I feel exactly the opposite, companions being build like this makes them more realistic, everyone is the MC of their on lives, companions in most games are build as Just followers, here they are build as actual independent characters ready to Go their own way If need be.
I understand where you are coming from but them being the MC of their own lives does not mean they have to be the MC of the game. There are many ways to give companions agency outside of giving them the identical plot hook across the board and their realism is something that will be reflected by their overall design and actions throughout the game. This is the reason why I said it cheapens them because it feels shoehorned in unnecessarily. Would you find the companion realistic if they had the same plot hook and MC status but constantly acted in an unrealistic way or broke character? Similarly if they didn't break character and acted realistically and their quest revolved around their own goals and issues but they didn't have the MC checkbox ticked would you find them less believable?
Originally Posted by pgmoro
That doesn't make you MC Lesser, just more equal, which is exactly the feeling an adventurer should have on a DnD party.
This is not a D&D party, and this is not a D&D game in the tabletop sense. That necessity for absolute equality in a tabletop setting is because there are other humans creating and controlling the characters. It is a single player videogame and a bunch of artificial companions suffering the same plot hook as my MC doesn't make them any more or less equal than me and it didn't affect my assessment of them in older BG games either. I never felt that Valygar was not my MC's equal because he wasn't a Bhaalspawn and the status of being a Bhaalspawn didn't affect my opinion of anyone else because it's not a personality and while it may influence their decisions it does not reflect their actions. This is in fact one of the bigger themes of the game. This is why I said it made my MC feel lesser and it made them all feel lesser because the game is boiling down the importance of in universe characters to a checkbox with MC labelled next to it. Think of this in reverse and what the implication is for everyone that doesn't have the MC plot hook. Are they now automatically less equal than the party members?
Originally Posted by pgmoro
And I'd argue that saying companions are like those on DOS is very much a stretch, for instance this post was started because someone was frustrantes because they didn't have a companion like those on DOS. And I also don't see that many similarities without doing that thing where you put so little datail in a description that any character ever fits it
I didn't say the companions where like the DivOS companions, I said they where treading the same ground and same themes such as Shadowheart and Sebille. I'm not willing to go into detail as again so far my impression of this board has led me to believe that it will be a poor experience with little merit.
I am here to discuss a video game. Please do not try to rope me into anything other than that. Thank you.
