Unofficial P.E. Relationship/Romance Thread pt. 3

A topic that seems to come up frequently and inspires a lot of heartfelt debate. So we're going to continue to provide a central place for all the romantics (and unromantics) out there to discuss the possibility of romances (or any complex relationships) in Project Eternity (or RPG's in general). Have at it, forumites! And...try to play nice in the Sandbox.

Part 1

Part 2

 

For those new to the forum/topic, here's a few example points of discussion (but not limited to):

---what type of dynamic, complex character relationships are important to your gaming experience, if any?

---if you enjoy romances in games, what type of plots do you enjoy or dislike (tragic, happy ending, marriage/family)?

---what romance or relationship arcs from other games did you personally enjoy that can serve as examples?

---do you have any particular, preferred game mechanics for romance/relationships that you'd like to see included (optional questlines, dialogue, cutscenes)?

 

 

Most recent and debatable quote from an interview with Chris Avellone:

Q: Are you looking to break any ground in terms of the design mechanics, such as moral choices or relationships? What are you looking to do that isn't generally done?

 

Chris Avellone: There's been a lot of focus with companion mechanics in terms of like "how do I romance this person?" I'd like to think that there are other types of relationships that you can have with a companion, whether it's friendship, rivalry, hatred, or revenge. Romances end up being an easy target, but I think there's a lot more you can do with companion relationships. Also, I think a lot of games have fallen into the hole of the evil choice is always a psychotic option. There's a whole spectrum of other stuff you can do in conversation that I'm looking forward to doing. Sometimes depending on the franchise it does make sense that you have these really extreme morality bars, because that's the nature of the franchise.

 

With this world I think it's going to be a little bit more subtle. The whole premise of the lore and the magic system is that souls get inherited, and then when you pass away the souls wait for a time and then come back to another body. The question is how much of your own behavior is being governed by your own free will or the influence of the soul inside you and all of its history? I think that can raise some interesting questions for both the player character and the companions.

First

Repost: I would just like to see a game with a good mix, ranging from tense adventures to character development. These all make a story dramatic; conflict without the character development is just a FPS; character interplay without the conflict is a soap opera. Romance is just another element of character development and motivation. If you don't want to follow that angle, you're free to ignore it and pursue other relations. The game developers have already said they will be exploring other angles to character development, so I'm sure we'll all have something of interest.

<chant>Lich girl! Lich girl!</chant>

I am refering to the last page of part 2:

 

@jarpie

I would like to see a bromance too. Would really look forward to seeing that and indeed don't remember that being a topic in a game before at all.

 

I think if you made a non-biased vote about romances in the game u would get more votes in favour of them than the paladin and bards raised in their vote I also don't think that it will be a minority trying them if they are implemented, of course ALL people in this topic would try them, some to say they suck, others to really see what they have to offer. The fact that romances are such a big topic imho shows that people are using the feature. That alone is of course no reason to implement them. Has to make sense with characters and story.

 

@Loranc I am sure the information will turn up sooner or later. There is so much emotion here, someone has to find it. And your information about the main character only makes me even more curious, because now he sounds like the nameless one. *sighs*

Edited October 22, 2012 by Rink

Plot thread: two characters are chained together and on the run from the dreaded slavers. Will they escape? Will they become inseparable brothers in arms? Stay tuned...

It seems mods are masochists who just loves to read inane topic which just goes around and around and around and around and around and around and aroud and around and around on the exact same arguments as the sixty previous pages. :D

Edited October 22, 2012 by jarpie

You know what, since this thread seems to try to cover "relationships" in general aside from romances, I'll say something about that.

 

Mainly, that Avellone's approach makes me very happy. Romances are very common, so I'm much more interested in seeing other relationships with the companions. Go wild!

 

You know what, since we've talked about romances so much already, why don't we try to talk about these other types of relationships? What types would you like to see?

Edited October 22, 2012 by Lurky

uh...

 

No judgement.

 

But having an affair should be a viable option, even if it means that the affair is discovered and you end up losing half your gold.

Edited October 22, 2012 by metacontent

It seems mods are masochists who just loves to read inane topic which just goes around and around and around and around and around and around and aroud and around and around on the exact same arguments as the sixty previous pages. :D

Most those posts are yours so who's the real masochist?

QFT edvk!

 

Anyway, I'd perfectly ok with anything obsidian comes up to. I have total trust!

Oh, Come on. Another one of these threads?

Romance should be some part of the game. Some characters should have love interests, be they companions or NPCs in the background of the story. Some characters should be motivated by caring for another person in a romantic way.

 

How big a part? What theme is Obsidian driving for - it should fit in with the theme.

How much romance? Exactly the amount that fits into the writers and developers desires for the kind of game they are making and the story(stories) they want to tell.

What kind of romance? I'd prefer it'd not be the main character romancing the companions, but if that is what Obsidian is going with I'll be okay with it. I'd rather it was not companion / main character, and have it an optional side thing with a (or some) NPCs in the background (if it has to do with the player character) or, what I really want, side stories or (if Obsidian's plan) the main story.

 

What I don't want - some kind of "game" where you "pick the right options" and you "win", as a formula applied to multiple "romance options." That's not romance - that's achievement hunting.

 

In the end, like I'd wager most people on the forums, I want Obsidian to make the game they want to make the best way they can, and not include or exclude anything that THEY are passionate about just because a tiny group of people are advocating for or against it (regardless of what IT is.)

 

I hope they have a eunuch character background.

I'm liking Avellone's view on this whole thing. I want subtlety, the spectrum, not the easy cheese targets, and no lame psychotic-evil types. Curious.

 

Also taking bets----by 2014, we'll have Romance Thread pt. 48.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA

If you don't want romance between your characters then don't let them have one. Why is this such a hot topic? I personally feel that it adds another layer to the roleplaying experience.

If you don't want romance between your characters then don't let them have one. Why is this such a hot topic? I personally feel that it adds another layer to the roleplaying experience.

 

People who spout without reading all the history and reams of arguments.... no right to ask that question.

If you don't want romance between your characters then don't let them have one. Why is this such a hot topic? I personally feel that it adds another layer to the roleplaying experience.

People who spout without reading all the history and reams of arguments.... no right to ask that question.

 

That's a pretty high bar you set there. Did you read all the threads on romance, every post?

 

I didn't. And I'm not going to.

 

Sheesh.

I love a bit of romance in my games, so long as they aren't the loathsome pointless Skyrim marriage thing. If the characters are interesting and well written and the relationship is more than a getting into their pants mini game then I find romances add to my enjoyment of the game.

 

So in short I support casual slaughter during the day and Paladin snuggling at night!

Seeing as how the devs have pretty much shut down any and all possibility of sappy Bioware BG2-style romances, why is this thread still going? The chances of there being any romance at all is slim to none considering comments by Avellone, Sawyer, etc. What should be done is the thread should be renamed and repurposed. This should not be the "Relationship/Romance" thread. Instead, title it "Interparty Relationships." The devs are rightly persuing nuanced party RELATIONSHIPS. A greater emphasis has been suggested to rivalries, revenge, friendship and the like.

Seeing as how the devs have pretty much shut down any and all possibility of sappy Bioware BG2-style romances, why is this thread still going? The chances of there being any romance at all is slim to none considering comments by Avellone, Sawyer, etc. What should be done is the thread should be renamed and repurposed. This should not be the "Relationship/Romance" thread. Instead, title it "Interparty Relationships." The devs are rightly persuing nuanced party RELATIONSHIPS. A greater emphasis has been suggested to rivalries, revenge, friendship and the like.

 

The only thing that will kill this thread is when-if they announce there will be no romances or that there will be romances.

 

Then there will be a new thread titled "Why not romances?" or "Why romances?"

Edited October 23, 2012 by Morality Games

He said they were an "easy target" and other relationships were more interesting. Sawyer has stated they should be extremely well implemented or not done at all.

 

These are not neutral statements.

 

These guys don't want angsty teen conceptions of love in their game.

He said they were an "easy target" and other relationships were more interesting. Sawyer has stated they should be extremely well implemented or not done at all.

 

These are not neutral statements.

 

These guys don't want angsty teen conceptions of love in their game.

 

So there won't be angsty teen conceptions of love in their game.

 

The question was "if they will be there." Avellone basically said that the issue receives disproportionate attention because there are a lot of engaging relationships.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Morality Games

I do not believe your reading of his statement takes into account the context in which it was answered, the phrasing he used or past statements/products by Obsidian.