Until this thread, I hadn't really thought that much about how the Origin characters impact the dynamics of the party as a whole, but now it's got me thinking; what do these characters actually think of each other? We don't get that many insights into that. We know that Shadowheart doesn't like or trust Lae'zel at all, but in return, how does Lae'zel really feel about Shadowheart? We can assume she doesn't like Shadowheart back, but is it active dislike or just casual disdain and Shadowheart doesn't really warrant a thought in her mind? What does Gale think of Wyll, and vice-versa? We do get some insights there, like Wyll being interested in having sex with Lae'zel, but only brief lines. They tell you their impressions of the other characters sometimes, but I don't think we ever hear what Lae'zel or Shadowheart think of Gale, for instance.
Compare that to any Dragon Age game. Origins gives us the psudeo-maternal bond between Alistair and Wynn, the constant, subtle distrust Alistair feels towards both Morrigan and Zevran. Let's not forget the climax of the game and how Alistair and Morigan each play into that in an absolutely crucial way which defines the state of the ending both in the macro sense of how things conclude and in the personal sense with what your decisions around them say about your character. DA2 has Varric and Isabella's unique approaches to being elder sibling figures to Merril and looking out for her. It's got Anders and Fenris constantly clashing over their ideology and the vastly different worldviews their individual lives have left them with. Inquisition has Sera and Solas's frustrations with each other over their thoughts on what it means to be elven. Cassandra's respect for Blackwall and her sense of betrayal when the truth comes out about him. Varric and Cassandra's strained relationship from DA2 and how that slowly develops into a genuine friendship, with Varric even going back to finish a book series he would otherwise have been done with for her sake. EVEREYONE has feelings about Cole and what he is, and his final companion quest hinges on his relationship not just with the Inquisitor but with Varric and Solas, two other companions who each have differing ideas on what he can and should be. That quest would not work if you didn't believe that those three cared about each other.
Especially in the latter two games, your party aren't just your companions, they're companions. They interact and are part of each other's lives and stories just as much as they're part of yours. But I'm not confident we're going to see that in BG3 thanks to the priorities of the Origin system. And I don't think it's actually the lack of a central character that does this to the narrative. I think that in principle, the idea of a crpg where there isn't a central protagonist but instead an ensemble of equally important protagonists CAN work and be interesting, it could even work with players making a custom character. But the Origin system doesn't make an ensemble cast of equally important protagonists. It makes a cast of characters that could all potentially BE the single most important protagonist. They're not making a story about an ensemble cast, they're making a story about a central protagonist where they don't actually know who the protagonist is going to be. Even looking at D:OS2's story, the idea of a story about a bunch of people who could potentially all ascend to godhood and have to compete for the privilege is an interesting idea. It's the kind of story that should hinge on the dynamics of the group, what they feel about each other, what they feel about their situation as a result, all of that. But instead from the sound of it, because they all had to potentially be the central character, there wasn't the capacity to SHOW that interaction, to let them have feelings about each other. Instead whichever character the player chose became the central character and the focus of the others. Because since they all have to be able to stand alone as the main protagonist, rather than truly exist as a group of protagonists (as well as having to deal with the fact that any random two or three companions could get killed off after act 1), the writing can't have their stories rely on the presence of each other. And the result is each Origin being an island unto themselves, with thewider party not truly mattering. It makes no difference to anyone if Fane isn't there, or Lohse or the Red Prince. Their stories will go on just fine no matter who's there, because they don't matter to each other.
