I'm sure I will come to understand the mutual exclusivity if the ultimatum is actually done well. I love drama so a huge part of me
loves the datamined exchange (there's so much tension!) but another part of me thinks this conflict feels a little forced. Halsin is being incredibly cold and stubborn about this when he has given the pass to other people before, like Kagha. It is subject to change, of course, but it’s also fine to criticize it when we know how responsive they could be to feedback.
The datamined dialogue is interesting, if a little rough. It is good to keep in mind that datamines can be anything - content in development (that may or may not work out), placeholder content, or content that was already considered and cut from the game.
Definitely. I’m also keeping in mind that we might not be able to get the whole picture from this little snippet. Who knows? Maybe they’re going to add more to go along with it. I sure hope so! I'll take any new Minthara content
Regardless, the KO option is mainly motivated by meta reasons and Larian is putting their precious time and effort into potentially adding this into the game, this is the biggest reason I’m being so harsh about it.
Also, imagine starting a relationship with someone who
knocked you out to rescue you instead of talking you down (hell, the Prism is right there). Even by Faerun’s standards, that’s honestly so wild. I fully support them adding this KO option, if only to take a dig at
questionable player decisions, but they better lower her approval significantly as a consequence. I also hope they do not stop here and consider adding other alternatives that make more sense.
Honestly, now that I'm thinking about it, adding the possibility of Minthara fleeing from the Grove wouldn't take too much of an effort. It's actually pretty simple as far as changes go. Humor me for a bit, this format reads like a fanfic but I assure you it’s based on logic:
You betray Minthara at the Grove and fight her. She gets to a low health and/or she notices the goblins are being outnumbered, she realizes she can't win. She's a 200 something-year-old drow warrior, the Absolute's influence shouldn't be able to erase her battle knowledge. So she decides to flee, but here's the catch: it doesn’t happen right away. You get the option to intercept her attempt or let her get away, or just have a turn limit (1-3 turns) to kill her before she flees. Either of these options would give players the freedom to decide her fate.
Cut to Moonrise, where she is being judged by Ketheric for her failure. Minthara would recognize you as a traitor, but hold on, she is being put on trial and Ketheric is looking to you to make judgement on her. It makes more sense for her to stay silent than to blow your cover as Ketheric would not even take her word at that point. The scene can commence as it usually does.So, with that said, it seems more of a hassle to me to add the KO reaction. I’m sure the writers at Larian may have a different opinion though, and I totally respect that. I just think these turn of events make a lot more sense. Have fun in the forums btw! I mostly just appear when Minthara is mentioned LOL
