I do sometimes wonder (mostly jokingly!) if Larian just hates ascended Astarion (wasn't there a writer or someone who straight up said anyone who ascends him only sees him as a sex object or something?).
If I remember correctly it was the same writer who wrote the Haarlep scene so don't take their comments on reasons for ascension too seriously.
It's been a while since I ascended him but I do remember finding Tav's dialogue options annoyingly limited in the way you react to Astarion, as if the writers decided that if you make choice x then you had to do it because either y or z.
Yeah, the dialogue after he asks you what you want is just... bad. You either demand things from him or get on his case. It's like there's no way your character may not want anything in exchange. Or like, to go for a midnight stroll and have him tell you about everything he can hear and see now, or whatever.[/quote]
I'm also hoping they'll add a better kiss animation for Astarion too. I know he's one of the less buggy characters so maybe they're just not prioritizing him (totally fine, fix the bugs first), but it'll be very weird if everyone else gets romance improvements and Astarion gets censorship. I mean Minthara's sex scene exists so I don't think Larian has a problem with, you know, sex being in their games.
He's been pretty buggy since Patch 3. And they had the time to airbrush his abs
