I thought harder on everything stated and I am against adding a gentle option as a solution after all. It wouldn't match AA's characterization, in my opinion. If I'm honest, I was just trying to insert my own hopeless romantic-ness into the route. I got really happy imagining it and got too carried away. I'm not the only one playing the game. AA is more dominating, UA is more gentle. I accept and appreciate that. The differences are what make them so interesting and unique. I can play UA when I am in the mood for something sweet, and AA when I am in the correct headspace for a dark romance. It wouldn't be fun for a lot of people if they became similar. And it would remove reasons for players to replay the game and try out different choices. And as a fan of both routes, I am absolutely against adding any new kisses to AA while UA already has fewer. It wouldn't be fair.
Why do you call your romantic-ness hopeless? Especially if it makes you happy? So do a lot of people who love AA. For many AA fans the animations were unacceptable, people wrote about it, there were a fair number of fans in the polls too who voted to change the animations itself. It's just that after the mod (
"Nightingale's Lord Astarion - Ascended Astarion Alternative Romance") came out, most people downloaded it and started playing with it (at least PC players), well obviously seeing that in patch 7 the animations stayed the same, they just kept playing with the mod and didn't get involved in what was going on in the game. Adding a romantic kiss doesn't change Astarion's character in any way. Think to yourself, is there a single line, a single moment in the game where you could tell Astarion that you don't like being dominated like that and you want a gentle kiss? There isn't. Astarion is simply by plot certain that this is how Tav likes it (we can't argue in any way with “Tav likes to degrade themselves” either). That's why happy faces are relevant to this story, in the story Tav is the one who enjoys it. Not romantic-ness is hopeless, the story is unfinished. There is a distinct lack of a roleplay element, and this is an RPG after all. There is a choice on the night of the conversion - “gentle” and “let it hurt”, but it has no effect on the plot later on. Those who prefer to see Astarion as a dominant first and foremost usually choose “let it hurt”, but all AA fans, regardless of preference for D/s or classic romance, have talked about the need for choice, realizing that such animations don't suit everyone. In patch 5, Astarion felt fine kissing the way he did. And everyone was interested. Especially since it's possible to add kissing both ways, there's nothing stopping them from doing it. But of course, as you wish, you can support the point of view you like.
For the most part it’s not the animations themselves triggering people but the disconnect between the animation and a smiling Tav, just like you had a disconnect when Tav wasn’t smiling at the same animations. That’s why they were triggered. You don’t know what will trigger people. What if a gentle kiss will trigger people as well? It’s not about this anymore.
To be honest, I was heartbroken by the entire 6th patch, and the animations too. I, like many people, was shocked that such a thing could happen in an RPG game. Thanks to the forum and those forum members who explained about D/s, I studied the theoretical base on this issue, figured out what to what, accepted and I liked it. Of course, with the mimicry of the 7 patch. I understand, as a fact, that there are people who enjoy playing the victim, though I could never “try it on” and accept having such a role imposed on me. And the triggers in these animations could be:
*** WARNING: sensitive content (may contain a discussion of violence, abuse, SA related to a BG3 scene) this content might not be suitable for all audiences. Trigger warning***
A hand on the throat, which is associated with strangulation in SA/DA victims. Coupled with fear facial expressions, this was a major trigger for PTSD. Perhaps that's why Tav now has such a bright smile in that spot - to remove any possible associations with violence. I've talked to people who suffered from patch 6 kissing, I participated in the thread
Patch 6 Destroyed Player Agency with Astarion almost from its beginning until patch 7, there's been a lot written about triggers there, and here:
Astarion romance improvements. And here:
The romance with Astarion pulls you over to the "dark side". I realize that you don't have time to read the Patch 6 thread, it's quite large, and right now I also have limited time and won't have time to scroll through it all to find specific and most understandable posts about triggers that trigger including animations, but if you're interested I can do it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. The pushing away after the bite (when Tav tries to kiss Astarion) is an emotional trigger, it's associated with rejection and contempt, yes, for D/s it's not, the dominant doesn't despise the submissive, he enjoys that interaction. I was able to rethink that and get rid of that trigger, someone else wasn't. And anyway, does a player have to necessarily rethink and accept something because they bought the game? Or maybe this is an RPG after all and there should be options? In terms of rules regarding rating and triggered content, Larian is fine right now. They don't have to add anything. Unless it's purely human, to show consideration for players' feelings, but that's it.
The reasons why adding gentle kisses similar to UA would worsen the narrative are valid and serious. I will not go into it further though, because you will not see sense in anything I say even though it is valid. It will only open another can of worms and the conversation will derail into something completely else.
If something is valid, then it must have some justification, right? What constitutes a valid justification? As a general rule, in any debate at all, a valid argument can be considered to be something that cannot or is extremely difficult to refute. A fact base. Proof base. I can't help but see the point of an evidentiary basis simply physically, you can only argue with facts if you can prove something that isn't actually a fact. I am a proponent of logical analysis, if I see ironclad logic, I cannot and will never argue that it is not logical. But of course, if you don't want a debate, then let's leave the subject. I would be interested though.
