782 réponses à ce sujet

[SetecAstronomy]

I may be way off-base since I haven't tried it first hand, but doesn't Iron Bull fit that description?

 

It's not that Bull isn't interested in getting serious. He is just totally cool with whatever level of involvement Inquisitor wants out of him. 

[Han Shot First]

I may be way off-base since I haven't tried it first hand, but doesn't Iron Bull fit that description?

 

Maybe. 

 

I'm honestly not sure what happens with IB's romance arc.

[georg2357]

If the story doesn't have a romantic relationship at its core - and it doesn't - any romantic subplot will necessarily be shallow, especially in the first game. Moreover, I think - and this is not intended to insult anyone - these romantic relationships are designed more towards very young gamers, 16 or so. Because who else would buy this superficial nonsense?

 

I'm not saying the stories in themselves are bad, they're not. When I bought ME1, I liked the romance stories. But I have recently replayed through all 3 games because they were available as a cheap package on PS3. And I tried to rekindle my interst in these subplots but there is just too little there to make me, a player who is now 10 years older, bother to sit through the elevator loading screen. (Same goes for the DA:I romances and the other DA game, Origins.)

 

A good indicator of this are the sex scenes. They were cool when I was that much younger. But nowadays I just find it cheap. Shep is of course a sex god and the first time (which isn't actually of much relevance to most relationships that last longer than a month from what I understand) is perfect, like it was in Romeo and Juliet. It's so clicheé. It's like a teenage girl shows you her favourite movie, a rom-com, and afterwards looks at you expectantly. And your face takes on a pained expression as you say something along the lines of "I can understand, why you love that film so much."

 

To get us, the audience of "older" people, involved in a "love" story, the character would need to be deeper than an action RPG can possibly provide. It would take several games to get us emotionally attached enough to actually give two cents about anyone character. Think of the end of ME1. Even Garrus, who by the end of ME3 had really become a bro, was as stiff as the stick that Joker said he had stuck where the sun doesn't shine. Not because he was badly written but because time was too short.

 

And player-LI interaction was also very limited. There was little that could provide bonding. Again, ME3 and especially the Citadel DLC (as well as the party banter in both DA games) alleviated the problem, as you stand on Huerta Memorial with Garrus shooting bottles or just doing SOMETHING with characters you are supposed to care about. And just talking isn't enough.

 

Bottom line: I understand why it needs to be in the game (young audience) but I think BW should also cast a sideways glance on something a little deeper for older players.

[Lady Nuggins]

If the story doesn't have a romantic relationship at its core - and it doesn't - any romantic subplot will necessarily be shallow, especially in the first game. Moreover, I think - and this is not intended to insult anyone - these romantic relationships are designed more towards very young gamers, 16 or so. Because who else would buy this superficial nonsense?

 

I'm not saying the stories in themselves are bad, they're not. When I bought ME1, I liked the romance stories. But I have recently replayed through all 3 games because they were available as a cheap package on PS3. And I tried to rekindle my interst in these subplots but there is just too little there to make me, a player who is now 10 years older, bother to sit through the elevator loading screen. (Same goes for the DA:I romances and the other DA game, Origins.)

 

A good indicator of this are the sex scenes. They were cool when I was that much younger. But nowadays I just find it cheap. Shep is of course a sex god and the first time (which isn't actually of much relevance to most relationships that last longer than a month from what I understand) is perfect, like it was in Romeo and Juliet. It's so clicheé. It's like a teenage girl shows you her favourite movie, a rom-com, and afterwards looks at you expectantly. And your face takes on a pained expression as you say something along the lines of "I can understand, why you love that film so much."

 

To get us, the audience of "older" people, involved in a "love" story, the character would need to be deeper than an action RPG can possibly provide. It would take several games to get us emotionally attached enough to actually give two cents about anyone character. Think of the end of ME1. Even Garrus, who by the end of ME3 had really become a bro, was as stiff as the stick that Joker said he had stuck where the sun doesn't shine. Not because he was badly written but because time was too short.

 

And player-LI interaction was also very limited. There was little that could provide bonding. Again, ME3 and especially the Citadel DLC (as well as the party banter in both DA games) alleviated the problem, as you stand on Huerta Memorial with Garrus shooting bottles or just doing SOMETHING with characters you are supposed to care about. And just talking isn't enough.

 

Bottom line: I understand why it needs to be in the game (young audience) but I think BW should also cast a sideways glance on something a little deeper for older players.

 

I do see what you're saying. Given that romances are an optional side plot, they'll never have the necessary resources to make them a fully-fleshed storyline. And I can pretty much take or leave the sex scenes themselves -- that's why I support not having every romance require a sex scene, because I really don't miss them when they aren't there.

 

But I wouldn't say that romances are there only for younger players. I know plenty of grown men and women who get excited about locking in their favorite romance options. I think that while the romance content itself may be limited, Bioware really excels at giving enough hints to allow a player to fill in the blanks and feel like there is a fully fleshed out storyline there. Some of my favorite romances had less content than others, but still felt fulfilling because they felt naturally integrated into the wider storyline and there felt like real development from one scene to the next.

 

It's still not a perfect system, by any means, and I always crave more interactions with my LI, but I don't think it's accurate to say that there's only one kind of player who is interested in them.

[Rappeldrache]

MORE scenes! More dialogues! Please

 

 

Bioware must realize:Their customers become older. And especially Dragon Age and Mass Effect have a lot "older gamers", and even a lot of female gamers. So: Bioware should "Grow up", too. 

 

Best example: Children! In the games this is never a subject, having children AFTER their adventures is often not possible for our heros (they dy, the get lost).

But in reallife a lot of customers / gamers HAVE children. I want, that my beloved character have some, too. No, sorry, thats not corret. I want that my character have the choice to survive her adventures (if she chooses certain dcisions) and could choice a family life (if she finds a nice romance companion), with about 14 1/2 children.   

[PhroXenGold]

Only if we get to carry the kids around in our inventory.....

[9TailsFox]

Only if we get to carry the kids around in our inventory.....

Start teaching them when they young. They will take parents job saving world.

[Rappeldrache]

Only if we get to carry the kids around in our inventory.....

 

Ahhhhh good old Baldurs Gate!

 

 

PS. It was just an example with the children and I mean: AFTER the end.

[BabyPuncher]

Not because he was badly written but because time was too short.

 

This sounds like very silly reasoning to me.

 

Most films are around 90 minutes long, give or take? At most three hours? Does that mean every occurrence of romance in pretty much every single film is immature? 

 

The idea that nobody gets attached to characters in RPGs is, at best, delusional. It's simply ridiculous. The outrage over the ending of ME 3 should be proof enough.

[CronoDragoon]

No more "canon" romances please? I'd prefer players to have same amount of main events without need to romance someone. I know some people love to have heart broken by bald people (looking at you, Solas), but I don't like it. Romances should be something nice to have around but don't make people feel like they need them. :>

 

It's funny that some people think this applies to Liara in the ME trilogy, but to me Tali's romance is better integrated into the main plotline through the Rannoch arc than anything you do in Liara's. So the degree to which something is needed will I think be in the eye of the beholder. I certainly don't think Solas's romance is necessary for DA: I.

 

If we're just talking about main plot integration, then my answer is yes, more, all the time whenever possible. The Rannoch arc with a romanced Tali was something special.

[Chris001001]

I have very much enjoyed the romantic quest/side story of mass effect, but one thing I would like to see bioware venture into is starting a relationship with a character that is already taken. Now yes I know that might sound a bit to soap opera for an RPG game but I think it would add an element of excitement to the story. Imagining sleeping with the wife of a high ranking officer or something of that nature. I guess that would also be more appropriate if your playing a renegade.

[Neophyte]

Not sure if it was stated but
Allow some of decisions we make to have an impact on our romance

basically

LI: "Commander we found a new species, what do you want to do with them?"
"kill them all"
"this is wrong!"
"do it"

"fine"

later that night
"We'll bang okay?"
"ok"

 

this is besides killing our LI..

Panda, on 27 Aug 2015 - 07:07 AM, said:

 

I don't really see this that important. I'd rate Zevran romance over other DAO characters anyday and I think memorableness is much more connected how good the character is and how the romance place out than how much is affects mainplot. I'm more into: "we are in this together" than having LI with their own agendas in terms of main story anyways.

 

And usually with Bioware the less connected the mainstory the characters are the better they get..

 

Agreed, it has no bearing on how good romances are.
I found Leliana and Zevran to be the better romances.

[Teabaggin Krogan]

Not sure if it was stated but
Allow some of decisions we make to have an impact on our romance

basically

LI: "Commander we found a new species, what do you want to do with them?"
"kill them all"
"this is wrong!"
"do it"

"fine"

later that night
"We'll bang okay?"
"ok"

 

this is besides killing our LI..

 

Amen to that!

[SKAR]

Look at richonne from the walking dead and use that.

[Onewomanarmy]

Like someone above me said:

More scenes and more dialogues for one thing. And then deeply interesting characters, a possibility to call them to my cabin or room whenever I want to, a kiss option etc. Yup, that's about it xD

[Getorex]

Could go either way. There is LOTS of room for improvement in the "romance" department in these games.  You just need to say 3 or 4 nice things in very short, disjointed situations and you are in a romance.  The dialog involved is usually quite ridiculous and shallow leading up to the bed scene.  LOTS of room for improvement.

 

That said, these games can be VERY good without going there (DEHR simply had past LI involvement in the story, no work in trying to develop one, no clumsy dialog).  It is MUCH easier for the writers so they don't have to shoehorn romance dialog into the game for EACH possible LI option and can therefor simply focus on the main story. 

 

All said, I would strongly urge writers shy away from multiple unique locales for any sex.  The engine room for Shepard and Miranda was ridic.  Keep it in the rooms where they have furniture and beds.  No one needs cold hard guard rails digging into their back or floor grating patterns mashed into their butts and back, waiting for crew to mosey in while doing their jobs.

 

See the title.  This is a thread for suggestions and discussions.  No being rude, no bashing others for their opinions, please.

 

I know some people would rather romance be taken out altogether, but I think it can really help with immersion at times.  I'm fine with playing a single character sometimes, but I enjoy playing the romances.  I am a sappy person and I know it.  I love to gush about the romances.  Still, I think they could be done better in ME:A than they were in the previous Mass Effect games.

 

My personal suggestions:

 

1. Equal numbers of romances, beginning to end, for male and female player character.  At least one option each for gay and lesbian player characters as well.
2. Limit the number of romance options.  If the series follows one protagonist, allow romances to begin mid-series with the "base" romances from the first game.  If not, then you can have brand new romances every game and no one's going to mind that too much.  This is not an "I hate variety" thing, but a matter of practicality.  The ME games didn't usually have a huge variety of squadmates, so not all of them should be romanceable.  Also, they tended to carry forward as cameos etc. to the next game.  Limiting the number means we can have them as party members in every game, or at least that there won't be an overwhelming amount of possible LIs to deal with without mistreating certain groups of players in the final game.
3. If this is a series, rather than a single game, romances should build on the relationship through time, through ups and downs.  This happened in ME1-3 with Kaidan, Liara, and Ashley.  Also with Garrus and Tali.  I was one of those weird ladies who romanced Garrus and couldn't get enough because I LOVED how that story played out, and it was because it took time to build it.  Characters like Jack, Miranda, Thane, and Jacob didn't get the same kind of development, because they showed up later.  It's better if we can let everyone romance a character who's been around from the beginning.
4. Only add as many romances as you're willing to deal with in the final game of the series.
5. It is very much not okay to take options away from straight women or LGBT people, while still leaving straight males with all of their options.
6. If Andromeda is going to be a trilogy, don't add romances in the third game.  Stick with the previous games' romances, and build from there.
7. Allow players to start a romance with characters they chose not to romance in a previous game.  This can happen even in the final game.  To be frank that is probably realistic, because when things get rough, well... you're going to be looking for comfort.
8. The final scene shouldn't always be sex.  If there's sex, when it happens should depend on the character you're romancing.  Some might sleep with you right away, others midway through, still others not until the final moments.  And a few might not want to have sex at all.
9. Let players discuss marriage and family with their LIs.  Even if the response, from either the player or the LI, or both, is "I don't ever want that," it's an important discussion.  We're not talking about having kids running around the ship in-game.  Just let characters think about the future a bit, and where their relationships are going.  You know, kind of like real people who are dating might do after a while.
10. Breakups and deaths of LIs are fine if that needs to be part of their story, however, unavoidable breakups and deaths of LIs and/or betrayals should not ONLY happen to the female player character.  If it has to happen as part of the story, let the men experience it too. If it's believed that the players of male characters will suffer too much heartbreak from this, or that it is horrible in some way because a female LI might suffer or die, then please consider that it is not much fun for most of the players of the female characters either and that it's equally horrible when male LIs suffer and die.  If the player's suffering/heartbreak is a concern preventing this from happening to male PCs, just don't do it at all.  Players of female PCs get seriously unhappy about these things, too (and when it's almost always us it happens to, it gets pretty old and loses its impact as a plot device).

 

Off the top of my head that's all I can think of.  Obviously others are free to disagree, make other suggestions, discuss, etc.  That's what this thread is for.  Someone may have way better ideas than I did.

[DaemionMoadrin]

Maybe we don't get a romance in the new game? Maybe there is no time for falling in love because we're struggling for our survival? Maybe...

 

Spoiler

[prosthetic soul]

Give the romance  more struggle/conflict in their own insular way.  If Liara wanted to come along to watch as her home planet gets destroyed my Shepard should have been able to say

 

"No, it's too dangerous."

or

"I FORBID IT, GET BACK IN THE BEDROOM AND START CONJURING UP BLUE BABIES WITH YOUR MIND"

 

Obviously the latter is facetious hyperbole.  But my point still stands.  Give the romance struggle.  Conflict.  There is no story or character arc (interaction or otherwise) without conflict.  Give some romance options the OPTION (OPTION! OPTION! OPTION!) to either get killed off or something else along those lines.  Give the romance pathos for Pete's sake!

 

Nobody's romance was more boring than Cass's in DA:I. 

"You wish to court me?  That's impossible! But wait, I still want you to court me.  Now we're courting.  Oh but we don't get married or have any conflict in the romance.  The End."

[SKAR]

Maybe we don't get a romance in the new game? Maybe there is no time for falling in love because we're struggling for our survival? Maybe...

Spoiler

maybe you're a douche. JK

[Grieving Natashina]

maybe you're a douche. JK

Maybe you're taking the forums far too seriously. Food for thought.

[aoibhealfae]

Romance with depth, conflicts, ability to get killed off, with build up and main plot integration...... sounds like Kaidanmance for me. Sigh.. either way, they nearly killed it with their stunt in ME2. It would have been perfect if faithful FemShep get a proper kiss scene during the hospital and cafe scene... but I know some would go super ballistic if their Broshep didn't get the same treatment.

 

Honestly, the only Bioware romance I loathed more than ever was with Corso Riggs. Flirt him once and he think he owned my PC and then when I rejected him, he acted like I couldn't find anyone who is good enough than him. He's very high on my kill list. Then again all SWTOR class-comp romances always end with marriages... what's up with that.

[BaaBaaBlacksheep]

Maybe we don't get a romance in the new game? Maybe there is no time for falling in love because we're struggling for our survival? Maybe...

Spoiler

Ha! You crazy but the again.....that's the perfect color and size of what an asari package should be.

[DaemionMoadrin]

Ha! You crazy but the again.....that's the perfect color and size of what an asari package should be.

 

Idea: Repackage blue vibrators as Asari sex toys, made on Thessia. Call them Eternity. Add 20% to the regular price and sell them as collectors item (hah) at Comic Con.

 

What?!

 

Fine. It wasn't that funny anyway.

 

But seriously, would it be so bad if there was no actual romance? Just optional, random hookups with no strings attached? Which could develop into more later on, but hey... let's be honest here for a moment. True love doesn't exist and having a dangerous job and a mission to assure the survival of the expedition is actually not a bad reason to not engage in a relationship. Maybe there are feelings, but duty comes first?

 

Oh well, we all know there will be half a dozen LIs again. Probably with some half-assed so called romance that in no way represents an actual relationship. Which is a tall order anyway... imagine how many lines and cutscenes would be necessary... and to do them 6-8 times? Way too much work for something that's not really central to the story.

[frylock23]

I think it could be done without requiring a ceremony or anything.  Just a discussion, and then at the end of the final game, maybe some art or something to imply you did get married.  I definitely agree with you that an actual marriage taking place in-game would be a huge resource sink.  Animations, decorative clutter meshes that aren't likely to be used anywhere else, writing, scripting, voice acting... it would be a nightmare for a scene that is only optional and not tied directly to the plot.

 

Yes, it would be a sweet scene, and it would probably be moving and players would definitely adore it.  But there probably wouldn't BE a scene, it would probably be an "ending card," to save on resources, after the final game of the series.  Assuming, that is, that ME:A will be a series and not a group of individual games with their very own individual protagonists.  Which is entirely possible.

 

If they are doing colonizing from an ARK scenario in an even halfway realistic manner, one of the most limited resources and most important for long-term viability is genetic material, namely sperm and eggs and the parents to raise the progeny.

 

In a colonization scenario, every viable adult of every species should be expected to contribute to the future in this manner, so marriage, children, etc., ought to be considered part of one's eventual duty and a part of the end of series discussion in at least some scenarios.

[KaiserShep]

Not sure how'd they'd enforce breeding. I mean, what are they gonna do, kill the dissidents? That'd be counterproductive.