On the topic of forcing the player - they "don't want to force", but in fact they do. Only not by Astarion's behavior within the game, which would be interesting and realistic, but in a "metagame" way, through his own story. You don't help ascended, you get all the pain and suffering of the so-called "good ending" and a sad, vulnerable Astarion in the course of the game. Didn't kneel? The romance is broken - there's no point in playing any further. For me, there's only one option for any playthrough, and I'm perfectly happy with it, but the fact that the game itself forces the player to do so is beyond me.
So true! I think it would have also been nice to hear the narrator say something after the first 'no'. Like: 'You can feel his impatience and growing irritation, hear the subtle threat in his voice. This is not just an ordinary request, but an ultimatum.' This dialogue could use additions all around.
Originally Posted by Marielle
Originally Posted by Ametris
I heard that in early access he was more evil. I saw a vid where he also had a super angry remark where he threatened Tav with death for disrespecting him. He doesn't even sound as furious when facing Cazador as he does there.
That's interesting, turns out Astarion has already been made less evil in the main game. It's a shame such an original idea wasn't fully realized. Perhaps a "more evil" Astarion wouldn't have let himself be "convinced" to give up the Ascension, or would that have been too unrealistic and he was softened for the sake of this second option?
I suspect that's the case. Even with his softening I still find him agreeing to abandon the ritual flimsy. He spends half of the game scheming about stealing the power. He rebutts Tav every time they try to speak to his conscience. There is not even one time where he has doubts about wanting to ascend other than not being sure about all the details related to the ritual. He only feels a bit remorseful when he sees all the caged spawn for the first time but that's it. Then he gets convinced with one persuasion check that's not even persuasive but manipulative in tone. I think there should have been another check at the very least.
It just looks like they wanted to have every character have two possible paths but wrote him in a certain way (with ascension as the main, logical path), backed themselves into a corner, and it was too difficult a task to make it convincing when it came to the alternative. Ascension has a natural flow throughout and has foreshadowing while non-ascension feels forced, awkward, overly sappy and sad at the same time, underdeveloped and just there for the sake of choice. Instead of fixing it and rewriting it to make it better, they are trying to make the evil path less attractive.
Originally Posted by Marielle
Originally Posted by Ametris
Apparently on his grave it says he was 39 years old when he was turned and his surname is Ancunín.
Where is this grave? (it's impossible to read anything in the graveyard scene). I have not yet passed with the Ascended to the end of the game, I missed a lot of things from frustration in the previous, unfinished passage with unascended, now I climb into every corner, maybe I have not reached it yet.
It's only seen in that graveyard date cutscene. It's written in a language that people have translated.
Originally Posted by Marielle
It's funny that none of the companions (including Astarion) react to the corpse in the camp, they get up quietly, go to their places as if it's just as they should
Astarion says 'Oh no, something horrible has happened' or such. Bastard pretending that he's clueless.
Originally Posted by Marielle
Laezel tried to "start an affair" even before Astarion, and was already rejected, and Karlach never tried (though they write that there is a scene with her trying to start a relationship with Tav on her own). Maybe she just knew and kept quiet?
Karlach didn't try anything with me but then still told me she'd been hearing about us. You can see all of them discussing your romance in the short, which shows what happens when you agree to start the romance during the party. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xa-1bbAy49k My theory is that when you sleep together earlier they hear you just like he brags about and then during the celebration if it's supposed to be your first time, he totally not innocently and accidentally slips that information through the tadpole so the others back off and know you're going to be his.
Originally Posted by Anska
Arabella is a dear. I tried to take her in as an apprentice with Gale, when Withers wants to send her away after discovering her parents' fate. It was the only time he got really angry at me - and angry Withers is much more creepy than Vlaakith. O.O
That's a cool option for Gale. I don't think I had it on my wizard Tav playthrough. I like his reaction when you ruin his party. Disposing of Tav like a boss.
