I can agree with all of this, and have had similar problems to the point that I've just given up trying to get CR with most of the people you've mentioned, though it can be hard to ignore them, given the position they hold in the game's overarching plot. It can be really annoying when modplot comes around and your character can't contribute in any meaningful way when one or more of them has been positioned as a kind of gateway to whatever's going on.

I'll also agree that though she may favor certain people a bit, Gabbie is way better at keeping up with threads outside of that circle and I haven't had that kind of problem with her.

Honestly, I've been thinking about making crit along these same lines to someone else once HMD goes up. I just hope some improvement actually results from this discussion.