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Speculation fueled by Bioware's unwillingness to talk about it yet. I swear, by the time they announce anything, the BSN will be a barren wasteland and the only people left will be the survivors of the LI apocalypse 2014. Grizzled veterans with the verbal scars to prove it.
...we should get badges made.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the ME3 Ending Flame Wars of 2012, how bad would it be?
I find it more likely that they'd do 5 or 6 LIs than only have 1 or 2 companion romances. I would just be really surprised (and disappointed, yes) if they replaces companion romances with NPC romances. Unless Cullen is actually a companion, which is still on the table also, it seems likely to me that we'll be getting more than 4 LIs. Has a Bioware game since ME1 had less than 4 companion LIs? I just find it difficult to believe that's the route they'd go.
As for 2/2/2, I don't know if it's any more likely than all bi/vague, like DA2. I was never really implying that I thought it would happen. My posts were just speculation of some ways it could work if it did happen.
Speculation fueled by Bioware's unwillingness to talk about it yet. I swear, by the time they announce anything, the BSN will be a barren wasteland and the only people left will be the survivors of the LI apocalypse 2014. Grizzled veterans with the verbal scars to prove it.
...we should get badges made.
I'll be standing there with you. I'm in this to the bitter end!
Grizzled veterans, btw, conjures up nice images of that Grey Warden. Maybe I'll go visit that thread before I go to bed.....!
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the ME3 Ending Flame Wars of 2012, how bad would it be?
20.... This is MADNESS!!!!!
On a more serious note, I'm going to smack Naruto and make him dumb Sakura for you if you don't mind 
)
Anyhow, don't worry, once DA:I come out, even the dead will rise once again )
Has a Bioware game since ME1 had less than 4 companion LIs?
Nope:
BG 2: 4 LI's (3 female, 1 male)
KOTOR: 3 LI's (2 female, 1 male)
Jade Empire: 3 LI's (2 female, 1 male)
Mass Effect: 3 Li's (2 female, 1 male)
DA: O: 4 LI's (2 female, 2 male)
ME 2: 6 LI's (3 female, 3 male)
DA 2: 5 LI's (2 female, 3 male)
SWTOR: Not worth counting......
ME 3: 10 LI's (7 female, 3 male)
I didn't count SWTOR, because there are just too many to count. Also, I never played NWN, so I'm not sure how many LI's there were in that one.
I didn't count SWTOR, because there are just too many to count. Also, I never played NWN, so I'm not sure how many LI's there were in that one.
Vanilla NWN had 2 romance options I think: Aribeth for Male and Aarin for female. Also you can flirt with some other companions / npc but nothing serious. HoU and Kingmaker expansion each added 2 more, 1 for each gender so that's 6 in total if I remember correctly.
Just gonna say that this would be horribly unfair for people interested in romancing guys, having one of the LI slots used for an NPC while there are three female companions that are romanceable.
Also, I find it odd that youth and conventional attractiveness is the only thing that makes a character "suitable" to being an LI. The idea that you can't have a beautiful female NPC and not have her as a romance option makes me more than a little uncomfortable.
I don't disagree at all; it would be unfair and people's perception of what makes a character LI material is very skewed. Nor am I actively predicting that they'll go that route.
I'm just saying it wouldn't entirely surprise me if they did.
While 3 female companion LIs is possible, Scribe Girl also makes a lot of sense as an NPC LI from all the stereotypical viewpoints and she was featured with Cullen in the leaked survey. I think there's a very good argument that she'll balance out Cullen.
20.... This is MADNESS!!!!!
On a more serious note, I'm going to smack Naruto and make him dumb Sakura for you if you don't mind
Anyhow, don't worry, once DA:I come out, even the dead will rise once again
Ah, thank you. 
Though I honestly think they are going NaruHina in the story.
While 3 female companion LIs is possible, Scribe Girl also makes a lot of sense as an NPC LI from all the stereotypical viewpoints and she was featured with Cullen in the leaked survey. I think there's a very good argument that she'll balance out Cullen.
Yay!
Again, very possible and I would even say more likely.
I was just throwing in another possibility that no one had seemed to consider, yet.
I said in another thread how one of the strengths of the NPC LI model is that it lessens the restraints on companion design; whether valid or not, Bioware does have a certain mold of conventional attractiveness that they consider to be suitable for LI material, which is understandable as they're trying to get two to six people to be appealing across the spectrum of the lowest common denominator of their fanbase.
I certainly wouldn't mind them experimenting with that formula, and to an extent, they have, though more in the ME series than DA. But if they were going to stick to it, having NPC romances allows them to have a larger number of romances without relegating companion slots to characters that need to fit that mold.
I'm actually not against NPC romances at all. I think they're great as an extra thing. My only problem with them is if they replace companion romances or take up a 2/2/2 slot, which is basically the same as replacing companion romance slots in a practical sense. I don't want NPC romances at the cost of available companion romances. If they keep the all bi/vague availability set up, though, I'd put my complete support behind NPC romances.
I do think it's a bigger concern in a dragon age game.
In mass effect, there's never really a point in actual game play, or at least very few, where having your LI in your squad affected anything. Everything was handled back on the ship.
In dragon age, it can make a much bigger impact, if only because of party banter.
I think one thing they can do to mitigate that is have "keep banter" when you're back at the fort, similar to the scenes you could observe and even participate in in ME3. Where your companions aren't relegated to standing around in their rooms but will move about at certain points and interact with each other. Could get some more mileage out of it that way.
Sigh....romances...
While I am glad Cassandra is announced as a love interest (because it just seems sensible), the announcement of Cullen is both intriguing and annoying.
Annoying because I don't like him.
Intriguing because he seems to be a romanceable NPC.
If Bioware is doing romanceable NPC, can we have different types of romanceable NPCs ? Not just Templars or Mages but other people in Thedas....Like a merchant or an ambassador or a crafter.
Ah, thank you.
Though I honestly think they are going NaruHina in the story.
Well they'd better! )
I'm actually not against NPC romances at all. I think they're great as an extra thing. My only problem with them is if they replace companion romances or take up a 2/2/2 slot, which is basically the same as replacing companion romance slots in a practical sense. I don't want NPC romances at the cost of available companion romances. If they keep the all bi/vague availability set up, though, I'd put my complete support behind NPC romances.
I'm thinking they will do 4 companions and 2 non companions romance, something similar to ME3, and hopefully npc won't be gay/lesbian or straight exclusive this time That formula worked, imo. Though I hope npc romances do have the same depth and amount of content.
Well they'd better!
What does make me curious about the romances is how they're going to occur along side the plot which seems so big and daunting. I guess it's the same as the campside stuff in Origins which could be a moment away from all the stress...often deceptively calm despite what the goal is. And Hawke had a whole different type of life. But now that we're back on the front lines, as it were...I wonder how they'll grow and develop alongside the story.
Another thing I wonder about is the sorts of romance things we'll see...the desperate "before we die" romance...the "second chance at true love" type of romance, the "never thought I'd fall in love" romance, the "instant connection" romance, the "I just barely got over my dead love" romance, the "you remind me of someone" romance, the "can't resist my charm" romance, or "with you til the end, and by the way, if we die taking out that dragon, remember I dealt the killing blow" romance.
Which ones do you guys want most?
They might have gotten more resources for romances this time around and Gaider has stated that he would prefer the 2/2/2 split if resources allowed it. I think that bisexuality has worked well in DA2, but apparently some people are strongly opposed to it. On this forum, anyway. My friends and family were all of the opinion that bisexual LIs are the way to go. *shrug*
I'd be okay with having 2 companion romances and 2 NPC romances, all bi. But only if NPC romances got just as much content as the companion romances, obviously.
I guess one of my problems with bisexual LIs is that I get the feeling that people present it to be the best way of handling the romances. When there hardly ever is a best way of doing things so that everyone will be satisfied. If something has worked well in the past it doesn't mean it shouldn't be changed in the future to be better or different so that people can have different experiences.
I guess one of my problems with bisexual LIs is that I get the feeling that people present it to be the best way of handling the romances. When there hardly ever is a best way of doing things so that everyone will be satisfied. If something has worked well in the past it doesn't mean it shouldn't be changed in the future to be better or different so that people can have different experiences.
True, the 'best' way to do it is always a subjective thing. Presenting the option you like best as the 'optimal' way is just kinda the nature of a discussion such as this. I admit that I (and all of the people here, in the end) do sometimes forget to admit that other ways have their advantages, too.
Which ones do you guys want most?
I gotta admit, I'm a sucker for the whole Defrosting Ice Queen trope.
It also depends on whether it's a straight, lesbian or gay romance. For lesbian romances, a 'I don't fall in love...except with you, maybe, because you're a lovable idiot' scenario is what I like best. Straight romances can win my heart by being a sort of 'I'm a truly nice guy with a heart of gold and I treat you with respect even though you may not be used to it' thing. Friendship slowly turning into love. That's the reason why a romance with Varric is something I would really love to have in Inquisition and why the Warden/Anora scenario in Origins is my favourite romance in the game. The gay romances I usually like tend to have one of them in the role of 'silent, stoic protector with a gentle side'.
I'm a bit particular about this, yes, but there are of course other romance scenarios I enjoy. In the end, it always depends on the characters involved.
I also like it when one of the participants has been in love with the other party for a long time. I like faithful people, I guess? (I mean, in my headcanon my HN Warden saw Anora at one social event or another when he was 16, fell in love at first sight and has been pining ever since. I like male characters who only have eyes for one particular woman.)
What does make me curious about the romances is how they're going to occur along side the plot which seems so big and daunting. I guess it's the same as the campside stuff in Origins which could be a moment away from all the stress...often deceptively calm despite what the goal is. And Hawke had a whole different type of life. But now that we're back on the front lines, as it were...I wonder how they'll grow and develop alongside the story.
Another thing I wonder about is the sorts of romance things we'll see...the desperate "before we die" romance...the "second chance at true love" type of romance, the "never thought I'd fall in love" romance, the "instant connection" romance, the "I just barely got over my dead love" romance, the "you remind me of someone" romance, the "can't resist my charm" romance, or "with you til the end, and by the way, if we die taking out that dragon, remember I dealt the killing blow" romance.
Which ones do you guys want most?
I guess there are sevaral romances which I like to see but I like my romances to last and maybe have a happy ending, both dying or vague ending where I can imagine that they are together until the end. So I don't like it if my protagonist and her LI just break up. And I always imagine that my PC and her LI are equal in a relationship whether their statuses for example aren't. Still there could be different settings to these romances and here are some:
- "never thought I'd fall in love" romance
- "before we die" romance"
- "instant connection" romance. Yes I can imagine that my PC's LI will say to her: "The moment I saw you I knew you were the one for me"
- "with you til the end, and by the way, if we die taking out that dragon, remember I dealt the killing blow" I guess I could see this happening when friendship grows into something more. Like Garrus and Shepard. Did you think about them when you write this because it reminds me of some Garrus and Shepard conversation?
- "Forbidden love". I could imagine that an example of this could be templar and mage couple in a circle. In DAI forbidden love could be between PC and her servant.
- "Forced romance". What I mean by forced romance it's that you might be forced to marry somebody for example for political reasons. Then PC and your husband might start building up feelings towards each others. Other example could be that you will have to pretend to be in a relationship with someone for some reason. Then you might start building up feelings towards each others.
- "rivalmance" like in DA2. So PC and her LI's opinions differs and because they are passionate persons then they end up fighting very often and of course after that they'll have to make up...
- "Prove yourself" the one which was talked earlier where your LI is much older than you and you have to prove yourself to him.
- "Old LI" You had a relationship with you companion when you were much younger. Then you meet him and you recruit him etc.
I think DAO type of camp or if you have some kind of base where you visit regularly are good places to develop a relationship. Of course there could be other ways too such as moment stolen between battles when you and your LI are left alone. When you both visit in a shop or in a bar together. Maybe have drink together.
- "Old LI" You had a relationship with you companion when you were much younger. Then you meet him and you recruit him etc.
You know, I don't thin there is really any way that they could implement this seamlessly without a "check your sexuality" button in the CC, but if they could find an unobtrusive way to incorporate a past relationship in as a companion/LI, that might be really interesting. Just imagine if a Lady Aeducan could recruit Gorim later in the quest, especially after beginning a relationship with Alistair or Zevran? That might be an interesting dynamic to see play out and it would be something new. I just don't see how they could do it well without restricting based solely on gender....
You know, I don't thin there is really any way that they could implement this seamlessly without a "check your sexuality" button in the CC, but if they could find an unobtrusive way to incorporate a past relationship in as a companion/LI, that might be really interesting. Just imagine if a Lady Aeducan could recruit Gorim later in the quest, especially after beginning a relationship with Alistair or Zevran? That might be an interesting dynamic to see play out and it would be something new. I just don't see how they could do it well without restricting based solely on gender....
Would you get to choose whether or not you were previously in a relationship with this character though? I can see a lot of people being unhappy if their character is given a past relationship they did not know about, particularly if they are roleplaying an asexual Inquisitor or one who is not interested in romance.
Would you get to choose whether or not you were previously in a relationship with this character though? I can see a lot of people being unhappy if their character is given a past relationship they did not know about, particularly if they are roleplaying an asexual Inquisitor or one who is not interested in romance.
Yeah, I think there are too many variables for this to be implemented well. Those are two good points that support that thought.
You know, I don't thin there is really any way that they could implement this seamlessly without a "check your sexuality" button in the CC, but if they could find an unobtrusive way to incorporate a past relationship in as a companion/LI, that might be really interesting. Just imagine if a Lady Aeducan could recruit Gorim later in the quest, especially after beginning a relationship with Alistair or Zevran? That might be an interesting dynamic to see play out and it would be something new. I just don't see how they could do it well without restricting based solely on gender....
I wasn't thinking at all how those romances could be implemented. I was just writing things that I would want to see.
Would you get to choose whether or not you were previously in a relationship with this character though? I can see a lot of people being unhappy if their character is given a past relationship they did not know about, particularly if they are roleplaying an asexual Inquisitor or one who is not interested in romance.
Maybe you could use Dragon Age Keep to define your character's past?
I do think it's a bigger concern in a dragon age game.
In mass effect, there's never really a point in actual game play, or at least very few, where having your LI in your squad affected anything. Everything was handled back on the ship.
In dragon age, it can make a much bigger impact, if only because of party banter.
I think one thing they can do to mitigate that is have "keep banter" when you're back at the fort, similar to the scenes you could observe and even participate in in ME3. Where your companions aren't relegated to standing around in their rooms but will move about at certain points and interact with each other. Could get some more mileage out of it that way.
I think that the arguments of "companions LIs are better because they have more content" and "NPC romances could be expanded to have as much content" are kind of arguing around two different points. The way I feel and the way I think some others saying this feel is that all communication with a character you're romancing is a part of the relationship, not just flagged "romance plot" information. You could have an NPC with just as much dialog as a companion related to the LI plot, but being able to take your companion LI everywhere and get their responses to every quest is still going to result in a much more fleshed out relationship.
It's a game mechanics view to separate out the romance plot and the "other" dialog, but for an immersive view of an organically developed relationship, all dialog develops an overall relationship. When you're in a relationship with a real person in the real world, talking about politics, or what you did at work, or grocery shopping together, or any number of other things is a part of your relationship. There's not specific discourse that only affects the relationship with everything else being some vague other. So, if I take a companion LI on a quest mission and they chew me out for my choices, even if that dialog is there outside of a romance, it still changes the emotional tone of the relationship if you're in one.
So, for me, the only way NPCs could be "equal" is if they somehow had as much dialog and plot involvement as a companion LI as a whole. Just having as much romance specific dialog isn't enough. To me, all interaction is a part of the relationship.
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