Baldur’s Gate 3 Speedrunner Mae
Speedrunning has become a competitive and thrilling scene for gamers worldwide, and one of the stars in this high-speed universe is Mae, a renowned Baldur’s Gate 3 speedrunner. Mae has not only set impressive records in various speedrun categories but also showcased her skills at the prestigious event Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ). Her achievements include world records in categories such as “All Acts,” “All Acts on the extra hard, permadeath Honour mode difficulty,” and the unique “Sex%” category, where the objective is to reach a sex scene in the game as quickly as possible.
While Mae continues to hold the “Sex%” world record for an earlier patch of the game, she has faced fierce competition in the post-patch era, with runner bisc recently surpassing her time. Despite the back-and-forth jousting for the top spot, Mae’s impact on the speedrunning community remains significant, as she continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Speedrunning Background
For Mae, the journey into the world of speedrunning began during the pandemic with an attempt at Undertale’s challenging ‘Genocide’ run. This initial foray into the fast-paced gaming challenge marked the start of what would become a significant part of her life. However, her passion for the CRPG genre predates her speedrunning endeavors. Mae has been a long-time fan of CRPGs, with titles like Dragon Age and Disco Elysium ranking among her favorites.
Her first experience with Baldur’s Gate 3 was a stark contrast to the speedrunning records she would later set. Mae invested a leisurely 80 hours into her first playthrough, immersing herself in the game’s rich narrative and complex mechanics. This initial completionist approach stands in sharp contrast to her current record-setting any% speedrun, which she has whittled down to an astonishing three-and-a-half minutes.
Despite her speedrunning success, Mae continues to enjoy CRPGs in a traditional sense as well. She actively participates in two different co-op campaigns, balancing the intensity of speedrunning with the depth and storytelling of cooperative play. Her favorite CRPGs, which have been a massive part of her life, include:
- Dragon Age
- Disco Elysium
- Owlcat’s Pathfinder series
- Warhammer 40K games
These games have not only provided countless hours of entertainment but have also influenced her approach to speedrunning, where she applies her deep understanding of CRPG mechanics to shave seconds off her run times.
The Shadowbox Factor
One of the reasons Baldur’s Gate 3 speedruns captivate audiences is the non-stop action and the array of mind-blowing tricks that players like Mae employ. These speedruns are devoid of downtime, ensuring there’s always something new and exciting happening on screen. A particularly game-changing trick in the speedrunning community is known as “Shadowboxing.”
- This glitch exploits the Divinity 4.0 engine’s mechanics, allowing players to pick up dead bodies, including those of companions and player characters, and store them in their inventory.
- It can lead to game-breaking outcomes, such as bypassing the entire second act of the game by dragging a companion’s body around outside the inventory.
- Another iteration of this glitch provided access to a developer test room filled with crucial story items, significantly shortening the game.
- Mae has refined this technique to skip large portions of the first act, further optimizing her speedrun times.
Mae’s current favorite trick is the “Bear Goomba Stomp,” also known as “Shadowbear.” This technique involves:
- Polymorphing into a bear and using the divide between real-time exploration and turn-based combat.
- Repeatedly jumping on the boss without breaking stealth, dealing significant damage.
- The damage scales with the height of the drop and the weight of the object, and in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can’t get much heavier than a bear.
The “Bear Goomba Stomp” was a community effort, with the concept being theorized as early as August. It wasn’t until December that the community managed to piece together the trick in a way that was faster than previous methods.
Mae’s Reflection on Internet Fame and Speedrunning
Mae’s ascent to internet fame within the speedrunning community has been a surreal experience for her. Recognized by her handle and profile image in various online spaces, she sometimes finds herself in the spotlight unexpectedly. While the recognition is undoubtedly cool, Mae admits there are moments when she yearns for the anonymity of being ‘Mae the Internet Stranger’ rather than ‘Mae the Sex Speedrunner.’
Despite the occasional desire for privacy, Mae is overwhelmingly positive about the impact that speedrunning has had on her life. She credits the community and the act of speedrunning itself with helping her manage anxiety and gain perspective on everyday challenges. The experience of being in the public eye has taught her that interactions, such as ordering a sandwich at Subway, are not as daunting as they once seemed.
Mae is deeply grateful for the opportunities that speedrunning has brought her, stating that it has “literally changed my entire life for the better.” She doesn’t take a single day for granted and is thankful for the chance to do what she loves. Her story is a testament to the transformative power of gaming communities and the personal growth that can come from pursuing one’s passions.
