73 réponses à ce sujet

[mopotter]

Aris Ravenstar wrote...

I don't know if I'd buy a new BW game without a romance option, honestly. I didn't buy Awakening.

I'm a romantic. I ship characters in most of my favorite TV shows and movies, and I'll watch shows I probably wouldn't have watched otherwise if I happen upon an episode and see two people with chemistry being adorable together.

I appreciate that the romance storyline is not what the entire game is about; I don't play dating sim games or whatever either. I want to have my cake and eat it too, adventure and romance. BioWare games are the best of both worlds.

Agree.  They are the only game company I've found who gives me the option to play a woman or man and does a romantic relationship that works for both.  One that isn't tacky or plain silly (fable) which means that right now I'll pick up their game before I buy someone elses.  

I'm also a romantic and my favorite movies have some kind of romance vibe  Lady Hawk, True Lies, Tank Girl and of course Han Solo and Professor Jones.   Books like The Count of Monte Cristo, Hondo, The Zero Stone.  Romance isn't the most important part of the story, but it is something that makes BW games a step above others.

[mopotter]

Finis Valorum wrote...

mopotter wrote...

I think without the romance I personally, wouldn't have any reason to buy them before I buy any other game. The character creation, character/NPC interaction, story, including the romance, are what make them special for me. The romances add a special something that makes the game complete. A friendship only story wouldn't do that, for me. That said, I don't like romancing everyone or the majority of your companions. I can do that in Fable and I find it boring.

FallOutNV has done a better job with their characters but they are still a bit stagnant (to me). It's fun but BW games are so much more.
If BW still had the great story, ability to play male or female and went down a friendship only path I'd be disappointed but still play them, They just wouldn't be in the pre-order, 1st to buy list if two games came out at the same time.

True the optional romances are a nice touch and help to distinguish Bioware from its competitors as well as provide an in game motivation for your character should you wish it. If Bioware were to actually make a game with no romances whatsoever I would most likely still buy and play it if the story and setting appeal to me, but I would wait until there was a good mix of both professional and personal reviews available before making the actual decision to buy it and not place a pre-order.

FalloutNV was excellent (especially in the way they treated gay and lesbian characters as actual people) but NV being a sandbox world makes it that much more difficult to really integrate companions into the story the same way that Bioware can. I would actually be curious to see how the writing team behind New Vegas would handle a more character driven linear RPG of the sort Bioware's famous for since I was quite impressed with their handling of the companions in New Vegas.

So would I.  I liked all of the characters in NV and was very happy with Veronica. Cass, Arcade and Boone.  They were all interesting, well rounded complete characters.  Yes I agree, the sandbox would could be a problem but  If they want to I can see them doing a linear rpg, combining the story, romance and action in a good way.   

I'm interested in seeing how Elder Scrolls Skyrim handle their characters.  I've read that you can get married and I'm not sure if I should be worried that they are going towards fable (I play Fable and it's fun, but not in the way BW games are).  Or hopeful that they are going to be the next "complete" game experience.

[MeAndMySandvich]

Rojahar wrote...

MeAndMySandvich wrote...

Rojahar wrote...

Ever since the first Mass Effect (and including DAO), romances have just seemed like some fanservicey dating-sim minigame on the side, rather than something that actually enhances (or even relates to) the plot in any way.

DA:O actually did an acceptable job with integrating Alistair and Morrigan into the story, I thought. But yeah, in general modern bioware is terrible at integrating romances. Honestly, even Witcher 1 (i.e., that game with the sexist "sex card" mechanic and generally immature take on sex in general) did a better job at making relationships part of the story than Mass Effect 2.

But thats exactly what I'm saying. Only LIs tend to be important to the story. However, the romance plot itself is irrelevant to the story. Things with Alistair and Morrigan dont change, regardless of if you romance them or not. The romance is basically just a fanservicey minigame.

At least in Alistair's case, the romance/non-romance state affects the ending, and the romance/non-romance state for Morrigan affects Witch Hunt. But I agree that in your average Bioware game the romance could definitely be classified as a "fanservicey minigame."

[Rusty Pabst]

Don't remember romance in Knights of the Old Republic or Jade Empire and they were great. On the other hand, the thought had cross my mind while playing them and when ME1 came out it was like, "Oh, I guess everyone else was thinking that, too."

[paptschik]

I'm a sucker for romances...games can get my interest solely because they feature romances that the player is actively involved in. Frankly, if more of them were released here, I'd totally buy some dating games.
So, no romance in a bioware game would very much disappoint me. It already broke my heart that I couldn't romance Sigrun in Awakening.

[-Skorpious-]

I never saw the appeal of romance in videogames. As of now, only one of my 7 Shepard's is involved in a relationship, and even then its only because Garrus is, well, Garrus. =p

So yeah, I'd say games can be completely enjoyable without romance sub-plots.

[mopotter]

Rusty Pabst wrote...

Don't remember romance in Knights of the Old Republic or Jade Empire and they were great. On the other hand, the thought had cross my mind while playing them and when ME1 came out it was like, "Oh, I guess everyone else was thinking that, too."

This just shows that if you don't like the romance you don't have to do it.  KOTOR had one of the best romances I've ever played.  Bastila and Carth both had great dialog, humor, tender moments and have never been beat (imo)

JE had multiple romance options.

None of the romances have ever been required.  They are just extra benefits for those who like them, which includes me, and as mentioned I hope they continue to include them.  But I don't need to romance every character I meet and I don't need more than 4 choices.  2 stratight to same sex and DA also had a great romance, just suck ending in Alistair romance. (IMO).

[mopotter]

-Skorpious- wrote...

I never saw the appeal of romance in videogames. As of now, only one of my 7 Shepard's is involved in a relationship, and even then its only because Garrus is, well, Garrus. =p

So yeah, I'd say games can be completely enjoyable without romance sub-plots.

Sure.  But the romance in BW games stand out because they are a choice and not (usually) tacky.  And it's one of the things that does make them better (imo) from other companies, along with the customization, NPC characters and story, 

The romances in the past have evolved the same way a romance in life evolves.  You talk, you laugh, you talk, flirt a bit, laugh and eventually realize the person your flirting, talking, laughing, crying with is someone you love.  The have done this extremely well in the past.  

My only wish is that they would stop trying to please everyone because that's not possible and waters down the whole story experience.  I have played some of their games where the romance options were not my personal favorites but they were still good and I still enjoyed checking them out.   

As others have stated, including me, without the romances BW no longer is at the top of my purchase list, they just go in with the rest of the games I like and pick up sometimes when they go from $59 to $19.  

[magelet]

To some extent, the romances add to the story. That being said, I don't think it'd kill the story not to have romances. It would be like watching a movie or book with no romance; it can still be entertaining for other reasons.

However, Bioware is known for making really fantastic characters, which is probably why a lot of people are so attached to the romances. If they were going to do away with the romance, they would have to keep some good character interactions in.

[Wereparrot]

Absolutely, and incidentally it's the viable only compromise possible in the s/s row. I wouldn't blame Bioware for deciding that if it's going to cause issues then no romance for anyone. I usually romance someone in ME and DAO (unless I marry Anora, which, while political at the time, could prove to be romantic, so include that if you will) but I may never romance anyone in DAII, because I don't like any of the options.

I would also like to see an Aragorn-Arwen style 'pure' romance.

[goofyomnivore]

I would buy it if it is a good game. I was playing RPG and other games long before "romances" became part of the equation.

[Robhuzz]

Romance has become an inextricable part of BioWare games over the years. I honestly couldn't picture any BW game without it. Naturally BW won't be able to remove romances from ME3, nor would I want them to seeing as we've been able to spend 2 games developing this romance. For a new title however, I wouldn't mind if there were no romances. As long as they spend the time they're saving on other things. Many romances seem to be fanservices anyway that don't improve the overall quality of the game. Removing these seems like a sound plan.

Oh, and OP: Nice work on thinking of a topic that hasn't been discussed to death on these forums. Especially with so many people trying to turn BW games into dating sims, this topic is a welcome break.

I would also like to see an Aragorn-Arwen style 'pure' romance.

This would be very nice but keep in mind people will always be whining about 'fairness'. Aka all LI's need to be equal. And creating an Aragon-Arwen style romance (which was awesome) for every single LI would just cheapen the romance altogether.

Modifié par Robhuzz, 20 juillet 2011 - 06:48 .

[mineralica]

Romances are sort of continuation of establishing the emotional connection with characters. Well, when I as a player care about the character and my hero somehow reflects me, it's not surprising where the things sometimes go.

The thing that bothers me is butchering the friendship dialogues with possible LIs. I absolutely loved Morrigan's friendship dialogues when she called my mage a sister. And what I had in ME2? Endless calibrations from supposed BFF Garrus? F**k off from Jack to whom my biotic Shepard is really compassionate and genuinely trying to help? When large parts of backstory and character development is transited to "romance exclusively", romance isn't the tool for better understanding characters but something opposite.

At this point, I'd better won't be able to romance anyone at all than have at least 5 from 12 squadmates having nothing to say just because Shepard doesn't romance them.

About how I hope romances will be done in ME3:

- all LIs having friendship dialogue version as well. They may present shortened version of events, don't talk too much about their personal feelings but acknowledging you are friends and suggest things friends usually do - have a party on Citadel/Omega, suggest to watch Blasto, shoot pyjaks on Tuchanka depending on personality.

- returning LIs understanding that they had relationships with Shepard before, so no for "flirt-flirt-flirt-night before final mission" scenario but reassuring Shepard, talking about plans on future, etc. To make this shorter: scene on Normandy in LotSB if Liara is romanced.

- if there will be several possible ways to romance same character (romanced before/started anew, opposite sex/same sex romance or all three options), then the more differences between dialogues for this options the better. Many differences = character development and deeper understanding the views on life, maximal neutral dialogue which covers all options = changes fallen out of blue and old fans getting no continuation of romance.

- no "save something important for fighting Reapers or save LI" choices, please. Same goes for "sacrifice Shepard or sacrifice LI".

- optional - more moments like lockers scene from ME1 is welcome.

[LilyasAvalon]

I play Bioware games for plot mostly, especially the games like Mass Effect. I could live without a story having no romance, but then it'd just get boring too quickly for me unless it had a VERY engaging storyline and other options of connection with other characters (Like AC or Portal).

I don't like the idea of the hero being asexual, love/romance/sex offers a kind of weakness for them, a challenge of plot line (Like choosing between a friend and a lover on Virmire). It also adds more depth to the characters and plot lines. In ME2, you pretty much could no longer talk to Squadmates unless you were romancing them after their loyalty missions.

Modifié par LilyasAvalon, 22 juillet 2011 - 06:45 .

[KainrycKarr]

GodWood wrote...

mykeme wrote...
What is it about romance in video games that attracts you

Further roleplaying oportunities, added emotional depth, another layer to the PC etc. 

how graphic do you think the romances should be (fade to black or ME1-style cutscenes?),

I honestly see no reason why they shouldn't just be full penetration.
I'm an adult. I know what's going on. So why hide it from me? 

and would you buy a Bioware game - ME3, for example - if it had NO romance option and this was officially announced?

I buy other games without romance options so yes.

This, although I don't particularly feel the need for full penetration.

Bioware is one of the few developers who actually writes love stories that the player has some say in.

[Silentmode]

I think the 'mances improve their games for sure. It adds another layor of depth to the main character and supporting characters. And most epic stories have a romance subplot so it's fitting to their games. Admittingly, lately they have been overdoing it by making all LI's bi in DA2 and half of the ME2 squad being romances. But I would still buy one of their games without it.

And I think something along the lines of HBO and Starz original series would work well for the sex scenes. Very realistic with nudity but nothing extreme. They already use strong language and mature themes comparable to those type of shows, they just seem shy away from having mature sex scenes.

Modifié par Silentmode, 22 juillet 2011 - 07:08 .

[MeAndMySandvich]

KainrycKarr wrote...

Bioware is one of the few developers who actually writes love stories that the player has some say in.

Even when that "say" is just "secks? Y/N" as in the case of most of the ME2 romances?

[ahather]

wouldn't bother me, as long as the rest of the story is good. I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, and it's rair to find a very good book that deosnt have romance mind you, even if in a series its not till the third or fourth book.

also what would be interesting to see is a doveloping romance sub plot between two NPCs.

[Lucifer_Cheney]

I enjoy having the option to romance characters, but it isn't necessary for me to enjoy a game. Do want strong story, plot and character development though. A must!

[Ahriman]

Romance are sort of plague in game industry nowdays. Even Skyrim. Who could imagine that even five years ago?
I actually have nothing against romances, but when every, ahem, physically compatible squadmate is a potential LI it feels strange to me.
Awakening was a nice change from that side. Those click-on-statue dialogs suck though.

[MeAndMySandvich]

Wizz wrote...
I actually have nothing against romances, but when every, ahem, physically compatible squadmate is a potential LI it feels strange to me.

Troof. Beyond 1-2 (3 is kind of pushing it) it starts to feel a little cheesy. Unless it's a Persona game, for whatever reason.

[Xarathox]

To me, romance in video games is just another way to interact with other characters and to include additional story arcs.

I'm a sucker for stories. Hence why I tend to prefer RPGs as my primary from of game entertainment. That's not to say that I dislike other genre's, I do like them. Each fulfills a niche that I indulge in when the mood strikes me.

~Shooters are great for online competition, especially among friends.
~MMOs offer the greatest peer interactions in a social setting in any of the current mediums we have. And you have an enormous amount of freedom within their setting to achieve what ever goal you wish to fulfill. They offer the best chance to Role Play for those who want to, they offer highly competitive group PvP content for others or even accomodate those who simply want to obtain the most ridiculous amount of wealth immaginable. Or anything in between.
~RTS games are also fun for competition, either against an AI or someone else. The biggest draw with those is the amount of control at your finger tips.
~Action/Adventure games are fantastic at drawing in players with their varied gameplay mechanics, settings or even sometimes stories themselves. Games like GTA or Saints Row share two aspects with many RPGs that are their cores: they have sandbox designs, and an intricately crafted and often times hilarious or very over the top stories.

Would romance fit in all of those genre's? no. It's best companion is within the RPG construct, or the few Action titles that are built around the core RPG design. It's a system that adds just one more layer to something that some would like to play with. And I say, if you can add it, let them play.

[ReallyRue]

If there's no romance in a game, I'm fine with it, so long as it's replaced by strong friendship paths. Possibly an acknowledgement of your character's closest friend - as it stands, the romance character is always given no1 spot (such as before the final battle in ME, as the one who sticks with you in DAO/2, as the one who comforts you in DA2, and as the one who gets kidnapped if no sibling is around.