How to Stop Analyzing and Start Enjoying Baldur's Gate 3 

I can’t name a single other content creator that makes such a deliberate effort to front-load their videos with a synopsis to make it clear to the audience whether it’s worth their time or not. Unparalleled integrity.

I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear this. I have probably restarted 20-30 times; never getting further than the Druid grove in an attempt to min/max my play through. THANK YOU!

As someone who spends more time watching guides online than actually playing a game, I needed this video. I had so much paralysis in just character creation that it took me 3 hours before I even started playing

As someone who has started and restarted many campaigns, I appreciate this advice. It’s only recently that I’ve learned to let go and just play my character. I’m 80 hours in and just entered the goblin camp for the first time. Having a blast.

This genuinely helped me because I struggle insanely with playing it “the right way”. Great video!

Role playing a dark urge bard who fell in love with laezel who helped him, but then she betrayed the party to support her people instead. My character, with heart broken, had to defeat laezel and is still trying to move on in act 2. He plays his music in her honor in her old spot in camp.

As a forever DM who has probably spent 70 hours in the game’s menus theorycrafting, I really appreciated this video

I just added cheat spells. Never been happier! Now I'm a flying wizard that is blessed by the gods on a divine journey. Instead of an infected weekling that can't even fight a rat.

Sometimes the algorithm recommends me the right channel at the right time. Been binging your videos the past couple of days and I love them all. Defnitely happy I subscribed

Thanks for saying all this. Since the game awards, some of the groups and forums and influencers are getting downright toxic about viewing and playing THEIR way.. It's awesome to hear a voice of reason in amongst all the judgemental rhetoric. It's a really special game and it deserves to be enjoyed the way the PLAYER enjoys it. There's no 'one true way' of playing.

This is such an underrated video, min maxing even on honor mode will just hinder you, play what you think is fun how you want even on honor mode, think about how much fun you’ll have figuring it out yourself and you end up with a 1 in a lifetime experience

I love that you so strongly advent for embracing the roleplay in this game. Every video, you encourage everybody to quit worrying about min-max perfection, and just embrace the fun. Great to see.

Just bought the game and a friend linked me your video, so now I'm just relaxing, sipping coffee, and watching this while the game downloads. 10/10 Sunday.

I was like that, i could not decide for stuff in rpgs with too much choice. But then, one day i realized im a simple man, i love dwarfs, i love plate armor and i love giant 2h swords to carve enemies out. So? since them im always plaing a dwarf warrior or the equivalent that is in whatever game im playin. Min maxed? dont care, giant sword goes bonk

I made a Deep Gnome Bardbarian recently and it’s probably far from the most optimal thing in the world but it genuinely might be the most fun I’ve had so far. It also made me realize how useful Gnome Cunning is, you almost never get affected by Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or Hold Person and it occasionally comes in handy outside of combat.

This video was a perfect wake up call for me personally. I had started about 10 play throughs and ended them prematurely seeing all the cool things other characters got access too and ended up switching to that certain class or build, and starting the cycle all over again. Coincidentally, I also do this a lot in 5e DND and it makes my friends really upset about how I wish to change characters mid campaign. Thank you so much for making this video and allowing me to step back a second and realize that fun should be the most important part of a GAME rather than mid-maxing and analyzing the best routes or angles. Side Note: really enjoying watching your Honor mode run as well :)

As a newer player to bg3, you just blew my whole universe open with possibilities now. I deeply appreciate your video and locked in a sub forever. ❤

one thing I want to mention: while I absolutely agree that creating a backstory help a lot, this should only be done for customes, origin characters have an already established backstory, dark urge very much included

Baldur's Gate 3 is my first CRPG, so while I was overwhelmed with mechanics, I still found it very enjoyable to learn new things. Didn't really have a problem "overanalyzing" stuff lol. Maybe with the story a little bit, especially Illithid Powers bit, but other than that - not much.

Excellent video - I suffered from analysis paralysis and deleted a 98 hour run through just to change some minor details not covered by the ‘mirror’ or Withers - so the advice is helping me stick with my gut instinct on a second play through 😊

Thanks for this! I played through this game as a swords bard. I am 53 years old, and I think this might be my favorite video game of all time. I played D&D back in the '80s, then took a 35 year hiatus and started playing 5e a few years back. I really wanted to play again, but I found this game to be so amazing the first time that I just feel like playing it again is going to taint my feeling about the game. It's weird... my favorite game of all time and I just cannot get myself to play a second time. Maybe in another year or so.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the upfront explanation in your videos, nothing worse than watching 20 min of a video only to realize it’s not what your looking for more ppl should do this

Love this relaxed approach playing a game. So many guides out there focus on the absolute best and most effective setup. I now feel a bit more chill about playing bg3 🙌

I wished this was true. I’m playing, or tried to play without min/max and the game is incredibly difficult. If you don’t use the right tools with the right characters you’ll suffer disadvantages you don’t even get. I love your approach and the breakdown and thinking is great. While listening to you I really wanted to dig back into it, and all I could think about was how frustrating it was to play and keep getting hammered by… everything.

thanks for this! i'm having a lot of trouble having fun in bg3 bc of min-max taking so long, and starting to take things more casually has been great this is something ive personally struggled with a lot but i think its important to remember that bg3 is NOT a competitive game; you don't need to do things as best as possible, and it's meant to be a game thats replayed, so don't worry about having to commit to something!

Man....great video! I definitely fell into analysis paralysis on this. Trying to complete 100% everything. I feel the pain of missing the fun... There are so many choices and things to do that its easy to forget to have fun.

This video is great. The best part of playing a D&D style game is the role playing. I go way back to 2nd ed. pen & paper AD&D: Fiend Folio, Monster Manuals 1 & 2, etc. I can't yet speak to the harder modes, I've only played on balanced so far, but you really can't go wrong with any build; unless you minimize the prime stat. I'm currently running both (2 concurrent play thrus) a Gith Monk and a Drow rogue assassin. I love Drow and rogues. I have re-spec'd Shadowheart and Gale at Withers. You can tailor a lot of the BG3 experience to make it more enjoyable to play. This video plainly lays out how truly easy it is to role play whatever you like and change it if you find you don't like it. Happy BG3 gaming everyone.

Love your channel! Just started BG3 this past week and it’s good to be reminded that you can let the dice tell the story as much as your character. It’s nice not feeling like having to reload every time something doesn’t go my way in game. Wonderful videos man, keep it up!

I started watching your content because of BG3 and I have to say you videos are so reassuring. You have definitely helped me relax a bit more while playing, I really appreciate that. Your approach to content is unlike most other RU-vidrs I follow and I love it.

Fun first? In 2024? On Earth?! Why have fun when i can be "the best"??. Absurd! And i love it! Your encouragement to return to prioritizing fun in gaming gains you an instant sub from me! Keep up the good work. 🫡

Never played D&D ever and never played BG.When I first started I was confused and didn’t know what I was doing. Your videos helped me and now I’m almost done with act 1 😎

Spartacus, I haven’t been subbed long but your videos remind me everytime how much I’ve been missing out! The transparency all throughout, the quick jokes here and there (the shadow heart and hot topic was too damn accurate 😭😭 especially if you’ve seen her Voice actress) you’re just goated man I can’t wait to hear more from you!! I want to support any way I can!

Best BG3 content creator on RU-vid! You rock brother keep up the excellent work! Love your integrity and appreciate how up front you are. You have helped this newbie out a lot and I thank you for that.

I have restarted the game 16 times now because I am the forever dm for my actual dnd group and never get to be a player, this helped me settle on a Tiefling dark urge paladin

Thank you. Thank you for being upfront with your ideals consistently and letting your viewer decide to stay. Thank you for being honest. Thank you for being passionate. Thank you for standing out on RU-vid as a genuine beacon of knowledge and love. Thank you for helping me with my Baldur’s Gate 3 game. Thank you!

This definitely speaks to me, in December I got the game and I’m brand new to D&D style rpgs so my first few runs I was experimenting with all the classes and I was reaching out on RU-vid for the best setups etc and honestly I wasn’t having much fun until I finally decided fuck it I’m going to play the way I want to play. I made a barbarian half elf and I’m loving it. I’ve gotten farther along in the campaign I taking my time and no longer caring about doing it the best way or the right way, I just enjoying the game unfolding.

I always enjoy hearing your take on BG3. Good pep talk for players who don’t want to obsess over every feat, level, and item slot. If I am enjoying playing the character, it’s a good character.

You speak with such enthusiasm. Love your vibe

Ive been playing for a good three months and ive struggled internally with wanting to start over because i thought i ruined my build, or messed something up because i couldnt win a fight, then feeling bad that i still havent beaten the game yet after all this time. So thanks for the reassurance.

Holy crap thank you so much, I've needed this after starting 40 playthroughs and not getting past act one only any of them bc of fomo. I've finished 1 playthrough seriously and loved every minute of it, then my min/max personality came out and I had to have the most optimized party in existence

It also helps a ton to not view any media until you have finished the game . Unless you are stuck on a quest than sure look up how to do it, but googling your first build to make your character the best, or which feats are the best is the wrong way to play the first time around IMO, my first playthough I played a simple character (Fighter) as I was really new to D&D, and CRPG's. Had a ton of fun, made a lot of mistakes, but now I can learn more and try new builds. But all in all do what you want.

My biggest issue is that there are a few styles I love, so I try to make a good estimate on how to do that. One is a caster with a large toolkit. In BG1/2 it would be a dual cleric/mage. With the right buffs it could do well in melee, but with other spells it could offer control or splut. Yes, it had to re-tool for different areas. But I could tackle anything in any way I felt like, and I enjoyed being able to match the strengths and weaknesses.

So basically: nothing matters as long as youre having fun 😂👌🏽 For real i enjoyed this video a lot. Really made me think differently about my approach for next playtrough

This is really useful. I only just started my first playthrough this week and i'm extremely overwhelmed. To the point I wasn't sure I was actually enjoying it. But i've dropped the difficulty and i'm playing as a person (mostly) aligned with my own morals and im slowly starting to get it.

Never have I found a youtube video that was genuinely so helpful for me. I have about 30 hours in game and currently am on about a 3 month hiatus and this inspired me to come back. As much as I LOVED the game I always struggled to come back because of many of the reasons addressed in this video. Loved the honesty throughout keep it up mate

Was downloading the game and decided to check out some videos while I wait. This is the first and only one I needed. Thank you ❤

Love it! Great content. I definitely have analysis paralysis when I come to a game like this. Spend a whole play through wondering what I should have done differently, instead of just playing and enjoying the game. Totally given me the inspiration to just enjoy and have no regrets, and role playing with what I’ve got.

Im glad someone in the community pushes for fun over min/Max. Games should be played for fun, not turned into a chore.

Been so focused on build guides I have forgotten to enjoy the game. Starting ANOTHER character and just going to play. Thanks for the great video!

Perfectly-timed video, bud! Thank you. I played Warcraft for way too long and I have min/max locked into my skull and I’ve agonized for days, restarted the game, etc just trying to get it ‘right.’ I needed this

I have been binge watching your videos ever since I decided to purchase the game. This video helped me so much. Brand new to the genre and I caught myself trying to make the "best" character from the start. I found my love for the paladin class and have 10 hours on a great play through. But this video inspired my dark urge play through with a halfling witch RP. THANK YOU!!

You can't imagine how this video was salutary to me. As I start my 2nd campaign, I keep thinking about which build I should use, and which group composition would be optimal, which choice I should make.... the whole thing ruining the experience and keeping me from appreciating a game I loved at first sight. It began feeling like a burden and you just alleviated it. Many thanks ! Greetings from a French viewer

I really respect your video format. Since I’ve discovered your channel I’ve watched a lot of your vids. Thanks for the awesome content man!

Love your video, as it takes everyone into consideration and basically gives permission to just do something and get going. As a D&D player, just having started playing BG3 three weeks ago, I REALLY struggled with it (and still do, especially re dice...). So this is really valuable! Thank you!

Absolutely the video I needed bud. I have started over several times due to not being sure if my character is right or the outcomes have been best….i could have played the game many times over in the time I have spent. Great video. Great channel.

Thank you for this! I admit, I've got a bit tangled up in all the video guides and "best builds" but I'm going to stop sweating it and just enjoy the game. What will be will be. ☺

Thank you for this!! I've been kind of frozen with all the options and all the build suggestions online just make it all the more confusing to me. This was what I needed!! Time for restart number four!!

Play whatever difficulty you want with whatever character you want to RP as. Game is crazy open to whatever you want to do.

Analysis paralysis. My man just gave me the words for what I been feeling trying to get into ALOT of different games. I been in a hell of a slump with gaming, and your take on this may be the kick I need to stream BG 3 finally. Thank You

Love this video, it's exactly the kind of approach to BG3 I have been lacking here on yt! It's all so technical, and rules and min/max really isn't the big draw of this game, even though it can be a part of it. I feel that a lot of people could learn a lot by focusing on something other than min/max lawyering everything into the ground, every single time. This game poses another challenge, one that is rare in the space of gaming; Can you accept what the game throws at you and roll with it? Taking the good with the bad, in terms of what happens, and even in terms of tactical choices.

As usual mate GREAT VID, I became a follower since the last time about the red line on how far from position and also watch your other vid. Great work , simple, straight, informative! I suggest to all listener to become a follower of yours. No matter our experience we always learn something good and as usual you deliver on the spot!

The first actually useful BG3 video I’ve seen, thank you! I’m a relatively new player to D&D, but this is my first dive into a Baldur’s Gate game. I love it, it’s great, but yes - I’m absolutely getting stuck on overthinking what can be amounted to mechanical decisions, which is leading me to forget what the game is actually all about. I’m attempting to get the full value out of my choices and melting my brain trying to figure out who goes back to camp and who sticks around. I spent twenty minutes stressing out about what choices to make when levelling Gale up to a measly level 2. I’ve been treating it like a video game, I should be treating it like D&D!

Thank you so much for making this video! You really helped me get out of a funk and just get back to playing the game for fun!

Im just beginning to understand the fun in D&D. When Bg3 was released I immediately got it, but I was so overwhelmed by it that I dropped it soon after. ( bg3 is my first step into D&D ever ) I created like 10 different chars and played the first 2 hours over and over again because I just couldn’t really relate to either the visuals or the class of my char. NOW 5 months later I tried to come back, and your videos helped me a lot this time, I’m now in the late state of Act 1 with my Sorcerer Drow and I really start to enjoy it, tho I must say I still have moments where I feel like „god damnit how would this play out if I was not a Drow or a different class“. Anyways just wanted to thank you for your content❤ you created a new D&D fan in me!

I appreciate your video. Honestly my major kryptonite is I want to play classes that don't specialize in charisma, but can never make it through because I want to pass every persuasion check. This video helped with that I think and im just gonna go for my druid/monk build I've been wanting to play

Great advice! Specifically near the end, that one helped me out big time!

Thank you so much for this information. I can't emphasize enough how important this was to me. Because I was so worried about failing in the game, I watched about 100 guides on how the supposedly best character is or should be built and never getting further than the Druid Grove in an attempt to min/max my play through. In the end, I realized that I ended up after many build guides with a lot of duplicate spells in my party and the members weren't well coordinated with each other. I've now learned that it shouldn't be about min-maxing, but rather just having fun. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the DND mechanics, but I still play on the "balanced" difficulty level. I actually wanted to play on the easiest difficulty level, but the multiclassing option is too important to me. For this reason I also installed two mods (more party members and up to level 20) to make it as easy as possible. I want to experience the story of the game and fighting is just a secondary consideration for me. But now I've had BG3 installed for about 6 months and I can't make any progress in the game because I first look at the corresponding guides before each level up. This creates more stress than fun. Maybe I'll be able to play through the game to the end with a character that isn't built perfectly. I still love your character optimization guides as orientation and assistance, but I shouldn't copy them in such a strictly dogmatic way. Sorry about my bad English, it's not my native language. Thank you so much for this relieving video for more fun and less stress. Looking at my personal preferences, I like Ranger (Beastmaster) and/or Monk (4 Elements) the most, even though these classes may not be the best in the game. But I just like the ideas, even if they are classified as the worse classes. Necromancers are often imagined as strong, but this goes against my personal views; so these builds are unimaginable to me... even if they were the strongest option in the game. And while it may not be the best multiclassing option in the game, I love the combination of Land Druid and Beastmaster Ranger, for example. I also tried Cleric Nature Domain and Druid in combination, in my opinion a rational combination... but in the end it didn't make sense due to a lot of overlap. The mod for more party members also allowed me to add a special thief (in addition to Astarion's skills as a Rogue Assassin / Gloomstalker Ranger). My thief is a hired Duergar from Withers and a combination of Rogue Thief and Shadow Monk on level 20 ... but I still get caught often ;-) I'm probably doing something wrong XD

Great video! Just started playing and loving it, but def have fomo at times. From this point forward I'm going with my gut! Thanks for this!

Thank you bro, I needed this video 😭 I am gonna play for fun now, I don't care if wood elves aren't the best wizards. I'm gonna be a wood elf wizard!

Complete DnD/RPG newbie. I appreciate your content, it’s clear and concise and extremely helpful. This game has been so fun and so frustrating at the same time. The shear volume of choices is overwhelming, especially for my ADD brain. Thanks for the help.

Last time i searched for the best class for having fun it was given my a whole list with like: fighter basic bard fun. Now i have understand that i should play the class that i want to play at the moment and that i think can give me the most fun, not the one that a guy told me to play. Grazie mille.

This has been very helpful. I think I’m at the end of act 1 and I’m paralyzed with fear of “what if I missed….”. I’m just gonna roll with it and start an “evil” run to see the other side. Thanks and I love you BG videos!

Really awesome! Something else to note for new players is that it is EXTREMELY easy to change your class once you start the game. I've changed my class around so many times as I've played and have had a blast with it! Most of the time I'm a Bard / Fighter, but randomly I'll want to become a druid or a warlock for a bit so I'll do that. It's really easy to switch around :)

Thank you, I have had anxiety about just what I want to be, I bought the game a week ago. I felt so overwhelmed by how incredible the creation is. ❤

I really love this approach to the game. Thank you for sharing this! It helps me

love your style! your channel is so well crafted and im glad to have found it

This is such a good video, I always get caught up in analysing everything rather than enjoying it

Amazing video, thank you. Im a new player, just finishing Act 1 and I have serious fomo and keep trying to find everything and get everything perfect. Just have fun. Awesome reminder.

Great content. Love the suggestions you make for playthroughs.

I really enjoyed this video. I think FOMO has really been hampering my enjoyment of the game. I really need to just roll with this and let the game unfold, but every time I watch content, I get swayed into going down those rabbit holes trying to get those weapons, gear, etc. I appreciate your reminder this is a game and I should maybe let it unfold on its own instead of following others footsteps.

Yeah, I spent so much time searching for the perfect builds for Tactician, then realized it wasn't necessary lol. Nothing wrong with plain ol' 12 levels in Wizard!

I really appreciate you being so forward up front in the video

This is the first video that actually makes sense thanks bro ❤

I needed to hear this. I wanted to love the game but I just felt overwhelmed every time I loaded it up thinking I was doing things wrong or missing out. But just going for it regardless is the best way

Awesome video! Thanks for covering such an under-discussed topic. Great reminder that FUN comes #1

Thank you for the advice. I made a human great old one warlock who is a noble. A hour in I realised I'm practicly playing as the Ancestor from Darkest Dungeon.

this is exactly what i needed to hear, gonna go make my new character and just have fun :) thank you!!!

❤❤ thank you for this!!! I have gotten so caught up in build videos, I forget to just be and not just shoot to max out damage. On I go to actually enjoy the game because of my own me-ness lol

I think i've put 60 hours into act 1? I just made it to the shadow curse area lol. I don't think I could have possibly missed anything, but i probably did. This game knows no bounds my god.

Much appreciated video. I have serious FOMO and manage to move a few feet every couple of hours. I believe Withers just cringes when he sees me headed his way. I imagine one day Withers will say, 'Really?? I just resurrected you yesterday." I'm just glad he never looks behind him to see Astarion reaching into his pockets. I don't know why it didn't really occur to me to completely change a companion's class instead of tweaking like I've done. I changed from a rogue/ranger to sorlock just so I could keep Astarion in the group and hear his story. good video as usual, I just remembered to subscribe too.

This is the best of your videos for BG3!

Thanks for this video. It really helped me let go the urge to make a ‘strong’ character. But to make a character that is actually fun to play. Such a difference with playing Elden Ring or Diablo 4..

This comment section is so comforting bc ive bren playing as a warlock and trying to do it the 'right' way and keep changing my mind so many times. Im gonna try again and have funn

This is the best video on analysis paralysis I’ve ever seen. Thank you.

After almost 700 hours of playing BG3 I got burnt out on it. Then I played some other games and even started my first playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077 and was having a blast. However, the tadpole just kept pulling me back and now I'm having a blast in BG3 on a new run and just enjoying discovering things and not trying to analyze it. Good work

Thank you so much. I’m new to streaming, BG3 and DND, and I’ve had quite a few viewers who have been demanding I change my build/specs, as well have explained (rudely and without my confirmation) to me why mine are inefficient. This helps a lot.

I needed this, I’ve been planning what to do in my next playthrough for like a week instead of just playing it 😑

Great approach! Well stated info and great topic!

Great video. I've been trying my best to just let things happen as the dice roll, but I've also been reloading saves to see what the other options look like. With a busy life and a small kid I'll probly only get the chance to finish this 1 playthrough so I want to see lots of different things while I can.

Thank you so much. Those were great advices. I'll just try to play the game and enjoy it when I have free time