Fans of Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) are always excited to see what comes next, and the recent Patch 7 update brought a bunch of cool changes, big and small. One tiny detail is making a big splash with players who love Astarion, the vampire companion.
Astarion in BG3
Astarion is a super popular character, with tons of fans loving his lines, personality, and interactions with the other companions. He's a vampire spawn, looking for revenge against his maker, Cazador. For much of the game, he can even be out in the sun thanks to the Mind Flayer parasite. The game does acknowledge this!
Patch 7 Changes
In the old version (Patch 6), when Astarion burns up in the sunlight at the end of Act 3 (after beating the Netherbrain), the other companions weren't exactly thrilled about this. Their comments were pretty cold and distant. But Patch 7 changed all that. Now, the companions show some love and concern for him which gives fans even more of a reason to be satisfied.
Companion Reactions
Here’s how the companion reactions changed, showing the update is giving a big Boost to these relationships!
- Gale: Went from a dismissive comment to expressing a heartfelt sentiment of compassion.
- Wyll: Changed from a rather indifferent remark to one of deep empathy and shock.
- Shadowheart: No longer just stating the obvious, the update highlights the importance of their connection and shows an emotional impact.
- Lae'zel: It seems the changes help this strong, intense, and stoic character open up!
- Karlach: What was a somewhat casual comment from this character got a big bump in the change to fully display empathy and sadness
- Halsin: What is the key moment here? It is a move that creates sympathy in his dialogue.
- Jaheira: It's the empathy and understanding of this complex relationship.
- Minthara: The contrast between being indifferent and being emphatic with deep insight highlights this complex friendship and the character arc!
The Impact of the Changes
These new lines are way more emotional and prove the companions have become really close to Astarion. That's common in RPGs where the team bonds over their travels! BG3's showing us that it happens in subtle ways, with emotional development, giving audiences what they need.
Patch 7 even includes a special dinner scene (added in Patch 5) with all of the companions, highlighting their friendship! Only Minsc kept his original line about finding Astarion. This was perfect for him and makes sense with his style, while staying within this idea that friends support friends!
Astarion's Appeal
Some players might not love Astarion at first due to his morally grey area, or simply dislike vampires! But for fans he's really become loved! Many have been touched by his story and adore his romance options! Many see Astarion as someone seeking freedom, just like the other party members, leading to huge potential.
The Importance of Small Changes
Even these little updates in Patch 7 really add something great! This little dialogue adjustment highlights how important these emotional connections between characters can be in enhancing the game and for making characters grow to gain even more respect among both the gamers playing them, and other NPC characters.
Fans will surely appreciate the thoughtful work on this one character and the updates! Astarion's new standing reflects all the love and respect he deserves.
