Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Do not buy BG3 on Full Price (the Act 2 story)

Act 1 was excellent. In Act 2 BG3 went downhill for me. In this text is going to have some spoilers of Act 2, so do not read after this, if you do not want to know any spoilers. (I do not gave character names or spoil the ending of the game/Act 3.)

So anyway, this happened to me in the end of Act 2... I wanted to get to Baldurs Gate. I was trying to leave the Act 2 area and the game forced me to this dead body part place, so I could not leave and I crawl myself out of there. Ok then game. I was tired of the Act 2, I just wanted to leave... I went back to the Shar Temple... I did not want to go there, but I read from forums that I have to do that to advance the game. (Are you trying to be good or bad, it does matter. You can make choices in Act 2, there are different endings to Act 2, but you can not skip the Shar Temple area.) Well, I did the annoying puzzles (some people like them, I do not.) I get to the door, I used my 4 stones of some kind of magic. That kind of design is boring and lazy. That Door that is locked is over-used CRPG sin, where you have get Door open and you can not use magic or your speech ability or explosives to get trought the door. Nope. You have to get 4 keyes to the door or 4 stones to the door or whatever and that is always terrible. (BG3 have done this and Pathfinder games etc. It is normal, but not good plot or game design.) I think KOTOR 1 did this kind of things well, in that game you had enough options, that BG3 in this point did not have. (Act 1 did have those. Act 2 in this part did not.)

Ok then game. It this point of the game... I just wanted to get over the other side of that damn door, I have the 4 stones, are you happy game? But somehing stopped me again, to get trought the door. What now? My character were forced to a dialogue, before the next important part of the game, where you can do Good desicion or Bad one. (And this big decision does effect the story, but it seems that you can not be complitly with the bad guys.) So anyway, this companion, very important one to the story started bitch about that I have not done her questline and she attacked me and I was forced to kill her, before story section where that could make some kind of sense. (Before the meeting of the Winged Lady.) Ok then game. I do not think that action was something that companion character would do in that situation and also she liked me a lot, before that moment. (So it seems the like/dislike mecanism of BG3 does not matter in Act 2.)

That moment, that attack the player character moment, happened even without persuasive check, I could only choose go foward and she attack my character or go back and do her quest. This was the beginning of the end of me realizing how much game makers have cut content out of this game... There is a reason, a good reason why example in Mass Effect Trilogy companion quests are usually optional and separeted from main questline, becouse thats how you design a good game, where you WANT to do companions quests and not to be forced to do companions quests or they try to kill you. (Of cource companion conflict can be great story line, but not becouse you did not get their candy for them right in that instant.)

Well. I soldiered on. Did not do the companion quest, so that companion were dead now. I finnished the Shar Temple and then I saw this Winged Lady fly around and then I went to Evil Guys Castle and there was a new important companion waiting, The Companion from BG1 and BG2. I enjoyed little bit this part, attacking the castle, but then... The Companion from BG1 and BG2 died in battle, becouse the game makers were too lazy to keep her alive for a second, so I can get her to my party. (And yes I was playing Tactician and yes, I know she can be kind of in your party, so you can control her. She died anyway.) I was very done with the game in this point. I did not want load the game over and over again, so The Companion From BG1 and BG2 was dead too. Then I went to visit my camp. I realized that one other person from Act 1 was missing in the camp, not companion, it was the Bard Dude. It was little bit funny, it was like I was a bad parent who just realized that the kid is gone. I think Bard Dude disapeared from the camp like 20 hours earlier. (Bug? Or just cut content? I did all of his questlines.)

I went back to the Evil Guys Castle and up the stairs. There was the End Battle of Act 2, well yes and no. Becouse now I have to listen this Evil Guy cry about his dead child, who are not dead and he went on and on about why he is the Evil Guy. Then I went to battle against him and I won the battle, Evil Guy escaped, kidnapping the Winged Lady and I have to go other place to battle against him again. I went there and again before a other door, this other companion started bitch about his side quest... I did that one, so I did not get other psyhopath trying to kill me becouse they did not get their candy right there. Then I was listening 3 Evil Guys to talk about bad things and you know what… two out of 3 Evil Guys escaped to Act 3, even after one of my companion cry out loydly and they for sure heard it in Slimy Cave we were, but it was not the time, you know, we have still Act 3.

So battle happened against the Evil Guy of the Evil Castle, same one who kidnapped the Winged Lady. (After monologue of cource. He really liked to hear himself talk.) Then I killed him, the Bad guy, but he did not die and he become Super Saiyan. I killed him again. (I am so tired of this boring Evil Guy.) And you know what happened - he did not die and he become ghost for a second? (Bug? Or bad game desing?) Then he was again himself without being Super Saiyan and he started a monologue about why his mommy never hugged him. Can I have at least Wasteland 3 moment, where I can shoot the Evil Guy and not listen his rants about why he is evil? "Rangers shoot!" No. No. In BG3 Act 2, you get the epic death to the boring generic Evil Guy becouse they loved the voice actor or something. Or maybe it is a bug? Or bad game design? Cut content? All that have its place in BG3 Act 2 and 3, but in this case it was just the game makers trying to make the game longer and/or more “epic”. So, fire came out of the Evil Guys eyes and mouth and then... There was silence. He was finally dead. Like my love for this game.

Okay I tried to read this, I really did.... wall of text now for me has new meaning.

OP, I'd love to read your post, but it hurts my eyes.

Can you please edit and break it into paragraphs?

Well. Maybe you should not come here with you level 1 bard mockery, if can not handle the writings of level 15 bard. If needed, you can call your mom to help read it or try read a book and come back later, when you can read something more meaty than tik tok level writings you write yourself.

There you go, now it has paragraphs. I will be returing here around 2 - 3 days, until I get back to my work. So if any of you moderators or someone who have made this game or any of you gamers have anything real to say, to make arguments, I will answer back with quality. But if you just behave like nice little fanboys and girls of Larian Studios, then I will probably cut this short.

Ok, I forced myself through this tirade - basically, you can't be bothered to follow storylines ('boring dialogue'), can't be bothered to remember a single name (this companion, that companion, evil dude - very eloquent and very much not bard level 15) and then you throw a temper tantrum, because things don't go your way and you don't like puzzles.
And in your very first thread you insult a mod and people who like the game.
I don't think, you should expect serious answers here any time soon.
This is a role playing game, there is a lot of dialogue involved, if you don't like it, the game is probably not for you - and I say that without insult. Tastes are different, maybe move on and try something else. I played Mass Effect too, but I prefer BG3 and I prefer actually, that the companion stories are tied to the main story.

That's just like, your opinion, man.

So reading through your post...

First I get the impression that either you do not often play RPGs or just do not like them. A lot of your criticisms are around RPG related elements of the game.

You referenced that in other games the companions are optional, they are in BG3 as well. You do not need to complete ANY companions quest lines to finish the game. In fact you do not need to use any of the companions at all. In solo play there is a work around to make a full custom party, or play coop with friends.

At the end of the day it sounds to me like BG3 is just not for you, that is okay, no game appeals to everyone. This does not make a game bad, just makes it something you are not enjoying.

As for the title of the post, I have always been an advocate of a philosophy known as the "Patient Gamer". I wait to buy games until they go on sale with full DLCs and expansions. However BG3 was gifted to me so I got it in EA. This is a game that I gladly would pay full price for and have 5 times now because I have bought it as gifts for family and friends.

Again this sounds like BG3 is just not a game you will enjoy. That is okay, go forth and find a game you enjoy...

+1 agree with you. This is coming from someone who has an N7 tattoo too. BG3 kicks ass.

haha, this is a hilarious take on the Ketheric battle.

Personally, my only problem with Ketheric is that there isn't more of him. Still, this play-by-play of the Act II climax is gold.

You assume wrong. You mask your arguments in what I am, not what the game is. You do not know me or what my job/work is. My first sentence was that I liked the Act 1. I pretty much loved it and still do in way, but I do not want play it anymore, becouse I know what Act 2 and 3 are right now, until they maybe fix many issues in next year or years, when, if and maybe. So what I did in the post was how I descriped in my own way my experiance with Act 2 ending, where I lost my intrest for the game, in temple of Shar/Gauntlet of Shar and then I was critizising how Ketheric Throm section of the game took too long, you know it had too many battles, to kill one guy. Yeah, big boss, but still... To much battle. (If it would have just talking 30 minutes it would be more intersting than run around after him and kill him many times in different forms.) Also. I played and tried out Act 1 over 70 hours with different characters. (PS5). I remember the names, I just wrote that text in a way that there is no too much spoilers... That was the idea. Also it was just the style of that writing. But I can mention names. Spoilers incoming! Volo was the missing bard. Poor man. He was lost and I did not notice until 20 hours later. Not sure yet, was Disaperaring Volo a bug or not. (PS5 still.)

"And in your very first thread you insult a mod and people who like the game."

Did you read what the so called mod wrote me? I just slammed back to him. Thats all. Where did I insult the people who like the game? The people who liked the game, example the players who bought this game deserve much more what Larian Studions gave them. They gave those players good Act 1, who did they part in the heavy lifting in Early Access, but they/Larian Studios should have given a good whole game. Finnished product wrothy of full price. Every Actr should have been same quality than ACt 1, so maybe they should have relased this game in next year summer, not in this year.

"throw a temper tantrum"

Not correct. But if you would switch your argument to that I am taking this too personally, that it was just wasted 70 euroes, that can be true. But to me, just becouse book series is good in first book, it does not make the whole series good, so if the second book is bad, and 3 book maybe better (until too short ending), I have to think the book series as a whole. I can give it 10/10, if I honest and not just go with the popular opinion. To me it is dishonest of many reviewers to give this game 10/10, in this state. Example I would give 9/10 to act 1 and act 2 5/10 or maybe 6/10, becouse the beginning of Act 2 was pretty good and Halsin story line.

"This is a role playing game, there is a lot of dialogue involved, if you don't like it, the game is probably not for you - and I say that without insult"

I love dialogue heavy games, like Disco Elysium and BG3 dialogue was not bad a all. Like I said, I was critizising how that Evil Guy of Castle/Ketheric Throm did not die, in first battle and that story line was the poor section of the game. And also the lack of options of Shar Temple. Example how hard is to make more options, how to get one floor down? Just make a vine next to the Elevator, where you can put the rope or many ropes. Also, that Evil Necromancer character - that was more intresting and had better dialogue if you went bad/evil route - why did he did not have any magic stones? Like what was he doing all the time there alone with his skeleton possy? Just fighting? If I would make changes for Act 2 to make this game what could it be... And what was promised in Act 1 and not delivired in Act 2... Example I would reward players who does all the puzzles in Gauntlet of Shar, but I would also give option to talk/persuasive checks, and other ways to get yourself down to the other floor, to get trought the Door, example getting couple magic stones from the Evil Necromancer (if you win him over with words or do a quest for him). In KOTOR 1, what I already mentioned have those kind of game sections like the whole planet of Korriban. Korriban had puzzels (what rpg should have), but also you get the "influence points" with the place, many other ways, like tortuning a prisoner. But it is true in your response that I do not like puzzles, but I think CRPGS and other rpgs shoud have those, to the players who likes them, and good rewards for doing them, like better items. I can see the difference of what I like and what is quality, that you do not seem to see, that is proven in that if you can only just attack against me and do arguments against my arguments.

So if you or someone else are done of making me just look bad, try make some good arguments about the GAME. We can example focus in one area of the game, like the Gauntlet of Shar, that I already mentioned. There are many ways to improve example this weak section of the game, that is in the rails too much. So in your opinion, where am I am exacly wrong in my points? Example is it to your opinion, is it good way to make/design companion quests... Like that companion moment I told (spoiler alert!) like what happened to me with Shadowheart, when she tried to kill me, becouse I did not do her the quest in the Gauntlet of Shar rigth then when she wanted?

Also. Epilogue quality of a CRPGS means a lot. I example checked out how many PS5 players have finnished the BG3, it was around 7 prosent last time I checked. Have you finnished the game? Were you happy with it? And again. I am trying to be careful to not say spoilers.

I don't have to make you look bad - you do the heavy lifting yourself. The mod was pointing out, that your wall of text was hard to read - it is politeness no structure longer texts.
And Volo disappears after a while, you will meet him later, or not, since it doesn't sound, as if you playing further.

As I said, it is personal taste in the end - you didn't like the game from act 2 onwards - fine, then our arguments stand: the game just isn't for you. I happen to love act 2 and act 3 and a lot of otehr people too. SO coming to a BG3 forum, telling the people to not buy the game full price, because you didn't like it from a certain point onwards is just ... not a good move.
Just saying, that it is bad quality, because you didn't like the structure of the Gauntlet and Ketehric Thorms fight is objectively wrong.
You don't like certain quests, so they are automatically bad. It comes back to what everyone is saying to you: your personal taste, the game clearly isn't for you. I gave up on Mass Effect at the end of teh second game, because I found a lot of stuff repetetive. I'm not going to the Bioware forums and warn people to buy Mass Effect, because I know, that a lot of people see it differently.

I have played RPGs, my whole life. Old CRPGS, like Fallout 1 and 2, Baldurs Gate 2 etc. (Baldurs gate 2 was better than Throne of Bhaal. I loved specially the characters.) And all the way to the most modern CRPGs. You have to ask me, more like what crpgs I have not played in last 20 years. That is better question. So just becouse I have some different things to say about BG3 that you guys seem to have, it does not mean that I do not know what I am talking about. So where you happy what happened to the companions in the end of the BG3 game? (Spoiler alert! Just in case!) And the lack of Epilogue in BG3? Example, I think like Fallout: New Vegas is good example or Fallout 1 and 2, how to do epilogue... you know the pictures and some story telling voice what happened is like minium for me to do good enging to complicated CRPGS. Becouse in the end, the first and the most importand need of RPG players is my opinion the feeling of what ever you did, it had impact to the world, characters etc.(Still. I get it. BG3 was hard to game pull of well. Big crpgs and crpgs in general are in my opinion the hardest games to make well.) That said, even Dragon Age 3 DLC did better job in epilogue than BG3 (at least for now), and I dislike Dragon Age 3 more than Dragon Age 1 and 2 and maybe more than BG3, not sure yet. So I do like many CRPG style games, I can be just harsh to things I love the most and I do take it personally, when example potential of the game is not reached and the players did not get what they deserved or was promised.

But you are correct that you do not need to do any of the companion quests in BG3, my issue was not that, but the issue of making the player do the companion quest or Shadowheart attack and try to kill the PC, even I/PC was her friend (you know, very I had very high influence with Shadowheart.) I tested more later, it seem that Wyll will not attack, he just bitch about the demonwoman in prison cell and then what happen with Astarion, I have not tested, becouse I did his companion quest in Act 2. Damn. Man. You have bought the game for 5 friends/family members? Well, you seem to be good friend and family guy, I give you that at least and I agree with you about the wistom of Patient Gamer style. I made the mistake this time, to buy full priced game.

Good someone noticed there were also humor in it and I get your opinion. The voice actor of Ketheric seem to have lots of charisma. Some one else said in Reddit or somewhere that It would worked better, if Ketheric would be in the Act 3 villian and not die in Act 2. Maybe.

My opinion is that the whole game could have fixed by doing Act 1 as it was, it was VERY good and then I think the game should allow player to go straight to Baldurs gate after the optional Underdark (one my faforite locations) and Lae´zel part/area of the game (that I also liked, even the castle was first confusing.) You know the hill area I am talking about, where was the lady who wanted the egg. So. Act 2 story lines, would work better, in my opinion, if you would get first, after Act 1 to Baldurs Gate and then, you could leave Baldurs Gate to do the good stuff of Act 2, fix the curse etc. And also you could have left Baldurs Gate to do optional companion quests there, after reacing Baldurs Gate, you know without companions like Shadowheart trying to kill your character even when you have the highest influence. (That. Still. Hurt. Shadowheart, why?) Smaller procent of players, but stll many have said, about pacing issues of the game... that could have fixed with that creative decision and maybe Larian Studios would have seen that option, how to do the whole game better... If they would have game tested the Act 2 also with all those "secret" heavy lifters, like example YouTuber WolfheartFPS and other crazy people (in a good way), who played like hudreds to 1000 hours BG3 game in Early Access. Many of you in this site are probaply are too those "crazy", in a good way, those players who gave lots of notes to Larian Studios devs etc. I, like you guys wanted to play good game, you seem to believe that you got it, but I was disapointed. Of cource I understand that in this point the milk have already fallen to table, so Larian Studios can only approve the Act 2 Temple sections etc. and Act 3 ending, that seemed to me too be short, too quickly put together, you know, lacking of strong or at least Fallout: New Vegas and Dragon Age 3 DLC level epilogue. The Outer World was a game I was first disapointed and then after second time I tried it, I loved it and I appreciated it, in what it was. (Even it was short.) I can not say for sure will I try BG3 in many years after. Maybe then it will be as good in whole as Act 1 was or maybe not.

Tying a companion's/side character's quest into the main heart of the story to drive it narrative wise is not a new concept, and I find it bizarre that after playing RPGs for 20 years that this is suddenly a problem (Given your experience with Kotor, Bastila is one such example, Ciri from the Witcher 3 is another). I do not enjoy Act 3 one lick, but I do not go around telling people not to play or buy the game.


The nature of your post is not constructive, which is why people are reacting harshly. It reads like a rant and rambles in a manner that is a struggle to read. It sounds, at least to me, like you rushed through and did not take the time to do certain content that resulted in bad decisions and events that you otherwise wanted to avoid.

There is also a spoiler function in the full text editor here, btw, which might help with the construction of what you are attempting to convey.

(edited for readability)

"I don't have to make you look bad - you do the heavy lifting yourself. The mod was pointing out, that your wall of text was hard to read - it is politeness no structure longer texts."

And the other person in this forum also said about it and I did fix the text after, so it is not anymore so bulky. So that dialogue was succesful to all parties, expect you, who attack me with some kind of stick in your butt. There are people like you who would die in the hill of BG3 and there are people like me, who would not, and would have played the game more happines later, after buing it from sale or year from now. So my story was personal experiance warning, my opinion, to people who some reviews do not tell all the bad parts of BG3.

"And Volo disappears after a while, you will meet him later, or not, since it doesn't sound, as if you playing further."

Yes. I read about that. Did not meet him, but seems that there should be a dialogue then, that was missing in PS5 version and PC too it seems, where Volo says, like "Lets see you in Baldurs gate." I know the Baldurs Gate 3 endings becouse I watched videos, so it is very possible that there is much better content in Act 3 than in Act 2, before the ending I saw in videos. The part I played and stopped, I was not impressed... I stopped my playtrough in after you meet the Politician Bad Guy. I have not said, that in Act 2 and Act 3 does not have good parts, I just have stated that they do not seem to same level as Act 1. Why is this so hard to understant to you?

"then our arguments stand: the game just isn't for you."

Who is our? There is no team behind you. There is you. I had much better dialogue with many others in this site, the moderator too, you seem to be the angry cat lady of this site. Relax. I am not taking you BG3 away. I am just telling my experiance with the story and now I am pointing the problems even more clearly in the responses, if some one wants to read them, those parts of Act 2 that I hope they fix. (And Act 3 ending that I saw in YouTube videos.)

"I happen to love act 2 and act 3 and a lot of otehr people too. SO coming to a BG3 forum, telling the people to not buy the game full price, because you didn't like it from a certain point onwards is just ... not a good move."

Ok? You did not answer any of my questions. Becouse it seem that you just get angry about it, if someone says something critical about something you love. I was the one also with Game of Thrones after Season 4 who saw the quality drop before many others and it took awhile from masses/popular opinion people, to notice what was happening. (And later that show became horrible in its ending.) Maybe after you have played some other games after BG3, you can watch the BG3 game with more critical eye like I and you can see my very clear point/argument that Act 1 was ready, Act 2 was not ready and Act 3 was not ready. (Even some parst were ready in Act 2 and Act 3.)

"I gave up on Mass Effect at the end of teh second game, because I found a lot of stuff repetetive."

Ok. That is first intresting thing you have written. You have written to me like hitting with baseball pat everywhere and hope it hit somehow. I kind found the Mass Effect 2 better than 3, becouse in 3 ending was very disapointing, I agree with that opinion of many of the lacking of Mass Effect 3 ending. Mass Effect 2 was good for me, for many reasons, but one reason was that it was less the "save the world story", and more personal story, and smaller scale enemy, kind of. The main plot of whole Mass Effect is not great, but companions and world building is well made. It is very good that you just stop playing game if you seem to be bored etc. I should have also done that right away in the Temple or before Act 2. I forced myself to play it in the Temple, when I was not feeling it anymore. That was my mistake, not Larian Studios or yours. But I do not admit I am wrong in my points/arguments, I think they are very solid and also it is possible they are fixed year for now. So why not, I would not say, do no buy this game in full price? What I mean is, that wait sale or wait for months or a year, then BG3 can be the game that some think it is now. 9/10. Right now, it is not, in my opinion.

More spoilers in this about Act 2.

I said Not in Full Price. Like I already pointed out. Wait for sale is good option right now or maybe, still maybe to buy BG3 in full price later, like in a year, when Act 2 and Act 3 is in same level as Act 1.

"Did she tell you about her past? Did she show you one of her memories? Did she say that your character is the only one she's ever felt that she can confide in about these matters? This was either a bug you encountered or as I mentioned, you did not know her as well as you think you did."

She did show her memories and yes she also confided me about these matters.

"She does not kill the Nightsong if you persuade her or let her make her own choice when you have done enough of her content"

So. She tried to kill me before meeting Nightsong. I was playing the newest version of the game, just couple days ago in PS5. So yes, it can be a bug. I made sure in Act 1, I had almost max "influence points", with most characters I could do, without losing the character I was in the game. (Good cleric.) So again. to make clear. Shadowheart attacked me before the jumping area, the dimension where Nightsong is.

"Tying a companion's/side character's quest into the main heart of the story to drive it narrative wise is not a new concept, and I find it bizarre that after playing RPGs for 20 years that this is suddenly a problem (Given your experience with Kotor, Bastila is one such example, Ciri from the Witcher 3 is another"

Ciri is not companion, but Bastila is, yes and her story line is very much in main plot. Of cource all plotlines should be connected to main plotline in a way, but what I mean is the forcing of doing those, like in BG3 even before the ending of Act 2 or then you get the worse results... that how Shadowheart attacked me before even meeting Nighsong. (Maybe a bug?) To make this clearM what I mean is, that companions quests should be available much longer time, then just like in BG3 Act 2. Examble it would be fine, if the game would say that I NEED TO FINNISH ALL THE QUESTS BEFORE ACT 3 or I fail the quests. So example you should be able to save Wylls demongirl or get Shadowhearts spear or what ever she wanted, later, not like Larian Studios people did it in Act 2. (Like I mentioned before I had no change to do pesuasive check with Shaowheart. I noticed that one player in YouTube got to the point with Shadowheart, I did not. She attaked me next to the Door, not in Nightsong lair.)
Bugs or no bugs. Still well done crpg game should let player go to seperate locations to do companion quests or give more time to finnish those companions quest and side quest too, before the main plot moves foward. Example save Wylls demongirl had only one change to do it. (At least Wyll started to bitch about it before the last big boss fight of Act 2.) So what seemed to happen in BG3, is that Larian Studios run out of time and they throwed Act 2 companions quests in main plot map areas too harshly/without thinking about eanugh. That seem to be a fact at least for now, before future uptades. So how companion quests was made in BG3, was much worse, than many rpgs I have played. I mean in Act 2. I am not sure about Act 3, maybe it was better there. (Maybe you can do them in differend order in Act 3. I did not get in that part.) One thng I know for sure is that you could do companion quests in any way you wanted in Act 1, in any order. (Example when to recuit Karlach or get the metals.) Act 2 was the opposide to that style. So why would I not be disapointed?
Jaheira dying for me also, was very stupid. She died in Floor 1 fight, not even in first boss fight of Act 2, but before it. (That was a bug?)

"It sounds, at least to me, like you rushed through and did not take the time to do certain content that resulted in bad decisions and events that you otherwise wanted to avoid."

Not true. I took a long time, did most things in Act 1 and Act 2. I stopped playing in the Act 3 and started to rush only then, in Act 3, before stopping. (And then I watched other peoples ending content/videos to know what happened, becouse I was done with the game myself, but still wanted to know the ending/differend versions of it.)

As I said - personal experience, nothing more. You don't like something, you can give constructive critisism, like veryone else here too - in case you haven't noticed, there are critical posts, I myself wrote critical posts, but in a polite and constructive manner and with arguments, that go above 'I don't like that'. Opening a thread with 'Don't buy the game full price' is not constructive, saying the storyparts should be changed, because you didn't like them is not constructive.



It's not the understanding, it's the way you make your points. You say here 'I don't like those parts as much' - totally understandable, I can 100 % get behind that, I have parts I don't like , in every game - here it is Grymforge, I do not like the area. But others do - and others like the confrontation with Ketheric, the Gauntlet of Shar and Shadowhearts development (which normally does not end in her getting killed, so ... strange). The problem is not with you having opinions that are different from mine or others, the problem is starting with suchan provokative title and then saying, that the stuff you don't like should be changed. By now, a lot of people have finished the game and judging from threads here and in otehr social media, few have problems with the scenes, you had problems, so it comes back to personal taste - you don't like the Gauntlet, I don't like Grymforge. None of it needs changing.

"then our arguments stand: the game just isn't for you."

Our/we = the people in this thread, who told you, the game might just not be for you - that one can't be so hard to understand, I was referring to the other posts.
And if you had titled your post with 'A critizism and review of act 2' for example and would have been more precise from the beginning, this whole discussion would have been a lot more fruitful. Instead you are condescending 'I'm not taking your game away' or ' those parts of Act 2 that I hope they fix' - that is just toxic 'I know better than you'.
And another insult: you seem to be the angry cat lady of this site - what do you think to achieve here? If you want a normal discussion, don't be that guy. You come in guns blazing and react with insults when people point out, that your behavior is lacking. Toi quote you: You know nothing about me. I could as well say, you are the unlikeable know-it-all, that always has the last word and is always condescending. I don't do that , because you are right, I don't know you.
I was defending the mod, because you were less than friendly in the other post.



I play rpgs for more than 20 years and don't need this condescending tone, ok? We have already established, that you have a subjective problem with those quests. If they were a problem for other people, you would find threads about them here, but neither Ketheric nor the Gauntlet / Shar puzzle has so far earned any kind of critizism.
And everyone and their aunt could see the downfall of Game of Thrones coming, especially if you have read the books. So you are not 'the one' here. There was a lot of critic back in the day.



Well, maybe take the clue and just stop playing, if you don't have fun. That was all I and some others had said. I stopped Mass Efeect because of the boring characters and repetetive gameplay.

And that is all from me - critisize the game all you want, but maybe be a bit more polite about it.

She very clearly says that she needs the spear before entering the Shadowfell. Therefore, you can't get it later, because she needs it NOW. She will threaten you if you try to go in without it and you have to actively choose the "I'll fight you if you complain" dialogue, if I recall correctly. You could've just gone back and.. gotten her the spear. Or don't, and face the consequences.

It would be bad writing if she stayed with you after. Sure, she likes you at that point, but she just got a direct order from her goddess. You know, the one she's been talking about all game. And while she already has her doubts thanks to you, she's not willing to give up on Shar just yet. 10 minutes, one area and a little bit of trust later and you'd have gotten her full devotion.

The Shadowfell progresses the story past act 2. You're basically entering to act 3. So what you did is the equivalent of walking into act 2 before finishing act 1, which won't end well either for some quests. Be my guest, try it out. Lae'zel won't be happy and the tieflings.. well they won't even be able to complain anymore.

+1 agree.

Also, to add to companions driving game's narrative in a certain direction: Morrigan in DAO with her Dark Ritual, Anders in DA2 with the 'Big Boom', and cough cough Solas in DAI.

I think OP's problem is that he somehow skipped over options that let Shadowheart make her own decision, or he simply didn't get to the persuasion check, on my 1st run she also ended up attacking me cause I chose the wrong dialogue option (and she had fully shared her memories with me, told me of her crisis of faith, I gave her the noblestalk too and her approval was at exceptional, but 1 wrong dialogue option chosen and boom, she goes full "die heretic"). But bless F8 power reload.

Also I don't quite understand OP's problem with Ketheric though, it is perfectly explained WHY he is one tough SOB to kill.

And I hate puzzles too but you don't see me complaining about that either, at least all the puzzles in BG3 are piss easy. Tiresome, but easy.