I... do not understand that line of thought at all. Oh well, I don't have to.
I'll try explain the lens through which I see this quest anyway, if only to make sure I'm not too sleep deprived to function.
On one level of this quest, we're trying to win this quest in some way. This is where appealing to risk-reward comes from and debating endlessly over the optimal strategy. You can tell someone is focusing on this if they start throwing the word synergy around like it owed them money. It's fun and also a necessary component of these games, even if it can get a bit tiresome and heated at times.
On another level of this quest, we're looking to see stuff we like happen. This is largely a matter of preference and doesn't actually have too much impact on the first layer since pretty much all options are viable individually, the only problem is tactics and coordination. This is where you get appeals to coolness and heroism, especially when your chosen option is risky or otherwise imprudent.
I'm sure you get all this stuff since I think this is how most people see it, even if they have different tastes or weigh the value of the levels differently. My preference for the Form Tree is almost entirely a second level thing and even then only if we work seriously towards it. That's because I like the idea of being a JRPG/Dragon Ball Z villain, especially considering how well the rest of our character suits it.
Now, this becomes an issue if we only dabble in the Form Tree because dabbling just makes it a weird protrusion on our character sheet that doesn't properly interface with anything. It's just "also, when you kill us we turn into a ghost and can fight again". This doesn't tie into Hunger's legend or characteristics very much, which makes it lame and messy. It becomes even lamer when you realise that the Second Form isn't actually stronger than the First, so it's literally just an extra healthbar with some different mechanics.
However, when you add Form of Rage, suddenly you've become a good ol' fashion three stage boss fight. There's furloughs of material to draw upon there, especially considering our set up. Just imagine it, the Devouring Tyrant is conquering the Human Sphere and your ragtag band of teenagers are the only ones that can stop him. Now that's a JRPG I wanna play. Plus, it would be really cool to have the shoe be on the other foot.
And so you need to have at least three. That way, after you've transformed into your Second Form, even if the Heroes still manage to match you through their desperate, lifeburning power ups, you can just announce "But this isn't even my Final Form!" and laugh at their despair. There's a good scene and might really work for Hunger if it's the prelude to convincing them to surrender. This can't happen if we only have a Second Form, especially if it doesn't raise the tension by making you even more powerful.
Now, ideally we'd actually get Final Form because that would complete the look and now I'm desperately curious. But as long as we have Rage and purchase an upgrade to the Second, I'll be content. However, that doesn't mean I actually like the Second Form in and of itself. I thought it was just okay honestly but I'd have preferred What Rains May Come or Undying Vanguard. It's precisely the mehness that it has in isolation that made me fight so hard for Rage.
Of course I also talked about how useful it would be to have a trump card and other first level stuff and I genuinely do think that, I'm not being a liar or anything when I say that stuff. But ultimately, I was driven by second level considerations for this vote. I'm sure I'm not alone though. Haven't you ever felt that one option was just plain cooler than the others? Just more inspirational and entertaining and generally what you'd like to see in this quest? Because that's how I felt about having a Final Form.
I hope you can now see that it's really not about killing yourself for power to me.
It's about killing yourself for
a e s t h e t i q u e
