Larian Studios

So no one spent the night with me after the goblin raid. I did everyone’s personal quests and had good and very good approval with most companions. Yet the ONLY person who wanted me had the lowest approval (low neutral) and it was Astarion, who I very nearly just gave to the Gur. Don’t know what went wrong with Shart. But apparently because I didn’t take Karlach to Anders or cast water on her after the infernal iron thing she’s locked off? What gives? How does not doing two tiny things override doing 100% of Act 1 and everything else positively?

Seriously, this game is perpetually horny and yet I’m the only one getting rejected? By everyone except the one companion I hate? Who has the lowest approval of me of all?

Astarion is the only one who doesn't want you for your body, but to manipulate you at that stage, so...

RIP, man. Terminally low Rizz. I'm kidding, if not even Gale tried anything by now, your game is either broken or you almost never rest

I rest a lot. Everyone except Astarion has high approval. I did everyone’s quests except bringing Karlach to Anders and dousing her with water. The only thing I can think of going wrong is that I did 100% of the content in Act 1 before going to the Grove Party… and had separate romance scenes with Lae’zel and Shart at normal camp nights (these were the scenes in EA, but instead happened at camp instead of party). But other than that I have no idea what’s going on.

I literally have 19 Charisma. I have the most rizz possible in Act 1. I honestly have no idea what I did wrong.

Can someone just explain to me how I could have done differently?

Huh. Are you sure the game doesn't think you've gone with SH to the max of what it allows? There's got to be something going on along these lines. Unless it's remembering stuff wrong. That is unfortunately always on the table at the moment.

Well, looks like Tav is going for Shart then on a good playthrough. Next month I’ll do a Durge grey run with Karlach i guess.

Minthara can have evil Gale.

Edit:
A humorous thought came upon me: I was rejected by Karlach because I literally couldn’t get her wet.

A lot of people are saying the opposite.

At this point, I am suspecting the triggers for romance are just bugged.

Looks like romances are linked to one specific event due the first act. I've completed all companion quests for every woman companion in my camp, at the end of first act I've speak only with Karlach and all i get "i don't like you this way, bro". But Astarion (whom i speak only when i get him in the camp and did nothing to his quest) treat to me like "wanna bath, dinner or me?". Now I'm on third act and only here, when i complete all Karlach story i get quick "love you" from her and that's all.

The story going to its end and I hope there is any chances to get more romantic events in the Baldur city i didn't find yet (like dates or something).

I'm not sure how it really works, but maybe romantic lines should become able after some quest and depend on the opinion of the characters. But for now I'm sure that i screwd up all my romances by choosing one dialog line before i get good enough relations with companion and without any chances to get it later (I've completed all Karlach quests)

Oh, there is a bug possibly. Now i have exclamation mark all the time above Kar no matter how, when or where i'm talking with her
[img]https://ibb.co/1LBVk4y[/img]

I don't think so, it depends on dialogues choice you made, some replies have various outcome. This is not mass effect where most of the replies leads to the same outcome.

Update:
In Act 2, apparently Tav in a relationship with Shart and a situation with Laezel. Not exactly sure how the latter one happened. Just didn’t want to say no cause Laezel seemed to be on edge. Karlach still ignoring Tav even after more infernal iron.

As an aside, Wyll always has an exclamation point over his head but never has anything to say. Also he’s only in his underwear. I checked his inventory; his clothes are equipped. Guess he just doesn’t feel like wearing them.

Also no one has dialogue options in camp. During EA, I remember everyone except Laezel was super chatty even without story exclamations, even if those dialogue options were repeats.

That has to be a bug, companions are never shut up in my game. Even Shadowheart had become really chatty, after I started the romance with her.

So far I have discovered the following:


1) Laezel - You don't have to do anything special, just raise her approval and she'll offer you sex. Right in act one. But if you have already started a relationship with Karlach, she will reject you with the reason that she is only interested in "fresh meat".

2) Shadoheart - You must have a high approval and you must not attack the druids in act one. Then you can start a romance (literally right after celebrating the destruction of the goblin camp.)

3) Atararion - You don't have to do anything special, just raise his approval and he'll offer you relationship. Right in act one.

4) Gale - You don't have to do anything special, just raise his approval and you can start relationship. Right in act one.

5) Karlach - You don't have to do anything special, just raise her approval, complete both quests and you can start relationship. But if you're in a relationship with Laezel, you won't get the option to start a relationship. Dump Laezel to get that option.

6) Wyll - No idea. Not even a hint of romance in the first act, despite the maxed approval.



If anyone has other experiences, I will be glad if they share.

How early do you have to dump Laezel? I tried reloading to near the end of Act 1 and doing it and nothing changed.

I’m interested because I’m not sure it will make narrative sense for Karlach to be with a Chaotic Neutral Dark Urge monk in my second play through. More sense for Lawful Good Sorcerer Tav.

EDIT: You have to do it before a certain pint in Act 1 and rest. Confirmed working. Weird mutual exclusivity though. It would make more sense for Shart and Lae to refuse each other because Shart says so to Wyll.

Yes, I forgot to mention that, you need to rest after it.
Anything before completing the goblin/druid camp slaughter quest worked for me.

I haven't tested if it can be done that way in Act 2 as well, I'll mention it here later if someone not beats me to it.

Usually romance is such a tacked on portion of narrative in RPGs, but here it really helps to allow you to define your character. I’m actually shocked at the level of characterisation you can get through the romances.

Sure, the game comes across as EXTREMELY horny, but at the same time it gives you SO MANY options to say what’s going on in your characters head and then makes the world react to it. Instead of the RPG being in service of the romance, the romance is leveraged to give you more Role-playing opportunities.

In Mass Effect, for example, the romance is a few short decisions that led Shephard act out some scenes with the interest. In BG3, the romance is an opportunity for a character to ask Tav what they care about, what they want, and how they view the world. MUCH more like BG2 in that regard.

I have kind of similar issue.
I am in act 3. Let's say i've done the best choices in the game including those for the companions.
I've started with the green-girl in act 1 because she offered it. I said "why not". It looked like she wants just a fun (fling). Then i dump her (just for sure - in advance before finishing act 1) because i wanted romance the red-K girl. The game hasn't offered me any other romance option since then.

!!! *There might be one major factor during my play through!!! I PLAY CO-OP* (on PC with my wife :)). So, the game might prefer her because she is "the player one" (we both have custom character - started together). Both of us has one companion == less dialog options (companions from the second group are not part of a conversation even though they are "listening". The second group also cannot help with checks/rolls except of buffing in advance). That kind of sucks. =>> I hope they will improve it though there is low chance we will play it for the second time (it is time consuming).

Fun fact: My wife had extra dialog option though she had low approval for the red girl (something about "but i cannot touch you").
Later on when i realized it won't work with the red-K girl i've tried other companions and nothing. So i've decided to become a b***h and having the tentacle experience (for fun) because the game has rejected me from any other.
Interesting, what it does and how it affects your experience and rollplay.

PS: I am not sure if i am happy with the implementation of the romance in this game. It feels RAW / awkward (sometimes). For example the dialog option with the red-K girl "but i cannot touch you". The gild hadn't told us almost anything about her and there was that option. Imagine a stranger on a street telling you this. Also the "hug" scene felt more or less wrong in the same way. I personally am disgusted with reg girl romance. My wife has successfully romanced Will. It wasn't that bad but my wife doesn't seems to be satisfied with it either. I think we are before a final battle so she hopes there will be something more. So, we will see.

Karlach is a good character. She will highly disapprove of a Durge playthrough and may even abandon the party.

I must be unappealing, early act1 Lae’zel ‘wanted to taste me’ but as of late act3 only Wyll’s demon lady has offered romance. I’m a Seldarine Drow with charisma 22 and I have been careful not to make adverse decisions/actions, I’ve tried to romance Shadowheart and gave her favorite flower but no success, wanted to romance Karloch but have not been able to move her storyline beyond Dammon fixing her up in act2 and really stale dialog.

Aside from Lae’zel no companion has even hinted potential romance and I’ll end the game with none it seems. BTW I play a female looking for female if that’s a factor but to read about people saying how horny the game is makes me think I really have bad approval despite 22 charisma and rarely seeing any disapproval from anyone, and I rest often and talk to everyone frequently.

Gender doesn't matter to any of the companions. SH tracks who you talk to in camp. So you want to romance her always talk to her first. Eventually Tav will start saying "first in my heart".

Sorry, who is Tav?

My wife & I are playing co-op on a PS5 so we each only 'run' with 1 NPC and she is busy with Gale & Halsin so I've left them alone, among those that remain there just really has not been ANY romance talk, I do recall Halsin heading that way but not interested in him.