Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Halsin Romance, Expectations and Obligatory Poly

That is actually entirely fair XD And I kind of like him for it (TRP).

If at least Halsin was just a straight up asshole, but he is not. As you said, he is wonderful. Absolutely adorable, until the contradicting writing fails him.

And I think that's probably the main problem too, the lack of agency and player involvement. I'm not after involvement as a way to change him or his views, I just want to talk, to discuss everything and sort of feel like the rules of the "relationship" is of a mutual understanding where both parties are equal and can give and take. As of now, it's just Halsin and his sweet lines that in the end didn't seem to mean anything.

Shouldn't really be that big of a change either to be honest. Some additional dialogue options for Tav and a few voiced lines from Halsin could make everything a little better.

(and definitely remove the whole creepy scenario where Halsin turns to hitting on Shadowheart even after he's been rejected by Tav (and Tav is also romancing SH). That whole thing fits better if Tav is romancing both Halsin and SH, not when they have rejected Halsin. )

Sorry, he doesn't want monogamy, he says it more than once and their interpretations don't matter.
I don't say what I think is good, that's how it is in the game.
We don't enforce mono chars on poly, please do the same for Halsin too.

You're not actually listening to what anyone here is saying, are you?

Nope. They're definitely not. It's just the same few words over and over again.

100%. I think a lot of this can be chalked up to wonky dialogue and lack of clarity before engaging in a relationship and like you said lack of discussion after. If his intentions were made clear it wouldn't feel like a lack of agency as much because you would know before even sleeping with him. (Sorry for the long post)

Example of wonky dialogue. (Spoilers for his romance dialogue, it's being quoted directly)

How is his way "more founded in nature" and "as nature designed" when he admits in the same conversation that wolves mate for life? There are plenty of species in nature that mate for life or stay in long term partnerships. I wish he had a better reasoning than "because nature bro". Literally every single time he brings up not being monogamous in some form it's followed by this which I didn't even realize until I went to watch his dialogue on youtube for this comment. If you don't ask him if he believe in monogamy you will not hear the line about his bear 'nature' only that it's how nature works period. I also want to add in his beginning lines in the romance initiation dialogue.


Now if you did not ask him about monogamy AND you are in a romance with someone else the only dialogue you will have is these lines that imply more than being casual and his vague lines about nature.

As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong) this dialogue ONLY triggers when you are not in an active relationship.

There's at least wayyyy more clarity here than in any of the other dialogue hands down imo (although I still think it could be worded better personally). Only triggers under certain circumstances.

Example of dialogue that I would have liked, totally written by an english major btw:
I am a bear, bears are not monogamous, I would be unhappy being monogamous, I can't be in an romantic relationship with you but we can still enjoy this while it lasts. Still wanna bang?

And as for SH, why are they hitting on each other through the player? Even barring him doing it if you reject him, I take issue with him talking about wanting to bang someone else right before we sleep together, he could have kept that to himself for a conversation or two.

You're right. The reason why I take iossue with it, is because he later implicates that he will remain with you.

"I can scarcely imagine my life without you now."

"I belong at your side."

If he truly means that their relationship is fluid, then it should not just apply to the player, but to him as well. Mostly he is simply in it for his own desires, which are temporary despite these lines implicating otherwise.

You're right. The reason why I take iossue with it, is because he later implicates that he will remain with you.

"I can scarcely imagine my life without you now."

"I belong at your side."

If he truly means that their relationship is fluid, then it should not just apply to the player, but to him as well. Mostly he is simply in it for his own desires, which are temporary despite these lines implicating otherwise.

It's kind of a mess. And it's why I take issue with it as well. I didn't even really romance him, just did it for fun on good-durge planning to reload after. But I took the path where I didn't ask him about monogamy and romanced Astarion. I was pretty shocked because I genuinely didn't see any real lines about him being so 'casual' especially coupled with the lines you mentioned. (I also was not a fan of the Astarion trio at all given his story and how the writers punish players for perceived horniness with a romanced Astarion in every other scenario but when romancing Halsin.) Halsin as he is currently written is fairly toxic.

I've been just lurking and reading what everyone had to say (glad i'm not the only one disappointed with this whole Halsin romance) but I wanted to confirm that I haven't romanced anyone before Halsin in my current playthrough and he does tell you that one dialogue.

it's unfortunate the only options you get in response to that are either "That's not my nature, it's not meant to be." or just the "You can have a share in my heart. And more besides." I was hoping there'd be a discussion? I wanted our character to say something along the lines of "Well I'd like to devote myself to you since I'm not interested in anyone else." or "Your nature isn't mine but I'm willing to accept yours." I don't know but something where Halsin can see Tav is serious(?) if that's what they want of course and aren't in a relationship with anyone.

I know someone said before here that it's sad you don't even exchange "i love you" to each other whereas I think every other romance does? I just feel like the ball was dropped in Act 3 with Halsin. I feel like this whole time waiting for 2 acts leading up to act 3 to romance Halsin just felt misleading for what happens at the end. He says all these sweet caring things and seems serious(?) about Tav for what's to come in the future (there's a line he says that he wants Tav but all in due course) but in the end, it just doesn't add up I guess. So I agree it could be seen as manipulation and/or just the writing contradicting his actions in the previous acts. The whole thing seems just FWB with pet names like my heart and lover.

But I do appreciate that it was pointed out that Halsin doesn't try to sleep around pre romance, cares about your thoughts/feelings etc. so it makes me like him even more sigh (even though that doesn't make up for the other issues especially the way his trauma was handled).

I submitted a feedback thing about Halsin last week, not sure if anyone is going to read that and take into consideration what I had to say but thought better than to be silent about it. I was a bit sad that the newest patch didn't touch Halsin's romance at all, guess I had too much hope for that. I'm crossing my fingers *maybe* they'll do something in a definitive edition, I'm willing to wait for it. I just don't think I'll be doing a 2nd playthrough again with this current state though, I'm not interested in anyone else and the whole romance aspect in games makes me motivated to play them in the first place aha. Or at least way more enjoyable. Anyways one can hope!

Please yes. This is exactly what I imagined my character saying, once I'd recovered from my semi-heartbreak enough to realize there were only bad choices present on my screen.

It'd be best in my opinion to spend his character's potential dev time on making a scene where we gather seeds to feed to ducks. Or share a beer somewhere that matters to him. Or fly in the sky in his wild shape claws, and he takes us to the top of a really tall tree.

There is a time and resource limit that will be put into his canon content, and it might already be done. But like... imagine the great pics we could get watching the sunset on top of a really tall tree with this guy. And the things we could talk about with him from 350 years of living! If we ever get more content of him at all beyond the missing click-ons, I prefer that dev time not go to adding this third romance rp choice expansion.

The proposed expansion beyond the current options of: 1. not meant to be, and, 2. agreement, is asking for a third path that advances his romance while challenging on some level his understanding of himself as a long-lived old bear with a sausage for the streets and a policy around not compromising his romantic ways. To advance the romance at present, some players do end up having to rp agreement to access the romance content. And without feeling that agreement as a personal choice that they would make in their lives, there can be a feeling of disconnect from the immersion in that moment for the player. It goes, "I wouldn't say that/my character wouldn't say that," and that can feel distressing. But needing to make an rp choice to agree to access romance content does not set his romance up as a toxic arrangement. I like the way it is just those two choices for rp rn. Adding a new branch asking him to accept single-hearted devotion, it's more time asking him to explain his nature and the world of bears his furry self kins, isn't it? We have seen what he answers when the player character tries to propose a bond/relationship unalike to those he likes to form. He makes some answer that basically says, you gotta agree we're alike in how we approach this thing for me to feel comfortable with any of it with you.

The ground has been tread.

Any editing into the dialogue, it's my hope that there's a focus on expanding origin character-specific interactions in the field. I mean the voiced lines in conversation between companions that pop up while we walk around. If Halsin, a recruitable and not an origin, is included in more of these, that makes him more rounded to people as a person outside of romance. it makes bringing Halsin along a fun choice because he interacts with your fav. It makes him a better friend to the party, so that choosing "it's not meant to be" still allows the player to access special content with Halsin. That's where I hope his dev focus is put into, and any possible small chance at a new one-on-one that could be so cute and hot and fun plllease pleasee pleaasssse pleaseepleases

Everyone knows you have what you want. That's great. No one is taking that from you. So why are you here trying to make our opinions and insight not valid?

Halsin says he is fluid, and there is a lot to that. In all relationships you compromise - but fair Halsin denies it being one.

But don't you think that is who have asked for this romance to be implemented for three years as a dependable and stable romance deserve to make it clear that they did not fulfill our wishes? Especially when he was marketed as extraordinary fanservice, and as an example where you really have a lot of choices and agency, and it then is reduced to "Everything you say, my love. I will do everything on your terms always" or "Yeah, nope."

Us getting extra choices takes nothing from those of you who like the existing ones, so I am honestly mystified why you're making such a big deal about it.

Certainly we all love this game because it promotes diverse player choices? Or am I wrong?

Awesome you want more additional content. We all do. As I have said before, make a thread were you endorse your whishes and I will happily endorse it - especially if it has ducks.

A lot about Halsin's injuries.
But what about player injuries? This is a role-playing game that you go through, immersing yourself in the narrative, falling in love with the characters. (even a little). And so, 100 hours of play, and finally Halsin wants to talk to you. And...
Thank you, Larian, it was a wonderful reminder that for the people we love, we mean nothing.
NPS literally created for my entertainment reminds me of the most lousy moments of my life. When I specifically avoided questions about his past lovers. I just wanted at least in the game, a perfect relationship without any perversions. Like with Kalen from DAI.
The whole image of Halsin promised me this romance, not the shit that came out in the end.
And yes, I don't understand why poly people are so opposed to the monogamous scenario. How will this affect their game and their choices? How could this offend their identity?

As I have been saying, our Tav went through so much to romance him and in the end our Tav got something like "come see me or whatever when you have the time".

If they really can't include the monogamous option in the end for some reason, at least do an option that will imply that Halsin will try for our Tav after what they have been through together.

I don't think they will make much changes to his character at this point but at least give the people who pursue him romantically a bit more meaningful closure at the end because currently what we have is not just the lack of Halsin's romance content and also this insulting romance ending with him.

I doubt they will do a lot of changes or give us new scenes.

If we are lucky we will get
- Bugfix so that his clicky dialog is restored in game
- Bugfix so he doesn't interfere (unwanted) with other romances in game (I guess it is a bug but who knows)
- Bugfix/Change that we get a dialog option in the end scene that we can leave with him together

Everything else would be great but I highly doubt we will get more.

For me personally the romance ending if corrected would also help a lot with his romance in general. Poly or not, if you at least in the ending get the impression he really wants Tav included in his future and not just for sex it makes it something to look forward too. Right now I have little interest in finishing the game due to the ending with him. Instead I am tempted to break up with him and go for the romance with a certain character in act 3 where you at least get the option to stay together.

I mean, I can do a lot with head canon. But his ending feels just so disappointing - every other romance you can stay together with, under certain conditions at least. But not with Halsin. Yes, he says you can visit - but VISIT basically means come and say hello, have some fun together and off you go again. Nothing about STAYING and building a future TOGETHER. Poly or not - this option should be possible.

They said they have plans to call many of the voice actors back in (probably for the epilogue). Hopefully they could record a few more lines for more romance options as well!

LOL!

I wonder if it's all this talk of poly and fetish stuff that attracted the dubai call girls.

If we are lucky it might attract the attention of his writer? I think he might have poured a bit to much of his own midlife crisis into it XD (kidding, I am sure he is a lovely person.)

I have to admit that his romance really triggered me deeply, but for different reasons than yours. The poor treatment and turning SA into a fetish and portraying it as a healthy coping mechanism? Yikes.

And for those saying "he is 350 - the trauma is gone", Halsin shows plenty of trauma over other events in his life that has happened centuries ago, why would something so traumatic ever go away? He has gone from trauma to trauma, and he indicates that he has not have had a moment to rest and actually deal with it all. He has been doing nothing but pure survival for several hundred years.

Speaking from experience: If you are in a constant state of emergency, your trauma does not heal. It gets pushed aside and returns with vengeance.