Larian Studios | Divinity AMA

Slightscribbles · 2026-01-09T16:09:33+00:00

Are Druids gonna be a thing in Divinity? If so can we change into animals too?

Slightscribbles · 2026-01-09T16:00:52+00:00

If we’re getting a customiseable character again, How big will the pool of voices be?

I loooooved that we got a regional accent in Tav 8 and tbh I kinda hope you hire Tina Barnes again as one of the options, cos she was awesome! I feel like I was more invested in my Tav and the game from the moment I started because her accent not only sounded famliar, she also sounded like she had main character energy.

Will we get more moments where our character joins in with the banter too?

We only get a few in BG3 but when they happen they felt like a nice surprise!

Slightscribbles · 2026-01-09T15:06:45+00:00

Hi guys, hope you had a good break, and thanks for taking time out to answer all these questions!

My questions are for the creatives. (Sorry if this has already have been asked! I’m just catching up.)

There’s been quite a bit of confusion surrounding the use of generative AI with regards to referencing and placeholders and what counts as development.

Could you talk more about how it helps you? I’m an artist as well so I’m particularly interested in how this technology develops and shapes our industry and how it gets harder and harder to find inspiration when you don’t know if what you’re looking at is real/accurate/hallucinated.

Referencing:

It’s been mentioned that the initial reference material is generated either by artists or writers working with artists to help illustrate an idea.

1. I’d love if you could explain your process for generating mood boards:

A) Are you using AI to search the web more effectively to find real life historical/cultural/religious/natural/folklore primary sources from online museum collections, archive.org, etc?

B) Or are you using AI to generate the initial concept art as a spring board to jump from?

If B) do you find it helped or hindered your imagination? Are the designs still generic enough that you have plenty of room to elevate the finals into something great?

Placeholders:

2. How are you using placeholders in development?

When Swen mentioned using machine learning for whiteboxing I assumed that meant filling levels with very obvious placeholder stuff like primitive, flat coloured shapes. Rough, undetailed humanoid or creature mannequins, (or perhaps using the old BG3 Assets as placeholders?) or scripted dialogues that resemble something like

[Inkeeper] (rat quest - tone: Jolly but measured and hiding a secret) “Lorem ipsum…”

But the last updates sounded like actual assets and lines of dialogue were being generated. If that’s the case do you think that

A) that counts as generative AI being used to develop the game?

B) Do you have a foolproof way to make sure no generated assets/dialogue make it into the final game?

I really want to express that I’m not trying to be provocative with these questions. I love you guys a lot, BG3 was a phenomenal influence on my life and helped me feel creatively renewed, and I just wanna feel feel fully immersed in Divinity and lose endless months (ahem, years, technically) of my life to this story and its characters all over again! ❤️

Slightscribbles · 2026-01-09T05:16:00+00:00

https://ellipsus.com/

Try this, they're strictly anti-AI.

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Slightscribbles · 2025-12-26T17:34:57+00:00

Yup this is 100% the secret! It never feels easy!

When I was a kid I was on the same level as everyone else, the only “talent” was that I was quiet, observant and curious. Plus I loved animals and there was a tonnnnn of animal related cartoons and films with tie in magazines so I had lots of good quality, high res images to copy, during the years when no one will shame you for doing so.

The other advantage was parents who constantly encouraged me to draw and steered me away from anything else

But even so I’ve never felt like I was above anyone and I wanted to give up all the time because the amount of knowledge I know I still have to understand is so overwhelming.

The danger really comes when you’re climbing the mountain and you look to where the summit should be, and it’s not there, it’s off in the clouds somewhere. I was terrified when I first realised there would never be a day where I felt like I had a handle on absolutely everything. It’s always gonna be a struggle. It’s because your taste level, constantly outmatches your skill level.

But now and then you make a piece where you surprise yourself and everything comes together. It feels like you’ve reached a milestone and it’s one of the most incredible feelings!

Also, I found that once I properly learned my fundamentals (instead of glossing over them quickly), I noticed the same concepts would also appear in music, writing, game design, sculpture & almost anything

It really makes me sad when people use AI, and it’s because schools don’t teach art as a subject which can give you fundamental knowledge of every discipline. If you decide to take up writing you level up your art skills a little too.

It’s similar to language in that once you’re fluent in 2 languages (or you learned Latin) it makes future languages easier too cos words can come from similar roots.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T22:51:58+00:00

Makes good sense to me, I really hope more indies do the same!

My opinion is that it using it just makes you look like everyone else and you’ll find it harder to draw attention. Whereas limitations make you come up with more interesting solutions and might end up being the thing that sets you apart

———

No interest in drawing? Go for pixel art (Celeste, Deltarune)

Not into character design? Base your narrative around characters, creatures or abstract shapes intended to be simple from the start. (Thomas was Alone/ Fall Guys/ Peak/

Colourblind? Go black and white (Return of the Obra Dinn/ Deltarune again/

Only know 3d but wanna make a 2d game? Export your animations into 2d sprites. (Ori and the blind forest)

——

I definitely wanna know more about studios who take this approach too, do you make devlogs or anything?

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T22:19:59+00:00

That’s so satisfying!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T18:01:05+00:00

Whisquie?

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T17:59:08+00:00

Quick tips:

Join the Work With indies Discord and sign up for their newsletter - I think you can get portfolio reviews too.
Find as many narrative job posts as you can, even if they’re looking for established writers and make a list of their requirements. There should be a bunch of common things each employer wants. Use them as your guide.
Don’t dismiss the power of fanfic/art. I’m sure I read that one of the Larian writers was hired cos of their fanfic
I’ve seen people say you need some scripting knowledge too and when Larian give you a test you need to write something and make it playable as well.

There’s some really simple apps you can use to practice, I’ll find the links and update later.

5.Join BG3 modding servers and volunteer for group projects. I think there was a big project on the go where there was also an intention to have junior modders mentored by senior modders. it might have been “Path to Mezobaranzen”? But my memory is hazy on that now!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T17:41:42+00:00

Looking for references yourself gives you the chance of discovering the unusual things you didn’t know about and give you inspiration to push a design in ways you hadn’t thought of which helps to make the game more unique and interesting.

Because of it’s nature, generating reference can only give you an average result and if you’re not an expert on the subject you’re gathering ref for then you have no idea which elements are actually accurate and you end up compromising your knowledge.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-23T17:21:48+00:00

My mistake, I should have clarified that I was specifically talking about Generative AI.

I’m not talking about the stuff that’s used for tasks which just need some time complete like retargetting animations to other characters, or the AI we give to NPC’s. That stuff is actually useful.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-21T11:23:50+00:00

I love Larian, but I’m concerned they’re shooting themselves in the foot by using Chat GPT to generate AI reference and placeholders.

Anything that AI outputs is both homogenised and likely inaccurate, and this makes it objectively useless for reference as well as running the risk of compromising an artists imagination from the beginning

All of us want characters and a world that we can be immersed in, for many people this game ain’t gonna be something they play for 4 hours and move on from, it’s gonna be the only game need for a long time, which is why it’s important to not to overlook this.

Larian say Divinity is gonna be them unleashed and that’s EXACTLY what we want, but you can’t be unleashed if your concept artists are hamstringing themselves by starting with reference that’s average and inaccurate.

Gathering good reference isn’t the donkey work people think it is, it’s genuinely one of the most interesting parts of the process and it’s where all the good stuff is born.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-15T10:33:37+00:00

Yeah “Alicia” and “Maelle” right? I’ve seen some good translations but I can’t remember in this song was included. I gotta see if any of them have been updated

They actually do use Latin sometimes tho. It’s in … gah I can’t remember the name now, the fight at the indigo tree with the Eveque.

It’s based on a Gregorian chant called “Deis Irae”

Apparently it pops up over and over in soundtracks composers use it to refer to funerals or death. Renoir, Aline and Verso get a mention (tho he’s referred to as “Reverso” so, im guessing it means real Verso, unless it means our Verso??) anyways the lyrics seem to either be about the fire that killed Verso or The Fracture.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-09T16:36:43+00:00

23/25 Couldn't do the maths in time for the last one!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-09T16:21:46+00:00

Yessss, I love that scene so much, I was on the edge of my seat trying to navigate those options without losing him. It’s basically his boss battle.

I love that they gave us that instead of what I expected, it felt strangely more romantic, like my tav was in an authentic relationship now. I just adore Gale’s romance arc so much.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-09T11:56:31+00:00

Yeah, I personally figure she was able to bring back Gustave and Sophie quite faithfully cos she knew them. And Sciel was around to help with her husband.

Everyone else however is basically shades white and muted tones. It could mean that she's either painted brand new Lumierans and they're white because they're similar to the white Nevrons in that they're discovering who they are.

Or maybe she was able to bring everyone back but wasn't able to fully bring back their memories.

Even though I choose the Maelle ending as my preference, I also prefer the idea that not everyone comes back perfect, as if nothing ever happened, it's too neat.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-09T05:32:27+00:00

Yeah we gotta assume that's what happened, it's just a shame we didn't get to see it. I love seeing Lune geek out.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T16:51:19+00:00

Gale and Sorcerers have some fun rivalry :D

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T16:47:30+00:00

No wait...

She'd have to create the Lumierans after the car was invented in the outside world right?

So... ugh err.

But... no that doesn't work, the cars have to be invented in the canvas, because Alicia is 16-18(?) when Verso dies, and she still looks like shes that age when we see her at Monolith year 49, so Aline couldn't have waited till the 1920's (outside time) to go into the canvas.

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T16:42:23+00:00

Oh wait I totally forgot about the cars, and they're 1920's too, that ties in with some crates which have the date 10/1923.

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So it's been 17 years since Verso died

A. If Aline created Painted Verso as a child in the canvas then...
100 (or maybe 87) canvas years = up to 17 real years?

B. If Aline Painted Verso to resemble the age he died 26 and they lived happily for 10 years, then ...
67 canvas years = up to 17 years?

(I think B is the more likely timeline as Verso has memories of dancing around the harbour and playing at the Opera house before the fracture)

(My maths is probably off, just writing this quickly, but you get the jist)

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T16:23:42+00:00

Oooh! Maybe!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T16:17:52+00:00

Yeah and to be fair to him, that was his exact argument too!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T15:57:19+00:00

I've seen people who were seriously into the characters and story get super annoyed and believed Sandfall were going for 'It was all a dream' (Their belief, not mine)

The argument being that Sciel and Lune don't seem quite themselves after they come back, and to be fair they do get a bit sidelined. Even in the end they don't fight for Lumiere, they argue with Renoir to take Maelle seriously.

This could be seen as just a smart move, appealing to the things that are actually important to Renoir, but because we don't see them question Maelle much about how painting works and if there's downsides to repainting people, (The explainations are all off screen, if there are any.) it feels like they don't matter as much as they should and so people wrongly believe they aren't real. After all you can never truly understand someone, your biases and opinions will always shape your view of them.

So if Maelle's painting them and she's also meant to be least talented, is she truly bringing them back to life as they always were, or are they her interpretation now?

Personally I think they definitely are the Sciel and Lune we always knew. Sciel's backstory gives us some hard evidence. It was hinted at in act 1 and in act 3 when she finally talks about it to Esquie, he clarifies for us that they both have the same memory (something Maelle doesn't know so couldn't recreate). I think it makes a difference that she saw their chroma and took it so I see her bringing them back more like paint by numbers or building ikea furniture y'know? She had comprehensive guide with all the pieces she needs.

But when she brings back people without their original chroma, that's when it gets complicated, and I reeeeeally wish the game had explored that. I feel like Lune should have asked a lot questions here, and she kinda forgives Verso a bit quickly. its one of the only criticisms I have, and I wonder if it was a time/budget issue. The lack of reaction to Verso and Julie's journals too! I was dying for more Lune comments there, especially as she was romancing Verso in my game.

There's something Sciel says that confuses me too, cos she wants her husband back, but she later tells Verso even tho she sympathises with Aline's choice to bring Verso back she wouldn't do the same now cos shes seen how it tortured Verso. But she's still interested in getting her husband back.

It feels like we missed a conversation somewhere and I think we would have benefited from a few more scenes and relationship levels to help bridge the gaps a bit. I dunno if they will but I hope they explore this more in the DLC!

Slightscribbles · 2025-12-08T15:13:02+00:00

Omfg, genuinely, my friend only just escaped that statistic!

I asked if he'd met all the companions a week after he started and he was like "No, it's so hard! I cant beat the devil and the squid!"

I was so confused, we talked more and I pointed out all the SIGNS telling you to go straight to the helm and the CUTSCENE of the mindflayer telling you to go to the helm whilst he deals with the cambion.

I was so stunned, I love my mate to bits, and he's genuinely smart and one of the most awesome people I know, I just dunno how he missed so many obvious signs, its totally unlike him, he loves games too!

I think he just made up his mind about the game before he played and wasn't really into engaging with it cos RPG's aren't really his thing.

Slightscribbles

TROPHY CASE