Ok, so wall of text incoming, but bare with me. I agree with the complaint of the OP, themepark characters do detract from the game, for a number of reasons.
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With all of this being said, I do feel like this is a long time problem with RPGs and not just BG 3. I feel like the writers for games don't think they can hook people on their story if it is not a story with a chosen one saving the world on an epic adventure, complete with an entire squad of superheroes behind them in the party. There is one problem which I do not think the companions suffer from however, which a lot of companions in many games definitely do. The problem being, why are these people sticking together in the first place. Given that they all share a similar unfortunate turn of fate, it is in their best interest to stick together until their problem is resolved. Considering how long sticking together may take, they may have a genuine reason to stick together beyond this as well.
Great post! I hope Larian pay attention too.
I wouldn't put all the blame on the writers. That's what a Game Director is for, to keep it all together much like in film and television. A good game director understands drama and storytelling as well as the visual narrative, and a bad game director can demand bland save the world plots and "more and bigger" from the writers because they don't understand subtlety and the power of restraint, or how to write a compelling character players can relate to.
A game director could have told the writers to write an undercover persona for Shadowheart and the artists not to put "shadows for eyes" makeup or Sharran symbols on her everywhere, including marketing pics and loadscreens. I feel like I have been completely robbed of my discovery of her secrets in BG3. What a let down, really. They just thought "people will soon find out anyway" and didn't even try to make her convincing. I think it's a huge mistake. Maybe the origin character concept interferes with this too. Are the origin characters really worth it if they spoil the story? As a player who likes to create their own character in D&D I just find it frustrating.
I really liked Gale in the beginning when it seemed like his boasting was hiding some real tragedy or shortcomings. But as soon as he told his story how he actually WAS the greatest Wizard of all time flying through space and time with a goddess, I lost all interest in him. I was just rolling my eyes thinking "keep casting your level 1 Magic Missiles, bro".
Karlach could have been a footsoldier of Hell, a slave, a nobody. Then, when someone comes to drag her back to Hell she could have had her growth realized, her Spartacus moment. Making her an epic commander and "Zariel's pet" just makes her already outrageous story much less credible. And like with everyone else, all this is through her dialogue
explaining things. In the very first dialogue with her no less. Sharp's point about "show, don't tell" is spot on. Reveal her background only after she has been traveling with the party for some time, by minions of hell appearing and attempting to drag her back to hell. Give the player a proper WTH moment and a chance to demand answers from Karlach. She needs to be a part of the group at that point so the choice to defend her and make enemies from Hell is a meaningful one. Bottom line: her sitting in a pool of her own blood after fighting some humans and rambling on about being an arch devil's pet commander of an infernal army in the Nine Hells carving a path through a sea of demons is just about the worst way of introducing this character.
With Gale, you can't even "show" because his story is so bonkers. You can't have the Goddess of Magic just drop by for tea one night at camp. Maybe a good rule of thumb is also that
if you can't show, don't tell.
How is Minthara introduced as a cruel villain? She threatens to dissect the goblin that failed her, but doesn't actually do anything. All telling, not showing again. Why doesn't she give the goblin a horrible scar with Inflict Wounds? Actions, not just talking about them.
