What motivates you to play a long CRPG? I am sure the Larian game writers talk about this quite a bit. I guess BG III starts out with the PC getting stuck with an Illithid worm or something, with only a few days to live unless it can be removed. That is certainly a direct and easy way to provide an impetus to play the game for any type of character persona, but in general I am not a big fan of the "play or you're gonna die" type of motivation. In NWN Mask of the Betrayer I removed the spirit eater stuff entirely because I could not stand the constant state of anxiety.
I prefer different motivations. One of my favorite is to pursue the solution to a mystery. JK Rowling mentioned years ago that everybody loves a good "whodunnit" story, and she is right. Another motive is when a well-written NPC that I care about has a problem that needs solving, or just wants to have fun! Narlen Darkwalk comes to mind, of course. Another motive is the advancement of my alignment philosophy, whether it be survival of the fittest, justice for the downtrodden, or the triumph of the natural order and preservation of balance. What motivates you?
