Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Fix all the romance bugs and make romance content equitable for all companions

That's it, that's the title is the suggestion. Fix all the romances (the bugs that are still present for many companions) and make content equitable for all companions and their branching paths.

Looking at all the threads here and elsewhere, a lot of conversations are dominated by discussions surrounding romances. Like it or not, it's a very important feature to a great number of players. I would also go out on a limb and say that Larian has created a scarcity mindset (which leads to frustration and fighting) amongst their players regarding content due to a) characters having inequitable levels of content b) content characters do have being bugged c) Larian leaving the game which means there are limited time/resources available to fix things d) content being rolled out for characters not simultaneously or equally. One character gets a kiss here, a scene there, then nothing the next update rather than just fixing all existing content for all companions and adding equitable levels of content for every companion and every companion path (meaning their evil path/good path).

There are so many animations and voiced lines available that could be repurposed and tweaked to in order to make this achievable without recording new voice lines or creating brand new animations. Equaling out content is not an unachievable task and does not necessarily require brand new cinematics. Modders are already doing this/fixing bugs but people shouldn't have to rely on mods for bugs to be fixed or content to be equal, and many console/Mac players will never be able to access most romance mods anyway due to needing script extender.

And since you are now "supporting" mods, it would also go a long way in the requests people make regarding mods and open the door for creativity/ingenuity beyond romances or just further creativity for the romance mods themselves. That principal applies to requests made to Larian as well, in that equitable content for companions would probably yield less requests, or would at least allow the company to feel more confident in saying they have done all they need to and move forward. If romance content was equal, I certainly would not be making this thread. There are a great number of things I want fixed beyond kisses but I fully acknowledge that the romances need some help overall.

While I know that some would not be satisfied even after content is made equitable, there are legit bugs that need to be fixed and content that is voiced already and in the files (just not playing due having the impossible flag) that could be fixed and would go a long way in equaling out content. Please consider this, and in general in future updates please add content equally (even non-romanced content tbh but that could be a separate thread, same principal applies).

*Editing to add that clear communication would also help here as well. Everything is a surprise with Larian and I don't always think that's helpful. Let people know what the end of the game development will look like. Can they expect any updates to romances at all or is this is (again this applies to other parts of the game as well)? Then people can at least have clear expectations and move on.

If this thread becomes contentious for whatever reason, please mods feel free to delete/lock. This is just a suggestion I hope Larian very seriously considers. Take care out there everyone.

If only such an ever-fleeting dream would come to life, would love nothing more.

As someone who is still unable to properly experience Minthara's character a year after release because most of her content is completely missing and the half that is present isn't fully working; I'm more fascinated observing the community being so passionate and active about their own love interests and romance paths, since Minthara's sidelined fans don't even have a romance so they can't discuss anything about it nor her overall content for that matter. Too busy begging Larian for years instead to take pity just by putting her most basic content into the game. 12 months after release she still doesn't have a relationship dialogue, doesn't have a single greeting variety, becomes a love interest without a romance scene...

For the last 7 months they've been making Update #7; they couldn't find the time to properly fix her unique Dark Urge dialogue, couldn't add a voice line or two to fix some of her bigger inconsistencies, and I don't even want to get into how they discarded her like trash in the new evil endings. It's mostly just minor fixes and improvements... but they sure did find the time to give their most overdeveloped character even more fully voiced new camp interactions with the flowers, Scratch and the Owlbear.

Must be nice to feel that joy of having actual new content. I wouldn't know... I'm still here 2 years later begging Larian to fix Minthara and enable her default basic content as the bare minimum.

Yeah, I find it so out of character for Larian to want to abandon an unfinished game.
It's so not like them. People really trusted they will at least finish what they started. It's not like anyone is asking for a new content, but some romances are totally incredibly bugged still. Larian didn't fix them after 7 months period!
As Astarion fan, I can tell that his epilogues with a mindflayer Tav are bugged so much, they make no sense at all, which, at this point, shouldn't be acceptable.
No one is asking for DLC, but the game can't be abandoned in this bugged and unfinished state.

I think the new interactions Shadowheart got are cute and I have a feeling that they are testing out general camp interactivity with them - and Astarion and Shadowheart were second to last in receiving more camp animations. The only ones who are still stuck without any new things to do at this point are Gale and Wyll.

While I didn't have Minthy with me for the evil ending, I have seen it's similar to Astarion's interaction. I wished they would have been given a larger role in Gale's ending because that should have really been right up both their alleys, but I am very glad to at least have some conclusion to the "lets take over the cult" subplot there.

Yeah, I'm not suggesting anyone get content taken away from them at all (and I'm not suggesting anyone is this thread is saying that, I am just clarifying). But at the very least fixing bugs which includes enabling content that is already there just non-functional should in fact be a priority for them. I will never understand why patch 6 wasn't just the romance patch where they legit fixed everything and added any final things they were going to which should have included additional content for companions that needed it. They could have put romances to bed for the most part and then moved forward on fixing/adding other content before closing out the development cycle on the game. I truly believe had they done that, in equitable way, and done some very light/brief but FOCUSED testing or/and Q&A, the game and the community would be in a much better state. Why things like this are done piecemeal with no further explanation or clarity will always baffle me.

And honestly, there are so many common fan requests that could be easily added instead of things they have added. People want to hug companions, there is a beautiful mod for that so I know it's possible and larian could have implemented it. Players want an equitable number of kisses (or even the ability to have an actual functioning romance branch), they could and SHOULD do that. Players want to sleep next to their companion, they could do that by reusing but tweaking some end game scenes for this purpose. The sleep scenes all have files that could be replaced I suspect rather easily. A mod author will do it eventually but probably only for whatever companion they themselves prefer to romance and then they will be inundated with requests to do it for every companion. They reuse animations for other companions/situations, this isn't a novel concept. Most players aren't asking for the world, small changes and just fixing content would go a long way. I don't expect that the romances will be everything that players want. I do expect that things will mostly work for all companions, and that choosing one romance/path over another doesn't mean having very large content discrepancies between romances. That isn't asking for much at all and it is again baffling for me that Larian seems to not understand this.

And yeah, I assume (rather I hope because who knows with Larian) that camp activity will be improved because for me not only does Shadowheart move around but so does Mizora. She frequently goes to check herself out in the mirror in act 3 in one particular camp now and I hope they are planning on adding things like that for every actual companion because that is the equal and equitable thing to do.

But anyway Larian, please just make things equitable and fix the bugs please and thanks lol.

Oh the interactions are absolutely adorable and Shaddy is so darn cute now, a bit too cute in fact that I can't imagine her as a selfish zealot anymore (unless I turn Scratch into a hotdog)

But in the scope of content inequality, to me at least, it is impossible to be happy when they're showering the most overdeveloped character with even more fully voiced and animated new flavor content, while their most underdeveloped character is missing her most basic default interactions. She did not get a single newsworthy content highlight this update apart from the knockout reaction which was already in the game for months anyway. The rest is just the usual minimum effort tradition of minor bug fixes and enablement of broken dialogue, as new bugs get thrown into her mix. Even the evil ending which was supposed to be the very highlight of her entire character journey treated her like trash.

I wish every companion had fluid camp interactivity like Shaddy does, I wish every companion had such a beautifully overdeveloped love scene like Gale does (god that entire scene from start to finish is so perfectly made I was grinning from so much joy how much passion and effort went into creating it), I wish every character was integrated into the main story as Shaddy and Bae'zel are... because I equally love and 'try to enjoy' all characters. That's what makes these types of games so much fun for me, to be able to explore and enjoy each character equally. But unfortunately that's not the case with BG3 because the content inequality is so severe.

I try to enjoy Minthara... she's broken as hell and missing content, ruins my mood. Halsin at least has a romance and is a very fun character, but not too far from Minthara's state and just like her has no purpose in ACT III. Wyll is not needed outside the camp whatsoever since all his quests are literally solved without him, but I do love romancing him. Karlach I just wish was integrated more into the main story (for example by having more encounters with Zariel's lackeys and I truly wish we could've seen Zariel in the flesh. I will forever be disappointed by her not being included at all).

Yeah, I can't understand how Larian thought it would be okay to present those kisses from Patch 6 as a Valentine Day present to everyone and then they give 4 (FOUR!!!) endgame kisses to Gale alone and completely ignore some other companions in this regard giving them none. What is this favoritism even? Why Shadowheart has equal amount of kisses for her both paths and Astarion's most popular Spawn path has 1 new kiss from a horrible angle, while his much less popular evil route has multiple decent kisses? (+ now he has one more from the new evil endings).
I really don't want to look ungrateful, this is my favorite game of all time and Larian did so much. But this thing with Patch 6 was so strange and bizarre for me, honestly. But I hoped they were going to fix it later, so I didn't complain at all, until they announced they are walking away from this game.

I can't speak for Minthara fans since I still have not recruited her yet, but I can absolutely talk about Wyll Ravengard.

He's the only companion that doesn't have a proper one-on-one romantic cutscene at the tiefling party. (Even though one does exist from EA and could easily be implemented with minor alterations for the rewrite.) His dialogue and greetings are still bugged. He's the only romanceable character that doesn't have a sex scene. I wouldn't mind the last one so much if it weren't for the fact that this game literally lets you have sex with Halsin as a BEAR. Larian, you have to understand how bad that looks.

I agree and empathize with everything you have said crimsom. Well put.

I didn't plan on replying to this thread again or actually at all because I don't desire to rehash stuff or take up a ton of space. But I did just want to come back and support that comment because that is also how I feel.

I don't play this game just for the romances or just for one character. Sure, I have my faves but the point of the game for me and what increases longevity is getting to know all of your companions and fun functioning combat. I know and have accepted that Larian will not put effort into really making any of the stories what they could or should be at this point. But they should at least fix the bugs and make things somewhat equal and not leave that work to mods. Mods should be used for niche things or additions that are outside of the scope of the game, not for fixing the game or filling in content holes. If Larian has no plans to fix these bugs or fill in holes, state that clearly and take accountability for it and move on.

And to add some possible humor here, I am cheap lol! I paid for this game and it was in fact not cheap. I could have eaten a very nice meal for two for the price I paid for myself and my partner when we purchased this to play together lol. That's mostly a joke but at bare minimum, bar is in Avernus, everything should function as it should for the most part. Some bugs are inevitable but at this point, the discrepancies and bugs that further discrepancies are frustrating.

And yes Wyll is a bummer for me (more than a bummer but I won't go into that because I could write an essay lol) and I don't even romance him!!!!!! But he is one of the main six companions, he is on the cover of the game, and yet he is bugged just like Minthara beyond just their romance paths. Fix this, it is unacceptable for many reasons.

And the last thing I will say here is Larian doesn't even see most complaints about this because most people are not posting on forums or reddit. My partner plays the game and started a new game with friends months ago, but they abandoned it because of all of the issues not even related to romance. None of them will ever leave a comment but that does not minimize their frustration. But they will also be hesitant to play future Larian games due to their experience.

Anyway, again, fix the bugs and equality for all please Larian thanks so much lol.

A note about reddit, if I may: honestly, at this point, I have doubts that Larian even pays much attention to Reddit, despite the fact that this is the largest BG3 community on the internet. Reddit was very vocal about wanting to see the most important Durge scene get fixed, it's been a whole year since release, and yet, Larian completely ignored this extremely popular request.

Yeah, like I said in other threads, personally, I want to pay money for this. Please, Larian, just give us an opportunity to donate you more money and just fix the bugs and finish the game properly.
Modders really can only do so much. They can't record new voicelines, and using AI for these purposes is extremely unethical.

I will break my own rule and post one more time, but the last thing is that I understand developers have content/companions that interests them most and that they are passionate about working on. But this is not a game Larian made for their friends, this is a product they released to the masses. And being a small company does not mean that the issues will be excused by most. If you want to laud yourself for diverse and rich storytelling that should also be reflected in the game itself which means making each diverse character path worth exploring. Fans voted for all sorts of awards that are being displayed in the banner on this forum, and those awards go a long way for many in "legitimizing" the game. Do fans the courtesy of fixing bugs and equaling out content before you end the game and be transparent about it.

I think the fairness is probably hard to get too because not all of the companions do have the same elements present in their stories. Just talking about the main companions: Astarion, Lae'zel and Shadowheart each have locations specifically dedicated to them (God's favourite princess has two), Wyll sort of kind of has one too, even though he has to share; Astarion, Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Karlach have big heroic moments with fancy cinematics to celebrate the end of their quest dedicated to them; Astarion, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Karlach and Wyll have boss battles that are tied into their quests, Astarion, Gale and Shadowheart have a lot of little interactions throughout the game; and Gale has insanely good dialogue with tons of variations for the other Origins and classes - I list that as a point because I think he is the most fine-tuned of all the characters. They seem to have written variations of how his new friends compare to Tara for each of the Origins for example, and each of them has a special line for how they might envision harmony - Astarion has two because one of them is canceled out by being a bard.

So yes, Gale's act 2 romance scene is insanely beautiful, both in its writing and in its visualisation and it is so full of nuance and hidden detail, that I am in awe of it every time. Did you spot Tara's pet bowls in the Waterdeep portion, Crimsom? It does fulfil the double function of being his big cinematic as well as his big romance scene though. (It's like the ritual, abandoning the ritual, graveyard scene and last-night-alive in one.)

This is just to make a point that the direct comparison is maybe a little hard to make. That aside, I of course agree that some of the companions, desperately need some fixes. I am very sad that Minthy currently thinks we are in act 2, when Elminster asks Avatar-Gale to come to the Tabernacle, so I don't get her awesome pep talk. I know that's not related to romance but it friendship is important too, yes?

I am for real going away lol, but saw the above comment and so I will just say: Yup, equitable is what I am suggesting which would be leveling out content in ways that still fit within whatever the storyline is. There are places where is could just be equal (number of kisses) and places where an equitable lens would need to be taken in order to make the content feel equal for all.

And also yup, I really would like friendships expanded but wanted to focus on romance since it dominates the discussions. But yes, if it were up to me friendship would be handled equally as important as romance in any RPG not just this game. Maybe I want to romance no one, does that mean my relationships are less rich? This game sure leaves that up for interpretation. Listen to any professional DM talk about DND and they will mostly say that relationships are at the core of the adventure. I truly feel Larian somewhat missed the mark here and I hope they learn from that in their next product.

Again though, fix the content and make it equitable and equal for all thanks so much

I agree with you OP! Make everything equal.

This is absolutely true and fair. Thank you very much OP for your suggestion, romantic content, fair for all companions, bringing happiness and joy to all players, with every possible LI and in all their paths, good and evil - this would have been a worthy ending to the game and would have brought joy to all players! Even on the trivial example of the epilogue - every LI should have hugs and kisses, this should have been done in the first place, adding a party at the end of the game. Friendly hugs could have been implemented later, it's not that important, and even frustrating for the player when you can hug friendly companions but can't touch your beloved in any way. If one person has a kiss, then everyone should have one - it would be fair.


+100

Content that is already voiced and contained in the game files would just be sad not to add. It wouldn't require a lot of resources, it's already created, just need to make it work in the game itself. Perhaps this could be done with a hotfix. Really wish the already existing great voiced lines were not wasted.

I don't care.

Another big agree here. There’s another game I play where the frustration is very similar: most of the attention went to the most popular LIs and the less popular ones got stiffed. That’s what seems to be happening here as well.

I’m not saying that I’m not happy that Astarion and SH fans got what they wanted— that’s great! But I don’t like that the other companions don’t necessarily get the same attention, specifically, Wyll, Halsin, and Minthara.

If you’re going to have a certain number of companions, I’d rather have fewer with equal, well rounded, quality content than many where there’s an obvious disparity.

Support.

Most Astarion fans didn't get what they want, because 80% of Astarion's fans are Spawn fans, and they were neglected compared to others.
So it's really a myth that Astarion gets everything, while others get nothing.
So far, Larian really only paid attention to the fans of Ascended Astarion. While Shadowheart got equal amount of attention to her both routes.

But I totally agree about Wyll, Halsin and Minthara.

Rote90, that's sounding too much like inciting conversation around community drama and infighting, which is against forum rules, and I'm sure most of us would appreciate avoiding provoking more discussion about Ascended Astarion romance even in threads that aren't specifically about that. (And yes, I know you were saying that it gets too much attention already, but in a provocative way that seems to take a dig at other fans that is likely to incite an equal and opposite reaction.)

Taking off my moderator hat and on the topic of the thread, I'm in favour of fixing bugs in general including in the romances. I am more interested, though, in whether the romances make good subplots to our characters' stories than whether they are equal. Possibly having them all have a similar amount of content would help them be equally satisfying options, but I'm not entirely sure it's necessary and don't think it's sufficient. I personally am more interested in hearing what specific changes people think would improve each romance - though we've had a fair bit of that on these forums already, and don't expect any new romance content to be added at this stage anyway. Not that I have any problem with discussions that I don't expect to result in changes!