Despite always preferring turn-based combat in RPGs, Pillars of Eternity designer Josh Sawyer thinks a lack of experience and opportunity meant the studio couldn't pull off a similar swing to Larian taking Baldur's Gate turn-based

Eder and Pallegina from Pillars of Eternity looking heroic with mountains and dragon in the background.

When I spoke to Obsidian studio design director Josh Sawyer earlier this year, I got his take on the apparent ultimate victory of turn-based combat over real time with pause (RTWP), as well as why he thinks turn-based fell off in the first place.

This begged the question: With both Baldur's Gate 3 and Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity games serving as successors to the original, RTWP Baldur's Gates, how was Larian able to so successfully sell a turn-based pivot for the series, while Obsidian decided it had to stick to the original style?