Bg3 Hot Take Edition

[u/Feeling-Classroom729]

I'm feeling spicy and I want to hear some of your hot takes about the game. Perhaps, I'll see the game from a fresh perspective and/or learn something new.

There's no limit to the hot takes you can share.

I'll go first.

Despite Araj's negative reputation, I think she's one of the best merchants in the game. In act 2, she carries the risky ring and the ring of free action, which is already amazing. But she also offers unique elixirs in act 2. In act 3, she sells sanguine explosives, which is basically a level 4 fireball that you can buy for less than 20 gold. Getting the unstable blood condition from her in act 3, can also be powerful if you build around it. The +2 to strength is super powerful if you're willing to torture Astarion, but even without that, she's still an amazing npc. She's a little pushy with Astarion, but she ultimately accepts his no. So, I don't stay mad at her.

I don't think completing a "good run" automatically makes your character good aligned. Basing your decisions around not making your favorite npcs sad is not a sound moral compass. I think there are more morally neutral people out there than people are willing to admit. It isn't a bad thing to be morally neutral. Jaheira is canonically true neutral in the older games, and people love her.

[u/moistwaffleboi]

Oh, I've got so many.

I have a massive dislike for Astarion. I will never understand why people like him. He's rude, abrasive, and just overall annoying to be around. I'm not one of those people who kills him every playthrough because I recognize that he can be useful, but I just really don't enjoy him as a character.

Wyll is super underrated and doesn't get as much love as he should. He's so lovely and kind, and he's really great in combat if you build him correctly. I will never understand why people find him boring.

I also really like Halsin. He's super chill, handsome, and sweet. I don't understand the dislike toward him whatsoever.

Out of all the builds I've done (I've played every class at least once), cleric and ranger are the most fun. They're both super underrated classes, and I never see anyone choose them. Ranger especially can be super overpowered if you build it correctly.

Lastly, I'm not sure how much of a hot take this one is, but I really wish there wasn't an option to play as an origin character. I just really don't get why it's an option. It's supposed to be an RPG where you create a character who you can make into whatever you want them to be. Playing as a character who already has a fully fleshed out story is completely pointless, especially if you've already played the game as a Tav or Durge. There is almost nothing special in origin playthroughs. Also, Larian could have put more effort into other parts of the game if they didn't implement them.

[u/InfamousChibi → u/moistwaffleboi]

I haven't seen anyone who dislikes Halsin, as far as I know everyone loves him

[u/Narrator667 → u/InfamousChibi]

I quite liked him when I first rescued him from the Goblins and how he handled the Druid grove situation afterward. I was impressed with his line that sometimes even a Druid can efficiently dabble in playing politics from time to time. It's just strange how many times you're given the chance to romance him, so I rejected him about three times. Once at the Tiefling party, again a few days later when my character apologized for acting strangely at the party (it was a completely normal conversation), and then again dozens of hours later he confessed to me again in Act 3 when I was already one on one with Shadowheart.
From the way I played the game, he just spends SO much time in Camp and then at last light Inn. He joined my camp when I was about 15 hours into the game right? And the way I played, I went from doing every possible sidequest in Act 2 room by room, curing the shadow cursed lands with Oliver, going to Shar's temple, then fighting Kethric. So I didn't talk to him in my camp until I already beat Act 2, and he joined up with me the same time as Jaheira, when I was 75 hours into the game. It just put a bad taste in my mouth.
It wasn't til I beat the game and started browsing here did I see all the memes about Shadowheart lusting after him, more than she ever does for you.