I thought about making the post more detailed, but that will probably be in the spring. Poor English, I tried my best with DeepL translator.
15. More love for the Ascended Astarion - indeed!
Such a dark, deep character and love line just can't be found nowadays. Well, not unless it's Japanese. Big-big Monopolist in this niche. A charming medieval Dark Fantasy set in the world of Faerun. Lord Astarion It's still Astarion, the culmination of his dark desires that have been with him always.
I hope if there is any content, it keeps the complexity of the dark romance, like possessiveness, but real caring, love-obsession. The art and charm of Dark Romance is very subtle, it needs balance.
Everyone plays Tav\Durage differently. If toxicity realism should work, Astarion on the beach at the beginning too - huge, red as a tomato… But we have a whole love plot with him.
I'm glad that it is possible play the dynamic of two villains\just two darkly in love, who are on the same page and\or who are mutually obsessed with each other, who have incredibly strong feelings for each other. Such a concept is already in DnD for vampires. I wish there was more of that. A lot of guys and girls adore Minthara so much too.
Not sequels I think, but within the story, improvements. The epilogue was a good, after adding the hug\kiss it will be a great.
The Magistrate's past
Revealing Astarion's evil past as a Magistrate, which will make his story deeper and give a better understanding of the character. This will be especially interesting for the path of evil. Honestly, for me, his story doesn't work very well without it. I wish his quest had been deeper anyway, with complex morally gray issues. I'm only hoping for the dusty pages. In Cazador's safe\in a castle\somewhere that he kept as a keepsake because he was obsessed with Astarion, that little detail about his past made him laugh. Or any other way.
It also has romantic potential. If you add dialog that the player found out about it and decided to tell Astarion. I think there should be several versions here - before the ritual, Lord and Spawn. I'd like to answer in all cases: "I see and it doesn't change things. I love you". There should also be an option to reject the relationship, even the option to read Astarion's mind, his thoughts.
Early Access
And I'm just going to ask for scenes back from EA that literally change nothing about the character's understanding, only expand on it, and do it perfectly. I haven't played EA, but I understood Astarion like I did. Then I found the EA scenes. A completely harmless (well, when we're talking about Astarion ThInG) scene-talking after the barn, or after Mayrina. Maybe the scene in the mushroom colony, but um-m even it didn't surprise me. So to see these great tiny scenes in the definitive edition, for example, would be wonderful.
4. Reactions to races and classes. How true what you said about the races! The reactions of all companions to certain races is what I want.
I play as a half elf and even the magic mirror said "My master is no filthy half-breed". Lae'zel: Mark my word: The half-elf's an abyss of lies and secrets. 'Shadowheart' indeed I love Faerun, it's so... edgy :>
Half-Elves are actually different in personalities, there is a rumor about them that they are friendly, "welcome everywhere, but struggle without a community to call their own". True, incidents of racism against half elves seem to be pretty rare.
I wonder what Astarion thinks of this. He's a high elf. And he's pretty edgy too. How does he feel about half-elves does he have prejudices? Depending on approval, let's say. I also play good, so it's great to hear from Astarion: "You're so... diplomatic because of your origin, or you just silly. That's good for me, but could you not get too into it much" kind of thing would be fun. I wouldn't even be surprised he says if Tav do something ~that Astarion approves ~ "I thought half-elves could only strum a lute"\"For a little half elf girl/boy, you have incredible promise". Or when a player does something risky\strange out of sheer curiosity (half-elf trait): If he likes "Your blood calls you to new experiences", If he doesn't like: "Your curious little half-elvish nose might get bitten some day".
And the Drow - they have such a rich lore! Globally, I could see people not being very happy that by Act 3, whether you're a Drow or not doesn't mean much. So, I hope details will be added.
9. The talk after the Ascension has so much potential.
I understand if Astarion ends the relationship if we don't want to become his completely. It shows perfectly that he's a love-control fella. It makes sense - Tav\Durage is the first person in his life he can trust, who is dear to him - he doesn't want to let go of someone like that, ever.
However, we have a mortal ending where he's at ease that Tav doesn't want that yet. I think we should add the "conviction" to wait with this, which may or may not be successful. I'd also like the use of charisma in this situation. This piece will connect the mortal end too. Of course, that should affect the epilogue.
The mortal ending in the epilogue will definitely improve. If you don't mention vampirism at all Tav is still mortal in the epilogue. It should all be with dialog, references, at least to the narrator. I think Astarion's answers should be detailed depending on the player's race. Astarion can apparently appease his yandere-thing, but it's there. Makes sense he's a vampire, his vampire-love belongs to Tav and it's a dark romance. If the player is an elf Astarion's calmness is understandable, they live so long and are long young. If Tav's life isn't that long, Astarion can show genuine worry that she'll be gone someday and he just won't accept it. It's wild, but suddenly it can be added, after the dialog at the party where Tav agreed to become immortal, after the toast, Cutscene as Astarion bites her. But that's already a global expansion of the epilogue. I think such a dialog with mortal Tav is not really suitable for the epilogue, there is more fanservice, and this conversation can be serious. It's a celebratory atmosphere and this silly couple just… Where it will be possible to play the breakup\conviction\agreement. So, I have nothing against just small details, that will simply connect the pieces.
Let's go back to the scene after the ascension.
So It's understandable why relationships end when he's rejected. It's not clear why the relationship ends when player refuses to "get on knees". It's a bit odd and unrealistic considering that he reacts to the freedom-seeking Tav quite calmly in the epilogue. The act of domination he desires is clear: however, if the player agrees to take the gift of eternity and be bound to Astarion forever - that means more kneeling and should be enough, it's giving him everything.
What kind of special vampire tradition is that? It could be. But the player has too many bonds to Astarion, and after a while is chilly to even turning, not to mention kneeling. Astarion loves the knee-thing so much that if the player doesn't, he's alienating the man who cares for him for the first time in 200 years? I insist there has to be "conviction", "charisma", are the options here, to kind of calm his fire a little bit, and if it fails, it's either yes or no.
Ahem, and speaking of the Drow Supremacy. They have a very strong matriarchy. Astarion has ascended, has not forgotten the history of Faerun. He offers to kneel to a Drow woman. 99% she has to refuse, well 90%, and his response is only seen to me as "I had to try, okay" (assuming she agrees to the rest). And if the Drow woman agrees Astarion will probably make one of the most satisfied faces he can.
Speaking of the Bard. There's no way the Bard wouldn't make a joke\something playful about this. (during the scene and the morning after). The universe is almost collapsing, there's no Bard-joke on that in the game. And I wish Astarion actually liked the joke (or there were two of them). Also of course we have the companions' reactions to Tav's spawn in little small talk. But I would like full dialogs with everyone. And then talk to Astarion about it and just there the potential for dialog, and for Bard jokes is huge too.
It's a quirk of mine in general, I'd like to see Lord Astarion truly satisfied. He's like a beloved well-fed lion.
A New Year is coming, I wish Larian success and all the best.
Thank you so much, Ametris, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
