Not sure if this is off topic but I have to say Astarion is my favourite party member.
I’ve played the game multiple times and it wasn’t until I tried a play through without him that I realized just how much I like him.
In EA I couldn’t stand him (not a fan of vampires in any format and he seemed unpleasant) Upon release I included him often because a rogue is so damn useful. When I MC’d him with Gloomstalker Ranger he went again in my estimation because he is so damn lethal.
All that aside though what I have come to like best is his personality and story arc combined with the excellent VA.
One of my friends, who admitted how he was "annoyed" by the vampire theme in his time (perhaps because of the constant use of this theme in cinema, literature, gothic-rock subculture, etc.), recognized Astarion as the most interesting and unusual male character in the game as a result (also without a romance, he had a romance with Minthara). Perhaps it's because, Stephen Rooney took such an approach to creating this character - Astarion is a lively and unique individual, with a heartbreaking storyline, terrific humor, and scintillating lines. Stephen talked in an interview about how he didn't want to show a "classic vampire" because no one would be interested.
Now if they could just change the dock scene to something more dignified. What didn’t bother me in the past now annoys me …that’s my bud getting burned…not funny.
Well, you can probably imagine approximately what a player, for whom Astarion is the most beloved and main character in the game, might think about it. I'm very grateful to the "Fixing Astarion's good ending" thread, I wasn't yet a forum member when I stumbled across it looking for information on what happens next and if there's a way out of all this. OP of that thread described this ending in detail, I watched the video, in fact this author saved me from going all the way to the end, saving me from having to experience everything.
But this scene doesn't change the essence of things, it just emphasizes the attitude of the world to the "evil character". If you compare it to other games where you can do a companion quest partially, i.e. not completely fail it, but do it poorly, and get a rather bad but not fatal result as a result, this is it. The result of a poorly executed companion quest, this is how it looks like.
I tried another romance once, it doesn't work for 2 minutes and I'd better go to Astarion again. smile The game then feels empty to me.
Same here. Lol... I really tried romancing Gale the first time, I made this big effort... but then Astarion unexpectedly stole the show for me, despite myself.^^; I was not expecting to end up loving his character so much. It took a while but he grew on me, and now he's absolutely my favorite. Even though I've done the romance already, it would feel sad and empty to romance a different person. Maybe because you do get so attached in a way. Plus, I ship him with my DUrge.^^ And I'll probably keep using her again in the next playthroughs.
Yeah, that's right. A romance with another character, and Astarion will be around, you'll be able to see him, but... And he'll be unloved and lonely. I understand that it can be interesting to roleplay different characters and characters with different attachments. But I can't handle that kind of drama, I'd rather roleplay different characters in a romance with Astarion.:) I too didn't expect him to settle so deeply and thoroughly inside my heart when I first saw him. As you said so well, "Astarion unexpectedly stole the show for me". Same thing. And real unexpectedly - I myself didn't notice the moment I started to center my attention on him. During the bite, as he himself pointed out, when he asked me a date? Even earlier? I can't figure out the mystery of his attraction, it's some kind of magic.
They're going to change what the companions say when he starts burning so they're more sympathetic. Also the narrator will end the event on a more ...positive? note, saying he will "find comfort in the darkness". To me it's a band-aid fix and doesn't fix the real issue with the scene, that it's rushing through the event like nothing.
"Find comfort in the darkness" is a positive note? Ok, I probably don't understand drama and tragedy, to me "positive note" = all is well, and "comfort in the darkness" is something along the lines of, ok, let it be in books and movies, with someone else, maybe it's dramatic, sad and heartfelt, but with my loved one - never. The good thing about AA's finale is that it's truly joyful and positive and there's no need to edit anything in it, even if you add some judgmental or scolding lines from the companions, it can't drop the positivity.
I have to say, now that I had accepted it as part of his characterisation, I found it incredibly funny that while Astarion cries if Gale dies, Gale didn't care about Astarion. Granted I still found his docks line incredibly, goofily out there (esp after Swen said they wanted us to get the impression that after the adventure the companions would go through fire for each other) but the idea Astarion's everyone's annoying acquaintance that they have to bring along was amusing.
Minsc being the most supportive in the old lines and then epilogue Astarion not telling him when he changes "lairs" so he can't find him... how ungrateful! Hamster man is bringing you sunflowers!
Jaheira's new line is very good, though. She says something like "rest now Astarion, but don't think that the city's done with you just yet". That's the kind of line I'd like seeing. Gives you a taste of future adventures.
But it's great for creating the desire for an evil playthrough, without any emotional distress (as I used to have in games, when I tried to play as "evil" for the sake of interest, but couldn't handle it and failed the roleplay). Other companions also start to be seen as just casual acquaintances with whom I was brought together only by tadpoles, and this attitude works well with, for example, the evil DU roleplay. I'll be using this ending as a video to set up for some quality evil roleplay, which is fine too! It's pretty trivial to hang around within the confines of CG - CN alignment all the time, so I'm honestly grateful to this story, which I never got through (but I know it's there :)) for pushing the boundaries of perception and roleplay.
I think Jaheira sounds like a threat, and Minsc is either mocking or just a clinical idiot (the latter, he hardly has enough intelligence to mock), but that's subjective, I just don't like those two at all. If I were Astarion, I would change my "lair" too, of course - it's already hard enough for Astarion, and if Minsc finds him, with his sunflowers... Nothing special, of course, just kidding.
Oh yes ... "What did I say, Mistress. Bhaal won't be happy. I told you what a fine partner Gortash could be at your side. With him we would certainly have a whole horde of bloodthirsty Bhaalspawns. But no, you wanted this strange guy. Why did it have to be THAT guy... ugh. Give me the order and I'll IMMEDIATELY find at least 10 partners for you, all of whom are better than THAT."
If I were Astarion, I would be wary of the idea of ??turning into a tiny bat when Sceleritas is around. It also goes the other way around and you find Astarion sitting in a cage in the attic. ^^
"Oh, has your vile servant seen your unworthy husband? He probably ran away because he hasn't sired any spawns for Bhaal yet. Shall I find you a new whorty lover? Sceleritas will do that for you immediately, even before you make the wish have spoken at the end, my lovely master."
Ah, why is it that when Astarion annoys Sceleritas, I laugh, and when Sceleritas annoys Astarion, it makes me want to nail him, LOL. That's just so damn unfair!
lol Darling ... imagine:
You sit at the table like a family and eat together, you as the Dark Urge have a large piece of roasted dwarf... just dwarf... vegetables... ugh. Astarion spoons a plate full of blood like a nobleman and Sceleritas has a large bowl full of bugs. You sit there with your happiest Dark Urge smile, no one says a word...
Astarion and Sceleritas both look like this, so you know for sure that they've been chasing each other through the palace for the last few hours.
Hehe, that's cute! A plate full of blood like soup?
