I have problems with the Astarion romance too. Spawn and ascended endings both. It’s the first I did and I still love the character. But Anska wrote a few things that I tend to agree with. And personally, I don’t feel like it’s a relationship I’m actually welcome in. The way the character is, but also the way it’s handled. My character is there for it, I’m there for it, and I just feel like a passive prop and it goes nowhere near where I would actually find it interesting to go. And I wouldn’t mind the looming threat of loss of agency and such with ascended Astarion, but even if it’s there in the story, I don’t feel like it’s focused on in a satisfying way. It was much better when I tried Lae’Zel and Halsin (no matter that one’s other potential problems).
Yes, I have the same feeling. I wonder if it's - at least in part - due to how the player character in Astarion's romance is written. Very often the PC seems to do nothing more than giving Astarion cues to start a monologue about. The occasion when his dialogue has the back and forth of a conversation are rare. I get the strongest feeling of being in a conversation from some of the early camp scenes (The stars are beautiful, who tastes like what, the mirror and looking at the scars) and the long branch about whether or not it was a good idea to release the other spawn after the ritual.
I also do still love the character, but I do much prefer him as my Origin than as my romance.
