BioWare has an opportunity to get an RPG element right for a change, and that element is romance. Design the romance option from the ground up and make it part of the storyline, but not a vital part of the story. Romance should compliment the main plot, but not replace it. Also, a bad romance should complicate the story and make the player's life harder. All too often, we see a romance that is tossed in as an after thought. I want romance options that well thought out, and well acted. Even the bad ones because of flaws in the character, either mine or the one with whom I am trying to establish a romance.
And before you go there, I don't want a repeat of Williams. That chick was bat crap crazy. She wasn't crazy in ME1, but in ME2 she descended into madness and stayed there until the last 1/3rd of ME3. If you are going to go that road, then for God's sake give us some clues to that possible outcome, that's all I'm asking. Ultimately, I am asking that our LI's behavior makes sense to a normal person. That they act in accordance with the character that was created. If brash and reckless, then they act brash and reckless when they are alone with you.
Regarding nudity, I don't care one way or the other. Do as you will, but for the love of God, if your LI decides to shower, don't put them in the shower in their clothes. That is just ridiculous. Also, women don't wear their bra in bed. I understand that they are uncomfortable to wear in the first place, and the bed is not someplace I have ever seen a woman wear one if she were intimate with the person she was with. It is the little things that you notice during romance that breaks story immersion. If an LI does something like that, then give us the option of talking about it with them so that the player is brought back into the game.
And before you go too far down the LI/romance road, remember that you also need to make LI's who are straight, bi, and homosexual. Otherwise you are going to get negative feed back on the forums like you wouldn't believe from any group that is excluded. Give us the opportunity to screw around like a dog in heat, but make us pay for it if we are in a romance or pursuing one. Some LI's forgive you, others dump you, and one or two will actually try to kill you for it. That is interesting. What isn't interesting is "I heard you screwed around." "It's always been you, babe." "Oh, it's all good then." Everything goes on as if nothing ever happened. That is jarring form a player that is trying to stay immersed in game.
Lastly, make the romance personal. You should have opportunities to pay attention to your LI. To buy gifts, remember special circumstances. Williams had a grandfather who was relieved of command and set in chains for performing an action that he had no choice in making. Yet, she does the exact same thing to Shepard and refused to even consider that he may have been in the exact same position. That does not make sense given her bitterness toward how the Alliance treated him and her family, Shepard's situation should have set up a strong resonance with her with deep personal attachments, it didn't. Don't do that again.
Cheating works both ways, remember Isabella in DAII? That was interesting. Jacob cheated on Shepard and got slapped for it. That was also interesting, but it should have been explored if the player wanted to go there. I guess my final plea is to make the romances multi-dimensional and interesting. People are complex and so are their relationships. I want more of that in game. I don't want it to supplant the story line, but I do want it treated seriously and taken seriously with serious consideration given to the romance story and character interaction.
Of course, you could always eliminate the possibility of romance entirely from the story. That is your option as well, but I think that if you do, you will be lessening the potential impact of the game and enjoyment of your customers.
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