Thank you for the feedback : ) To answer it concisely, I plan on having choices throughout HC3, Witcher 3 style (if you have played it). They won't branch into different path, but will do a better job at cementing the MC's personality. As a result, some of his actions during the game, that might or might not lead to one or another ending, will make more sense and probably feel more satisfying.
Random example: will you, 1)harm this guy that wronged you?, 2)send him to prison?, or 3)let him go?
Depending on the choice, the MC will appear more vindictive, level-headed, or merciful, and when it is time for him to make a certain decision (not chosen by the player) that could lead to a certain ending, it would feel more natural. This might not solve every issue you had with HC2, but this should be a step in the right direction.
Yeah, this is almost exactly what I meant, though I think it would probably depend on the frequency/magnitude of choices to really say how close this would be. Again, this may just be my personal experience and expectations, but I think the player agency in earlier parts of the story help sell the different endings rather than tonal whiplash between how they act up to this point versus the ending they choose to pursue. Also, choices to try and help out the girls earlier on is always nice.
I decided to kind of leave her out, simply because she was too much of a controversial character for the happy ending, and not relevant enough for the true one. I already had a lot of trouble to make Celis and Aywin's redemption believable enough in the Happy Ending, without adding Vaeri as well. Seeing her being forgiven too might be a bit too much to accept for players, so I conveniently left her out of the equation.
I definitely understand this. I think the most reasonable thing would have had her being exiled in the happy ending and/or performing community service (like actual service, not the kind she enjoys...) for the town and/or Aywin in the happy or true endings as well as supporting Noah and Celis's relationship, though that might be letting her off too easily for some people.
That being said, it was sort of odd that she ends up with more character development one of the bad endings than either of the two good endings (while it's the other way around for almost every other character). Since the last time we see her (that I remember) in the main story is her admitting to herself that she's a terrible person who's pretty messed up and she wishes she wasn't like this and her regretting being such a failure to her family and Noah.
I think her character overall is kind of weak without some ending since she has the most cliche corruption, wherein it seems to be primarily a physical thing of "Ooh, this is too good to go against what I know I should do" while also having the least reason to actually go along with the events, especially as time goes on and Edwyr doesn't really have anything to force her hand like he does for Celis and it's very obvious this isn't going to end up like she was originally promised, nor would she ever get her own happy ending if things continued along the path that they were set on.
Even if she was entirely malicious and with no empathy for Noah or Celis (which her monologues seem to imply otherwise, both in the main game and the Revenge Ending), one would still expect her to try and take actions to protect her own interests, no? Even if those attempts may not work.