CalamityCat wrote: »

BretonMage wrote: »

CalamityCat wrote: »

IMHO romance requires some belief that characters would actually like each other. I'm fully aware that some gamers don't care one iota about that, but we're all different.

I feel that the companions really like my character though. Zerith in particular is very expressive about his appreciation for the Vestige, and I feel that Azandar too deeply appreciates my character in his own special way. It would feel very natural to me if they were given a quest where they started to develop affection for my character.

The interactions I have with my companions yeah, they talk like they like me. But only because they don't know what my character just did in Grahtwood Though you could imagine some romance where your character is secretly off out assassinating characters, then comes home and acts like the perfect partner with the companion.

Proof that Tamriel can have dysfunctional relationships, just like Earth

CalamityCat wrote: »

The companions all have their own story, personality and preferences through their rapport system. Unless you re-wrote all of that to fit every variation of alignment from most virtuous to evil, some companions and characters are incompatible.

Opposites attract.

CalamityCat wrote: »

spartaxoxo wrote: »

But there IS belief that the characters would actually like each other. They would be written to have that agency. The reason romance in video games is popular because the characters ARE generally written with agency. They are written using the same tropes and other building blocks as any other piece of fiction. Each of the companions go through very important moments with you character from a narrative standpoint. And you can track just how much the character is written to like your character using the rapport feature. The more you do with that companion the greater that affection grows.

At max rapport, the companions consider you a best friend.

The companions all have their own story, personality and preferences through their rapport system. Unless you re-wrote all of that to fit every variation of alignment from most virtuous to evil, some companions and characters are incompatible.

I don't think any companion would need to fit every possible player character. They can maintain a consistent personality and players can choose which, if any, suits their character.

peacenote wrote: »

I don't want the same companion making romantic overtures to all of my different characters, whether I engage or not. Or having all of my different companions be potentially interested. It conflicts with the concept that each companion levels separate reputation with each character. If I must level each one separately because they all have individual relationships with my characters, it certainly would be bizarre that they'd be ok being romantic with all of them! I mean, maybe having one polyamorous companion could be a thing, but all of them being that way? It's.... weird.

You're entitled to your own opinion, of course, but I don't see how this is different to everything else in the game. Does it make sense that all our characters are the Vestige and help the same npcs with the same problems in quests? Or that Velyn Harbor is under attack for one character but for another the invaders have already been taken care of? That Bleakrock Isle is evacuated for some but not for others? We can choose to have characters only quest in a specific area, so there's no overlap, but actually, all our characters are supposed to be different, separate stories.

whitecrow wrote: »

I just can't imagine how this could be done well.

Another reason for me to bring up Warframe who did it last year, tl;dr they hired a professional romance novelist, spending extensive resources on the interactive story and its sprawling dialogue trees. The romance aspect was purely optional, but you still had to get to know the other characters well enough for them to trust you leading the mission. I've never sought out romance games but I ended up having a lot of fun, and it was well received by players in general.

CalamityCat wrote: »

Syldras wrote: »

CalamityCat wrote: »

The companions all have their own story, personality and preferences through their rapport system. Unless you re-wrote all of that to fit every variation of alignment from most virtuous to evil, some companions and characters are incompatible.

Of course. Who says they all have to get along?

Exactly. I don't want some of my characters to have any romance, it doesn't make sense for them. I mean I could have some lying and gaslighting their romantic companion, but that's not my thing. It might be funny, but I'd feel bad doing it.

I'd think if people choose one to "write" them into their character's personal story as a relationship partner, they'd go for one that feels fitting to that story. Someone they think would appreciate the character they roleplay and become fond of them. For some characters it might be Isobel or Mirri, for others Bastian or Azandar, for some characters no one might fit.

Exactly. I know and enjoy all the different companions and their stories. But they're not a romantic match for any of my characters really.

And even if they chose a companion who would probably not appreciate what their character usually does in game (imagining they were real people with real morals - contrary morals in this case) , how is the imagination of other players any of my business? If they want to roleplay their story like that and enjoy it, fine with me.

Hey, we're all different and I accept that. I'm just aware that a romance system will have limitations and players will all have their own interpretation of companion personalities and how they expect them to act/speak to a romantic partner.

I remember players on here talking like they were really bothered when a game character called them "dear" during their interactions. Something like that. I think it was a thread where some felt Tan had been too flirty or something? But again I was thinking "huh?" because to me they're not in the slightest bit icky or creepy. So that is going to be a challenge when writers create romance dialogue for companions

One of the issues with 'flirty' dialogue in general, and I am pretty sure I know that thread you are talking about, is that there is no way to say 'hey! back off, I don't want you flirting with me and I don't want *wink wink nudge nudge* hints about your past conquests.'

With romance options, and as I said in one of my other posts, there should be a way for it to just become a deepening of friendship for those who don't want to romance the characters if there are any rewards for doing it, it would be optional, which means that the character doesn't just start flirting right off the bat to someone they *just met*. Which is the second issue for many players, that the NPCs are flirty with someone they just met and have no clue what their personality is like.

So, those two issues would be taken off the table, because as I said, romance ideally should be done at max rapport, or at least very high rapport, which means you spent time with that companion, and there should be a way to say 'sorry, not interested in this' or just a new line of dialogue that starts the romance options.

So, Bastien wouldn't meet your character for the first time in blackwood and immediately go 'hey good looking!' (hopefully he won't do that period....) but would rather need to get to know your character first before any hint of romance comes through.

Also, the way Tanlorin is written I do find them a bit creepy, because, as I said, I don't want them to constantly drop hints about their past conquests, and to me, if someone came up to me and mentioned that (especially so early in our acquaintanceship), they definitely wouldn't be a potential romance, because who are they going to tell about US?

But, hopefully that would be the beauty of the romance options. They would be there for the people who want them, and nothing would change for the people who don't want them. If you don't want to romance one companion, don't and either romance another, or wait for a new companion to come out. If you don't want to romance companions at all, then just don't. Just like if you don't want companions at all, you don't have to unlock them. Or use them if you want the XP from their quests.

Edit: knew I had more to say :P

As for everyone having their own ideas of how the companions would react, of course, but at the end of the day, the companions aren't *our* characters, so they would act according to the people who write them. If the writers make them act out of character, then yeah, that would be a problem, but that can be a problem with novels as well, I have seen a lot of authors just abrubtly change the personalities of their characters, because they want them to do something specific, that that particular character would never do, or they just forget how they had written the character in the first place.

So, out of character writing isn't just an issue for games.

Hopefully, though, ZOS IS reading the forums (or at least someone is) and would take the concerns in mind and would make sure that the companions *don't* act out of character (or better yet, the original writers of the companions are the ones who write the romance options)

I flirted with Raz today.