PS5 versions (https://www.destructoid.com/baldurs-gate-3-ps5-port-impressions-couch-co-op/) and have a blast either way. I don't particularly miss any of my installed mods when on console, and think of it as jumping into a playthrough as another build.
I know I'll install new mods now and again if one catches my eye, but the process is different than before. There is no longer a need to fix every little part of the game I dislike or any moments where I pull my hair out troubleshooting when a game crashes. I just feel amazing adding stuff to a game I love.
Baldur's Gate 3 isn't a perfect game, and no mod or new official content will change my mind. There will never be a perfect game, and that's okay. If Baldur's Gate 3 can be compared to a delicious sundae, the mods are the cherries on top.
The post Baldur’s Gate 3 made me fall in love with modding again (https://www.destructoid.com/baldurs-gate-3-made-me-fall-in-love-with-modding-again/) appeared first on Destructoid (https://www.destructoid.com).
More...