+1

Also: If Larian are afraid that we will miss out on all the companion-specific content they created for each individual companion (eg. bear sex, individual quests, individual goals and desires, and hours and hours of voice acted replies and conversations etc.) if they give us the tools for creating our own custom party, actually they are much more in danger of that by NOT giving us the option to customize. Because as OP mentions; players are just going to do the bothersome multiplayer workaround and have 4 customizable tadpole characters, that CAN'T be switched with any of the premade companions once we meet them in game; meaning we will see far less of their stories than we potentially would if we had customizable (and not temporary) hirelings that could be switched in and out of our group, in the same way that regular companions can in EA, as we progress in our adventures in Faerûn.

it seems to me that Larian could be making the hireling system without customization (of race, apperance and name) to force us in to going with the companions that they spent so much time, money and energy on making. But..... playing a CRPG should be fun...... It shouldn't feel like a chore or like going to school and having to learn specific things and be told to do things in a specific way. It should be the very opposite. If you feel forced into doing something else than you actually want to do; how is that fun?

Last edited by Lyzrl; 15/07/23 09:21 AM.