[Blog o' Romance]

Going back to my example of Nathyrra, it was nice working with her throughout the campaign, and even though there was a romantic aspect to the relationship, it didn't come into play until the latter stages of the game, and it was kept simple: a confession of love and the brief exploration of how that would affect each character's future. The epilogue wrapped it up nicely and the player's imagination was allowed to do the rest.

That would be my anti-romance. I want to see the relationship developing and be much more interesting than "I love you, let's sleep together," plus romantic epilogue. In this cases, I generally just chose not to say "I love you" and sleep with the character, and that's what I did with Casavir, because it was simply uninteresting.

Just to be clear; one cannot sleep with Nathyrra. It's simply not an option. There is one dialog where she confesses her love and the player can reciprocate if they wish, and then there are maybe one or two brief discussions before the campaign ends. No gratuitous (ick) sex. That's why I prefer it over the other CRPG romances I've experienced.

[Blog o' Romance]

I prefer a CRPG romance, or friendship, be simple yet rewarding. Few people are likely wanting to write a novel to support a romanceable NPC, and fewer people are likely to enjoy reading it when there are quests to solve and bad guys to take out or replace. This becomes more important if there is a word budget and if you're going to voice every word. The more complicated it gets, the more words are involved.

 

Friendships can be easier to write, allow for greater leeway, and are more realistic in the context of battles and questing. They let us have fun and joke around without the seemingly inevitable romp in the sack that is often associated with CRPG romances. Friendship can preserve a relationship even after the romance has gone from a bonfire to a smoldering ember, though that's usually far into the future of most games' timelines. Friendships can have a romantic edge to them as two characters draw closer, but the usually hard and fast reality of the game's story prevents them from settling down and focusing on their feelings.

 

Such a relationship provides positive feedback to the player who spends time investing in the character, moreso than mere influence. "Yay, I avoided betrayal" isn't as enjoyable as "this is my loyal friend and I trust him/her with my life", or "this is the love of my life and we're inseparable" if you wish to pursue the romance option.

 

Going back to my example of Nathyrra, it was nice working with her throughout the campaign, and even though there was a romantic aspect to the relationship, it didn't come into play until the latter stages of the game, and it was kept simple: a confession of love and the brief exploration of how that would affect each character's future. The epilogue wrapped it up nicely and the player's imagination was allowed to do the rest.

[Blog o' Romance]

I strongly dislike tragedies so if you feel compelled to write one, please make it an option as suggested above. Life has enough tragedy already, I don't need more of it in the games I play for entertainment.

 

When it comes to content, I'm not interested in NPCs who need counseling, ala Baldur's Gate 2, and I'm also not interested in overly cheery NPCs. That's why I used Nathyrra as an example, because I feel she represents a good balance. (I haven't played any console RPGs so I can't comment on those.)

[Blog o' Romance]

Edited for brevity...

* The NPC romantic interest must be good in combat and/or contribute effectively to a mission.

* The NPC is not subservient to the player, but either equal or not quite his or her equal.

* At the same time, the romantic NPC has to be good at what they do - whether they are wizard, rogue, or whatever, it should be clear that the romance NPC is skilled at their profession. Slacking or whining is not an admirable romantic quality.

* The love interest doesn't have to like the PC, oddly enough, but it should be clear they admire or respect them for who they are, not what they can do.

* Independent.

* R-E-S-P-E-C-T, not just for the PC for the NPC, but vice versa.

* Good VO.

* Attractive.

* The romantic NPC should be picky, it's obvious he/she has high standards.

* Intelligent and/or cunning.

All of these are portrayed in Nathyrra, a romance-capable henchman in NWN:HotU. She was in line to become a Matron Mother, but due to her house being destroyed she ended up being a Red Sister, the ultimate drow assassin. She does great in combat (especially with the AI mod) and keeps my bacon safe. She views herself as being on the same level as the player character, and the player can reciprocate through dialog if they wish (I always do because I pursue the romance aspect). Initially she views the PC as just another lowly male, but he earns her respect and love as the campaign progresses and his victories mount. She's independent; if the PC wasn't there she'd be helping people escape drow tyranny, and initially she only goes along with him because he represents a possible solution to the problem of the Valsharess. She has great VO (I think), and her portrait is certainly fetching. Alas, her NWN character model is low-poly and crude, but she still manages a pretty face and beautiful white hair.

 

I really like that, by the end of the game, all that has taken place is a confession of love. No quick night in the sack, no oddly-named children (Quayle?!?) being born, just the beginnings of a real romance, which can and probably should be set outside the game context. In the game, so long as there is the main quest to complete, there can be a romantic edge, but really they are building a friendship, a hopefully lasting bond between each other. There's time for huggy-smoochy afterward - in the epilogue and the player's imagination.

 

She's not very witty, but that's okay given where she comes from. Regardless there are a few dialogs where she and the PC can banter back and forth (you're cute when you're angry) and it's fun, if short. She doesn't really sacrifice anything for the PC, but then she's already leading a self-sacrificing life helping people escape the Underdark, and that continues, with the PC at her side, according to the game's epilogues (if she's romanced).

 

As far as admirable qualities go, she's committed to helping people, to turning her life around, and to battling the demons of her past. I respect her far more than any CRPG NPC I've experienced, and her 'romance' is as close to perfection as I've seen yet, based my preferences of course.

 

You asked for suggestions, so besides offering what I think is an excellent case study, here are some additional thoughts:

 

* Background; the NPC has been alive for at least two decades before meeting the PC, so there exists potential for much discussion that could help the player paint a mental picture of what the NPC is like. Nathyrra does this by talking about her House (family and youth), her training as a Red Sister, how she met the Seer, things to be aware of in the Underdark, and why she decided to turn her life around. If the NPC is enjoyable to begin with, then I absolutely love asking them about their past and learning of things they did and how they came to be in their current situation with their current ideology.

 

* Interaction with other NPCs; the PC isn't the only person in the game world capable of conversation.

 

* The best and longest lasting romances are based on a solid friendship. When a disagreement occurs and heated words are exchanged, it is the strength of the underlying friendship that will make or break the relationship. Thus there's really no need to write romance novels for game dialog; and writing for friendships is easier and more fun.

 

I'd hoped to write more, but I'm tired and can't think straight. I hope you get the point of what I was trying to convey. I was enjoying Elanee up until the point where she decided to jump in the sack with my character; that was a real WTF moment given that I didn't think they'd developed a close enough bond by that point. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but given the typical instability and brevity of many of today's relationships, I see no reason to change.