Why not keep the game open and everyone play as they like?
I don’t know how successfully I can argue this in a blog thread, but: it’s up to the developer to create a consistent, enjoyable play experience. If the devs attempt to create a game where “everyone plays as they like”, you’re likely to end up with a muddled, unfocused, or at the very least, unbalanced mess.
Creating a game where the player decides who he’s going to start with, how powerful they are, what backgrounds, perks etc. is fundamentally different from what they’ve got now, and 99% of players are going to start with three professional fighters every single time. Overhype has so far developed a challenging, brutal game where the player experiences real consequences. Diluting aspects of that potentially changes BB from a tense, suspenseful experience that people will talk about for years (Dark Souls) to a good tactical combat game that people thought was fun (so what?)
Look at what the devs of Darkest Dungeon are doing. Do you think people would be raving about that game if they could save whenever they want? If they could get a do-over whenever their party was wiped out?
This is basically my worry as well. It relates to the ‘feel’ of the game that is created through all the details spread througout the game. Details like no damage number above units, subdued bust colours, no Elves or Dwarves, etc. Part of why we probably all like this game is because of this atmosphere. Grit without the grimdark. And part of this atmosphere is also that the game starts with you as the founder of a company of mercenaries, many of whom will die, and not as the leader of a party of adventurers. Adding full-on character creation has too many heroic connotations to it and puts too much emphasis on your starting group. This clashes with the tone and style of what they’ve build up so far.
