Larian's main focus for Divinity is 'to see how far we can push the diversity of companions' so intra-NPC relationships can feel more natural and complex

Arguably, the best part of any Larian game is its companions, each bringing a unique story and relationships that intertwine with the other friendly faces and the main story. Baldur's Gate 3 is the best example of this, with each of its 10 companions tying directly into the main story.

That said, it's not perfect, something even Adam Smith, Larian's writing director on its upcoming Divinity game, would agree with. When asked what his team's main focus for improvements would be in Divinity in the recent AMA on Reddit, Smith highlights one key focus: companions.

"I'd like the companions—and other characters—to feel like a more natural part of the world", Smith says, "I love the BG3 companions but the nature of their story means that they're mostly displaced, strangers in a strange land (some of them are returning home, but they're in unfamiliar territory as the game begins). I'd like to see how far we can push the diversity of companions and their stories even farther."

In this way, all of Baldur's Gate 3's companions have a similar story for ending up where they are, and even those with a rich history in the region are still somewhat lost for one reason or another, like Wyll.

"The nature of CRPGs is that there are often several stories happening simultaneously—whether that's a smaller quest alongside the main plot, a developing romance, a conflict between party members, or encounters with an antagonist. I'm focusing on mapping the shapes of those stories so that there's pleasing overlap in the narrative patterns."

It sounds like Larian has taken note of these and is shaping a party with more diverse reasons for being in the story, and perhaps even fewer companion stories that wind up inadvertently concluding in the main narrative or another companion's tale—sorry, Wyll.

In another thread, Smith specifically raises a focus on deepening character relationships in Divinity. As much as I love the inter-party dynamics in BG3 and many of the romance options, I can't help but feel that some are a tad too on-the-nose. Thankfully, Smith claims they're aiming "to ramp up player friendship and romance more subtly, so relationship building feels natural" this time around.

Smith also explains that the team wants "to have more interaction between companions—not just with more and better banter, but to have them develop deeper relationships with each other, just as they do with players." The party banter was one of my favourite parts of BG3, so more of that is always good in my book.