Okay, first, let me go into Avocatus Diaboli mode. This sort of thing actually happened in Bg2, as well. If you were Romancing Aerie and brought Haer Dalis along, he'd steal your girl and there was nothing you could do about it.
I'm glad you brought up the whole Aerie and Haer thing but from what I remember Aerie turns down Haer (and he backs down) if you progressed far enough down her romance route.
Even if that wasn't the case there is a difference between a character that was written with a whole storyline revolving around a love triangle and a romance that was written in your classical BioWare way only for the cuck shit to pop up out of nowhere and after finishing the storyline/contradicting what was established.
But hey, I guess one writers fan-fic overrides the rest of the game I guess.
As for the rest of your post, I did notice the overreliance on modern politics/views or how you call it the 'message' to write stories in recent games but for the most part its been tolerable (for me at lest) it just seems I've reached my limit. Ruining a character for a quick cuck fantasy kinda soured it for me.
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I wasn't thinking of posting again but the funnies thing happened this week. One of my friends finished the game and he was one of those people that were obsessed with Halsin during the EA and the whole daddy thing (He didn't like the Panel from Hell with the bear tho). To paraphrase 'I'm so happy that there is a gay romance that isn't a twink' but even now after having our conversation I cant not laugh at the whole situation.
He was not happy with the character and how the whole story turned out. We talked about the issues with the writing and the problems we had, Orpheus/Emperor etc. but the most fun shit talking we had was around the zoophile.
Onto the main course. I think we both came to the same conclusion, him focusing on Halsin and me on Halsins influence on other characters. (mainly Shadowheart but also Astarion)
Halsin is the OC Do Not Steal of some early 2000 tumblr porn fan fiction:
Poorly written - check
Shallow/no development - check
Super unique (bulky elf with body hair unlike the rest of the elven race) - check
Super talented and everyone praises him (he's the greatest healer despite being incompetent at everything he does throughout the story) - check
Sex god/sex pest (he wants to sleep with everything that walks - he was so good in bed that every drow in the world knows about him) - check
Characters in a story acting out of character for him/story bending over to accommodate him (both Shadowheart and Astarion) - check
Some fucked up fetish that could be a reflection of the writer (cuck/zoophilia) - check
We were both laughing so much at this, I still cant believe that this version of him made it into the game over some other datamined ones. But people thirstin for him (my friend included) got what they wanted, not really XD ( I don't think anyone interested in Halsin wanted him like this)
Just remove his influence from Astarions/Shadohearts story and do a semi rewrite of his character and for the love of good stop it with the zoo shit.
ENOUGH WITH THE BEAR!
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Originally Posted by fylimar
I like to do whole team, but Halsin brings nothing to the table that Jaheira can't too and I liek her more, so he stays mostly in camp.
If given the choice would you rather have a...lets say a halfling bard companion?
Well, you've got me there . Yes, I vastly would have preferred Helia over Halsin or in fact any character, that didn't change personality completely, if you recruit them, but yeah, mostly Helia. I'm not familiar with early 2000 tumblr porn fanfic and I never even talked to those drow ( which I assume triggers that he tells you about his years as a drow sex slave?), but yeah, I can't deny, that he is not well written and that fans, who wanted him as a companion, like your friend, can't really be satisfied with what they got. I don't think I'll use him in the future, he is bland and has really only the sex thing going for him.
"We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."
. Yes, I vastly would have preferred Helia over Halsin or in fact any character, that didn't change personality completely, if you recruit them, but yeah, mostly Helia.
