Originally Posted by Cawyden
Me too and there are others as well. But the hate he receives is sometimes quite irrational. Not that people need a reason to dislike or hate a character, that is fine, but sometimes there are even made up stories about him as if there was a need to justify how people feel about him.

Which ones are you think about? Are you referring to the theory that the Emperor infected us with the tadpoles to start with? That's he's the opening cutscene illithid? If so I think that's probably correct. It's consistent with it's actions in the dialogues. The guardian dangles the promise of cure before our eyes and the they are forced to reveal their true form they state that tadpoles aren't an infection - they are part of a process of evolution.

When the cinematic first came out I took the Emperor's disinterest in the mind flayer bodies he was floating above as indicative of illithid disregard for life BUT, once you find Gortash's journal, that changes. Gortash tells us The Emperor is the pilot of the Nautaloid. Those are the foes he conquered when he took over the ship and he's just making sure they aren't moving.

Of course this is just a guess - sorry if I'm putting words your mouth smile You might be thinking of something else.

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/16penr3/the_truth_behind_the_emperor/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/165yqrk/spoiler_the_emperor_did_what/

I see The Emperor as boss like Amelyssan, someone we have to work with despite seeing their manipulations. But, unlike Amelyssan, we never really get a good "time to bring down the boss" moment like we do with Raphael.

Now it *is* fun to have to piece together his identity - to critically read his comments, to see the consequences of becoming illithid, to realize that he's yet another villian etc . . . "So you only fed on the brains of criminals but you also ran the largest criminal organization in Baldur's Gate? Sounds like ranching. You brought humanoids into a life of crime and when the were caught you were ready to eat them."

DM can I *please* get an insight check? I've figured this out and want to say something to the mind flayer

Compare this Omelleum who only consumes people who attack the society and is on a search for an alternative. Omelleum comes across as sincere and the Emperor comes across as the manipulator it is.


Quote
Based on postings on reddit it seems people who took the Emperor ending are more satisfied with the outcome than people that went with Orpheus [spoiler]and then are forced to have someone turn into a mind flayer or have Lae'zel leave with Orpheus

Well that is the garden path, sure smile The question the OP raises is: why is the alternative path so poorly supported? Yes, I want to: A) take down our manipulator and B) have the choice to resist the tadpole power rewarded

Quote
I played EA and I disliked daisy. I don't see the appeal. Daisy was obviously evil and so not tempting at all for my good playthroughs (and I don't play evil).

I don't play evil either. One of the major flaws of the game is that there isn't an ending for good aligned players. You are forced to go with evil #1 (emperor) or evil #2 (orpheus) and of the two Orpheus is the lesser evil and the one that has never wronged you.

Did you never feel tempted by Daisy's seductions? I'm not talking about K-I-S-S-I-N-G I mean resolving an issue with AUTHORITY. I mean: [illihid] [detect thoughts], I mean using the power from the Omelleum potion.

After Daisy came to you in a dream you could talk to you companions about how you kissed them or not. With the emperor we get nothing. And the sceptical Tav gets terrible lines. "you disgust me" isn't what I want to say. I want to say. "I know you infected me", I resent you for dangling a cure you never intended to deliver

Quote
And it is kind of ironic if people are praising Daisys seduction attempts and then be heavily offended by a shirtless Emperor who is open for romance (if you did not try to kill him before), although in contrast to Daisy he might actually be sincere with his feelings (at least according to the dev notes in the game files).

This is a key point. I've already made but I want to underline it. Daisy's real seduction attempts were not shirtless encounters - they were using the tadpole powers. Daisy's seductions were like the seductions of Raphel - we could take the easy path or hard one.

And this is also true of the Guardian except that good-aligned players are punished for avoiding his seductions

With Daisy if you used the powers one too many time then Nere could dominate you. You have become a true soul and can be manipulated those with greater authority.

With the emperor, players who avoid the tadpoles get nothing. No powers, no satisfying dialogue, no extra boss fight. Avoiding evil? Bad choice Tav