Eyenixon said:
Really, "choice and consequence" is too overused. I said "a couple of big choices" that affect the main ending. For example, destroying the Orb. For example, choosing to cooperate with Herdrack and join the Temple. TOEE is in fact one of the few cRPGs I know that allows you to have an evil ending. Also, if you remember, FO1 and FO2 were basically "a bunch of slides" as well, with a cinematic sequence or two. Almost an identical approach.
In TOEE you're slapped with "Butcher of Hommlett" or "Defiler of Women", and a number of other reputations that affect reaction from NPCs ranging from an occasional line to attack-on-sight. Sure, you can slaughter ALL of Hommlett, but then you lose access to a whole number of stores, an inn, a LOT of quests (that net you at least two levels for an full 8-people party), one of the three (two in the original) blacksmiths who offer masterwork weapons, access to the only two clerics who can raise party members, the only cleric who can "forgive" a fallen paladin, some of the strongest NPCs, and an access to one of the endings - the ultimate "good" ending. You are not going to have people chasing around for you, because it's a different setting, and Hommlett is an isolated village with few contacts in the middle of nowhere. It'd take months before someone realizes what happened, and very few would care.
Then again, I'd like to see someone kill the whole of Hommlett. It's pretty challenging unless your party is really high level, considering Jaroo, Terjon, Rufus&Burne. If you're playing the Co8 pack, it's even harder, somewhat like clearing Navarro in FO2.
Decisions are not restricted to killing. There is a diplomatic approach. If you have high enough diplomacy, or bluff, or intimidation, you can negotiate with a lot of enemies - gnolls guarding the Moathouse, some of Lareth's guards, the Temple priests, Oolghrist, Scorrp, even Zuggtmoy (you can intimidate her and bind her as your servant for life iirc). All we're missing is the sneak option, but that's primarily because the sneak system doesn't work properly (although from what I hear sneak can work, but is incredibly buggy). Not much of a loss really, since not many D&D cRPGs did ever make a proper sneaking system.
I would say though that the dialogue system (not to confuse with a better written dialogue) is more versatile than in FO1/2, because we get more different skill check based on different situations, as well as stat checks and class checks, as opposed to just "speech" "INT" and "CHA".
In the end, it's not like I don't understand your point, I very well agree that in TOEE many times everything else takes a backseat to the beautiful and fun TB combat, but I think it would be improper to overlook the rest of the game just because of that. The aforementioned dialogue system, multiple endings, the great quest layout, especially in Hommlet and the Temple.
