From the first time I got a preview of "Baldur's Gate 3," I decided that my first play would be Astarion. divinity: Like Original Sin 2, Baldur's Gate 3 not only allows you to design custom characters, choose an origin character with a predefined history and a unique hook. This is one of the things I loved about "Original Sin 2" and a system I was eagerly awaiting its return.

Astarion caught my eye because he is a sexy vampire egg with quick wits, sharp fangs, and is forced to drink the blood of his friends. Tragedy, irony, blood, what more do we need?"

I also hoped that this would save me time spent on character creators. No need to bother anymore! But now Sven Vincke, CEO of Larian, has put the kibosh on the problem.

Vincke was at Dropped Frames talking to a group of young people about origin characters: "We are adding origin characters for replay value. I always pick a custom and discover a mate." I think originals come into their own when you replay them. That said, choosing an origin is not a bad thing; the whole origin system is about where you put the camera and whose head you put it in.

He thinks it works better to first meet these characters as companions, see how they react to things, learn their secrets, and then play them in future playthroughs to see things from a different perspective. Because you get to see it through their eyes." You know what Shadowheart was thinking when he first saw you" and now when you are in their head. That's an infuriatingly good point, and it's made me rethink my plan.

I fully expect to play "Baldur's Gate 3" multiple times, but many players may decide they don't have the time to replay an RPG that takes 80+ hours for the critical path alone. In that case, an origin character would seem to be the best choice, as it allows them to experience what they would not be able to experience with a regular custom character.

Of course, you can totally ignore Vincke's advice and stick with your original choice. But I also love the idea of making someone a companion and then playing at a later date to get to know him or her better. Custom characters have a bit more flexibility at the cost of unique origin hooks, like being a vampire or hearing creepy voices in your head. And you could still experience some of that by bringing them into the fold. Damn, this really bothers me. It's Monday and it's too much.