Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's ALL smoke and mirrors I just simply don't see it as idyllic and lovely as some people do. He's been a liar and manipulator throughout the whole game, you don't suddenly become a good person by doing one altruistic thing. He won't drop his old habits right away.
Originally Posted by LiryFire
One screenwriter is writing a Dark Romance. The other or a couple of others is writing the story of Abuse and how right\wrong. These two ideas should not exist together. Which is Larian Abuse and to evaluate what they will finally do and at what stage they will stop... We're in the violent stage now, folks. We will only be able to evaluate the story fully when all the patches and updates come out.
The dissonance in narration is clear. As I said before the new patches are making me worried.
Originally Posted by LiryFire
How, heavens, could Tav choose an immoral, decadence, libertinage vampire, follow him the path of evil, give him power, give him everything. Making a face like a shot doe. The angst line - which initially seemed just for fun, and wasn't very logical, suddenly dictates the entire romance. I just don't.
Yeah, how dare they. It all feels like Larian is trolling us at this point.
Originally Posted by Marielle
One variant - when Astarion takes Tav by the face, I liked it - passionate, interesting. And the other two - constant repulsion, I begin to feel that I am something unnecessary, pathetic, intrusive, something that can be loved only in this way - condescendingly, "out of favor". Kneel every time? And then push me away. Once is a game, twice... Sooner or later my Tav would just turn around and go take something forbidden that the guildies peddle and drift off into reverie, just to get some rest. Let him use his master control and play dolls if he wants. With the bite - I like the bite itself, I don't mind the physical pain, but what comes afterward... Tav reaches for it and Astarion pushes it away and it's some semblance of a slap, like I'm some kind of trash. After a while, somehow that's how I start to feel. If the infliction of pain was connected with passion, with desire, with the fact that the partner as if loses control and gives free rein to his dark instincts - that might appeal to me in an "evil romance". But humiliation... I have too much trouble with that. With strangers it's basic and simple, challenge thrown - challenge accepted, but when you're humiliated by someone you love - you're defenseless. You're open and you just accept that pain. I just don't know what to do with myself to go back to Baldur again, or if I even need to now. I'm tired like I've been plowed through, yeah normal people don't see games that way, but Astarion wasn't just fun and pastime for me, it just happened to be.
Personally, I don't have any issue with his behaviour, it can be an entirely consensual rough play. My problem is Larian railroading Tav into a certain person - someone who is not ok with it after kneeling and accepting this in the first place. My Tav wouldn't be scared of any of this. If Tav showed pleasure during the kisses it would change the whole tone completely, make it playful and kinky.
I'm sorry you got affected so badly by this patch. I really hope Larian listens to criticism. It would also be nice if they made the rough and gentle variants like they did during the transformation scene.
It all feels like Larian is trolling us at this point. 
