Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that Larian isn’t trying to push the narrative about abuse as some people think.
Otherwise, it means that Larian used the abuse as bait for fans… which doesn't look good, to be honest. If they really wanted to reinforce the idea that AA is an abuser, then it wasn’t really great of them to post that video with the kneeling kiss on the February of 14th (especially when they had as many as 24 animations in stock), and release 3 new kiss animations for AA. If anyone is romanticizing abuse, it's Larian in this hypothetical situation.
Yes, I 100 % agree. I don’t think this either. I do think they want to please their players and see them happy, that’s why they worked out romance kisses for Valentine’s day (So a big, big thumbs up! )
Just, the thing is, and that's the crux of the matter, they DID indeed push the narrative about abuse on the player, because they in fact implemented sexual abuse (Tav is unhappy and disgusted by Astarion = nonconsensual). *Facepalm* It's stupidity. And that’s why some came up with the idea of Larian inspired by sadistic content for men, instead of consensual D/s dynamics. So they may just mistook two things.
Most players are complaining about Tav’s nonconsensuality. The minimum they have to do is to change Tav and make him enjoy the kisses. No woman (better to add, "sane") wants to see a romance kiss, where their Tav is sad or disgusted. [To add: I don't want to exclude men, but I can't really speak for them.]
Originally Posted by mirami
More realistically, they probably didn't understand the target audience of AA and decided that they needed to add spices (for marketing reasons, just like with the bear sex). Given the horny comments under the Twitter post, they more or less succeeded (many people thought that was UA’s kiss btw).
Which twitter post do you mean? The „kneel kiss“ or have there been another one, with all 3 kisses?
I don’t know what their main audience is, but I myself talked to aaaa lot of players who ARE into BDSM or Astarion being dominant and would do like these scenes, IF Tav would enjoy them. So for me it's not they misunderstood the target audience of AA, but misunderstood what BDSM / D/s dynamics is.
About the hot comments: the „kneel kiss“ is indeed incredible hot (for most D/s dynamics lovers I at least assume), but ONLY until the point where Tav is shown with a disgusted and non-consensual face at the end, it indicates, that the kiss wasn’t consensual. (which but isn’t very much seen in a low-resolution Twitter post.) [To add: There IS a microexpression of contempt smiling at the beginning on Tav's face, when he starts to move, before Astarion "stop" shows up, but hard to see for everyone, and if you don't see it, you don't know it. This expression definitely has to be changed into a real smile.]
Just to say: The terrified face of Tav before the kiss wouldn't be the problem for everyone, it just shows that Tav is frightened of what is coming. But there is no sign of any abuse at this point, and a consensual kiss is starting right after, so no problem, people could find it hot, if you roleplay e.g. "Tav is captured by a vampire" (But for our story, really, it looks a bit stupid to see this everytime, Tav should know, that Astarion is not about to do him any real harm, lol)
Ergo, it makes sense that a lot of players found this scene hot in that twitter post, without seeing them ingame or without seeing all kisses with their Tavs being unhappy.
Astarion's animation and facial expressions are up to 100 % great for me. I do love and enjoy them But Tav being unhappy isn’t okay, as he and I am into it, and I don’t like to see non-consensual kisses (which are infact abuse)
I am, and not the only one, very, very grateful, that Larian is thinking about us and wants to point out more that Astarion enjoys this sort of thing since act 1. It could have been great kisses. I have my finger crossed, that they are already working on them and make them consensual and Tav enjoying them. And I do have my fingers crossed, that they don't decide to take them all out, they have a lot of potential. I do would love them reworked.
Originally Posted by mirami
but now an immature anti-AA wave is huge, with bad trolling and bulling, that isn’t really cool.
Yes, this is not cool.. a lot of players are bullied now, when they want to express their concerns about their Tavs being unhappy.. And the fault is on Larian, to have made the kisses non-consensual.
Originally Posted by mirami
Hugs to ya'll.
Thank you, hugs back <3
Last edited by Zayir; 24/02/2406:49 PM.
"I would, thank God, watch the universe perish without shedding a tear."
)
But Tav being unhappy isn’t okay, as he and I am into it, and I don’t like to see non-consensual kisses (which are infact abuse) 
