Originally Posted by AmayaTenjo
I dont know much about Larion studios or their other games and things like that

For what it's worth, there was a similar distaste for how the Red Prince's romance plays out in DOS2 - both from myself and many in the DOS2 community at the time. It wasn't quite to this level of ick, and it was set up early enough in Act 1~Act 2 to at least give a player a heads up of "hey, this may be a complicated and/or potentially unfulfilling romance if you're monogamy-inclined or want to be the truly important one in Prince's life".

Personally, while I found the ending incredibly unsatisfying despite having that heads up anyway, I do feel it was at least somewhat handled better and never completely broke character or went against how Prince had been depicted up until then. So it was better handled than Halsin, at least - still unsatisfying, but eh. I'd still cite Prince as one of my favorite characters in DOS2.

Though what my long-winded point is trying to get at, is that this isn't the first time they've attempted to write a character who is poly or doesn't put you first in their life over some other fling or soulbond or w/e. They've just also managed to do it better, before.

Originally Posted by AmayaTenjo
Which I do not understand because as I said before, you can talk to him a little before the whole Thaniel thing. There is some bits and pieces there, and theyre good and interesting, I do not understand why they diddnt just expand on it, they just made up new shit.

Honestly for me, Halsin in Act 1 feels like he's barely there. I didn't pursue any flirtations or romance triggers with him at all, since my first playthrough is for Astarion - but it's like after I talk with him at the grove and then the party, and the morning after, he never has anything to say at all until I guess Thaniel in Act 2. Which feels as disappointing as everything else, tbh, considering how much interaction you can have with everyone else just in Act 1 alone.

Originally Posted by AmayaTenjo
Him being "poly" was the excuse, not the reason. And it shows.

It does feel like there was some kind of disconnect from what people wanted/expected. I don't want to assume malicious monkey's paw curling, but as horrid as this all is, I wouldn't put it off the table either. Ultimately, Halsin just feels disappointing in most respects, and maybe that's simply a result of him being added as a companion/"romance" from fan demand rather than actual planning. I don't know.

Last edited by MarbleNest; 09/10/23 11:25 AM.