PoE Expansions - Story and Continuity

[Aron Times]

So I was wondering what everyone wants in the expansion pertaining to story and continuity. I'd personally prefer a different story from PoE with the events of PoE being ambiguous or contradictory. Ambiguity and the lack of consensus are major plot points in PoE, and that's all I'll say so as not to break the no spoilers rule.

 

I feel that the story of the Watcher is pretty much over, and it is time for him/her to retire or semi-retire and tend to his/her stronghold.

 

Having an entirely different story means that Obsidian doesn't have to increase the level cap in order to provide more hours of entertainment. Very few CRPGs handle high levels in a believable way, with most of them simply scaling random mooks into UBERMENSCHEN just so they stand a chance against you. This is what ruined my suspension of disbelief in Throne of Bhaal and Mask of the Betrayer, with their unrealistically large numbers of supermen (and superwomen) throwing their lives away trying to kill me when they could've been out conquering their respective regions in Faerun. MotB is also particularly ridiculous with the sheer amount of powerful magic items and gold you can find in random containers.

 

Also, an entirely different story allows new players to make a fresh start without feeling obligated to finish the PoE OC to optimize their expansion playthroughts. I hated this in the Baldur's Gate series because all it did was allow you to play a more powerful character in BG2 with very little effect on the overall story.

 

Anyway, I will be buying the expansions no matter what. I just hope that this post will nudge development and storytelling in my direction.

 

Examples:

 

Baldur's Gate = One continuous story + one true canon.

 

No matter what you did in BG1, you were at least moderately heroic in BG2 and you traveled with Imoen, Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc, and Dynaheir. Also, your choices in BG2 don't really matter in ToB, as the ultimate ending is based mostly on your dialogue with the Solar.

 

You do get plenty of opportunity to lampshade an apparently dead character inexplicably showing up:

 

"(NPC) aren't you supposed to be dead?"

 

They usually reply that they got raised by their allies. It makes sense because it's a common temple service throughout the series.

 

Icewind Dale = Related stories + one true canon.

 

IWD1 and IWD2 are actually one continuous story, but with the latter taking place about 20 years after its predecessor and with different sets of protagonists. The details of the IWD1 party are ambiguous other than them being moderately heroic.

 

Knights of the Old Republic = Related stories + variable canon.

 

At several points in KotoR 2, you can decide how KotoR 1 ended through dialogue, such as determining whether Revan was a man or a woman, or whether he was Light or Dark in the end.