I was surprised that there was not an option to make them level "on their own" and that I was instead in full control of how they progressed from a leveling-up standpoint.
I agree, even from a pure difficulty level standpoint it only really makes sense playing on the middle and hardest difficulty. I played on Explorer because I wanted to experience the story , it was strange to then have to go in every level and decide Gale’s spells. Like you said, it should have been optional.
Romances are 'every RPG romance' despite advertisement otherwise while at the same time feeling, hollow, compromised or unfinished. Not helped by platonic relationships getting the short end of the stick by an entire foot.
Agreed. Currently I’m running Resistant Durge Tav and romancing Non-Ascended Astarion, and I can honestly say I adore the romance. Convincing him not to complete the ritual, having him watch over Tav and talk them through the night after the Durge takes over and tries to kill him — chefs kiss. What’s also true is the romance doesn’t really feel like exists outside of romance quest line specific cutscenes, just like every other RPG. Astarion hardly ever breaks in to side quest conversation in a way that acknowledges the romance is even happening and I take him literally everywhere. My Durge passed out in public after his romance plotline was completed and he had zero reaction. I think he even made a comment alluding to not caring if my Tav got injured as part of another side quest. I was so pleasantly surprised when even Withers commented on Astarion and I in Act 1, but neither Withers or anyone else has in Act 2 or 3.
Someone else either here or Reddit said cutscenes for the LIs should be able to initiate without us interacting with them at all and I agree. I’d love to go to camp and have a spontaneous little romance cutscene start with Astarion that’s got nothing to do with his main quest line. It’s a totally different feeling from me having to walk over and click on him for anything to happen; another way they could feel like living characters instead of dolls waiting to be interacted with.
I also agree with the platonic relationships being shafted. I got to exceptional approval with Gale almost immediately; after I turned down his romance or locked in with Astarion Gale should have been able to become my best friend. But there’s literally no difference between the relationship at Exceptional level with Gale as the Neutral level with Wyll or Karlach. Just like everything else, there was a glimmer of hope in Act 1 that the different positive approval levels might really reflect when they refused to elaborate on their backstories because I didn’t know them well enough, but all that fizzled out by Act 3.
