Anyhow my thoughts/suggestions to improve this ending
Not played Dark Urge so can't suggest anything for that but it sounds like its just as dire.
What the ending convos should be for romanced characters and spawn Astarion
if we are just changing what Larion already did just a small bit:
should start out with a discussion about the cure in Amn. "Jaheira has told me (as in me the player)what we need to do and I've already retrieved the heart, didn't want to mention this possibility until I made sure we had a chance at it." Then "We'll manage the trip somehow, travelling by night" or something along those lines - give some hope to the guy.
Then it should move on to
Of course we're staying together I love you type comments
And the ending should be either a kiss, a hug - or remember that rather sweet scene where we're holding hands (when we first talk about 'us')? that would do as well.
For non romanced characters
we could still start out by telling him we've found out about a cure got the heart and an option to offer to go with him, ignorable if player doesn't want to be bothered but at least you're setting him on a path to find help either way.
Not what we got - which wasn't an ending, more of a coffee break.
Then if Larion do reinstate the 6 months after 'meet and greet' we can return with a cured Astarion possibly.
But honestly the 'good' ending with Astarion is really you influencing him to pick a choice he would never have chosen for himself.
And the 'bad' ending is him chosing for you, if you join him and let him make you a spawn (with a promise to make you a full vampire that you don't actually see).
Neither are fair choices made by people who love each other.
I know there are dialogues to make the two of you more equal in the 'bad' ending with him ascended - I have no issue with becoming a vampire in a role playing game and I would have liked that ending to have more equality choices and more role playing possibilities and for Astarion to not totally lose the kinder part of his personality that was hard won throughout the whole game.
The middle ground option - that isn't even offered and I have no idea why as its so obvious. Astarion drinks Cazadors blood and then doesn't complete the ritual. Result a full vampire Astarion and no vampire 'god' Astarion. He can then make us his equal or not but hes not so limited and is more powerful and so from the players point of view hes a stronger ally with no downsides.
I think an option to have the ending party and have 2 vampires show up, happy and together would be a nice alternative that we simply don't get.
Last edited by Bethra; 07/09/23 12:37 AM.
