Honestly the game would be far better if tthey had actually leaned into making the main plot secondary and focused on the side stories. Kingmaker does that, keeping its main villain serving as a thread connecting various plotlines rather than having them constantly be front and centre and confronting them being the main goal. The side stories are generally compelling, as are the little world events you can stumble onto, they just clash with how important the main quest is supposed to be. Larian did not play to their strengths here.
Also, I think people focus on the companion stories so much specifically because the main plot is so weak. They end up not emotionally connecting to it, it's the companions they feel invested in and want to see improved. Which honestly, I think is fair. The main plot doesn't give us a lot to feel emotionally invested in.
