‘Baldur’s Gate’ TV Series Continuing Game’s Story In Works At HBO From ‘The Last Of Us’ Co-Creator Craig Mazin & Hasbro Entertainment

[oktay]

‘Baldur’s Gate’ TV Series Continuing Game’s Story In Works At HBO From ‘The Last Of Us’ Co-Creator Craig Mazin & Hasbro Entertainment

A ‘Baldur’s Gate’ TV series in development at HBO will Game 3's story. It comes from 'The Last of Us' co-creator Craig Mazin and Hasbro Entertainment

deadline.com

Considering how The Last of Us tv series was received online, I'm curious to see how this will be received.

 

[Starflight]

This was almost unavoidable given the game's success.

On one hand, I'm incredibly excited; it could almost be a Xena-esque sort of show, a group of brilliantly funny characters who we already know and like having adventures in a vivid world. Could even be episodic!

On the other hand, everything wonderful about BG3 could easily be mishandled and turned into the usual soul-draining prestige TV stuff.

Cautiously optimistic.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I didn't see this coming at all! I think I'm hyped though?

We've already gotten some great D&D stories like Legend of Vox Machina and Honor Among Thieves so there's definitely a chance they can pull this off. As long as they respect the source material, understand the vibe and are really good at telling stories.

 

[Tuskin38]

Difference between this and TLOU, is there's only a single ending to TLOU (I think?)

BG3 has a ton of possible story endings for the main plot and companion characters.

This would require making one of the many game and character endings canon, and there's a lot of options. Though I imagine they'll follow

Spoiler

one of the ones where Tav doesn't take over the Big Brain

As the article also states, Sean Levy is making a Netflix series based on Forgotten Realms, the same D&D setting Baldur's Gate is set in.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I've yet to get past the first chapter. I only ever play it in multiplayer with friends of mine, and I think the furthest we got was the Underdark, then the save got corrupted.

 

[Tuskin38]

I beat it the first time in Co-op, which was probably a bad idea as my friend had already beaten it a couple times, so something I didn't discover on my own.

 

[Owain Taggart]

See, that's not something I mind so much. I'm not much for turn-based games, so going through it with friends who are more familiar with the game is more enjoyable to me. I just treat it as an adventure with friends. And there are too few good co-op games.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I've never really understood the appeal in playing a game like this multiplayer (obviously yes I know it's based on a multiplayer tabletop game) but there's so many choices in BG3 that you can't craft your own big expansive narrative unless you have control over all the choices.

Perhaps it's just that my inadequate social skills are showing.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I've never really understood the appeal in playing a game like this multiplayer (obviously yes I know it's based on a multiplayer tabletop game) but there's so many choices in BG3 that you can't craft your own big expansive narrative unless you have control over all the choices.

Perhaps it's just that my inadequate social skills are showing.

I don't see that as being any different as tabletop gaming, where you usually have a DM keeping the rules and guiding the story. Besides, when playing with a group, the game has the group voting on the choices and you can clearly see who's voting for which dialogue choice. Yes, the host can decide to completely take it over, but the game offers the choice and the freedom in how you want to play it, which is more than I can say about many games.

And we realized recently, that multiplayer opens up some interesting dynamics not available in the regular game, in that if you're simply two people, each of you can control one of the available npc companions. And when it comes to upgrading those characters, it's done via the person that controls them.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

I don't see that as being any different as tabletop gaming, where you usually have a DM keeping the rules and guiding the story. Besides, when playing with a group, the game has the group voting on the choices and you can clearly see who's voting for which dialogue choice. Yes, the host can decide to completely take it over, but the game offers the choice and the freedom in how you want to play it, which is more than I can say about many games.

And we realized recently, that multiplayer opens up some interesting dynamics not available in the regular game, in that if you're simply two people, each of you can control one of the available npc companions. And when it comes to upgrading those characters, it's done via the person that controls them.

To be fair I don't do tabletop games either, it's not just the selfishness of wanting stories my own way but I also have afantasia so tabletop and board games do nothing for me because I just can't visualise anything happening

 

[Owain Taggart]

That is where maybe having someone guiding the story can help. Of course, maybe you just feel the need to feel involved and connected to the stories helping you visualize them.

I sympathise, as for me the situation is a bit reversed. I don't know enough of the world itself to really know what I'm doing, so I feel more comfortable if someone who knows it better is guiding us along. Meanwhile, I'm still allowed to make major decisions.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

That is where maybe having someone guiding the story can help. Of course, maybe you just feel the need to feel involved and connected to the stories helping you visualize them.

I sympathise, as for me the situation is a bit reversed. I don't know enough of the world itself to really know what I'm doing, so I feel more comfortable if someone who knows it better is guiding us along. Meanwhile, I'm still allowed to make major decisions.

Visualisation is just not something I can do, I need the audiovisual element to be able to engage with something. The same is true when it comes to books, I can't engage with them because they will never be anything more than empty words on a page and it doesn't hold my attention. Beyond that I see everything else in bullet points, it's why despite my rampant ability to headcanon I never write fanfics because I sum up everything with a short list.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Ahh, again I sympathize. Do you feel it goes better for you if it's something you're really into? Like say, Star Trek? And do audiobooks work for you?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Ahh, again I sympathize. Do you feel it goes better for you if it's something you're really into? Like say, Star Trek? And do audiobooks work for you?

I am much quicker to invest most certainly and franchises I like spur on more headcanons and more elaborate ones at that. But even a star trek novel can't hold my attention, a detailed summary is really the only way I can absorb stories that exist in the printed form. Bullet pointed lists are very much my friend.

Audiobooks are just the same, I can't create mental images from the words that are said so I just end up getting bored and distracted.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Ahh, got it. So I guess something that's more interactive like a game where you're making all the decisions is easier for you to get into? Do visual novels help? And of course it would depend on the game genre as well.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Ahh, got it. So I guess something that's more interactive like a game where you're making all the decisions is easier for you to get into? Do visual novels help? And of course it would depend on the game genre as well.

Oh even the tiniest decisions like outfit changes in GTA5 allow me to make something my own but I have a big love for many linear set character games too it's more when choices exist I go hard. And then only ever make the same choices each time I replay like in Mass Effect, Fallout and Dragon Age.

The format of visual novels can work for me, of course that does hinge on my subjective feelings regarding the story but that is true regardless of format.

 

[FPAlpha]

This was almost unavoidable given the game's success.

On one hand, I'm incredibly excited; it could almost be a Xena-esque sort of show, a group of brilliantly funny characters who we already know and like having adventures in a vivid world. Could even be episodic!

On the other hand, everything wonderful about BG3 could easily be mishandled and turned into the usual soul-draining prestige TV stuff.

Cautiously optimistic.

I am rather pessimistic since apart from the showrunner having a talk with Larian Studios the production did not reach out to Larian or even get them onboard as a collaboration.

This can go both ways if they get a writing team as good as Larian ( possible) but if not it could turn into a Witcher level desaster ( in my opinion likely).

If they are lucky only BG3 fans and players will be unhappy if the show strays too far off the source and compared to a possible wider audience it wouldn't be a too big impact. I guess we'll find out in 2-3 years at the earliest.

 

[Ragitsu]

This series will be based on that sequel in-name-only, no doubt. I predict it will be more of the same: pap for the LCD. The Bhaalspawn saga was concluded one quarter of a century ago; let the name rest.

 

[Starflight]

I predict it will be more of the same: pap for the LCD.

This is what a lot of people thought about BioWare's games all the way back from BG1, FWIW.

Say what you will about BG3's writing, but mechanically it's leagues ahead of any of the Infinity Engine games (even despite being based largely on 5e, yeah), and Larian have a far better grasp of combat encounter design than BioWare ever have.

 

[oktay]

I am rather pessimistic since apart from the showrunner having a talk with Larian Studios the production did not reach out to Larian or even get them onboard as a collaboration.

The only reason Larian Studios isn't involved in the project is because Baldur's Gate takes place in the D&D universe, and D&D is owned by Hasbro.

This can go both ways if they get a writing team as good as Larian ( possible) but if not it could turn into a Witcher level desaster ( in my opinion likely).

It wouldn't be fair to compare it to The Witcher. This series was made by the same person who made the Chernobyl miniseries and The Last of Us. Another name responsible for the disaster is The Witcher; the woman who produced Daredevil (except for the first season) has worked on hospital dramas and sitcoms on television. She later worked on Netflix's Daredevil series (except for the first season) and Netflix's CW-quality shows like The Defenders and The Umbrella Academy. However, the person chosen for Baldur's Gate also worked on The Last of Us and the Chernobyl TV series, as well as The Hangover films.

This series will be based on that sequel in-name-only, no doubt. I predict it will be more of the same: pap for the LCD. The Bhaalspawn saga was concluded one quarter of a century ago; let the name rest.

It will be a mid-to-high-budget TV show, not a low-budget one.