Personal note part 1
Today I lack a bit of time to edit the feedback I found so I decided to just copy some feedback from Filia and Nika.
Add more bear scenes
Feedback & Suggestion
Right now, we mostly have either intimate scenes/situations with Halsin as bear or if you free him out of captivity in the goblin camp.
For a druid, I feel like we could have more bear scenes under more normal circumstances, like him offering us to stay close to him if evenings/nights are cold, playing with children or animals in the camp as a bear or other peaceful things.
If we consider that the bear is somewhat of his spirit animal, it feels a bit frustrating that he only uses it (at least while we are playing) as disguise, for intimate stuff or to fight. Especially if he told us stories about how we used to cross the lands as a bear before.
Halsin and Mintharas roles in the party
Feedback & Suggestion
For me, the most anticipated idea was that Halsin and Minthara should be special companions and play an important role depending on the choice of the path of good or evil. Which means they've to be something like mentors and adviser on the player's chosen path. That they'd monitor our actions and comment on our decisions, give advice if we're concerned about something or want to know their opinions about our party members and the situation in the world. And also helped us not to go astray and would guide us on our chosen path. And it'd also be appropriate here to argue with them or challenge them in any situation if you want to have your own way or even betray them. I also believe that they should've their own personal quests so that they manifest themselves with actions and their strengths here.
I know that there is not much content in the game for these two characters at the moment, but I think there is still a chance to improve them and add something that would set them apart from our other companions. We can already ask Minthara's opinion about our companions, and Halsin's about how we cope in general. I think it can be developed further and give these two characters more special interactions for the player.
Minthara is currently showing herself better in terms of development and her complex character, because for Halsin right now everything is focused on fetishizing his sexuality, which is very bad for how players perceive him. And he is very different from what he was in EA. I really wanna hope that our feedbacks will help Larian improve Halsin so that he finally gets rid of the stigma of a sex object and is perceived by us as an adult and wise archdruid with a strong character.
I think even if both of them could be recruited into our party, it would even add a special dynamic. We'd have watched their arguments, as it was between Shadowheart and Lae'zel. They'd argue over advice for the player, test us with it. Maybe even we could finally reconcile them?
Personal note part 2
Let me just emphasize this: By no means did anyone of all of us (who are trying to get some tweaks to Halsin) ask for the poly or open-minded sexual-based relationship to be removed. The feedback aims more at improving him and adding another side to him. Yes, he is 350 years old yes, he is an adult. But does being an adult mean you can never change you way you live or want to live?
Imagine all the tough challenges he went through in BG3, those experiences can change the way Halsin looks at his own place as well as his choices. Also, as I was being told, there are 3 flags for Halsin in the game. One as the only love interest, one as secondary partner and the third after you broke up. So, if the writers intended him to never even consider being in a relationship just with the Tav, why should they even bother adding that flag?
They could've just added some sex scenes with him, no strings attached and it would be fine for (what many of us still consider minority) the thirsty people in need of a horny bear daddy.
Allow me to quote myself here:
From what I read, some people are concerned that you might change Halsin to something he isnt wanted to be for said people if you add a monogamy option to him.
I think there has been a misunderstanding. Nobody - at least all the feedback I read - ever asked for Halsin to be reworked completely. Its quite the opposite, we had good suggestions on how small changes or adding just a few lines could make it work for both groups of players - the ones who want Halsin like they expected him to be (based on EA, meaning a caring, lovely, wise man without a hypersexual side added) as well as the ones who like him being more physical and sexual.
I just want to emphasize this so Larian - should they ever really consider all this feedback - gets the point: We want to see an additional monogamous path being added to Halsin, a path that easily could share lots of voicelines with how he is now and that co-exists with the romance he has to offer now. Right now, we have the option to have a solo romance just with him, but compared to the other companions, it feels very disapponting.
If we want to talk about diversity, we can also go a bit deeper and talk about that Halsins behaviour is quite normal for wood elf, but adding a monogamous side to a wood elf would add even more diversity (lore says, that most of the wood elves are open-minded when it comes to sex, but that still leaves room for a monogamous approach).
Again: Its not about reworking the whole character, its about adding just another option to him. An option, that should be available for EVERY romancable character. None of the characters care about the gender, so why not allow all of them to love the way the Tav wants the relationship to be?
