Marielle:
Oh, I do understand Astarion, that's why I personally don't think, ascending him is the best route for him. You can see that differently of course, but I'm amazed about his character growth, when you encourage him and set an example at being better ( for a good playthrough). I did choose for him and my redemption Durge to go on adventures after the game and had a really amazing epilogue.
To become better for whom? For a “good playthrough”? And how exactly did you find this epilogue amazing, I'm just curious? Personally, watching the “good” finale shocked me in many ways:
1. The way Astarion is abruptly and painfully deceived and rejected. He doesn't initially expect what happens, he's walked in the sun before and most likely, deep down, desperately hoped things would stay the same. Yes, there is a logical explanation for this - the larva was giving him that opportunity, and now everything is back to the brat's previous state. Not only that - the hunger would haunt him forever. Senses and sensations have dulled - a vampire spawn has dulled senses. For example, he will no longer be able to savor the taste of food, wine (as AA does in his happy epilogue). The undead odor that will now exude from his body has returned. The sun that Astarion loved so much, and which is now killing him, is in many ways also a symbol of how the “ light world” rejects Astarion as something “foreign”. That bright, joyful, sunny and light world in which there is no place for someone like Astarion. I understand that you are on the side of the “ light world” and everyone has their own beliefs, morals, etc., that's fine. But what does that have to do with understanding Astarion himself? Of his personally? It's unlikely that Astarion wants to accept that he must go into darkness.
2. The mocking companion lines are also terrific, but perfectly invested in the overall concept of rejecting the “insufferable brat”.
3. Shocks Tav/DU, who go happily boozing in the tavern with the “friends” who just bullied Astarion, and celebrates their “victory” while Astarion sits somewhere behind crates on the dock, curled up in a lump, slowly healing his wounds. And judging by the last shot of this scene from Astarion Origins, he's crying. Probably quieter than he did then, after abandoning the ritual, when he sobs like a man who has lost everything. Because of that one moment, even excluding the rest, I will never go down this path. I can roleplay evil, but not abomination. To me, those rails are far worse than any “kneeling”, “ degrading” or whatever.
4. Well, and it's not that shocking, no, on the contrary, it rather adds to the logical conclusion of this picture - such a condescending and patronizing attitude of Tav/ DU to Astarion in the dialog in the epilogue after all this.
There's no “growth”, he's just adjusting as he's always been used to doing. He says whatever the “good hero” wants to hear, it's rather formulaic, theatrical and not like Astarion. Even in the romance such a sweet tone in places, it's not real. Although by “personal growth”, many people mean changing a person's behavior in a direction they like. For me, “growth” lies in the liberation from masks, theatricality, in the way Astarion squares his shoulders, holds his head proudly, in the fact that he behaves the way he wants to behave, without adjusting to anyone, without the need to manipulate. Personal growth is the ability to wear the right masks?
I'm not asttached to him or other companions like some people here seem to be, but I like all Origin companions and Jaheira and Minsc. The only companion, I actively don't like, is Halsin, since he doesn't have any content outside of romance in act 3.
Oh, for me, another reason to evil playthrough is not seeing more of Jaheira and Minsc... Jaheira, in my opinion, is quite different from his original in BG1 and 2, and Minsc has such an over-the-top “ass” that it's starting to feel like he has some sort of fixation on it, in BG2 it was somehow more appropriate and dosed and really amusing. But I can totally understand why old fans are for the sake of seeing them. About Halsin, I totally agree. I've never before had a companion being kidnapped by an enemy cause me to cheer, “Yay, he won't be in my camp for the entire third act!” Unfortunately, they really just made him a companion for the sex content. As a contrast to this, the only murder I've committed in this game for which I feel deep shame, guilt, and regret is Minthara. Then I read about her, read what her fans wrote, and realized that the worst thing for me to do in this game was to take the side of “good” in Act 1 without trying to understand the issue. It won't happen again.
So basically,all companions can and will leave you or attack you, if you decide against their fundamental beliefs without reason ( Wyll and Karlach will just leave you, if you side with the goblins). You can get every companion to leave, if their approval is too low or if you go against something important to them, so that is similar to the first two games. They don't ambush you, that is true, in some cases (Astarion, Lae'zel and maybe Shadow) they will attack you directly in certain scenarios, so I agree, that an ambush situation would be nice. For example Wyll and Karlach teaming up after you side with the goblins, to get the artifact from you, that keeps the party sane.
That's right, that's the only logical option for Will and Karlach in this situation. They're basically leaving to do what? To take the ceremorphosis? The artifact makes the usual departure of companions from the group seem like some kind of suicidal act.
But I don't see the companions as slaves, blindly doing,what you want. There could be even more reactivity, agreed, but there is already a lot in the game and companions can completely change, depending on the route, they go,which is also good. I mean look at us: you like AA, I like spawn Astarion and we both get a character,we like. I call that a plus.
I don't think, to be honest, that personality can change completely at all. It doesn't happen that way. Some incremental changes, new experiences that affect one's perception of the world, yes, but certainly not completely, all within the nature of the personality. Lae'zel both strived to “follow the way of the samurai”, serving some higher purpose, and still does, it's just that in Orpheus' case the purpose becomes more suited to her, whereas Vlaakith would simply exploit that pursuit of hers. Orpheus' purpose, unlike Vlaakith's, includes the well-being of Lae'zel and the entire Githyanki people. Shadowheart is re-building her identity as she travels, she has lost her memory, so she does not change, but aligns her worldview to one path or another. Only in one case she builds her worldview by accepting the tenets of Selune as a basis, and in the other case she accepts the tenets of Char. Gale has in his character both selfish aspirations, and the desire to comprehend all spheres of magic and become a God, and the desire for a quiet peaceful life, but he will remain Gale in any case, just one of these aspirations will be forced to “move”. Astarion doesn't change - in the case of Ascension he regains himself, gets what he wanted back in his previous life (if we take into account the history of the corrupt judge, which was never revealed), in any case he is freed and revealed. Without the ritual - he remains himself inside, but has learned to adjust to the “good world”. This is the same Astarion from Act 1, it's just that in Act 1 he hasn't fully adapted to life after torture, but now he has been encouraged, set an example, and he knows how to behave. Perhaps he's laying low and waiting for a new chance so he won't miss it again if he's lucky. “Don't change” doesn't mean they stay exactly the same, it means they are still them and not some other people with different feelings in their place, of course new experiences and new connections can't help but affect them, just like with normal people in reality.
I want to point out that I love AA not in the sense that I choose that option because I like that behavior, and the other dislike is that I want a “dark romance” and not some other kind of romance. I love Astarion. Wholeheartedly, as a person, as a human being. And Astarion is already choosing his own Ascension.
