So, as I sit here typing this, all of the characters, in every game I currently have active save files in are doing the same thing: Absolutely nothing. If I were to log in right now, and wait for Lae'zel to lead us to the creche I could go make a sandwich, feed the cat, take a shower, maybe go for a ride on my motorcycle out to my brother's house, about a 30 minute ride one way, and when I got back, we'd be in exactly the same spot we were in when I left. Surely, if this were truly one of the companion's stories, they would take the steps required to advance it. But they can't. They rely on us, the players, to make those decisions. Whether we follow the plans of one or another of the comps or not, whether we're the leader of the group or not, everything is based on what we, as players, do.

It's not a movie, or an audible book, where if we leave it on, it will play out until the end, and it would be really boring if it were. This is what "Player character syndrome" is, the result of the game requiring input from the player, through the main character. Whether Tav is the leader or not, it's Tav, through us, that decides what happens. So, we get our consequences, and the comps decide you're not taking it seriously enough, and leave the party. What then? There's certainly precedent, Khalid and Jaheira will do it if we don't go to Nashkell soon enough. Minsc can attack you for not rescuing Dynaheir soon enough. Sten will attack you in Origins if you're too busy with side quests to tackle the main objective, in order to wrest control of the party from you. So, what do we do for the rest of the game if all of the companions bail? Because, quite frankly, what else is it that they're going to do? Attack the main character? If they've already left the group, you're now a party of one, and if they kill you, it's Game Over.

Why does Larian need to justify your character's existence, or explain why you're the one making the decisions for the group? Wouldn't this have the affect of just creating another Origin character, with the only difference being you get to decide what they look like, and what class? Isn't that part of the problem in the first place?