I think I'm turning into Alrik Fassbauer

[Philistine]

This morning after work I couldn't sleep, stressing over BG3. Although I'm technically in Act 2 of CP, I'm at the end of PL and I'm emotionally drained by all the characters I though were 'good' that are willing to do bad things to achieve their goals. This is something I have never approved of, and marks you as evil and makes me very uncomfortable when I have to work with these people. I recognize that CP is a dystopia, but I expected the world to be evil, NOT my companions! I downloaded BG3 in readiness for when I finish CP and have avoided consciously avoided spoilers including the BG3 threads here, but couldn't resist creating a character or two. So on the creation screen I see the 'origin characters' aka companions.... and they are all evil! Vampire thief, Warlock, Drow cleric of Shar, Demon lady, Githyanki, and Glade or whatever his name is. Since all the others are bad, I wondered what his alignment was, and remembered when I created my character I was never asked for my alignment?! Are all the characters just assumed to be Evil?? I thought the Dark Urge was for an Evil playthrough, so what is going on here? I don't think I can deal with another game where my so-called friends are even morally suspect, nevermind outright Evil. I don't mind a grim world as long as I have Good friends to help me through it.

 

[JDR13]

Have you purchased a copy of Genshin Impact yet?

 

[Couchpotato]

There is no alignment in D&D anymore it was removed from the rule-set.

With 5th Edition, alignment was decoupled from most of the D&D game mechanics, such as "no rules that limit certain classes to characters of a specific alignment, or spells that impact characters differently depending on" alignment.

Anyway the companions were once worse when it launched on Early Access.

 

[purpleblob]

There is nothing wrong with feeling unhappy to travel with evil companions - I'm no Alrik yet I also don't enjoy travelling with unpleasant folks - experiencing it right now in Rogue Trader.

Not sure if this will be viable solution for you but you could also play an evil or a selfish character. I'm doing that now in RT and enjoying it more. I used to get stressed over companions doing/saying evil things - now I just quickly skim through whatever crap they have to say and focus on rewards only. I even tell them to stfu or say thats freaking stupid idea etc at times and I feel much less anxious

Understand that you may want to experience most content by becoming their friend etc but I'd say in some games, that will only cause more stress. Just like in r/l, say no to toxic relationships

I'm going to roll mercs if I end up killing all companions. Is there merc system in BG3?

 

[bjon045]

I'm going to roll mercs if I end up killing all companions. Is there merc system in BG3?

Yes. They are called hirelings.

 

[Arkadia7]

Yes, most seemed evil to me...not sure why. But I am already picky when it comes to party members so after researching them by watching game play videos of the available ones, I decided I would hate most of them.

But that said, I do like Shadowheart. I think she is a good character in that she is written well and is not so over the top like a lot of the others. Then I hired two mercenaries and created them from scratch basically in terms of what other classes I wanted in my party. So I have one companion and two kind of NPC party members who I control. I like the way it's working so far.

 

[bjon045]

Besides, sometimes good people do bad things for a reason and you might be able to redeem them *hint hint*.

I always like a good redemption arc for a character!

 

[Maylander]

There are also some recruitable NPCs later on that are good. They're not origin characters though, and can't be recruited until later.

That being said, most of the origin characters are more neutral than evil. Astarion and Lae'zel would definitely be some form of evil according to old D&D alignement rules (probably Neutral Evil and Lawful Evil), but I don't think any of the others would. It just looks that way.

Edit: I wouldn't mind having a few more recruitable characters though, especially early on. It wouldn't have to be origin characters, as those require a ton of effort, since they're also playable characters that impact the story, but it would be nice with some more up front, what you see is what you get types. Khelgar style.

 

[bjon045]

There are also some recruitable NPCs later on that are good. They're not origin characters though, and can't be recruited until later.

That being said, most of the origin characters are more neutral than evil. Astarion and Lae'zel would definitely be some form of evil according to old D&D alignement rules (probably Neutral Evil and Lawful Evil), but I don't think any of the others would. It just looks that way.

Who are you referring to? I thought there was only one good characterin the traditional sense in the game! I thought the game could have used more "good" characters.

 

[Maylander]

Who are you referring to? I thought there was only one good characterin the traditional sense in the game! I thought the game could have used more "good" characters.

Spoiler: A quick rundown

• Minsc and Jaheira are both good. I know Jaheira is neutral, strictly speaking, but that's always been nonsense. That's just a Druid requirement in BG1 and 2 (True Neutral), but she never actually does anything to balance things out. She fights evil all day long
• The same goes for Halsin. He would probably have been True Neutral in terms of D&D alignement, but that's just not the case in terms of personality
• Shadowheart is actually a Selunite at heart, but she has had her memory wiped a number of times. Letting her former self reappear makes her more of a good aligned character
• Karlach is either Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Good, depending on point of view. She was forced into service, but was already something of a rogue/thief. However, it does come across as if that was mostly necessity due to growing up in the streets, and that she genuinely wants to help people
• Wyll is likely Chaotic Good. Everything he does is for the greater good, but he wasn't as clever as he thought when he accepted the terms of a certain contract. Devils have a habit of finding loopholes.

That being said, I would have liked a more up front character like Khelgar or Keldorn. Not everyone needs to have dark secrets. Or be recruited at the end of Act 2 or start of Act 3.

 

[bjon045]

That being said, I would have liked a more up front character like Khelgar or Keldorn. Not everyone needs to have dark secrets. Or be recruited at the end of Act 2 or start of Act 3.

I don't consider any of those to be a traditionally good style character except for the one beginning with M. Agree on the Keldorn option. I would have liked at least two more wholesomely good options. Having said that - I guess some of the hireling options would fit that bill. They could have just given them a bit more of a backstory.

 

[Philistine]

There is nothing wrong with feeling unhappy to travel with evil companions - I'm no Alrik yet I also don't enjoy travelling with unpleasant folks - experiencing it right now in Rogue Trader.

Not sure if this will be viable solution for you but you could also play an evil or a selfish character. I'm doing that now in RT and enjoying it more. I used to get stressed over companions doing/saying evil things - now I just quickly skim through whatever crap they have to say and focus on rewards only. I even tell them to stfu or say thats freaking stupid idea etc at times and I feel much less anxious

Understand that you may want to experience most content by becoming their friend etc but I'd say in some games, that will only cause more stress. Just like in r/l, say no to toxic relationships

I'm going to roll mercs if I end up killing all companions. Is there merc system in BG3?

I think you hit on the way for me to play the relationships. I usually try to be as cosy with the companions as I can, be I think this time, if the game will let me, it will be about the friction and conflict with them. I won't try to befriend them, just castigate them for their evil doing!

 

[Morrandir]

The writing of (some) of the BG3 companions (and other NPCs) is a good example showing D&D alignments are an oversimplification of human (etc.) ethics and moral.
Without any spoilers, at least Astarion, Gale, Lae'zel and Shadowheart aren't easy to categorize. Their personalities are quite nuanced and depending on your choices can change quite a bit.

Spoiler: A quick rundown

• Karlach is either Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Good, depending on point of view. She was forced into service, but was already something of a rogue/thief. However, it does come across as if that was mostly necessity due to growing up in the streets, and that she genuinely wants to help people

Spoiler

I would say that she is clearly good. In fact I don't see any reason for her not count as good. Being forced to work for Zariel or being a thief is not a reason.

 

[wolfgrimdark]

I think you hit on the way for me to play the relationships. I usually try to be as cosy with the companions as I can, be I think this time, if the game will let me, it will be about the friction and conflict with them. I won't try to befriend them, just castigate them for their evil doing!

Hard to answer this without major spoilers but your companions do have your back. If you treat them well (don't stab them in the back) and try not to force them into a good path right away, but listen to them and try to be understanding to their current point of view, then they will watch over you and protect you. Most of them have redemption arcs as well but you first have to earn their trust - but you don't need to be max relationship with them either. I was always pissing Astarian off but he came around eventually to my way of thinking

Treat them as evil, push them towards evil, and that is what you will get with many of them. Treat them as misguided good and push towards good and maybe something good will come from it. Just don't expect it right away - its an entire game long process. Certainly more so than CP which is not meant to be good.

Some of them are already good to start with. For myself they were all decent folks by the end except the female dark elf who I killed.

 

[Morrandir]

For myself they were all decent folks by the end except the female dark elf who I killed.

Yep, I really liked that they kept her evil, as it should be for a default Drow. When she and Tav as a couple approach the epilogue party she says something like "I don't want to go there. Let's just poison everyone and go home." Love it.

 

[Qayto]

I think you hit on the way for me to play the relationships. I usually try to be as cosy with the companions as I can, be I think this time, if the game will let me, it will be about the friction and conflict with them. I won't try to befriend them, just castigate them for their evil doing!

I didn't warm to any of them in the early days, but as time passed I accepted that some were misunderstood or complicated. Except one who appeared nice at first, too nice, shifty.... I decided they were obviously a wrong 'un and avoided.

I think player "alignment" develops over time dependent on the decisions and responses we make.

Tbh, the real world might be a nicer place if people were a bit more Alrik.

 

[Alrik Fassbauer]

Have you purchased a copy of Genshin Impact yet?

You clearly haven't played it yet. Because I do know that there are quite EVIL characters in it - and some of them can even be played !
It's even more noticeable in its more mature twin, Star Rail.

 

[pibbuR]

Tbh, the real world might be a nicer place if people were a bit more Alrik.

This!

 

[Couchpotato]

Nah for my cynical narcisctic self that would be hell.

 

[bkrueger]

Everybody would be an absent-minded professor and therefore too confused to do evil things...