Baldur’s Gate 3 lead writer has expressed a clear hope that players won’t fall back into the save scumming habits so common in games like Divinity: Original Sin. Instead, the team’s ambition is to make failure a more compelling and interesting part of the experience. This means moving away from the easy practice of constant quicksaving and reloading to avoid any misstep, encouraging players to embrace the consequences of their choices.
Save scumming, for those unfamiliar, is the repetitive use of save and reload functions to manipulate outcomes—pressing F5 to save and F8 to reload, creating a safety net for perfect results. While this method is tempting for perfectionists or those wary of harsh penalties, it often dilutes the impact of storytelling and decision-making. By designing systems that reward persistence and creative problem-solving, the developers behind Baldur’s Gate 3 want to make each failure feel meaningful rather than frustrating.
This approach reflects a broader shift in RPG design, where failure is treated less as something to be avoided at all costs and more as an opportunity to explore different narrative branches or strategies. It’s an encouraging sign for fans who want their role-playing games to challenge them without turning every setback into a grind to find a flawless path. For those coming from Divinity: Original Sin, it might even breathe fresh life into the Larian experience, inviting players to dive in with less fear of the save reload cycle and more focus on the unfolding story.
Source: pcgamer.com
