Originally Posted by Niara
Other games in this genre handle it by tying your MC directly and intrinsically to the core plot of the game in a way that the other companions are not; this gives them a very good reason to follow and ultimately defer to the main character's decisions - the MC is deciding for themselves how they will approach the issue that personally affects them, and the others follow because it matters to them, or because they think helping the MC best serves their interests, or any other reason circling that - and for the most part this core reason is *more* pressing than their personal objectives, which is why they continue to follow and wait on their personal objectives until the MC diverts time and energy to help them out. The important element that is unique to the player character must outweigh any one individual goal or need of the other companions.

You mean, things like the tadpole? More later.

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The tendency of other games in the genre doing this, for generations of games, is not an arbitrary decision; it serves an important purpose which Larian's game is currently missing.

It's currently missing a lot of things, like at least two acts, and whatever is in Act 1 that we haven't seen, and won't see, until the full game launches.

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Suggesting "Oh the MC will have an important role to play, it's just not been revealed yet" is not good enough. It Needs to be clear and present Now from the outset, as the catalyst for why our other companions are followers and not leaders, and why they are willing to put their personal directives on hold until we get around to them. (NWN2's knight captain is a good example of this principle; the unique element is introduced from the beginning, and while the other companions and NPCs all have personal stories and personal goals and quests, and as important as those things are to them, they recognise that the thing that the shard-bearer has going on is more dire and more important, and so they choose to follow us, help us, and wait until we can all find time together to help them with their own objectives.)

Should they start the game at the end, so you know what's going on? I can't think of a lot of works of fiction, whether they're in print, a movie, or a game, that does that. Some will certainly use a "flashback" mode, but generally speaking, stories start at the beginning, meaning any meaningful information about a character that the story needs to provide will be laid out in the narrative. Of course, then there's the whole "player character" thing. Let's look at some "plot holes" that happen with this:

1. Why is it that my MC, one of two remaining Grey Wardens in Fereldan, is doing all the dirty work, instead of sending out their companions to do it, while making sure they survive?

2. In Inquisition, why is the Inquisitor doing all the leg work, when they have a whole force they could be using? Something that gets touched on with the War Table missions.

3. It's a pretty common observation, across a multitude of games, that the MC is really super important, and yet, they're chasing down some old woman's frying pan...

Regardless of what's in store for the rest of the game, the companions will follow the main character because they are the main character. Very few games feel the need to explain this design philosophy, because it's pretty much understood that games would be pretty boring if all the MC did was sit on a throne and give orders to subordinates. I mean, there's a whole genre of games where this is pretty much what happens, but mostly, no, in RPGs, the MC is the driving force. This isn't a plot hole.

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Without this, it's a gaping great plot hole that shatters any hope of immersion in space and story - as a lot of folk around here have been pointing out from day one. "We've all got a tadpole and we all need to find a cure so we should stick together and do that" is a perfectly good reason for them all to stick together, and travel as a party, but it's NOT a sufficient story hook to explain why our player character is made the defacto leader of the group, in amongst all these legendary-epic-heroic individuals... not on its own.

Only for people that haven't played a lot of cRPGs, and don't understand that the PC is the driving force for the main story of these games. For the rest of us, it's pretty much understood that this is how it works. Why would Khalid and Jaheira follow you in BG? They're the more experienced, and should probably assume that leadership role, and yet, you wind up being the leader, and yes, you can alienate them by goofing off instead of taking care of what they believe is important, but shouldn't they have taken the reins from the time you meet them?

This is why we're thrust into the leadership role here. Because once we roll Tav, Tav is the MC, and the MC is always the driving force. This isn't a plot hole, it's an understood game mechanic, and has been for a very long time. You complain about the comps being Mary Sues, and yet, you won't be happy unless Tav is as well?