Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback I dream of smiling at my beloved (a request for a happy face for Tav in Ascended Astarion's kisses).

@Silver/

I'd like to add that I've done a bit of research on this topic, and I understand that some people like non-con themes and that this may indeed be an innovation in video games (as a fan of classic RPGs, however, I understand very little about it, and I've only recently read about it, so my judgments on this matter may be unfounded due to my poor knowledge of the material). I think that if there is a demand from the audience, there will probably be more games of this genre in the future, except that I personally wish that authors would mention it in their promotional materials right away to attract their audience and not dumbfound others. I don't see AA scenes as a violation of BDSM etiquette (but then again, a person more knowledgeable on the subject than me could probably speak more intelligently on the subject) because:

1. There is no discussion of this issue. Astarion is sure that Tav wants this. We have no roleplay in which we can ask Astarion why kneeling is necessary, no way to say "My heart, I love you more than life, and more than anything I want to be together with you forever, but why do you think I'm degrading myself by staying with you, no...", no way to open our mind or anything else along those lines. We agree that "we like to degrade ourselves" in the scenario, that's where we sign the consent to D/s in the game. Ascended Astarion is positioned by Larian as a partner for D/s, it is. There's no problem with that for me now, the main thing is that it's agreed upon. On non-con dead dove I will never agree, I respect people who like the genre, but you can't introduce it into the game without warning, and even as the only playthrough option for those who love the character and don't accept the Spawn option. For myself I see D/s as an option for a kind of therapy for Astarion, I've read that people who have experienced severe trauma feel better and feel safer by being in control and being in the role of a dominant partner. I believe my Tav has enough wisdom to realize this, I am "not weak" as they say, I have no trauma, and I can take care of my loved one in this way. It's reasonable.

2. There is no full BDSM in the game, there is no S/M element (sadomasochism, infliction of physical pain), there is only D/s element (dominance-submission). The slap is imitation, a little vampiric "biting" - well my god, Astarion bites regularly, that's nothing at all. So it's safe.

For all those who do not like the non-discussed D\s there is a very good mod:Nightingale's Lord Astarion - Ascended Astarion Alternative Romance . I'm playing with it right now, I really like it. I don't think Astarion needs the D/s lifestyle directly, he cares more about feeling confident that Tav will never leave him or betray him. And all of his lines speak to that. In my Roleplay, I treat him the same way I always have. If Astarion even to the Tav who doesn't love him and "wants freedom" in the finale says that he wants them to live the very best life, then, in my case, he's certainly not going to be upset by a normal romantic kiss or normal communication outside the bedroom.

Astarion has nothing wrong with "etiquette" either, he doesn't do anything wrong. The first time I went through it, I really expected (without any joy about it, though) that there would be this "a" relationship, which can't be mentioned without a spoiler, because I read all sorts of things. I thought I would go through it quickly, bring it to the finale, and then express my anger about it. But that didn't happen. Real, deep, true love happened. This "toxic" reading probably only works if Tav draws a "monster" in their head, chooses the appropriate lines, Astarion feels pain, expresses it through anger, and a vicious cycle of "toxic relationships" ensues. This story is unconvincing, except for those who care about the possibility of a breakup or who are afraid of the usual voice raising, but to me it's completely unconvincing. I don't think it's worth comparing it to RL, there are a lot more lines in RL and a lot more options too, it's a game after all, a game can't be compared to RL. I might as well say that in RL I'm not inclined to run from anyone at all, I'm perfectly capable of standing up for myself and my lover, and that in RL, if someone called my lover by the letter "a", they might be surprised to find that they've chosen the wrong victim.

I was very interested in your comment that you posted before the thread was temporarily closed:


I wonder why the official "good" version was not made really, actually good? Because the "good way" that was chosen as a result reminds me personally more of the Stanley Milgram experiment. But this is a subjective opinion, in general, there is a kind of realism in it, that not everything is good that is called good, so, in general, I liked it, the game in many ways changed my views, gave me new experience and broadened my horizons. The main thing is that the path that Astarion is really good at is a happy one after all. I think AA romance players deserve that.


+1000!!!


Reddit is a public space, and it's a post, not a personal account, no personal details there. When I publish my posts in a public space, they can be referenced by anyone, rated any way they want, and posted if they so choose, anywhere they want. This is the public internet. I'm not calling for any "bullying" of anyone, on the contrary, if someone likes the point of view of the post cited, they are welcome to join in. All I'm saying is that those who like happy faces in their game can thank Larian for it.

Agreeing expressions and smiling faces can only be a positive trigger, which stimulates an agreed-upon romantic narrative in the player's perception. A person can be negatively triggered by scenes of pain, and there appropriate facial expressions, but not by scenes of agreement and smiling. No one smiles in a situation that can trigger PTSD. You can read more about this - there are quite a few books or articles on the subject on the internet.