From a game design perspective:
You probably noticed that the game constantly asks you (the player, not the character) to provide a reason for the character’s actions. There are also moments when you (the player) have to make decisions (all RP options lead to something final) or provide a reason for your character’s actions. The game also lets the player (not the character) know that maybe something is not the best decision.
From a game design perspective, this conversation with Astarion is the game asking the player “Hey, so you’ve been playing this game for quite some time, romanced this pixel character, and did something that was flagged as a big action. This is the final beat for his entire arc and for this romance. Why did you do it? What’s the angle here?” You (the player) are asking the game to be able the say “no reason”.
You are asking the game to prolong a limbo dynamic for your character and not fully close the romance. Which is fine. But clearly, the ascension is flagged as an evil event (probably the highest body count event btw) and you want to add a “neutral” flag. If there is a neutral flag here, it’s only logical to add neutral flags throughout the game for other big, high-stakes moments, which are flagged as an evil act.
So we're moving to game design now? I see what you're doing but okay, I've got time to correct you.
From a game design perspective the flag for Astarion's ascension/spawn path goes up at Cazador's dungeon (and by the way it's not a good/evil flag because the game doesn't have a morality system; if I recall correctly it's flagged as spawn and vampire lord), not in the romance dialogue. Moreover, as this game doesn't have a morality system like say, Mass Effect to use a very simplistic example, your (the player's) character does not have good/evil flags attached to them, and neither does anything else in the game for that matter. You are fully able to be as all over the board with your morality and decisions as you wish, because the game does not flag them in any way beyond potential consequences for said decision (like if a character dies or something). The only flag the dialogue being discussed here is concerned with is whether or not the romance continues, and a neutral option does not affect that because the dialogue ends with you making a decision on the matter (Astarion romance true or Astarion romance false). So yes, I should be able to say "no reason" because the flag this moment is concerned about is not "why did you do this" but "continue romance or not", and the deciding factor for that is whether you become Astarion's spawn or not, not whatever your reason for ascending him is (in case you need further proof of this, be aware that if you start fighting Astarion, you don't have to provide a reason for why you ascended him, you just have to be an ass to him for no reason).
Moreover, if the game asks you, the player, to make a decision, it is by design asking the player character to make a decision. This is a roleplaying game -- a roleplaying game that gives you the freedom to play however you want, might I add. You can save the Grove and be an absolute monster afterwards, and no morality flag goes off. You save every single tiefling and slaughter everyone else, and no flag about your morality goes up. You can keep Shadowheart Sharran and be a perfect angel for the rest of the game, and no morality flag goes up. So since this game is not concerned about the player's morality, it should give me a neutral option in a dialogue that's only concerned with romance flags.
Also, it's
roleplaying. You're supposed to make decisions that fit your character, not decisions that you with your meta-gaming knowledge would make (unless that's your playstyle in which case you do you, but don't assume that others don't want to actually roleplay their characters, and that the game only caters to those who meta-game every decision). You are in control of your character and their decisions, yes, but the game doesn't make a separation with you and your character because that's just dumb. This isn't a game that's bad enough to break the fourth wall in this one moment to demand the player justify why their character behaved in a certain way and what your irl meta-gamed reason for this decision was. The character will have to make that justification, and for a lot of people that justification is "because Astarion asked you to help him do this", because that's how they roleplay their character. You're just going to have to accept that, I'm afraid.
Also as a side note I would hope it's the highest body count event because that's hilarious and I should be able to commit more mass murder for my digital romance options.
