It is strange that the women are the same, both are condescending, stand-offish, and unbearable. I don't understand why they need to be so horrible at every moment. I don't want them around. I don't need them questioning every decision and annoyed that I try to talk to them. That said Gale and Wyll are almost the same as well. The women (I am guessing) are tough on the outside, squishy on the inside, where the men are optimistic and heroic on the outside with a dark, shameful core. I don't like the approval/disapproval system, especially since I need these folks to play the game; I don't get to choose a party who aligns with me, and when trying to get to know them I am immediately turned off by their snark and disregard. I don't need to be looked down on. I don't enjoy dialogue choices that lead only to them insulting me. Astarion is always in a bad mood for me- not sure what I did to piss him off. I don't want to play a game where I am trying to please the NPC's instead of permitted to make my own decisions, and these are NPC's I need to play the game.
Statistically, most folks play "the good path" in games, so why are we saddled with NPC's that are dicks? Why do they see no obligation to even be civil? I am all for complex characters, but I have played numerous characters the way I want to play and all of my NPC's are shut down and consistently unhappy. If nothing else maybe have them weigh in on what they would like to do, so at least when I make a decision I have some idea how they will react. I would also suggest some dialogue that is not so dire. We can talk about things that aren't life or death or moral and immoral, at least then we could be people for a bit and not folks ready to judge each other, take power, or take a controversial side.
