How to Handle a Romance...

[Jiffy]

Answered.

 

[Pluto Pluto]

Do whatever you want! It doesn't matter if you get hate, it matters that you released something you enjoyed making (and in my opinion, not just straight people play games so the gaming industry, indie and corporate, should not be tailored ONLY for straights. It should be as diverse as the people who play. but its your game, and your opinion matters the most!). People will respect you for being brave with your game and it's content.

 

[Jiffy]

@Pluto Pluto Maybe I'm just being paranoid, I just don't want to victim of the wrath of the church (they can be ruthless 0. 0) Again, maybe it's just me being paranoid.

 

[Basileus]

I wouldn't worry about same-sex romance in your game. Bioware has been doing it for like 10 years and nobody raises a fuss anymore. If a highly anticipated and high profile game like Mass Effect 3 can have same-sex romance without riots and fires, then I think a small indie game like yours will be fine.

The real question is whether those options are there for the sake of being there or if they actually make sense for the character. If your game has a featureless blank slate for a protagonist, then do whatever. They have no identity or characterization so whatever is in the player's imagination goes. If your game has an actual character as protagonist, then the romance options should fit the orientation of the character. If you include romance options of both genders then your character is bisexual by definition, so make sure this actually makes sense for the character.

A protagonist with a character arc based on him being hopelessly in love with a woman should probably not have a male love interest that he can marry before his arc is complete (and even then suddenly being into guys would be odd without some foreshadowing). That would be like Final Fantasy VIII letting Squall romance Seifer and/or some male quest-giving NPC even though the plot centers on his romance with Rinoa.

 

[gstv87]

I don't see how romance is a thing in a farming simulator, but hey.... ¯\_ツ_/¯

regardless of gender or setting, I would make it go in stages.
every stage the characters go a little closer or further apart, with the protagonist having the next arc of narrative to think or develop that stage.

I guess the definitive question is "are the characters allowed to pursue the relationship?"
if the answer is yes, then the focus should be on what either character wants from that relationship.
if there's no danger to it, then there's no worry but their own fears.
if the answer is no, then the focus should be everyone else..... what they say, how they would react to the reveal of the relationship, what the characters gain or lose in exchange for that relationship.

 

[Jiffy]

@gstv87 Well... I guess I'm a way it pairs as a dating sim (think some of the HM games) where there is a village with NPCs that you can ultimately marry (I made a custom relationship system)

@Basileus I totally forgot about bioware. Thank you for reminding me, no one really did get mad about MA3 (besides the flipping ending). It might be harder for me to write dialogue, but I'll see if I can find some help for it. Thanks a ton

 

[Jiffy]

Ok quick update:
I removed romance entirely and replaced it with a "Buddy Point" system. Appeals to a larger group of people and matched better with the theme.

10/10 would friend zone again.

 

[Guiguimu]

But... If you want to do romance, may it be gay or not, why don't you just do it?
What do you prefer? Have a game that appeals to most people but you hate, or having something that you are proud of?
I wouldn't mind, love to me is what matters. Don't be afraid of critics, just go with what your hearts says it's best.
And even if it doesn't "matches better" with the theme... Well, wouldn't be nice to do something different?
It's your choice, but make sure you are happy with it!
Well this is my opinion, maybe it's a little late to give it now, but I wanted to help anyway.
Good luck with your project!

 

[mara_vertin]

I'm planning to do something similiar with my game so I understand why you're unsure about this.
It's quite shocking to see people becoming really ugly just because there is a gay couple in a tv show (or a game). Often it goes even so far that it has nothing to do with critic. It's just blunt pointless hate.
But I think when the player can choose if he or she want to play as a gay or a hetero character it should be perfectly fine. No need for getting mad about something you choose yourself, right? I would definitely like it.

 

[Larry Jones]

Forget about other people's ideas and "right" and "wrong" and start thinking about what makes sense to you. Choose your stances based on thinking things through, and use that to make your game.

 

[gstv87]

It's quite shocking to see people becoming really ugly just because there is a gay couple in a tv show (or a game).

depends on the show or game.
I've recently realized that it's more likely that people will be upset about one character being revealed as gay, if said character was taken by the people as a sort of object of admiration or worship.
it seems that lately everyone needs a messiah, be it artists, or game characters.

 

[Rayhaku808]

I can't use gay romance for any of my games so I always need to build my world and characters carefully. However, I have no problem with it being used in other games. As long as it's not forced for the sake of having gay characters to appeal to a wider audience. It should try to make sense, and I think these characters should generally have a rougher backstory.

 

[trouble time]

Do what you want to do without giving a damn about what other people think. Like you said some people wont like it either way, so id say , as actual cannibal shia lebouf said, just do it

 

[rpgdreamer]

Having a homosexual romantic option is just another opening for people of the same orientation to feel something for the game. That being said, there is no reason to have to include it, if you are otherwise uncomfortable or have any other sort of reservations. The narrative industry has been predominantly heterosexual for a very long time, as it is considered the normative. So if your game does not have a homosexual option, not very many people are going to bat an eye at it.

With that being said, if it's a simulation where the player is putting themselves in your MCs shoes, then I think it is a splendid idea to have the option. Anyone who wishes to turn their nose up at it doesn't have to play it. And the people who hoped the option will be there will have it. But in the end, as the developer it is up to what sort of vision that you have for your game!

 

[lemons]

(I hope this doesn't count as necro, it's been ALMOST a week, but not quite lol.)

As long as it's not forced for the sake of having gay characters to appeal to a wider audience.

This is an argument that I see a lot and it makes me SO annoyed because it just doesn't make any sense.
Listen; we are using RPG Maker.
Role Playing Game Maker.
The majority of the people who use this engine are creating Role Playing Games. The player assumes a role, which means that the player expects to be given choices about their role.
A player can be a different class, a player can equip different weapons, a player can choose who is in their party, etc etc.
If romance is a core mechanic in your game, why would you, as a game developer, put restrictions on that? It's unnecessary. We as game developers, in my opinion, should strive to make our games as open as possible, not make restrictions that just make our jobs harder. It's the easiest thing in the world to make NPCs player-sexual, why not do it? Making NPCs have specific preferences is just more variables, lol.
Of course I understand that the game is your own, and that you can do whatever you want with your game, and I respect that, but you should know that advertising your game as an RPG implies that the player can make choices about who they are, even if you personally wouldn't make those choices yourself. I never play as a mage, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't consider making that a class for my game, you know?

edit: I feel like I forgot to reference the thing I quoted, lol. My point is: there isn't anything "forced" about providing options; that's how options work.

 

[Rayhaku808]

@lemons i understand you completely. My closest family members are conservative christians however. Some of them game. So it just makes things complicated. But like I had mentioned, I have no problems with it in other games. But I feel that the more options that I see, the more generic the results of those are. I'm saying that in a general sense, but romance is affected too. I admire Visual Novels because of how much narrative goes into bringing two characters together. Lots of options, yet chemistry flows naturally between them. The Dragon Ages aren't too bad too though. Sorry for wall of text.

 

[cabfe]

Remember that most games (and probably yours) are... just games. Not Real-Life-Simulators.
If you don't feel like adding romance, regardless of the genres involved, don't include it. This is not a prerequisite.
Many good and successful games don't have any romance at all.

Now, about the OP's question, just do it if you think you can do it.
Most heterosexual people are unable to depict a believable homosexual relationship. It's best to avoid writing about something you are not confident with. Romance or anything else, by the way.
It's the same thing as someone implementing a crafting system when that someone hates it. Chances are high that it'll suck and better left out..

 

[Gin]

I love romances and games who have it. Those are so cool and I´m a big fan of it..
Love is a positive good thing, so just aim to make it that way.
Be sure to explain what the game is about, and always rate it accordingly to the ages of the gamers you think should play it, and everything should be fine. Haters will always hate, but you will love what you did, and so will a lot of other people who do not make their day on spreading hate. Above all, have fun.

 

[Basileus]

This is an argument that I see a lot and it makes me SO annoyed because it just doesn't make any sense.
Listen; we are using RPG Maker.
Role Playing Game Maker.
The majority of the people who use this engine are creating Role Playing Games. The player assumes a role, which means that the player expects to be given choices about their role.
A player can be a different class, a player can equip different weapons, a player can choose who is in their party, etc etc.

@lemons

I feel this part needs to be disputed as it is overly narrow of what an RPG is.

Choices like you describe are only integral to Western RPGs, games like Dragon Age and Mass Effect, and Elder Scrolls. These games are all about having "blank slate" protagonists so the player can create a character for them (Commander Shepard in Mass Effect has closer to a predefined set of personalities to choose from though). This is because a central focus in these games is freedom of expression - and this is because the protagonist is intended to BE the player him/herself.

This is completely untrue in most Eastern RPGs such as JRPGs, which the RPG Maker engine was specifically created to make (being a Japanese product that uses either Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy for the default engine depending on edition).

Character and emotion is central to an Eastern RPG with tight narratives that have characters arcs for the major characters, games like Final Fantasy, the Tales Series, and Chrono Trigger. The protagonist has a character of their own that is distinct and separate from the player. The player is NOT meant to be the protagonist, they are meant to step into the shoes of someone else to feel and experience what they do - much like reading a book.

Squall in Final Fantasy VIII has his own character, the player is not there to decide "who he is" for him. The central plot is the love story between him and Rinoa (more or less) so it doesn't really make sense to allow him to have other love interests. Squall doesn't have a class to change, he only ever wields Gunblades in battle, he doesn't get to decide who gets to be a party member, etc. The player can't decide to have him romance Quistis or Selphie or Zell because it wouldn't make sense for the character or plot.

But the game is still an archetypal RPG and no one disputes this.

Some people play RPGs to project themselves into the action - to wield the weapons THEY want to wield, to romance the characters THEY like, etc. Other people play RPGs to immerse themselves in someone else's story - to watch their character evolve as they go through trials and hardships, to see where this character's story will take them, etc.

If you want to make an open RPG that lets the player decide who their love interest will be, that's fine. Games like Fable let you literally marry any NPC you want. But don't claim that all RPGs need to let the player choose their own love interest or that they must provide options for all possible tastes by some definition of the genre. You may choose to make games that let the player make all of the choices at the expense of a tightly scripted plot and character arcs, but don't tell me I can't restrict the love interests in my game to fit the main character's personality and character arc.

 

[lemons]

don't tell me I can't restrict the love interests in my game to fit the main character's personality and character arc.

I never said anybody had to do anything, I'm just offering my opinion on the matter. If romance is a part of a specific game's role-playing experience, in my opinion, it should be as open as any other choice it offers. I'm not saying all JRPGs or story lines with pre-defined characters should have this mechanic lol. Squall is himself and I'm okay with that; that character isn't mine, I didn't create him, so I won't change him. Ms. ButtfaceMcCow, the dark elf with a Mohawk who shouts from the mountain tops and eats 37 sweet rolls a day, already has the world as her oyster and romance shouldn't be the one exception to that. Of course, again, just in my opinion.