Originally Posted by Malachite
I�m hopeful they will make changes. DOS2 was not a �complete� game without its faults when it came out. I�m saying this as someone who absolutely loves DOS2. I have gifted that game to so many friends because I think everyone should play it at least once. I�m pretty sure I will still be thinking about DOS2 when I�m old and grey because I love that damn game so much.

That said, it was quite a wreck at launch. I played on launch day and I ran into so many game breaking bugs and issues. A couple of them stalled my play through for days. There was a particularly bad one where I couldn�t even get to past a certain point because the game would lock on Malady�s boat. It didn�t matter if I started a new file. It would always get stuck at the same point. Let�s not even talk about the sad state of the final act back then. BG3�s launch is so much smoother in comparison.

But the changes they made to DOS2 are what gives me hope they will treat BG3 well. The definitive edition is excellent! Even the base game was very good. The level of support they provided was above and beyond. Larian really knows how to treat their games well.

I�m not expecting a full Halsin overhaul. I don�t think he needs one. He�s got a great foundation as a character. Just some things need touching up and expanding on. The main change I would like to see is the one involving the Drow trauma. I won�t stop voicing my opinion on this matter because It�s just so distasteful and uncomfortable. How could they write Astarion�s trauma so well and then sweep Halsin�s under the rug?

This discord user here put it pretty well. https://discord.com/channels/98922182746329088/1150249736624930916

Men�s trauma isn�t taken seriously and it�s just sad. I really doubt it was the writer�s intention to minimize trauma and make it seem like Halsin fetishizes it, so hopefully they can tackle the issue in a more mature and respectful manner. If he�s given a chance to take feedback and make changes, I am certain Corcoran will write some good changes. Even some of the greatest books in literature required revision and several passes before they were finalized and realized.

He has shown himself to be very receptive to feedback both with the shadowheart changes and his tweets on twitter! Halsin is all over his timeline. If that�s not a sign of a writer who is passionate about his character than I don�t know what is.

Don�t let what other people say make you undervalued or pessimistic. You�re valid. Trauma should always be treated respectfully and it saddens me that it�s not always the case.


I am one of those who think that Halsin does need a complete review, not only the trauma is that the character, as I have stated in previous points, has no reactivity and does not have meaningful dialogues. That the topic of the drow is a thread in itself, I totally agree, but it falls within what we were talking about: the lack of coherence in the writing of the character.

Where he is saying something that seemed like a skin trauma, suddenly because of the memes it becomes something desirable. He's the only character you can't tell your feelings to, he's the only character you can't leave with even if he says he'll wait for you, he's the only character you don't have a relevant way to interact with... and he happens to tell you one thing to the opposite all the time. Then it has a great lack of content, the other day I saw a video with all of Halsin's interactions including scenes cut 1 hour long. Look at the other characters. How he affects the rest also has to do with the introduction of him at the last moment and in a hurry: he forced to make forced dialogue inclusions in a hurry and rush. The result is not pleasant.

And we return to the same thing: Halsin in dialogue gives you the option of no cop (I only want you) the problem is that you cannot react to it, even though your character has not asked for cop at any time. And I think Larian should have foreseen that if the majority of players are monogamous and ask for Halsin, they will want a monogamous Halsin (even if you put the poly option for whoever wants it, which I think is wonderful). Or that Halsin was going to get some hate for screwing up other characters' monogamous romance. I also had to have foreseen that a complete romance and a complete character were requested because giving what they have given is not including a romance with Halsin, it is including a relationship with Halsin.

That said: I hope they fix it and do a somewhat serious rewrite, because these things (with the lack of ending, no consequences, mithala, (this character has fixed things but he was as pitiful as Halsin), Halsin, third act on general) make this game for me not mythical, not at the level of the greats of the genre.