I can't believe that even the Mind Flayer Emperor is trying to romance and seduce me, but not Minthara.
What did I do wrong
How do you like this romantic interest? In fact, he is quite sweet, evokes sympathy and understanding, and his story is well developed. And he can change his form to human or elf during the process
Thanks to Larian for Baldurs Gate 3 and the reaction to player feedback
Yesterday my reaction to this was, "Of course not, are you nuts?" But I just did the last bit of Wyll's questline and... wow. Huh. Still no chance, but... interesting twist from Larian.
It's just Larian being Larian, as soon as they showed the cutscene of him chilling without a shirt on, I just skipped straight to the "i want to sleep" line, and cut it very short. They just have to make things weird.
It's just Larian being Larian, as soon as they showed the cutscene of him chilling without a shirt on, I just skipped straight to the "i want to sleep" line, and cut it very short. They just have to make things weird.
The Mind Flayer who retained the identity of a human is also a human, and deserves the right to love. He is very lonely and can maintain his Dream Guardian form during sex.
Thanks to Larian for Baldurs Gate 3 and the reaction to player feedback
It's just Larian being Larian, as soon as they showed the cutscene of him chilling without a shirt on, I just skipped straight to the "i want to sleep" line, and cut it very short. They just have to make things weird.
The Mind Flayer who retained the identity of a human is also a human, and deserves the right to love
He's playing you through and through, don't trust his lies. He's not remotely human anymore.
It's just Larian being Larian, as soon as they showed the cutscene of him chilling without a shirt on, I just skipped straight to the "i want to sleep" line, and cut it very short. They just have to make things weird.
The Mind Flayer who retained the identity of a human is also a human, and deserves the right to love
He's playing you through and through, don't trust his lies. He's not remotely human anymore.
By human categories, he is our true friend
At the end of the game, if you entrust him with stones, he really destroys the Elder Brain and does not betray the main character - besides, he protects the party throughout the game. In the epilogue, he expresses quite human desires, taking into account the specifics of his new form.
Last edited by OneManArmy; 14/08/2305:56 PM.
Thanks to Larian for Baldurs Gate 3 and the reaction to player feedback
free Orpheus, in which case he goes right back to the Absolute. Also seems like he was a bit of a jerk before the transformation, let alone afterwards when he was murdering "criminals" (wonder what his definition was) for sustenance.
The Emperor is an unfortunate relic of the Daisy plotline, where they were almost certainly the Absolute looking to free itself from the control of the stones, and it's possible that an ending would've involved you 'dreaming down by the river' inside the hivemind after transformation. As it is, The Emperor inherited a lot of those aspects in a half-hearted, oddly implemented way. Why didn't he come to us as Balduran, for example? Because Larian didn't want to scrap the "dream waifu" aspect.
So, there is a spoiler about the real identity of the Emperor
This is the legendary hero Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate
but... that doesn't work? He is explicitly a recent hero, the noble he worked with was still alive for most of the game? he is from BG, does he say this? In the not-romancing him storyline everything you learn about him doesnt make sense if that is who he is? For his secret base and backstory given to work he has be an adventurer from between BG2 and BG3, not centuries earlier?
Minthara is the best character and she NEEDS to be recruitable if you side with the grove! Also- I support the important thread in the suggestions: Let everyone in the Party Speak
So, there is a spoiler about the real identity of the Emperor
This is the legendary hero Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate
but... that doesn't work? He is explicitly a recent hero, the noble he worked with was still alive for most of the game? he is from BG, does he say this? In the not-romancing him storyline everything you learn about him doesnt make sense if that is who he is? For his secret base and backstory given to work he has be an adventurer from between BG2 and BG3, not centuries earlier?
That knowledge comes from
a wyrm, and former friend, that he solo'd. That dragon corpse has been rotting for a while. He claims to be Balduran and to have founded the city. Given the dragon encounter, it's unlikely to be a lie. They are enemies, yet it cements his story.
Keep in mind that Balduran more or less became a Mindflayer because he was bored. Always seeking adventure. Foolishly. I don't believe he was a good person, but he might have wisened up after turning. He still puts his freedom above the lifes of *everyone* in Baldurs Gate. It's difficult to call someone like that a good person. He strikes me as a veering towards neutral evil. I have shallow doubts that he can coexist with other life, but I wouldn't ever want to be the thing between him and his goals.
The Emperor is an unfortunate relic of the Daisy plotline, where they were almost certainly the Absolute looking to free itself from the control of the stones, and it's possible that an ending would've involved you 'dreaming down by the river' inside the hivemind after transformation. As it is, The Emperor inherited a lot of those aspects in a half-hearted, oddly implemented way. Why didn't he come to us as Balduran, for example? Because Larian didn't want to scrap the "dream waifu" aspect.
Tbf, it makes more sense for him to assume dream waifu form than his original form because he can read your character's mind and is trying to manipulate them. Showing up as his old self wouldn't necessarily have the same effect unless your character was into human dudes.
It just confirms one of two things. 1) You become evil with transformaton 2) Balduran was always evil. In BG1 you can troll the historian by telling them that Balduran sound like a pirate with good PR. Seems that might be right.
The Knights of the Shield are an evil organization in service of devil.
I still haven't finished the game but I will enjoy killing the Emperor when the time comes.
My drow bard's guardian is a middle aged human guy while my half-orc paladin's is a edgy looking elf. I am going to headcanon that the Emperor showed themselves to my bard as their original self because it's pointless to try outperforming a bard when it comes to playing the part of someone you're not. Or someone you aren't anymore... in this case I guess lol.
As an older DnD player, sign me up. I'm tired of the same pretty-face elf romances and the himbos. This was a story unlike anything else I have encountered in my decades of playing, and I want more. The main thing I see is a lack of development being a valid concern, which is something the studio should address. He deserves more development and writing and is a fascinating character.
I understand people are shocked by the twist in the plot as to who the Emporer actually is. Many players customized their own Dream Guardian to be an version of an attractive character for their plot and fell for it, only to be shocked and horrified at the truth (which was the point). To me, that is great storytelling. It hit the players in a 4th wall way, and is masterfully written manipulation. That said, I hope that the player push pushback from their reactions to the skillful plot twist and misdirection manipulation does not make Larian shy away from the Emporer. The outrage and revolted reactions are a sign of a well-done twist.
I also feel like the whole 'Daisy' bit was a fake cover to avoid spoilers for such a huge plot point. Something to keep players off the trail of what the game designers had in store.
There are countless damsels in distress stories, pretty faces looking for love, himbos, and bad boys/girls among the countless games out there. Baldur's Gate 3 currently has many great options to sate the desires who desire something more...mortal. The Emperor however is something utterly else, and its a bold step in writing that I want to see more of when it comes to romance writing.
I understand people are shocked by the twist in the plot as to who the Emporer actually is. Many players customized their own Dream Guardian to be an version of an attractive character for their plot and fell for it, only to be shocked and horrified at the truth (which was the point). To me, that is great storytelling. It hit the players in a 4th wall way, and is masterfully written manipulation. That said, I hope that the player push pushback from their reactions to the skillful plot twist and misdirection manipulation does not make Larian shy away from the Emporer. The outrage and revolted reactions are a sign of a well-done twist.
I also feel like the whole 'Daisy' bit was a fake cover to avoid spoilers for such a huge plot point. Something to keep players off the trail of what the game designers had in store.
There are countless damsels in distress stories, pretty faces looking for love, himbos, and bad boys/girls among the countless games out there. Baldur's Gate 3 currently has many great options to sate the desires who desire something more...mortal. The Emperor however is something utterly else, and its a bold step in writing that I want to see more of when it comes to romance writing.
Daisy was not a red herring, they even put her in the artbook. No, Larian dumbed down the story at the last minute, making it worse, by replacing Daisy with the emperor so that there are no long term consequences.
It's just Larian being Larian, as soon as they showed the cutscene of him chilling without a shirt on, I just skipped straight to the "i want to sleep" line, and cut it very short. They just have to make things weird.
The Mind Flayer who retained the identity of a human is also a human, and deserves the right to love. He is very lonely and can maintain his Dream Guardian form during sex.
He's a mindflayer. Wither's himself tells you Illithids do not have souls. Mystra also chimes in on this during one particular ending.
He's also a pos, willing to do whatever to whomever to advance his agenda.
