Yeah from what I read here, Halsins romance seems toxic as hell ( at least hell has good music, as heard in act3). I'm ok with him being poly, but as others said, the way it is represented is not healthy. And I already hated it, how creepy he came at my girl, just because she asked if he had settled in. Otherwise I didn't really talk to him. I do think, his whole companion status is a bad meme - you want him? Let's make him hot for everything? Companion story? Naah, we don't need that, just make him hit on everyone, that's enough. You can't even tell him at the end of act 2 to get back to the grove or stay with Thaniel. Every other companion has a line, where you can deny them joining you, even that other fan request Minthara from what I've read. But Halsin is just forced on you. Tbh it was wrong to give in to fan request to get that. The character is completely destroyed for me and I liked him before - not like others here, he was a pleasant NPC and camp follower with a bit of awkwardness about his leaderskills. I think, he either needs a complete rewrite or he should be scratched for a better companion. As he is now he just not working out. When even his superfan Icelyn has something not so good to say, then there is something very wrong. And I want to clearify: it is not the poly, I have a problem with, representation is good, but him being a sex pest and a really bad written meme character. I'm planning to just make it so that he will get
abducted by Orin
next time to have him out of my game for a while.
"We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one."
I like how Halsin is a clear communicator with firm boundaries. He's good representation of relationship anarchy. He is a fun character outside of his sexuality, though it's nice he's also happily and comfortably sexual to a receptive player character. He shoots his shot in realistic ways. I feel desired and pleased by Halsin's writing. I hope more of his romance and friendship gets developed. I would be very surprised if he is written to agree to monogamy at any point, but I hope that it would not be something he is written to arrive at through a storyline that foregrounds free love as something negative about his character, that would be very upsetting to do to this rare example of a polyamorous, relationship anarchy style character in a piece of mainstream media.
I hope that his click-on voice lines are patched in soon.
I finally bought the Manon in archives, two sizes smaller and I think I could wear it to the seamstress around the waist. It's beautiful and the neckline is wonderful and very tasty, I really liked it, thank you. I also got a jersey-top at the Reformation sale for skirts and garments that need a better top fit. When it arrives, if you want, I'll send you photos on Instagram so you can see more or less what it looks like and how thick it is.
??? Received a report about this. Pl ease directly affirm that you are a person and not a bot. Clipboard mistake?
I had a super long response on a notepad and I don't know why my phone copied my conversation with a friend. Now I would have to do the answer again, it's a bit lazy to be honest.
Could you delete it? You don't see anything very personal and if you can't, nothing happens.
I actually had no idea that Halsin as a romancable character wasn't an original idea but a fan request. It makes more sense to me now why people feel let down. It's uncomfortable to wish for something, then kind of get it, but with an unpopular twist. Writing Halsin as a poly seems a risque approach from that background.
Yes, originally he wasn’t going to be a companion or a romance. Then a lot of people, including me, loved his character and asked for him to be a companion and romance. But I guess I wasn’t specific enough and failed my wish spell!!!
This, for many people the genuine romantic interest in the game is Halsin. And well, it is clear that he is a character with great appeal for players (I include myself here) so I don't think the solution lies in this but rather in solving the errors. Let's see, in the game you can clearly see that act 3 was short of time, and it also advanced the exit, logically all of Halsin's romance that was included there will be with the errors that we are seeing
I like how Halsin is a clear communicator with firm boundaries. He's good representation of relationship anarchy. He is a fun character outside of his sexuality, though it's nice he's also happily and comfortably sexual to a receptive player character. He shoots his shot in realistic ways. I feel desired and pleased by Halsin's writing. I hope more of his romance and friendship gets developed. I would be very surprised if he is written to agree to monogamy at any point, but I hope that it would not be something he is written to arrive at through a storyline that foregrounds free love as something negative about his character, that would be very upsetting to do to this rare example of a polyamorous, relationship anarchy style character in a piece of mainstream media.
I hope that his click-on voice lines are patched in soon.
Okay, so several things:
1. Representation is great - but at a character you add ONLY because of player feedback, this was a very poor choice. It's like they saw the request for romance and fans thought "relationship" the anyluzers thought "Oh, they all just want to bang him.
2. Halsin being comfortable with his sexuality is great. Unfortunately, this is extremely fetishsized in a way that makes it seem like and extremely unhealthy reaction to rape, imprisonment, loneliness, abandonement, being fetishsized by others and being a people pleaser. On his comments on it, in no other context is fine, but when you see the character as a hole this becomes really messy and really icky.
3. You are right about his dialogue if you look at it seperately from the rest of the context. He does try to be upfront and many of his lines are endearing, lovely and wonderful. The issue is, that there are other dialogue that is in direct contradiction to these lines, which gives you whiplash - which is what gaslighters do. Now, a person might be a relationship anarchist, but they can also adhere to monogamy and more importantly: Being a relationship anarchist should not be 1-2-1 comparrable with gaslighting and manipulation - Halsin's poor writing does this.
4. Halsin is presented to us as loyal, kind, carring, supportive and thoughtful by the game itself. But then after the shadow curse he takes this weird turn where everything becomes abnout what he wants - this is even directly stated.
- He tells Tav how he feels about them, and then makes an assumption ()in some cases based out of nothing) that they must feel the same. When they say they feel the same, he is overjoyed and then again, goes back to what he wants - which is a politely worded ultimatum.
- During act 2 he gives several equivalent responses of "soon" and "you should have my full attention", which gives the implication that he is highly dedicated and doesn't partake in anything he isn't fully commited to. This gives the vibes of a slow burn demi-romance - which is also underrepresented btw. But what you then get by act 3 is the exact opposite of that. Specifically saying it's not a relationship, it has no commitment, and no permanency though all other parts of Halsin's personalioty gravitates towards this like a black hole.
- By the end of the game he makes a choice without even really involving Tav - and talks about as if they have no freaking clue what is going on - then gives another ultimatume (again lovely worded, but still an ultimatum) "I want to do this, and I have decided to do it alone. But if you wish you can come by and we can fuck, okay?". Relationship anerchist or no, this is disrespectful to another person and takes away much of their agency
4. Polygamy is wide, but the most healthy poly relationships (not this word) takes a lot of work, commitment, and respect of other peoples agency and feelings. The way poly is presented in the game is not that. With Karlach and Astarion it seems coercede, and they clearly do not like it, but agrees to keep Tav. Just like Halsin requires the same of tav without further discussion. Now, is that really the best representation that could be brought to a relationship prefference that is already under so much stigma?`Personally, I think it's the worst because it confirms all of the most misunderstood believes about it.
So, yes, this is certainly represantion, but it's horrible representation that does harm to everyone involved. I am all for including relationship anarchy (you already have this in Lae'zel) and polygamy - especially the healthy and respectful kind - but for several reasons Halsin was the wrong choice for this because he was a fan request. He was added to please the fans, and as this thread is evidence of, this was not achieved.
I would by fine with Halsin prefering polygamy, but for his personality to do so without discussion or empathy for Tav's feelings or point of view was awful.
I didn't want to mention the topic directly but yes, as it is, Halsin not only has an unhealthy relationship with Tav. On the other hand, since you bring up the topic: isn't it very strange that a good character like Halsin, in those circumstances, would commit himself more to the drow than to Tav? This character really needs an overhaul.
I actually had no idea that Halsin as a romancable character wasn't an original idea but a fan request. It makes more sense to me now why people feel let down. It's uncomfortable to wish for something, then kind of get it, but with an unpopular twist. Writing Halsin as a poly seems a risque approach from that background.
Yes, originally he wasn’t going to be a companion or a romance. Then a lot of people, including me, loved his character and asked for him to be a companion and romance. But I guess I wasn’t specific enough and failed my wish spell!!!
This, for many people the genuine romantic interest in the game is Halsin. And well, it is clear that he is a character with great appeal for players (I include myself here) so I don't think the solution lies in this but rather in solving the errors. Let's see, in the game you can clearly see that act 3 was short of time, and it also advanced the exit, logically all of Halsin's romance that was included there will be with the errors that we are seeing
How were the requests worded? "Halsin is such a gentle, mature man I want more of" or "Halsin is a big, strong honka honka, give me more of him".
Considering all the thirsting I see going on for BG3 characters I assume the latter.
I actually had no idea that Halsin as a romancable character wasn't an original idea but a fan request. It makes more sense to me now why people feel let down. It's uncomfortable to wish for something, then kind of get it, but with an unpopular twist. Writing Halsin as a poly seems a risque approach from that background.
Yes, originally he wasn’t going to be a companion or a romance. Then a lot of people, including me, loved his character and asked for him to be a companion and romance. But I guess I wasn’t specific enough and failed my wish spell!!!
This, for many people the genuine romantic interest in the game is Halsin. And well, it is clear that he is a character with great appeal for players (I include myself here) so I don't think the solution lies in this but rather in solving the errors. Let's see, in the game you can clearly see that act 3 was short of time, and it also advanced the exit, logically all of Halsin's romance that was included there will be with the errors that we are seeing
How were the requests worded? "Halsin is such a gentle, mature man I want more of" or "Halsin is a big, strong honka honka, give me more of him".
Considering all the thirsting I see going on for BG3 characters I assume the latter.
I made a "short" text of mine justifying failures, indicating why it is lacking in content, explaining that the rest of the romances give you options to have a relationship that is pleasant player (Halsin is the only one that you cannot be monogamous) and Halsin No, the ending is cow poop and we need them to recycle animations to have moments of intimacy in the camp with the romances (even DAO has the option to sleep with them). I ended with: fix Halsin Larian first notice and now I use this phrase to end some of my posts
I want to bring up something about Halsin being a complete fetish character. In an earlier dialogue conversation with our tavs, Halsin says how he has to remind nature that he has his boundaries. He says how a she-bear gave him his scar because she thought he was a regular ole bear, but, in the cut party banter, Lae'zel says how he must've slept more with his enemies than he vanquished them.(already implying that he rather sleep with his enemies then kill them. Really? the Halsin from act 1?) Halsin then brings up a Chimera and thinks to himself since it has 3 heads, does it count as one body? Lae'zel muses that it must've been a good kill, to which Halsin says, "kill....yes." implying that he's fucked a chimera. This is contradicting to me, since he tells us he doesn't have intercourse with animals, yet he says something completely different in party banter. I don't know what's going on with his writing, but it's weird. Inconsistent.
@iloverainbow: patch 3 won't have any new dialogue or cutscenes, Dave (Halsin's VA) is on a small vacation from work right now. Hope they add this in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe9mymOKMzw Halsin is incredibly bugged.
@iloverainbow: patch 3 won't have any new dialogue or cutscenes, Dave (Halsin's VA) is on a small vacation from work right now. Hope they add this in Halsin is incredibly bugged.
Hearing all those in one compilation really drives home for me how much his writing feels split. Some of those lines are so romantic, then with other inclusions in-game and cut they have him played for laughs. I have to wonder if at one point they had separate dialogue paths, one being a route leading to a proper romance Halsin and another route treating him as a fling (which would take him less seriously and inject more joke lines) and now they’ve crossed wires into one big, bare bones mess.
Also that chimera line is the worst! Adds to the list of jokes that did not land for his character and feel fairly uncomfy.
@madguise Seriously, patch 3 won't bring fixes for Halsin? Even if you are on vacation, I imagine you can come back for a couple of days to make the voice recordings. Patch 3 is already going to mean a longer wait than the previous ones, I don't want to imagine if we have to wait for patch 4.
Not to be a downer because I really want you guys to get what you want but I don't suspect anyone is getting anything substantial anytime soon.
They'll need to write it, change it, record it and then add it to the game. So unless there is some cut content they can add (Karlach extended ending scene kinda thing) I think everyone will be waiting a bit longer for those rewrites/improvements/additions to come.
@Chiquidmaster they have roadmaps on what to fix..i suspect patch 3 might have the edit your character in game fan request, or it's the full mac release with bug fixes (which i hope the halsin sound bug fix is in) when the game first came out the edge panning for PC was bugged, i as well as many others put in a ticket about it, it wasn't addressed until this latest patch instead of on patch 1.
they're definitely working on the companions and new content, they're likely doing that now since the origin characters are possibly back at work going by Lae'zel VA's tik tok. since they mocap and such these things take months. don't expect any story changes until patch 6 or later, very much later patches
@Rotsen, agreed, story content is last on the list, they need to patch the game up before they start adding in new content and the xbox release of the game. act 3 needs a lot of polish and bug fixes
@madguise: Thank you! Yes hopefully they add the missing dialog, he is so silent right now.
Originally Posted by fylimar
I think, he either needs a complete rewrite or he should be scratched for a better companion. As he is now he just not working out.
No way - removing him completely as companion would be even worse. There are still people who enjoy him like he is now and he was added on fan request - removing him would make all the work that was put into him void. Fixing him is the only solution.
The problem is not even him being poly, yes, I wanted him to be monogamous too, but it would work with him being poly if he would treat the relationship with Tav serious. Like - it is ok if he says he would want to persue someone additionally to Tav if it happens that he falls in love with someone else too (and is still in love with Tav). But this might or might not happen. Keep in mind that he might live a very long time, not just as woodelf but also as Druid. So Tav might be long dead until he falls in love again. And if Tav lives long too it might still not happen or he might even change his view on relationships.
So he could still be poly but taking the love to Tav serious and yes, basically until someone else he falls in love with comes along, treating it like being monogamous.
It doesn't necessarily mean that Tav needs to accept that he will have sex with others, that he don't even care about. If Tav has another lover, he asks for their consent first. So I think he would ask Tav too. And I doubt he would break up with Tav which he loves, just to have some sex on the side with someone else he doesn't even care about.
But if he just wants to have sex with whoever comes across him and is willing, then this is indeed no relationship, I don't think this is even polyamoury, it is just sex without strings attached. They could have gone this route but they didn't, at least not fully, otherwise we wouldn't have romance related dialog. So they need to fix the romance option with him, it doesn't work right now. And I agree, he feels sometimes like he only exists as a walking sex joke and not being taken seriously.
I am trying to romance Gale in my PS5 play through but I am not sure if I will change my mind and romance Halsin again. I am still very early in the game. I just wish they tell us in more details on the changes they are going to make for each origin character and companion.
@iloverainbow go ahead and romance gale. halsin's fix isn't going to be until many patches later. by then you'll likely already finish your playthrough with gale
I am at the start of act 3 right now. I think I will pause my playthrough with Halsin too until later and start a new one to romance Astarion. I want to do so many playthroughs, but I have so little time to play... ah well, one step at a time then
I honestly think that if we would've had the option to "turn on/off Poly romance" at the beginning of the game, a lot of these situations will have been avoided, probably.
And if beign poly is part of a character personality, I don't see any problem on them changing their point of view about it. Tav influence indirectly (and sometimes directly) in their opinions and fate anyways.
Let them go wild if I choose that option at the beginning (that way I know what I'm signing for) or make them loyal/monogamous if I don't want that in my gameplay.
I honestly think that if we would've had the option to "turn on/off Poly romance" at the beginning of the game, a lot of these situations will have been avoided, probably.
And if beign poly is part of a character personality, I don't see any problem on them changing their point of view about it. Tav influence indirectly (and sometimes directly) in their opinions and fate anyways.
Let them go wild if I choose that option at the beginning (that way I know what I'm signing for) or make them loyal/monogamous if I don't want that in my gameplay.
In reality, with the little content they have given to the character, it is not so simple, not its to add a line like they did with our friend and her engine. I really have confidence that in the third patch they will fix quite a few mistakes in act 3, including Halsin, more than anything because there will be work that they would have already planned or done but that will not have been released due to lack of time, and that plus what they do (which They will be making changes) I trust that it brings us joy.
Not to very pessimistic, but I am not sure they will change him. A lot of people like that he is the way he is and are extremely LOUD. I have been called a number of interesting things lately and told that my own personal trauma is invalid. So, that's always fun.
in any case, the amount of work he needs is a massive undertaking, for a character who is not as popular as Karlach, Astarion or even Minthara (just look at the reponses and interactions they get on discord.) I think they will either make very minor changes, or simply not address it at all and leave him as is and stay silent. But Larian just cannot get polyamoury right (Red Prince from DOS2 comes to mind - who I had no issue with at all. He is awesome).
If I had any say, I would say take Halsin's character and give it to Rooney (who wrote Fane in DOS2 and Astarion), because he is a champion at doing this sort of thing right - especially trauma. Corcoran can then give advice on Halsin's tone of voice. But seriously, I know he is lead writer, but Corcoran should leave the companion writing to his team, and focus on his own personal strengths - because writing companions is not that. And I will absolutely admit he wrote the start Halsin wonderfully, and it was so great - but when you release him on his own it just goes haywire. Abd I am certain he has great other skills, and is a talented writer - just so that is said. (For referrence, he is the one who presented the bear sex scene).
