#there are technically gaps like that for astarion too but only because hes a character with a longer lifespan

[corokoro]

im about to make a statement that might get me bonked on the head by two different fandoms

kaito and astarion have a similar core desire for power, in that they came to desire it because of trauma and basically want these potentially dangerous powers so they can never be hurt like that again, when in reality that power is unnecessary when trying to protect themselves and it's not worth the corruption

but astarion (and everything else in baldur's gate 3) is written with so much more nuance and was carefully crafted with proper impact, you can tell how much care was put into it...while kaito is unfortunately not written that well, like he has potential which is why i love him, but from an objective standpoint, he's not written well, and part of it is just because the writers have him say the same things over and over and he kinda stays static almost, he has moments of development but they don't really change him, and while character development can be "this character does not learn the lesson they should learn and suffer the consequences", even that feels poorly written. kaito becomes the final villain in gaim at the last minute, when hes been on the good side for the entire story up to that point, and then they threw in some random misogyny for kicks even though he was genuinely connected with mai?? like kaito's a jerk but he's the same guy who helped shapool even after the dude literally drugged him with knockout spray and put him in trouble because of it. there was always going to be a clash of ideals between kouta and kaito, but it felt like it only went deadly just so they can live up to the fight they promised through the entire season, especially when you remember all the scenes where kaito helps the rest of the main cast despite him fundamentally disagreeing with how power works, how many times he works well with kouta in situations they both get into

the promised fight between kouta and kaito didn't work in the end because it felt like the fates were forcing it to happen, changing characterization so suddenly just to keep up with promises, a fight between two people who were on the same side just only days ago. the promised fight with cazador works because the fates wove together naturally, pushing the party to destroy a man who had a calculated horrific plan in the making for 200 years, something that astarion was always going to try and stop no matter what - he didn't need to have his nature forcibly changed for the fight to make sense.

[furubatsu]

Like, Wyll's story is a mess.

It's clear that due to time constraints that there was some stuff leftover from Early Access that is now counterproductive to the character they have created (for example, sparing Sazza in the Druid's Grove earning you disapproval with him makes sense in EA when he has genuine beef and anger towards Goblins, but otherwise killing an unarmed prisoner--goblin or not--feels like a huge disconnect from the man we're given in the main game release), and that's just off the top of my head! There are other moments that feel like they belong to a different character because, technically speaking, they do.

EA Wyll is a different person completely from the Blade of Frontiers we get. Both are great characters, in my opinion. I liked how EAWyll seemed almost fake in his charisma, that this was all an act for him, he's used to playing the cocky confident hero that he doesn't know who he is under the mask and can even be a little agressive with Tav was a great and interesting take on a Folk Hero.

Actual Game Wyll is also good, in a group of fucked up little weirdo's he comes accross as the moral compass, a genuine heroic man who wants to do good, but is also just enough of a fucked up little weirdo himself that he also fits in nicely with the group. I wish he got more dialogue with Karlach, considering that they changed his recruitment Quest from "Interrogate the Goblins" to "Murk Karlach" only for him to take a big risk in sparing her (he had no way of knowing what Mizora would to do punish him for backing out of this mission, after all) and honestly I feel like we were robbed of his body issues/trauma over what Mizora did to him. You get like...one scene that's easy to miss with Zevlor after he's turned that illustrates that the Tiefling refugees are uncomfortable with him/that there IS a difference between a Tiefling and a Devil, but that's about it and I admit even I thoguht he was being a little dramatic at the party when he said he didn't think he'd be welcome because I missed that encounter in my first playthrough. It's a shame that playing a Tiefling yourself doesn't give you any Bonus Dialogue with him over it (or even playing a Sorcerer, considering that they too, would know what it's like to have your body magically changed against your will) while Astarion will get Tiefling specific dialogue and Gale will get Spellcaster specific dialogue and Shadowheart will get Cleric specific dialogue etc etc

it just goes to further illustrate that a lot of stuff got cut for Wyll and not a lot was made or used to fill those gaps. I admit, I haven't played his romance yet, I haven't heard good things and from what I've seen, the struggle is real. I like the idea of a romance not being initiated until long after the other party members can begin theirs, he'll admit himself in a dialogue that a lot of his body has changed, including his genitals, and even I wouldn't want to rush into bed with someone when I don't even recognize my own body in a mirror anymore. What Mizora did to Wyll is not only traumatizing but humiliating as well, changing even a facet like that is meant to be a blow to his self identity. I personally think, after you get the sweet dance scene with Wyll, that it should later trigger what was the Early Access Romance Scene.

For those who didn't see/play it, the scene basically goes that Tav and Wyll find a spot to spend some alone time, and it's clear Wyll is distracted. The sending stone (Wyll's fake/stone eye) is something Mizora uses to spy on and communicate with Wyll, she's there, in his head, ruining this intimate moment for him. Tav can either have such good sex with Wyll that he forgets about Mizora or they can just...cuddle, and share an intimate moment without the sex.

I. Love. That. I wish they kept that in. I don't know why they havent. Of course, some of the context of the scene has changed, in EA it's implied, if not outright stated that Wyll and Mizora were also lovers, though EAWyll tells you part of the reason he wants to rescue Mizora is so he can use it as leverage to get out of his contract with her, the scene plays it vague as to whether or not his hesitation is because Mizora is making it hard for him to be present with Tav in that moment, or because he feels guilty for effectively "cheating" on Mizora. Though it's a simple case of getting rid of that bit and just leaning into how this is just another abuse tactic of Mizora's, from his father and his city when he was a teenager to this moment with Tav right now, Mizora always seems to find the right time to swoop in and isolate Wyll and keep him that way, but this is also a moment for Tav to let Wyll know that they don't mind the baggage, that Mizora isn't going to scare them off. The fact that this is a romance you can pursue without initiating a sex scene feels like a cherry on top for players who are put off by the sex. Then we can move on and have speak to you warmly, and get the proposal scene with the REALLY awkward sex scene that's kinda cringe. Because you already established to Wyll that you're in it for the long haul.

Speaking of being there for Wyll, I admit, I'm not upset that he's the one companion who doesn't have agency in freeing himself from his shitty situation actually, I'm just upset how it was handled. In the above mentioned EA Romance scene, you can get a line where he admits that he's been the hero for so long, he doesn't know how to be taken care of, and I think that would've been a very interesting dynamic to be allowed to build with him--romantic or platonic--in being the first person in years he can actually lean on and go to for help. He's a Cinderella story in that his Empowerment/Escape from Abuse Fantasy isn't the catharsis of killing your abuser or dramatically cutting ties with them to ride off into a new life, its the Fantasy of someone seeing what you're going through, saying "That's not right", and saving you. If they just fucking committed to that as part of his character then the part where getting him away from Mizora resting on your shoulders would be so, so good. It would be seeing someone whose otherwise been a demons personal punching bag since before he finished puberty, who refuses to give her the satisfaction of breaking him, finally having someone else come along and take the weight of off his shoulders.

There's probably more to add to this but I lied earlier about writing this later, it's now 1am. I should really sleep.

As some of you may have seen with my timeline, I've been getting a little frustrated with both the fandom and Larian's treatment of Wyll Ravengard.

So I ended up posting a feedback form to them and I guess I wanted to share it here too because I was stewing on getting some of my thoughts and feelings out about Wyll for a little bit now and the XBOX animation kinda gave me the kick up the arse to do it. Might elaborate further when it's not Half-Past Midnight and I got up at 6am.

Wyll Ravengard's character suffers from being rewritten so late into production and it sadly shows with him, from his romance route being notably lacking in both significant moments that other routes get, to simple dialogue options or changes all the way to his own personal quest that has much less significance or presence in the main story than Lae'zel, Shadowheart or Astarion. The last minute rewrite also makes some moments with him feel disjointed, such as the treatment of his relationship with Mizora, in Early Access it was implied, if not outright stated that he was in a relationship with her while in the released game he clearly despises her for the abuse she's given him over the years, yet the narrative treats it like it's not a big deal, even allowing the player to sleep with her (I'm not suggesting you remove that option, after all, it's up to the player's choice) but the inability to remove her from the camp leaves an odd and uncomfortable feeling for a lot of female players (if for example, Wyll and Mizora's genders were swapped and it was a male abuser just hanging around his female victim and trying to seduce her lover/friend, it would be a very different vibe), even the XBOX announcement animation, protrays Wyll as being into Mizora. Best I can suggest is, either decide just what Wyll's conflict with Mizora is, whether he accepts that the power she gave him has made him the man he is today, for better or worse, or an abuser he needs to be rescued from. Heck, you could even recycle his romance scene from Early Access where she gets in the way of an intimate scene because of his scrying eye to show how she isolates him! Wyll isn't the only one who suffers from this, it's clear that Halsin hasn't got much to do after the Shadowfell/Moonrise Tower Questline, not even a conversation with the Refugees or that one Druid in the city trying to revive a tree, but it stands out the most with Wyll and it's such a shame that a character that had so much promise has been handicapped by time constraints. Hopinng this leads to at least something, and thanks for this game.

Edit 1: Where you can leave feedback if you wanna say something too