We need companion gifts/quests that are not romance tied

[Hypatia]

Apart from saving someone's life, there aren't many opportunities to build rapport directly with characters or nudge them toward the fate you'd prefer if you are not romancing them. Yes, each character has a companion 'main' mission, but that is largely built up to move the overall story forward or just to keep them alive.

It would be great if each companion had a gift you could give them or a small *optional* side-quest related to their story that just boosts your relationship and can be picked/ignored without detriment. Gale, for example, seems underutilized. I have no interest in romancing him, but I would have liked to give him the gift of a nice book or taken him to a wizard college so he can meditate or heal or something. That mild, non-critical friendship building arc where I show the characters I understand them or am a helper to them seems to be missing.

Astarion's situation is the same. He's a wonderful character and amusing, but if you don't follow a romance story you don't get to *do* much for him. I would have enjoyed gifting him a portrait of himself for example! Or finding someone who can cast a spell to remove the scars from his back or find some book of his pre-vampire days that would make him happy.

In some ways this game suffers from minimalism; the characters are so hell bent to save the world that you under-utilize the bonding and world building. More side missions where I can choose to complete them and the reward is just getting to influence alliances with me or between others, even if it doesn't impact the ending, would be great. I'm phrasing this in a way that emphasizes kind emotions, but of course all such content could also be sinister or dark aligned too.

A reminder, we get to give Shadowheart a flower. It was a nice touch. Let me do something similar for the others too!

[Raz]

Originally posted by Hypatia:

Apart from saving someone's life, there aren't many opportunities to build rapport directly with characters or nudging them toward the fate you'd prefer if you are not romancing them.

False. Heavily false. Extremely false. I have pushed Gale towards blowing up or becoming a God and never romanced him, nor had to turn him down. I have pushed Shadowheart to always spare the Nightsong including in playthroughs i was romancing someone else entirely and killed Shadowheart's initial attempt at flirting by shooting down her drinking at night together.

Shadowheart has like 6 triggers you need to get to help push her towards Sharranite or Selunite and none of them require romance. Gale has about the same number if not more with one being romance related.

Wyll, you directly just decide his fate for him. Astarion can be talked into not pursuing power without romance, or seizing it. Karlach can be convinced to go to Avernus without romance so long as Wyll doesn't become Duke. Lae'zel is by far the easiest to nudge anyway without romance.

Originally posted by Hypatia:

You know, we get to give Shadowheart a flower. It was a nice touch. Let me do things for all the others too!

Astarion has an entire conversation where you act as his mirror to remind him of what he looks like and he hella appreciates it.

Gifts is not something Lae'zel gives a flying rat monkeys ass about so she'd look at you like you spit in her food.

Wyll and Karlach both are too ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up most of the game to really appreciate a gift. Wyll with his devil form making him broody. Karlach with her engine.

Gale would appreciate a book, sure. Something to read with Tara.

[Hypatia]

I put this comment in the suggestions section of the community because I'm recommending that someone build more side quests for the game. In comparison to other D&D fantasy worlds this game is missing an enormous amount of 'rapport building' and non-romance, non-story side quests. Dragon Age Origins, for example, had quests that were simply about you feeling out your companion's personalities and getting comfortable with their dialogue habits. I miss that.

The parts you cited above, particularly for Astarion, are unavoidable and necessary for the character's main story line. That's not what I want. I don't want more baggage and required conversations, I want completely optional almost fun side quests that are a little more about friendship and bonding and fleshing out the characters so I can decide how much I like them and want to invest in them.

I've played the game through more than once now. This isn't a naive comment on my part. I understand that each companion's 'main' story is fully fleshed out and has required dialogue to save their lives and navigate them to the end (or remove them from the party). But that's not the point. Letting me have some side missions I navigate and wander around in just to explore the world a little and explore my companions a little would add so much and pack on another 20-40 hours of game play with relatively little development effort.

I'll emphasize this again with Gale - his wizardy backstory is under utilized and if you don't aim to sleep with him, he's sort of just a photo copier that spits out spells for a boss fight. No matter how ornery you find Lae'zel, I'm sure they could do something for her as well - like have her long for a particular pair of gauntlets or a cape that her 'sister' lost years ago. You could gift her that and get a little story or personal bonding out of that.

This is the problem - I don't feel like the pack bonding is really there with my companions. If you don't sleep with them, where is your fondness for them? Is it just trauma bond? Or are they objects to be used in the fights? I don't like that. I want to be friends with them and am curious about their individual stories.

[jonnin]

Originally posted by Raz:

Originally posted by Hypatia:

Apart from saving someone's life, there aren't many opportunities to build rapport directly with characters or nudging them toward the fate you'd prefer if you are not romancing them.

False. Heavily false. Extremely false. I have pushed Gale towards blowing up or becoming a God and never romanced him, nor had to turn him down. I have pushed Shadowheart to always spare the Nightsong including in playthroughs i was romancing someone else entirely and killed Shadowheart's initial attempt at flirting by shooting down her drinking at night together.

Shadowheart has like 6 triggers you need to get to help push her towards Sharranite or Selunite and none of them require romance. Gale has about the same number if not more with one being romance related.

Wyll, you directly just decide his fate for him. Astarion can be talked into not pursuing power without romance, or seizing it. Karlach can be convinced to go to Avernus without romance so long as Wyll doesn't become Duke. Lae'zel is by far the easiest to nudge anyway without romance.

Originally posted by Hypatia:

You know, we get to give Shadowheart a flower. It was a nice touch. Let me do things for all the others too!

Astarion has an entire conversation where you act as his mirror to remind him of what he looks like and he hella appreciates it.

Gifts is not something Lae'zel gives a flying rat monkeys ass about so she'd look at you like you spit in her food.

Wyll and Karlach both are too ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up most of the game to really appreciate a gift. Wyll with his devil form making him broody. Karlach with her engine.

Gale would appreciate a book, sure. Something to read with Tara.

I think it just depends on the NPC. Lazel doesn't want a flower, for sure, but her eyes should light up like a kid on christmas morning when you had her the everburn blade. And I think giving karach a hug once she is cooled down a bit is all she ever wanted. Wyll .. er... I got nothing, its like trying to please eeyore.