Minthara's problems are just... SO extremely weird by comparison to anything else though. The way modders are able to get her working how people expect her to just by editing flags it boggles the mind how Larian's been unable to
True. "Daughter of Lolth - Minthara Good Recruitment" mod is an absolute (pun intended) must. Exclusivity has to go. Just bloody drop it. It benefits no one, only makes way less people to enjoy said character.
I legit consider Minthy the best female companion in this game but she sure needs an Act 2-3 personal quest with option to say her alignment like Astarion/Shadowheart questlines allow.
I agree that every player should be able enjoy her companionship not depending on his playthrough in 1 act but changing alignment? Sounds so weird. She's drow and more accurate: Noble (ex)Lolth-sworn drow. She lived hundreds years in culture so much different to modern human morale and tbh she already seems good person for a drow. Even "good" seldarine drows in game have very cruel race answers for example with auntie ethel and mayrina when you can say:"[DROW] I don't care about human, give me power". So it's just deep pragmatism of drow race which you can misunderstood as evil. Yes she want's you to take control of the brain (if you're her lover) but she accept any of your choice and she will agree with it (and final dialogue with her you can say that you didn't take control of the brain because you was scared that you couldn't control such power and she will agree with you that it was probably the best choice). If there will be alignment quest for her so why not for rest of companions? I think you agree that see Karlach massacres druids and tieflings will look strange as it's will look strange for me to see 200+ years old lolth-sworn drow become lawful good person.
I'd rather see an opportunity to recruit her in act 1 if you choose massacre grove because after love scene there's moment when you can talk about absolute but it won't work. But it works for Nere after you help him kill duergars and seems strange to me. Or at least it looks like cuted content because there's some hidden dialogues which seem like there earlier was a way to recruit her in act 1.
And there need one more ending for taking control on netherbrain (if she's your lover) because it was kind of agreement to rule together but it's definitely not fit at current ending.
Not only did Viconia DeVir pretty much shifted her alignment to neutral (non-romance ending) or (almost) good (with romance), we pretty much do it with Shadowheart, Lae'zel, Gale and Astarion already.
If presented right - it can be done properly through a personal quest.
Like I said, keep her on path of desperate power grab (due to her utter insecurities and fear after Orin has tormented her with processing her subordinates for food/tadpoling them as Minthy was unable to do anything at all)/revenge on her mother/Lolth or help her accept her surface life as a new beginning/be better than her filth of a matron mother has ever been. It's all the matter of perspective, really.
Not saying she should turn from evil to good like Sarevok could've done in BG2, but at very least become of lawful neutral alignment.
Even die hard Drow are capable of some good. Her family already has an example in Liriel Baenre who is currently a cleric of Mystra on surface.
As for Act 1 recruitment - that would be great. Allow defeating her in battle for the Grove, take her and Sazza (playable Goblin introduction, ranger class) prisoner, do our Prism magic and persuade her join us w/o trial at Moonrise. If Nere's brainwash can be rectified, so should be hers. Sazza could simply join out of desire to live.
