This meme pic:

Originally Posted by Ametris
I think it's time for another meme pic feedback related to patch 6 butchery of Astarion. This is the story of what I imagine happened that led to these "fantastic" changes.

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]
[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Love was truly in the air in that Larian office uWu.
^I read through some older posts and this meme post by @Ametris is just too good not to re-share! shadowheartgiggle
It's so accurate and really made me laugh! But this is honestly what this whole situation feels like. It seems like AA was retconned because we were enjoying this romance too much and didn't care enough about the consequences (7k souls of random NPCs).


Originally Posted by Natasy
Why leave positive, happy lines in the game if *every kiss* is fearful? It's so inconsistent.

If you've made a dialogue path to build a story of being happy with Astarion, one that has existed since the start of the game, trying to negate that suddenly, half a year after release, by forcing the character to not enjoy something the player does and already has for more than a few playthroughs is so beyond silly, it's horrible writing.

Honestly, end of the day, Larian has failed to make me feel bad for ascending. All they have done is irritate me as the devs (not at the character) and wish to not buy anything from them. His spawn route is not happy to me. It is depressing to me. He seems unhappy and disingenuous, and trapped in fawn response to me.

If your goal is to make AA a no no lesson for adults, maybe try to making spawn actually *feel* like his happy ending. Don't lock his "I love you" confession behind agreeing to have sex with him. Give him lines that make him sound happy to see the PC. That make him sound sure of his feelings for them. And like he actually enjoys them. Not just like his "fate is sealed".

Don't just sour the grapes of another writer with bad expressions on the PC half a year after release. AA is going to draw dark romance enjoyers. No matter how one writer or another may *feel* about the players for that. It's not the writers job to judge their audience.

You're not going to make AA unattractive to people who already enjoy him. You're just going to make your own audience dislike you as the creator for trying. And not buy things from you in the future for judging them so harshly.

Controlling what a player likes in a RP game isn't possible. This isn't a static fiction novel or a movie. This is a story built on the players personal preferences. Acknowledge their view point. That is what makes satisfying RPG writing. Making the players feel seem by integration into the game.

^I agree. If they're trying to make him out to be this abusive and hateful partner now, well they'll have to throw the whole character away. There are too many other things already established in the game that tell a different narrative and conflict what they're depicting in those kisses. The fact that they did this 7+ months after release makes it that much worse.

Although I'm very grateful for the amazing modders and all the work they've done to make it more bearable, I still worry for new players who aren't yet aware of those kisses and will blindly click for a kiss with him, expecting something sensual and enjoyable but getting hit with those victim-Tav/DUrge scenes. I want the devs to do something to avoid that happening so that more people don't get triggered. New players may even click for a kiss right after the ritual and before the Turning scene, which would be even more jarring and awful.
Edit: I'm imagining having to see the kneeling kiss before you even got the chance to see the kneeling scene during the night when he turns you. :'(

Last edited by Celesti4; 10/06/24 04:10 AM.