SoD Epilogue chapter [SPOILERS!]
EarX
Member Posts: 4
Hey everybody!
First time poster here. I just played through SoD and overall I loved it. Well written, nice new background art. It tickled me how many of the old VO actors came back to reprise their roles too. Very nice, well done Beamdog!
SPOILER-TIME:
But unfortunately the epilogue chapter didn't make much sense to me. It felt contrived and somewhat jarring. All your former friends and companions immediately go into full-on hang em high-mode once the Duke's daughter winds up dead. No one questions why the person who risked everything to save the Sword Coast twice, and once from a demonic invasion no less, would kill the Duke's daughter out of the blue? No motive, no attempt to conceal the act. Everyone thinks it's plausible that the hero person would do it just for kicks? Hmm...
So yeah, I wasn't so happy about that. I think it could have worked better if the plot's scale had been a tad less epic and/or the Bhaalspawn ambivalence among your allies had been more overt throughout, maybe with more events like the bridge thing to emphasize it? Or if everybody, close companions included, hadn't been quite so eager to point their condemning fingers at you in the end.
Apart from that though, I had a great time
First time poster here. I just played through SoD and overall I loved it. Well written, nice new background art. It tickled me how many of the old VO actors came back to reprise their roles too. Very nice, well done Beamdog!
SPOILER-TIME:
But unfortunately the epilogue chapter didn't make much sense to me. It felt contrived and somewhat jarring. All your former friends and companions immediately go into full-on hang em high-mode once the Duke's daughter winds up dead. No one questions why the person who risked everything to save the Sword Coast twice, and once from a demonic invasion no less, would kill the Duke's daughter out of the blue? No motive, no attempt to conceal the act. Everyone thinks it's plausible that the hero person would do it just for kicks? Hmm...
So yeah, I wasn't so happy about that. I think it could have worked better if the plot's scale had been a tad less epic and/or the Bhaalspawn ambivalence among your allies had been more overt throughout, maybe with more events like the bridge thing to emphasize it? Or if everybody, close companions included, hadn't been quite so eager to point their condemning fingers at you in the end.
Apart from that though, I had a great time
3
Comments
How it is
Imoen is your childhood friend and wants to help you. She gathers up Jaheira and Khalid, who still have some loyalty to you regardless of your actions because of their friendship with Gorion. Minsc and Dynaheir are there for some reason and call you their "friend" even if you tried to kill them in BGI.
Problems: Minsc and Dynaheir. What could Imoen possibly say to them given her motivations that would make them change their minds if they had reason to hate you or didn't even know you? Why wouldn't she just choose allies from the party you had?
How it Should be
Jaheira and Khalid are members of the Harpers and friends of Gorion. Now that they know you are a child of Bhaal, their interest in protecting and guiding you goes beyond personal friendship and is focused on maintaining balance and working towards a greater good. They gather up a witch and her ranger, both of whom are sympathetic to their cause. Imoen, motivated by care for her childhood friend, seeks them out and joins.
Problems: None. Minsc and Dynaheir don't have to like you or even know you - they are there because the case made by Jaheira and Khalid appeals to their alignment.
I really, really wish they would do something about that epilogue. The game is good overall, but this is a weak point.
@EarX, it may be a "shitty" reason, but most of the logic as to why most of your companions abandon you is simple. You're Bhaalspawn. They assume that your father's evil nature is overtaking you. And, if you were evil, made evil choices, etc. ...well, then it may not be too much of a logical stretch. If you were good and therefore made good choices, it's unfortunate, but it's not without precedent in the Forgotten Realms world. "Power corrupts", the saying goes. The fear is, Bhaal's power corrupted you.
As far as the Dukes of Baldur's Gate are concerned, there's also some political stuff going on. You just saved BG (twice!). You're massively popular. Some of the Dukes may view you as a threat to their power and influence. What's more convenient than letting the blame for a murder fall on you. All they have to do is cry, "Bhaalspawn" and it appeals to people emotionally. They don't need proof to prey on people's fears.
The devs took Skie -- the NPC who no one used the first, third or tenth time they played BG1 and made her terribly entertaining. And what a good setup when she died at charname's hands? Heartbreaking. And they find a solid reason why she couldn't be restored to life.
This ending built a needed bridge between the BG1 and BG2. In BG1 the canonical charname is -- through exertion of willpower -- able to channel Bhaal's power for good. In BG2 the good charname believes that Bhaal's taint is a burden that she wants lifted from her shoulders. Why this switch? Why not just use more of that willpower to get more healing spells? Oh. I see. Now I get it.
Oh and hooded man? I am so going to enjoy defeating you.
The whole slayer episode is not actually killing Skie, it is something Irenicus put in your hand to make you *think* you killed her.
Which I did in addition to other things, but my character was still treated as a presumed murderer. Unfortunately whatever maladroit writer who decided on this railroaded excuse for an ending did not have the foresight to make available a dialog choice describing how my character never touched the creature and avoided it until it apparently fainted and passed out. You nor anyone else is ever going to be able contort logic enough to shine this turd enough to convince me that this complete absence of player agency is an acceptable ending...
Hell, the Sarevok/Gorion scene is much more critical, since logically charname should have had the agency to resist and getting killed.
Getting arrested for the crime is similar to not being able to avoid capture by Irenicus in Spellhold, or getting dragged down to Hell with him.
This leads directly into BG2 and then Irenicus framing of you is never anything you adress.
Writting stories is not about having a perfect grammar: it's about telling a consistent story. Whoever wrote this part completelly ignored the basics about storytelling.
The story in SoD was to explain two major points: 1) how your heritage became known to the public at large in BG2; 2) What the dark circumstances were that caused you to be exiled from Baldur's Gate. This it does very well and also includes an adventure. The adventure is tertiary to the points listed above. That's not a bad thing, it's often how many very good stories work.
Will it be resolved in a comming expansion or adventure? Maybe ...