Unofficial P.E. Relationship/Romance Thread pt.2

[Elerond]

Question: How many lines one needs to write for romance dialog between player character and npc and and other npcs banters and and dialog metions about romance to pc? Is magnitude, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands or do we speak about something like hundreds of thousands lines?

[cosmin haraga]

I wasn't that much into dating - but still i'm old enough to notice

when you're liked things move VERY fast

when you don't most of your romance is wasted time , it hardly goes anywere

unless being in love while , hunting and generaly "having private time" - transformers qute is your thing

[Loranc]

@ Loranc

 

 

Please. Read. The. Posts. You are playing the worst sort of "it's only sixteen lines" game.

 

 

 

I read his post, it just had wrong data. There's a big different between 60 lines of text and 30. I didn't feel that the bg2 romance really built up in a realistic way. I'm not saying I hated it, just saying that it lacked a feeling of depth to it. But, perhaps I'm one of the few that share that opinion. I just felt that the story wasn't really woven into it, and it felt more fan service than anything else.

 

I didn't originally think this way but when someone mentioned it, I took a moment and thought about it. It added nothing to the game whatsoever.

 

It's funny because I'm stuck in the middle between the 'no romance' and the 'romance' crowd. If you read my posts you'll see that I'm really on both sides of the fence for this. I agree with both parties, both have valid points from time to time, which makes it difficult to pick a side.

 

The problem with Bg2's romance was several things. The events could spawn anywhere, and that could easily ruin the RP experience. All of them ended in sex with a black out cut scene, though you had the options of not sleeping with them (which was the better choice in certain cases.) Though I'm unsure of the female romance, I never played a female char in Bg2. Lack of depth, you learned everything about her from her friendship dialogues, all the romance dialogues were silly.... six dialogue choices after you're considered boyfriend/girlfriend. I just don't feel that the writing was well done or that the depth was there. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

By now Aerie is basically your girlfriend. Those who know how to

use the CLUAConsole or use Shadowkeeper will be able to see in the

ROMANCEACTIVE part of the global variables the number there is now

a 2 which means romance acquired.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

LD18: 'I've been wondering...have you got any advice for me for

combat?'

 

Choose option 1

 

LD19: 'I...I know that it is difficult to see what is to happen in the

future...but do you have any plans? I mean once this is all over, I

mean...'

 

Choose option 1

 

'Well do you see your self traveling? Or settling down? Do

you...do you see yourself with me?'

 

'I would prefer to be with you Aerie...if the Gods are willing'

 

LD20: 'My love...? I...I know that you are tired from the day's travels and

that you wish to rest. I...wish to ask you something...before you

retire to your blankets...'

 

Choose option 1

 

'I...I will show you my body (char name)...and I hope it pleases you.

Would you...would you stay with me this night (char name)? Will you

show me what true love consists of?'

 

Choose option 2

 

'Stay with me for the night then (char name) and hold me to you.

I...don't want to be alone, and I so desperately need to be near

you.'

 

Choose option 1

 

LD19: 'I was so eager to experience everything new that I...I did not

think. Thank you for respecting me. I...I love you and I want our

first time to be something special.'

 

Choose option 1

 

 

From here on, if you continue on to Chapter six and meet Bodhi, you will

get a special event concerning your love interest, in this case Aerie.

You will have to save her from being a vampire and in order to do that

you will have to read through some books on vampirism which can be found

in Bodhi's lair at the bottom level in a trapped chest! Basically, the

Aerie romance finishes right here! Yay!

 

[jarpie]

There is also one another point to make since some in this topc have written that they want romances woven into the game deeper than just interaction with just PC and Companion:

 

if the romance would be woven either to the plot/story or sub-plot/sub-story, it just wouldn't need writing the lines etc between the PC and Companion but also the story/sub-story too - and lines for the other NPCs acknowledging and reacting to the said companion.

 

Since if there would be romance, there most probably would be at least second romance too because people demand for at least one straight and one gay options and if you want to do the reactivity well, you just can't go with the MS Word search feature "Replace NAME_A with NAME_B", you have to either write at least part of the story from the ground up to to react differently for different companion or write completely new sub-story/-plot.

 

Now tell me exactly how that wouldn't be crazy amount of work for romances?

Edited October 22, 2012 by jarpie

[Rink]

@Loranc Can you show us a romance that is well written in your opinion to compare?

I thought Aerie romance was quite well written and I think I have never seen better execution in games (apart from the relationships where people do argue over if it is a romance at all or not). You may or may not like the kind of character she is, but the romance just fits her character. Of course if you take out just some lines it may seem strange, but if you go through the dialogue from start to finish.. well maybe I just have a different opinion.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Rink

[kenup]

Case of point, each path of a character is: a character in it self, a new sub-plot possibly affecting the plot, a new player character. And that is only for the writing phase. There are also the peer reviews and edits later and their implementation, programming etc. Unless you just want to replace lines or a "darling" at the end.

Edited October 22, 2012 by kenup

[jarpie]

Since Baldur's Gate 2 romances have some lovers in here (pun intended :D), they are basicly exactly the same romances what Bioware has been doing ever since - just the execution is different. Back in the day they were basicly just written dialogue and written descriptions, now the descriptions have been replaced with the cut-scenes.

 

I can't understand how anyone would think Jaheira's romance isn't at least a bit of ridiculous - her husband has just died and she basicly starts new relationship after what...less than a week or two of mourning? Maybe she didn't love Khalid that much after all...

[Loranc]

Can you show us a romance that is well written in your opinion to compare?

I thought Aerie romance was quite well written and I think I have never seen better execution in games (apart from the relationships where people do argue over if it is a romance at all or not). You may or may not like the kind of character she is, but the romance just fits her character. Of course if you take out just some lines it may seem strange, but if you go through the dialogue from start to finish.. well maybe I just have a different opinion.

 

Don't get me wrong I loved the dialogue between your main PC and Aerie, up till the end. If you look at the dialogue options under my spoiler above and remove the last 4 or even the last 6 lines of text, you wouldn't really miss anything. Especially the last 4 lines, also the romance abruptly ends if you sleep with her, and you have no way of knowing this! After the sex dialogue option, there's one more line of text and that's it! No more romance or anything until the expansion.

 

There are so many things they could have done better. Made the romance last through the game, instead of having it be time stamped. You could play the game and finish the romance in the first half of your play through, it just felt kind of pointless.

 

It's probably why the guys at PE said that the only way they would do a romance is if they could afford to do it the right way. I think it goes without saying that, if they decide to do a romance in PE, it will put the rest of the games to shame.

[cosmin haraga]

everything new at 60? enough with the aeerie already ! so much talk and stress - most males would loose the stifxxxxxx with all the talk

 

let me try a little percentage here:

one night stands and boss "obedience/accidents/work related errors" is the 90% of women romance - what's left goes to husband usualy

to men one night stands , casual , drunk accidents and payed sex is 90% of romance - the rest goes to love interests

 

sadly life does only rarely match the love of our lives with best romance / sex / and future life together. and you normaly stop believing otherwise at around 16.

 

get real Witcher 1 and 2 are the real deal !

[Ruka]

her husband has just died and she basicly starts new relationship after what...less than a week or two of mourning? Maybe she didn't love Khalid that much after all...

 

Their marriage was already breaking up, he cheated on her.

[Rink]

@Loranc of course there may be some parts where the romance wasn't perfect but I found it remarkable in a game-relationship that if you jump into bed too early with someone that has been abused a lot in her life, this may have bad consequences (granted: it was a bit "unfair" though). Especially because I also chose the wrong turn there and had to reload..

You couldn't finish the romance in your first half hour, because there was a "cooldown" after romance and some romance-steps where programmed to be in certain chapters, so you had to wait until you were in that chapter. For me the romance really was something that was parallel to the game (and lived longer than the final boss!) and I was always eager to see it develop and had to wait for next step never knowing when it would arrive. I loved that, because it gave me a second independent storyline to the other one.

Of course it is great if they put all other games to shame with their romances. With my gaming experience my expectations are lower I think: I personaly am happy if they are able to make something like P:T or BG2. Something that is creative, feels right for the character and deepens the experience without being a cheap (if sex and a family doesn't make sense with a character, then don't do it or let the character live through a struggle accordingly) and they put 99% of all other games to shame already.

Edited October 22, 2012 by Rink

[l3loodangel]

her husband has just died and she basicly starts new relationship after what...less than a week or two of mourning? Maybe she didn't love Khalid that much after all...

 

Their marriage was already breaking up, he cheated on her.

 

With death.

[Monte Carlo]

I think the reason lots of folks liked the Jaz romance was because it was tough. Except not, it was just notoriously bugged and the timer on the dialogues were busted... Anyhoo I lost her on my playthrough initially after taunting her about dead Khalid on the chopping block. Then, in an immersive act of the type Bio is famous, she escaped Chateau Irenicus unaided.

[Amentep]

her husband has just died and she basicly starts new relationship after what...less than a week or two of mourning? Maybe she didn't love Khalid that much after all...

 

To be fair to the character, a druid who sees balance in nature would probably see balance in life and death as a part of nature and probably have an easier time coming to terms with the death of a loved one than another character might and understand the need for life to continue.

 

Astute analysis of writing process

 

Dude the promancers aren't overly interested in fact. They just want romances. And they only take 6-9 days to write.

 

I'd think that's a bit unfair; I consider myself to be "pro-romance" (but again within the context of such a thing that if it was included it'd have to make sense with the character(s) and the story / game and that romance is only one of many possible character relationships in a party that could be explored). I'd never assume that writing a romance would take x days because you can't quantify writing like that. Particularly not writing that (IMO) should be integrated into the game experience (ie relationships should be recognized to some degree by those outside of the relationship). You could get a mad inspiration and create all the dialogue in 24 hours and still spend a months making it fit within the game (making the timing work, creating reactions amid other NPCs, looking at effects it might have to the campaign story) without writing 1 more sentence of romantic banter.

[TwinkieGorilla]

You gotta be kidding me. This ****ing **** is still going on?!

[Amentep]

You gotta be kidding me. This ****ing **** is still going on?!

 

"Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords eternally retold"

 

Realistically until there are more details on the game, this topic will probably remain alive (and given the people seem to really want to debate the side, probably remain very active as well).

[TwinkieGorilla]

this topic will probably remain alive

 

WHY.

 

"I want kissykissy in muh gaem!"

 

"No, that's dumb."

 

The End.

 

Seriously. It's been discussed to death. To death.

[Malcador]

You gotta be kidding me. This ****ing **** is still going on?!

 

Only the dead have seen the end of romance threads. Well, I hope.

[evdk]

this topic will probably remain alive

 

WHY.

 

"I want kissykissy in muh gaem!"

 

"No, that's dumb."

 

The End.

 

Seriously. It's been discussed to death. To death.

True Love can never die.

 

And there's always undeath.

[Ruka]

this topic will probably remain alive

 

WHY.

 

"I want kissykissy in muh gaem!"

 

"No, that's dumb."

 

The End.

 

Seriously. It's been discussed to death. To death.

 

So you agree you shouldn't be able to murder or kill anyone in this game?

[Amentep]

this topic will probably remain alive

 

WHY.

 

"I want kissykissy in muh gaem!"

 

"No, that's dumb."

 

The End.

 

Seriously. It's been discussed to death. To death.

 

Because every day posters discover the thread who haven't had their chance to weigh in on the viable/dumb aspects of "kissykissy" in their gaem.

 

I enjoy reading it just simply because I like trying to understand why people hold particular positions (well and there a less noble aspect of myself that finds a certain entertainment value over posters from both sides going needlessly apoplectic over the possibility of existence/non-existence of this specific inter-character relationship in the game)

[kenup]

this topic will probably remain alive

 

WHY.

 

"I want kissykissy in muh gaem!"

 

"No, that's dumb."

 

The End.

 

Seriously. It's been discussed to death. To death.

Just wait till all the promancers respawn.

[Gfted1]

Im neutral on romances. The BG style romance was pretty benign but Ive never played DA or ME. I assume the latter two romances were about the same as SWTOR "romances"? (flirt for a few lines and than fade to black?)

[kenup]

Im neutral on romances. The BG style romance was pretty benign but Ive never played DA or ME. I assume the latter two romances were about the same as SWTOR "romances"? (flirt for a few lines and than fade to black?)

No it was flirt, then ****.

[Amentep]

Im neutral on romances. The BG style romance was pretty benign but Ive never played DA or ME. I assume the latter two romances were about the same as SWTOR "romances"? (flirt for a few lines and than fade to black?)

 

DA and ME both consummated the relationships with on screen PG-13/PG level clinching and (in ME's case) semi-nudity or (in DA's case) underwear clad figures.

 

ME did it as the culmination of a relationship prior to the final battle (Jade Empire did it this way too but did the fade to black after a kiss, IIRC). DA did it at the culmination of the relationship whenever it happened (with subsequent "sex request"(!) dialogue doing a fade to black) (the exception being Morrigan who would have sex with the character until they were in a relationship and then refuse).