Maybe what I'm going to say is biased because of personal preferences, and maybe I should refresh my memory more before. But, first of all, for a character with such a backstory and themes of sexual objectification in it, I really think it would have been interesting to be able to connect with Astarion and maybe enter a romance without having to take his offer of sex. I think it could have worked, maybe better in some regard. But there, I was able to make one comment on the fact that he doesn't have to offer such things the first time, and then nothing. The option doesn't seem to go far, and then it's like you have to be tone deaf and/or lusty, stupid even, because he can be quite obvious when buttering the character up. So, my character and I are in a convenient narrower mindset. But, since caring for him seems to have an effect on him, I don't really understand why it's not built on in that first act moment. I would see it make sense for just friendship too.
Then yes, the conversation bits also seem to me like they have that imbalance. Like my character and I are here for him to do his own exposition. In a way, I can understand why some people can feel that the player character is too moralistic with him. In that, even though I like challenging in a broader and more than just us manner, still I feel like there's also a form of more intimate challenge and reassurance that is missing sometimes. Like there are some limitations in places. Sometimes it's like he raves about how wonderful my character is, and still it feels to me like it has been limited in my role play. Like the relationship is sometimes defined in a sort of arbitrary way. But I'll admit, maybe it's me who was lacking in the understanding and the use of the dialogues at my disposal.
Then, there's the specific thing when branched to ascended Astarion. And, again, convenient narrower mindset when talking to him during long rest after the ritual. I might have wanted to become a vampire, and I'll take spawn without having the talk then and there. Or I want his body, which is strange to me, because if my character is objectifying him so much then I probably encountered the break up of act two they are showing in the presentation (or maybe my character is brighter than me, and they think that he's all good after ritual). Or I lecture him, or don't enjoy the pet names anymore, when my character has helped and might be worse than him, even trying to manipulate him, or wanting to fool themselves. I don't know, to me it's just a little part of it, and it gives me the impression that I'm contorting and trying to make do in a story that is very much not mine (in a weird way, some could say it's fitting at that juncture). And still, I feel like it could go somewhere, tell good things when the roles are starting to be reversed. But no, it's like it doesn't want to chose a lane, stays ambiguous in a way I don't personally find serving, and I just find it meh. And it's too much of a hassle to save what I do enjoy.
Which now kind of makes me unable to go for it again, no matter the branching out. I don't know if it was intended that way, but I find that, for me at least, they succeeded in making me think about objectification and coercion in relation to the companions. Even if it's not always well executed. It's even more true for the ones that can be romanced. And I don't know if it was intended, but right now, to me, it's like maybe it's better not to go the romance route with him ?
