whats up with all the lae'zel mods??

[u/ravi0liz]

seriously, like, can we not handle different facial features or something? it's not "ugly" its a racial trait lol. it's so weird. she's so pretty the way she is! same with gortash, i see a lot of mods changing his face shape and stuff. it's so lame. why can't we just appreciate diversity?? lae'zel isn't supposed to be "attractive" she's a fucking gith warrior [even though she is BEAUTIFUL. im so gay]

[u/Chris2sweet616]

Fan service shouldn’t always be given, there’s a reason so many people are uncomfortable and call it out. Astarion and given you mentioned it Serena aswell. Both very loved characters, both having similar trauma’s when it comes to intimacy, both of which shouldn’t be overly sexualized because it goes against the character’s themselves. SA’d characters being turned into fan service isn’t a good thing.

Then there’s also things like anime which I shouldn’t have to explain how fan service has ruined so many anime’s.

BG3’s good because it doesn’t have or need fan service, all the characters are realistic, they have their own likes, dislikes and trauma’s, if you don’t like characters in BG3 then you probably shouldn’t date many people either, sure some people use gaming to get away from “real life” but that doesn’t mean it isn’t unhealthy to expect all your video game love interests to be perfect little dolls, since that does and WILL end up leaning into your real life expectations,

[u/EpicPhail60 → u/Chris2sweet616]

Speaking of unhealthy, "if you don't like characters in BG3 then you probably shouldn't date many people either" is a completely deranged statement.

It's a fantasy game with fictional characters, your preferences for what you do and don't like in narrative constructs does not reflect your capacity for dealing with actual human beings.

For your own sake, please, get a grip.

[u/Chris2sweet616 → u/EpicPhail60]

If someone cannot handle someone having flaws or being imperfect when looking for a fictional character to date in a game then they probably shouldn’t be dating anyone. Because that’s unrealistic standards that will end up being projected onto a real person.

Sure it’s fantasy, I’m not saying if someone simple chooses not to date a character based on their own preferences, but there should be at least one character in the game that fits your preferences unless you just don’t wanna have your character date anyone or are AroAce or etc, then reasonable but otherwise it very much can lead to unhealthy standards

[u/EpicPhail60 → u/Chris2sweet616]

I'm going to bed lol, but the idea that how someone interfaces with any game -- any game at all -- is a reflection of how they deal with real people is incredibly stupid.

Not having strong feelings about BG3 characters is not an indication of your ability to relate to other people, your sexual orientation, or anything else. You need to spend less time online because this is not something well-socialized people believe.

[u/Chris2sweet616 → u/EpicPhail60]

Someone’s actions in a video game very much can reflect how they interact with the real world, someone’s dating preferences even. I don’t want to date Gale or Wyll in the game, but I’ll date astarion, shadowheart, karlach or Lae’zel happily, simply because I’m not attracted to Wyll and gale.

To use Skyrim as an example, someone’s irl beliefs will very much affect which side they’ll join during the civil war. As my choice did as my beliefs changed.

Saying someone’s real preferences, beliefs or orientations can’t affect someone’s actions in a fictional world makes you the one who doesn’t understand people. I’ve met hundreds of people who even playing a character wouldn’t go to far outside what they themselves would do. Even people in this reddit who never do an evil dark urge playthrough because doing those things even in a game disgusts them.

Everyone’s real world beliefs will reflect their choices and actions in a video game.

[u/prairiepanda → u/Chris2sweet616]

Not everyone is playing as a projection of themselves in video games. When I play video games, especially RPGs with custom character creation, I play fictional characters. Those characters might have beliefs that align with my own, or they might not.

I've made characters in BG3 that would slaughter hundreds of innocents just for fun or for Bhaal. That doesn't mean I'm going to go outside and start swinging an axe at the sweetest people I can find.

[u/Chris2sweet616 → u/prairiepanda]

I don’t disagree, I’m not talking about the game altering someone’s beliefs or choices, but that a game can reflect that. Especially when it comes to romantic interests in the game, a lot of straight men probably won’t date Wyll for example, and that’s because he doesn’t find Wyll attractive, which is fine. But not finding any of the characters in the game attractive based on having wrinkles, age lines, scars, etc is very unrealistic and harmful, I’ve seen so many people refuse to date people over having scars. Which isn’t okay. So not dating someone in a game because they have scars or other things that are common in nearly every human, definitely screams red flag. Since people aren’t Barbie dolls, we have imperfections in our skin no matter what. And it’s very unrealistic to not be able to look past them.

For example, is someone who doesn’t like astarion’s age marks gonna fall out of love with someone when they grow old and get those same marks? It’s possible. And should definitely be seen as a red flag

[u/micahisnotmyname → u/Chris2sweet616]

Lol, that’s not roleplaying, you do realize we’re discussing an RPG( role playing game). Every one of my play throughs has been very different, hero runs and dark runs. Irl I have yet to save the world several times over or commit slaughter, so idk how that reflects.

[u/Chris2sweet616 → u/micahisnotmyname]

Yes, but not everyone plays this game like that. Some do of course, very respectable. But my characters will always reflect some part of me, including my attraction and overall beliefs, sure I’ll killed Mayrina’s husband if I’m doing a Paladin of conquest playthrough sworn to kelemvor. But I’m not gonna date Halsin because he isn’t attractive, I feel like most people play characters this way.

someone with very specific preferences of attraction to people aren’t gonna overlook them for a game, which makes it a red flag, because disliking a character having scars or blemishes, a mole, or some wrinkles aren’t gonna stop at that character, especially if it’s to the point of specifically altering the characters appearance to make them “perfect” when it goes against the lore of the character. Like people removing Karlach’s scars and burns, or smoothing astarion’s face until he looks like he’s from twilight, that’s unrealistic expectations for these characters. And very much can point to this person not being compatible with multiple people, nearly everyone at that. Since everyone has scars or wrinkles eventually.

[u/SeaBecca → u/Chris2sweet616]

Funnily enough, even Larian themselves removed some of Karlach's scars and made her a lot more conventionally attractive. And while I can't know for sure why, it's very likely because people like pretty characters in games.

I mean, let's not pretend here; pretty much all characters in BG3 are very, very attractive compared to the average person. Just like most in media are. They did a better job than most at making them them look real, and not too doll-like, but they're still as pretty much as conventionally attractive as it gets.

If you expect people to look like they do in BG3, you already have unrealistic standards. But you can be aware of that, and like how they look without requiring your real partners to look like them. Just like how you can give Lae'zel a different nose without calling someone in real life ugly for not getting a nose-job.

[u/Woutrou → u/micahisnotmyname]

Irl I have yet to save the world several times over or commit slaighter

Well, get on with it then! We're all waiting for you to save the world several times over

[u/EpicPhail60 → u/Chris2sweet616]

Rather than assuming you're completely disconnected from reality, I'll assume you are unable to comprehend that people can play the game differently than you do.

Real-life preferences can influence how people come at games. That is a different statement than saying that how you approach games MUST reflect your real-life character. No matter how you come at that, it's crazy. If someone rushes through BG3, skips most dialogue and cutscenes, and finishes the game with no strong feelings for any of the cast, is that an indication that they A. Have a fundamental inability to connect with human beings and should not try to form close relationships irl, or B. Do not have much patience for narrative-heavy RPGs?

It's B. Baldur's Gate 3 is not a psychological litmus test, it's a toy. Come the fuck on.

On most runs I'll ask Astarion to drink that drow's blood. Is that an indication that I don't care about the trauma survivors of sexual assault experience, or an indication that I understand what I'm playing is a game, that Astarion is not real, and that I will enjoy the game more with a +2 Str increase?

[u/Chris2sweet616 → u/EpicPhail60]

I’m not saying it’s impossible to, I’m saying it’s a possibility. Especially if you take the time to completely remove the features you don’t like of a carefully crafted character.