Out of everybody in my circles, I really feel like the one particular person left who hasn’t overwhelmed Baldur’s Gate 3. The FOMO of lacking out on everybody’s new favourite toy isn’t one thing that sometimes compels me, however god — it’s like I don’t make a dent in exploring Faerûn. I do know why; I don’t wish to admit this, however in some unspecified time in the future, I’ve bought to cease selecting up each bone, rotten basket, and fork I discover.

Okay, in my protection, it’s not that dangerous anymore. I finished selecting up hoards of goblin rubbish on the finish of Act I, although not of my very own volition. After approaching the 80 to 90-hour mark — that’s shaving off a beneficiant Early Entry estimate — a pal watching me stream over Discord gently prodded me in the best path: “Christ, Andrea, you don’t want a list of damaged lutes?”

However what if I do? What if I get deep into Act II, and a few wayward Bard asks if I’ve a dozen spare damaged devices? I could possibly be one brief, miss some bizarre Karlach-related lore, and spend one other hundred hours agonizing over my selections.

Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t actually try this, although. It’s much better concerning the merchandise state of affairs than I gave it credit score for. It wasn’t till I hit that Act I conclusion that I actually started accepting my trash-collecting nervousness wasn’t actually rational. I say it tongue-in-cheek, but additionally utterly severe: I’m positively neurotic in the best way that impacts how I work together with some video games (numerous video games), however sizzling rattling does it ever come out in RPGs.

For context, I’m the kind to fuss over speaking to that lone NPC hidden upstairs at the back of a darkish inn, refusing to maneuver on till I do know what they are saying earlier than, throughout, and after my battle in opposition to god. It’s led me to numerous cool experiences that aren’t precisely helpful day-to-day life expertise, however figuring out silly details about my favourite worlds does carry me some pleasure.

However the BG3 merchandise factor? I swear it was killing me. Not solely was I selecting every part up, however I used to be organizing all of them by worth of the trash, kind of trash, if I fancied the trash, so on, so on. I by no means actually as soon as requested, “Ought to I be doing this?” and let my habits spiral into catastrophe.

Whereas my want to be thorough, put within the nicest means potential, led me to some neat finds, I’ve gotta marvel what number of hours I wasted selecting deserted cellars clear and sorting the junk neatly into containers. I reckon it was tickling the identical a part of the mind tadpole that likes PowerWash Simulator or gathering every part in Last Fantasy XIV, however I extremely suggest not enjoying BG3 like that.

What I’ll rationalize as positive, although, is combing for the neat stuff and protecting it. I’ve bought each pair of lingerie I might ever wish to drop Karlach and my Tav in, and my rising BG3 library is a lore-laden treasure trove of goofy in-universe fan fics, letters, and books on Mindflayer anatomy.

It’s been months now since most of my pals completed up their first playthroughs, and whereas I’ve bought perhaps one or two quests left, I’m nonetheless not achieved. I don’t know what my actual timer is at anymore, thanks to some prolonged durations of leaving the sport working, and perhaps that’s for the higher. I’ve deserted my worst behavior of selecting up something and every part, however I nonetheless dig via each single container in some unusual man’s attic, in search of precise goodies. After which I’m going again and double-check, , simply in case I missed one.

I nonetheless arrange my stock simply so, too, whereas limiting myself to a choose few containers. By some requirements, I’d wish to suppose my BG3 stock is extremely tame after promoting off all of the junk. I’ll, nevertheless, nonetheless spend an hour or so of my time after a session rigorously transferring and tossing objects. There’s the extremely helpful Higher Stock UI mod, which is surprisingly one of many few I’ve uncared for, however my pals swear by it, so I’ll get it going finally.

Till then, give me a pat on the again for making it to Act III and dropping the chests of rotten cheese. I’m excited to lastly beat this behemoth of a recreation myself earlier than looping again to do it throughout as Darkish Urge. I swear this time, I gained’t spend a decade rearranging my chest of scrolls, both.