Let characters be a bit more clever!

[Giant Octopodes]

Just a few easy examples from Act 2, since that's where the inter-faction stuff really heats up

 

Reymont tells you the gem is part of a bidding war between the Dozens and the KotC.  I can go up there and steal it myself (even after warning him about the plot, really he should get on closing that window faster).  Why can I not then turn it over to the Dozens or KotC for some positive rep?  Or even better yet, tell them Reymont has offered to sell it at a "discount" to them, collect a fee, and then turn it over?  Or how about setting up a bidding war between the two factions for it from me, instead?

 

You stopped the KotC member from being killed by the Dozens and recovered the research.  Why can I not then turn around and hand it over to the Dozens after all?  Or better yet, go to a Scrivener, get a copy made, hand the copy over to the Dozens for positive rep with them, and turn the originals over to the KotC with them none the wiser (at least initially)?  Or how about commission an imperfect copy of the research from that same scrivener, and hand that over to one party (getting the rep for handing over the research, but actually sabotaging their efforts), or both parties, if I want the research to fail?

 

Anyway that's just some quick examples, I absolutely love the game, I just wish at times you could go more non-linear with some of these quests, especially those which involve things multiple parties want.  Hopefully deadfire will feature more opportunities for that kind of mischief.  

[Maziga]

For the Heart of the White March quest, turning the gem over to the Crucible Knights or the Dozens was originally a part of the game (those journal updates appear in the data files) but it was cut from the final game, probably due to not having enough time to write a whole "House Doemenel gets angry and tries to kill you while the CKs/Dozens have some more unique lines" thing.

 

And for your thing about the research, there is a limit as to how much non-linearity you can go with the game. "No, Lord Raedric, I will only kill Kolsc if you give me half your kingdom! No? Ok, a third. Still no? Ok - my last and final offer, a quarter? Alright then, I want the land with the best cattle grazing, and the most villages........"