It certainly is weird how people can get attached to a mods view/opinion. Negatively or positively.
Going on to what's brought up from it, I can honestly say that Karlach's lack of positive ending to a lot of us hasn't stopped me from enjoying the game (though I still certainly take breaks from it, lest it consume me). Well over 200 hours at this point and I still always romance Karlach. The best way for me to explain it is that I do really enjoy her story as written, in a bubble or non-game context. Larian and Sam did an amazing job at bringing the character to life and it shows. I don't think those who follow this thread specifically would care that much otherwise. Nor would the ending gut punch that we've all had be anywhere near as powerful. I think it's an amazing story on paper, and one I am honestly probably gonna repeat several times over. I'm not really one to do multiple playthroughs and do them extremely different. I can't do evil playthroughs, rude dialogue options make me feel bad. Over all the times I've gone through say Fallout New Vegas I've always gone the same route at the end because it's the one I want to do. So, yeah I'm probably gonna intentionally keep hurting myself a lil bit every time I finish a playthrough. Even if I will drag my feet at the end.
Once more, in a bubble, I really find the ending scene incredibly powerful, especially if you do not go to Avernus.
She doesn't want to go, she would rather die surrounded by the people she love. And while I might change my mind on whether going to Avernus or letting her explode, I think it's her choice. Partly because of my own personal feelings. I wanna preface this by saying I don't mean to invalidate how other people feel on the topic, especially regarding those with health conditions, or having lost loved ones, as this scene has very much attracted such people in the thread. I think that the act of being there in their final moments, watching someone die, letting them know they matter to you, helping them move on, is one of the strongest acts of love there is. So I do find some emotional power in the ending by letting her go out on her own terms, and I think it's strong. I don't want that to suddenly vanish either, because it is a great story on paper, depressing as it might be.
But it's only good on paper. As other people have discussed already, there's a plethora of ways we could try harder to fix Karlach (or honestly try AT ALL) that we never get a chance to try, and that makes it unsatisfying in the context of an RPG. I want that to improve because I think it makes a better game. And I think most people here feel the same. A lot of us here are offering (even if somewhat repeated) suggestions on how to improve the story, rather than just getting angry. That kind of constructive feedback is a blessing, and I hope that people continue with new ideas and ways to improve the aspects they find important with this game.
