Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Patch 8, better known dramatically as the Final Patch, has implemented plenty of new game-changing features to the hit RPG alongside the standard bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements players are used to. However, one seemingly minor quality-of-life improvement could be potentially game-changing forBaldur’s Gate 3players with too much gold on their hands.
Some of the biggest additions, changes, and improvementsadded toBaldur’s Gate 3in Patch 8include multiplayer crossplay on all the game’s platforms, a new in-game photo mode, and twelve new subclasses, including Path of the giant Barbarian, College of Glamour Bard, Death Domain Cleric, Circle of Stars Druid, Arcane Archer Fighter, Way of the Drunken Master Monk, Oath of the Crown Paladin, Swarmkeeper Ranger, Swashbuckler Rogue, Shadow Magic Sorcerer, Hexblade Warlock, and Bladesinging Wizard. The game even added Steam Trading Card support in this patch and finally gave Xbox Series S players a split-screen mode, among other improvements.
Merchants Receive a UI Update in Baldur’s Gate 3
Yet, one of the best quality-of-life and user interfaceimprovements featured inBaldur’s Gate 3’s Final Patchseems much smaller in scale compared to these brand-new additions. Even seasoned gamers were initially intimidated by the scope ofBaldur’s Gate 3, with its huge yet intricate environment. Players trying out the game for the first time must become acquainted with their world map if they want to succeed and progress the plot of the hit RPG forward. While traders aren’t necessarily utilized by every player in everyBaldur’s Gate 3run, they are an incredibly useful resource and are also integral to specific quests should players choose to accept them, so it’s vital to keep tabs on them.
However, finding the traders necessary for these specific quests can be difficult, as these NPCs are often merely mentioned by their name and a vague location, rather than a specific direction. Things are cleared up slightly inAct 3 ofBaldur’s Gate 3, as the titular town has many storefronts that players can navigate to. But Larian Studios has fortunately given players struggling to seek out these NPCs a new guide in Patch 8. Merchants have been marked with a money bag on the game’s world map for quite some time, but players can now see where these traders are located on the world map at any point now, regardless of distance.
How this QOL Improvement Can Help Novice BG3 Players
This quality-of-life improvement makes retracing steps much easier for players who have accidentally sold off something they need in the long run, or for players popping by a certain part of town. Rather than going on a wild goose chase for a specific merchant, players can simply locate where the merchant is on the map by name, and then portal to them. While, as mentioned, this user interface change is helpful for players in Act 3 of a run,Act 2 ofBaldur’s Gate 3also has an incredibly large map. With much of this portion of the game shrouded in darkness as well, this user interface update will also be beneficial to players who struggle throughout Act 2.
In fact, the exact wording of this update mentions distance specifically, suggesting that Larian implemented this feature to help with Acts 2 and 3. It’s very easy toburn through materials in Act 2, and merchants are few and far between during this portion of the game’s plot. Another key phrase in this portion of the update is that merchants will be listed on the world map if they are “available,” meaning if they are non-hostile and alive. It seems that this part of the update is meant to encourage players to keep trading withBaldur’s Gate 3’s merchants and cultivate relationships with them, rather than robbing merchants blind. Overall, this quality-of-life improvement will be helpful to newer players of the game, though veteranBaldur’s Gate 3players shouldn’t sleep on this improvement by any means.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
