Nah. It's a true RPG-- your choice in the Grove should have consequences one way or another. Losing a good or bad character depending on your choices makes.
Right, but you only lose one if you choose good, and you lose three if you choose evil. And as has been pointed out many times prior-you lose out on a *lot* of content with no evil-exclusive equivalent content present to make up for it.
I don't think we'd be seeing threads like as much this if killing the tieflings resulted in a unique experience with it's own npcs, quest lines, story content etc that continues on over the next two acts, or if killing the goblins held *any* significant negative consequence in the game besides being unable to recruit Minthara.
The fact that Larian put so little comparative effort into fleshing out a major story branch that a third of their players took is pretty damning, IMHO.
It's wild that so many people are just so adamant about evil being equally rewarded as good beyond experiencing a different respective. They are not interchangeable narratives. If your narrative is about murdering, selfishness and domination, expect to be surrounded by less people. It's bad enough you get all the stat boosts like hag hair, tadpole power use RP without consequence, Slayer Form access, the most OP item and tadpole tree in dark urge playthrough with a cape that drops combat after assassination for repeat surprise attacks and invisibility. Good gets nothing but the extra companions and NPC's.
It' wild how so many people are adamant that players should be punished for playing evil, like it's some sort of moral obligation that the devs make sure they have a worse experience. I don't know how many people can lack the self awareness and empathy to realize that yes, people asking to be 'equally rewarded' for playing a path that they themselves personally aren't interested in is a reasonable expectation.
Seriously, the way I keep hearing 'evil players' painted is pretty patronizing. We aren't children who don't understand that if they don't play nice, they'll get grounded and the finger wagging isn't doing anyone any favors. The whole 'you are just experiencing the consequences of your actions' attitude is just so willfully ignorant of the grievances in discussion it's baffling.
Here's a thought: How about evil players get some actual multi-act sidequests and reappearing npcs? How about as 'consequences' there was some unique storyline involving, IDK the fallout of those dead tieflings following you act-to act? Volo stirring shit up like he threatened to do, do-gooders seek you out as antagonists in later acts, while evil-doers hear of your reputation and seek you out to make you a part of their plans? What if you could actually side with the Shadow Druids and do nefarious missions for them in Act II & III? what if Nere and the Militant Mycholar weren't cut content, and you had drow allies to work with later in the game? How about some memorable evil npcs from Act I returned later like Abdirak, etc. What if evil players had exclusive party members like good players did? or if there were returning evil party members from the Original games that were actually recruitable?
It really doesn't take much imagination to think of ways that the evil path could be anything other than a disappointing desert of content.
We don't have a full Upper City, Act 3 is a storm of cut content, Act 2 starts to sputter by the end, but you want a whole mirrored game experience with new companions and voice lines and quests because you feel the good guys who don't get the permanent stat boosts, the unique DU themed gear, or a Drow Paladin who's just had significant updates are getting something you chose to give up by siding with the fanatical murderers. And it's not even a desert in content because you only miss out on the storylines of good people you chose to murder and alienate to begin with. The main storyline is still there. You still explore the Underdark, still explore the Creche and follow the Vlaakith/Orpheus storyline, you still do the Ketheric main story with the Nightsong and Mausoleum, except you rescue Minthara, and then Act 3 is still largely the story of the Chosen and Absolute, and the best and most finished quests including Shadowheart, Raphael, Bhaal/Murder tribunals, Gortash, and the Netherbrain are still there. Missing out on Karlach and Wyll is not a desert of content. Those are the two companions besides Halsin with the least content in the game to begin with.
