This post has all the spoilers. 100% spoiled content - spoilers for length and reading ease.
As a preface there are many, many parts of this game that are wonderful. The art is beautiful and some of writing is really good. The city of Baldur's Gate is just amazing - it really feels like a lovely city and devs have captured the magic feel of BG1 in their design of the city. I can and will go on and on in another post.
But that's not what I want to talk about right now.
Right now I want to talk about the crappy endgame story.I really, really hate feeling like my efforts were wasted. I've never used a tadpole power, never absorbed a tadpole, never used illithid authority and I've taken pains to expend valuable spell slots to detect thoughts. But the game doesn't recognize those efforts or reward them. When I meet my gathered allies in the final battle they all treat me like I'm a mind flayer. Yes, I'm traveling with Karlach the mind flayer but I'm not one and there is no reason for people to remark on my transformation or for me have the option to use mind flayer domination to inspire them.
"Whatever you look like . . . " Uh. I look just like I did an hour ago when we last talked. Well, except for the fresh blood on my face.
The options available to me after using the Orphic hammer are:
1) Let Orpheus become the mind flayer - which undoes all the effort I expended to start a Gith civil war [*]
2) Let Karlach sacrifice her soul for a few more years of life. Which is a mindbogglingly stupid choice but, for some reason, my priest of Mystra had nothing to say on the matter
3) Become the monster yourself - which undoes everything I've been doing for the entire game.
At no point in BG2 or Throne of Bhaal you were forced to become the slayer to finish the game. And, even if you did, the good gods removed all evil from your soul after the fact.
But in BG3 it's a complete railroad - hundreds of hours invested in getting to this point only to realize that my choices didn't matter, my efforts were futile and the transformation was inevitable. Even when the game allows you avoid transformation it treats you like you didn't. If I want to play "your efforts are futile" I'll play real life.
If Orpheus has the mental capacity to disrupt a mind flayer colony, he should be able to wear the crown. Or perhaps Shadowheart could use a divine intervention power to ask Selune to help. Or perhaps Mystra could show up since she has a special interest in the crown. Or give us a ring of wishes with one wish left . . .
Or, Larian, if you are absolutely committed to having a mind flayer in the end game here's a few ways to make me feel like my efforts matter:
1. Let me ask Omelleum for help - unlike the emperor he's never lied to or manipulated Tav. His help would be a good reward for his rescue
2. I'm carrying an egg from a Gith Creche. We could let Orpheus pass his power into the egg. So the civil war can start once Lae'zel raises her child to become the Gith messiah.
Additionally, I feel cheated because I didn't get a chance to express my scorn for the emperor while they got another chance to make me feel guilty. "I never lied to you" "Well, there was that bit about you appearing as a dream vision, you encouraging me to seek a cure, your misrepresentation of your relationship with Stellmane (sp?) . . . pretty good list of lies and half truths don't you think? "
[*] Currently bugged because Lae'zel is ranting about the war to come and how the Gith would never forget my efforts. Perhaps she missed Orpheus' "kill me when we're done" line?
