kjrubberducky

Well,looks like I was right.What's wrong romancers,one might think that you don't have actual arguments and after all there really is not desire for quality features but only the cheap and juvenile desire to pandered to despite insisting not to be the case. Thematically relevant? Okay. Project Eternity is about the nature of souls, right? How about exploring the idea that souls can interact with and affect each other? Can certain types of souls "harmonize" with other compatible souls, making both stronger or somehow changing them? On the other hand, can souls of such different ethics, like order/chaos and good/evil, coexist, or does prolonged contact and interaction "erode" them? Do souls exist in a vacuum, only to be affected by their vessel, or can they feel the effects of other souls, in cases like magic use and romantic/platonic relationships? Is there even a difference for the soul if the relationship is romantic or platonic? If they are affected by relationships, how quickly do the changes, if any, become noticeable to the character? Along the idea of there being stronger and weaker souls, does a strong soul make a weak soul stronger, or vice versa? Or does the stronger soul start to impose itself on the weaker soul, pressing it into submission? Or do the two souls find an equillibrium? There. Thematically relevant.

First of all, why are people saying "Bioware romances"? Having sex with another character does NOT equal romance! If your end goal is sex, then guess what, you are not playing romance, you are playing porn. As for the excellently phrased OP, I like romance when it is done well, or resonates with my own experiences. The trouble is that romance done well is extremely rare in games. If romance is going to be an option, it has to be remotely believable in the context of the characters and the story. No "I'm a guy/girl, you're a guy/girl, let's do it" relationship where sex is the goal. The romance has to ENRICH the story, make the player more involved with the characters, and evoke some kind of emotion in the player. The relationship itself needs to be fluid, with multiple outcomes, not just on or off. Ultimately it's up to Obsidian; if they do include romantic storylines, they should be fully realized, not just some vestigial growth attached to the game with a few staples and some duct tape.

Regarding XP for stealing, making potions, etc.: Why do you feel the need to receive XP for this? Isn't getting the stolen or crafted item itself enough of an incentive to perform the task? It may seem realistic that the act of thieving would make you a better thief, and potion mixing would make you a better alchemist; but there has to be something to keep people from becoming master thieves by stealing 50,000 potatoes from market, or master alchemist from making 8,000 vials of antidote. (or master swordsmen from slaughtering 17,000 cellar rats) Limiting XP to plot advancement and quest completion gets rid of a lot of grinding, and limits the effectiveness of power leveling. In my opinion, that's a good thing.