I’ve been a huge fan ofBaldur’s Gate 3, and the announcement ofofficial console mod support comingthis fall has me buzzing with excitement. Larian Studios has been listening to the community, and they’re ready to bring us their first iteration of modding tools along with a slew of fixes and quality-of-life improvements. The promise of being able to customize my game on console, something I’ve never really had the chance to do before, is thrilling.
Modding Madness Begins
The update will roll out in September, introducing a toolkit that allows for a wide range of customizations. One humorous example given by Larian was the ability to give Lae’zel a mullet. While that might not be my first choice, the idea of having such freedom is exhilarating.
As a console gamer, I’ve often felt left out of the modding loop. Seeing my friends on social media easily tweak their games to fix minor annoyances, while I’m stuck with the base game, has been frustrating.
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I remember back when I played the Mass Effect trilogy on Xbox. I went through an insane process to try and get a mod that was initially for PC to work on my console. This mod was to make Kaidan romanceable by a male Shepard, something that wasn’t officially allowed until the third game. The process involved plugging the memory bin of the Xbox into my PC, downloading save files, and renaming them so they could transfer between PC and Xbox. It was so cumbersome and tedious that I swore never to do it again. Plus, the mod was glitchy, with unvoiced dialogue lines, making the experience rather strange.
Dreaming of Divine Glam
With Baldur’s Gate 3, I have big plans for mods. Firstly, I’d love to see my characters in late-game, god/goddess-style Greek outfits that look stunning on my main character and Halsin. The thought of creating a harem-like party with my queer character, Wyll, Astarion, and Gale all dressed as Greek deities from day one of our journey is thrilling.
I also hope for mods that allow characters to wield their weapons while wearing these clothing options. It’s always bothered me when weapons disappear just because I choose not to wear the armor.
Another aspect I’m looking forward to is expanding the variety of hairstyles and exploring more ethnic and black hairstyles for my character. While Larian Studios did a commendable job providing a range of hairstyles, I feel there’s always room for more diversity. Additionally, I’d love to see more options for facial hair. Customizing my character to reflect more of my personal style and heritage will make the game even more immersive for me.
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Console Customization Craze
This official mod support means I can finally dive into mods without the risk and hassle of unofficial workarounds. Larian Studios has already startedworking closely with a small team of mod authorsfrom the community in a closed alpha stage. This process will help them develop the modding tools further and bring existing mods to life using the new Baldur’s Gate 3 Toolkit. The closed alpha kicked off on June 3rd, and more mod authors will be invited over time.
By July, registration for a further closed beta will open, allowing roughly 1,000 players on PC to test the mods created during the alpha. This feedback period throughout the summer will enable Larian Studios to polish off Patch 7, ready for its September release. In the meantime, they are also working on an in-game photo mode, crossplay, and more fixes.
The Glamorous Future
For me, this will be a significant enhancement to my gaming experience. I’ll finally be able to address aesthetic grievances without feeling left out or having to endure the cumbersome process of trying to mod on a console. The ability to customize my game to this extent, officially supported by the developers, will undoubtedly deepen my love for Baldur’s Gate 3. Here’s to a more glamorous and personalized adventure in Baldur’s Gate 3!
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