Larian Critical - Tumblr Posts
Agree. Or it's on purpose. Or it's clumsy fanservice. Punish and show the dynamics of victimhood and heartless abuse with a single evil man. No one thought about the dynamics of the ally, well, yes.
Why is it even possible to do romance with Astarion then? Therefore he is not c-h for so many reasons. He is an evil character, for the path of evil, he likes to kill just for fun...
I'm not asking for this novel to be "health and equality", I never have been, I'm asking for a complex not b&w, dynamic with care and possessiveness and love.
If “evil” didn’t love, we wouldn’t have romance with Astarion and Minthara at all.
Im not updating my game Thank you @darkurgediaries for recording all the kisses. Reasons below the cut for my decision: Don't open if you don't want to hear my opinions its fine, you guys can scroll past it no problem.
Ill be honest I hate ascended Astarions kisses besides the 3rd one. the 3rd is the ONLY one I like out of them. I do like the lip bite in the one kiss but I have issues with the kisses overall.
Im not going to get too into it bc I just went on a huge discord rant in dms to some friends about it and sent feedback to larian about it. If you like it, thats great for everyone else but I'm going to stay here on patch 5 until either modders change it or larian themselves do because im tired of feeling shoehorned into good paths if I dont want to feel punished as a player.
And thats how I feel. I feel like with the bhaalist durge ending and now with ascended Astarions kisses that the players are being punished. Thats my personal feelings on the matter and it leave a bitter taste in my mouth and just makes me so goddamned disappointed and let down. On the knees: My issue with this one is his cold facial expressions + tav / durges scared ones + the fact this is not appropriate in many settings especially in public. The expressions make this look ABUSIVE not consensual. It appears cold hearted and distant.
Lip bite kiss: I like the lip bite, its nice. However the way he shoves her face away lowkey looks like hes slapping her. Again it makes it appear abusive and cold hearted.
Karlach's old kiss turned a A!A kiss: This one I actually like but I would like if it was tied to if you chose him to be rough or gentle when being turned and this be an option for if you chose rough.
The reason all of this bothers me: To me it feels out of character The game always emphasized choices. Even on ascended path you could choose what you both would do. hes never been portrayed as abusive. Manipulative and toxic yes. But not abusive. He does love you but these animations do not show it.
In the ending if you manage to get to the end without long resting he LETS YOU GO. he doesn't force you to stay if you break up with him he respects your decision. Likewise he wont force you to become his spawn and is willing to wait until YOU are ready. This shows he respects choice and autonomy
During the scene when he turns you, you can CHOOSE for him to be gentle or rough and he'll comply. AGAIN respects choice and autonomy. These kisses do NOT feel like its respecting your autonomy in any way shape or form with the expressions and rough actions. It doesn't feel consensual because of the expressions and how forceful it is. And im someone whos kinky af and I DO like dominant men but this does not feel like a dom / sub, this does not feel like we're his consort. It doesn't even feel like we're a pet like some people like to justify it as.
These kisses feel like our choices didn't matter. Like it didn't matter what our character wanted or what we as players wanted. Because if we chose for him to be gentle, now hes being rough and our characters DO NOT look like they are consenting.
How do I suggest Larian fixes it?
I get theres people who WILL like these kisses, and im not shaming you or saying its wrong if you do. My suggestions are as follow
Fix the expressions so tav / durge looks more into it and give Astarion a more passionate / loving expression thats less cold
Make the face push less forceful or change the expressions
Make it so your choices on what im dubbing "bite night" matters, if you choose for him to be gentle have kisses different to these ones that are still dominant still possessive but more romantic, passionate and a bit gentler. Think the butt grab kiss something on that line of forcefulness. no grabbing the neck, no pushing the face, no forcing you on your knees if you chose gentle.
likewise if you chose rough have THESE animations, the ones im talking about in this post as the animations for that choice.
Everyone would be kept happy without sacrificing their "Vision" for the game or without screwing another group of fans over.
Astarion past of corrupt Magistrate
A bud that didn't bear fruit, not one that was cut off.
There was no time to realised in the game that Astarion was a very, very bad, corrupt elf in power. The beginning of the story hasn't been rewritten, the key idea remains - for April 2024.
I have a couple words and sources for it. The latter I found recently, and it has a story of its own. Sources from Larian's internal kitchen is extracted by hacker methods.
Let's start with just that In the fall of 2023, the Larian Discord leaks happened. Leaks of Welch chat, Larian's narrative designer (in the past), and co-writer of some scenes with Astarion. As of April 2024, the narrative designer of the romances. You can read about their unprofessional acts here. For me, it also plays a role that it's not even their character, it was worked on long before them, another author and creator. So that kind of statement who understood what about the character is so... ridiculous.
And the question arises why we should trust the word of a very unprofessional person? That's right. Because: 1. These are not their personal words, interpretations and "I feel like". It says what Larian was planned for Astarion's story, but didn't have time to show. 2. Welch came to work at Larian well after Early Access. This backstory of Astarion was already told before Larian hired Welch.
The other few sources that tell of Astarion's backstory. Their sequence and nuances are also important.
1 - Info from the publication VICE The year is 2020, February 28. First presentation of the Baldur's Gate game by the hands of Swen Vincke. Astarion already Astarion as he is, white hair, fangs, a vampire spawn. (no horns and no tail) I watched it all and dont find that Swen is no information about Astarion's past. I don't think the publication is running a fake. So I'm assuming this is a site exclusive-lure about the key points plot of the game.
„A disgraced nobleman who used his position as a local magistrate to serve a vampire clan by feeding them prisoners, he was eventually too corrupt even for them and was effectively sent to serve as the personal slave of a powerful vampire”
I haven't seen it abandoned. After a while, the artbook confirms corrupt-taste for power-past.
So, a person who has been following the story closely notices that some of the information is incomplete. However, " feeding them prisoners" could very well be a plot twist for new playrs, and it should be left out in the exclusive. All the more reason: • Corrupted elite - used his position of magistrate • Taste for power. Desires, eternal life - for luxury, influence, eternal beauty, more power, vampires. • How vampires came to be? Why do vampires need a magistrate? - prisoners, it's easy to take outcasts for food. They also didn't forget to mention decadence. There is no reason for a person to think that a key moment in history has gone away.
2 - Artbook I found the first mention in winter 2022 (edit if I find it earlier) Baldurs Gate 3 Collectors Edition Pre-order for the physical collection, including artbook $269.99 Next February 2023. It mentioned that BG3 Digital Deluxe Edition will be available to Early Access buyers. With this artbook. That is, the information passed from edition to edition. Weird, giving irrelevant information that will confuse you for free! Yet you have to pay for the physical irrelevant information, 270 bucks. Did Larian give any warning about this? 270 for non-canon. Enjoy the game.
Astarion. Decadent and Dangerous Two hundred years ago, Astarion was a corrupt elite of Baldur’s Gate with a taste for power and a hunger for eternal life.
3 - unprofessional employee revealed the internal workings of the kitchen and what Larian, as an entire company - that's Astarion's author, Stephen Rooney, actors, animators - didn't have time for previously mentioned Astarion backstory. Confirmation of what was already known.
escuisi: I've been thinking about how in act 1 there seems to be a setup for more info on the gur incident/cazador conveniently being there to turn him but then theres no reference to it later on? Like, Astarion's all mysterious about it in a way that clearly implies he did something shitty we would find out later ("they had taken issue with a ruling i had made") but its never expanded.
Baudelaire Welch (larian): lol I did want to more fully explore the 'ACAB * definitely * applies to Astarion' angle but there wasn't really time for it.
The concept of "learning not to be racist" I am a building is shot down, probably by other writers. Not copstarion, that predates Welch. Of course. It would have taken two more acts - just an understanding. Overall it would still look... cheap and strained. The only evil male companion in this game. Astarion is about the darker sides of humanity, balance of fun and darkness. He must be asshole about something. The recent "I'm sure" posts are already more of a personal piece. Doesn't invalidate the information gained, which is verified by past sources.
Headcanon is a fan fiction that never hasn't been mentioned in any way in the media. Which there is no basis for, fiction. Like the dark-haired Astarion, mortal eye colour, for example.
The entire 1st act is precisely done and presented in 2020 with Astarion's backstory - all his approvals, reactions, all the lines. 2022 winter - pre-order of the physical edition with this artbook is open. The artbook that is promised as a gift to players by EA in February 2023 half-year before the release in August 2023 also confirms and includes information about the corrupt past. Approvals, most reactions, some of which are remade in PAD format, but not cut remain in the August 2023 release. The game gives hints and later coquettishly silent. Nothing logically erases this backstory of Astarion in the game And then in autumn 2023 there is a leak where it turns out that there was not enough time for Astarion's backstory.
The artbook is the grail. It always has been in my case in any fandom. In an artbook, every word is very precious. These are the key ideas author for the reasoning of the story. Maybe it's not the fans, but the way Larian treats the information he's given for thought. I find their pitching a clumsy. -- wasn't enough time to do -- abandoned the idea and cut it out are different things. If the wording was: we didn't have time, so we cut off, so this story is no longer relevant - then yes. Now it's: we didn't have really time to fully explore (emphasized the other part, this part was left unrevealed). For me, this story of Astarion levitates in the air, not gone, but not realized either.
There's nothing in the game plot that contradicts that Astarion's past was exactly that. Astarion would never say he was a corrupt arsehole when he wants Tav to help him, though with his barbarians, "raising the dead is easier than catching slaves, don't care slaves or building material", luxury, wealth and power that Astarion remembers in the his original, "mercy, please", vagabonds... Vice versa. It's all coming together.
That's the puzzle. Judge for yourself. Because the main thing that's missing: definiteness. For me, zero reasons to rate that this backstory is burned at the time of the release of the Bladur's Gate 3 game and for April 2024. It's would be hidden as a secret inside the story. A bud that didn't bear fruit, not one that was cut off.
Now Larian is doing a new artbook I really hope the situation is at least clarified. Stephen Rooney has left Larian, he said that in the spring of 2024, so it was always going to be an issue now. Unless of course they do CTRL+C CTRL+V.
Here.
The anti-blackness from Larian and the BG3 fandom hurt me a ton (and killed my interest in the game) so seeing a full cast of mostly black and brown characters in DA4, hearing (and seeing) how much care they put into skin tones and textured hair, seeing the fandom absolutely frothing at the mouth over Davrin, and so on is really really healing to me after all the nonsense I went through a few months ago in the BG3 fandom. 💖
I’m sorry if you’re over talking about the whole gale situation with larian but I just want to say that I’m so glad people are defending his character. I relate to gale on certain personal aspects and I really find it disheartening that the writers seem to dismiss his character and the impact he has on people. I wish that maybe the writers looked at Gale the way you and others do, he’s such important representation to those who have escaped toxic relationships and those who have autism. This may be super ridiculous but I really just wanted to extend my gratitude for the defense of his character coming from someone who deeply relates to Gale.
never feel bad about venting in my inbox about this and while i'm trying to not let it ruin the game entirely for me because i still enjoy the characters for themselves, the ocs i've seen and my own ocs too much, i will also never be over the behaviour they've shown in this interview and the message they sent here, intentional or not.
i hear you and i completely feel you on every front.
you're not the first to message me about this. i've answered a few, some i haven't gotten around to yet, and it just makes me feel sad, disheartened and frustrated for everyone.
to see a character and his struggles that a lot of people identify with for a multitude of different personal reasons (be it chronic illness and pain flare-ups, be it depression or suicidal ideation, be it self-isolation from loved ones, be it autism or autistic traits, be it lifted up and gifted in childhood and feeling burnt out or discarded later on, etc.) be entirely dismissed and reduced to being "annoying", him reaching out for help being ridiculed to "eating your most priced possessions" and having to "give back" to "the world".
it would have cost them nothing, absolutely nothing, to talk about his character and his struggles with an ounce of empathy. with an ounce of respect. the same empathy and respect they've extended to all other of their creations and their underlying themes in this interview. keeping in mind that these people are industry veterans and professionals, too.
so thank you for your message and again, never feel bad about wanting to be heard.
I love Astarion as much as the next person, but Larian NEEDS to dedicate time to fleshing out Wyll. Black characters are so often excluded from fantasy (for racist reasons), and the disparity between Wyll and Every Single Other Companion is horrendous. He needs more personal quest, more scenes (romance and otherwise), more lines, more TIME. He is the fucking Blade of Frontiers! People KNOW him! HE'S THE SON OF THE FUCKING DUKE. If anyone should know and have a ton of connections in Baldur’s Gate, it's him! Come on Larian, your treatment of Wyll is nauseating and inexcusable
seeing a dev from larian on twitter talk about how they all have the agency to work on what they want to and find joy in it, then completely ignore all the comments asking why there’s such minimal content for wyll is nasty work.
also the so-called "full release" (it wasn't, but hey) of BG3 has been out for a year and they're still making alterations to the story/character narratives as if that shit isn't stuff they should have been more than certain of already. incompetent ass devs fr
and the whole "larian listens to the fans too much" is partially correct, but i think it absolves larian of a little too much responsibility and places more blame on the fandom. toxic fans are everywhere, in every fandom, for every game, etc.
the real problem i believe is that the devs were already supposed to have a set-in-stone plan for the game, from start to finish. the fact that they kept changing things to satisfy people's kinks, even when it was irrational at many points, tells me that they had no fucking clue what they actually wanted to do with the game.
it also tells me their priorities were in all the wrong places because making the game sexy was more important than giving wyll a fleshed out story.
i cannot emphasize this enough: if you're going to shrink down content, to stay within your budget and prevent the game from getting too big, the final product is still supposed to make sense. the story needs to be cohesive. all (or at least most) loose ends should be tied up.
when it doesn't make sense, so much that a YEAR later you are still patch after patch tweaking up character plotlines, adding new dialogue, scenes, etc
it's a bad product. there was no point in releasing it the first time if you knew it wasn't READY. by all means bake your smaller pie – but get the ingredient proportions right lmao.
in the next patch larian is going to give tav/durge the dialogue option to call halsin a pervert who just wants to cheat, and then astarion body slams him to the ground and growls, "stay away from my kitten."
i knew media literacy was in major decline but i also think being immune to psychic damage is in decline because i can't bear to see any more of these "hot takes." from now on if you are going to bootlick a corporation you need to leave a content warning.