So apparently I had already created an account so I didn't need to go through the trouble of creating one just to post on this thread, which i was about to do. I echo everything already stated in this thread. I am in act two and haven't gotten to the end of my initial 'good' play through but now i am second guessing things, both for this one because of Karlach, and my next/evil for Minthara. Wishing I didn't choose Karlach for my first round at this point and went with SH instead.
Don't get me wrong, i will still play the game if for no other reason than to see the Dark Urge options and SH and LZ story outcomes, but I may resort to ignoring Karlach and Minthara entirely on any future playthroughs and abandoning my current one all together (which, while still only in act two, already has over 100 hours. What can I say, I have to turn over every rock and look in every barrel!).
While it is great to hear that they actually acknowledged and are going to address the issues, "Poignant" is certainly not the descriptor i was hoping for and kind of leaves me with a knot in my stomach. Based on what I am reading though, it sounds like quite a bit could be improved even in its current state, and I am holding out hope that this patch has a "fix" for some of the mechanical quirks of the current implementation, and possibly lays the groundwork for a future "good" ending to be implemented later on/DE, if not immediately. The unutilized content/solutions actually present in act three that would resolve the quest alone is infuriating to read about and moreso to experience blind. This feels especially true for me since, as a sort of completionist, I would (and already have for a few things) torture myself trying to find the flag i missed to get the "good ending" (that doesnt exist), or for that matter, something like the Blade overwrite dialog issue. Those seem like such obvious possibilities given the rest of the stories... and it's D&D FFS! there are at least half a dozen options without trying, and seems like at least two or three were at least half way implemented anyway! I hope they don't resort to removing the "misleading" content rather than implementing it (no reason to think they would do that, but you never know).
While I am not a dev, I do work in the tech field. I am very familiar with projects (not to mention "small additions" to projects/scope creep) that sound/seem/look easy from the outside being an absolute PITA to implement. While it is easy to call something "Lazy", i am also almost certain there were reasons for things to be cut. But timeline/budget is also a depressing reason for the devs who invest themselves into its creation, as well as the players consuming the content. I am also certain that most of the people throwing "Lazy" are not meaning it as an attack on the devs either, nor i would think the writers given the otherwise seeming attention to detail for player agency in the rest of the stories. It just seems so hard to just "miss" those story beats that are half implemented, it feels like it has to have been a conscious decision by someone. Even if they are intended to be red herrings, there is no payoff for them and leaves the whole story feeling off (Chekhov's gun).
I doubt they will rewrite the game for Karlach the way they seem to have at least to some degree for Wyll (I dont think that drastic of a step is required, but if you do, don't you dare change the VA! :P), even with many/most of the story threads there, but I hold out hope they can and will for at least the DE. (If we are talking DE though, it would also be nice to have something to do with all that ore and the soul coins... Just saying, though I don't want to be greedy. :P)
regardless of my complaints though, the game is amazing and worthy of all praise. they just missed a few spots for the moment... at least, that is my story and i am sticking to it until it is proven otherwise!
EDIT: This ended up way longer than i expected when i started, and I tried to keep it as spoiler free as i could. hope i succeeded in that.
TL;DR tried to create new account; oh look i have an account! same as everyone else. great game overall, feels like sore/incomplete companion story conclusions/implementations. At least initial elaboration for endings needed, but REALLY want an actual good ending for Karlach. Sooner than DE would be great, but at least give us that plz! #JusticeForKarlach!
Last edited by Cylaar; 01/09/2303:53 AM. Reason: Run on sentence correction and added EDIT line.
