Overstaying one's welcome

[The Konrad]

I'm finally done with my playthrough.
I took as much time as I possibly could, did everything I could, passed every check I wanted, killed, stole from, and sweet-talked everyone I wanted.
It took 130 hours and I almost didn't make it.
I loved most of my time but I was infuriated and angry too. I have things to say, to vent and it's okay if you don't want to read it all or avoid it because it's so very full of SPOILERS and words and stuff...
Anyway, thank you for reading and thank you Larian for all the work you did.

Here are the notes I took:
Let's start with Oomelum in the Underdark, his "priceless" ring keeps the Elderbrain's commands at bay. Shouldn't Oomelum use it? Isn't he in constant danger to be re-brainwashed? I have no use for it, Lae'Zel thinks it's powerful, but what does she know? It isn't.
I rather have a store discount and better prices when selling all my gear to him.

Also, I picked up all the lovely eldritch tablets, all of them, containing wonderous knowledge from the Nautiloid, even some design plans and Oomelum doesn't care one bit.
For Shame.

Later in Act II Meeting Jaheira as Faithwarden, wielding the Staff that prevents being constricted by vines yet still being constricted by Jaheira's vines. Shameful Display. The Druid Grove lied to me, I should have sided with the Goblins and murdered them all.

Not that many notes until I reach Act III.
Then something changes.
It all starts harmlessly:

Sex with the Drow twins in darkness - but I'm a Warlock with Devil's Sight SUPER DARK DANKVISION - Where is my sex scene? I paid a thousand gold coins for it! You owe me a kinky orgy sex scene, Larian!

Origins are completely disappointing:
I played as Baldurian Noble Warlock, just like Wyll, only cooler and with fewer daddy and/or mommy issues.
But there is zero Noble Story connection

At some point in the story Gortash murders every patrician and noble present at the coronation.

Should I, as noble Baldurian be happy about that, because I'm the sole survivor of that “Noblecide” and I am now ready to take over the city?
Or should I weep because my peers were brutally murdered?

Where is my estate, where are my servants washing my feet, combing my luscious hair, and massaging my temples after I spent months in the wilderness camping with those filthy "adventurers"?

Oh, and while we're at it - My Warlock Pact offered barely any direct interaction and no drawbacks. I had such a lovely patron, I'm just enjoying life, getting awesome powers (until Spell Level 5 then they are utterly boring) and I just want to laugh at Wyll all the time, not my fault you chose so poorly, you idiot.
Look at me, I am having the time of my life with my lovely contract that doesn't want anything from me, but me having fun...

Oh Wyll, you are such an idiot but you are not alone. You know who doesn't have fun? Gale, yes, who you ask? Well, you wouldn't know - he isn't even in the group. Nobody picked him up. No, but we stumbled on the Karsus book while looking to unlock the Necromancy of Thay, but we didn't have Gale with us. The party had on-screen banter that Gale would want this book. But who is Gale? Nobody knows, nobody met him. Poor Gale. No friends who care to even noticed his absence.

Speaking of rare tomes: The folks at Larian nerfed the Necronomicon. How dare they? I'm just lucky I played so much of this game early that I was able to reap the full intended rewards of the Necromancy of Thay book in the process.
This book should be overpowered and the undead summons should really change the course of the game. After the Patch they suck and they know it, directly walking into my AOE effects to commit suicide.


Thirsty Party Members longing for affection but no means super no forever:
I once said to Lae'Zel that I wasn't ready when she came on my character a bit too strong and since then the Romance is dead. What if I'm now ready? Where is my redemption arc? Where is the second chance?

Shadowheart and my character had sex at the beach (not the cocktail) and that's it.
I wish she would at least cuddle with my character at the campfire every night. There should be a repeatable interaction (like getting a kiss) for these things.
The Romance is just the usual shallowness. No "Let's go shopping together" or "Let's make everyone in camp feel miserable because we are in love and are obnoxious about it in public" all the fun stuff seems to be missing.

Personal flavour Note: Is it me or why do all females want dominate my character's sex-life?
As a Noble Baldurian, I should be used to have people cater to my whims and needs all the time. While this resisting stubbornness is refreshing, I feel the importance of proper conduct and breeding to be of utmost concern.

In unrelated news: Normal (“untadpoled”) Drows in broad daylight? How is that possible? Shouldn't Araj Oblodra get sunburnt almost immediately? Especially after the fire explosions? Drows? Pffff...
In more unrelated news: Baldur's Mouth doesn't work, I visited the Press after I killed Gortash thus ruining the quest to save my reputation, because even as I switched out the magic articles, the printing press printed about Gortash' death instead.
And while I got the inspiration for avoiding character assassination, the game still treated it like Baldur's Mouth printed that I was the horrible person. FAKE NEWS! ME IS BESTEST PERSON!

But the worst thing for me was the Ansur quest line:
After that optional kerfuffle with some dead Dragon (the big reveal was no longer interesting for me - sorry, I lost interest in the Emperor the moment it no longer was the beautifully and painstakingly designed guardian it took hours to perfect.), Duke Ravenguard wanted to make his son Grand Duke while SPEAKING to ME?? HOW DARE HE? I'M SO INSULTED!

His son wasn't even involved in the fight, he was drinking away his sorrows with Mizora. All the while me, the Faithwarden, the lifter of the Shadow Curse, the Thorm-ender, the slayer of Ansur (TBH It was a collaborative effort, by Lae'zel, Karlach, Shadowheart and me) the last Noble line of Baldur's Gate should be the one to rule the city.
But that prick of Ravenguard wants to make his son Grand Duke not me. I should have let him drown on the Iron Throne and Wyll with him.
Duke Ravenguard now has a spot on my torture and murder list right under Wulbren. Ungracious pricks all of them.
Everything points towards me being the next ruler of Baldur's Gate, after ALL I have already done and this is thanks I get? This doesn't feel like fantasy roleplay, this feels like real life.

Oh, and Wyll is going to hunt down Mizora, he told me that in Camp. You know MIZORA, right? The Cambion who is standing right next to him. RIGHT NEXT TO HIM, WITHIN EARSHOT!

Yes, astonishingly I made to then end. I really did, my first Larian Game ever, and I have been enjoying the games since 2002.
Probably because I streamed everything on YouTube. I felt like I had to end this.
You can watch my spiral into madness, but I supposed you probably don't want to. It's fine. I should shill out my content here but it's probably not worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZiEH4KsufWNb-AZg7wUcFL0KajWSgAYU

Anyway, the last fight.
Why is the Owlbear suddenly so huge? I want my Owlbear cub back for the fight. I want to watch it grow, I want to recruit it as party-member, why? Is this what parenting feels like?
Thank Ao I still have the Githanki Egg with me, I just keep it forever.

Anyway, while trying to wrap my head around the last fight, Thunderwave doesn't work. People behind the caster are grabbed by the Thunderwave all the time.
And where is the Shield Spell reaction when I got pelted by Magic Missiles in the Last ♥♥♥♥♥♥ battle? It does not trigger, does it? Bloody cheating Netherbrain.

Also since Karlach turned into a Mindflayer (losing her Soul and her Infernal-Engine-Self-Destruct-Ticker) everyone treats her as the ultimate sacrificial heroine while all she did was wanting to survive. Feels far too close to the real world again.
I want my fantasy world back...
It feels like the game moves away from your player character and towards your companions. I'm the attention ♥♥♥♥♥ here though, this adventure was made around me, to please me, how come they get all the attention now. First Wyll, then Karlach, then Lae'Zel has her moment and Shadowheart wants to raise pigs with her parents and I may join her, what?
Where do my life-choices factor in? We are going to rule Baldur’s Gate together, Shadowheart and all those torture practices you have learned during your 40 years of “Sharducation” will be put to great use on Wulbren, Ravenguard and everyone else on my list.

Last but not least: I can interrupt Jergal's Post Credit Monologue and attack him, but there is no combat. I want my chance at fighting Jergal, Larian not only owes me my Drow gang bang sex scene but also an impossible fight against the Bonelord himself.

TL;DR:
After 130 hours I had an amazing time with Act I and Act II that fell flat on its face when I reached Level Cap early in Act III with unrewarding quests and monologuing villains, I had zero interest to listen to. I had more fun attacking them outright and killing them before I had to listen to their unrewarding story. Orin just needs to know when to shut up and Viconia Devir just died to the hunger of Hadar while downed (what a welcomed happy accident) so I hadn't to listen to her pitiful unsatisfying last words.
I really feel sorry for the amazing voice actors, and all the effort the crew put into these performances, but the path laid out for me didn't make me care anymore. I got the best ending for everyone but still not the one I wanted not even one for my character.
I've lost that innocent giddy marvel I had during Acts I & II, the childish wonder I experienced when having a shy kiss with Shadowheart and saving sentient mushrooms in the Underdark. They sang and danced for me.
That was magic, but that magic was absorbed and swallowed whole. Just like a hungry Gale feeding his addiction.
Wait a minute, who is Gale?

[Dilgerth]

Originally posted by Syynx:

Originally posted by Dindomir:

Act 3 was worse than Act 1 and 2, but that's like saying every Queen song except Bohemian Rhapsody sucks. You can only go down after perfection.

I remember when all the complainers here were screaming that act 2 and 3 both suck, now magically everyone thinks that only act 3 sucks.

Can't wait till more than 13% of players reach Act 3 so we can finally know if the people constantly complaining about everything were right or not. Only then will I be able to rest easily at night.

Act 2 was fine, for me at least. Not as peak as Act 1 but still very good.
The cracks only started to show in Act 3

[CorwynCorey]

I stopped reading pretty early BUT...

Originally posted by The Konrad:

Let's start with Oomelum in the Underdark, his "priceless" ring keeps the Elderbrain's commands at bay. Shouldn't Oomelum use it? Isn't he in constant danger to be re-brainwashed? I have no use for it, Lae'Zel thinks it's powerful, but what does she know? It isn't.

When you fought the elder brain DID YOU WEAR THE RING?

He would be in constant danger, yes... if he was dumb enough to go near an Illithid colony and an Elder Brain. He did not, because he is not that dumb. WE are. So i ask again...

Did you wear the ring?

If you play again.... do so. Just sayin.

The rest was too much of a novel to comment towards... but I am sorry for your loss. Still, 130+ hours of entertainment is decent for the price. WAY less than that much in movies or any other kind of entertainment.

[Pepsu]

Originally posted by Skela:

Originally posted by Syynx:

It's not even that long. As a society, please, let's stop pretending like a page of text is difficult to read.

*pushes up glasses* "Erm, as a society"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YLqVD_MsgM