Redefining Failure: Larian Tackles Save Scumming in Upcoming Divinity Game
The prevalence of "save scumming" – repeatedly saving and loading a game to manipulate outcomes – is a familiar phenomenon for many gamers. Baldur's Gate 3, despite its intricate systems and meaningful choices, wasn’t immune to this behavior. Players often quickloaded to re-roll skill checks or avoid undesirable consequences. Now, Larian Studios, the developers behind Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity series, are actively addressing this tendency in their next project.
Understanding Save Scumming
Save scumming, at its core, involves utilizing a game’s save/load functionality beyond simply backing up progress or recovering from a game over. It's often driven by the desire to avoid consequences and achieve desired outcomes through repeated attempts. While some view it as a natural extension of wish fulfillment – why experience failure in a fantasy world when real life is full of them? – others consider it a potential design flaw that can diminish the impact of choices and consequences.
Making Failure Interesting
During a recent Reddit AMA, Larian's writing director, Adam Smith, revealed the studio’s ambition to make failure more compelling. The goal isn't necessarily to eliminate save scumming entirely, but rather to ensure that even unsuccessful attempts lead to interesting and worthwhile experiences. Smith stated, “Our ambition is certainly to make failure more interesting,” hinting at scenarios where 'failure' could unlock unexpected or extensive plot developments.
Beyond Dice Rolls: Alternative Design Approaches
Lead systems designer Nick Pechenin echoed this sentiment, arguing that players are justified in using save/load mechanics and that designers should focus on making failure states inherently valuable. He drew a parallel to his own experience with Crusader Kings 3, where a cascading series of unfortunate events ultimately led to a surprisingly satisfying conclusion. Pechenin also suggested exploring features inspired by racing games – quick rewind options – to organically integrate the save/load impulse into gameplay.
Static Checks and System Prototypes
Beyond quick reloads, Larian experimented with “static checks” in Baldur's Gate 3. Unlike traditional skill checks reliant on random dice rolls, static checks require a minimum investment to succeed, eliminating the possibility of repeatedly reloading until a favorable outcome is achieved. While these weren’t fully implemented due to complexity concerns, they represent an avenue for discouraging save scumming and creating more consistent challenges.
Future Innovations: AI and Gameplay Systems
The studio has also shared details about its broader development approach. Larian will not be utilizing generative AI for concept art in the new Divinity game, but remains open to exploring its potential applications elsewhere. Furthermore, fans can expect a departure from certain mechanics present in Divinity: Original Sin 2, including the controversial armor system. However, one aspect that won't be changing is the control scheme; Larian has confirmed there will be no WASD movement support.
