A Reflection: There's No Player Choice Outside of the Ending (spoilers obviously)

[NOD Flamer]

A lot of choices in the game result in the same outcome.
Many dialogue options are void.

3 Major story examples;
Nere - No Matter what you choose, you have to fight the dwarfs if you free him. Unless you're able to win the minds of half of the dwarfs (which the game doesn't tell you).

Ketheric - You can't join and help him. If you try he will just say "I will raise you as my minion", eve nthought you already are because you want to be on his side.

Githyanki Prism Debacle - You can't kill your guardian and choose to side with Vlaakith, because "muh illusions". There is no way to side with the Githyanki here.

The only major story choice you get in this game, is rather or not you backstab Isebol. THAT'S IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't replayed much enough to figure if you can actually REALLY side with Gortash though. I know you can't side with Orin.

So it's easy to say that for 80% of the game, there's no player choice. Which means that the marketing and hype surrounding "you can play how you want to play" etc. Is just BS and a plain out lie.

SIDENOTE;
The more I reflect on this game and replay it, the more I see how overrated it actually is. I had given it an 8/10 in my mind, but in retrospect it's more of a 7/10.

[Quillithe]

Considering how many people I'm meeting again I could have killed earlier - no

[NOD Flamer]

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Considering how many people I'm meeting again I could have killed earlier - no

considering you insta commented, makes me think you didn't even read my post.

[DietDrPibb]

None of this is accurate. There are many choices that change things drastically.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by SchizOrtho:

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Considering how many people I'm meeting again I could have killed earlier - no

considering you insta commented, makes me think you didn't even read my post.

Doesn't make it any less wrong?

[easytarget]

You've not been playing games very long if you've not long ago realized there's an absurd amount of determinism taking place in everything you play.

That you think you have control over what you do amuses devs endlessly.

That you're taking to a steam forum to ponder it out loud is a sign of growth and means you'll likely come out the other side of this mini existential crisis a better person for it.

[Evil Inside]

Summary: 'I am not getting enough murder hobo options, so the game has no choices!'

[Chaosolous]

Hahaha. There’s like four different outcomes to the first three quests alone.

Most are like this.

Save the Druid or let them lock people out?

Kill Karlach or no?

Kill the goblins or join them?

Let the hag kill the girl and side with her or save the girl?

This kind of stuff is every where in this game. There’s even neutral choices.

Be evil? Choices.
Be good? Choices.
Be selfish? Choices.

Be a homicidal maniac who kills uncontrollably? Choices.

[NOD Flamer]

Originally posted by easytarget:

You've not been playing games very long if you've not long ago realized there's an absurd amount of determinism taking place in everything you play.

That you think you have control over what you do amuses devs endlessly.

That you're taking to a steam forum to ponder it out loud is a sign of growth and means you'll likely come out the other side of this mini existential crisis a better person for it.

No choice in games?

have you even ever played a good RPG like Fallout New Vegas?

[NOD Flamer]

Originally posted by Chaosolous:

Hahaha. There’s like four different outcomes to the first three quests alone.

Most are like this.

Save the Druid or let them lock people out?

Kill Karlach or no?

Kill the goblins or join them?

Let the hag kill the girl and side with her or save the girl?

This kind of stuff is every where in this game. There’s even neutral choices.

Be evil? Choices.
Be good? Choices.
Be selfish? Choices.

Be a homicidal maniac who kills uncontrollably? Choices.

none of those affect the story in the lightest.

[hotdaniel]

Uhh, I'm in act one and my character got two children killed yesterday, kicked a squirrel into a tree, and I'm setting everyone up to fight each other and die for my amusement. Many of the same overarching story elements will happen, but like.. that happened.

[Naamtar]

You kind of contradicted your own statement in your first criticism of the dwarves, no?

A game that doesn't hand hold, but rewards you for thinking outside the box, is the definition of player freedom and choice, right?

In the grand scheme of things your journey to the destination is pretty inconsequential when considering what's on the line. I'd like to see more endings put into the game, but there is plenty of player choice that change the way the game plays leading up to the end.

[Zeel Ara]

Originally posted by SchizOrtho:

Originally posted by Chaosolous:

Hahaha. There’s like four different outcomes to the first three quests alone.

Most are like this.

Save the Druid or let them lock people out?

Kill Karlach or no?

Kill the goblins or join them?

Let the hag kill the girl and side with her or save the girl?

This kind of stuff is every where in this game. There’s even neutral choices.

Be evil? Choices.
Be good? Choices.
Be selfish? Choices.

Be a homicidal maniac who kills uncontrollably? Choices.

none of those affect the story in the lightest.

I think you're confusing "story" with "ending". The story is the thing that happens between the first moment and the last. Per definition, everything that happens after the character creation screen is part of the story. And that is greatly changed by the choices of the player.

Words mean things. If you want people to take you seriously you should try using the words that mean the things you are trying to communicate. I suggest "reflecting" on your eagerness to make sweeping statements based on a foundation of ignorance. It is not a compelling character trait.

[Chaosolous]

Originally posted by SchizOrtho:

Originally posted by Chaosolous:

Hahaha. There’s like four different outcomes to the first three quests alone.

Most are like this.

Save the Druid or let them lock people out?

Kill Karlach or no?

Kill the goblins or join them?

Let the hag kill the girl and side with her or save the girl?

This kind of stuff is every where in this game. There’s even neutral choices.

Be evil? Choices.
Be good? Choices.
Be selfish? Choices.

Be a homicidal maniac who kills uncontrollably? Choices.

none of those affect the story in the lightest.

They are all the story of your character. You’re missing the trees for the forest.

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

The illusion of choice.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Ratley:

I think you're confusing "story" with "ending".

Main story is absolutely on rails - you're simply doomed to became a hero (or anti-hero) and fight a same final boss.

That's an indeed illusion of choice.