1. His hedonistic playboy persona is stated to be a façade. Anything he says in act one about being poly and wanting open relationships is stated when he is both wearing his mask and before he trusts the player. Every statement about relationships here has to be taken with a grain of salt because his mask is centered around attracting victims for Cazador. Since he hated bringing “sweet innocents” to his master, it makes sense that he would initially try to attract the opposite (“criminals and brothel goers”) by sleeping around and making a show of wanting casual relationships.
   
2. Once he gets comfortable in the relationship, he makes it clear he is looking for someone who will make him feel safe and value him for his personality over his body (“I don’t want you to think of me in terms of sex. I don’t think I want anyone to.” “How do you want me to see you?” “As a person. Is that so much to ask?”). If the player chooses to sexualize him, he will go through with it, then regret it later and break up. He makes it very clear in Act two that he’s not actually looking for casual hookups because they make him feel “ashamed and alone”. So it is odd that he’s fine with Halsin (who seems to care more about the sex and the body than the emotional bonding) and the brothel (which is solely about sex). One can argue that he’s fine with the poly relationship because he’s not taking part, but Halsin DOES wish for him to take part ‘eventually’.
   
3. Jumping off of that, Astarion’s dialogue makes it clear he wants a partner who cares about more than just sex, but if you tell him you want to date Halsin solely for the sex (and because Astarion’s not doing it with you), he will say that’s fine and he doesn’t mind the player seeking sex from others. This seems to counter his previous statements and arc. It’s especially strange that even if you reinforce his greatest insecurity (that his refusal to have sex has made his partner immediately seek out other people), he will still claim to be fine with it.
   
4. In terms of dialogue, the actor for Astarion seems to be very intentional when using the fake theatrical masking voice vs. the more genuine softspoken voice he uses when he’s comfortable and being honest. The fake voice is blatantly obvious throughout the Act 1 romance, in Act 2 if you force him to obey the blood merchant (his voice goes from genuinely scared to flirtatious and over the top within seconds), and in Cazador’s mansion where he’ll speak genuinely to you, then be over the top when addressing Cazador’s servants. He’ll often use jokes and loud laughter to conceal his true feelings and insecurities. Meanwhile his laughter in the confession scene, graveyard scene, and Spawn epilogue is quiet and subdued because he’s being genuine. It feels like a strange coincidence that when addressing both the Halsin situation and the brothel situation, his voice becomes very loud and high pitched again, he immediately starts making jokes, and his laughter is over the top. This hints at him not wanting to go along with either situation, but he’s putting himself through it because this is what his partner wants and since he’s tolerated sexual stuff he hated before, he can do it again. Plus, after killing Cazador, he wants to ensure no one views him as weak. He has to prove to himself and his lover (at least in his mind) that refusing to take the Ascendant powers was good and he’s strong enough to not need it. I can understand players not picking up on the voice changes (because not everyone is going to replay the game or even care) but those who did notice it believe it’s done intentionally (either by the actor or the writer or both). If it’s not intentional, then it’s a strange decision to make from a developer’s standpoint.
   
5. Throughout the threads I read, most poly people made it clear that poly relationships require complete trust, clear communication, and general confidence. Astarion himself admits to lacking all of those traits to some degree. If you don’t romance him, he will literally not trust any of the characters right up to the epilogue (he’ll hold a knife behind his back while talking to the Dark Urge). Even though he does seem to genuinely trust his lover by Act 2, he will still lie to them several times. He lies about being fine with the drow twins (he states he’ll leave if he hates if but never does despite disassociating), feigns confidence when the player says they’ll become a mind flayer (he says he only cares about them becoming ugly but expresses his true fears only after the fight, that he’s worried they are no longer the person he fell in love with by losing their soul), he manipulates his lover when confronting Cazador despite being conflicted about it himself and wanting reassurance, and (on a more minor note) he continuously claims he’s doesn’t care about Yenna or the Gur children despite getting upset when they’re in danger. This is a character who, even after he kills his tormentor, struggles to be honest with his partner. That isn’t a good combination when addressing poly. (Again, it could be worked through in real life, but is better avoided in video games where there isn’t time to address it).
   
6. There are also plenty of situations where he agrees to do things he outright hates. In Act 1, we know he is (at least somewhat) disgusted by having sex with the player or Laezel, but he’ll do it. In Act 2, he tries to be genuine about not wanting to touch the player until he no longer feels disgust, but if the player pressures him, he will cave and obey. He does break up with the player afterwards, but it is only after he has gone through with the act. In Act 3, he will state three times that he doesn’t want to take the tadpole, but if the player pressures him by bringing up his darkest fear, he will give in. Worse, he will give in and STILL stay with the player romantically despite them clearly manipulating him to do something they know he fears. He does thankfully break up if you fail the checks, but if you succeed, he goes through with it. If he’s willing to cave to something as huge as altering his entire body, it makes sense that he would cave to something he views as more minor (like tolerating unwanted sexual acts in a brothel or sharing his partner).
   
7. I didn’t know this until I saw others mention it but there are points where he will flirt with NPCs if he is single (the girl in the sewers), but he uses neutral dialogue if he is dating the player. This reinforces the theory that he doesn’t actually plan to sleep around or be with others as he claims (though there are some dialogues that I think slipped through the cracks where he still flirts with others despite being in a committed relationship).
   
8. If Halsin propositions you after Cazador has been killed, Astarion no longer asks if you’re doing this because he hasn’t been fulfilling your sexual needs. However, he does give another response that feels out of place: “I’ve realized it doesn’t matter if anything (in our relationship) changes.” Parallel this with what he said at the graveyard, that “no matter what happens, I don’t want to lose this (relationship).” It’s very odd to have him say he doesn’t want to lose the relationship, but then the next day he is totally okay with losing it. Granted, it is nice to know that even if the characters break up, he’ll be fine, but it does feel contradictory for his character, especially with how devastated he acts if they DO end the relationship. If the Halsin statement is just an act and he’s overcompensating, however, then it feels more intentional on the writer’s part.
   
9. I’ve seen lots of people say that Ascended Astarion also shouldn’t be fine with poly, and I agree, though it’s for different reasons than Spawn Astarion. Unlike SA, I think Ascended would absolutely do the brothel scene because 1. He’s actively suppressing his trauma and playing a new character and 2. He feels in control in the brothel and is the focus. However, with Halsin, he doesn’t have any control. For someone obsessed with possessing his lover and ensuring they can never leave him, letting them sleep with Halsin doesn’t fit his writing. He isn’t participating. He doesn’t know what they’re doing behind his back. For all he knows, Halsin and the player might be discussing how to kill Astarion or escape him. In some deleted party banter, Halsin literally tells Ascended Astarion he doesn’t approve of the abusive spawn/master relationship they’ve formed. With that knowledge, not only should Halsin not be willing to join a poly relationship that he thinks is unhealthy, but he has a motivation to help the player get away from AA (and AA would know this). I could see Spawn Astarion hesitantly agreeing to the Halsin thing despite not wanting to share, but AA just wouldn’t. It feels contrary to both his and Halsin’s writing.
   
10. This is the second most convincing piece of evidence for me: The Drow twins. If you ask Astarion to join a ‘group activity’, he’ll use his fake voice and flighty laugh and agree to go through it, saying he’ll run away if he doesn’t like it and comparing the act to burning in the sun (a little concerning that he’s already comparing the two). Then during the act, he will immediately ask the player what they want “us” to do. Not only is he lumping himself in with the prostitutes, but he is also doing something that an Origin playthrough reveals is a trigger for him (he tells the drow twins that being ‘told what to do’ reminds him of his time as a slave). If the player tries to check up on him, he ignores them and says he wishes he was drunk. Then he disassociates and never brings it up again. This has been viewed two ways: either he doesn’t want to have casual sex anymore and wants to be in a one-on-one relationship, or he does want to do stuff like this but just needs to heal more before he can. I lean toward the first assumption because he is acting flighty and fake BEFORE the sexual act even begins. If he really wanted to do it but changed his mind after, it makes more sense for him to sound genuine at first, then fake halfway through.
    

1. With all that out of the way, we’ll get to the final point that solidifies this theory for me personally. It’s the statements of Shadowheart and Minthara if you ask to do a three-way relationship with one of them and Astarion. Shadowheart’s response is: “I think you’re overestimating his willingness to share. He may seem like a carefree hedonist, but there’s something fragile beneath the façade.” Minthara says something nearly identical, that sharing would wound his pride and he is far too fragile to handle it. You could even add Astarion’s line from the other end, where if you ask Astarion to share with you and Karlach, he will say they shouldn’t because Karlach loves the player and relationships are fragile (implying that he either thinks open relationships don’t work if there’s love involved, or perhaps he himself can only do open relationships if he doesn’t love the other person).

1. ISSUES WITH HOW HALSIN WAS PRESENTED

1. He is not presented as poly until Act 3. I was reading through a thread full of people who loved him and several of them were early access players who had requested he become a romance option. However, the reason they requested him was very important. In EA, all three of the male options seemed immature (Wyll), condescending (Gale), or straight up evil (Astarion). Meanwhile Halsin was, in their words, a mature man who seems like the type to settle down with them in a cottage and help raise their kids. This is the impression he gives and what drew many people to him. As a result, many of these players were extremely disappointed to reach Act 3 once the game was out and discover that not only was he the complete opposite of their initial impression, but he won’t even stay with the player after the game ends (in most cases). Honestly, if I was a developer and saw that they liked him for those earlier reasons, I wouldn’t make him strictly poly because that wasn’t what the players wanted. They wanted him because he was muscular and a good, stable man. It was a very odd choice to turn around and give the players the opposite of what they asked for. But if the devs were truly determined to go the poly route, they should have at least gone back to Act 1 and 2 and slipped in some hints that he was poly. I saw some newer players who recently played the game for the first time and wanted to romance him for the aforementioned reasons (stable, mature, kind, huge). They ignored all other romances until Act 3, then got hit with the “I’m only poly” discussion. Had they known he wasn’t monogamous, they wouldn’t have blown off all the other options.
   
2. But let’s ignore that. We’re focusing on the world where he IS completely poly (though some were arguing that it should at least be an option to ask if he’ll try being monogamous with the player.) The way he is presented still has a lot of issues according to poly players. For one, the way he tries to butt in on the relationship is done in a really sketchy manner (especially considering what some of the Origin characters have gone through/are currently going through). It would have been far better to do what they did with Minsc and give the PLAYER the option to hit on Halsin, rather than the other way around. Have them offer poly to him, and then he can discuss it from there. Having the proposition come from Halsin himself puts him in a negative light, and it’s pretty clear the writers didn’t actually want to portray him as a bad person so they messed up here.
   
3. The flagging for Halsin’s dialogues is awful and despite seeing people report it for eight months, that hasn’t changed. Even if you pick the most neutral option, he will still hit on you by saying “I think you feel the same way”. Not a good idea. “I HOPE you feel the same way” would have been infinitely better. Women often have to deal with people assuming their friendly, professional conversation is something more when it isn’t. It’s not a great idea to bring that into fantasy games too. It hit too close to home for some.
   
4. Even if you use the most neutral option at the Act 1 party (“Go have fun and mingle”), your main dialogue option the next day is “Sorry for coming on so strong last night”. It’s a strange thing to say. Again, I’m not sure how developers missed this and why it was never patched out. I saw people reporting it since the release.
   
5. He will also ask for a relationship at neutral approval. In most of my playthroughs, I stopped talking to him beyond the Thaniel quest and avoided asking about his personal life. He still led his proposition with “I think you feel the same way”. How does he know when we only spoke to him three times? They should have at least required you to go through all his extra dialogues before triggering this.
   
6. When Halsin says he loves you, you have two options: reject him straight away, or ask about his opinions a little more. Oddly enough, if you ask a bit more and THEN reject him, he’ll have a proper response. “That’s fine. I understand. I won’t ask again.” However, if you reject him as soon as he starts talking to you, his response is very off putting. He’ll protest and say, “but you asked me about my former lovers” or, if you didn’t even do that, he’ll claim “you looked after me with the care of a lover, not a host.” These pushy assumptions turned a lot of people off. This is entirely on the writer, in my opinion. He should have realized how weird these sounded.
   
7. Halsin is the only person you can’t dismiss from your camp at any point through dialogue. All of the origins have to be pursued and recruited intentionally. Halsin is the only exception. This makes some sense because you need him to cure the Shadowlands, but for Act 3, he literally has nothing to do. They should have given players an option after the Ketheric fight to dismiss him and tell him to take care of the Shadowlands. It makes a lot more sense narratively and would help avoid a lot of the more awkward parts later.
   
8. Halsin’s initial dialogue about monogamy vs. polyamory is mostly fine, with him comparing it to gardens and wolves vs. bears. But (and don’t quote me on this because I can’t recall the specifics), if you ask your partner to do poly and they say no, Halsin will be a little more judgmental about your partner, saying he was hoping they would be more “open minded”. Statistically, the majority of BG3’s players are going to be monogamous, so it’s strange to see nearly every character (monogamous or poly) criticize monogamy in some way. It is called selfish, narrow minded, and old fashioned by at least 3 characters to my knowledge (Halsin, Act 1 Astarion, and even Gale (who is monogamous himself)). If the developers truly wanted to be inclusive, criticizing one’s lifestyle and having no characters openly defend it in the game (even those who practice it) is a disappointing choice. In this case, it might be an unintentional mistake (maybe they feared that by defending monogamy, they were somehow demonizing polygamy or polyamory), but it would have been better to just leave the criticisms out of it entirely if that was the case.
   

• An AI that has knowledge in everything, from game mechanics to lore. While this one would be the most chaotic, and almost broken, it would demonstrate its power.
  
• An offering to either give you items for a mission, resources like health or ammunition (your amount of choice), or summon in a companion. The in-lore explanation for why it couldn't break the main story (like wish a final boss dead) could be like the typical wish-making rules.
  
• Make the genie like the command block from Minecraft. Unlike using cheat codes like in most games, using the genie would not disable achievements. In addition, you wouldn't have to write an entire code, just select the 3 choices you want.
  

Key Problems

1. Microtransactions: The game has been criticized for its heavy reliance on microtransactions, which are seen as essential to compete online1.
2. MyCareer Mode: While it has potential, the mode could better reward skill and effort rather than "open-wallet shortcuts".
3. Fast-Break Gameplay: This aspect of the game has been lacking for over a decade and still needs improvement.
4. Newcomer Experience: The game is not very welcoming to newcomers, which could be improved for broader appeal.
5. Online Tournaments: There is a lack of online tournaments with playoff brackets or seasons to use squads.

1. Reduce Microtransactions: Make the game less dependent on in-game purchases. Provide more ways to earn competitive items through gameplay.
2. Enhance MyCareer Mode: Implement a system that rewards players based on their in-game performance and progression, not their spending.
3. Improve Fast-Break Dynamics: Work on the AI and mechanics to make fast-breaks more fluid and realistic.
4. New Player Onboarding: Create tutorials and beginner-friendly modes to help new players get accustomed to the game.
5. Introduce Online Leagues: Add structured online leagues with tournaments and seasons to enhance the competitive experience.

Let's break these down, shall we?

Reducing Microtransations

1. Balanced In-Game Economy:
   • Adjust Pricing: Reevaluate the cost of virtual currency (VC) and items. Make sure that the prices are reasonable and not excessively high.
   • Earning VC: Increase the ways players can earn VC through gameplay. Reward skill, performance, and achievements rather than just relying on purchases.
   • Daily Rewards: Implement daily login bonuses or challenges that grant VC. This encourages consistent play without pushing players toward microtransactions.
2. Transparency and Fairness:
   • Clear Information: Provide transparent information about what items can be obtained through gameplay versus microtransactions. Players should know what they can achieve without spending real money.
   • No Pay-to-Win: Avoid making microtransaction-exclusive items significantly better than what can be earned through regular play. Cosmetic items are fine, but gameplay advantages should not be locked behind paywalls.
3. Cosmetic Customization:
   • Expand Customization Options: Offer a wide range of cosmetic items (skins, hairstyles, tattoos, etc.) that players can purchase with VC. This allows personalization without affecting gameplay balance.
   • Unlockable Customization: Include unlockable customization options through achievements, challenges, or leveling up. This gives players goals to work toward.
4. Alternative Progression Paths:
   • Skill-Based Progression: Introduce skill-based progression systems. For example, players could earn attribute points based on their performance in games, which can be used to improve their player’s abilities.
   • Career Achievements: Tie microtransactions to optional shortcuts rather than necessities. For instance, players can choose to buy a skill boost or earn it through in-game achievements.
5. Community Feedback and Testing:
   • Engage with Players: Listen to community feedback regarding microtransactions. Regularly communicate with players through forums, social media, and surveys.
   • Beta Testing: Involve players in beta testing to identify any issues related to microtransactions early on. This helps ensure a fair and balanced system.

MyCareer Improvements

1. Player Progression and Development:
   1. Attribute Upgrades: Streamline the process of upgrading player attributes by making it more intuitive and rewarding. Players should feel a sense of accomplishment as they improve their skills.
   2. Performance-Based Rewards: Tie attribute improvements directly to in-game performance. For example, hitting a series of three-pointers could lead to an increase in the three-point attribute.
   3. Diverse Challenges: Introduce a variety of challenges that cater to different playstyles and reward players with attribute points upon completion.
2. Narrative and Immersion:
   1. Dynamic Storylines: Create a more dynamic and responsive storyline that reacts to the player’s actions and decisions, providing a unique experience for each playthrough.
   2. Off-Court Activities: Expand off-court activities that impact player development and career trajectory. This could include training, endorsements, and personal life decisions.
3. Customization and Builds:
   1. Deeper Customization: Allow for deeper customization of player builds, including more options for physical attributes, skills, and playstyles.
   2. Template Builds: Offer a variety of template builds that players can choose from or modify, reflecting the styles of current NBA stars and legends.
4. Economic System:
   1. Balanced VC Earning: Adjust the virtual currency (VC) earning rates to ensure players can progress at a reasonable pace without feeling forced into microtransactions.
   2. Incentivize Skill: Reward players with VC for skillful play and reaching milestones, rather than just time spent in the game.
5. Accessibility and Difficulty:
   1. Newcomer Friendly: Offer tutorials and guidance for newcomers to help them understand the mechanics and strategies of basketball within MyCareer instead of just in the 2KU section.

Team Play Mode: An Upgraded Pro-Am mode.

1. Player Classes and Customization:
   1. Specialized Player Classes: Introduce various player classes that cater to different playstyles, such as Sharpshooter, Playmaker, Defender, etc. Players will be able to pick from these and form a team with one player per class (to avoid a whole team of Sharpshooters. Copilot and I learned from Overwatch's whole Bridgitte situation). This would be independent from your MyPlayer build, so you can't bring your current build in the mode.
   2. Customizable Attributes: Allow players to customize their virtual athlete’s attributes and skills to fit their preferred role on the team. Your Pro-Am League build will be different from your MyCareer build, it will grow and get better as you play this mode.
2. Progression and Rewards:
   1. Skill Points and PlayStyles: Earn skill points through gameplay, which can be used to unlock new mode-specific PlayStyles, enhancing your character’s abilities. Once you max out a PlayStyle in Pro-Am League to 99 OVR, you'll unlock it for future MyPlayer Builds.
   2. Team Progression: As the team wins matches and climbs the ranks, unlock new customization options and rewards. These can range from Shoes in your teams colors, your team's jersey to wear outside the mode, etc.
3. Community and Social Features:
   1. Social Play: Encourage social play by allowing teams to set up friendly matches, tournaments, and special events. Start up rivalries with other teams or even try to recreate Kuroko no Basket if you wanna.
4. League System:
   1. Divisional Play: Similar to real-life conferences, teams can play within their divisions and qualify for playoffs and championships. Teams are sorted into "divisions" and play in inter-divisional tournaments, the team with the most points getting to play in the Season Championship game for various prizes (all cosmetic, but still pretty cool).
   2. Dynamic Leaderboards: Maintain dynamic leaderboards that display team rankings, player stats, and other achievements.
5. Events and Tournaments:
   1. In-Game Events: Host regular in-game events with unique themes and challenges that offer exclusive rewards.
   2. Official Tournaments: Partner with esports organizations to hold official NBA2K tournaments with significant prizes. They could even integrate it into the NBA2K League if they wanted to.

Miscellaneous Improvements:

1. Spectator Mode: Allow players to watch live Pro-Am Rec, Theater, or Park games as spectators. This promotes community engagement and provides entertainment. You can even put VC on it.
2. Fair Play Enforcement: Implement strict anti-cheating measures to maintain a level playing field. Detect and penalize cheaters.
3. Improved Anti-Cheat: This one is a no-brainer to stop the Zen and Titan users.
4. Stop porting to PC if you don't plan it to match the Next-Gen version: Self-explanatory. You have no excuse to match PC to Next-Gen.
5. In-Game Reporting: Again, self-explanatory