To be honest, for me, the stories of the characters are often much more interesting than the main plot. And I'm pretty sure the DOS2 character stories were very similar. I mean, they were all important.
Some of us just want to adventure without having to play therapist to their companions.
I want this to be an ADVENTURE. Not a dramatization of group therapy.
I *LOVE* that the companions all have super interesting backstories and that their quests are just as important as the main quest.
The problem is that you need companions to fight your way through enemies. This puts the player into a situation where they are forced to interact with companions that not everyone loves. Honestly, I hate them all. Gale is at least tolerable but is still annoying as hell.
It's like I need to snap my fingers in their faces every five minutes. Guys, guys! Tadpoles. In our heads. FOCUS! Lets GO!
If Larian wanted to make things believable then the thought of imminent death could have been a catalyst for self reflection and missed opportunities; and how an early death will prevent them from fulfilling some greater purpose or desire. I can empathize with that. Instead we're given companions that have as much depth as a one-ply sheet of toilet paper and each come saddled with backstories that read more like a series of checkboxes rather than actual narrative.
