First off, I think pointing out discrepencies as you have done has value. As you said, if it’s a mistake, might as well let Larian know.
Unrelated, I have strong opinions about the following quote, which I will lay out for the sake of argument.
It's like two painters who are trying to replicate a landscape on canvas. There is a path right down the center that is winding along. One painter messes up the path, and it isn't quite center nor is it bending at all the right places. There's still a path, but it's not quite an accurate depiction of the picture.
The other painter, however, gets the path just right. It lines up with the landscape, AND the quality of both paintings is comparable. Which work of art is better? The painter who drew the accurate painting of the path and everything. Why? Because he made sure all the details lined up with what he was trying to replicate.
It’s a poor sort of painter who paints only what they can see.
Art is about emotional connection with the audience rather than fidelity to some meaningless details. I feel as though you’re saying MC Escher would be better if he adhered to plausible geometry, Picasso to classical perspective or VanGogh to realistic brush strokes.
The point isn’t to talk about painting technique, but to highlight the fact there’s more at play than pure accuracy when communicating with an audience.
Saying drow statues can be found south of the outpost leads the player to check the southern ledge, and to find a drow statue. Once they’re there, they’ll keep on going and find the rest of the statues mostly to the west of the outpost.
So yeah, it’s weird in hindsight, but who cares? Game gave player directions to encounter, player found encounter, success!
It’s like the inn that burns for days after the goblins ostensibly sacked it. It makes no sense in hindsight, but that doesn’t matter to the experience.
Let the painter paint a crooked path, if that makes for a better composition.
