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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Sep 2023
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Ok, this is my first post and it's going to be long. I'm not sure if it's ok to make it that long, if there is any problem please, tell me. I'll put everything as a spoiler, just in case. I know this is a character that many people don't like, and everyone has their reasons. However, that's not the topic I want to discuss here. Whether you like the Emperor more or less is completely respectable. The subject I want to address is what I personally consider to be a bit unfair. And don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the game. It's one of the best games I've played in years, and I'm sure that at this rate, it will become my favorite game. Larian has done an incredible job in every aspect, and saying this falls short as there are no words to express how amazed I am with this experience. However, just as there are many good, even great things, there are also issues worth highlighting, and it's unavoidable that we all have some complaints. If there's any chance that someone from Larian could read this, I would like to express some problems I have with the Emperor.
Firstly, I would like to say that the Emperor is my favorite character. I love all the mystery surrounding him - his identity, intentions, psychology, morals... He's been an indispensable character and a key element in the story, besides being the foundation of one of the toughest moral conflicts in Act 3 for some, while for others, it's been a curious surprise to see how our relationship with him can unfold.
By now, many are aware that our character can have a romantic relationship with the Emperor, which even leads to achieving one of the most mind-blowing achievements in video game history ;)However, for me and many others, even though this romantic path is the one we've chosen, we've felt disappointed in certain aspects:
- I believe the most important point being discussed is the complete lack of acknowledgment of the "relationship" between Tav and the Emperor. Regardless of whether it can truly be considered a romantic relationship or not, it's undeniable that if we choose certain options, we can have an intimate connection with him, and that's something! We even have the choice to tell Raphael that the Emperor is our lover - meaning our character can say and think that. However, no one reacts to this relationship. Our companions, despite witnessing it, have nothing to say about it, and honestly, this is quite disappointing.
One of the most prevalent moral and philosophical conflicts surrounding the Emperor revolves around whether mind flayers can feel affection, have emotions, or if the Emperor truly feels "something" for us or if it's all mere manipulation to gain our favor. I don't intend to dive into this debate, but I mention it because I find it illogical that someone would engage in intimate relations with a mind flayer, and yet, a potential witness has absolutely nothing to say about it. I believe this is something that would create a significant impact in the world of Baldur's Gate, and learning our companions' opinions has been one of the most exciting aspects of our adventure. It helps maintain immersion, strengthens our affection and connection to them, and makes us feel like active participants in the story and everything that unfolds. So, you can understand why I'm disappointed that something that's likely to be considered strange, curious, or even repulsive (for some), such as having intimate relations with a mind flayer, doesn't provoke any sort of reaction.
- The other point I'd like to discuss is the relationship with the Emperor in the event of choosing to have the intimate scene with him. This is a game where we've been making decisions since the very beginning, and all our choices have carried weight, impact, and consequences. How are we supposed to feel when a decision holds absolutely none of that? We've chosen to have an intimate scene with someone who is our ally and whom we can consider a lover (as indicated during the conversation with Raphael). But from there, nothing changes - our decision doesn't provoke anything. The relationship with the Emperor remains exactly the same, whether we've had that intimate scene or not, and it's disheartening to know that.
Whether the Emperor truly has affection for us or if it's all manipulation doesn't matter; there's no impact. There's no noticeable difference in how he treats us, and there are no additional dialogues that reference the intimacy we've shared. I understand that a romance with the Emperor wouldn't be the same as one with Shadowheart or Astarion, but I also didn't expect there to be nothing (?) It's as if my decisions haven't meant anything to the game, and that's disappointing.
Honestly, I'd like choosing that scene to carry more weight, to see a difference in how the Emperor treats us, and to have more dialogue lines and interactions. I'm not suggesting there should be more scenes (though adding them would be even better, that's not what I'm asking for). I'm simply asking for the game to continue doing what it has been doing since minute one - allowing us to experience the consequences of our decisions. Why give us the opportunity to be with a character if that opportunity is going to amount to nothing(?) It feels unfair to me…
- Finally, though I consider the other two points much more important for the game experience, I'd like to discuss the ending with the Emperor.
The most romantic ending we can hope for is the one where he tells us how much he enjoys us. Personally, from a realistic standpoint, I don't find this ending bad. From a certain scene, you know that he has already used the word "enjoy" to reference the intimate moment shared with our character. So, as I interpret this ending, the fact that he uses that word is as close as the Emperor gets to something romantic, for now.
Still, I'd like to suggest not leaving this so ambiguous.
I have tried to present arguments to justify my reasons for requesting the changes I'm asking for. I would like to convey to the Larian team that my critique and suggestions are not complaints, as I've mentioned before, I have greatly enjoyed their work, and this game holds a special place for me.
This game has made us invest not only hours to enjoy it but also emotions. The affection and connection it has made us feel towards our companions is something that very few games achieve. And even though it's not talked about much, there are those of us who have truly enjoyed the character of the Emperor and would not like to feel that the decisions we make regarding the romance with him fall into emptiness, because that's not a pleasant feeling in a game like this.
Thank you again, and I hope you are enjoying the game and the characters as much as I am. Especially the Emperor 
Last edited by SerenaNinf; 01/09/23 12:24 PM.
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Aug 2023
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As a key behind-the-scenes character in the plot, the Emperor has pitifully little screen time. Even his romantic events feel hollow. Whether or not you establish a relationship with the Emperor has no impact on the story, and the options that could be affected are disappointingly limited. What a pity!
Although my current focus is on enhancing the storyline, engaging in a discussion is beneficial. It seems that the officials are not paying much attention, but I hope there will be an opportunity to increase its priority.
(Larian! Look at the logo you're using in BG3! Not to mention the Mind Flayer model in the collector's edition and the massive statue at your headquarters!)
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apprentice
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apprentice
Joined: Aug 2022
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I really liked the Emperor’s character. He kept me on my toes and kept me guessing, wondering if I should trust him. He was the only reason the main character even got off the ship, and could do the game story, but his constant talk about how being an illithid was a big red flag. a little bit more screen time would have been great, but too much more would have ruined this effect. I do wish we had more scenes with the Guardian, simply because I felt the reveal about the Emperor was a little bit too soon, after only 3 scenes, and that made me trust him less.
My biggest issue with him though is the ending. He keeps acting as this generally reasonable, guy until you have to make a choice between him and Orpheus and then he has a 180 turn and decides to join the Elder Brain because… Why? Wasn’t that his greatest fear? Didn’t he do everything to avoid exactly that? Why didn’t we have an option to convince him about not doing that. If we romance him, he really should at least have a persuasion check available. The game very strongly suggested that illithids don’t have feelings the same way humans do, and the Emperor also makes it clear that he is very much an illithid and proud of it. (“… you can have this devastating beauty…” uuuuh…) Yet, there is clearly some connection between him and Tav, if nothing else based on mutual need and trust. He tries to convince us to trust him throughout the game and yet in the endd he is the one who doesn’t trust us?
The endings I think simply reflect that the game doesn’t really expect us to choose The Emperor’s side. He needs a bit
For a game keeping the choices open it sure does have some preferences and rewards you better for one path than the other.
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Sep 2023
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Since I don't know how to properly use all of this I'll just keep hiding everything with the Spoiler: I completely agree that more screen time would ruin the mystery of whether we trust him or not. But I also think that if someone decides to have the romance scene with him, it's because they already trust him (or because they want to see what happens, but I'm not talking about these cases). And I think it's fair that if you decide to trust him and have this… something with him, you should see the consequences of this decision. I am aware, like everyone, of the conflict that the Emperor vs. Orpheus is generating, but it was not my intention to discuss this in this thread. The only thing I will say about this is that I can understand why the Emperor is leaving, but I think it would be nice if it was explained better. I also agree that the option of convincing both characters to cooperate would be satisfying for most players, because choosing one of them is something that most don't like. But hey, like I said, I didn't mean to discuss this specific part here. "Yet, there is clearly some connection between him and Tav, if nothing else based on mutual need and trust." This is something I disagree with. From my point of view, if you choose the romance, the game gives you a few options, like calling him lover, having him reference this specific scene if you betray him, and maybe a little hint about "something" at the end where you can stay with him. I mean we still have some options related to this... my problem is that they are there for nothing and it's not fair. I've been seeing the impact of what I decide throughout the story, but with this, even when I have some choices, I feel like they don't mean anything to the game or, more specifically, to my playthough. And this was designed for something, the lines where you can choose to call him lover were designed for something, it's sad to see that it doesn't have a real impact... "For a game keeping the choices open it sure does have some preferences and rewards you better for one path than the other." Maybe, but we're talking about a game where you can do bad things and be a bad person. I mean, maybe I'm repeating myself too much, but you can choose even the wrong path and you will see the impact of this. I really don't think it's fair that people who choose to side with the Emperor and romance him see their decisions ignored from the game.
Last edited by SerenaNinf; 01/09/23 11:59 AM.
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