ok so Act 1 is superb, no issues whatsoever. I assume as it was the longest in early access it was polished to perfection. Companion dialogues seem quite well implemented in this act and everyone has plenty to say at all times.
Act 2 I personally had no problems, however I would suggest that there are some issues with quest progression in that its far far too easy to break something which has long lasting consequences due to the very linear nature of the questlines. I don't mind it but its in direct contrast with both Act 1 and Act 3 and nothing warns the player. It would maybe help if none of the quests which directly impact story progression actually fire up until after you have spoken to someone in Last Light, a certain female druid near the gate for example. Companions still quite chatty but noticeably less than in Act 1 with a lot of repetition. It's not bad in any way and I love the atmosphere but I feel it needs more polish.
Act 3. Still has a lot of bugs irrespective of patches so far. So from that point of view a bit unfinished - Although slightly annoying this sort of thing doesn't bother me too much as its resolvable by patches given time.
Companion quests have many illogical things happening. Not sure whether they are bugs or simply the trigers for certain things not firing. Choices which should be glaringly obvious aren't offered at all. Game seems to not have worked out that players will work round things they don't want to deal with immediately by finding ways to legitimately bypass them, a common trait for RPG players but in this game it seems to bork many quests from completing properly. I have no problems with the number of side quests but I personally would prefer less with those that remain to be more in depth with more consequence to the larger world
One particular aspect of the end game choices makes absolutely zero sense, a person who has spent years fighting for his personal freedom suddenly deciding to spit in its face for no good reason. And no choice is given for them to be talked out of it.
Apart from one liners thrown in at specific story beats by one or two companions there is much less interation with the player (not talking about their personal quests), and some of their chat lines seem to not take into account any actions made previously. For example at Sorcerous Sundries Lae'zel talks about fetching Gale, she'd have to go back to the grove and pull him out of that portal to do so as I left him in there and she's never met him.
Nothing seems tied up at the end, one or two lines from a couple of people and a couple of companions and its all over. I want to know what happens to my friends who wern't with me at the very end. I want to make sure Scratch is ok before I log off etc. Its a bewilderingly abrupt ending no matter what route you take to get there. I don't necessarily need every tiny detail tied up and presented with a ribbon and bow but the more important story beats, what affects my companions the most, and especially what affects our romanced partner (if we have one) should be given more than a two line epitaph, as it stands the companion who gets the most closure at end game is Lae'zel, the rest might as well not be there.
As even Jaheira says 'a story with no ending is no story at all'.
Last edited by Bethra; 19/09/23 01:11 AM.
