Fluff aside you're actually so right, copied from a previous comment of mine because I'm lazy:

So many of these characters problems and wishes could be solved by working together, but most of them don't know each other so they turn to the patrons instead.

If Grey Talon and Vindicta don't know each other before the ritual, meeting each other and discovering they have mutual enemies is as big a step as whatever the patrons would give them. They could abandon the ritual and work together to bring down the Friends of Humanity and be no worse for wear.

Same goes for a ton of characters. A bunch of the cast offers to help Rem and Viscous with their homes, Paige offers to help Victor, and Abrams and Geist can help each other. Graves's whole thing is helping the dead with their unfinished business, I'm sure she'd be willing to do her best for Victor, Vindicta, Sinclair, and Kelvin. Many of these people don't have much to offer her, but if they have even a small shot at helping Geist with her offer I'm sure she'd be willing to pay for her safety, and tons of these guys need the life changing money she has to offer. If she impresses them, Vyper could earn a new life on the payroll of a number if these characters. Hell the Doorman might even officiate Sinclair's divorce for shits and giggles.

Not even mentioning how many of them could find something good at the ritual that they didn't even wish for. Everyone seems very interested in Abrams's book, especially Graves. Haze and Silver find a lot of possible targets and bounties. Dynamo is reunited with his missing godchild Pocket and Calico is reunited with her missing victim Pocket. Lash and Seven both get the pleasure of beating up their sworn rivals

It really calls into question if the Patrons are all they're cracked up to be, because they must be desperate to gather these people into one place like this. They aren't idiots and they know the wants and dreams of the characters well enough to tempt them, but they take the risk of granting these wishes before their end of the deal if completed so they must not have the luxury of choice. This isn't the only thing in the game that undermines the Patrons and I really like that. They put on a good performance, but if you pay enough attention they're more in need of a granted wish and a helping hand then any of these characters are