Romances in NWN 2 and RPGs in general

[Dark_Raven]

I was thinking it might be quite cool to start out with a romance. Then you'd have all the fun of trying to ditch her!  Then depending on how well you do she might start trying to kill you.

...I really am giving away too much about me aren't i?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Excellent.

[Walsingham]

Huh? Starting out with a romance is pure liquid evil, but starting out as the son of a deity is OK?

 

EDIT: As demonstrated above, DR is obviously one of my exes that I forgot I had. Ad she is now going to start hunting me down for painful shooty death.

[Plano Skywalker]

Seems to me the male romance options are nicely written where us females get shafted with whiners and wimps>>> Anomen, Disciple and Carth. Whats the deal with that? I like romances but I have to play a male in order to get a decent one like Viconia or Aerie in BG2 or Bastila in K1.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I see your point but I think Atton was an attempt at something other than the Meterosexual male (yes, I've played through K2 as female Exile) as a romantic interest.

 

so, in addition to the Cool Cat (Atton), you would like to see what? The Jock? The Flirt?

[Atreides]

so, in addition to the Cool Cat (Atton), you would like to see what?  The Jock?  The Flirt?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hehehehehehehe~

[Dark_Raven]

Huh? Starting out with a  romance is pure liquid evil, but starting out as the son of a deity is OK?

 

EDIT: As demonstrated above, DR is obviously one of my exes that I forgot I had. Ad she is now going to start hunting me down for painful shooty death.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You wouldn't know what hit you.

[Dark_Raven]

Seems to me the male romance options are nicely written where us females get shafted with whiners and wimps>>> Anomen, Disciple and Carth. Whats the deal with that? I like romances but I have to play a male in order to get a decent one like Viconia or Aerie in BG2 or Bastila in K1.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I see your point but I think Atton was an attempt at something other than the Meterosexual male (yes, I've played through K2 as female Exile) as a romantic interest.

 

so, in addition to the Cool Cat (Atton), you would like to see what? The Jock? The Flirt?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The jock would be great. The flirt would make me jealous since they would flirt with other women.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

They would have to incorporate a massive (not-yet-existent) AI to be able to pull off an interesting romance in a game, since the computer would have to be able to improvise and surprise to be interesting. I don't think it's the writing in itself that fails (some of it is quite good) but the restrained format of dialogue trees.

 

Some Morrowind mods were quite good at this... :">

[Darque]

Huh? Starting out with a  romance is pure liquid evil, but starting out as the son of a deity is OK?

 

EDIT: As demonstrated above, DR is obviously one of my exes that I forgot I had. Ad she is now going to start hunting me down for painful shooty death.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You wouldn't know what hit you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

 

Cause you're the master of subtle.

 

= You

 

= Not you

 

[Pidesco]

Darque is developing a smilie only language!

[Darque]

I've got enough now to work with.

[Wistrik]

I like Shandra and Elanee so far (halfway through chapter 2).

 

Shandra's the type I fall for quickly, but then decide later on that she's not so great. Elanee's the type I gradually warm up to, and would most likely remain with for the rest of my life. I meet a lot of Shandras IRL; haven't met an Elanee yet.

 

Alas I've somewhat goofed on influences while getting used to the system, so probably won't get the full relationship in my current game.

[Dark_Raven]

Huh? Starting out with a  romance is pure liquid evil, but starting out as the son of a deity is OK?

 

EDIT: As demonstrated above, DR is obviously one of my exes that I forgot I had. Ad she is now going to start hunting me down for painful shooty death.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You wouldn't know what hit you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

 

Cause you're the master of subtle.

 

= You

 

= Not you

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The best blade is the unseen one.

 

@ Romances. They need better males for us female players or hell just make a damned lesbo romance. :joy:

[Deadly_Nightshade]

just make a damned lesbo romance.  :joy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That would work... :ph34r:

[Wistrik]

If more females got involved in game development, there'd be more and better male NPCs. " Alas, it's still largely a guy thing. (Ensemble Studios has a fair number of female developers, but they tend to prefer making RTSs.)

[Dark_Raven]

If more females got involved in game development, there'd be more and better male NPCs. " Alas, it's still largely a guy thing. (Ensemble Studios has a fair number of female developers, but they tend to prefer making RTSs.)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Spoken truly.

[Berserk]

@Josh: Do you think the writing for CRPGs' romances is worse than everything else that's written for CRPGs?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The prose isn't necessarily any better or worse, but the writing often comes across as worse because I think many people are more sensitive to the context of romance than to other situations.

 

"Oh, [CHARNAME]. I know that I'm a devout pacifist druid of Eldath and you're a halfling cleric of Talos, the Lord of Storms, but... as I stand next to you among this pile of fourteen freshly fireball-charred goblin corpses, I really feel something special between us. It's the sort of bond that could only be felt between me and someone like you, someone with the [PROTAGONIST] tag."

 

3. Shut up and get out of my face.

 

"Oh... oh, [CHARNAME], how could you? After that one previous node of dialogue where you gave a non-hostile response, I thought I was something special to you! Well now I see I was wrong!"

 

5. I hate you and hope that the Lord of Storms consumes you with a divine call lightning spell.

 

"Okay, I'll end this dialogue now, but you better know there's only one more floor trigger that's going to give you the option to be my sweetheart!"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry for bringing this quote up again but I had to since it was golden in my eyes

[astr0creep]

Reading some of the posts here and finding it very interesting.

 

Would a romance that is not openly, mushily romantic be possible? Like a deeper relationship between the PC and a companion of the player's choice. Maybe greater healing or attack combos that are more powerful if a relashionship is stronger than the others.

Levels of relationships dependent on dialog options or risk taken to help a particular companion, for example I really need to open this chest in a limited time frame but "my girl" is fighting 4 Liches and she needs help, so I forget about the stupid key to the next level for now and go help my friend, we'll just clear that dungeon tomorrow morning at 5am when the secret gate opens. *bing* Relationship Lvl +5.

 

^_^

[Wistrik]

In general, I prefer the designers give the engine the ability to support an NPC relationship of some sort, and then leave the writing to modders, though in the case of NWN2 I feel the relationship with a certain druid is reasonably well done. (Better than the 'woe is me!' NPCs of BG2.)

 

Another favorite NPC along this topic is Nathyrra, from HotU. Someone you adventure and explore with, survive combat with, etc. It wouldn't be a paperback romance (yuck!), but instead a bonding of two (or more, if friendships) individuals who are struggling just to stay alive. Romance would add the twist of attraction and love, but the story typically would allow no time for things like settling down or having children. (I suppose one of them could stay at the stronghold for the remainder of the game, the price you pay for fooling around on the battlefield. hah.)

[J.E. Sawyer]

The best romance I've ever seen in a game (even though it isn't an RPG) was in Full Throttle. A very bittersweet ending, too.

 

[Jorian Drake]

The best romance I've ever seen in a game (even though it isn't an RPG) was in Full Throttle.  A very bittersweet ending, too.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think the real RPG spirit has been split in two by PC games:

 

'RPG' and 'Adventure' genre

 

 

These two combined sum it up quite good what real good pnp RPG is about.

[astr0creep]

So what we want is the of storytelling and dialog of adventure games with the gameplay of RPGs!

 

(w00t)

[Jorian Drake]

So what we want is the of storytelling and dialog of adventure games with the gameplay of RPGs!

 

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly!

 

 

 

 

(and as for myself i also like to give strategy options to the mix, the keep in NWN2 comes near it, but creating a city and expanding + politics would make it superb )

[astr0creep]

So what we want is the of storytelling and dialog of adventure games with the gameplay of RPGs!

 

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly!

 

 

 

 

(and as for myself i also like to give strategy options to the mix, the keep in NWN2 comes near it, but creating a city and expanding + politics would make it superb )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Wasn't Torment exactly like that?

[Jorian Drake]

So what we want is the of storytelling and dialog of adventure games with the gameplay of RPGs!

 

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly!

 

 

 

 

(and as for myself i also like to give strategy options to the mix, the keep in NWN2 comes near it, but creating a city and expanding + politics would make it superb )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Wasn't Torment exactly like that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no

[astr0creep]

So what we want is the of storytelling and dialog of adventure games with the gameplay of RPGs!

 

(w00t)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly!

 

 

 

 

(and as for myself i also like to give strategy options to the mix, the keep in NWN2 comes near it, but creating a city and expanding + politics would make it superb )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Wasn't Torment exactly like that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Storytelling and dialog was like an adventure game, deep, involving, magnificently written. The gameplay was RPG, almost exactly like BG and the combat was just as strategical as any IE game before it.