Lazarusblack

I kinda get what you mean. The companions were really well written and the banter was cool, but they felt alittle disconnected with the main story and seemed like a group of people who just got caught up in my wake. Even their personal quests seemed alittle flat to me. maybe I was just expecting more. May well be that we are spoiled after Kotor 2 and Motb as they both set the standard in my mind for great companions. (didn't much like GOTO or Bao dur in Kotor, but I loved my sadistic spirit construct in OoM) Kotor2 in particular came so close to what I felt was the perfect companion system, falling just shy of everything I would have wanted. I'm usually a bit wary of influence systems and alignment in rpgs as I im inclined to ditch roleplaying in favour of pandering to my companions to get the benefits of their approval but Kotor2 almost got it right by alowwing my to mold my characters into evil characters if I went sith, then fell short when, having convinced them to be good little murderes they still bemoaned my own piques of wanton slaughter. In PoE, It felt like I could influence the companions, Durance in particular and Grieving mother aswell, can be fundamentally changed through dialouge responses but to little real affect as they had no real bearing on the mian story. Sure a minor change to the ending description but it felt a little hollow. I also expected npcs to react abit more to companion interjection but maybe this would have been too time consuming to implement, sadly it just felt taped on to the existing conversations. I still really like the characters. Durance, GM and Hiravias where good fun to have along. But I think Obsidian missed an oppurtunity to take companions that one step further after Kotor2 & MotB. Maybe it's something that will get fleshed out in an expansion or sequel. One can live in hope!

No, I think that hits quite closely to my interpretation too. The game does a good job of portraying a fantasy world that has stumbled upon relativism and asks the question of, if you had the power I.E. animacy to create gods to give an illusion of meaning, would it be worthwhile. What would be the justifications of it. Thaos tortured soul is worn down by the burden of it. He is a perfect broken villain, that must perpetuate his broken logic by any means necassary to justify his broken logic descisions. I loved Kreia and Myrkul both for their bequiling power, even in defeat, they were in many ways right and it was hard to disregard their reasoning. Great characters.

Yes, by playing Baldurs Gate 2: throne of Bhaal. I too was secretly hoping this would come up but I had a doubt at the back of my mind, so many rpgs have the "apotheosis" godhood ending these days that I can imagine Obsidian steering well clear of it. That being said I've only finished with Honest, Diplomatic, Benevolent characters so far so perhaps if you have a less pleasant character this option may pop up. But I really do doubt it.

I pretty much read the whole thing this way too. I think Woedica and Thaos would have aligned rather quickly as they both represent the order and control that would be needed to perpetuate the fabrication of the the engwithan gods. Not surprisingly that very order and control stifled not only the kith but the gods aswell. Animancy was forgotten but also innovation and divergent thought would have been stamped out. Quite the atithesis of gods like Galawain, Magran, Hylea and Abydon. I can imagine they got rid of Woedica pretty sharpish so as to guide the kith their way. Much to Woedica's and Thaos chargrin. Which would lead us to the Saints War and Waidwens Legacy. Under the auspice of a more progressive pantheon, the kith have begun to rediscover animancy, a huge threat to Thaos duty as keeper of the secret behind the engwithan "gods" and a threat to Woedica's sense of innate exclusive godhood. Cue the plot to re-instate Woedica, under whom Thaos duty would be more readily executed. Now beaing in mind I doubt Thaos or Woedica are much concerned with the other gods knowing what they are doing as they are "playing by the rules" so to speak. The other gods must sit back and try to play puppet master to avert Woedicas return to dominace but suddenly, Eothas, kindly benevolent god that he is, foresees the suffereing Thaos plan will result in and takes unexpected action, abanding the game of zero direct influence, takes a mortal avatar and moves to prevent Thaos plans (ofcourse I'm only guessing here, could be he was just nuts or Waidwen was not a god at all but I think it just feels right for Waidwen to actually be Eothas) Suddenly, by the rules that govern the gods Magran and the other gods MUST intervene against Eothas, regardless of his intent and what they themselves might loose in the process. Enter stage left - the Godhammer. All the while, under the cloak of turmoil Thaos continues with his plan, starts up the Engwithan soul hoovers and prepares to restore Woedica and at the same time, pin the legacy on animancy. Plan perfectly executed, until the player turns up at Cilant Lis.