Companions and Romance

[Aramintai]

Just throwing this out there if someone wants to give it a try...  I ran across a possible way to farm approval points from both Aloth and Pallegina during the same conversation.  It's during the quest A Tidy Performance.  You get the quest on Dunnage from the stage performers in the Radiant Court section.  During the quest you have to talk to Harker, the owner of King's Coffin about paying off Taerna's debit.  When you talk to Harker just pick pay off 700 debt, both Aloth and Pallegina will approve.  Harker will then raise the amount, just end the dialogue.  Start the conversation again, picking the 700 debt and Aloth and Pallegina will approve again, rise, repeat.  Aloth started his level 2 approval conversation because of this.  If someone wants to try it to confirm, I reloaded because I didn't want to start the romance then, plus it's an exploit, but now I'm kinda wishing I kept it.  

 

Also I'm wondering if anyone else has had the event where a drunken crewmember knocks on the Watcher's door asking for sex?  Apparently everyone on that ship wants the Watcher except for Eder and Pallegina.

Nice, I've tried it and it works. I doubt devs will fix anything in ****ed up relationship system any time soon, so this exploit is as good as it gets to fix him. Certainly cleaner than using a mod or console command.

 

And yea, I've seen the drunken crewmember event, but only when I aimed for mutiny achievement. It seems that if you keep the crew in bad morale bad events start to happen all the time.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Aramintai

[Aramintai]

I've made a bug report of all the bugs people have encountered with the relationship system:

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/99004-collective-summary-of-all-the-glaring-bugs-in-the-relationship-system/

 

Feel free to add anything I might have missed.

[nickclark89]

 

You realize this game was kickstarted right?

 

What the hell do you think they did for that?

 

So many kickstarters are the definition of pandering to an audience. What did you expect?

 

Nothing, I'm glad I wasn't expecting much from POE2 romances. Not really surprised or disappointed by the lack of effort. And all the pandering is for profit - commercial companies don't work for charity and they'll do anything to get a customer. 

 

 

Pandering is such a homophobic excuse to show discomfort to LGBTQ people while sounding as delicated flower so please stop saying it. Media have been pandering straights people since dawn of time and still. Bi characters in this game are bisexual, and they are as realistic as bunch of straight characters in the party. Get over it.

[Zack Fair]

 

 

You realize this game was kickstarted right?

 

What the hell do you think they did for that?

 

So many kickstarters are the definition of pandering to an audience. What did you expect?

 

Nothing, I'm glad I wasn't expecting much from POE2 romances. Not really surprised or disappointed by the lack of effort. And all the pandering is for profit - commercial companies don't work for charity and they'll do anything to get a customer. 

 

 

Pandering is such a homophobic excuse to show discomfort to LGBTQ people while sounding as delicated flower so please stop saying it. Media have been pandering straights people since dawn of time and still. Bi characters in this game are bisexual, and they are as realistic as bunch of straight characters in the party. Get over it.

 

Stop using this "homophobic excuse" for dismissing criticism. Nobody in this thread said that they are unfomfortable with bi characters. Those who are criticizing are just saying that it is lazy writing to make all the characters bi, just for the player can romance anybody they want. If I was a bisexual person, I would probably be more offened to be represented this way. Not being in the game for a meaningful purpose, as a well defined character, but just for romance option for everybody.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Zack Fair

[Andraste]

Not being in the game for a meaningful purpose, as a well defined character, but just for romance option for everybody.

 

But Tekehu, Aloth, Maia, Xoti and Serafen are just as meaningful and well-defined as Éder and Pallegina. (Well, we've had more time to get to know those two than the new companions, but the same goes for Aloth. They're certainly just as fleshed out as the POE1 companions we got to spend a single game with.) They all have a purpose in the story - each of them is tied to a faction and gives us insight into particular bits of the world building, as well as having their own personality and character arc. It's not like they're just there for boning.

[AudreyBee]

I'm going to try out Aloth's romance which will hopefully be bug free for me. One unexpected thing that's added to the story i think is Tekehu immediately hitting on the Watcher, and then literally every time Tekehu speaks at all now Aloth seems irritated. Lol it's easy to work with that and imagining Aloth is jealous before any of the romance dialogues with him have even started.

[BrokenMask]

If you ask me, new characters(I dunno if you can romance any of the old ones) do feel like they are all bi. I mean, its not like Dragon Age 2 where lot of characters feel like they are Hawke!sexual rather than bi. Edgelord elf guy expresses interest in some NPC/companions that are women, but he never expresses interest in men outside of Hawke's flirting. Anders is also weird example because in DA 1 he was ladies man and in DA 2 with male!Hawke he seems to be mainly into men with his dead lover and all. Maia, Tekehu, Serefen and Xoti all do express interest in both genders outside of the main character from what I've seen. So in that way I think its handled well, you feel like characters are actually bi and its not make big deal out of it.

 

 

That said, if you want the game to have good amount of diversity and LGBT representation then having everyone being bi isn't good way to do it yeah since homosexuality isn't same as bisexuality. Either way, I did feel like everyone was written as bisexual, though I do agree it was probably done for sake of player's freedom rather than representation itself, but I don't think that is inherently bad reason to do it, though it depends on what your opinion on video game romances is in general.(I think option for them is nice for roleplaying and story you want for your character. While they tend to be cheesy or sappy, I don't think its wrong to people to like cheesy or sappy stuff)

[Andraste]

I do wish there were more LGB characters outside of the party. Judging by everyone's behaviour, nobody in Eora seems to have a problem with same-sex relationships, so I'd expect to see a few around and about. I haven't run across any yet, although it's possible I've missed something somewhere.

[Zack Fair]

I do wish there were more LGB characters outside of the party. Judging by everyone's behaviour, nobody in Eora seems to have a problem with same-sex relationships, so I'd expect to see a few around and about. I haven't run across any yet, although it's possible I've missed something somewhere.

I can agree with this. Miraculously a party of bi characters happened to meet with the player, so at least we should have met some LGB characters out in the world. (of course, not in a into the face way Beamdog and Bioware wrote them in their games).

[E.RedMark]

If you ask me, new characters(I dunno if you can romance any of the old ones) do feel like they are all bi. I mean, its not like Dragon Age 2 where lot of characters feel like they are Hawke!sexual rather than bi. Edgelord elf guy expresses interest in some NPC/companions that are women, but he never expresses interest in men outside of Hawke's flirting. Anders is also weird example because in DA 1 he was ladies man and in DA 2 with male!Hawke he seems to be mainly into men with his dead lover and all. Maia, Tekehu, Serefen and Xoti all do express interest in both genders outside of the main character from what I've seen. So in that way I think its handled well, you feel like characters are actually bi and its not make big deal out of it.

 

 

That said, if you want the game to have good amount of diversity and LGBT representation then having everyone being bi isn't good way to do it yeah since homosexuality isn't same as bisexuality. Either way, I did feel like everyone was written as bisexual, though I do agree it was probably done for sake of player's freedom rather than representation itself, but I don't think that is inherently bad reason to do it, though it depends on what your opinion on video game romances is in general.(I think option for them is nice for roleplaying and story you want for your character. While they tend to be cheesy or sappy, I don't think its wrong to people to like cheesy or sappy stuff)

correct me if I'm wrong , but in DA2 they weren't Hawke sexual . I mean , Anders had a relationship before hawke showed up and after (it's part of the deal you make with him to have him) . Varric was in love with someone too in the past . Isabela was married once upon a time . Fenris married his tattoo *snicker*..

Sebastian the chantry , and Merril was too busy with a reflection  

 

I'm on the side that companions should be for everyone . Since you cannot know before hand which companion gonna get on your nerve and who gonna be that Garrus Vakarian buddy . 

 

Some peoples argue that it make companion feel shallow and not authentic , I argue that it really doesn't change anything . Anders was still whiny , him sleeping with a male!Hawke won't make him less whiny in the end . 

[BrokenMask]

 

I do wish there were more LGB characters outside of the party. Judging by everyone's behaviour, nobody in Eora seems to have a problem with same-sex relationships, so I'd expect to see a few around and about. I haven't run across any yet, although it's possible I've missed something somewhere.

I can agree with this. Miraculously a party of bi characters happened to meet with the player, so at least we should have met some LGB characters out in the world. (of course, not in a into the face way Beamdog and Bioware wrote them in their games).

 

I do think I remember two of rautai guards talking to each other about how guard's girlfriend left them... Because he slept with her brother. I think there might have been other background conversations but I can't really remember

[Ildun]

If their relationship is good will they romance with each other? For example Xoti romance with Eder?

And will bad relationship between companions( not between me ) cause one of them leave?

[E.RedMark]

hum i told eder to give Xoti more credit when he ask you what he should do about talking to her . Since I was romancing Maia , in the slider they did end up together . Don't know about bad relationship . Pallagena hated Xoti and the fish guy but in the end..they all went their own way . 

[jf8350143]

Xoti can ended up with Maia if you didn't romance any of them. Not sure about Xoti and Eder, in my ending they just become really good friends, which is kind wired because Xoti becomes a murdering psychopath later.

[Ildun]

Xoti can ended up with Maia if you didn't romance any of them. Not sure about Xoti and Eder, in my ending they just become really good friends, which is kind wired because Xoti becomes a murdering psychopath later.

 

WHAT?! Xoti becomes psychopath?!

[Voss]

I liked how the game handled the character sexualities. Each of them make it clear that like both men and women without it feeling forced and without resorting to falling back on the promiscuity stereotype. Special mention goes to Maia here, don't think I've seen a bisexual character handled that much to my liking in a game before and they really hit the nail on the head. It's also nice to see male characters being so open about it, since it's usually reserved for women.

 

Eh? Both Maia and Serafan rather exemplify the 'promisicuity stereotype.' Maia is just awkward about constantly running into former lovers with a current one. Haven't spent much time with Tekehu in the party, but his urge to share his gifts doesn't seem that much different- he comes across as a teenager burying his insecurities under sex (and being able to talk to his 'mom' about him doesn't help that impression). Edited May 14, 2018 by Voss

[E.RedMark]

 

Xoti can ended up with Maia if you didn't romance any of them. Not sure about Xoti and Eder, in my ending they just become really good friends, which is kind wired because Xoti becomes a murdering psychopath later.

 

WHAT?! Xoti becomes psychopath?!

 

well..I don't know about psycho lol but in her personal quest there are 2 ways to go about it . 

[Zeitzbach]

I find gay Orlan flirting cute. Especially because Serafen is very confident in what he do and my char is supposed to be a fragile tsundere.

[Palas]

Hmm... can't understand, why some people are so angry or disappointed about Eder and Palligena not to be romanced. Well i like Eder much and i hoped he would be a romance-option, but its okay that he is not.

 

He even tells u, why not und for me it was ok.

 

Eder is for the watcher what Sam was for Frodo. Even if Frodo were a girl, i cant imagine a romance between them. So in my view it fits well for Eder not to be romanced.

[Ryz009]

Okay that disposition cheat *finally* allowed me to get Aloth above 0.

 

THat's it. I'm using it until they patch it which is hopefully never.

[Judicator]

They're a bit bugged at the moment. Xoti went off on Pallegina as soon as the latter joined the party. I assume that was supposed to happen after enough time.

[Juodas Varnas]

Hmm... can't understand, why some people are so angry or disappointed about Eder and Palligena not to be romanced. Well i like Eder much and i hoped he would be a romance-option, but its okay that he is not.

 

He even tells u, why not und for me it was ok.

 

Eder is for the watcher what Sam was for Frodo. Even if Frodo were a girl, i cant imagine a romance between them. So in my view it fits well for Eder not to be romanced.

Wait, you mean Sam and Frodo weren't into some dirty hobbit on hobbit action during their travels?

[Ildun]

*sigh* More depth is good thing, but now it seems just confusing.

 

I think one of the main cause is we cannot stop prompt dialogue. Now I'm afraid of bringing some companion.

[AyanneCZ]

Ya know, when I donated to the kickstarter to help reach the relationship tier, it never occurred to me that they would choose not to make Eder or Pallegina a romance option. It just seemed to make more sense that you would get to build up from your relationship in the first game. I guess they never made any promises but its still a jerk move. 

 

I guess since my first two picks are out that leaves Maia. She better be awesome or my Watcher is gonna die a single cat lady.  

 

I saw on another thread that Maia is bi with a preference for women, and Xoti is bi with a preference for men. So they can be romanced by either gender. 

 

I know, right? Same here. Especially with my prediction of the start of the game coming true and my lady Watcher waking up next to a worried Edér

Seriously, JOSH! You teased us so hard with Eder romance in the Valentines day update, and now you break our hearts!? Well, I guess my Watcher will die a virgin then... :/

 

[Tamyn]

 

 

Also I'm wondering if anyone else has had the event where a drunken crewmember knocks on the Watcher's door asking for sex?  Apparently everyone on that ship wants the Watcher except for Eder and Pallegina.

 

I don't remember anything about drunkenness being involved, but I got a scene where a dwarf just walked into my cabin and started stripping. My Watcher naively asked her what was going on and the dwarf said she had an itch my Watcher could scratch. I didn't even remember who this person was, I only looked at her later on the crew roster and her personality was "impulsive", so I figured that was why.

 

I guess word got around about how lonely my Watcher was, haha.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Tamyn