Codex Review RPG Codex Review: Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous

[Lambach]

Have a 2nd/3rd in command do it. Have, as I said, Hulrun or his adjutant do it. Add a new character. I really don't give a shit.

Completely irrelevant to the story. That character would still serve the same function. If you're fine with that, then your issue is not the writing, your issue is that character's race/gender/sexuality, neither of which actually influence anything that happens.

It's pozz for the sake of pozz and is, of course, annoying, but says nothing about the quality of the writing.

Oh, so it's finally possible? Wow. That only took 5 pages.

A) See above.

B) You are legit retarded, my guy.

Player freedom is part of the writing. Being able to kill off a named character qualifies as more freedom. This is an objective fact. Why don't you see it?

Sure, but saying the game is terrible when it comes to player freedom is not accurate when your reason for claiming so is just 2 NPCs you're stuck with in a game the size of Wrath.

Seeing that there's no way out, being given an option to try. This is all part of a good dilemma that motivates a player to continue the story. Wrath doesn't bother.

(In before the 'it's obvious, so they didn't need to!' excuse for laziness.)

Nitpicking in the extreme. You're the only person on Earth that would pick up a game about fighting Demons, then complain about not having the option to try and skip the whole "Demon fighting" thing because you want a complete psychological profile on a bunch of pixels.

Additional faction? As in adding a new one? What? I never suggested that.

You're so used to strawmanning that you're making things up and having a separate conversation at this point.

Work with a faction head and they take the place of that character. Why are you this dense? Other games have done this.

It's the same goddamn thing. It would serve no purpose whatsoever.

Once more: the difference is that Wrath doesn't consider the motive, especially not at the start after the tutorial when it's the most important.

No, Wrath just doesn't ram the motive directly down your throat. Which makes sense, considering your character is a tabula rasa and we know nothing of his background. Bhaalspawn is already and established character. Besides, the way BG2 acknowledges your motive is via flavor text and nothing more. It's functionally meaningless.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Completely irrelevant to the story. That character would still serve the same function. If you're fine with that, then your issue is not the writing, your issue is that character's race/gender/sexuality, neither of which actually influence anything that happens.

Silly response. I have no issue with them defending the PC during a fight. I have an issue with being forced to side with them and unable to kill them. This is one of many issues I have with the story, but it's pulling teeth just to get you to budge here, so here we are still.

You said it was impossible to kill them because they're irreplaceable in the story, that's why I'm suggesting replacing them, not to change that part of the story. The fact that you admit that it wouldn't affect the story means you know that I'm right.

It's pozz for the sake of pozz and is, of course, annoying, but says nothing about the quality of the writing.

This is contradictory, but I'm not going to waste the effort explaining why if you don't see it.

B) You are legit retarded, my guy.

Says the Dunning-Kruger poster child, as he proves my point again.

Sure, but saying the game is terrible when it comes to player freedom is not accurate when your reason for claiming so is just 2 NPCs you're stuck with in a game the size of Wrath.

Strawman again.

Nitpicking in the extreme. You're the only person on Earth that would pick up a game about fighting Demons, then complain about not having the option to try and skip the whole "Demon fighting" thing because you want a complete psychological profile on a bunch of pixels.

He says, too dense to realize he's talking about a game where becoming a demon or a devil is an advertised feature.

It's the same goddamn thing. It would serve no purpose whatsoever.

Adding a faction is the same as swapping out two characters during a single fight scene?



Or maybe you meant the faction head thing? That was me clarifying. Of course it's the same. Keep up.

No, Wrath just doesn't ram the motive directly down your throat.

Or allow the player to mention it at all.

Which makes sense, considering your character is a tabula rasa and we know nothing of his background.

So it's a feature and not a bug? Ok.

Bhaalspawn is already and established character. Besides, the way BG2 acknowledges your motive is via flavor text and nothing more. It's functionally meaningless.

Other than the function and meaning I've already explained countless times in helping the player voice his motive (or decide on it), or at the very least explaining why he's being railroaded.

What is flavor text, huh?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavor_text

While appropriate to the product's or game's story concept, it usually has no effect on the mechanics of the game, but instead serves to add realism or characterization or lore to the item in question.

Wow. Sounds like it has a function, doesn't it?

It also demonstrates that the developer accounted for multiple possible motives when writing the story. Does Wrath of the Tranny? Nope. The fact that you can't answer anything but "because it's the plot" and encourage me to use my imagination to make up a reason for the railroading shows that.

 

[luj1]

Whew, feels like it's been quite a while since we had an argument like this on the forum.

Whew, feels like you are still a shill scumbag in shill mode again

Nothing special about this thread. Its not even that big or active. Two guys are arguing wow. Usually we have 20 people arguing with each other. Good try tho (not)

Previous generations of Codexers hated Baldur's Gate and praised Fallout for pretty much the same reasons @Non-Edgy Gamer details here (minus the tranny panic factor).

Not at all

This has nothing to do with RtwP

it has to do with feature bloat, class bloat, poor writing

and what is tranny panic btw? Putting LGBT indoctrination in games makes the writing even worse than it is. Its a legit critique

 

[Lambach]

You said it was impossible to kill them because they're irreplaceable in the story, that's why I'm suggesting replacing them, not to change that part of the story.

You are actually, genuinely retarded.

Maybe the third time's the charm and it will finally get through: They're irreplaceable in the story during one part of it. They're largely irrelevant after that.

Do you get it now, or do I need to paint you a picture?

He says, too dense to realize he's talking about a game where becoming a demon or a devil is an advertised feature.

The fuck does that have to do with anything? Is your brain shutting down and just generating random meaningless sentences?

Guess what, even if you become a Demon or a Devil yourself, the game still remains primarily centered around fighting Demons.

Adding a faction is the same as swapping out two characters during a single fight scene?



Or maybe you meant the faction head thing? That was me clarifying. Of course it's the same. Keep up.

Yup, more random meaningless sentences that have nothing to do with anything being talked about.

Wow. Sounds like it has a function, doesn't it?

Yes, the function is that it helps you LAPR better while having 0 in-game impact.

Here bro, you seem like the type of person that would benefit from this: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Roleplaying_Ideas

It also demonstrates that the developer accounted for multiple possible motives when writing the story. Does Wrath of the Tranny? Nope.

This is just so insanely goddamn stupid it absolutely beggars belief.

"I can't figure out what my character's motives are unless the game spells it out for me through a dialogue choice that serves absolutely no goddamn in-game purpose whatsoever and changes nothing at all".

Fuck it, I'll make a goddamn mod myself that adds a single conversation with one of the companions or another NPC where they will specifically ask you why you're doing what you're doing and provide the player with multiple options. It will, of course, serve no in-game purpose whatsoever and will have no tangible function, but it looks like that alone will make Wrath your fucking GoTY.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

You are actually, genuinely retarded.

Saying this over and over is probably a sign there's something wrong with your brain.

They're irreplaceable in the story during one part of it.

lol, and now we're back to square one. The irreplaceable tranny and orc. Can't be written around even though you already admitted they could.

Do you get it now, or do I need to paint you a picture?

If you did, it'd probably be fingerpaint, but it'd still be higher art than this shitty game's writing.

Guess what, even if you become a Demon or a Devil yourself, the game still remains primarily centered around fighting Demons.

So no option to join the bad guys in the end? I thought I saw something like that in the promo vids.

Yup, more random meaningless sentences that have nothing to do with anything being talked about.

Is that your new refrain when you can't think up a good response? I thought the strawmen were more creative.

Yes, the function is that it helps you LAPR better while having 0 in-game impact.

Most dialog has zero in-game impact, midwit. Doesn't mean it's useless.

It also demonstrates that the developer accounted for multiple possible motives when writing the story. Does Wrath of the Tranny? Nope.

This is just so insanely goddamn stupid it absolutely beggars belief.

Then you have something in common with it.

"I can't figure out what my character's motives are unless the game spells it out for me through a dialogue choice that serves absolutely no goddamn in-game purpose whatsoever and changes nothing at all".

Finally, a new strawman at last!

You quoted the wrong part btw. That bit has to do with the developer showing that they understand the concept of player motive. Which isn't necessary for the game, but it illustrates my point.

Fuck it, I'll make a goddamn mod myself that adds a single conversation with one of the companions or another NPC where they will specifically ask you why you're doing what you're doing and provide the player with multiple options. It will, of course, serve no in-game purpose whatsoever and will have no tangible function, but it looks like that alone will make Wrath your fucking GoTY.

Having dialog discussing the motive doesn't add value to the game unless it helps the player find a motive to continue the story. Based on your previous defensive responses, that dialog might consist of "BECAUSE ITS THE FUCKING PLOT!", "TO FIUGHT DEMONZ!", "YOU GONNA GET REAL STRONK BOI!".

A strawman of my own, perhaps, but it doesn't sound like GOTY material to me. Work on it.

And again:

This is one of many issues I have with the story, but it's pulling teeth just to get you to budge here, so here we are still.

 

[Roguey]

There is some truth to this, but the PnP is also balanced for 4player parties, and you get 6 in the vidya. 2 extra party members is a lot of extra buffs/attacks/hp/etc.
So normal + strict pnp stats is probably going to be easier than the pnp version.

The same is true for the Infinity Engine games and they didn't feel the need to inflate creature attributes. This is what the encounter calculator is for https://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20encountercalculator/

Wrath the video game already significantly increases the amount of creatures you fight compared to Wrath the tabletop. I checked the stats of the first creature you fight against the rules to see if they were the same and noticed a giant fly is worth 400 xp (which would be 65 distributed to a party of 6) but in the game it's worth 18. If the adaptation used the actual xp rules, you'd hit the level cap in chapter 4.

 

[Lambach]

lol, and now we're back to square one. The irreplaceable tranny and orc. Can't be written around even though you already admitted they could.

I said characters that serve that function have to exist because the plot doesn't really work without them, but those characters don't have to be a troon and an Orc specifically. Those are superficial traits that were added for Good Goy points, but they don't actually impact anything. They don't influence how these characters interact with others, how they make decisions, nothing. If they were a regular Human heterosexual couple, they would still be the same characters.

So no option to join the bad guys in the end? I thought I saw something like that in the promo vids.

There's an option to become the bad guy yourself, but that still means you have to get rid of the competition because bad guys don't like sharing power.

Most dialog has zero in-game impact, midwit. Doesn't mean it's useless.

If you take out the option for Bhaalspawn to directly voice what his motives for going to Spellhold are, I guarantee you no one will notice. Having that is not a bad thing, of course, but neither is not having it. It's just a complete non-issue you're autistically fixated on for some reason.

Finally, a new strawman at last!

You use "strawman" the same way a toddler uses a new word it just learned, without knowing what it means.

Having dialog discussing the motive doesn't add value to the game unless it helps the player find a motive to continue the story. Based on your previous defensive responses, that dialog might consist of "BECAUSE ITS THE FUCKING PLOT!", "TO FIUGHT DEMONZ!", "YOU GONNA GET REAL STRONK BOI!".

A strawman of my own, perhaps, but it doesn't sound like GOTY material to me. Work on it.

Hmm, lemme try this. Why is the Bhaalspawn trying to reach Spellhold?

"TO SAEV IMOEN!"

"YOU GONNA GET REAL STRONK USING IRENICUS' SECRETS BOI!!"

Oh hey, it's more-or-less the same thing.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

I said characters that serve that function have to exist because the plot doesn't really work without them, but those characters don't have to be a troon and an Orc specifically.

I think you're misunderstanding still: I want to kill or not side with these characters, regardless of whether or not they are troons etc.

It's about the freedom to do so and not be forced to side with them.

There's an option to become the bad guy yourself, but that still means you have to get rid of the competition because bad guys don't like sharing power.

Ok. Pity you can't get a head start on it is what I'm saying.

If you take out the option for Bhaalspawn to directly voice what his motives for going to Spellhold are, I guarantee you no one will notice. Having that is not a bad thing, of course, but neither is not having it. It's just a complete non-issue you're autistically fixated on for some reason.

I'm not. It's just an example, since you brought up BG to begin with.

You use "strawman" the same way a toddler uses a new word it just learned, without knowing what it means.

You use strawmen more often than any child ever would.

Hmm, lemme try this. Why is the Bhaalspawn trying to reach Spellhold?

"TO SAEV IMOEN!"

"YOU GONNA GET REAL STRONK USING IRENICUS' SECRETS BOI!!"

Oh hey, it's more-or-less the same thing.

Except there's no actual way the player can know he's going to get strong from killing random demons in Wrath at that stage, and no one he knows for him to save. I guess "save the town full of degenerate freaks", maybe?

Oops, and now we're back to "why would I want to save this shitty world?" again.

Bad writing.

 

[Lambach]

I think you're misunderstanding still: I want to kill or not side with these characters, regardless of whether or not they are troons etc.

It's about the freedom to do so and not be forced to side with them.

Well, tough tits, no game offers you complete freedom. Considering how much freedom you have when it comes to most other characters and events in the game, I'd give this particular flaw a pass.

And if that bothers you that much, lemme give you some good news: they do not appear during Chapter IV at all and you actually can kill them in Chapter V. Hell, you can even waste the Queen herself.

Ok. Pity you can't get a head start on it is what I'm saying.

Technically, you can. The moment you pick an Evil-aligned Mythic Path, you become the bad guy and most Good-aligned characters let you know just that. You're tolerated because you're considered the lesser evil that will destroy the greater one. Until you grow powerful enough.

For example, in one of the endings for a Lich, you become the target of Crusades as well, even larger than the Crusades against the Worldwound because you're considered an even greater threat to the world.

Except there's no actual way the player can know he's going to get strong in Wrath at that stage, and no one he knows for him to save. I guess "save the town full of degenerate freaks", maybe?

Now you're talking about your own (lack of) motives, not the character's. An Orc woman being married to a human troon seems like the most normal thing on Golarion, because there's not a single character in the game that mentions it being weird or unusual in the slightest. Your character probably doesn't consider them "degenerate freaks", having lived in that world his entire life.

Oops, and now we're back to "why would I want to save this shitty world?" again.

Why would you want to save that world? No reason.

Why would your character want to save it? Oh I dunno, maybe because he lives in it.

Make up your mind, are we talking character motivation or the player's?

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Well, tough tits, no game offers you complete freedom.

Strawman again. I'm not asking for "complete freedom" just because I ask for more than the game provides.

Considering how much freedom you have when it comes to most other characters and events in the game, I'd give this particular flaw a pass.

Ah, yes. Much freedom. You get to serve the queen or...serve the queen. You get to fight the demonz or...fight the demonz...

I'm sure you get to turn things around in the late game, but it's not exactly a sandbox, is it? Not that I want it to be, but here you are saying you get such tremendous freedom and it totally makes up for all the times you get railroaded, but I didn't see it in game, nor have I heard about anything special from people who've played it.

Technically, you can. The moment you pick an Evil-aligned Mythic Path, you become the bad guy and most Good-aligned characters let you know just that. You're tolerated because you're considered the lesser evil that will destroy the greater one. Until you grow powerful enough.

So, we're talking KOTOR 1 levels of plot reactivity. See what I mean? Not wowing me.

For example, in one of the endings for a Lich, you become the target of Crusades as well, even larger than the Crusades against the Worldwound because you're considered an even greater threat to the world.

So you get to kill Mission Vao at the end of the game. How original.

But yes, I have heard of this. It sounds nice, but it doesn't sound like it's worth suffering the bad writing and trash mobs to get to when I can just as easily destroy that world with the Uninstall button.

Now you're talking about your own (lack of) motives, not the character's.

No, I'm talking about the character's motives here still, but I've brought up my lack of motives before. I as a player am left with zero motive to play this game.

The trash mob heavy combat bores me, the characters are ass, the story reads like a very poor work of fanfiction and there isn't enough reactivity or nonlinearity.

Your character probably doesn't consider them "degenerate freaks", having lived in that world his entire life.

Untrue. A character could have ideas that deviate from the norm in any world. You're talking about a campaign of special snowflake characters. It's just one more level of Mary Sue.

Why would your character want to save it? Oh I dunno, maybe because he lives in it.

Save it from what? Are the demonz really gonna take over the whole world? Or just the shitty part you got mugged in at the start of the game?

I'm an American, but if Russia or the Chinese started invading New York or California and killing everyone, I might just have to take a nap for a while until they at least get through with LA and NYC.

Someone else can fight off the demon hordes. Maybe one of those immigrants the liberals say they love so much.

 

[Lambach]

Ah, yes. Much freedom. You get to serve the queen or...serve the queen. You get to fight the demonz or...fight the demonz...

Oh no, this game has a main plot you have to follow in order to advance, so railroaded!

Not that I want it to be, but here you are saying you get such tremendous freedom

I don't remember saying tremendous. Could be better in that aspect, but it's OK enough.

but I didn't see it in game

Nigger, you did not see the game in general.

You did not get past what is essentially the extended tutorial, what do you expect?

, nor have I heard about anything special from people who've played it.

Because it's not all that special, but it is far better than what you're making it out to be.

So, we're talking KOTOR 1 levels of plot reactivity. See what I mean? Not wowing me.

There are 10 different Paths. It's simply not reasonable to expect a completely different game for each one of them, specially not for a game of this size.

Fundamentally, it's still the same game, but there is enough reactivity and variance to keep the experience fresh enough for multiple playthroughs.

So you get to kill Mission Vao at the end of the game. How original.

No, I get to call the most powerful Goddess in that Universe a dumb slut, massacre her #1 representative and watch her seethe as she's powerless to stop me.

Dunno of any other RPG where I can do that.

Save it from what? Are the demonz really gonna take over the whole world?

Maybe. One of the main plot points is that the bad guys found a way to create Demon super-soldiers, so the threat is far greater than ever.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Oh no, this game has a main plot you have to follow in order to advance, so railroaded!

It is if I can't make obvious choices along the way.

I don't remember saying tremendous. Could be better in that aspect, but it's OK enough.

Ok enough for the guy with good for what it is as a standard.

Nigger, you did not see the game in general.

You did not get past what is essentially the extended tutorial, what do you expect?

If you have to snip off the last part of a sentence to make a point, it's probably not a very good point.

And so what part do I get to start judging the game? I can't do it for the longass tutorial, obviously. Now there's an "extended tutorial", which I'm guessing comprises Chapter 1 and the start of Chapter 2 by the sound of it. Will there be another part to the tutorial after that?

Because it's not all that special, but it is far better than what you're making it out to be.

Again, why are you defending this shit so hard when you keep admitting how mediocre it is?

There are 10 different Paths. It's simply not reasonable to expect a completely different game for each one of them, specially not for a game of this size.

Strawman again. I don't want a completely different game per path. I just don't want to wait to the end of the game to make choices that matter and that I can see the result of other than the mythic paths themselves.

No, I get to call the most powerful Goddess in that Universe a dumb slut, massacre her #1 representative and watch her seethe as she's powerless to stop me.

Dunno of any other RPG where I can do that.

Konosuba the RPG does sound edgy and all, but I'm guessing this isn't in Chapter 2 either.

Maybe. One of the main plot points is that the bad guys found a way to create Demon super-soldiers, so the threat is far greater than ever.

Oh right, I read something about that when I skimmed the campaign book. He's making mythic demonz, which somehow don't ruin the whole concept of you being the only mythic whatever we spoke of earlier.

 

[Lambach]

I just don't want to wait to the end of the game to make choices that matter and that I can see the result of other than the mythic paths themselves.

"I want this game to be a completely different game", again.

Mythic Paths are one of the game's biggest sale points, of course most of the reactivity will be centered around them. That's not a bug, it's a feature. And there are notable differences between Paths all the way during the game, not just at the end of it.

He's making mythic demonz, which somehow don't ruin the whole concept of you being the only mythic whatever we spoke of earlier.

At no point are you the only Mythic character. All of your companions become Mythic too, but it's a "lesser" version of what you get, which is also true of upgraded Demons. You're still the only one that gets the whole package and eventually undergoes a complete transformation.

Do you get off on looking like an idiot by talking about things you know nothing about?

 

[Desiderius]

selfless and heroic

This is why we can't have nice things. Nihilists aren't heroes, they're the opposite.

 

[Desiderius]

I just don't want to wait to the end of the game to make choices that matter and that I can see the result of other than the mythic paths themselves.

"I want this game to be a completely different game", again.

Mythic Paths are one of the game's biggest sale points, of course most of the reactivity will be centered around them. That's not a bug, it's a feature. And there are notable differences between Paths all the way during the game, not just at the end of it.

He's making mythic demonz, which somehow don't ruin the whole concept of you being the only mythic whatever we spoke of earlier.

At no point are you the only Mythic character. All of your companions become Mythic too, but it's a "lesser" version of what you get, which is also true of upgraded Demons. You're still the only one that gets the whole package and eventually undergoes a complete transformation.

Do you get off on looking like an idiot by talking about things you know nothing about?

He linked to a thing about every character getting their own path in P&P, which would have been cool. Of course in P&P those characters are also controlled by their own humans so putting all that on the player’s shoulders might have been a little much.

 

[Desiderius]

the tranny panic factor

Oh I’m sure you’d be totally chill with Cleveland Mark Blakemore product placement in all your favorite games, or walls of out-of-place Skyrim-is-for-the-Nords emoting to target the coveted tiki torch demo.

C’mon man. The only ones panicking are the suits petrified that they won’t get a pat on the head from their favorite ethical journoclown.

 

[Infinitron]

the tranny panic factor

Oh I’m sure you’d be totally chill with Cleveland Mark Blakemore product placement in all your favorite games, or walls of out-of-place Skyrim-is-for-the-Nords emoting to target the coveted tiki torch demo.

C’mon man. The only ones panicking are the suits petrified that they won’t get a pat on the head from their favorite ethical journoclown.

Well in this case it's because Amber Scott wrote xer into the tabletop adventure path in 2013.

 

[The_Mask]

I haven't kept up with lambchop's arguments, because it feels like he's doing what he did when the Disco Disco review came out: which is just take the spotlight and present arguments in a game he barely played, but whatever...

WOTR's issues are stuff like trying to excuse Amber Scott's shit writing by having Baphomet get involved and saying: "What kind of valiant sword is this crusade?" And twisting the answer into: "a brittle one". So then the rainbow couple makes sense, and then we can get on to something else. But Paizo didn't allow them bitches to get killed. And then Owlcat tried their best anyway in all the evil playthroughs. C'est la vie...

And then the #2 biggest fault is no attack button. It's almost like a cultural difference, because the game was made by Russians. You can't kill everyone you meet. So that's why the game feels railroaded, the companions imposed and unsatisfactory, and bunch of other stuff that leads to no combatfag orgasms.

 

[Desiderius]

The opposite of evil selfishness is not Leeroy Jenkins self-annihilation/immolation it's developing a broader sense of self across space (fraternité/solidarność) and time (filial piety/patrimony).

The hero is the man who best embodies/enacts these ideals (inspiring others to join him) and rightly achieves lasting renown for doing so.

A healthy civilization gives that renown gladly, those that sneer at it (literally) end up in ruins. Many such cases.

 

[Fedora Master]

Milquetoast fence-sitting review at best.

 

[Lambach]

I haven't kept up with lambchop's arguments, because it feels like he's doing what he did when the Disco Disco review came out: which is just take the spotlight and present arguments in a game he barely played, but whatever...

I thought Wrath hurt his little AIDS-ridden butt in particular for some reason, but it looks like this is a pattern for that inbred knuckle-dragger.

"I hate this game and I barely played it, now let me tell you all about it"

What a sad, sad way to live.

 

[The_Mask]

Milquetoast fence-sitting review at best.

Cuz he only played 1 path. And so it ended up that a better review is in this thread rather than what he posted. I warned him of this. But do people listen? No.

 

[Fedora Master]

Milquetoast fence-sitting review at best.

Cuz he only played 1 path. And so it ended up that a better review is in this thread rather than what he posted. I warned him of this. But do people listen? No.

You don't need to play multiple paths to realize the game is garbage.

 

[Jaedar]

Wrath the video game already significantly increases the amount of creatures you fight compared to Wrath the tabletop. I checked the stats of the first creature you fight against the rules to see if they were the same and noticed a giant fly is worth 400 xp (which would be 65 distributed to a party of 6) but in the game it's worth 18. If the adaptation used the actual xp rules, you'd hit the level cap in chapter 4.

What does xp have to do with anything? I won't deny that wrath is at least twice, likely 4 times longer than it should be and a lot of it is due to having too many repeat encounters. I actually think the encounter design is remarkably solid considering the relatively few enemy types, but they should still have cut it in at least half, more for dungeons like dresen.

 

[Roguey]

And then the #2 biggest fault is no attack button. It's almost like a cultural difference, because the game was made by Russians. You can't kill everyone you meet. So that's why the game feels railroaded, the companions imposed and unsatisfactory, and bunch of other stuff that leads to no combatfag orgasms.

It's an adaptation of an adventure path, there are load-bearing NPCs who can only die when they're no longer necessary. There's a ton of scripted reactivity already, they can't account for everything.