Originally Posted by Auric
Originally Posted by Sobocles
I've already seen some comments calling her shadowWh**e.
Most comments like this come from the same people pearl-clutching about how she can only ever be purely monogamous and any interaction that can lead to implications contrary to that (like the thread title) should be removed from the game. They call her that simply because the content exists, and ignore that it's only accessible through player choice; choices they themselves will never make and only develop the character in that direction in the context of those choices being made. So it rings a little hollow that they instantly start hurling misogynist insults toward what is otherwise their favorite waifu when in their own playthroughs those interactions will never happen don't you think? Projecting such insults about a fictional character because of content they'll never personally engage with beyond their intense anger at watching it on youtube has nothing to do with the writing or its quality and everything to do with the... social values (or lack thereof) and insecurity of the people making such ridiculous insults.
You're right, and I'm not saying that Shadowheart is that, it's clear that fantasizing about someone other than your partner doesn't make you wh**e. What bothers me is the disgusting way the writer presented it. Like many people, and as you rightly say, I found out about this through a YouTube video. And I assure you, it bothered me just as much as if it had happened in my saved game. It's literally a betrayal to monogamous players who wanted to have an exclusive romance with Shadowheart (which, by the way, is how the elf's romance was initially presented).

Moreover, it corners the player just for exploring dialogue options in the brothel (SOMETHING WE ALL DO EVEN WITH THE MOST IRRELEVANT NPCS). If you refuse to participate in that, Shadowheart disapproves, and if you accept, you're almost forced to take part in the 'orgy', which is literally Halsin and Shadowheart fuk**ng.

There are people who argue it's the player's fault for hiring sex workers, but I disagree because that doesn't mean you're inviting just anyone to join in, especially not someone you know. Shadowheart should respect that, just as the player respects her when she refuses to participate in the scenario where you haven't slept with her yet. Shadowheart seems inconsiderate for not respecting how her partner might feel after revealing her fantasies about Halsin, which was completely unnecessary (especially since, in addition to this whole situation, there's party banter where SH directly flirts with Halsin after their romance scene in Act 3, which I find disgusting).

I have another theory about this: the whole situation is clearly because Halsin and Shadowheart are written by the same person, and it's obvious that the writer wanted to see the two characters they created together. That's why I've always been against the same writer creating more than one character, because it causes them to lose objectivity and start imposing their fetishes and sexual fantasies on the player (which is even worse considering the player could be a lesbian woman).

In conclusion, and to summarize, I do think the whole brothel situation should be modified since it's clear it's not to the liking of a group of people.