Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - General Adult content in BG3

Good, you manage to find example of situation that no one was talking about, and prove its not working ...
Not sure why you did that, or how is that relevant to curent topic ... but okey, i gues. O_o

I repeated what you said, absurdity and all.

Focus on the topic and not eachother, guys.

@RagnarokCzD

You wanted me to answer your previous. Let me sum up my points more concisely:

My main point was really that I'd like variety in the romance. I wasn't trying to lock in some specific detailed story. Just giving examples of what I mean by having more to the romances. Right now, everyone decides in one night at the same time to have sex. It is very weird that the entire group has no real connection with you, no side interactions or flirting or anything and then BAM! All in one night they are all horny.

And there is no real difference between them by that point. You don't have anyone approach you when you are alone at some point, or anything like that. It's just sterile. I walk up to each one and they ask me to spend some alone time with them. Then I have to choose only one like Im on the Bachelor and I get to pick my lover. It just feels very UNromantic. I feel like Im picking a lover from a vending machine rather than having fun and interesting interactions BEFORE deciding to go to bed with someone.

I mean, I do understand Gith and vampires. Both do make sense at the party, but neither is very special. It's just there. That's all I was saying.

I mean, I want romance in the game. Sex, no, but romance yes, and right now there is no real romance. I still think the game is better off without sex in it. If the game is good, it doesn't need it, and if sex is done poorly, it will severely weaken the game.

It seems like you place a lot of value on romance in your media. I would invite you to simply read a romance novel, Danielle Steele has written a bunch of them. I hear she is good. I read half of one once.

I want to say I am not in agreement with you on the lack of romance for all characters being a huge detriment as I consider the single player campaign and the custom characters to be mostly irrelevant, but that is simply because I value the Multiplayer aspect of this far more than anything.

Also in multiplayer we usually just kill all those custom characters, strip them of all items and leave their rotting carcasses where we found them. Although some like to send them to camp and then kill them there, piling the dead bodies on the sleeping bags so whenever we rest we are treated to a VERY grisly sight. Romance!

Clearly we have extremely different sets of values. But I respect that you have a different approach to these things and I hope you find what you need.

Nah. I have mostly played BG3 FOR everything but the romance. My actual priorities for this game would be:

1. Finish it so I have the whole story because story IS my true passion.
2. Give us a true D&D 5e experience with real 5e stats and rules and then balance number of enemies, enemy HP, etc. to align with the true rules and stats. (I've done it with TT, so it can be done on a PC game. Ain't nothing in the TT that cant be put in PC except maybe Reactions being janky and maybe Ready Action.) If not this, we need at least better balance somehow.
3. Ability to create a full party of custom characters in Single Player Mode. I can do it by messing with multiplayer, so just let me do it in single. With this, allow me to switch out Custom characters with Origin in case I want to just leave a Custom at camp for awhile.
4. Better banter, both between origin party members and the Custom, and between Custom Characters. With this, better companion connections. I just have a hard time feeling vested in most of the origin characters. I WANT to care, but I kinda don't because they don't feel much like a team. I would like more scenes with them chatting together as a team about their issues and deciding next moves as a party, not one on one with the MC only.
5. Long rest restrictions/ Timed Events so that if I long rest too much things actually happen. With this, dialogues aren't overwritten like Gale's Mirror Image Dialogue and Go to Hell.
6. More races and classes.
7. Crafting and some cooler weapons like Frostbrand and Wounding and other wondrous items.
8. Day/Night cycle.
9. Oh, and if you are going to have romance in the game, maybe actually have romance, not sex. I mean, games good enough to me without it, and it really doesn't do much to enhance. If not done right, it can even make the game so much worse. Without it, you might even open up the game to a wider audience.

That said, some have said that sex with certain characters does reveal more about them. I still think this could be done without sex involved, but whatever.

So as you can see, romance to me in this game really isn't that important. Yeah, I like a game with some fun romance options, but that is why I was saying a lot of this. Right now, the romance in the game is just not there. It's just pick a lover and do it. No real interactions or nothing.

There are RPGs that have done romance well, peppered in to the game. KOTOR, BG1 and 2...It can be done well and tastefully. That's all I was trying to suggest.

My whole stance is I just want to try to help make BG3 better. Im not that crazy about any of this. If they do nothing but finish the game, Im good. I think it could be better, but Im good.

Not exaclty ...
I know your point, i was reading it multiple times before ... i wanted you to explain me your reasons for such decisions.

Agree ... we certainly should be able to manage at least threesome.

Off-topic, but I've always been surprised by players like you. In such games, each character has a personal story, a series of quests, and you just lose a lot of content... It's so strange to me, but everyone has their own way, so yes.

Um. I guess I'll try to answer some of the questions you had. There were a lot, so if I miss something...

1. Romance can lead to sex, but sex does not mean romance. What I mean is that people can just have sex that is meaningless. There are levels of sexual intimacy. It is, as one person I think said, like cooking. Cheap, meaningless sex is like someone making something quick and easy in the microwave. It may taste good but it is nothing compared to what you could have if you take the time and effort to really make it right in the oven. Romance = taking actions that entice and delight your partner. It is about playing and teasing and sharing and enjoying one another's company outside of a single physical act. Sure, romance also quite often includes that single physical act, but that single physical act is not the sum total of the romantic experience. Sex = the single, physical act and the culmination of physical intimacy. Sex is sharing everything you have with another. It is bonding with another physically. Afterwards, you feel connected to them and a new sense of deep and personal closeness. So it is powerful, but it is not the sum total of romance.

2. That is why I said that two people can share very tender moments without having sex. In the game, they could have scenes with you and someone you are courting spending time alone together just enjoying one another's company. You know, actually building a relationship with the person.

3. Now, one misconception everyone seems to have is that I am NOT saying that this is the ONLY way that it should be done for all romance options in the game. In fact, I'm saying the opposite. Each romance should be different and have variety and flavor. That's part of my point. Right now, it is everyone on Celebration Night wanting to suddenly share a moment with you after we'd been traveling together for like a week or more without ANY indication that ANYONE even remotely liked my MC. In fact, almost all the characters seem to have nothing but disdain for the MC the entire time. Gale and Wyl seem friendly enough, but I wasn't getting any romance vibes from them, and Shadowheart is constantly, "Mind your own business and stop prying." That's not exactly an indication that she wants to share an intimate moment with me. So one point I was making is that if Larian is going to do romance at all in the game it should be varied. One night during your travels, Astarion makes his move. Actually, if you played your cards right and let him bite you, that would have made a more perfect time for him to want to do something with you. Maybe not that same night, but maybe a following night within a day or so. After the Githyanki scene, that would be more appropriate for Lae'zel since she would be feeling more in need of some comfort after her kin tried to kill her. She may not admit that she needs comfort, but it would make more sense to me especially if you trusted her to speak and handle it and then you backed her up. Again, it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY LIKE I'M DESCRIBING IT HERE. These are just examples, so please people, stop acting like I'm trying to force Larian to do exactly what I am suggesting. So Lae'zel could still approach you and want to jump your bones, but maybe different timing from others, and maybe she approaches you while you are off alone by the river just trying to clear your head, or maybe she wakes you up while you were sleeping and throws herself at you, or SOMEthing besides, "Hi Lae'zel. How are you tonight here at Celebration Night." "I am impressed by your ability to kill goblin leaders. I want to ravage you." "Wha??? Where did that come from? Well, sorry Lae'zel, but you know Astarion and Shadowheart and Gale and Wyl all want the same thing tonight, so...hmmm... can I pencil you in maybe tomorrow? So many lovers, so little time."

4. As for how intimacy can be played out in a game and story elements incorporated in without a sex scene, this has been done in other games since the dawn of video games. Most games have not had sex scenes and yet still display character personalities, vulnerabilities, etc. without needing a sex scene. You mentioned Minthara. I am at a disadvantage here because I've never played out the Minthara sex scene. However, based on what you have said, I would say that they could still do what you are describing without a sex scene. She's getting all spicy with the MC, trying to dominate the MC, but the MC shoves her up against a wall and gets all rough with her, or he/she pins her down and is aggressive. Some momentary dialogue or whatever. More aggressive behavior on the part of both. Distance shot of the two embracing and vanishing behind some bushes. Fade to black. I don't know. Like I said, I've never played it out so I don't know what you are talking about. Either way, you don't NEED sex to tell such a story.

5. As for more dialogues between party members, you mentioned something about why can't we have both. I'm not sure what you meant. I was basically saying that if there were more dialogue scenes with party members, more banter, more friendship and shared moments, the fact that some of the characters want to sleep with you wouldn't seem so out of place. So I'm not sure what you meant. I was just saying that they need to make it so characters connect more as a whole.

6. I suggested players triggering romance because frankly I don't want every character in the party to be hitting on my MC. I am personally not into the whole homosexual thing, so when Wyl hits on my guy MC, it is a bit uncomfortable for me. I don't like it. I'm a heterosexual, and I'd prefer to not have Wyl or Gale hitting on my male character. Likewise, if I'm playing a female character, I don't want Lae'zel or Shadowheart asking to do things with her. It is just not my cup of tea. I can imagine that I'm not alone with this both from a heterosexual and homosexual perspective. Besides this, some have even expressed their distaste for certain characters like Lae'zel, thinking she's ugly and repulsive. Therefore, let the player choose who they want to romance. That way, they don't have to be approached and solicited by someone they don't want to have relations with. Likewise, if a player doesn't even WANT a romance in the game, they won't have anything triggered at all because they are not triggering any romance. As Blackheifer said, they just like to go around butchering enemies. Who cares about freaking romance? Some players are like that, so why have romance even triggered at all for them. If they don't want it, they don't need to trigger it. Now, that said, if I've triggered a romance encounter in any way, such as a single flirt with a character in particular, THEN they could approach my MC and hit on them, but it should be first initiated by the player.

7. And this goes along with the last thing you asked. Why don't I want Wyl hitting on me? Because in my mind, Wyl and I were becoming close friends, like brothers. It was really weird for me when he suddenly wanted to bunk with me. I was thinking we were going to share a drink and some laughs at the party, and he blindsided me with "Bunk with me." It was just not something that fit. It was weird and out of place. Maybe it wouldn't have felt so weird if I literally had not been solicited by Shadowheart, Astarion and Lae'zel right beforehand. I mean, I was literally thinking, "What? Come on! You too? I mean, seriously. I thought we were bros, and I thought at least YOU wouldn't be trying to sleep with me. The only person who hasn't asked me to sleep with him is Gale." I wanted an option, actually, to just throw back some drinks and joke and enjoy bro moments with Gale and Wyl as opposed to a sexual encounter scenario.

And that's the main point I'm trying to make. There is literally no relationship building at all really. It is just "we're all traveling together" and then Bam! Everyone wants intimacy with you. No one wants to just enjoy the party with you and joke around and laugh and have a good time in any other way but sex or whatever. Variety! That's what I'm calling for. Variety! Let's have some characters just want to party with you and have a good time WITHOUT sex. Maybe Astarion wants to or maybe Lae'zel, but not EVERYONE.

Anyway. Hope that answered your questions. Like I said, I no longer really care about this topic. I'm only responding because you asked me to. Like Blackheifer, I am really only playing BG3 for the story and combat.

Much better to be honest.
But i shall react anyway, even if you dont want to continue, maybe someone else will.
And if not ... well, i just waste some time.

The only thing i can say for this is that we dont really know even whole 1/3 of the story yet.
But over and over i would agree ... asi i said it would be nice to see our character to move into our lover tent, or on his/hers mat.

I would honestly not like this ...
The main story tempo in BG3 seem quite intensive. o_O
I meam, we both know that nothing will happen, if we long-resting half year before we move from the beach ... but story-wise you dont quite have time to walk around, holding each others hands, smell flowers, enjoy wine under the stars, or simply watch the moon grow.

But i gues this feeling have mostly people who dont Long Rest often.
So if Larian would treat dialogue generator ... so we would no longer be able to miss those conversations, or at least not so easily ...
It might seem a lot better.

I cut this one a little, to make it shorter ... but then my need of formating text in some way answered and its actualy longer. :-/

Celebration Night >
I really believe this is purely intented ... as i said before, its intense experience such battle, and when someone celebrates after ... he might loot at your character by lets say fresh eyes. Traumatic experience are often source of strong bonds, it might seem odd, but personaly i found this celebration sex perfectly fitting the situation. :-/
Same goes with "didnt notice romantic intentions ... maybe they wasnt, before.

Astarion and Lae'zel >
I have one tiny problem with both this sugestions, and its the fact that you dont like that they want to sleep with you after single event ... and then you are sugesting simple switching that single event for another single event. O_o
I would get it if you would proposing, that could start another intimate moment (and it dont have to be sex) ... but switching trigger from one quest complete to another one dont really seem to change anything. O_o

Lae'zel approaching >
I like those ideas, maybe they will use them somehow.
There is stream nearby after all, it sound perfect for some of our lovers to "ambush" us there, for example when our character want to take a bath. :P

Conversation >
As she specificly say, in that battle you simply earned her company tonight ... its just that, nothing more, nothing less.
It sounds perfectly fiting her profile, i would not change that honestly.

Seems to me like, if Larian add this option to settings, you would be totally happy about this whole topic.

Well that is simple ... characters can connect either before, or after sex ...
So far, Shadowheart (and maybe Gale, kinda) seem to be only one who is connecting before.

But i really believe we can have both.

Wich kinda returns us (with huge detour to be honest) to the very reason this (or some simmilar?) topic was started.

The companions player-sexuality seem just odd.
I agree. Totally! They should all have some prefferences, and some boundaries in both matters of Gender, and Races.

Now to the real core of point 6.
Its actualy quite interesting to be honest.

Basically, i could say that you are bothered by companions exhibiting the illusion of their own will. O_o
A lot of work in trying to make companions feel more alive, would be lost by this.

I believe its in our own hands.
If some player dont care about anything but (as you said) "go around butchering enemies" ... simply dont talk with companions, and problem is solved.
If some player is bothered by sex scenes, all he need to do is either refuse all propositions for sex, or simply dont pick anyone and "go to sleep" alone, that option is there!
And of course, there is allways possbility to skip the scene ... for example i had sex with Minthara 4-6 times, since i kinda enjoy the Evil route and i was also quite curious about those changes after patch 2 (or was it 3? not sure now) ... and i watched it only twice.

So, yeah ... we do have possibilites, therefore i dont see any reason to shape the world for everyone to fit our preferences. O_o

Honestly if you managed to have sex proposition from Lae'zel and Shadowheart in single playthrough ... i applaud you. O_o
I didnt even think that is possible.

I understand what you said about Wyll ...
I was simply not what you have expected. But that dont necesarily mean it was wrong.

Well, there certainly could be some dialogue option to simply enjoy the party, without any action after ...
I cant imagine it hurting anyone.

It's still early doors.

Gale has now got a couple of scenes that set up the romance (or not) - Weave scene and Loss/Campfire scene.

Astarion has one - Stars - where you can flirt pretty heavily with him, and it seemed from datamining that more may be coming.

Shadowheart has one very early on, the second night I think - Beautiful Weapon, and the "This might be our last night together" conversation.

Seems like nothing for the others "Yet".

My point is there's more to be added for the companions, and build-up (or locking out) for the romance is probably part of that.
I hope so, because it will create more satisfying stories. Jealousies and rivalries shouldn't be left out either. Gale vs Astarian is already there, but Player vs Mizora could be an interesting part of any romance with Wyll.

I don't even know where to begin. It's becoming too lengthy. You are questioning a lot of items and wanting me to go in depth into each. Maybe let's handle one at a time. If you have a question about why I want something, let's just call out each one separately per comment.

So, I guess I'll start with "always good to be honest." I'm not sure why you said this. I'm always being honest. I've been honest about my feelings and opinions the whole time. If I wasn't, I would have just gone along with so many others and what they are saying and what they want. It certainly would have been easier on me to just go with the flow as opposed to throwing myself into the midst of it and trying to stand in the way.

As for the whole "holding hands" and "smelling flowers," it doesn't take much to do this. A quick cutscene showing two people strolling along. A few seconds and it's over. Just showing they are spending time together and laughing and enjoying each other's company. Boom. Done.

But, ultimately, that isn't even necessary. I get that this is only 1/3 of the game, so if they do have more dialogues between the MC and the one(s) they are trying to court, that would be perfectly fine. I'm just saying, right now, as is, the sequences are not romantic. It's all just Adventure and then Sex and then Adventure. All I'm suggesting is that before Sex, there should be more dialogues AS we Adventure. While on my way from the Grove to Blighted Village, we run into the Selune Statue. Have a moment where Shadowheart pulls the MC to the side, AWAY from everyone else, and during that time she gets a bit close to you and confides something in you. Something more one-on-one off away from the others to show that the MC is getting closer with Shadowheart and that she's getting more comfortable with the MC. Later, after talking to the gobbos with Wyl, he pulls you aside and confides in you. You share a one-on-one moment while adventuring. Not just in camp.

Please use spoiler tags or just @ the poster you're responding to if there's a lot of text.

I should not have to scroll for multiple seconds to get past a single post, especially if it's presenting info I already had to scroll through earlier in the thread.

First of all ...
You know there is litteraly no reason to quote whooooooooooooole post, even more when its this long ... especialy when your reaction is just next to it? O_o

Second ...
I never said, you were not honest ... i said, you answering the questions was much better than previous post, wich didnt help me a lot, to be honest.
I dunno how to say it differently, maybe i should have use this full sentence previously.

Third ...
The point of holding hands its not it would be hard work, but it dont fit to the story. :-/
Just imagine:
"Lets rush, we have tadpoles in our heads, we dont know how many time we still have!"
"Lets rush, we need to resolve situation between Tieflings and Kagha, bcs otherwise she kill them all!"
"Lets rush, we need to attack the Goblin leaders, before they find and attack the groove!"
"Its okey, we have time, lets take a day off. Lay to the grass and enjoy flying butterflies."

And finaly ...
Yup. We have Adventure > Sex > Adventure ...
And that is exactly what it is, and exactly what it should be.
I know we are using word "romance" wich isnt entirely fitting ... but that is just word. It dont mean that everything have to be romantic.
Same as Races are, even if some "races" are actualy completely different species, and other races are different from another races only by their culture.
I had in mind one more word, but i forget it.

I would certainly not mind any conversation added, unless i spend 2 minutes hunting for cure against my tadpolisation, and 15 minutes building my relationships. That would be other bad extreme. -_-

So the subtext of what I was saying is that no one matters unless you decide they matter. The content you lose is replaced by the content you create with other people. This is the story that we tell together.


“Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody's gonna die. Come watch TV”

― Morty

You're confusing real life with storytelling

And just one person's experience of real life too. there's a whole world of different ideas and opportunities out there. it's great that theses are finally being represented in games, but I'd be nice if folks could be a little kinder and open minded about the way other folks lead other lives.

Sorry, but (not sorry) my experience is different, there are many routes to happiness, not just an idealised romantisized path. the dirty alleys lead to happiness just as often as the flowered paths do. Broaden your horizons a little and let the game do the same for others.

Honestly, you never know how homo/hetero/bi/whatever-phobic a person will be untill you come out of your shell at huge personal phycological expense and get treated like shit.

I don't understand, all @Blackheifer said was he doesn't like the origin characters and makes his own stories with created characters/friends. How is that -phobic in any way?

Dunno, wasn't replying to BH or I'd've quoted them. I was replying to the most prolific poster but the quotes are way out of hand already.

sorry -.-* i followed the quote chain and it took me from you to sozz to blackheifer. it's hard to follow these quotes sometimes lol