So you just want UA? This is one point that makes them different. Let them be different. You have the hug in act 2 before Astarions story can take its different paths. The paths are different for a reason. If you want to hug AA, use the hug mod but leave the canon as it is. As has been said before, a hug is crucial for Astarions romance pre-ritual, and pre-ritual Astarion is much more similar to UA than AA.
I want to hug Astarion - my beloved, that's what I want. He doesn't have a UA twin that magically separates from him. He is Astarion. If two twins and two different people exist in your headcanon, you have every right to your interpretation of the game's plot and can choose between these “twins” based on your preferences at the moment, just as you can decide for yourself which of these newborn twins resembles their “pre-ritual” ancestor. I want to hug Astarion both before and after he goes through the Ascension ritual. It's pretty ridiculous to consider that I can't approach my beloved person for some “reason” in order to hug him. Such reasons do not exist in nature. Of course there are limitations in a game, the player does not have the ability to act as they would in reality, the player's options are limited to what the developer provides them. Therefore, players can ask the developers to add more options to the game for them. The paths are different in that in one case Astarion is an Ascended Vampire and in the other a spawn, what does the ability to embrace him have to do with it? UA players have their hug in the epilogue and they like it judging by their comments, that's great, AA players (yes, there are two different fandoms, but not two different Astarions) have nothing in the epilogue. Only the possibility of taking control of Brain to kiss Astarion, but then, alas, no party.
Ascended Astarion is the only LI in the game who cannot even be touched in any way in the epilogue. So, dear Larian, I really ask you to give our fandom the same opportunity to kiss or hug our LI that other players have. UA players have hugs with LI, give us that opportunity as well. Modified Act 2 hugs would be ideal, as these hugs are beautiful and very much want to do them again.
Originally Posted by BlueScaliesxx98
As much as I love hugs and love the hug mod, disagree on it being canon in the game without the mod. For AA for obvious reasons but even for spawn. The hug in act 2 is most likely the only time he felt comfortable sharing this side of him „publicly“ in front of the other companions, since it’s not a secluded scene like the graveyard, I assume they all see it maybe. It’s clear that a hug is very intimate for him so I don’t think it fits with him publicly displaying it. I wouldn’t mind it, for spawn (!), but it wouldn’t be on my personal wishlist.
Okay, if Astarion in act 2, let's say, wouldn't want to hug in public, it would be possible to add that option in case the player goes alone with Astarion with no other companions, then it wouldn't be public. I'm happy to leave everyone else in the camp so they don't embarrass him, it's not hard for me to do at all. After Ascension, Astarion doesn't really care about the other companions' opinions, if kissing me publicly on my knees doesn't embarrass him in any way, then he probably won't be embarrassed by my embrace afterwards either. A great option - in the second act make it necessary to leave other companions in the camp for the sake of hugs (by the way, Astarion can kiss in public for some reason, then, perhaps, it makes sense to go with him only two for the sake of all romantic interactions), and after he Ascended and became more confident, hug and kiss him in all squares of the city.
