Poll: Romance in Games, what's your take?

[kaukusaki]

You are not going to answer a single question?


How very disappointing.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[XIIIthHarbinger]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Amusing,


An individual of few words.

 

[kaukusaki]

Amusing,


An individual of few words.

straight up.

 

[XIIIthHarbinger]

straight up.

Why the edit?


I've already read your original message, & it's not as though I am one to take offense.

 

[kaukusaki]

Why the edit?


I've already read your original message, & it's not as though I am one to take offense.

because.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

Amusing,


An individual of few words.

 Let's avoid passive aggressiveness here guys. If one wants to argue take it to PM.


Topic is not about why Kaukusaki is not into romance?, or are people who are not feelers machines?, but what you folks think about romance?.


Back on topic, I would like to open Up the question of OP, that is about love stories in general.


seems everyone replied as their position on romance regarding their party characters but what about if love stories are maybe background stories between NPC.


Has the meaning of Romance now become synonym with a party game mechanic? Is romance simply choosing the best NPC or party member?


What if your party is helping star crossed lovers? or help the Kingdom's No1 Ecchi to build his dream harem?

 

[Matseb2611]

 Back on topic, I would like to open Up the question of OP, that is about love stories in general.


seems everyone replied as their position on romance regarding their party characters but what about if love stories are maybe background stories between NPC.


Has the meaning of Romance now become synonym with a party game mechanic? Is romance simply choosing the best NPC or party member?


What if your party is helping star crossed lovers? or help the Kingdom's No1 Ecchi to build his dream harem?

It's doable, but there is a high risk of the player simply not caring. Why? Because the romance in question doesn't involve them. When there's romance in the story, we as the audience want to experience it first hand and in a way to escape reality. If the story revolves around a character who is helping two others in their romance - well, it has to be written so well and the two NPCs that we're helping in romance must be so likeable and captivating that the player would become attached to them both on an emotional level. I personally think to make a plot like that engaging for the audience is even harder than a romance plot that actually involves the player as one of the lovers.

 

[watermark]

Yeah. Let's not get personal, people. Everyone should be free to be themselves here without getting attacked. And nobody should feel obligated to answer any personal questions. Come on group hug! And no more personal attacks. Let's get back on topic.


So. NPC romances?


While interesting, I think helping NPCs get together isn't as powerful as being the center of the romantic tension. Even in shows where the protagonist is a 'matchmaker' helping couples, you will notice the protagonist herself usually has a romance storyline as well. I suppose this is because the protagonist is the player's avatar. 


I mean It's more fun being the kingdom's number 1 ecchi than being his helpful sidekick who gets no love. Hmmm in fact that sounds downright painful. 

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

It's doable, but there is a high risk of the player simply not caring.

High risk high reward


There is one easy way for the player to care about an NPC romance: The sweet reward of LOOOT!!!


I'm not saying the whole story would revolve around helping two lovers, but it may be a sidequest.


And maybe there could be a love story not involving the main character, but two of your party members (if you use party interactions, or even viewing scenes a la star ocean).


I think love is all around, it's one of the strongest driving force in humanity, so it can be used to fuel a lot of a game's storytelling, and should not be limited to the main character's finding a love interest.


Are you familiar with Cyrano de Bergerac? That would be a story all about Romance, helping one deeply cared for friend romance your actual love, because it's actually the best for both of them.

I mean It's more fun being the kingdom's number 1 ecchi than being his helpful sidekick who gets no love. Hmmm in fact that sounds downright painful. 

That would be actually probably an awesome concept for a funny game, being the Sancho Pancha to a perverted Don Quixotte, but then it would be less about real romance, more about fun and minigames, and the sweet promise of LEWD

 

[Matseb2611]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. As a sidequest, it's a lot less risky, but as the main plot, I can tell it will put off many players, because not everyone wants to play the role of a councellor, which this essentially boils down to. Though, I guess the delivery is everything, and the intricacies of the plot would govern who will get interested in it.


For example, if the story is about my character's best friend wanting to find and rescue his lover and my character has to play the nurturing role and later helping the two lovers reconcile or discover feelings for each other (or worse yet ending up in a love triangle with them), then I'd pass on a story like that. On the other hand, if say I'm playing as a hardened badass bodyguard who is helping two young kids who feel for each other to flee an inquisition that's after them, now that's a story I'd be interested to try, because my focus would be more on the bodyguard character and his intentions on why he's helping them. I'm sure another person reading this would feel more interested in the former story than the latter. And this is what I mean. You're creating a very niche plot and risk alienating a lot of the audience, because when we play games, we want to escape reality and to feel special. Playing a game is all about us and our characters, and the story and all the emotions tied to it should concern our character at the centre of it. Being a supporting role character will put many players off.


That's my little rant anyways.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

For an RPG I agree it might not be the best fit. The Councillor concept though could be fun in a hybrid VN/Sim/RPG, where you would be grooming your teammates to achieve results and gain stats bonuses or loot.  (Imagine: Cupid's Dungeons Explorer Agency) but that is stepping further away from proper romance.

 

[Punamaagi]

I think that one reason why side character romances end up not being too interesting in RPGs is due to the usual "travel from A to C via B" kind of story progression in old school JRPGs. You don't get to spend enough time with the NPCs to grow very attached to them, and thus any romances between them may seem flat and uninteresting.


If such plot was given enough time and attention in a game, though, it could be very intriguing. I have been toying with the idea of a visual novel where you can develop romantic and platonic relationships with characters but also be a wingman (or whatever would be its gender neutral equivalent) for some of them and help them get together with someone else... but that's a story for another time and another forum, I suppose, heh.

 

[cabfe]

That discussion reminds me of the Aveline romance in Dragon Age 2.


In spoiler for those who haven't played the game:

Spoiler

You can try to romance her, but it'll never work. She's interested in another guy and it's a cute story, seeing how a warrior such as her can be so shy when it comes to romance.

 

[The Stranger]

Can't stand romances in games. They're rarely done well and tend to exist just for the inclusion of a poorly orchestrated sex scene. It's as if no other form of relationship beyond romantic interest can exist in a group\party - no brotherly bonds, no camaraderie, no general love for the group as a whole. Just a need to tap that ass. I wouldn't mind so much if these romantic entanglements were created in a believable way; perhaps show the negatives as well as the lovey dovey, fairytale, stuff.


That's my opinion on it.

 

[Celianna]

Let's keep it clean, do not get into personal attacks guys.



I like romance, in fact I'm making a romance game, but many romances in games feel badly written. I think it's mostly due to the fact that the writer thought "I need to add a romantic interest for my protagonist, let's add X." This 'X' person - gender doesn't matter - ends up existing only due to being a love interest for the main hero. They have no ambition, no goals, no nothing, they just want to love the hero unconditionally. That's boring and two dimensional.


So hey, if you want to add romance to your game, be sure to think of your character like a person first, with their own dream and goals of what they want out of life, that doesn't revolve around falling in love with the protagonist.

 

[watermark]

So hey, if you want to add romance to your game, be sure to think of your character like a person first, with their own dream and goals of what they want out of life, that doesn't revolve around falling in love with the protagonist.

I agree. I think one of the best advice I've received is when writing the love interest, write from her pov. In other words, imagine her as the main character for a moment instead of your protagonist. Thinking of your protagonist as her NPC opens up a whole range of ideas.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

That should apply as well to all npcs which are party members or main plot elements. They need to exist, have existed and keep existing beyond being part of your story, because they have their own stories.


Nobody wants to kiss a cardboard cutout.

 

[XIIIthHarbinger]

Nobody wants to kiss a cardboard cutout.

Apparently a great number of hormone addled teenagers are named nobody. (shrugs) Who knew. 

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

well to be honest there's also Peter griffin.

 

[Little Adventurer]

I agree. I think one of the best advice I've received is when writing the love interest, write from her pov. In other words, imagine her as the main character for a moment instead of your protagonist. Thinking of your protagonist as her NPC opens up a whole range of ideas.

That should apply as well to all npcs which are party members or main plot elements. They need to exist, have existed and keep existing beyond being part of your story, because they have their own stories.


Nobody wants to kiss a cardboard cutout.

I'll try...