#and then after that... no romance options triggered at all? and the game assumes I'm actually closest to Wyll

[smolderingcorpsebar]

you know for a game that asked me what kind of genitalia I wanted at character creation, I have seen 0 genetalia. where are the dongs, Larian. Where are the vulvas.

[softhanni]

2024 Media: 111. Potion Permit (2022) - 7.5/10★ Okay... I had a lot of fun with this game. I feel like this is very much the pinnacle of a cosy game. The mini games are very easy, in fact there isn't anything remotely challenging about this game. It feels very...basic? Which at times was a negative but others was a positive. I feel like this game would be best played on the switch as you're winding down for the night in bed. No thinking, no challenge, just a chill time. I have a lot of negatives I guess but it's overruled by the fun I had. Pros and Cons below!

Pros: - Very chill - Super cute art style - Has some loveable characters - Just feels very charming in general - Is a nice breath of fresh air from farming sims but feels along that vein of game Middle points (just depends on what you're looking for): - Very basic gameplay - Mini games and, tbh, everything else gameplay wise is VERY easy Cons: - Dialogue is severely lacking - The (imo) most loveable characters aren't the romanceable ones - The romance in general feels...pointless? (After choosing to date someone nothing changes besides unlocking one single date option with them) - There is a tailors....but you cannot buy new clothes - There is a random building that feels like someone was supposed to move into but nothing happens with it (idk if they were going to add something in an update and never did? and it's very nitpicky of me but I was excited to see who it would be and ...nothing happened) - The end credits and what I'm assuming was the end scene(??) came up when I still had stuff left to do because I think my trust level reached the trigger point and so when I had ACTUALLY finished what I could do besides all the final pointless upgrades, it felt very anticlimactic as nothing happened to celebrate that lmao

[satansleftnutcheek]

Just had like the biggest brain realization about Astarion bear with me I think I'm onto something here. Spoilers ahead for those who don't know about his "condition" or haven't heard about his tragic backstory™

I think people generally overlook the bite scene in favor of focusing on how it reveals Astarion being a vampire, how it can benefit the player if you're trying to romance him, or find an easy way to get him out of your party. I would like to note that there’s nothing wrong with this response! I did the same in my play through because I already knew he was a vampire due to spoilers. I just saw the scene as Astarion looking for his equivalent of a sandwich when it happened.

But why does Astarion bite Tav of all people?

The obvious answer is because Tav's the protagonist. Any important character scenes will happen to or involve them because they're the player character. It's the nature of how RPG stories are told. However, Larian Studios has put a lot of thought into this game, so why not dig a bit deeper?

Assuming Tav has everyone in their camp when this scene is triggered, Lae'zel and Shadowheart are off the menu purely because if things go wrong they'd immediately kill Astarion. Not good! If things go wrong with Karlach he could possibly smooth talk his way out of it. After all, she's a very kind person who goes out of her way to help people. But she's also twice his size and could snap him like a twig, which is not a risk worth taking.

Wyll isn't nearly as much of a threat as the other three, if it came down to it, Astarion could probably take him in a fight. The main problem here is that Wyll happens to have a habit of killing monsters, which would make talking things out really difficult. Astarion's relied on skills like persuasion for the past 2 centuries so he'd probably want to have his best skills be viable options if things go awry. Halsin, much like Karlach, is twice his size and could kill him with ease. Hard pass on that! This leaves Gale as the last, and really only, viable option. I mean look at him, he's frail as hell, always having the lowest HP in the party, and his weapon is a stick. Worst thing that could happen to Astarion is a bonk on the head.

So then why Tav? Why are they the one Astarion bites?

Now Tavs come in a lot of varieties. The player could be doing a Dark Urge run, they could be playing as the embodiment of pure evil, the kindest soul that is second only to Jesus, or somewhere in between. However, the one thing that unites them all is their power. They're the leader of the party and the others (to varying degrees) respect them. Tav is the one that chooses where the party goes, who they help, who they kill, and even how they'll have the tadpoles removed. In a way, Tav controls the party.

Remind you of something that Astarion openly talks about wanting?

For two centuries Astarion hasn't had autonomy, respect, freedom, resources, or control. What he's learned from those centuries is that power always gets you what you want. If you want freedom you need the power to control others. So while biting Gale would be the easy answer, it doesn't have the perk that biting Tav does.

If Tav wakes up during his biting attempt, Astarion could smooth talk his way out of it. If things go okay and Astarion gets to keep his head, he'll have gained more of Tav's trust. This in turn would give Astarion greater power over them as they'd be easier to manipulate, which in turn gives him more control over the others. If he ends up killing Tav then that technically would open up a power vacuum in the party. Whoever fills it would have all the power and control that Tav has. I don't think any of the other characters would let that happen though. Astarion's the person who you don't want to be the leader because he's clearly performing this role for his own self-centered reasons. Also seeing as this scene generally happens early in the game, nobody likes him enough to just let him become the leader.

Now if Tav lets Astarion bite them things get more interesting. It's a possibility that never occurred to him, but he isn't going to turn it down. First of all, it establishes Tav as an easy food source. Astarion has a consenting snack that in the future, might let him bite again. If that happens then Astarion's food source becomes far more reliable and surviving becomes significantly easier. Tav's consent also reveals how much they trust Astarion. From his perspective Tav's shown too much of their hand. Astarion's simple plan to manipulate Tav for the sake of his security has become child's play at this point.

All this being said having Astarion choose to bite Tav over Gale reveals so much about his character. While Gale is the safest choice to make, Tav's position of leadership is what entices Astarion to bite them over Gale. After experiencing two hundred years of mental and physical abuse, Astarion values power so much he'd be willing to risk his ability to not become a mind flare, and his life, in order to gain it. All because this is what he learned from being Cazador's slave for 200 years.

[tricksytrinity]

Hi there!

I don't know you, you don't know me. Obviously. However, we both seem to love the pale elf, Astarion enough to care about each individual conversation. Your Google doc: Astarion Romancing Guide <3 is such a boon on my first ever durge playthrough. So, obviously, I'm watching my dialogue with him like a hawk and occasionally finding interesting little things that I still haven't seen floating around the internet yet. And, darling, when I saw this I just had to share it with you! Check this out:

If I'm not mistaken he says nearly this exact line of dialogue normally with the only difference being the word "stars" in place of the currently present "ceiling".

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm geeking out over the fact that Neil recorded a whole separate line for this moment; Just because my character's camp happens to be based in the Underground Passage when it triggered. That attention to detail is astounding, truly! They could have kept the original line and if by some miracle I possibly noticed that there shouldn't be stars in a cave/tunnel I honestly would have just written it off. I seem to always find something new about this game to impress me.

And, figuring you might want to add it to the Google doc, I wanted to go the extra mile. Not really sure what kind of info you need for this type of thing... So, here's a bunch of random stuff that might matter:

Location (for camp): Underground Passage, Wilderness Approval: Medium (39) My Tav: Dragonborn Bard College of Lore 5th Long rest of the game, after ending day, before go to bed

I tried to comment in the doc itself, by the way. But, sadly, even though I'm well acquainted with Google docs I was unable to. I'm assuming you've turned the option off or perhaps I'm doing something wrong on my end. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time. Have a good one!

May all your dice roll favorably!

astarion romancing guide <3

i originally just made it for myself and i've done like 4+ hours replaying shit already just bc i missed stuff BUT YOU DONT HAVE TO DO THAT BC U CAN USE THIS GUIDE

so i found early access guides to romancing astarion and have a google doc where i am verifying and updating as much as i can while i play through the full release! i thought it would be nice to share with everyone, so here is the link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nRBxc-DVRdX0Rp5oGB8y0yveinKdpUpiJ7lbVv52kD8

if you use it, you can repay me by helping me add and correct and update shit if you like <3 i left comments on so it'll be easy for anyone to make notes

plz note this guide will have spoilers bc it's literally impossible not to but i try to only include the essential stuff

HAPPY ROMANCING :DD

[polyamarhousgarden]

Howdy Marh!!

I wanted to come ask you about your HM story with Griffin!! Iirc, Harvest Moon Cute didn't allow the option to romance or marry him so I'm very curious and would love to hear about any cuts cutscenes you've thought about for your story with him :D!!!!!

(Also I'm totally thinking of making an s/I just to be friends with yours jsjdjd :>)

Tex @tex-treasures

💚💚Hey, Tex!!💚💚

Griffin is actually a Love Interest in DS Cute! But I do have a different idea on how their romance will progress!

(Also that's so sweet of you hhh I would love that)

So here's different additional moments between Griffin and my s/i, Agustina aka Tinang (all my s/is have different names lol)

🖤Black Heart🖤

When I first arrived at the farm, I decided to try and make a good first impression on everyone. Cue me making a lot of rice cakes to give to neighbours! (Filipino rice cakes like palitaw, biko, sapin-sapin, etc)

Griffin is among the ones I gave rice cakes to even though I'm always a nervous mess about things

It's a kind of instant attraction on my end cause he's so sweet when accepting my cakes but on his end it takes him throughout the game to realise he likes me ajghrhsjfhfjsd

He invites me into the saloon as a result and after he finds out I don't drink alcohol, he makes a non-alcoholic drink for me to try out (He also uses that as a chance to add more drinks to his menu)

Griffin then welcomes me to Forget-Me-Not Valley and tells me I'm welcome to visit anytime

💜Purple Heart💜

I end up at Dr. Hardy's clinic after overworking and triggering an asthma attack which requires me to need to get some nebules from Dr. Hardy

When Griffin walks into the clinic with his injured foot, I'm already on my way back out to go back home to use my nebuliser

When we noticed each other, I get worried the moment I see his limp and Griffin gets worried the moment he hears me coughing to the point that I can't even speak right.

As much as I'd love to stay and watch him get treated for his foot injury, but I could only manage a get well soon before leaving (ofc I'd have rushed to tell him about my asthma attack when he does ask)

After I feel a bit better, I cook him some fish stew as a get well soon gift and make my way to the saloon

When I arrive the door opens and Griffin steps out with rice balls he made himself and we both stare at each other for a moment before shyly offering each other our get well soon food

He then invites me inside to share the food we cooked and tells me how glad he was I'm better now while I tell him I'm glad his cut is now healed and ask if he's been taking care of himself which he says yes to

💙Blue Heart💙

Instead of going to Ruby's Inn, I end up developing a sort of "Here's some food I cooked tell me if you like it" type of relationship with Griffin

He also developed an "eat with me, you made the food so it's rude if you don't get to taste your cooking" habit

But because of our new habits, people start noticing and making some friendly teasing comments at us

Among them is Muffy who sometimes is the one who answers the door whenever I come over with food (She ends up dubbing me Griffin's sweetheart as a friendly joke)

Griffin awkwardly laughs it off and tells Muffy not to make such jokes since he thinks there's no way someone like me would go for someone as old as him

I try to speak but notice he's v awkward now so I swerve the topic elsewhere much to his relief

💛Yellow Heart💛

Griffin and I bump into each other while Griffin is taking a walk

He remembers I have asthma and invites me along on a walk since its a sunny day and it might be good for me

Eagerly I go along when we come across Vesta's farm and she assumes we're on a date which she happily tells us we should enjoy

This flusters Griffin who hurries on ahead to the waterfall

When I catch up to him, Griffin is looking pensive and worried while sitting near the water so I sit beside him and nudge him slightly with my shoulder

He awkwardly asks if I'd ever see an older man as a potential lover

I easily reply yes which he smiles at. He thanks me for the answer and we just enjoy watching the waterfall in silence

❤Proposal❤

Eventually we start dating and not much really changes beyond being more affectionate with each other and going on dates

It finally reaches the point where I propose to him with the blue feather while we're having lunch at my farmhouse but he thinks I'm teasing

It takes a bit of convincing but he eventually understands that I'm serious and when he does figure it out he says yes

He admits it's embarrassing that he's finally getting married at his age but I only smile and pepper him with kisses

Muffy is the first person we tell our engagement to

After the wedding, Griffin starts calling me his darling and his sweetheart uwu

[cielsosinfel]

So I've been obsessively playing BG3 since last week (and despite that, I'm only just now reaching the final section of Act 1). I'm copying some stuff from Discord cus I wanna be able to look back on my thoughts but have only been posting to Discord/Twitter/BlueSky lol... let me write more long-form about this game

Anyway spoilers for BG3 obviously, don't read if you aren't through the Grove questline in Act 1:

ok i just did the tiefling party night, here are my thoughts

1) boy i'm smitten with astarion (PREDICTABLE)

2) i'm not smitten enough that the sex scene wasn't really awkward, also i'm assuming vanilla faces have lips that actually move. preset face made the kiss soooo weird. but if you're a tiefling and ask about his scars, you can point out that they're written in the Infernal tongue and he's completely thrown off balance :")

3) before i savescummed to get out of gale's romance flags, astarion fucking said this shit and i lost it

4!) lae'zel..... lae'zel............... literally the only person who does not try to fuck you? she is SO mad about being rejected. and then she goes to FUCKING WYLL??? and he won't even fuck her lmao girl why. karlach is right there and suffering from rejection.

idk why she went to wyll truly because he is so low-key and the opposite of bloodthirsty. karlach is DYING on the other side of the camp. and she is so big and so bloodthirsty.

meanwhile wyll wants to awkwardly dance on the lakeshore. he wants flowers and chocolates and to not be covered in the blood of his enemies when finally making love. he wants pillow talk about swordsmanship used to protect the defenseless and the innocent. lae'zel rolling up like "you smell like the viscera of hundreds of goblins. get your dick out."

[Tumblr addition: for context, IDK how this flag triggers but there's a moment during adventuring where Lae'zel, if in the party, will suddenly come on VERY STRONGLY to the PC. Just talking threatingly about smelling their post-murder musk and wanting to taste their sweat. she is so offending if you tell her no thanks. Singing your praises as a warrior and how it gets her going to "well can't expect a weak soft-fleshed FIVE to understand they're missing out on a powerful githyanki TWENTY"]

5) karlach being so incredibly awkward trying to flirt and then so awkward but good-natured about the rejection is very real and relatable and also the fact she tries to shoot her shot right after acknowledging durge and astarion are getting cosy... ok go for it

6) shadowheart is like the most down to earth and smoothest of all the people who try to flirt with durge, like in any other circumstance he would share a bottle of wine with you but Not Tonight

7) gale really compares durge to his magical cat and expects to get laid.

druid durge voice "oh the cat's a talented wizard, i guess that makes this more romantic"

[Tumblr Addition: Actually if you play druid, you get a class-specific dialogue option that's much nicer like, "She must be an amazing beast :)" but lmao. lmao. my Durge did not appreciate it. In Gale's defense, it turns out she's a magical talking cat and his best friend in the whole wide multiverse who kept him alive when he had no one else... but still... Gale... this isn't the pick-up line you pull out on your non-wizard crush........]

[ripperdaddy]

the viktor vector romance path + ending we deserve

Disclaimer: This is definitely something I came up with in my head. There will be a few instances that are solely made up so it can tie in with the “story.” This is purely fictional; something I wished happened if there was a possible Vik romance 🥰 This is based on my general knowledge of the game & Vik’s life. All gifs + images are from my own personal play through, but wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Appearance Menu Mod, found on Nexus Mods by the creators, MaximiliumM and CtrlAltDaz. And the shirtless Vik mod by the lovely samsnak ♡

It would start after completing the Paid In Full quest where you pay Vik back the eddies you owe him.

I feel like realistically, the general player would have to be at least halfway through the story to have collected enough eddies. I would say that a good point in the story where we can begin the romance is that you’ve already established a connection to Alt and have dealt with the VDB’s.

I think it would be a short side quest like River’s. Vik already plays a big part in the story overall on his own, so I don’t think it’s necessary to make his “side quest” too long. His romance would just be an addition to the ending.

And as much as I would love for him to be a bisexual option for both male/female V, if we’re sticking with the game’s standard with limiting partners to only one kind of partner, he would only be romance-able by a female V with a feminine voice.

V: Finally scrounged up enough eddies to pay you back in full.

Vik: Hold on to ‘em just in case - you need ‘em more than me.

V: I’m not taking them all the way to my grave, Vik. Here. And.. thanks again for doing so much work on me ‘thout ever seein’ an enny.

Vik: That’s what friends are for.

Then, there is an additional option for dialogue to trigger the romance path.

V: Friends? I think you’ve been in and out of my body more than anyone else I’ve hooked up with in Night City.

He laughs, with a coy smile. “Well, can’t argue with you there. Why don’t we take some of these eddies and grab a drink. You know, to celebrate. Catch up on old times. Haven’t seen you round here much lately, kid.”

You agree to meet at the El Coyote Cojo tomorrow evening.

You meet around 9 PM and you are welcomed by the sight of Pepe and Vik at the bar.

V: Nice choice of venue.

Vik: Thought you’d like it. Haven't been here since.. well, you know.

V: I miss him, Vik.

Vik: I know, V. Me too.

You immediately take a seat and tinker with a few dialogue options, where you can either have a sweet moment talking about Jackie or some surface questions to ask, like how he’s doing, what kind of drink he likes, etc. But it all winds down to Jackie anyway, where Vik confides in you about his past. Judging by how Vik was so affected by Jackie’s death, and V’s (if you chose the suicide ending), you can tell that he has lost a lot in his life, and keeps his circle very small.

You then achieve an even closer, more personal relationship with him. But, ultimately nothing happens other than the usual, wait 24 hours in game for a text/phone call from Vik to head into the next stage. At least now, you have established the foundation for a future romance.

Halfway through the 24 hour period, you get a text from Vik thanking you for the lovely evening. No reply needed, as he calls you once the 24 hour mark hits and invites you out for another date.

You meet at Tom’s Diner for coffee in the afternoon. It starts off with him apologizing for being emotional the previous night and asks if you’re open to hanging out again and going down to Pacifica to watch a fight with him.

Vik: Hey, V. I just wanted to apologize about last night. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.

V: It’s okay, Vik. We share the same grief.

Vik: I was going to head down to Pacifica and catch a real good match later on today. I was wondering if you’d like to come along, think it’d be great for the both of us, you know, as a distraction.

pssst even Johnny’s rooting for y’all ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Johnny: Hmm, interesting.

V: What?

Johnny: Never thought you'd be going out with this guy.

V: Vik's amazing. And I mean--we basically owe it to him since he practically saved our life.

Johnny: Don't tell me you're going out with him out of pity.

V: I'm not.

Johnny: I know, I can feel you get all mushy-gushy. It's almost repulsive. Just wanted to hear you admit it.

V: Eat a dick, Johnny.

You arrive before the GIM and blend into the crowd.

V: Nothin’ like watching guys beat the shit out of each other to get your blood pumpin’, huh?

Vik: This is a real good matchup, V. This kid’s fresh, young talent.

V: You miss it, don’t you?

Before the fight begins, Vik shares a story about his time in the ring and coming in second in the Watson Boxing Grand Prix.

There’s some extra fun options in the dialogue, you can bet some eddies on who’s gonna win, or side with him. The fight ends, and you two head outside.

Since you’re already out in Pacifica, you head over to the boardwalk (where you would ride the roller coaster with Johnny) and he starts telling you about the last days of his boxing career and how he transitioned from the sport to being a ripperdoc.

You both share a sweet moment with each other, reminiscing about old times and talking about V’s future with the relic. This is where I would see Vik confessing how he feels about you, mentioning how grateful he is for Jackie introducing you to him.

The evening ends and Vik asks you to give him some time to try and dig up some footage from his storage and have you come over to watch. You can kiss him then wait another 24 in game hours before the last quest. Halfway through, he texts you and asks you what you’d like for dinner. You can opt for pizza or chinese.

I haven’t seen or read anything about how or where Vik lives. If I overlooked something, please let me know! But for the sake of the story, let’s say he does actually have his own place that’s now introduced in the game. Personally, I think he has a typical bachelor pad, like a really nice apartment. Not too far from his clinic either. He looks like he would just walk to work. Vik definitely has a lot of money, but he’s so humble I doubt he would choose to live lavishly. As mentioned in the beginning, he typically just “sleeps nights” ever since he was over “being a legend” so I’m guessing his lifestyle is very routine. He goes to work, goes home, sleep. Seems unlikely he has a place like the Peralez’s. It would probably be just the same as V’s but decorated to his taste.

The evening comes and you are over at his place. He’s dressed in just a white undershirt, no exo-glove. You get to know more about his family, how he grew up — scanning things around his place. Then he plays some footage of one of his fights for you, while you two have a conversation and share a beer. As you two sit on the couch, you get close, then have an opportunity to kiss him.

then this is where da sex happen hihihi (ノ・ω・)ノ

The next morning you wake up and you two have a heartfelt conversation about where this is going. He already knows your situation, so I would assume he is very accepting and supportive. And with Vik, he seems like the kind of guy who would still want to be in your life and keep the friendship the same way despite no longer being together romantically. So it’s official. He’s your man 🥵 !!11!1!

Like how River gives you the “fuck the police” tank top after sleeping with him, I think Vik would give you his Night City Devils t-shirt that provides you with a significant amount of armor or some kind of cyberware upgrade that makes you invulnerable for a brief moment while using your hands to fight enemies.

Note: I was thinking of Vik giving V his boxing glove necklace, but because it's part of his character's appearance in the game, I don't think we would be able to essentially "take it" from him - unless he gives you a replica as a keepsake. Which I think would also work.

If you successfully romance, during the rooftop scene near the end of Nocturne OP55N1 (despite Vik’s disposition of him telling you to take matters in your own hands and being a little closed off), you still have an option to reach out to him when Johnny advises you to call a loved one.

V: Hey, Vik. I just wanted to say, thanks for hanging with me, until the end.

Vik: Quit talking like it is, V. Just do what you need to do.

V: I mean, think of it. It’s like I’m heading into the last round of this whole thing.

Vik: Well, in that case.. remember—keep your hands up, guarded at all times. It ain’t over just yet.

V: Heh.. I can feel it, just a few more punches.

Vik: Now look at you - the new welterweight champ of Night City.

V: Thanks, coach.

Vik: Last piece of advice from the coach's corner. Just.. be careful, kid. Remember, I’m with you.

Okayyyy, soooo I’m not the biggest fan of how CDPR gave us two of the same endings (Path of Glory). The only difference is that Rogue’s life is spared. I would have assumed that not only would we get to keep Rogue around, things should have played a bit more differently for V if we took the route of going solo against the corpos. So let’s tweak it.

This specific ending; it should be after getting through Don’t Fear The Reaper where you single-handedly manage to rip through Arasaka by yourself. Johnny goes back to Alt & Rogue is still alive. Yes nobody dies!!!

(honestly this ending can apply to any love interest you choose)

Vik and V are now living together in a lavish penthouse, entertaining an upcoming merc to do their work for them (which is now the current POV of the player.) You were recruited by Rogue at the Afterlife, who told you to visit this couple for a real, preem job.

They give you some vague details about the gig and go on for a brief moment about what you will be doing and what you should expect. Vik emphasizes to you that it’s important you get what they need because it’s for his wife, V, as her life depends on it.

As Never Gonna Fade Away is playing in the background, they tell you to break into Arasaka HQ.

Then the game officially ends.

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

having now finished Trespasser (😭😭😭) i'm thinkin about this again. i do wish there were more options like this, for inquisitors who either never romance anyone or who don't have a romance anymore (solas, or iron bull betrayal, or if the divine dumps them, or if blackwall leaves or whatever whatever etc)... i did get to high approval from Sera eventually but by the end of the game my inquisitor isnt really in prank-jokey mood due to you know all of the truama etc. And i know many players probs do not necessarily get along with her enough to even trigger that option I assume. so it would be nice if there were other platonic friendship options for the epilogue... especially for those who disband the inquisition since as is bioware tradition most companions just kind of scatter off. like joining up with bull's chargers for missions, or something more than an occasional phone call crystal with Dorian (and actually this was the first playthrough i got him and Bull romanced and I didn't realize, if you do that, he doesn't give you the magic cell phone anymore??? and that part is removed from his ending :( sorry Bull i need my bestie back maybe you guys shouldn't get together after all...), or. i don't know. something!!! like Origins gave you a bunch of options in conversation with people about where you could send your character next and that helped soften the blow a little. I know it's in part because they don't want diversity in the ending that makes it even harder to segue into DA4 but still... rip. though maybe this is just me being overly SAD and NOSTALGIC about game endings again which is highly likely also

i’m glad Sera gets some character growth in Tresspasser (having just completed the first 2 sections, so through the deep roads bit)… she’s the only one of the companions present who asks if Lavellan’s ok after finding out about the whole elven gods thing (and admits shes tired of being angry about elf-related stuff all the time). the advisors kind of mention it in the group chat but no one else really cares :( and if your Lavellan answers that they’re quite upset still actually she tries to comfort you and makes a little note in her book trying to figure out how to make you feel better/to ask Dagna to help later. as a Solas-romancing inquisitor i also do think it’s nice that high-approval Sera (which was a bitch to reach as a very elf-y character in the first place) also invites you into the Jennys if the Inquisition folds, vs everyone else being like ‘well here’s my other plans for life if this doesn’t pan out, good luck with uh whatever you end up doing’ and is ready to leave you behind.

[meggannn]

i'm interested in hearing your thoughts on garrus being shoe-horned into the best friend role if you want to talk about it!

I may not be able to talk about it as much as some people who are super Garrus-critical, but yes I can try!

this really becomes a problem in ME3 more than the other games. basically my understanding of Garrus’s writing in ME3 is that they were well aware that of the fact that he was a fan-favorite, and didn’t want to threaten that, so they made it his crux. they took most of the fandom’s feelings for Garrus and decided to reflect that in Shepard’s relationship with Garrus, but by doing this, they basically ended up pretending a relationship had been there throughout ME1-2 that existed in some player’s heads. of course, Mass Effect is an RPG (well, sort of) so in theory... your best friend could be whoever you want to be, so with that in mind, it’s a little strange for a dev team to go “your best friend is this one character and we will write all of his scenes around that assumption.” unless they really want to play up the fanservice, I guess.

when he’s introduced in ME1, people joke about how they would never not recruit him, but it is a possibility—you could run through the entire game having only met Garrus in the Citadel Tower and never spoken to him again—in which case by meeting him again in ME2, it is a little strange to see that guy you barely remember from the Citadel in the last game show up, but not entirely unwelcome, because at least you, like, recognize him. it’s a little odd how you banter like old friends by making fun of his scars, but what is straight-up bizarre is how in the next game, ME3, Garrus talks about how he was there with you fighting Reapers from the beginning. of course, not a lot of people would specifically go out of their way to avoid recruiting Garrus in ME1, and very few people probably naturally avoided him standing by the elevator in ME1 (which is the only way to not recruit him if you don’t find him in Dr. Michele’s clinic), so the odds of someone not recruiting him in ME1 are low unless they intended to, but it’s still possible.

come ME2, I think they chose to forget that. a few lines have changed in 2 if you don’t recruit him in 1, but not many. remember in ME1, Garrus was an optional squaddie, who had an optional side quest, and his relationship with Shepard there was very much superior/subordinate, or as some people interpret it, more mentor-like. the most personal they get is when they talk about their jobs, the difficulties they face making moral choices, a bit about their families, and Spectrehood. it’s a nice introduction to Garrus’s character but the lines are drawn pretty clear between their roles; by the end of ME1, given the canon dialogue, the closest I’m personally willing to believe of their relationship from helping him deal with Saleon is “subordinate I am fond of,” or post-Saren after Garrus leaves the Normandy, “ally I can call on later.”

and then Shepard dies and is gone for two years. by ME2, when you meet up with him again, I actually find this jump from “subordinate” to “ally/friend” works for my Shepard, but it might not for people who never really engaged with Garrus or even liked him on the SR-1, or those who weren’t thrilled with the idea of him... basically running off to kill as many people as he could on Omega after Shepard got themselves spaced. if you don’t romance him in ME2, he has so little content in ME2: his recruitment mission, post-recruitment convo, loyalty convo trigger, loyalty quest, and post-loyalty convo. if you romance him, you get several more scenes, but compared to other romanceable companions like Miranda or Jack—whose attitudes toward you change the more you talk to them—or even Samara, who you can just chat with while looking out at the stars, Garrus’s platonic relationship with Shepard seems to stall after the Sidonis quest: you gain his loyalty for the suicide mission and then you’re assumed to be all cool. realistically, they could’ve given us a lot of reasons why Garrus might not want to talk—he’s probably still reeling from getting his face blown off and confronting his betrayer again, or if you don’t let him kill Sidonis, maybe he could’ve gotten pissed at Shepard and confronted them—but that’s me trying to justify a lack of content. truthfully there’s very little non-romanceable Garrus content in ME2 to build up that “best friends” angle they want to sell in ME3.

in ME3, you DO get more content that shows how naturally “at ease” he feels working with Shepard: his recruitment mission, longer conversation trees when he joins, more banter from squaddies—including Garrus—on missions, him inviting you to go bottle-shooting, a scene with him after every main mission where he asks you how you’re doing, if you miss Ash/Kaidan, mutual struggles over the burden of leadership, worrying over his family, etc. by this point though, if you didn’t romance him, he’s treating you like his best friend even though he basically ignored you all of ME2. again, you could rationalize that time as his social awkwardness on a Cerberus ship, or him dealing with trauma, but in my friend’s words, it’s really more of bioware telling-but-not-showing that they really wanted you to like this guy but waiting until the last game to give him consistent scenes with the player that reflected that closeness.

on paper, Garrus makes a lot of sense to be close to Shepard, because assuming you recruit him in ME1, he’s been fighting Reapers with Shepard in every game, but also... so has Joker or Chakwas or Tali, for the same reason; so does Ash or Kaidan, for being the only Alliance teammate who was there at the beginning and end (assuming they didn’t both die); so does Liara, for being there every game and only abstaining in ME2 because she was still dealing with the fallout of saving your life (there’s lots of criticism of her being “forced” on the player too and while I agree with some of it, that’s a topic for another time lol). Bioware does introduce Garrus early in each game—I don’t know if this was intentional, because they knew he was so popular so they wanted to give him to the player early—but then he has so little to say in ME2, the game about building relationships, that introducing him early just means he stands around for half game talking about calibrations. a lot of fandom, especially shakarian fans, end up filling the gaps of ME2 with their own headcanons, myself included, to make the relationship development feel a little smoother, but the trouble there is when we start treating it like it was always canon for everybody.

I know it seems weird to complain that such a popular character should’ve had even more content—there are lots of other characters just as or more deserving who got really screwed over (coughs Ashley)—but in my ideal world, they all would’ve had more content lmfao.