Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Please fix ascended Astarion romance scene

Right there with you, I will continue to holler from the rooftops until they get it fixed!

Definitely don't take it seriously! Everyone has different reasons for ascending him and is free to roleplay however they want.



Haha I love the thirst too. And the passion people feel for the game and our dom vamp hubby that they only register to ask for justice for him (I did the same). <3

I too registered specifically to rant about this, and about the kiss animation bugs.

I've been playing a ridiculous amount of time now and am still only in my first playthrough and this time I chose un-ascended. Suffice to say I never got to see the ascended animation and now it looks like I never will and I'm so mad.
Please please Larian hear us and fix this! Not cool!

The bugged kisses too... and how others got new hotter kiss animations but not Astarion. Just BOOOOO. Bad form. I like the sweet pecks, especially before he deals with Cazador. But after, it makes sense to spice it up a little, even if it's just taking a moment to press his forhead to Tav's or a little nose nuzzle. I mean, come on. Man has no right to back away looking so hon and devious after a platonic little peck with no other touching and that's it.

Honestly, it's a bit insulting. To the character and what they were initially (seemingly) trying to achieve with him, and to many (not all, I know) who identify with him.

So cranky about this patch!

I don't see how it's censorship? You just see the bodies for like 2 seconds less because it fades to the cinematic shot of the candle/fire. I think it works as symbolism for the infernal ritual, his power comes from the hells. Don't know if that was the intention but it's what came to my mind.

Fair enough, I just hate the pan out so it’s mostly candle and you don’t see full shots of Tav anymore. I want the original scenes back, they were more domineering and powerful imo.

I mean they basically removed the sex part of the sex scene, which is, by definition, censorship - removing content that can be considered objectionable, and sex is often considered objectionable because... I don't even know why. It really shouldn't be a big deal.

It's great that you get symbolism for something that has no bearing on the connection of Astarion and Tav in an intimate moment out of it, but since every other sex scene in the game has remained the same, changing this one is a bit of a slap to the face, and there was no reason for the change when stuff like Minthara's sex scene is in the game and remains unchanged (I wonder what the big difference between the two characters is /s). That's why people want it back to the way it was. If they'd touched any other romance scene to tone them down, we'd be wanting them restored too. Like I said, it's great you got symbolism out of it (I do honestly mean this), but it is really just a basic fade to black to censor sex. The candle thing isn't even original; it's in a hundred different movies and it's a cliche in them too.

I mean..especially if you've seen the old ascension animation vs the current one (just got to see it again at my current playthru) it felt so disappointing to a point I wanted to pay for the camera mod just to see the full thing. Plus the kissing animation for my current save is still not working, even though I've seen people saying there's a new hot kiss animation with model alignment being off XD (Astarion kisses the air)

I’ve stopped playing the game for now until they fix the romance scenes in general, it really breaks the immersion and I want to avoid the disappointment with my own MC. Hell, I got secondhand disappointment just from reading your post :’(

In the script, this moment is literally described as some kind of "crazy sex" or something like that. No, it's definitely not an infernal candle. I think they tried to make a smooth "beautiful" transition of the scene, but at the same time they hid the part of the animation that was the hottest in this scene. There is no infernal subtext in this, be sure.

The fourth patch itself is a real nightmare. Astarion's final dialogues don't even work.

So even ascended Astarion is just a bunch of (continue) instead of a real cutscene? Cause that has been the case for spawn ever since patch 4 hit and hotfix 10 didn't fix anything with the final dialogues.

And to think Astarion USED to be the least buggy of all the romances (excluding graphical glitches from the ritual cutscene - yknow, the infamous bloodied bodies past the neckline).

But yeah, on original topic - I agree that candle should be just gone imho, when you've got Minthara and Halsin's extra spicy cutscenes in the game, all Astarion's love scenes are so damn pg13 in comparison lol. And I mean it - ALL of them, the 1st one in act 1/2, the ascended and especially the spawn. But the spawn fits so I'm not complaining.

This is all I ask - please Larian!

This is an 18+ Mature game, please give us a good sex scene worthy of an ascended vampire. Get rid of the stupid candle and censorship. That is what we are asking. If other characters can have a great sex scene, those of us who romance Astarion, want the same as what other characters get as well as deserve. Period. Make it worthy of a vampire. Both the Ascended and the Non-Ascended scenes need to be worthy of the character and the story that you chose to go through with him. Please give us the spice we AND Astarion DESERVE. That is what we are respectfully asking for. I agree with the Astarion fans about it, Astarion's romance would still be quite "spicy" due to his 200+ years of knowledge and not give a PG13 effort, even in the beginning with his story & background. He had to lure people for a corrupt master and if he was terrible at it, that ritual would have never happened. We simply just want our love, who is not only gorgeous to have the best in everything. We want it all, just like Astarion wants it all. We wouldn't keep asking if we don't agree with Astarion. Thank you.

I just hope Larian doesn't abandon their weirdo-kiddo, who looks at the Ascension differently from a variety of perspectives than others and likes edgy, dark thing.

Agreed - liking something in fiction doesn’t necessarily reflect on how people act in real life. That’s the whole point of RPs. We’re all different and ascended Astarion scratches an itch for me that few characters have managed since forever. (I think of Lestat, Dracula and Dorian when I see Astarion, his ascended form is a brilliant mix of all of these).

Bumping all of this, I hope Larian are taking notes!

I feel like I need to say it. I'll try as much as my level of English with translator allows.
Neil did such a great job voicing the Ascended Astarion, like, it's gorgeous. Now some people don't understand the thing – it’s ok, but pushes-hate-mocking-judge – it’s not ok.
This a wonderfully deep, delicate work illustrating the power dynamics from a vampiric Dark Lord. Deeper than sexual fantasy, because Astarion himself is deeper. There's an incredible amount of care and so many feelings for a genre that is apparently not for everyone at all. "He has no feelings" - Neil showed dark-love feelings Ascended with genius power. And the fact that someone is so afraid of it (and that's ok) proves what is a brilliant. Dark Fantasy - people don't go there for health. They go there for something wild, complex and fresh.

That's why people liked the bride theory the book reveals these vampire things very well. (it's still theory, though, for 100% we need the name of this dude Van Rictens on a piece of paper and Astarion's words in the game, or better yet, Gale, he's a nerdy) it's like a fresh gust of wind.

Well decadence and all that has been criticized by moralists since the beginning of decadence. Things don't change. Just yeah, let's hope Larian's listening.

So... it was supposed to be crazy sex but then they gave us a pretty mild scene and even censored it afterwards. Nice.


He is the only companion Lae'zel will praise for their performance in bed and is willing to have a repeat with. Just saying.

Just adding my voice to these comments. Patch 4 broke so much of Astarions romance scenes and although I have no objection to him kissing my forehead per se, thats the sort of thing a husband does as he leaves for work in a hurry, not a recent lover.

Candles?? Really??
Why not have waves breaking on a shore or a volcano exploding just to complete the trite stupidity of it. Sheesh

Stop censoring things that don't need to be censored in an adult game. Simple as that.

Don't give them ideas.