NPC Romances?

Technica

I did a quick search for "romance" in the bar and couldn't really find a discussion like I was thinking of.

Honest opinions on if you'd like an optional romance path with some of the NPCs? (I mean... Darien Gautier... for example)

I'm a huge Dragon Age fan, and I live for my romancable NPCs in that game.. I have a romancable NPC shaped hole in my soul as I wait for Dragon Age 4 to release.
I know some people aren't interested in the slightest, but, even in DA they are completely optional and can absolutely be ignored. So you wouldn't be forced into them if you don't want it.
I personally love them cause they're adorable and it makes me happy, same as I love getting a happy ending for 2 lovers in a side quest.

This year's Smolder Scrolls left me wanting more in the main game, since we got a Fennorian romance for 5 seconds.. That sated my DA4 romance yearning for a while, lol.

So, what do you think?
If you would like romance options, who would you choose?

I really do like Fenn, so I think he'd be my choice

vibeborn

Yes

I'd love to have romances in game! Would make me feel less lonely

I have no standards really, so I'd probably go for any available NPC. including Fennorian

DocFrost72

Don't care

I'm not going to say no, as even well written MMOs like SWTOR had such a feature.

Though I would suggest finding an RP partner for such a thing. It tends to be more fun than a static NPC, at least I think so.

Ringing_Nirnroot

Yes

MORE FENNORIAN PLS

Cirantille

But can I romance Yammimarco? If so then yes

ectoplasmicninja

Yes

I often romance characters in games with those options, so I don't think I'd feel any differently about doing it in ESO. If they give us well-crafted NPCs who feel real I'd be down. I don't want to see them give us romance options for preexisting characters, because I think it would be weird to suddenly be able to romance Darien or Raz (and how would that even work if you've played out all of their content already) but I'm definitely open to potential romance with upcoming companions.

Technica

Yes

ectoplasmicninja wrote: »

I often romance characters in games with those options, so I don't think I'd feel any differently about doing it in ESO. If they give us well-crafted NPCs who feel real I'd be down. I don't want to see them give us romance options for preexisting characters, because I think it would be weird to suddenly be able to romance Darien or Raz (and how would that even work if you've played out all of their content already) but I'm definitely open to potential romance with upcoming companions.

I did think about potential issues with adding to existing.. I don't think I'd mind so much or find it weird that romance is all of a sudden an option, I think I'd be like "ooh, yesss" and go for it. My Kassandra in AC: Odessey definitely goes for everyone that has the option.

It would be nice to replay the game and experience the stories again with this added option. I'd start a fresh char for it

For existing ones perhaps if we could just go through a small thing at the end of all their quests maybe? We go back to where they can be found lurking in game (in Ravenwatch Castle for example) and then have a nice (long maybe?) conversation, then you can return whenever you want for a nice random line or a hug or something. Like how in DA:I I would always return to Skyhold and go see Dorian for a quick smooch.

ectoplasmicninja

Yes

Technica wrote: »

It would be nice to replay the game and experience the stories again with this added option. I'd start a fresh char for it

For existing ones perhaps if we could just go through a small thing at the end of all their quests maybe?

My problem with that is that my main, who has done every quest in the game in order and has gone to great lengths to do all of the things with all of his friends, will have missed out on his opportunity to experience romance with characters he would have liked to have that with. If we can only romance future characters, or even existing characters but only in future content, that works out better - maybe you've laid the groundwork in your previous dealings with them and now they're open to romance, instead of a new character being able to romance them in old content (which I doubt ZOS would do simply because they don't tend to make retroactive changes) but old characters who know them much better being stuck as friends.

Slyclone

Yes

As long as they are not too nit picky, I'm up to see where it goes.

renne

Don't care

I think you're setting yourself up for a failure if you're expecting Bioware level romances, but if you go in there expecting it to be about on par with other Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 you should be fine.

Vlad9425

Yes

I think they did say that they eventually plan to add romantic interest NPCs.

Nairinhe

Yes

Thirsty Legion, arise and heed the call of unreasonable passion towards a bunch of dialogues and pixels!!!

Ahem... I mean, yes, please.
If we can pick whomever, I'd romance Fenn on my main, Darien on tank, Abnur on my imperial macro (for lulz mostly) aaaand... Revus on my fire DK, I think.

Faded

Don't care

No idea how they'd implement it, but keep it out of other people's gameplay and it's whatever. Enjoy.

I played DA:I without romancing anybody and the game eventually picked someone for me and pushed me into the "let's get serious" dialogue. Awkward.

LadyLethalla

Yes

FENNORIAN. That is all.

... except for my actual Fenn clone, anyway. That would just be weird. xD

Sylvermynx

No

That sort of thing is pretty repellent to me personally. It's.... ick-making.

LadyLethalla

Yes

Also, since I only saw mention of this on Reddit...

https://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-us/smolderscrolls

propertyOfUndefined

Yes

This is honestly what excited me most about the new companion announcement!

Sarannah

Yes

Yes, I would like NPC romances. But instead of NPC romances, they should simply make all those characters companions(which includes romancing). And allow us to choose which regular companion skillset we can give them.

And the companion option, including romance, should be available for any major character in my opinion.

Now if only ZOS could implement this feature in real-life! *sigh*

PS: We will also need a "sock on doorhandle" furniture!

NotaDaedraWorshipper

Don't care

renne wrote: »

I think you're setting yourself up for a failure if you're expecting Bioware level romances, but if you go in there expecting it to be about on par with other Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 you should be fine.

Agreed. Which is why I'm indifferent to it. Won't mind if it's added, won't mind if it's not. Can always go play SWTOR, some singleplayer game, or roleplay if I wanted game romance.

ShawnLaRock

I personally Jester Queen Ayrenn!

Also, my Breton character carries around Bazgara’s Lucky Horseshoe treasure as an inventory-burden symbol of his unrequited love for the brash, Daggerfall, Orc Stablemaster.

Hmm... I see a weird trend here.

S.

ectoplasmicninja

Yes

renne wrote: »

I think you're setting yourself up for a failure if you're expecting Bioware level romances, but if you go in there expecting it to be about on par with other Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 you should be fine.

Nick Valentine was the best romance in Fallout 4, change my mind.

Yeah, I'm not expecting anything earth-shattering, but we've had some NPCs with great characterization and decent depth (Abnur Tharn and Darien come to mind) so if they can pull that off plus add an intuitive, unforced romance development, that's the best case scenario IMO.

WeerW3ir

So lets make it clear. Multiple X characters will makeout multiple Y players. idk but its not working in mmo.

TheImperfect

Yes

I like the idea especially if it's optional. Some of my characters might want to. One is definitely celibate. Another is married to an npc houseguest already.

Iluvrien

Yes

Our characters are currently able to slaughter a reasonable proportion of the population of Tamriel...

... but affectionate relationships seem to be a step too far for some people.

What in Azura’s name...

akredon_ESO

Yes

arana the witch chick is waifu, and no one can tell me differently

ArchMikem

Yes

There's no real reason not to have that available.

Plus it opens up another avenue for House guests, just this time it'd be a Housewife/husband.

Sylvermynx

No

Iluvrien wrote: »

Our characters are currently able to slaughter a reasonable proportion of the population of Tamriel...

... but affectionate relationships seem to be a step too far for some people.

What in Azura’s name...

Eh, I have a wonderful husband - going on 46 years married. Why on earth would I think a "relationship" with pixels on my monitor would be of any interest?

Iluvrien

Yes

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

Our characters are currently able to slaughter a reasonable proportion of the population of Tamriel...

... but affectionate relationships seem to be a step too far for some people.

What in Azura’s name...

Eh, I have a wonderful husband - going on 46 years married. Why on earth would I think a "relationship" with pixels on my monitor would be of any interest?

For me it is a story like any other. So I view it rather like saying that I’ll read a book with any themes, rather than intentionally avoiding any with romantic subplots because I am already married.

I mean I’ve only been married for 12 years, but a pixelated romance to me has the same relationship to my marriage as the pixelated combat. None.

If it has a good story, then I want it.

Sylvermynx

No

Iluvrien wrote: »

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

Our characters are currently able to slaughter a reasonable proportion of the population of Tamriel...

... but affectionate relationships seem to be a step too far for some people.

What in Azura’s name...

Eh, I have a wonderful husband - going on 46 years married. Why on earth would I think a "relationship" with pixels on my monitor would be of any interest?

For me it is a story like any other. So I view it rather like saying that I’ll read a book with any themes, rather than intentionally avoiding any with romantic subplots because I am already married.

I mean I’ve only been married for 12 years, but a pixelated romance to me has the same relationship to my marriage as the pixelated combat. None.

If it has a good story, then I want it.

I'm good with books. I am NOT good with screen romance in a game. I never have been, and at this point, I'm never going to be.

The written word is far more important and viable to me than a throw-away game pastime. I realize that may seem odd to some - but then, I'm not exactly young and my views are pretty much set by this time in my life. While I mostly enjoy reading a romance told from outside my own viewpoint (as long as it's not overly graphic), I'm not at all interested in enacting that romantic tale with pixels in a game.

But for those of you who find that enjoyable, go for it. I don't have to mess with it personally.

Iluvrien

Yes

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Iluvrien wrote: »

Our characters are currently able to slaughter a reasonable proportion of the population of Tamriel...

... but affectionate relationships seem to be a step too far for some people.

What in Azura’s name...

Eh, I have a wonderful husband - going on 46 years married. Why on earth would I think a "relationship" with pixels on my monitor would be of any interest?

For me it is a story like any other. So I view it rather like saying that I’ll read a book with any themes, rather than intentionally avoiding any with romantic subplots because I am already married.

I mean I’ve only been married for 12 years, but a pixelated romance to me has the same relationship to my marriage as the pixelated combat. None.

If it has a good story, then I want it.

I'm good with books. I am NOT good with screen romance in a game. I never have been, and at this point, I'm never going to be.

The written word is far more important and viable to me than a throw-away game pastime. I realize that may seem odd to some - but then, I'm not exactly young and my views are pretty much set by this time in my life. While I mostly enjoy reading a romance told from outside my own viewpoint (as long as it's not overly graphic), I'm not at all interested in enacting that romantic tale with pixels in a game.

But for those of you who find that enjoyable, go for it. I don't have to mess with it personally.

Absolutely fair enough. Thank you for taking the time to explain your perspective. Have an “insightful”.

Sylvermynx

No

@Iluvrien - thanks. I've always enjoyed your posts, and while we may not agree on things, I certainly am willing to watch over your road as I go on my own way.