Player sexual companion

[Salinger]

Who are you to say Rats and Hyenas aren't cute?

The man with a sense of beauty. And who are you to say they are?

[Andraste]

What would be nice is to have an option to turn off same-sex attraction for those of us who are not so fond of it - but the defensive will argue "One can not simply turn off people from being attracted to the same sex in real life so why have that unrealism?" to which the thoughtful person replies "It's a game and as a game should respect people of all demographics equally". since one cannot simply avoid running into a same sex attracted npc if they are an integral part of the story.

 

I will agree to this only if there is also a toggle to switch off any and all references to heterosexuality. Equality, right?

 

As it is, a toggle for avoiding lesbian, gay and bi characters makes about as much sense as a toggle for avoiding people who like strawberry icecream.

[SonicMage117]

 

What would be nice is to have an option to turn off same-sex attraction for those of us who are not so fond of it - but the defensive will argue "One can not simply turn off people from being attracted to the same sex in real life so why have that unrealism?" to which the thoughtful person replies "It's a game and as a game should respect people of all demographics equally". since one cannot simply avoid running into a same sex attracted npc if they are an integral part of the story.

I will agree to this only if there is also a toggle to switch off any and all references to heterosexuality. Equality, right?

 

As it is, a toggle for avoiding lesbian, gay and bi characters makes about as much sense as a toggle for avoiding people who like strawberry icecream.

Yes, of course. I think there should be that option in any case. I would not impose my morals on anyone, and would expect the same on my behalf as I am not responsible for how any one plays or how should they play it. Neither are devs, according to their responses on such issues. And yet they try to "force" these choices on the players. I believe that is why romances seem to fail easily in rpg's.

[jf8350143]

Player-sexual companions can co-exist with companion who has his/her own sexuality. For example in DA:I Ironbull is bi-sexual and Josephine is player-sexual. Sometimes the sexuality didn't really influence the character's story or personality, so it didn't really matter whether they are player-sexual or not.

 

So I'm not against the idea of having one or two player-sexual companion in the game, as long as not all of the potential love interest is player-sexual. It opens up more options for different play through, which is always nice. Besides having romance in the game, but restrict it into only straight romance(or only gay but no lesbian,or vice verse) would become a PR problem, and having a player-sexual companion is one easy way to avoid that problem.

[Lord_Mord]

 

Yes, of course. I think there should be that option in any case. I would not impose my morals on anyone, and would expect the same on my behalf as I am not responsible for how any one plays or how should they play it. Neither are devs, according to their responses on such issues. And yet they try to "force" these choices on the players. I believe that is why romances seem to fail easily in rpg's.

Disclaimer: I think the idea of a "player sexual" companion is stupid as hell, but that is not the point.

 

Are we really that far that we need switches to turn off things we don't like? We are talking about an RPG and what you two are constructing here is a hetero/homosexual power fantasy depending on your particular point of view. Either of you should get used to the fact, that there are people that are not like you. If you dislike them, throw them into the bloodpool or whatever (it's still just a game), but then at least you have to acknoledge the fact, that they are there. Nobody is "forcing" anything to anybody (OK, in the case of Dragonspear that was kind of the case. When this hyperactive thing sprang into my face my first thought was to kill it), just because it is included in the game world. In games you have all kinds of aspects of human life. There is racism, corrupt politicians, ignorant scientists as well as altruism and cute little animals. As long as it fits there should be no problem.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Lord_Mord

[Lord_Mord]

 

but restrict it into only straight romance(or only gay but no lesbian,or vice verse) would become a PR problem, and having a player-sexual companion is one easy way to avoid that problem.

 

**** PR. If the character is gay/lesbian/hetero, than he/she is gay/lesbian/hetero. If there is no character in the game, where that would fit, than be it. I don't want to play a game that was written for PR purposes or to satisfy the wishes of angry kids.

[Wormerine]

 

 

but restrict it into only straight romance(or only gay but no lesbian,or vice verse) would become a PR problem, and having a player-sexual companion is one easy way to avoid that problem.

 

 

**** PR. If the character is gay/lesbian/hetero, than he/she is gay/lesbian/hetero. If there is no character in the game, where that would fit, than be it. I don't want to play a game that was written for PR purposes or to satisfy the wishes of angry kids.

Still as Josh stated they weren’t making a check list for sexual orientations, or aiming to have certain amount of romance options from the get go, I will give Obs benefit of the doubt and assume all romances in the game are natural, not forced and fit the character foremost, until proved otherwise after April 3rd.

[Silvestre]

Someone probably posted something like this... but the whole Iselmyr/Aloth thing could be a loophole for a bisexual character, if they'd go with Aloth being straight with both sides of his soul.

[Andraste]

Player-sexual companions can co-exist with companion who has his/her own sexuality. For example in DA:I Ironbull is bi-sexual and Josephine is player-sexual.

 

Iron Bull is pansexual and Josephine is bisexual.

 

(I know some people hate the pan vs. bi discourse, but this is what their respective writers say, so.)

[Lord_Mord]

 

Still as Josh stated they weren’t making a check list for sexual orientations, or aiming to have certain amount of romance options from the get go, I will give Obs benefit of the doubt and assume all romances in the game are natural, not forced and fit the character foremost, until proved otherwise after April 3rd.

 

As Josh made the impression of disliking romances entirely, I think he will try to make the best out of them and will try to find new ways. Personally I hope to see the first game ever, where I won't find them annoying.

 

But then again ... maybe he didn't want to have to do anything with them and gave the job to an intern.

[Juodas Varnas]

 

Player-sexual companions can co-exist with companion who has his/her own sexuality. For example in DA:I Ironbull is bi-sexual and Josephine is player-sexual.

 

Iron Bull is pansexual and Josephine is bisexual.

 

(I know some people hate the pan vs. bi discourse, but this is what their respective writers say, so.)

You forgot to put writers in quotation marks.

[Mannock]

As Josh made the impression of disliking romances entirely, I think he will try to make the best out of them and will try to find new ways. Personally I hope to see the first game ever, where I won't find them annoying.

 

But then again ... maybe he didn't want to have to do anything with them and gave the job to an intern.

Carrie and Kate are no interns. There's other writers than just Josh you know.

 

I'm sure the relationship aspect of the game will be great.

[Lord_Mord]

 

Carrie and Kate are no interns. There's other writers than just Josh you know.

 

I'm sure the relationship aspect of the game will be great.

 

I was just joking. What I meant is: Under Joshs supervision I don't expect anything too silly. But maybe he said: "Carrie and Kate: Do what you want" In which case I wouldn't know, what to expect. But it looks, as if the whole team has put a lot of effort in it, so I'm positive too, no matter who's what kind of sexual.

[MortyTheGobbo]

If I disapproved of the existence of redheads and didn't want them anywhere my fictional character in a video game, so I asked about a toggle to make them properly dark-haired instead, people would say I'm nuts. But wanting to switch off people who happen to prefer their own gender, or both genders, is apparently still a thing we're doing.

Edited March 12, 2018 by MortyTheGobbo

[Lord_Mord]

 

If I disapproved of the existence of redheads and didn't want them anywhere my fictional character in a video game, so I asked about a toggle to make them properly dark-haired instead, people would say I'm nuts. But wanting to switch off people who happen to prefer their own gender, or both, is apparently still a thing we're doing.

 

But you have to understand: Those redheads are continously trying to shove their redheadedness down my throat. And then there's those terrible RJWs (You can't see them, but they are everywhere. They even undermined the White House. And the Brewery Cooperative Hinterhaching.) always telling me what hair color to like or dislike. You don't have the right to force me to find redheads attractive! And after all: Most of the people that invested their money into the game are dark haired. Or at least blond. Wouldn't it be just unfair, if other-haired people would be all over the game? What if I want to romance a dark-haired character and there is none? What if there was, but I don't like her? If there wasn't a red-haired one, the chance of finding a character that I like would be much higher. I paid for that!

 

Sry, I couldn't resist.

[geala]

People quite often don't have enough distance to see the own bias. Hair color is a rather innocent example, you could create much more nasty cases.

 

I'm curious what the game will give us. And if there are no men or women I'd like or who'd like me I will search for a fitting mercenary and let imagination solve the problem.

[Gfted1]

I paid for that!

No, you didn't. You paid to have a game made in a certain genre. Everything else is up to the developer.

 

The slings and arrows of this unknown may be to much for some people though so you can remove this weighty burden by holding off on spending your money until you know what your getting. Win / win.

[Guest Blutwurstritter]

We already have violence in the game, now we need only some more sex, the weather and sports, PoE III shall be a blockbuster!

[alexis13]

Even as a woman I kinda agree, I mean on the one hand I don't care and I prefere being more attractive than my companions, but like Aloth looks more femininely attractive than most of the women, and that's not a joke or an exaggeration, if you look at his hair/facial features it's literally the truth.

 

Also not an insult to Aloth, good for him, just saying.

 

I like to hang out with cool companions that I can respect, I'm kind of a dark personality when it comes to power and combat, i want someone powerful and cool besides me, like a lieutenant.

 

Someone like Dorn from BG2 or Hexxat, maybe jaheira but a bit less of an ****, or even Viconia.

 

To make a comparison to what I don't like, I really didn't like minsc or jaheira's husband, both were too ridiculous and I couldn't appreciate them because I couldn't respect them, Xzar was also too ridiculous.  (relax everyone I know they were all funny and **** and I appreciate them for that)

 

I liked these characters attractiveness and style.

 

That being said they don't all have to be attractive, I like korgan but he wasn't attractive, but he had strength.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is I want companions I can respect, I find it hard to respect any of the companions in POE except maybe eder and durance.

 

But he doesn't just seem to mindlessly follow your lead either, or seem eager to please you and sniveling like the rest for them.

 

Eder seems fine to follow you, but not because hes eager to please, but because he doesn't really give a **** and hes really care-free and needs some direction, but would leave if ever he felt he had to.

 

Durance too kinda.

Edited March 18, 2018 by alexis13

[tinysalamander]

People still expecting romances will be anything other than a story of backstabbing, betrayal, and death…

[Yosharian]

People still expecting romances will be anything other than a story of backstabbing, betrayal, and death…

 

...so, they'll be romances, then?

[Andraste]

People still expecting romances will be anything other than a story of backstabbing, betrayal, and death…

 

We can only hope!

 

(Most of my favourite game romances end in tragedy.)

[rjshae]

The advantage of speculative fiction is the opportunity to explore new and unique situations. If the game is to explore sexual situations, I'd like to see it take a look at ones that are particular to this setting. For example, the implications of sexual relations with non-human intelligent creatures, or unusual ramifications of relations with the corporeal undead or animancy animations employing captured souls. Would a sexually obsessed animancer go so far as to encase the soul of the object of their affections into a shapely construct? Are there intelligent non-humans who keep humanoid concubines of different species? What about a degenerate brothel that maintains prostitutes appealing to a variety of tastes. &c.

[Yosharian]

If I disapproved of the existence of redheads and didn't want them anywhere my fictional character in a video game, so I asked about a toggle to make them properly dark-haired instead, people would say I'm nuts. But wanting to switch off people who happen to prefer their own gender, or both genders, is apparently still a thing we're doing.

This is a false equivalence.

 

Also, the Anders thing requires a nuanced analysis because one of the things that annoyed a lot of people was that turning him down made you lose companion points with him, no matter how you did it, even if you tried to do it in the nicest way possible or tried to be extremely charismatic about it.

 

It didn't help that Anders was pretty much despised by a lot of players anyway due to him being a whiny bitch.

 

Not a great way to introduce a gay romance to a mainstream audience.

 

I've no doubt 'ew I don't want gays in my games'-people exist, but I don't believe that that exact complaint was the main reason the Anders situation blew up the way it did.

 

Zevran for example existed in DA1 and there wasn't such a big deal made about him.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Yosharian

[playerone]

Agree with the spirit of the thread.

 

I ended up using the mercenary hire feature as a hot... I mean capable companion creator in PoE. Not a big talker but it's like she was made for me.

 

I have to admit I don't get the idea of romances that don't happen because the NPC isn't into your character. Does it really matter to anyone that their straight or gay romance is gay or straight when someone else plays?

 

I think I “heard” Deadfire will have a more sophisticated version of ME's flirt feature. That seems like a good way to keep the love alive. The downside of romance is if you're a completist that “quest” can run out long before you stop playing.