Hi, I have read so much negative feedback in the past few days, that I wanted to bring up a few things I loved about this patch, especially since all of them surprised me. I have written about all of this before in various other threads but I guess, it doesn’t hurt to collect it in one comment in the designated feedback section.
First, thank you for changing the dialogue with Gale in the brothel. The new lines for the PC work much better in my opinion: There is a clear way out, the teasing now sounds like good natured teasing and not like mockery, and turning the persuasion-line into a question takes away the dubious flavour of the situation. The dialogue alone suffices to show just how much Gale hates the whole idea.
The blessing Gale can now receive from Mystra at the Stormshore Tabernacle is such a good addition! Apart from using the orb to cheese the final battle, Gale’s decision about the Crown felt oddly meaningless previously because it had no relevance for the game proper. Now it feels like he is on a divine mission for his goddess and the choice made at the tabernacle actually matters. It’s also a very nice continuation of the buff (or buffs in Gale’s Origin) which you can receive in Act 2, which have been special moments for me.
This sense of a divine quest and the beautifully desperate endgame kisses also help convey Gale’s state of mind during the endgame. In my last playthrough, I got his sacrificial dialogue at the bottom of the brain stem and it seemed to come completely out of the blue. Dying for Mystra’s forgiveness hadn’t been a concern of his since the end of Act 2, and his doubts about winning the final battle only really surfaced once after defeating Cazador - which you can easily miss if Astarion ascends. The sacrificial dialogue will probably still break my heart but I think it works much better now that there are more hints leading up to this dramatic moment.
On a related note, while I like all of Gale’s kisses, the embrace kiss at the morphic pool is spectacular. I got it with Astarion-Origin so I could see the PC's facial animations and the desperate tender longing of it is just peak perfection. Kudos to the animation team.
And last but not least: Thank you so much for the new epilogue option for Astarion-Origin and romanced Gale! I know that not too many people play Origins, so it always feels special to get new content for them but even more so, when it is this thoughtful. The new Underdark ending is just lovely and feels like an antithesis of both characters’ Power-endings. Instead of trying to eradicate their perceived weaknesses, they find support in a loving relationship and use their combined talents to create a good (un)life for the most unfortunate group of NPC in the game. This has instantly become my favourite ending for both characters as well as for the game itself by far.
As a small (or maybe slightly longer) tangent, I overall really enjoy having Gale with me as Astarion, but I absolutely loved him during Cazador’s ritual. I had not really planned on ascending Astarion, but I wanted to find out if something in the game would actually try and change my vampire’s mind about it - since all the conversations Astarion has with Tav are obviously missing. So, after the fight was over, I made Shart and Wyll guard the door and took only Gale along. Aborting the ritual has never felt so special!
Gale is awesome during this scene: He first agrees to help out of empathy with Astarion, but when the contract is carved, Astarion’s eyes are blazing red, there is blood everywhere and the whole scene is at the pinnacle of suspense, Gale makes a heartfelt plea to consider the lives of the other spawn. When Astarion relents and subsequently lets all the spawn go, you find out that even Gale’s moral objection was partly motivated by his concern for Astarion’s mental wellbeing. I never felt so cared for or “seen” - to quote the obvious - by a NPC. Gale is a spectacularly good friend in this scene, a true partner and equal, if you will - maybe especially if you consider that he is also slightly apprehensive of losing all that juicy vampire power for the final battle. After such a special bonding moment, I am so very glad they now have a hopeful Underdark ending too.
