Companions and Romance

[hatshepsut]

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

omg, what type? watcher type? cos the watcher can be literally any type

[Tarlonniel]

I have such a hard time imagining Aloth as romantic in any way that I am intensely curious to see what the writers dreamed up for him, but I also want to keep my Watcher from the first game. XD

It's a rather short, low key romance, but I think it fits him perfectly. The only thing I really didn't like was the ending.

[Fiaryn]

 

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

omg, what type? watcher type? cos the watcher can be literally any type

 

 

Remember how in KOTOR 2 Mira says "you're weird, old enough to be my dad, and not my type"?

 

I think it's fair that not everyone is into wandering murderhobos who see dead people.

[Balbanes]

 

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

omg, what type? watcher type? cos the watcher can be literally any type

 

 

Not so.  The Watcher must be a Watcher (duh), the leader of the party, the former ruler of Caed Nua, the slayer of Thaos, the redistributor of souls, the champion of Berath, etc.  It's possible one or more of those feats pours a bucket of cold water on Eder's romantic interest.

 

In particular, the Watcher does not seem like s/he could or would ever settle down on a farm, even discounting the high likelihood of going insane.  Might be a deal-breaker for Eder.

[Elarie]

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

 

This is one of the clunkiest things I consistently see with game romances IMO.  Sometimes it's done well in a believable way (like Aveline in DA2 - she is just *so* oblivious), but when an NPC's sexuality and general interest in relationships is established in game, and they turn the PC down for nebulous "you're like a brother to me" reasons, it kind of comes off as arbitrary dev "because we don't wanna" reasons.  In that case, I tend to prefer that the flirt options just aren't even there for that character.

 

It does seem a bit weird, especially seeing as he was the favorite companion from the first game according to their little survey thing. Also because he's always the one who looks out for you rather than giving you the same "omg you crazy person stop staring into space." Maybe that is what they meant by nuanced? That such a relationship can just be platonic. Still, I want to kick whoever made that decision. Especially after making this.

I mean come on Obsidian.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Elarie

[Aramintai]

Eder this, Eder that  . I tell ya, the best romance in the game is...with Modwyr the sword! 

[InsaneCommander]

My character looks so much better than in the first game that I want to romance her.

[PugPug]

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.

 

Does anyone know how this preference manifests? Is it just slower to start if you are not their preference, or is it actually shorter and less fulfilling overall?

[Fashion Mage]

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

 

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

 

Sorry, but that argument doesn't fly in a game where your watcher can literally have any personality.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Fashion Mage

[Yria]

The best part about Tekehu's romance so far is how pissed off Ondra is. The whole "I want someone better for my son, you stupid Watcher you!" thing was so awkward it cracked me up. I think this is the first time I see a romantic interest come in package with a horrible mother-in-law. Don't know about nuanced, but it's definetely realistic lol.

 

 

I have such a hard time imagining Aloth as romantic in any way that I am intensely curious to see what the writers dreamed up for him, but I also want to keep my Watcher from the first game. XD

It's a rather short, low key romance, but I think it fits him perfectly. The only thing I really didn't like was the ending.

 

Can you give us any details? What's bad about the ending?

[Baltic]

What exactly does Edér say when he turns the watcher down? It might be helpful to know that before debating whether it makes sense or not.

[Oblomovkin]

I'm getting the Maia flirt really early (male Watcher), I'm hoping for a Pallegina romance, but if not, I was going to try the Maia romance so I'm in a bit of a bind. It would be nice if one of the devs would drop a short guide. Also, I seem to have acquired the bug where the Kind Wayfarer ending didn't port properly. So the game assumes I didn't finish Pallegina's quest. I assume this affects disposition. I should add that when I met Pallegina at the docks with Xoti in my party, Xoti was jealous of my Watcher having known Pallegina (which hints at the Xoti romance).

 

I'm in the same boat

[Madrigaelle]

I'll update the first post with the information from the thread. Please let me know if I make any mistakes.

 

So far I think we have this:

 

Male Watcher:

 

- Xoti

-Tekehu

 

Female Watcher:

 

- Maia Rua

- Tekehu

- Aloth

About Xoti, I had a romance option she didn't rebuke, although I have a Female Watcher.

(Sorry for my bad english, it's not my mother tongue. Funny things can happen.)

[Nebty]

 

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

 

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

 

Sorry, but that argument doesn't fly in a game where your watcher can literally have any personality.

 

 

This is secondhand knowledge because I haven't gotten there myself yet, but a friend of mine said that when he turned down their watcher he said that he just wasn't in the right frame of mind to be thinking about romance at all. Which seems pretty reasonable given all the terrible things happening regarding Eothas.

[ashaantha]

What exactly does Edér say when he turns the watcher down? It might be helpful to know that before debating whether it makes sense or not.

 

Something about just not feeling that way, I don't know exactly what.

I do know if you run with Tekehu and Eder eventually banter takes them to have Teke saying "you and the captain traveled together all this time and you never?" and Eder replying with "That's not. uh. Not how things played out. Just never saw it that way."

So it does make sense in the way that Eder just never saw the Watcher with any feelings like that, he respected them but nothing more really. He does a list of everything but "feelings" that he saw them as but I can't remember it all. I'm disappointed as he would have been the only one I was interested in and it killed a lot of the excitement for me when he wasn't available but I understand it, they chose not to do as fans wanted for this character at least and made it this way instead.

[Fiaryn]

 

 

If Eder really isn't romanceable, it'd really make absolutely no sense because his sexuality was flaunted quite a lot in PoE1. I've also seen people say he can get together with Xoti, so it'd make even less sense. Like how is it remotely believable writing that Eder is okay with showing interest in several female characters but suddenly outright refuses a female player character for no particular reason?

 

Sometimes you're just not their type and that's okay.

 

Sorry, but that argument doesn't fly in a game where your watcher can literally have any personality.

 

 

Personality is not enough, despite what our fondest wishest might tell us. Sometimes "not being someone's type" can involve intrinsic characteristics you can't change.

 

Like being a wandering murderhobo who attracts natural disasters, speaks with ghosts, and could conceivably go barking mad at any moment.

[Progressive_Stupidity]

If the stuff about Eder is true, that actually comes across as very juvenile on the writers part. Like they’ve gone out of their way to make him unromanceable when really he was a natural fit for that feature if they’re gonna have romance in. It’s trite and contrarian, honestly. Especially if he turns you down saying he’s not thinking about that right now...but can get involved with Xoti.

[Lorenna]

If the stuff about Eder is true, that actually comes across as very juvenile on the writers part. Like they’ve gone out of their way to make him unromanceable when really he was a natural fit for that feature if they’re gonna have romance in. It’s trite and contrarian, honestly. Especially if he turns you down saying he’s not thinking about that right now...but can get involved with Xoti.

I kind of agree. Didnt Chris say that a kickstarter campaign would make them answerable to the players and thats what they wanted? Considering a lot of players wanted this and were expecting it as evident on many forums here and elsewhere over the last few days, its a bit of a kick in the face to the people who supported them.

 

I know some of the writers dont like romances, and thats fine. But they should be included for those who do. If you dont want it its easily ignored or turned down its not a big deal. I dont like to do a lot of things in work, but I do them anyway if it makes my customers happy.

[acrimony]

I spent twenty dollars on the Season Pass, and then found out that everyone who pledged at the Ultimate Edition level gets it anyway.

 

Now it appears that the only character I actually wanted to go down the romance path with isn't available, even though he shows interest in another character and talks about his ex.  

 

I'm enjoying Deadfire so far, but these two things are kind of putting a damper on it.

 

I guess if they have plans for Eder past Deadfire, having him be a romance option can be limiting for future storylines, but if they decided to troll fans, with some sort of "disappointment is a part of life" kind of lesson...um, yeah, lot of things in life are disappointing, but you don't purposely have to make fiction that way, it's not endearing in any way.

[morhilane]

A couple of posters here clearly haven't listened to what Edèr was saying when you start his personal quest or what his personal quest is about. Or the euphemism was too much?

[Voss]

A couple of posters here clearly haven't listened to what Edèr was saying when you start his personal quest or what his personal quest is about. Or the euphemism was too much?

At the start? He mentioned his 'old friend' was a bit of a screamer, but not much else.

 

But it doesn't seem to put the kibosh on the game going for E-dare\Chokey shipping

[Fashion Mage]

Personality is not enough, despite what our fondest wishest might tell us. Sometimes "not being someone's type" can involve intrinsic characteristics you can't change.

 

Like being a wandering murderhobo who attracts natural disasters, speaks with ghosts, and could conceivably go barking mad at any moment.

 

And yet, in regards to romance, every other character doesn't seem to give a rat's ass about the player's gender, race, past history, and so forth, but suddenly when it comes to Eder then it's "Oh but he can't feel that way due to something totally irrelevant".

 

To me it just seems like they didn't want to give in to the fans even when what they were going to "give in to" made complete sense and fit in perfectly.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Fashion Mage

[morhilane]

 

A couple of posters here clearly haven't listened to what Edèr was saying when you start his personal quest or what his personal quest is about. Or the euphemism was too much?

At the start? He mentioned his 'old friend' was a bit of a screamer, but not much else.

 

 

and you didn't understood that he was asking help to find a lover who joined the Dawnstars after Eothas died who he clearly loved to f***?

 

[Tamyn]

 

Personality is not enough, despite what our fondest wishest might tell us. Sometimes "not being someone's type" can involve intrinsic characteristics you can't change.

 

Like being a wandering murderhobo who attracts natural disasters, speaks with ghosts, and could conceivably go barking mad at any moment.

 

And yet, in regards to romance, every other character doesn't seem to give a rat's ass about the player's gender, race, past history, and so forth, but suddenly when it comes to Eder then it's "Oh but he can't feel that way due to something totally irrelevant".

 

To me it just seems like they didn't want to give in to the fans even when what they were going to "give in to" made complete sense and fit in perfectly.

 

 

And even if Eder found the Watcher's identity and lifestyle so abhorrent, he still will voluntarily spend months of his own life in the Watcher's close company, day and night, and not even for personal gain (such as when the Watcher is comatose). So that has not deterred him.

[Fluffle]

Oh man, always this drama about romances in a video game.

I see it that way, that romances are a topic where the developers simply cannot win/gain anything. They can only lose because no matter what they do, they cannot cater to all tastes, likes and preferences equally. Mind you not only the sexual preferences, but everything that involves the broader topic of romances.

In this specific instance there seems that a certain character is not available for romance (though I guess it's not 100% verified yet). Rejection hurts, doesn't it? Even if its just by a fictitious character.

 

Remember Pillars of Eternity 1, where there were no romances at all?
Well seems almost better that way, doesn't it? Because then it's equal for everyone. Nobody will be able to romance any of the NPCs then. But now in Deadfire romances have been introduced, but Edér doesn't seem to be available. Well, shame on the developers!

As I see it, the developers were very reluctant to introduce romances to the game series. I may have my suspicions as to why.
All that drama that romances bring. Of course, the drama also happens when you don't include any romances. People will be outraged. So you introduce romances and you hope you will appease people. Oh no ho ho ho, you couldn't have been more wrong!

Now people will be enraged because not every single possible preferences (and again I'm not only talking about sexual preference) was included: Edér doesn't seem to be romanceable.

Must be an agenda by the devs. How dare they to not cater to my needs? It must be because they want to teach me a lesson! How dare they to teach me a lesson?!

That's the great irony of the topic of romance. It creates so much fury, hate, frustration, resentment and contempt that in the end I think any reasonable developer would have to wonder if it's worth it. But don't expect any less contempt when you don't include them in the first place. People will always find a reason to make the devs lose on this topic, no matter what they do.

As always, just my subjective opinion, which you may or may not agree to.