Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content (2024)

Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

TL;DR:

The Problem:

Long resting is a very important aspect of BG3. Mechanically, long resting is tied to replenishing resources, as spell slots and other in-game resources are replenished only when taking a long rest. Naturally, this encourages players to take long rests when they are out of resources, or near to it. Furthermore, the story telling of the game doubles down on this idea that long rests should be used sparingly by constantly emphasizing time-sensitive plot lines. Even the underlying premise of the game pushes this sense of time-urgency: the player is imminently going to turn into a mind flayer, unless they resolve the tadpole issue quickly. A number of other seemingly time-sensitive events are introduced throughout the game later on and further help to enforce this idea that bad things will happen if you long rest too much.

Quite the opposite proves to be true, however, as most of the narrative content in the game is tied behind long resting early and often. A lot of companion or main story narratives are only triggered when the party makes camp for the night. What makes it worse is that the number of narrative events that can occur each night is capped at one. This means that, if the player has progressed far enough within the span of an in-game day where multiple narrative events can trigger, only one of them can be played out when the player makes camp for the night, and the remainders are left in a queue to wait to be played the next time the player makes camp. This sounds good in theory, however, if the player continues on with the story before making camp for the night and resting again, it is likely for them to trigger even more narrative events that get stuck behind the ones that are already queued up. If this continues for a number of in-game days, the queue can get so large that, by the time the character leaves the Act those narrative events are tied to or even finishes the game before they take the required number of long rests to clear the queue, the player will miss out on story content altogether.

For the main story points, this isn't very problematic as they tend to take priority over more optional narrative scenes. When it comes to advancing a companion's non-essential narrative, however, it can be quite frustrating because if the player does not long rest enough, they may miss out on important parts of their companion character's development. One method of preventing this from happening that is common on this sub is to "spam" long rests, in which the player will take a long rest solely for the story elements that may be tied to it, then upon waking up the next morning, immediately take another long rest, or multiple others, for the same reason. This feels not only like a waste of resources, as it replenishes spell slots and other resources that haven't even been spent yet, but also directly contradicts the time-urgency that the plot of the game so preciously sets up.

Locking narrative events behind the long-rest mechanic when it also serves as the only reliable method to restore player resources punishes the player for being too resource-efficient in their encounters, and actually rewards players that deplete their resources more quickly. As a player, expending your resources more quickly results in taking long rests more frequently, and consequentially, allows a greater number of narrative events to be encountered throughout the game. In contrast, if a player is efficient in the use of the resources that are given to them and also takes heed of the games story telling in that time is of the essence, they will take less long rests throughout the course of the game and run the risk of missing valuable narrative content.

This is a backward-reward mechanism. In videogames, it is universally considered that being more efficient with the resources at your disposal and being able to accomplish more with less is a good thing. Its the separating difference between a good player and a bad player. Here is an over-simplified example: all players are given xyz resources, but Player A is able to accomplish more than Player B while utilizing the same xyz resources. The results of this would indicate that Player A is a better player than Player B. This is how videogames (and basic efficiency in anything, really) work, and why more efficient players are often rewarded over less-efficient players. It makes no sense that the more efficient players be punished by missing out on story content in BG3.

The long-rest-dependent narrative elements aren't a problem in of themselves, however. In fact, from a story telling standpoint, it makes sense that a lot of these narrative events occur in the player's camp at night.

The problem isn't that player resources being replenished are tied to long rests, either. The game needs a mechanic of limited resources that can only be replenished sparingly, otherwise the game would be too easy.

The problem isn't even that the game narratively pushes you toward time urgency. This is an important plot element that helps raise the stakes.

The problem is this: the number of narrative events that can occur every long rest is capped at one narrative event per long rest.

The Solution:

The solution is really simple. Like stupidly simple. And this is it: remove the cap of one narrative event per long rest in favor of allowing multiple narrative events to be played out each long rest.

This would accomplish a few very important things:

1. It would allow more of the story's plot points to occur over a fewer number of in-game days, which better fits the time-sensitivity that is baked into the game's main plot line and side plots.
2. It would remove the feeling of being punished if the player does not take enough long rests, which at times can feel like the player is being punished for being too good at the game.
3. It would make it a lot easier for the player to experience more of the narrative events of the story, and make it a lot more difficult to accidentally miss out on important cut scenes.
4. It would eliminate the need to take long rests solely for the sake of advancing the narrative and not for replenishing game resources, which feels backward and totally against both the game's mechanics and also the time-urgency built into its story.

Obviously, certain long rests would still require only one narrative event be played out during them, namely the Goblin or Tiefling party long rest in Act 1, the long rest when transitioning between the Act 2 zone and the Act 3 zone, and I'm sure a few others that I can't quite recall right now. For the most part, however, there is almost no reason why a generic long rest can't have multiple narrative events play out on the same night. Why can't I both have a dream, and then also be woken up by a certain companion in the middle of the same night? This solution just makes too much sense.

I'd love to hear what others think about this idea, perhaps there are some major downsides that I have completely missed altogether. Feel free to comment, critique, criticize, and share your opinions.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94458704/07/24 11:54 PM

I completely agree with you, even made a thread about it ages ago pointing out exact same issues and similar suggestions, but unfortunately it seems at this point Larian just couldn't come up with a proper solution to solve the issue.

Having story bits about our companions locked behind manual resting and losing out on it because we progressed too far by taking 5 steps from the beach is just terrible design that clashes against both gameplay and narrative perspective. It came to the point where I instinctively know exact moments when I need to rest solely for the sake of not missing story content, so my every playthrough starts like this;

• Clear everything on the beach up until the Grove's introductory fight = REST
• Then do everything in the Grove except talking to Zorru, Nettie, Ethel or Sazza = REST
• Then talk to Zorru, Nettie, Ethel, Sazza = REST
• Then go out and explore a bit until Raphael shows up = REST
• Then go rescue Karlach = REST

The amount of times I had the long-rest queue system skip over my scene with Gale looking at his projection of Mystra and locking me out of his romance because of it... urgh. Don't like the long rest mechanic at all because of this, to me it's just a 'CLICK ME FOR MORE STORY' button or otherwise lose it. Awfully done in comparison to Divinity Original Sin 2 where the party would seamlessly have their own moments to reflect on everything that's happening.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

Crimsomrider#94459105/07/24 03:42 AM

I'm glad you share my sentiment! I'm sure we are not alone in this.

Could you link your previous post?

I, and I'm sure others who might find their way onto this thread, would love to take a look at it.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94459405/07/24 05:19 AM

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

illeaillas-san#94459505/07/24 05:51 AM

I disagree that the game would be too empty if multiple scenes were allowed to be played on a single long rest.

In addition to triggering events to get some of these cut scenes also exist a location requirement: long resting in certain areas of the map will only play camp events associated with that area, and if you move out of an area before long resting, the camp events associated with that area won't play.

Removing the limit of the number of scenes that can play during a long rest, but keeping these location requirements, will still allow for meaningful long rests throughout the game.

For example, let's say you have 4 camp events queued up. 2x of these are Grove related events, while the other 2x are blighted village camp events. If you long rest in the grove, only the 2 camp events associated with the grove location will play that night. Then, in order to trigger the next 2 blighted village events, the player character would have to travel to the blighted village and long rest there in order to get them to play.

This system would still allow for a healthy staggering of camp events throughout the game, and if the player gets to a point where long rests are no longer triggering camp events, it could serve as an indication that they may need to explore new areas to further advance their game.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94462905/07/24 09:06 PM

Location: Italy

It was a very common reason of complaint during the entire early access and I wouldn't really say it got any better at release... Quite possibly worse, in fact,

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94471308/07/24 03:03 AM

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94471708/07/24 12:56 PM

This has been a common issue amongst friends where every time I get them to play BG3 I have to make it explicit they need to long rest a lot.
I think it'd be enough if the game very clearly warned you about this design choice. You can always rest without using supplies as to not waste them.

Another issue I've seen though, is certain long rest interactions not being notified with the typical "!", such as the cryptid that is Shadowheart's "Sharran doubts" scene. I didn't even know it existed until someone made a video about it, and not only is it hard to even trigger in the first place, but the game doesn't tell you that she wants to talk and once you long rest that scene is gone forever.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94474409/07/24 12:07 PM

Location: Italy

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

Tuco#94474509/07/24 12:13 PM

Well, yes. But I also know tons of friends who were somehow unaware you could rest without using supplies, and as first-timers might be unaware that they're pretty abundant at all times. And sometimes, because of this design choice Larian has when it comes to long resting and triggering content, I have found myself needing to rest often to trigger scenes even though I have all or most my HP and spells, so there's no point in using those resources.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94474609/07/24 02:41 PM

If you utilise all the party members, then the amount of long rests reduces significantly as well. I have a habit of wanting to put the different characters out in the field just to have variation to the combats. So if I have used up all my cleric's spell slots, I slot in the warlock until they've expended their short rests and spell slots, and then I might still have a wizard who hasn't used any of their spells yet.

But with multiple playthroughs, I've pretty much seen all the camp cutscenes by now, so it doesn't matter too much if I miss a few. But sometimes I am all the way at the end of act 2 before Owlbear comes to join the camp.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

Tuco#94475009/07/24 07:06 PM

I agree, supplies are not an issue. And, they aren't the issue in the problem outlined above either.

The issue is that the story telling of the game very heavily pushes a sense of time-urgency and compels players to complete as much as they can in as short a time as possible, while at the same time punishing them for not long resting enough by locking them out of certain narrative events that can only occur if they had long rested more frequently and been less efficient in their management of the passage of in-game time.

The result is a reverse-reward mechanism in which progressing through the game as efficiently as possible yields a less complete narrative experience.

Allowing multiple narrative events to occur each night (instead of limiting it to only one event per night) would eliminate this problem, and allow all players to experience a greater number of narrative events throughout the game, regardless of how efficient they are in their use of resources or the passage of in-game time.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

twing1#94492213/07/24 12:17 PM

As a casual player I read of this issue for the first time.
It is sad that a player will miss some content without knowing, if I understood correctly, if he longrests in the wrong place or at the wrong time. I totally thought the cutscenes will come eventually.

Answer for all is indeed that if you play enough runs you won't always miss the same night cutscene. I myself don't plan to play so many runs, I won't try all subclasses or all origin campaigns. Knowing I will miss some content too bothers me a bit. Meh.

Question fot the experts: I am not longresting that much (because of the dayly buffs i'm lazy to distribute every time) and somethimes one of my companions tells me he is tired and we shoul rest. Do they say so because there is some nighty content to show? Infact the party has still spell slots or other "once per day" actions; If it is not the case maybe this could be the minimum needed hint that there is nighty content waiting for the player to rest. Devs could address those quotes (if, and I'm not that convinced, it already is the case)

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

giannikampa#94493113/07/24 03:24 PM

I wouldn't call myself an expert, but that is not related (factually) to an event being available, but (by rumour) to an exhaustion mechanic that was later removed. The only NPC we ever meet with the exhaustion effect is a bird in the grove. It's a debuff and notable nerf to classes like barbarian, where every rage builds up exhaustion. The result of critical exhaustion is death. Of course, we don't have that mechanic in the released game.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

Silver/#94493413/07/24 04:02 PM

Well there is no barbarian in my party. I did not take track of who asked for longrest and which specific condition he/she was, if any. I just ignored them.
Btw devs could totally consider to switch that random comment from whatever it is triggered by now to an (surprise surprise) event available in camp

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

giannikampa#94493513/07/24 04:15 PM

That has certainly been requested a lot, since sometimes they complain after only one short encounter.

Re: Not Long Resting Enough Skips Content

giannikampa#94493913/07/24 04:44 PM

Your compabion's saying they need a rest, or even Tav themselves, has no correlation with camp events being triggered.

If you want to see as much content as you can on a single playthrough, the most rigid long rest timeline to follow is actually at the very beginning of the game, as most other camp encounters will queue up as expected once you get to the underdark/mountain pass and into act 2 and beyond.

In order to get the most content in act 1, follow this rough guide on when to long rest:

Wake up on beach -> long rest (optional, just an introspective Tav scene for cuisine race flavor. Personally I would skip this one as it doesn't make narrative sense to rest as soon as you wake up)

Collect Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, and withers -> long rest after leaving the tomb you find withers in

Collect Lae'zel, introductory Grove goblin fight, Collect Wyll -> long rest

Talk to everyone else in Grove and do the rest of the Grove encounters, but especially Nettie, Zorru (with Lae'zel in party), and Sazza -> long rest

Collect Karlach -> long rest

From this point forward, you shouldn't be missing content as long as you take enough long rests through the rest of act 1, as the other scenes will start queueing up and aren't dependent on location/progressing further into the game.