I know it was a while back, but accessing this forum has been difficult recently. I'd just like to make a point regarding the interview with Mx Welch when they said this about romance in games.
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This is the feature which can shape a teenager's entire perspective on how human relationships work
This game is 18+. Most of the fans I come into contact with are in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. So I think it is fair to assume that most of the people playing will be adults with a fair bit of life experience. Personally, I really hope she is wrong about shaping someone's entire perspective, because I don't feel a game should even try to do that. I think relationship counselling for young teenagers is something best done by parents and professionals.
Depicting abuse in a game in the hope that kids will see it and learn the lesson you want them to, is I think, a little optimistic. They might look at it, see their character shows signs of distress when the abuser goes on a power-trip but also see that the abuser is rewarded by getting exactly what they want and in the context of BG3 that the Player Character may not be able to break up with them and has to endure it. Is that teaching people that abuse is bad in a relationship or is it suggesting that abuse is a way of getting your own needs and desires met without having to consider your partner's wishes or feelings?
It was interesting that Mx Welch talks about the degree of immersion people get with games and there I do agree with them, because that was the problem for me with Patch 6, I was totally immersed and suddenly my character was taken over and shoved down a route I really didn't choose. That loss of agency was a big issue to me as a player.
I agree with Marielle that there is little evidence that Astarion is harmed by the ritual, he gets exactly what he wanted all along, as far as I can see.
Starryophonic I completely agree with your analysis here:
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the player who fell in love with the softer, funnier side of Astarion now has to contend with the idea that a lot of that may have been part of the performance; maybe deep down, he's not the sweet pookie they fell in love with. They have to prevent him from ascending, because they have to believe that deep down, he's a good person who secretly wants to do good things, despite the fact that there's really no evidence for it.
