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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2020
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But to be honest, what else is there? Can you give me examples of further possible and logical conclusions to this story? I really can't think of any that would make much sense or are satisfying: How about: 3. Destroy the brain, take the crown.
3a. Keep the crown for yourself (semi evil ending)
3b. Give the crown to Raphael if you made a deal and he’s still alive (probably bad idea ending)
3c. Let Gale give the crown to Mystra (conclude his story arc and probably relatively safe)
3d. Give the crown to any party member showing an interest in being super powerful (I’m sure they can be trusted not to be too naughty)
I don’t think it’s as bad as some are saying, and I don’t agree with all the reasons people say they don’t like it, but I think there is room for improvement. Sure, but all your suggestions are still: "Destroy the Brain" with some different window dressing. And at least in my playthrough, Gale did actually say he would try to claim the crown andgive it back to Mystra, and I encouraged him. So I got 3c.
Keeping the Crown right away seems to be impossible, since it seems to be partly destroyed after destroying the Brain. Gale says he needs to reforge it or some such. I haven't made a deal with Raphael, but I think the game should reference that deal once the Brain is dead ("Oh sh**, now we need to get that crown somehow, or Raphael will come kill us). Well that was the simple version, that could be implemented with least number of changes. It could be much improved with a few more reasonable changes that don’t mess too much with what’s already in the game. Personally, I would have had a more options and then lock some of them off depending on earlier choices. For instance:
a) To take and utilise the crown yourself without specific companion outcomes, you need the help Lorroakan, which would mean betraying the Nightsong.
b) You could do it with Gale by nudging him towards being power hungry and defying Mystra, with the aid of the book. Ideally making that more challenging (maybe a showdown with Elminster or something)
c) You could do it by aligning with Shar, if Shadowheart has embraced the dark side (doing that means killing the Nightsong, so that rules out the Lorroakan route).
d) Possibly an Uber Astarion could do it, if he completed the ritual?
e) Probably something with Minthara, but I’ve not recruited her yet so don’t know what that could be
f) Raphael could offer a much better deal, to give you power in other ways, to make that option more tempting as he gets the crown.
g) Maybe something else with Vlaakith?
Additionally, using too many tadpole powers, particularly the special one, could prevent Orpheus from making the sacrifice to become a mindflayer. So if you’ve done that, you can only either screw over Lae’zel and the Githyanki by sticking with the Emperor or make the sacrifice yourself.
So there would be a lot more variety for power hungry/moderately evil players that aren’t the most evil choice. There’s more consequences for your choices, as they affect what endings you can have. Character arcs matter more, as do potential alliances with major powers. Without really rewriting too much, a couple of small changes earlier in game and some new cut scenes at the end.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Feb 2020
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All of these suggestions are great, but there are still just permutations of the ending: . That's why I'm saying that more endings wound't make the game better. What makes teh game better is different ways of how these endings play out. So I don't disagree with you. I thought the game would play them out differently according to one's choices, but after reading a bit, it sems like this isn't really the case? I have just played one playthrough and I thought, that it played out the way it did because of my choices. I believed that different choices would alter the experience I ... - Killed raphael
- Made Astarion refuse his power
- Told Gale not to use / reforge the Crown
- Stood by Lae'Zel when she abandoned Vlaakith I would expect something to change if - I made a deal with Raphael
- let Astarion Ascend
- Told Gale to use the Crown
- Toild Le'Zel to side with Vlaakith Now if everything plays out exactly the same, regardless of these choices, then I'd be indeed disappointed.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2009
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All of these suggestions are great, but there are still just permutations of the ending: . That's why I'm saying that more endings wound't make the game better. What makes teh game better is different ways of how these endings play out. So I don't disagree with you. I thought the game would play them out differently according to one's choices, but after reading a bit, it sems like this isn't really the case? I have just played one playthrough and I thought, that it played out the way it did because of my choices. I believed that different choices would alter the experience I ... - Killed raphael
- Made Astarion refuse his power
- Told Gale not to use / reforge the Crown
- Stood by Lae'Zel when she abandoned Vlaakith I would expect something to change if - I made a deal with Raphael
- let Astarion Ascend
- Told Gale to use the Crown
- Toild Le'Zel to side with Vlaakith Now if everything plays out exactly the same, regardless of these choices, then I'd be indeed disappointed. Prepare to be disappointed.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Feb 2020
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Prepare to be disappointed. Yeah, well OK that sucks big time. Then the endings are indeed just slapped on top of an otherwise very variable story. That's disappointing. Once I have to choose to side with Orpheus or the Emperor, there are so many different ways the ending plays out: - Emperor eats Orpheus
- PC becomes Mindflayer
- Orpheus becomes Mindflayer
- Karlach becomes Mindflayer I really thought other major decisions had the same kind of impact. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think the game would end up any other way than destroying or controlling the brain . But I did think, that the endings would play out differently. Even so, BG3 is still one of the best games I have ever played. The fact that the endings don't seem to differ at all based on major decisions in the story doesn't change the fact that it still was a great story with great characters, that I am eager to play again at some point. But I must say, that I feel a bit cheated, because Larian claimed there were so many different flavours the endings could have.
Last edited by SiriusVI; 23/08/23 12:14 PM.
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apprentice
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apprentice
Joined: Sep 2019
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But you can't control the brain  You can only be taken over by the Absolute basically. Let me control the brain and pick what I do with it! I want some good ole world domination for not entirely nefarious purposes. And I certainly *would not* brainwash enslave my companions. I'd also definitely want to be able to get that ending without betraying someone by stabbing them like an insane maniac, but by the power of persuasion and convincing them that yes, this *is* the way to go, my friends. Trust. To be affably evil-sih. Cunningly evil-ish. Power hungry, but not all for destruction, brainwashing, and de-soulifying random people. That was the ending I was gunning for haha. Would be awesome.
Last edited by Reverie; 23/08/23 12:29 PM.
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Bard of Suzail
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Bard of Suzail
Joined: Oct 2020
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This is an issue EVERY GOOD RPG faces. If there is a great story there is an ending and thus begins issues with replayability. However, the issue of replayability, in my opinion, is not about the end game but rather the middle game. The beginning and end of an RPG are but tiny fractions of a well-made game and story. The middle and the options presented are whether an RPG is truly great or not.
There have been people discussion ways to expand the game. One method is to fill in all the missing material that we know is in act three. Another mentioned is to add an act 4. Still another option mentioned is to create a whole new from level zero campaign using the same engine. All of these are good ideas, however I prpose a different idea. Expand Act One and Act two. Do not give more direct storyline missions but rather more side quests. Give the player new options as they move through the middle of the game.
THIS would greatly expand replayability and not cause game imbalances.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Aug 2023
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I am actually fine with the short and to the point endings, reason being if the devs gave us a thirty minute ending or a bunch of ending slides telling about the consequences of what we do, then if any future games come out all of it will immediately be contradicted. Just as happened with every dragon age game ending. Better to leave it empty than to have to contradict it later.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2020
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All of these suggestions are great, but there are still just permutations of the ending: . That's why I'm saying that more endings wound't make the game better. What makes teh game better is different ways of how these endings play out. So I don't disagree with you. I thought the game would play them out differently according to one's choices, but after reading a bit, it sems like this isn't really the case? I have just played one playthrough and I thought, that it played out the way it did because of my choices. I believed that different choices would alter the experience I ... - Killed raphael
- Made Astarion refuse his power
- Told Gale not to use / reforge the Crown
- Stood by Lae'Zel when she abandoned Vlaakith I would expect something to change if - I made a deal with Raphael
- let Astarion Ascend
- Told Gale to use the Crown
- Toild Le'Zel to side with Vlaakith Now if everything plays out exactly the same, regardless of these choices, then I'd be indeed disappointed. If you have more possible endings and then lock them off according to the choices you make, that basically is having different endings depending on your choices. It’s not exactly an exhaustive list or fully fleshed out. I just gave some examples, and concentrated on various shades of bad, because that currently seems more of an issue than the classic hero’s path. There’s no reason that various light side choices couldn’t work a similar way.
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