226 réponses à ce sujet

[agasferus]

In my opinion romance was an essential and important part of Bioware games since BG2. Now I learned that the Awakening will go without it. Obviosly,  the company can have a lot of reasons to do it that way, but I think that it will do no harm to tell us - is it permanent descison about all future Bioware games or just one-time decision about this speific expansion? I'm asking because for me the greate thing about Bioware's game is ... how to put it... very personal storytelling, and without romanct this games will be a little bit... hollow

[Mystranna Kelteel]

Why would it be a permanent decision? This is an expansion pack, not a full-fledged game.

[errant_knight]

I have to disagree. The romances add to the game, yes, but if they're shoehorned into a story that takes place in a shorter timeframe just for the sake of including them, they're going to seem artificial at best and kind of skanky at worst.



Origins took place over the better part of a year, plenty of time for romance to develop naturally. All indications ate that this one takes place in much less time, and that this isn't a group of companions gathering freely, but a group of possibly conscripted recruits. For the warden to romance any of them under those circumstances would be sketchy indeed. Kind of like Duncan hitting on the PC. Very inappropriate.

[agasferus]

Well, thank you all, but this is not exactly an answer for my question - is this is a one-time decision related to gameplot (like errant_knight assumes) or this decision will apply to other future Bioware titles?

[spottyblanket]

I think its because its an expansion pack but what the fans crave is a whole new game. Because this pack is so big, it almost feels like a new game. But it isn't.

[spottyblanket]

Poor Bioware. I hope they got some chocolate for valentimes.

[Challseus]

agasferus wrote...

Well, thank you all, but this is not exactly an answer for my question - is this is a one-time decision related to gameplot (like errant_knight assumes) or this decision will apply to other future Bioware titles?

Hmm.. With all the stuff that goes on in these forums, you actually think they're going to come here and say, "Yeah, we're done with romances"? You don't seem any harm in that?

Just check out one of the many RTO/DLC items won't tranfer thread, and then raise that to the 100th power! The forums would explode.

For the record, I think you're jumping the gun. If it was a full fledged game, that would be one thing. It's only an expansion...

[Dick Delaware]

There originally were supposed to be romances for Awakening actually. One of the writers, I'm not going to say who (let's just say his name starts with "D" and ends in "avid Gaider") had a falling out with his significant other. He was so upset that he's banned all romances in all BioWare games, ever. But wait, there's more - the romances that are in Origins will now end with your loved one crushed by a cave-in in the Deep Roads while darkspawn devour/have sex with their corpse.



Morrigan wasn't perfect, but damn it, she deserved better!

[Zabaniya]

spottyblanket wrote...

Poor Bioware. I hope they got some chocolate for valentimes.

Why poor Bioware?  They probably got a kick out of breaking every fanboy/girl's hearts on Valentine's Day when the released the intial FAQS.

[Harelda]

Dick Delaware wrote...

There originally were supposed to be romances for Awakening actually. One of the writers, I'm not going to say who (let's just say his name starts with "D" and ends in "avid Gaider") had a falling out with his significant other. He was so upset that he's banned all romances in all BioWare games, ever. But wait, there's more - the romances that are in Origins will now end with your loved one crushed by a cave-in in the Deep Roads while darkspawn devour/have sex with their corpse.

Morrigan wasn't perfect, but damn it, she deserved better!

 Oh, that made me laugh like a drain. I've got my significant other looking over his shoulder funny at me now. Thanks for that.

[Dick Delaware]

agasferus wrote...

In my opinion romance was an essential and important part of Bioware games since BG2. Now I learned that the Awakening will go without it. Obviosly,  the company can have a lot of reasons to do it that way, but I think that it will do no harm to tell us - is it permanent descison about all future Bioware games or just one-time decision about this speific expansion? I'm asking because for me the greate thing about Bioware's game is ... how to put it... very personal storytelling, and without romanct this games will be a little bit... hollow

The storytelling in BioWare games hasn't been very personal. It's always been a more standard "save the world" type story. An example of personal storytelling in an RPG is something like Planescape: Torment, where the story is just about finding who you are, or Mask of the Betrayer.

I don't think it is permanent, but it is a nice change of pace. I think this expansion will feel a lot more urgent as well as being darker if the trailers are any indication, so maybe a romance subplot would detract from the atmosphere. It may not be a popular decision, but I think it'll be the right one. In a few previous BioWare games, romance subplots felt really shoehorned in, and I didn't care one bit about say, Liara or Dawn Star. I was actually really surprised that they were pretty well done in Dragon Age, owing to the fact that the companion characters were a lot better developed than their past games.

Besides, the game will still acknowledge whatever relationship you had in Origins.

[Sandtigress]

I suspect the fate of romance in the DA world will depend on what direction future expansions take. If expansions continue to focus on the unusual growing threat of the darkspawn when they should be eliminated and thus follow the Warden in his/her role as Warden Commander of Ferelden, romance would be largely inappropriate unless it were with the original companions or an introduced non-Warden companion, which would probably start to feel pretty contrived.



If the Warden Commander is suddenly placed into a storyline surrounded by non-Wardens again, or Wardens of equal rank, then I could see new romances being a possibility.

[Dick Delaware]

Harelda wrote...

 Oh, that made me laugh like a drain. I've got my significant other looking over his shoulder funny at me now. Thanks for that.

To make matters worse, that horrible falling out that writer had with his SO - it was on Valentine's Day. Ouch. Now because of that, no romances for anyone, ever.

Imagine that. Before that fateful day, my Human Noble PC and Velanna were holding hands together in a meadow while gazing at one another dreamily - she had never thought that she could even like a human, let alone have the kinds of feelings she was having now. Likewise, your PC was also falling for Anders' rougish, laid back charms.

This won't stop the shippers though. In fact, it will only embolden them. After Awakening is released, we'll see countless Male PC/Velanna, Fem PC/Anders, Dwarven Male PC/Oghren/Sigrun (dwarf-on-dwarf-on-dwarf), Fem PC/Architect and Fem PC/Skeletor-looking-darkspawn-guy in the trailers fics. There will be some truly depraved pairings awaiting us.

Modifié par Dick Delaware, 19 février 2010 - 08:11 .

[spottyblanket]

I imagine they will do a proper sequel soon, but it will be set years from the first and won't come out for a while. Who knows, they may set it into the far future...

[agasferus]

Dick Delaware wrote...


The storytelling in BioWare games hasn't been very personal. It's always been a more standard "save the world" type story. An example of personal storytelling in an RPG is something like Planescape: Torment, where the story is just about finding who you are, or Mask of the Betrayer.

I don't think it is permanent, but it is a nice change of pace. I think this expansion will feel a lot more urgent as well as being darker if the trailers are any indication, so maybe a romance subplot would detract from the atmosphere. It may not be a popular decision, but I think it'll be the right one. In a few previous BioWare games, romance subplots felt really shoehorned in, and I didn't care one bit about say, Liara or Dawn Star. I was actually really surprised that they were pretty well done in Dragon Age, owing to the fact that the companion characters were a lot better developed than their past games.

Besides, the game will still acknowledge whatever relationship you had in Origins.

1) thank you for your reply.

2) I started the first phrase with "in my opinion" and this is because I'm aware that there are another opinions - like yours, for example, about "romances and storytelling". It is of course perfectly legitimate, but I see no point in arguing about "are Bioware romances good or bad" - I just asked if this decision permanent for future titles or not.

3) now about reason for this question. Since ME1 in some states some people with amusing mental capabilities and significant media and political influence rased a hell of storm in a tea-cup about "immoral influence" of videogames and Bioware games in particular (just check  in Google). If the company decided that this PR is bad for marketing - they will cut the romances out in no time. -after all they just a game-makers, not a political figures.
So I just want to know - Is this decision related to in-game/plot/ production reasons or it is about "getting along"
with an attempts of cencorship.

Modifié par agasferus, 19 février 2010 - 08:20 .

[Dick Delaware]

agasferus wrote...
1) thank you for your reply.

2) I started the first phrase with "in my opinion" and this is because I'm aware that there are another opinions - like yours, for example, about "romances and storytelling". It is of course perfectly legitimate, but I see no poin in arguing about "are Bioware romances good or bad" - I just asked if this decision permanent for future titles or not.

3) now about reason for this question. Since ME1 in some states some people with amusing mental capabilities and significant media and political influence rased a hell of storm in a tea-cup about "immoral influence" of videogames and Bioware games in particular (just check  in Google). If the company decided that this PR is bad for marketing - they will cut the romances out in no time. -after all they just a game-makers, not a political figures.
So I just want to know - Is this decision related to in-game/plot/ production reasons or it is about "getting along"
with a cencorship.

That makes sense. For the record, I agree with you - I think that the romantic subplots in Dragon Age were a bit more fleshed out and definitely made the game even better. They influenced your choices at the end because by then you were actually emotionally invested in the characters. Nicely done.

And you're right - talking about BioWare romances in other games is irrelevant. I'll try to stick to Awakening. I just decided to bring it up because I don't feel it's an essential component of a BioWare game. It's nice when it works, sure, but I'd rather it not be there if it doesn't fit. Besides, I don't like the idea of putting them in there because it's a BioWare game and BioWare games have romances. It should be a case-by-case thing that is added according to whether it fits into the story and setting. I'm also curious to see what kind of game BioWare can make when there aren't any romantic subplots.

As for your last point, I'm not sure. The only person that can give you a real answer that isn't just conjecture would be a dev. Hopefully, one of them will grace us with their glorious presence.

Modifié par Dick Delaware, 19 février 2010 - 08:27 .

[MaxQuartiroli]

It's just impossible that no-romance would be a new policy in BW games ... Bioware will never (and I repeat NEVER) renounce to its soul...

[Victor Wachter]

The romance decision will always be made on a per-game basis. There's no blanket policy at BioWare that must always be or never be romance in a game. That will be decided on what fits best in each game.

[Ponce de Leon]

Well, hopefully in a My little pony game you wouldn't add sex scenes... although, they'd be quite glamorous.

[Revya]

Thanks for the feedback

[agasferus]

Victor Wachter wrote...

The romance decision will always be made on a per-game basis. ... That will be decided on what fits best in each game.

Thank you