I think 1 is very problematic. First of all you have no idea what is a true soul by this point of the game but that's not a big deal. The bigger problem is how it potentially changes everything in the story. Suppose we help the goblins, what the outcome would be? Destroying everything in the grove right there? I think it's too soon for it, and it means you finish the evil path before it even started. Perhaps make the battle impossible to win and at some point you will trigger a cutscene and have to retreat and then you can go straight to the goblin camp? That might be good, but I highly doubt Larian would do something like that. However, I said it before and I'll say it again, you shouldn't be the one offering solutions, just the one pointing out the problems. Larian's writers should be the ones to figure out how to solve them. And as such, your main point (the initial encounter to the conflict is not great) still stands.
About 2 - absolutely agree. I wrote about it so much it came out of my ears.
The other points are great as well.
I would add a point about the goblin "leaders" - make them more real. Create scenarios they interact with each other and I would even create some sort of inner conflict between them. Otherwise I don't see the point in having three of them.
