A talk about cats led me down a terrible path

[Vince]

So, I see a lot of posts about all the gay advances in the game. With a lot of push-back, people claiming anti-LGBTQ bs. Here's the dialogue I experienced that pissed me off and put me in the "Larian screwed up with gay companions" group:

I like Gale. I think he's a cool, funny guy. Real friend material. And thus I talked with him about all the trivial stuff. So when he started talking about his cat, I was all for it. I didn't know this subject was the tunnel either into his rectum, or into becoming labeled a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ animal-hater.

Why? Because during the cat conversation with Gale, I ended up with 3 dialogue options. The first two practically exclaimed my erotic love for Gale, while the last one had me say this, and I paraphrase: "Would you stop talking about your stupid cat already? Don't you have more interesting things to say?"

I was forced to choose the latter for obvious reasons -- because my Ranger isn't gay -- which prompted Gale to say something like: "You're not an animal person, are you?"

Well, Gale, I'm a Ranger and my main purpose in life is to protect nature and its animals from those who want to do them harm. So, in no unclear term: Go F yourself.

Sadly, I didn't get that dialogue option.

In the end, I reloaded and ignored the cat subject altogether.

That didn't help, though. A few nights later we were practically holding eachothers' hands while looking at the night sky, completely devoid of player agency.

Edit/Add: The problem, of course, is that the game isn't coded into acknowledging a difference between genders. To the game, we're all unisex. So in this way, every companion is gay and also isn't. *cough* reductio ad absurdum *cough*

[guppy]

There is no middle ground in the game, and some dialoge options just lead you down the romance path where you only out is to be a jerk. Save scumming when talking seem to be the only option as while some are *very* obvious others really aren't.

Also you may wan't to unsubscribe to this topic as the white knight brigade will be here soon to tell you that you are a hatefull homophobe

[Vince]

Originally posted by guppy:

There is no middle ground in the game, and some dialoge options just lead you down the romance path where you only out is to be a jerk. Save scumming when talking seem to be the only option as while some are *very* obvious others really aren't.

Also you may wan't to unsubscribe to this topic as the white knight brigade will be here soon to tell you that you are a hatefull homophobe

Save scumming is the way I role! #noshame :P A tip: What I realized way far into the game, is that you can save during conversations.

[minisith]

So you are afraid of being a jerk so you want to be a pansy? Telling off someone that is trying to start something sexual with you is not wrong. What is wrong with you all?

[Vince]

Originally posted by minisith:

So you are afraid of being a jerk so you want to be a pansy? Telling off someone that is trying to start something sexual with you is not wrong. What is wrong with you all?

You cannot read, and/or react from emotion and not from thinking clearly. If you've read my post (have you?), the problem here is that there was no normal way out of an advance that came out of nowhere. If I had the dialogue option: "I'm not interested in you like that, friend. But I'd love to continue talking about cats with you." There wouldn't have been a problem.

[Zerostalgia]

Originally posted by Vince:

Why? Because during the cat conversation with Gale, I ended up with 3 dialogue options. The first two practically exclaimed my erotic love for Gale, while the last one had me say this, and I paraphrase: "Would you stop talking about your stupid cat already? Don't you have more interesting things to say?"

What were the first two?
I have noticed the pattern of 3 as well, and while one is very forward and flirty, the second is neutral "What do you mean you like me?" yes you can misread the tone of that to be flirty as well but it isn't inherently flirty.
When selecting this neutral option it DOES give you a "Thanks, but I am not interested." response as a follow up, alongside the very flirty and f off options.
I have done this with every companion on my blind playthrough and am just platonic friends with everyone.

[JinxTheWorld]

Well you could play a female char. Problem solved, no longer gay.

[guppy]

Originally posted by Zerostalgia:

Originally posted by Vince:

Why? Because during the cat conversation with Gale, I ended up with 3 dialogue options. The first two practically exclaimed my erotic love for Gale, while the last one had me say this, and I paraphrase: "Would you stop talking about your stupid cat already? Don't you have more interesting things to say?"

What were the first two?
I have noticed the pattern of 3 as well, and while one is very forward and flirty, the second is neutral "What do you mean you like me?" yes you can misread the tone of that to be flirty as well but it isn't inherently flirty.
When selecting this neutral option it DOES give you a "Thanks, but I am not interested." response as a follow up, alongside the very flirty and f off options.
I have done this with every companion on my blind playthrough and am just platonic friends with everyone.

Huh, I'll have to try that, thanks. But yeah if it does that then it's not really obvious

[Kamiyama]

Originally posted by minisith:

So you are afraid of being a jerk so you want to be a pansy? Telling off someone that is trying to start something sexual with you is not wrong. What is wrong with you all?

Since when is talking about a cat something sexual?

I'm with the OP on this. This game has a serious problem with its story characters trying to get into your pants for all the wrong reasons.

Skyrim did this better. Companion NPC's were not romanceable. Sure you could make your spouse a companion AFTER you married them, but if you're looking for romance you have to find the specific romanceable NPC to initiate that route. It's easy enough to avoid them if you don't want to do that.

But you can't avoid story characters. So these random options which lead to sexual encounters are literary landmines.

Nobody going into this conversation for the first time would think talking about cat = gay sex.

[Vince]

Originally posted by Zerostalgia:

Originally posted by Vince:

Why? Because during the cat conversation with Gale, I ended up with 3 dialogue options. The first two practically exclaimed my erotic love for Gale, while the last one had me say this, and I paraphrase: "Would you stop talking about your stupid cat already? Don't you have more interesting things to say?"

What were the first two?
I have noticed the pattern of 3 as well, and while one is very forward and flirty, the second is neutral "What do you mean you like me?" yes you can misread the tone of that to be flirty as well but it isn't inherently flirty.
When selecting this neutral option it DOES give you a "Thanks, but I am not interested." response as a follow up, alongside the very flirty and f off options.
I have done this with every companion on my blind playthrough and am just platonic friends with everyone.

I hate the fact that I can't remember the two options. I did "save scum" and try them both before going for the "stfu about your cat" third option. Both were romantic. Maybe someone who can remember the convo can chime in.

In the end I reloaded and skipped the cat convo altogether. Sadly.

[Zerostalgia]

Originally posted by Vince:

I hate the fact that I can't remember the two options. I did "save scum" and try them both before going for the "stfu about your cat" third option. Both were romantic. Maybe someone who can remember the convo can chime in.

In the end I reloaded and skipped the cat convo altogether. Sadly.

Welp, next time the pattern of 3 comes up again try the not so very flirty option and see if there's a explicit, no I see you as a friend because I picked that every time and have no complaints

[Vince]

Originally posted by Zerostalgia:

Originally posted by Vince:

I hate the fact that I can't remember the two options. I did "save scum" and try them both before going for the "stfu about your cat" third option. Both were romantic. Maybe someone who can remember the convo can chime in.

In the end I reloaded and skipped the cat convo altogether. Sadly.

Welp, next time the pattern of 3 comes up again try the not so very flirty option and see if there's a explicit, no I see you as a friend because I picked that every time and have no complaints :lunar2019grinningpig:

As I just said, I've tried all options. All led to romance or at least a hint that I stepped onto the path of romance. If you say you haven't had that, you either didn't have the cat conversation or you've simply forgotten.

[Aldain]

I seriously wonder who wrote Gale's romance, because it's somehow always getting dumber the more I hear about it.

[Naamtar]

Seems like Gale is bugged one way or another.

Quite a few reports on the forums of him not taking No for an answer.

[Noctoculus]

Originally posted by Naamtar:

Seems like Gale is bugged one way or another.

Quite a few reports on the forums of him not taking No for an answer.

This is my assumption too, being one of the players that has experienced Gale's "No means okay, but later" interactions.

[Frostbeast]

And i thought you meant the Dark Urge cat version. This is nothing for cat lovers.