I will say that I also think the current story is very powerful in a bubble. Hell, I finished the whole game with it and I value the emotions it dragged me through. It's when you put it in the context of what we can achieve in the world and what we can do for our other friends in-game and what we DON'T do for her and how short and abrupt her quest is that you start to feel frustrated instead of somber. Instead of doomed she feels just, well. Robbed. And instead of being with her every step of the way I end up feeling like I did jack shit. You tell me I saved my whole team and the world and fought literal gods but I can't save the woman I love because of an iron heart? As soon as the story is out of the bubble it just doesn't math well, thematically.

I know not everyone here shares that general opinion (as evident by people not finishing the game), and I relate there too, somewhat. My ending was
to go to Avernus with her, but not because I disagree with the power of just being there with someone in their final moments and making them feel loved, no. I do agree. It's a very strong thing. I'm just weak as a person, and so is, consequently, my Tav. We couldn't let go. And from a certain angle that was incredibly selfish of us. No amount of epic cutscenes in the end will make me forget Karlach panicking at the House of Hope. I know that's what I dragged her back into. It's selfish. It's also a story worth telling. And it's also the only one that let's me keep up hope that she can yet see a happier end one day.

Which is why I do actually hope that if Larian does do anything in response to our feedback, that they build on top of what they already have. Samantha did an incredible job bringing all that struggle to life. And there's beauty in heartwrenching doomed talks and you deciding to stay with her anyway again and again even as it starts to hurt.

However, I would like to do more than talk. I would like to fight for her and feel like I did. I'd like to follow through on all the leads, maybe even try to make some dubious deal, I don't know. And in the end, ideally, I'd like to be able to change something instead of blindly following along a pre-determined path. 'Cause we're able to do so for every other character in the game - or we may lead them to ruin. "Or" is doing a lot of work here. In short, if we fail to save her and have to choose whether to let her die - let it be that we actually actively failed.

(Or - and lot's of people are going to hate me for saying that - remove the hanging threads and/or explain how other options won't help so that the doom indeed feels like the doom. However I doubt that's the way this is going, since they'd probably do that already. Instead we just get more infernal iron with some of the patches.)

[Linked Image from tarraxahum.neocities.org]