Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion The obsession with single characters is extremely irritating and community is killing it

What the people like, I mean... it's their personal preference. And the golden rule of personal preference is that one does not simply discuss personal preference... ever. If that's what people like then that's what they like.

Though conducting research was unnecessary when the actual statistics reveal most people prefer playing what they can relate to rather than exploring other races and cultures. So naturally most will play within their comfort zone and pick romances based on companions which fit their comfort zone;

• in this case the sculpted by the Gods beautifully enchanting and petite Shadowheart
• the charming and cultured Gale
• or the tall f***boy Astarion

Larian even jokingly made a community post years ago about how they created a rich character creation system and expected to see some interesting characters, yet it's mostly used to create... a human.



Ultimately your ranting frustration is understandable (I guess) and social media ruined society a long time ago, but in my opinion you're taking the memey community way too seriously and by doing so end up overgeneralizing and over-assuming stuff.

Personally I have 770 hours in the game over multiple playthroughs, every playthrough I 100% explore every single inch of the place and read every piece of literature to uncover all the lore & secrets, yet I never made a single step into ACT 3 itself because I just don't feel like committing myself to ACT 3's experience until it gets better. And I exclusively play the "ugly races" (Tiefling/Githyanki/Drow) and romance the "ugly companions" Lae'zel or Karlach

As for your point about Minthara;

Dude... people enjoy games differently. They aren't doing it wrong. Some speedrun, some are completionists, some like only good aligned characters, some like only bad aligned. Some people will only play as one character class and others refuse to have more than one on the same team. Some people religiously save-scum to avoid permanent deaths and tragic fates for civilian NPCs, while others refuse to reload for any reason short of bugs. It's... not a personal attack against you? They aren't dumb? Games are an extremely subjective experience.

The creator of Roller Coaster Tycoon was so outraged at the idea of his fans making a sandbox mode using the custom scenario maker that he wrote a code into the game that would break it entirely if it detected the player was creating a sandbox. He was that determined to assert his vision of what was the right way to play the game. I am grateful that Larian acknowledges the wide variety of ways to play an RPG like this.

If you don't think one's experience playing a game should be centered around any one character, then... don't focus your game experience around a single character.

Dude, 50% making it to Act 2 is massive for a game like this. Especially since Act 3 is plagued with performance issues and other problems.

Also, I love how you just kinda threw SH in there as an afterthought to try to detract from the fact that you’re mostly just annoyed that women love the vampire.

I am among those playing since Day 1 and who has not seen the City yet.
The endings keep on changing and Act III seems to be getting more and more buggy.
After several playthroughs of Act - with various combonations of Charatcers - I am starting to savour Act II.
I don't think I will venture into Act III before Patch VI.
BTW - I've not romanced anybody ever. Same as in BG1/2 :P - call me queer if you wish, but this element of the game leaves me cold.

Girls dig vampires? Now, that's news. Who'd had thunk that ... :P
Girls will be girls, boys will be boys, dey iz different dats all ...

I think you're taking other people's tastes and what they enjoy too seriously. If some teenage girl is giddy over Astarion, a fictional vampire, it has nothing to do with you. Also, these characters were meant to appeal to the general population, so Larian was obviously successful that way. While I do think Astarion and Shadowheart are a little overrated because they are the most conventionally attractive characters, I don't think the people who love them are morally "wrong."

Also, a lot of people who are playing BG3 probably are teenagers, and so what? It's a good introduction to crpgs and at least they are finding something that gives them joy.

OP can stay mad. Astarion is a better man than they could ever hope to be XD

We are all disappointed by society at some point.

When women read fantasy romance novels, they want vampires, pirates, doctors or billionaires as their fantasy romance. This is a statistical fact. Why? because they are powerful men. When the vampire is a tall blonde elf that has been tortured and abused for 200 years we have a winner!!!

-Not a teenager.

One can blame Bioware for that.

Well, well, what have we here? A brave soul who dares to go against the current!

But seriously, how that saying goes:
"Opinions are like arseholes - everybody has one, and they all stink."

What does it hurt you if people stan Astarion or Shadowheart? Sure, it might be annoying to read through, heck I've seen some insane takes on all of BG3 characters. But again, what does it hurt you if some people over there adore a character you personally find boring? Like geez, I am a woman and I adore Astarion as a character and I don't get why other women adore Gale or Halsin, do you see me complaining about that on these forums?

Also, according to steam I am at 2,1k hours, had 600h in at release (thanks to EA) and I'm close to having finished the game 3 times. Full runs, including the awkwardly paced act 3. 2 of these runs are on tactician difficulty, too. I don't rush, I discover all there is to do in each act (as much as I can anyway). Next run will very likely be a solo, as Astarion origin (cause of his beneficially broken abilities) and also to romance Karlach (for that stupid achievement), I am one of these people who will very likely romance the same character over and over if given an option. And as Astarion you can't romance Astarion.

Look, I do try most of the options in the game, some I detest like romancing Halsin or Gale. Heck, I have been doing this in every single game I've ever played? Mass Effect? 9/10 times I will go for Garrus (1/10 being Kaidan INTO Garrus, for drama), DAO? 9/10 times I will go for Alistair and 1/10 either Zevran or Morrigan. BG2? Ugh, I hate Beamdog's characters and I hate Annoyman even more, so nobody. If Haer'Dalis was an option (I know there are mods, but it ain't the same)... And so on and so forth.

Now, you wanna know, why I, someone who's spent so much damn time on this game has not recruited Minthara even once? Well, I am not abandoning the Grove to be ravaged by gobbos and I am not slaughtering a bunch of innocents just to recruit one (amazingly written by all accounts) drow lady, yes I realize those are just pixels, it still fucking stings watching that, y'know? Just like that movie, 'Schindler's list',I watched it once and it HURT. It'll be a damn long while before I build up enough courage to rewatch it.

Not to mention, you lose out on a bunch of companions who will hate this choice so much they will abandon the group (rightfully so, have some standards). One day I will play a murderhobo Durge run and that is when I will recruit Minthara (unless Larian makes to possible to recruit her on 'good' runs too, take Halsin, I don't care for him). And yes yes yes, there are glitchy workarounds to recruit her on good runs as well, like the infamous Sheeptara, maybe one day I will try to get her that way on a good run I dunno. But like people have stated in this thread, there are reasons other than hate that's driving driving people away from recruiting Minthara.

You have your freedom of expression and as do I. And let me tell you, insulting your average Astarion's enjoyers IQ lvls is not a good look.

Just sayin'.

Yes, OP, social media has made people stupid. Just turn it all off and enjoy the game.

OP sounds like a 14 years old thinking "I'm not like other girls/boys" lmao

I actually like Astarion in the party. Because I'm in a good-guy play through, he's always disapproving, so he never has enough approval to trigger romance.

Oh the irony, the campiest companion is the least sex-pest.

Just came here to say, Those are fighting words.

This was Larians plan all along. They designed the companions specifically to attract simps of all kinds and made sure to attract their attention with bear sex marketing.
The core pillars of RPGs suffered as a result but sadly the strategy works.

I mean yeah, this is what happen when the most interesting thing in your game is the characters. Of course people will obsess over some of them, build fan clubs and shelter themselves into a circle jerk.

OP is just sharing his opinion - the way he does so, might be questionable.
But most of the comments here are not any better. While you might not accept the opinion, there is no need to attack OP personal - at least not if you want to come off as someone who is 'better'.

Lets take this as an example. You don't even know the person behind the post, yet you want to compare him to a fictional being, that has been shaped to fit a narrative and to attract a specific kind of players? Questionable.



To me, this is more what I read in the OP rant. Larian wanted to sell their game to lots of people who otherwise would've never picked up this game. And what's the best way to do so? Sex, well, bear sex in this case.
It's interesting how social media platforms that rely more on simple image/video sharing are full of thirsty comments while other platforms that are more known for exchanging texts and longer statements are way less thirsty and more reasonable - but that tells us enough about the clientele.

Personally, I'd like to see more posts and discussions about the main plot, because I feel it is underrepresented and I don't want future RPGs to become even more dating simulations with a shallow story as a side gimmick.
That being said, I feel like its too late to hope for changes. Social media has won, it seems. The platforms on which people share their wildest dreams: Every companion being trans, males becoming pregnant, how they want pixel characters to f*** them so badly in every opening etc.
I mean, if thats what they need, so be it, but just because you have an opinion doesn't mean it has to be shared by anyone.
From what I saw, the people being way more angry about others not accepting their opinion don't come from the "I'm a long time D&D player" side but more from the thirsty part of the community.

Makes me question who is the 14yo in this fandom.

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion - I don't crush on characters and am romantic as a stone, but if otehrs like that content - why not?
And tbh, I'm not the biggest Astarion fan, but he is well written and well acted. In EA I thought he guy would just be another stupid Edward Cullen clone (and Edward Cullen was a bad character to begin with), but he really developes. Most companions do that and that makes them interesting to me. My favourite is Lae'zels storyline and her development, but apart from Halsin, I can find interesting stuff with all of them.

And I don't know, where you look, but I saw really good cosplays from all companions and a Raphael. Especially two Shadowhearts, who meticulary made that armor of hers with all details. Really good craftmanship tbh (I do cosplay myself and am planning Jaheira) .

As for playthroughs, I know some people, who have problems to decide for a race and a class and so they start a lot of characters and can't really decide. I think, that is ok, the game gives a lot of things to choose from and it can lead to the famous restartitis.

I was lucky, because I knew, my first playthrough would be a halfling lore bard in honour of scratched companion Helia (since she sounded cool) and so race and class was set. But now, that this playthrough is done, I'm struggling too. I have a DUrge in endgame and a gith mage at the end of act 1. I made anotehr halfling bard, because it is fun and I made all my DND characters (if possible).

As for Minthara: I would love to have her in my group, but I don't want to play evil, so she sadly dies in my games. There are rumours, that she will be available in a good playthrough in the future, so I have hopes. But I'm not interested in murderhobo play or leaving out story conntent.

I mean I get, that sometimes fans can be really intense, I remember the Morrigan simps back in the day , but I think it is too harsh to say, just because one is obsessed with a certain character, they lack intelligence. Shadowheart, Astarion and all the others have very good storylines and character development and I think, it is not unhealthy to have a crush on them as long as it does not in some way interfere with your real life. I mean, if you avoid those character threads or don't click on fan videos for those characters, you'll be fine. There is a lot of discussion and content for other aspects of the game, though I admit, that sometimes people get too emotional, because a kiss scene is broken, when there are other issues more severe. But who am I to judge really? If for them, kissin ganimations and love scenes are the most important, then that is their good right.

You could open up topics for stuff, you like to discuss in a game.


Edit: And why are people always saying, they aren't allowed to say anything? You are allowed, but you have to accept, that not everyone will share your opinion. That is, what discussions are for.

I understand your point. But something you need to accept what I needed to accept to. Ppl hou are more close to the new media argenda what is present today they are way more louder. And they are way more socal platformly interactive. Because freedom of the speach is just one sided no one can say anything any more. And we need to tolerate everything.
In case you disagree you will find your self called out and samed by many. Even if those things what they say about you in not true. Making any kind of statement criticism is bad for your own health. At least I find it better to remain silent about a lot of things. Just because it's better for me.

So this is why they are actually the minority, hou became the majority. And they got and will get what they want. I have the feeling and the experience that developers don't want old true gold gaming experience nowadays. They want to adapt to the new generation. Ant let's be fair our younglings have an easy time. They don't need to fight for anything. So this is why games are getting easier and more socially tiktok Hollywood trendy.