Romances

[evilcat]

Romances in video games. Interesting topic it is. Sometimes spark some heated discussions like 1st time Bioware showed some blured blue buttcheaks in ME1 (the horror), or Overwatch Tracer showed off her glutes, not to mention PoE tombstone with joke about transsex in world full of general prejudice. Players seems to be more exited about making war not love, at least in virtual fiction.

 

So what do You think about romances in video games, more specific crpg?

 

As for memorable examples:

• Mario and Zelda (or is it Link?) the first example of using sex drive to motivate players to smash head against the walls or abuse maschrooms.
• Witcher 2 or Deus EX HR, we was on quest to rescue our princess. There was probably some world domination plot also, not sure.
• Witcher 3, rescue the world yadda yadda, also some father-daughter relationship, this game is mosty about spending time with your daughters before great white cold gets us all. Also this game sometimes punish player if he playes to much with women hearts. Thumbs up for hilarious dialogues and love interest being own being not just token.
• Baldurs Gate 2, numerous instances, like party members fighting for MC affecion, or Hydralisc Scoundrel wooing Aerie out of party, or being able to turn Dark Drow a bit less dark.
• Dragon Age Origins: we could perform demonic abortion which changes ending and future of the world.
• ME123 FF7 (and more) as soon as we know each other she will die in most horrible way.
• Dragon Age Inqusition, Dorian and Iron Bull are romance interest, gay, and complex characters.
• KOTOR1 with a power of love we could cure dark side.
• Persona jRPG... that is some different way to play, but some people like it.
• Mass Effect 123 if we romance Liara it makes much more sense why she spends so much resources on saving commandor Shepard.

On the other hand there are examples of showing sex in the very casual way like Witcher 1. Probably not that bad (it is not like you are forced to do it). However need to decide if we show romance as serious plot element or joke (sex jokes always good).

 

Some thoughts:

• Spending all time together in enviroment full of threat and adventure leads to bonding and affection. Ignoring that is another game simplification (nothing bad).
• Romances could lead to greater immersion into story or be just other field of roleplay. Is my character romantic or more casual or prude?
• We could use romance interest for something, drive the main plot or start sidequest.
• Could allow advanced interaction with CNPC, like manipulate to dark side or something
• Allow more emotional exposition (most characters will not open too much even to their trusty leader) which some people enjoy.
• Dont need to be consumed before boss battle. Could carry on for whole game never having final declaration.
• Romances are interactive, which is abit better than lore stream of usual companion conversation.

How to do good:

• Unless main quest drive should be optional.
• Needs more dialogue options about love interest being our favorite companion since Garrus or dreaming about future.
• Love interest will probably be jealious for our "side quests"
• Possibility of screwing our romance over if we hooing too much, or make other major mistakes.
• Love interest dont need to approve all our action. Having moody  but extreme loyal companion... that is something.
• Love interest needs to be interesting as character on its own, even as bro
• Not all lovers need to be punchy, cute, soft and have dramatic trauma from the past.
• Need option to end at any given time, magic is gone and i feel nothing.

Had PoE1 romance potencial?

Well, Eder was already very dedicated almost worshiping watcher, also he is a simple man who probably couldnt resist magic girl who can literally touch his soul. But that would require more dialogue text, probably some sidequest to show us affection, and some scene under the stars talking about future in the stronghold with mini zoo full of soft creatures.

Pallegina, that would be another story, probably not consumed in any way, since she is bond by her duty and order. Diplomatic immunity does not protect against charm. That would be interesting if we tried, and she even wanted, but cant since duty. Real knighty story.

Aloth, it will be Aloth in the streets, Iselmyr in the sheets.

 

Romances generally increase production cost, since more text, and also it probably be better if we have companion quest to interact with choosen one, and we need skilled copywritter which is resource on its own. Not easy stuff.

 

Some ideas?

Edited January 19, 2017 by evilcat

[Guard Dog]

If it's done right it can be and interesting and enlivening part of the RPG experience. It is seldom done right. It never feels organic and usually is so clumsy it just ends up being a distraction. And to say nothing of the incessant bitching from players who didn't like the romance options, wanted someone different, etc. PoE and Fallout NV I thought did a really decent job of fleshing out interpersonal relationships with NPCs without the irritation of a badly implemented "romance".  I'd say keep doing that.

 

Skyrim did it the best IMO. You could have nearly anyone you wanted so there was nothing to complain about and it didn't matter anyway because they all said the same s--t.

 

The best in-game romances I've seen were mods. And the best part about them is you can pick and choose.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

Just go to pornhub.

[Gfted1]

I purposely manipulated the conversations to bang everything I could in the initial KOTOR mmo release. IIRC, my Sith Inquisitor got to with my mentor and 2-3 rando's throughout the game. Good times.

[Azdeus]

Generally dislike them, there is no way for me to really care about a character in a 40 hour game. While I can like them, there really is no interest beyond that. It becomes too shallow. The only game that really came close to it, was the relationship between Geralt and Yennefer, and that was because I had 2 games and a few books behind it.

 

Best sex scene I've ever came across though was from the brothel in JA2, black screen with squeaky bed noises and a smiley face that winked at you.

[Sarex]

Called it.

[redneckdevil]

So far the only good romances I have seen in a game was the ones hands off to the player or was baked into the main story. Hell I'd dare say the romance in PoE was actually done very well between 2 important people.

[LittleRose]

if it's optional and well written, it can add to the role playing, but I don't care if there isn't any romance option. What I really don't need in my games sex scenes. I don't mind them enough to avoid those games, but I don't think they add anything, and most of the time they're not even looking good, rather awkward.

 

Positive romance moments in a game? Hm.

I liked how Shepard looked at Kaidan's foto in her quarters before heading off to the suicide mission. I thought "Aw, she's missing him." It was kind of cute.

And I liked how Atton came after my Jedi in KotOR 2, just to tell her to be careful and hand her some medipacks. That was cute, too. I don't know if that counts for a romance, but I liked it.

But apart from that? Nothing I found really memorable.

 

I have a lot of complaints, though. Especially that Bioware seems to think women would prefer tragic cry babies. If you add romance options, give my lady a man, for goodness sake. She fights gruesome undead on a daily basis. She doesn't have the time or nerves to tuck him in at night because he had a bed dream or to hold his hand in a dark cave. She needs a solid partner with a steady mind to rely on. Do it right or don't do it at all.

I know a lot of people think, Casavir in Obsidian's Neverwinter Nights 2 was boring. But I prefer a boring character to an Anomen Delryn anytime. I liked his "someone hat to do it, so why not me?" attitude about securing the streets. It was exactly the way my female paladine was thinking, too. Those really found each other. It was just a coincidence that I was playing her the same way, it was my first playthrough after all. But the moment I met him, I knew she'd fall for him quickly.

 

I know there are no romances in PoE, but I like my party members, because I don't have any annoying cry babies in it. They all carry their package, but they still laugh and help each other without complaining all the time. Just a bunch of friends on the road.

Although, I like to imagine that my fighter and Eder keep traveling together, so maybe some day they'll be more than just close friends. There's a certain chemistry there, but they don't know each other well enough yet, and have other things on their mind right now. Still, in a couple of years, they might realise it. Long after the curtain's fallen and I can't watch them anymore. Who knows? I really like that thought somehow. It's not in the game, but that's fine, becaust it will take years to grow. Sometimes love takes that much time, so there's no need to squeeze it in the game. I can still roleplay the foundation of that relationship to be by letting them get along very well. I don't need any clumsy ingame dialogue for that.

 

So, dear developers, if there are romances, make the guys normal. You really don't need to give them a traumatizing past. If you want to make them interesting, look at Tyrion Lannister or Geralt von Riva. Those are strong characters with edges, who don't cry their tragedy and self-pity in my face every five minutes. They're characters I can work with in my roleplaying, and that's all I want.

Edited January 19, 2017 by LittleRose

[Fenixp]

Geralt von Riva ... who don't cry their tragedy and self-pity in my face every five minutes.

Wellllll... You're right that Geralt doesn't cry over his tragedy, he just constantly sulks over his tragedy.

[rjshae]

I prefer my Romans in a more classic setting.

[213374U]

I like the way they do it in CK2.

[HoonDing]

as usual the West is two decades behind

 

[the_dog_days]

I have lost all faith in humanity.

[LittleRose]

 

Geralt von Riva ... who don't cry their tragedy and self-pity in my face every five minutes.

Wellllll... You're right that Geralt doesn't cry over his tragedy, he just constantly sulks over his tragedy.

 

Yes, but at least he can take his own decisions.

[Malcador]

Love is a weakness.

[the_dog_days]

Love is a weakness.

And every weakness must be culled.

[Gfted1]

 

Love is a weakness.

And every weakness must be culled.

 

 

Oh you guys.... I know we're talking gaming but I feel the need to drop some unsolicited wisdom. Love, irl, is a definite strength.  

[Fenixp]

Love, irl, is a definite strength.

I didn't feel enlightened in the morning, but damn, now I feel like I can take on the world.

[Malcador]

 

 

Love is a weakness.

And every weakness must be culled.

Oh you guys.... I know we're talking gaming but I feel the need to drop some unsolicited wisdom. Love, irl, is a definite strength.

Case in point.

[Nonek]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujhImZbroIg

[tinysalamander]

My take on this — every single NPC is romancible (unless morally opposed to, roll some faithfulness/faith/story/whateverelsereasons at world generation) and recruitable with some templating magicks. Depending on how you are going about it revenge, jealousy, treachery, cruelty, espionage, attempted murder or battle royale with massive collateral damage to your property and/or sanity might follow. Or maybe you are a good* fella and everything works out.

 

* Good’s defined relative to NPCs in question.

 

[rjshae]

Gather game resources, raise your character's crafting skill, build your own romancable bot, then romance the cyber-crap out of her for extra XP. It amounts to the same thing really.

[SonicMage117]

I've never played a game where I thought "romance" was absolutely needed or fundamental to the core experience of the game.

 

But then...

 

The whole "What do you define as romance?" argument shall arise, I presume.

 

Well, I don't really qualify Mario and Peach as a romance prsonally because I mean, you knew that's who Mario wanted to be with but there was no dialogue, emotion, etc. and that's probably due to the limitations years ago. Mario and Peach was more of a companionship, like that of Sonic and Tails, etc.

 

I define video game romances as something more like what we see in Witcher series or Mass Effect... Sadly. They've always been horribly done, without any real depth or meaning. Sure. They might change the ending or open a quest but there are alot of games which have multiple endings that don't have any romance.

 

And I'm not sure if I've ever seen romances actually done right in a video game before, so I'm curious to how Josh will handle that for Deadfire - if romances will be in Deadfire.

Edited April 29, 2017 by SonicMage117

[Malcador]

GTA 5 had the best romances

[Fenixp]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltSOidHtxOk