A 90 minute movie can't maintain tension for its entire runtime and only resolve it at the end.
Have you seen The Prestige?
I can recomend.
No, I haven't had the pleasure. I'll have to check it out, everyone seems to like it.
And in doing so we would miss a LOT of content as a result.
Well, yes ... but those are just choices and consequences.
Maybe, but from a design standpoint, I think it's a flaw. Given that, based on your argument, we're supposed to be able to consider the tadpole a present threat, then the logical reaction to that would be "I should hurry and resolve the tadpole as fast as possible." That's a type of roleplaying that Larian should be able to predict as happening, and if they didn't do anything to even try and support that perfectly logical roleplay route, then that's a failing on Larian's design that they can
And maybe it's just my cautious nature, but if there's a possibility of violent, painful transmutation into a whole different being, then any uncertainty as to the timetable to me can only logically be reacted to with "solve this as soon as possible." Even if we the players lose our sense of tension, it wouldn't make sense for the characters to do so, since they're the ones that actually have to live with the constant danger and uncertainty.
And that is exactly where you are blinded ...
I have repeated this countless times around here and i believe we two were talking about it allready more than once ... there is several hints that CAN be used by your character as reasoning for feeling perfectly safe ... if you will use them or ignore them is completely up to you.
We have discussed this many a time. I do get your perspective even if I disagree with it.
Sense of "constant danger and uncertainity" is certainly valuable concept ...
But if you would like to use it, you should use it in general, on everything ... you cant go to Goblin camp, bcs it is dangerous ... you cannot approach Githyanki for the same reason ... hells, you cant even go explore Nautiloid, bcs it is potentialy dangerous.
Therefore i believe in order for this story to work on its basic level, we have to presume that our character is willing to accept some risks.
I think you misunderstand my meaning. I'm not suggesting that a character won't ever accept danger or risk. I'm just saying that the risk presented by the tadpole is of a kind and an intensity that it would drive a character to ignore risks that don't present a potential solution. So yes, a character might go to the goblin camp and rescue Halsin because it's a way to solve the more pressing issue of the tadpole.
As for the tadpole itself:
Lae'zel tells you you have time ...
Gale tells you you have time ...
Nettie tells you you have time ...
Halsin tells you you have time ...
Omeluum tells you you have time ...
Even Raphael tells you you still have time.
Hag tells you that no matter what you do, you are basicaly allready dead ...
By meeting Ragzlin, Gut, Minthara, Nere, Flint, that dead Drow inside Druid Grove, and that dying Dwarf on the road you SEE you have time, since they all were tadpolized long before you, and yet they didnt turn ...
You have seen on the ship that to iniciate transformation, you need some kind of Illithid device, wich is certainly not around ...
Astarion, Wyll and Karlach seems to keep ensuring you that they feel completely fine and there is nothing to wory about.
On the other hand ...
Shadowheart keeps urge you to resolve this as soon as possible, even tho it means to put YOUR life in danger from Volo, Gut, Hag, and anyone else.
And ... dunno, is there anything else? O_o
Its certainly up to you wich way you choose ...
But i just cant help the feeling that there is conciderably less support towards any sense of imminent danger of transformation.
So ... dont get mad at me, but your character who will "just rus through the game as loose lot of interactions" ... seems a little irational to me. :P
Firstly, you saying this goes against what you just said about thinking Larian is trying to not give us strong suggestions one way or the other, and that they're giving us enough space to freak out. You're outright contradicting yourself here.
But ignoring that, it's hard to absorb all the disparate bits of information and hints on a first playthrough. The game makes a big deal early on about the threat of the tadpole and so that leaves the strongest impression, so a lot of little hints will take longer to make an impression,
//Edit:
Actualy ... lookig at this list as it is ...
And realizing that some people still think that helping Halsin and rush through the story as fast as possible in order to remove tadpole is not just the best one ... but often even the only logical approach ...
I kinda cant help the feeling that such people are so focused on basic premise that they are simply unable to see story around it IS actualy evolving ... that no matter what hint Larian would throw to them, they would discart it as irellevant, and still would stress about the tadpole with almost fanatic passion. O_o
Bcs those people dont really seem to care what is happening ... they WANT this tadpole to be their main driving force and therefore it WILL BE their driving force no matter what. O_o
I think part of the reason people don't see the story evolving is precisely because of the presentation of the story. The tadpole is a very clear and present danger. Like I said above, there's a big deal made about it upfront, and it seems to be the main problem and it's the driving force motivating the party to do things. And the hints Larian are giving are just that, hints. It's harder for implication and suggestion to push past the sense of immediacy and danger that was presented upfront. That kind of thing is a lot easier to see on a second playthrough, when you know more of the big picture, know what isn't a genuine threat and know that you can afford to relax. But as it stands, the game starts off by yelling at you to be scared and to hurry. it shouldn't be surprising that whispering at us to relax isn't going to work right away.
And I will also point out my other issue about this, that this approach isn't narratively satisfying in the first place. Narratives work on a cycle of rising tension, big release, then falling action before the tension start to rise again. Of course there can be variations, but they have to be done deliberately and thoughtfully. This approach to the tadpole plot is all rising tension with no big release, it just slowly fizzles out. And that's not satisfying. Even if it MAYBE does the first time, which I don't think it does, then on replays it falls entirely flat because you know there's no big moment being hinted towards. Or if there is, then it's coming far too late.
