Originally Posted by Zayir
Honestly, I don't think that you know what players, who are into D/s or kinks, like, want or what they are looking for in a fantasy setting. There are different tastes. But most of us (also players who are not into D/s) don't like when other people try to dictate what we should like, how we should feel or what we should look for in a fantasy game. Although recommending a good game might be a nice thought and there might be players, who prefer other stories or games.

There is no perfection in a game. Some people may like this and dislike that, that's normal, there is no story which is perfectly written to all tastes, and there can't be. Some may find the Emperors choice great, some dislike it, some think it's a great script, some think it's a bad script. But that doesn't mean players dislike the game or the stories in general, just because there may be a scene or a voice line not to their personal taste.

I don't know if I expressed myself in a way that read hostile given this answer, but I feel like it's quite sensible to suggest trying out Marazhai's romance when people are talking about wanting things that are very present in Marazhai's romance, when they're expressing a certain amount of discontent with the way AA's romance has played out, especially in regards to D/S. I wasn't dictating anything and I don't like being ascribed that, I prefaced my message by saying it's not a "perfect solution" because I'm very aware people romance Astarion/AA for a lot of different reasons, or a combination of factors, thus it's not going to be /exactly/ what they want or are asking for here, because Marazhai /isn't/ Astarion, but if people are asking for a well-researched and lengthy exploration of a explicitly consensual and respectful D/s romance that doesn't, say, "judge" evil actions as it was being talked about on here, that is very much Marazhai's route.
We don't know if Larian's going to change anything, and at best I'm pretty sure they will only somewhat change the kisses, and a lot of people will still be unsatisfied with aspects of the romance. I think it's more helpful to suggest things people might enjoy if they feel let down, rather than just wait indefinitely for something that, seeing how Larian has been talking about BG3, is just 95% not coming.
I don't understand the second paragraph because I wasn't suggesting players here dislike the overrall game or its story.

Anecdotally, I've seen a lot, and I mean a lot of AA fans "convert" to Marazhai and say that it's "what they wanted from AA" or "leagues ahead of AA's writing". So it didn't seem out there to recommend him as a way to find a romance that might resonate more for some, seeing it has already worked for some AA fans. It's not for everyone here, and I specified as much in my original post. But it can be a good romance for some.