Larian Banner: Baldur's Gate Patch 9
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 12 of 20 1 2 10 11 12 13 14 19 20
Joined: Oct 2021
Z
Jhe'stil Kith'rak
Offline
Jhe'stil Kith'rak
Z
Joined: Oct 2021
Originally Posted by fylimar
Originally Posted by MarvelS
Originally Posted by Zerubbabel
Okay here’s a camp party rant:

Reloaded to camp. Spoke to Gale about his not having friends. He says that he hopes he can count me among friends. I shit you not, these are the only 3 options (paraphrased):

1. I thought we could be more than friends.
2. Tell me what you like about me.
3. You’re more of a necessary means to an end.

I chose the second. Want to be Gale’s friend. But now he thinks there’s something going on.
I took 3 because 2 is a very self-centered thing to ask and a clear invitation for flirting. There literally is no option that just affirms the friendship without implying something more. One starts to question about the writers who wrote this and it's something that's been bothering me for years in the entertainment industry, that apparently there's no such thing as a bromance anymore (or the female counterpart) without it turning into something romantic or sexual. I kid you not, give Lord of the Rings to modern writers and they'd turn either Sam and Frodo or Merry and Pippin into lovers.
I had a fourth option in that conversation combo- along the line of 'I'm not interested in you that way'. Then he asks me , if we could be friends and I said yes.
Was this recent? I distinctly remember no such fourth option, but we’ve had a patch.


Remember the human (This is a forum for a video game):
Joined: Aug 2021
F
stranger
Offline
stranger
F
Joined: Aug 2021
Yes but its still too short of an interaction to warrant the instant switch of demeanor. I think the pacing was too fast considering it all changes in 1 cutscene.
Originally Posted by BOKU Haram
Originally Posted by Faustus
The romance/friendship part of the game is by the least fleshed out and by far one of the buggiest (excluding the camera and roaming bugs).

Some companions can become locked out because they're missing options further down the game, other characters dialogue options reset after being exhausted, others imply a relationship where there is none. For example Lae'zel starts a fling with you, then you go to bed (after party) and can pick drinks with shadowheart or sleep (thinking about Lae'zel) LOL. Nothing happens, but the game continues to imply there's something between you when there is not. Same with shadowheart, sharing a cup of wine becomes a special intimate relationship! The flower thing is sweet, but there shouldn't be dialogue options talking about what an special relationship it is before giving such gifts or sharing moments...

Other friendship companions are basically nonexistent, you feel like their nanny/caretaker, whether its hunting Astarion's bully or watching over your shoulder so that Gale doesn't blow up.. There haven't been any interactive cutscenes that aren't about THEIR problems.
"Same with shadowheart, sharing a cup of wine becomes a special intimate relationship!"
That part actually has a few checks you can do to get a romance option.
It was a while ago but I think there was a perception check where you notice shadowheart was inviting you for a kiss, and you can do it.

Last edited by Faustus; 17/08/23 01:43 PM.
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: Ukraine
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Oct 2020
Location: Ukraine
And I'd like a MORE HORNY option, please. We Demand More Sexy Content



Thanks to Larian for Baldurs Gate 3 and the reaction to player feedback
Joined: Feb 2021
V
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
V
Joined: Feb 2021
So, it's a bug or not?
It looks a bit weird, because you know, you're not even talking much with rest of your companions, except Shadowheart but suddenly everyone and their grannys trying to rip your pants off...
Imo, such things should happen only if you're flirting, showing some interest, but not like that.

Joined: Sep 2020
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Sep 2020
Deep into act 2, very high approval with gale and he still isnt giving me any sex talk.

Astarion bit me.

And thats about it for any romance from the male companions.

If gale or the other companions are interested in you, its because you've purposefully pursued the romance options in the dialogue.

Also if we want to add realism, then perhaps companions could leave your camp for good if you friend zone them.

Joined: Sep 2020
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Sep 2020
Originally Posted by DumbleDorf
If gale or the other companions are interested in you, its because you've purposefully pursued the romance options in the dialogue.
An issue is that sometimes (I would say often), the only dialogue options you have are to flirt or be mean/uncaring. And some of those flirt options are unclear if they're actually flirtatious or just being friendly. See Halsin's "enjoy your time at the party" option and Gale's "[flirt], [flirt], or [I don't care about you]" set of options.

Some people are getting additional friendzone options during these conversations, but it's unclear how or why. Are some people's games bugged? Is there a previous conversation that sets the flag to add/remove friendzone options? Regardless of the root cause, it's a problem.

I want to connect with Gale as a friend, learning more about him by asking about his cat.
I don't want my only cat-relevant dialogue response to be asking if he (Gale) likes to be pet or wants to pet me, whichever it was.

Joined: Dec 2020
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Dec 2020
Originally Posted by Zerubbabel
Originally Posted by fylimar
Originally Posted by MarvelS
Originally Posted by Zerubbabel
Okay here’s a camp party rant:

Reloaded to camp. Spoke to Gale about his not having friends. He says that he hopes he can count me among friends. I shit you not, these are the only 3 options (paraphrased):

1. I thought we could be more than friends.
2. Tell me what you like about me.
3. You’re more of a necessary means to an end.

I chose the second. Want to be Gale’s friend. But now he thinks there’s something going on.
I took 3 because 2 is a very self-centered thing to ask and a clear invitation for flirting. There literally is no option that just affirms the friendship without implying something more. One starts to question about the writers who wrote this and it's something that's been bothering me for years in the entertainment industry, that apparently there's no such thing as a bromance anymore (or the female counterpart) without it turning into something romantic or sexual. I kid you not, give Lord of the Rings to modern writers and they'd turn either Sam and Frodo or Merry and Pippin into lovers.
I had a fourth option in that conversation combo- along the line of 'I'm not interested in you that way'. Then he asks me , if we could be friends and I said yes.
Was this recent? I distinctly remember no such fourth option, but we’ve had a patch.
No, not recent. A few days ago, I think last weekend.


"We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."

Doctor Who
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Italy
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Italy
Originally Posted by The Red Queen
And when I first played I found Anomen as the only male romance option hugely disappointing.
People keep mentioning this and if the developers set their plans to purposefully disappoint their female audience (which wasn't exaclt massive at the time, anyway), but it should be stressed that the only reason Anomen is the only female-oriented romance option is that they ran out of money when they were developing this feature.
The idea was to have four female and four male romance options (none of which gay-friendly, in case anyone was wondering, but that's beside the point now).

Then what happened is that the people who were working on the Jaheira one snowballed their efforts way past the initial concept and at some point they were left with two options:
- to scrap the feature entirely, or...
- to cut the loose ends and ship the game with Jaheira's lengthy romance, followed by a bunch of other half-assed ones: Viconia, Ariel, Nadia-or-something and Anomen as the only romanceable male that escaped the ax.


Party control in Baldur's Gate 3 is a complete mess that begs to be addressed. SAY NO TO THE TOILET CHAIN
Joined: Aug 2023
S
journeyman
Offline
journeyman
S
Joined: Aug 2023
Originally Posted by mrfuji3
Originally Posted by DumbleDorf
If gale or the other companions are interested in you, its because you've purposefully pursued the romance options in the dialogue.
An issue is that sometimes (I would say often), the only dialogue options you have are to flirt or be mean/uncaring. And some of those flirt options are unclear if they're actually flirtatious or just being friendly. See Halsin's "enjoy your time at the party" option and Gale's "[flirt], [flirt], or [I don't care about you]" set of options.

Some people are getting additional friendzone options during these conversations, but it's unclear how or why. Are some people's games bugged? Is there a previous conversation that sets the flag to add/remove friendzone options? Regardless of the root cause, it's a problem.

I want to connect with Gale as a friend, learning more about him by asking about his cat.
I don't want my only cat-relevant dialogue response to be asking if he (Gale) likes to be pet or wants to pet me, whichever it was.

Yeah it's weird. Going back to the camp party in act 1. Apparently telling people to relax = I'm into you. I think it's just poorly written. They literally need to put [FLIRT] before the dialog option.


There also be more options than:
1. We'll bang, ok?
2. We'll bang, ok?
3. We'll bang, ok?
4. I hate you, go die.

Last edited by Stonechat; 17/08/23 08:55 PM.
Joined: Oct 2021
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Oct 2021
Larian released statistics about which companions were romanced the most. Gale was high on the list. I think it's pretty obvious we can throw those stats out the window.

Gale got so bad for me that I had to take him out of the party. I had one conversation with him in camp and the next thing I know people are commenting on how I promised my body to him. I'm pretty sure the game thinks I tried to romance Halsin, as well.

Laezel later told me that she wouldn't be with me because I had shared myself around too much already, or something to that effect.

This stuff is ruining the companions for a lot of us. I'd love to have Gale in my party, but I'm not open to sitting in a field with him and sharing loving looks.

*

And the one person I did intentionally romance was Shadowheart. At current, she expresses her love for my character, but nothing's happened other than a kiss at the party, and the option to ask for a kiss in conversation.

Joined: Sep 2021
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
Joined: Sep 2021
Originally Posted by The Red Queen
Originally Posted by BOKU Haram
Originally Posted by Count Turnipsome
Feels more like Friendships were scrapped.
We needed friendship dialogues.
Yeah, that.

Like in Mass Effect...etc. you have plenty of options to be nice without immediately leading into something romance-related.
In BG3 it often feels like I either have to be an asshole (picking something along the line of "fuck off" or "*leave*" with the companion shown as visibly upset afterward) or flirt with characters.

With the usual caveat that I'm still only part way through the game and so there's still time to see some of the behaviour/bugs that others are reporting, that hasn't been my experience at all. My character is friends with Shadowheart (and gave her a flower), Karlach (gave her a hug) and Gale (watched the stars with him and he spoke warmly of our friendship), and none of them have come on to her at all ... yet.

I just worry when I see comments like the above that people will be put off being friends with companions for fear of accidentally starting romances. It's pretty clear from what folk have said that can sometimes be an issue, and I think it's important to identify and report those instances, but I also think it's important not to scare people off saying nice things to their companions that they might find leads to rewarding friendships when those issues don't always occur.

In my case I had to turn two of them down (Karlach and Gale) so that it went down the friendship route. I also think, looking at some of your previous comments, that some of us just feel different about those initial scenes. For me, both of Gales scenes (magic and star watching) are clearly romantic, not ambiguous. You can then turn them down and it becomes a "friendship", but that's part of what makes it less fun. You might also feel a bit different in real life if someone you thought of as a friend (or you didn't even know much about at all at that point) hits on you out of the blue and you had to turn them down.

Of course it's a game, and there is only so much Larian can do. It's clear that romances are really popular and it's also good that they offer as many options for people as possible. People take things differently (like you and I). But personally, like some of the others here, I found the BG2 style overall more satisfying (although not in every aspect, it's an older game after all, and it also has some downsides compared to BG3), and think it would be better if it was the PC who'd have to make a clear first step, except for a few companions where it would make sense because of their character.

And as many mentioned before, if you do go down the friendship route there isn't much going on (afaik). I know of one exception in Act 3, which I found quite moving. I hope we get more options/scenes like that (at least if there is an expansion or in the next game).

And I do stay away from talking more to companions like Halshin because of this issue. Or trying to get to know others better because you know exactly where it leads too. The same thing happens in act 3 if you are friendly to certain someone who then shows up half naked. Which at that point I just found hilarious. Some of these might be bugs, but it really seems like most of is intentional.

Joined: Aug 2023
S
stranger
Offline
stranger
S
Joined: Aug 2023
I'm new here, so hi everyone.

If someone wants a polite option to turn Gale down (I know I did) I found one way that is far from perfect but seems less harsh than the alternative:

[/spoiler]That's in the party scene. I got to the point where he expresses hope that we could be friends. (Seriously wish for a simple "yes, of course we're friends" option here.) The answer I ended up choosing was "You're out of luck, I'm a nymph in disguise". After his answer to that I got the option to say: "If that's an attempt at flirting, I'm not interested." He reacts considerably less upset than when I basically tell him I only tolerate him out of necessity - which is the only non-romantic option in one dialogue, as others have pointed out.

I't less than perfect, it does feel like I'm encouraging him or flirting with the nymph comment, but it was the (for me) best way I could find.[spoiler]

Joined: Dec 2020
veteran
Offline
veteran
Joined: Dec 2020
Originally Posted by Sonnentau13
I'm new here, so hi everyone.

If someone wants a polite option to turn Gale down (I know I did) I found one way that is far from perfect but seems less harsh than the alternative:

[/spoiler]That's in the party scene. I got to the point where he expresses hope that we could be friends. (Seriously wish for a simple "yes, of course we're friends" option here.) The answer I ended up choosing was "You're out of luck, I'm a nymph in disguise". After his answer to that I got the option to say: "If that's an attempt at flirting, I'm not interested." He reacts considerably less upset than when I basically tell him I only tolerate him out of necessity - which is the only non-romantic option in one dialogue, as others have pointed out.

I't less than perfect, it does feel like I'm encouraging him or flirting with the nymph comment, but it was the (for me) best way I could find.[spoiler]
That was actually the combo, I used. Sadly I can't tag Zerubabvel, hope they read it.


"We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."

Doctor Who
Joined: Oct 2021
Z
Jhe'stil Kith'rak
Offline
Jhe'stil Kith'rak
Z
Joined: Oct 2021
Originally Posted by fylimar
Originally Posted by Sonnentau13
I'm new here, so hi everyone.

If someone wants a polite option to turn Gale down (I know I did) I found one way that is far from perfect but seems less harsh than the alternative:

[/spoiler]That's in the party scene. I got to the point where he expresses hope that we could be friends. (Seriously wish for a simple "yes, of course we're friends" option here.) The answer I ended up choosing was "You're out of luck, I'm a nymph in disguise". After his answer to that I got the option to say: "If that's an attempt at flirting, I'm not interested." He reacts considerably less upset than when I basically tell him I only tolerate him out of necessity - which is the only non-romantic option in one dialogue, as others have pointed out.

I't less than perfect, it does feel like I'm encouraging him or flirting with the nymph comment, but it was the (for me) best way I could find.[spoiler]
That was actually the combo, I used. Sadly I can't tag Zerubabvel, hope they read it.
I'm here.
It is clear that dialogue options are based on trees, and you get a specific set of options based on the path you go. I didn't think to say I was a nymph in disguise because I was worried he'd pick up on it. I think another option in that section of the tree is "You didn't have any friends?" Which is the one I chose because I just wanted to directly say, "I'll be your friend!"


Remember the human (This is a forum for a video game):
Joined: Aug 2023
S
stranger
Offline
stranger
S
Joined: Aug 2023
The "You didn't have any friends?" question should lead to the nymph option iirc.
I think it could be an excellent scene if it had a proper friendship option and dialogue.

Joined: Jul 2023
M
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
M
Joined: Jul 2023
Where do I sign up for this petition? Where is Larian? Do they actually get involved with community comments (such as "blue posts" in WoW forums)? I would very much like to see/hear *their* feedback regarding our feedback. The "romance" (if that's what you want to call it) in this game is insane. There should 100% be a toggle-off option. It's sad when some say "just don't buy/play the game" when something so trivial in the world of D&D is being shoved down our throats. And I normally wouldn't mind "RPing" my way out of it ONCE per companion although the initial flirt should be initiated by the Avatar in a clear way, not constantly by the companions! The icing on the cake for me was when
The Emperor
started flirting with me!! It was a good way for me to pause for the day crazy

Joined: Aug 2023
B
stranger
Offline
stranger
B
Joined: Aug 2023
Originally Posted by DumbleDorf
If gale or the other companions are interested in you, its because you've purposefully pursued the romance options in the dialogue.
So you admit the dialogue choices are unclear regarding where it leads.

Last edited by BOKU Haram; 18/08/23 08:45 PM.
Joined: Aug 2023
B
stranger
Offline
stranger
B
Joined: Aug 2023
Originally Posted by Faustus
Yes but its still too short of an interaction to warrant the instant switch of demeanor. I think the pacing was too fast considering it all changes in 1 cutscene.
Originally Posted by BOKU Haram
Originally Posted by Faustus
The romance/friendship part of the game is by the least fleshed out and by far one of the buggiest (excluding the camera and roaming bugs).

Some companions can become locked out because they're missing options further down the game, other characters dialogue options reset after being exhausted, others imply a relationship where there is none. For example Lae'zel starts a fling with you, then you go to bed (after party) and can pick drinks with shadowheart or sleep (thinking about Lae'zel) LOL. Nothing happens, but the game continues to imply there's something between you when there is not. Same with shadowheart, sharing a cup of wine becomes a special intimate relationship! The flower thing is sweet, but there shouldn't be dialogue options talking about what an special relationship it is before giving such gifts or sharing moments...

Other friendship companions are basically nonexistent, you feel like their nanny/caretaker, whether its hunting Astarion's bully or watching over your shoulder so that Gale doesn't blow up.. There haven't been any interactive cutscenes that aren't about THEIR problems.
"Same with shadowheart, sharing a cup of wine becomes a special intimate relationship!"
That part actually has a few checks you can do to get a romance option.
It was a while ago but I think there was a perception check where you notice shadowheart was inviting you for a kiss, and you can do it.
IIRC you have to have high enough shadowheart approval rate *and* tell her you want to do stuff with her at night first.

Joined: Jul 2023
M
apprentice
Offline
apprentice
M
Joined: Jul 2023
BUMP!! for the sake of visibility!!

Joined: Feb 2022
Location: UK
Volunteer Moderator
Offline
Volunteer Moderator
Joined: Feb 2022
Location: UK
Originally Posted by Minscforlife
BUMP!! for the sake of visibility!!

We discourage bumping threads on these forums. If folk no longer have new and different ideas they want to add to a thread, it's time to move on to another discussion. The existing thread will remain on the forum if anyone wants to refer back to it.

People are free to add new posts if there's something specific that they want to say on the topic, of course.


"You may call it 'nonsense' if you like, but I've heard nonsense, compared with which that would be as sensible as a dictionary!"
Page 12 of 20 1 2 10 11 12 13 14 19 20

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5