I'm Sorry, But I Think We Should See Other People - ROs You Hate

[Servant_of_choices]

I personally really dislike needlessly rude or hostile characters (pinna from mind blind, to some extent TWH book 1 Ava) unless they have a somewhat reasonable reason for doing that (flyss from AMR being an example of the have a good reason to dislike mc at first).

Ofc 2nd will be the ROs we are forced to like and/or not have an option to express our true feelings of disgust black magic from heroes rise and junko from SoH , especially junko takes this cake for me.

3rd will be the ROs in which mc has to put basically one sided effort to maintain the relationship and in case of committing an apparent mistake ROs dont bother to put in any effort to continue the said relationship , just seems like a very taxing thing for me , a prime example would be some ROs from Till Death do us apart like lich arcy and spider molloth a lot more but i cant remember them now.

4th will be ROs with no redeemable qualities whatsoever like Manekrol from TSSW .

Pretty sure there are more ROs i dislike but only these are coming to mind rn.

5th Ah yes totally forgot about the ROs who make a successful or unsuccessful attempt on mcs life (looking at you leomar) they are just a HUGE NOPE for me.

[FoolishReader]

You give off heavy Nat or farah vibes. Anyhow, I’ll disagree with you respectfully and will stay in my corner of mumbling.

[AletheiaKnights]

Whoa whoa whoa! I never said or implied the Monarch was the “objective bad choice,” because I don’t believe any such thing. I usually play Affairs of the Court as a consummate schemer with few scruples and fewer morals. As far as I’m concerned, she and the King are perfect for each other.

I will grant that Affairs of the Court is almost certainly an “objective bad choice” if you’re looking to enjoy a vicarious romance. But that’s because it’s actually not a romance game, and the suitors weren’t written as, or intended to be read as, ROs in the sense that we generally use that term.

You have to keep in mind that Choice of Romance was the third CoG title ever released, and (at the time) the most ambitious by far. The authors didn’t have a style guide to work from, or even a community of fans with established expectations. They were basically innovating an entirely new kind of story. I don’t know if they had a three-part story in mind all along, but I am fairly certain that it was essential that Choice of Romance stand alone as a satisfying game at the time of its release, simply because they couldn’t afford for it not to. I imagine it feels very different now when you find yourself shut out of two-thirds of an existing game because you chose the “wrong” suitor, but back in 2011 (2012?) when Choice of Intrigues (aka part 2) was released, it was more like a completed game getting a sequel, but only for one particular route. I’m sure if the authors had it to do over again, they would do a lot differently. Maybe they would have found ways to get the PC involved in court drama without needing to be in bed with the Monarch. Maybe they would simply have created a game about being a royal paramour, without devoting the first third to a choice of suitors.

[FabricSeat]

As someone who only played Choice of Romance after all three parts were released, I always felt it was a court intrigue game that could simply end prematurely if you decided you didn’t want to get involved in court intrigue. The first game seemed much more like an optional prequel or prologue to the succeeding two, which were the real story.

[Zyrios]

Hit the mark with Nat, miss with Farah. Farah is way too flirty for my likes.

[Zyrios]

@AletheiaKnights

You have to keep in mind that Choice of Romance was the third CoG title ever released, and (at the time) the most ambitious by far.

I will admit, I didn’t know this particular detail. I saw it in the omnibus app and thought it was just another in the lineup. I’ve been caught by that before, with another story that was written in a different time and therefore had a lot of choices in it that would come off as wack in the current environment.

(Also, I apologize if I presented a hostile tone in my previous reply, that wasn’t my intention, I’ve actually been enjoying this thread so far.)

[geldar]

If you go to the browser version, they’re actually sorted by date of release, newest first and oldest last.

[Zyrios]

I also didn’t know the app had a browser version, so I’ve now been got twice in one go.

[geldar]

I’ve only been playing on desktop so I don’t even know what the app looks like.

[Hayden_Winter]

@Thecriticofinnocence

Eh, I usually am ok with even the more heinous ROs if they are interesting enough (though I wouldn’t wish for them IRL), but any RO that is forced upon me gets far higher standards from me to have me not try to avoid them out of spite if given the chance.

This! This is the big deal breaker to me: An unhealthy relationship being forced onto me, not the outlook of an unhealthy relationship per se. As soon as this happens I’m out, no matter whether I would’ve liked that same character under different circumstances (read: them being avoidable) or not.

Ironically enough, I actually enjoy quite a few unhealthy romances and I love playing a character who submits (in every conceivable way) to the sexy, evil villain. Manerkol - dare I admit it? lol - was my sole reason for bothering with TSSW after the first book, because I didn’t find the rest of the party very likable and I took major issue with the concept of the Soul Stone itself. Now THAT was one piece of shit that was forced upon you! It’s not a RO, but I hated this parasitic jerk and the whole concept of giving up a piece of your identity so much that my true canonical ending will always be the “YOU ARE DEAD” bad ending in the first book, which you get for refusing the symbiosis with that moron.

And Winter is, of course, a huge manipulative, abusive, cruel and dangerous bastard, too. The “relationship”, or whatever you even want to call it, you can have with them, is pretty much as unhealthy as it gets. So much so that their behavior triggered me a bit at first, because some details hit too close to home - their violent outburst if you reject them or don’t play by their rules in particular. But the difference is again: Winter is entirely optional. You are given the chance to almost entirely avoid interacting with them to such a degree in Sordwin, that I remember not understanding, why a minor side character like them suddenly had such a big moment (the one where they confront you in the tailor shop) during my first playthrough when I still romanced Lamuel.
And even if you decide to “romance” Hayden, there’s always a way out and the option to end things, if things get too uncomfortable. Heck, even the narrator comments on the dangerous and questionable nature of this liaison so often that I sometimes wanted to scream “Look, I’m good! I know what I’m doing!”. Aside from the big betrayal (the backstabbing incident), I can only think of a single moment in which Winter truly violates your consent and it’s a pretty f-ed up moment that maybe could’ve been handled a bit better, but to even get there, you must have decided to ignore seven billion red flags and just as many ringing alarm bells.

But having mentioned Lamuel:
There was a reason why I left him and never looked back, and this brings me to a different sort of ROs I can’t stand: Those who feel like dating a weighted blanket. Too saccharine, too suffocating. Lamuel falls into that category and Nate (Wayhaven) is a major offender as well. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, they’re certainly… nice …

[Elysian]

Looks like some of my all-time favourite ROs are getting mentions here, haha…

Personally, I have no time for Wayhaven’s A. M is borderline, I only gave them a try after book two came out and people were saying how much their romance improved.

Prodigal from Heroes Rise, and Maria from Relics of the Lost Age, never did enough to redeem themselves from being villains in my eyes (and I’m someone who usually likes romancing villains, but…).

I’ll never forgive Tally Ho’s Rory for how quickly he swung from being interested in my MC, to deciding he wanted to marry Frankie after all. On my second playthrough, I made sure he stayed a lonely bachelor, and my MC ran off with Haze instead. Much better.

Seeing what people are saying about Samurai of Hyuga, I’m glad I’ve stayed a million miles away from that series.

@Hayden_Winter

Heck, even the narrator comments on the dangerous and questionable nature of this liaison so often that I sometimes wanted to scream “Look, I’m good! I know what I’m doing!”.

I know, right? It’s probably better to be over-warned than under-warned, but my MC is not a poor little cinnamon roll, he is a badass mage who likes to cause problems on purpose, and wants to see if Winter is a worthy partner in crime. They’re equally safe or unsafe around each other. That’s what makes it fun for me, rather than just a trainwreck.

[JBento]

@Hayden_Winter

I took major issue with the concept of the Soul Stone itself. Now THAT was one piece of shit that was forced upon you! It’s not a RO, but I hated this parasitic jerk and the whole concept of giving up a piece of your identity so much that my true canonical ending will always be the “YOU ARE DEAD” bad ending in the first book, which you get for refusing the symbiosis with that moron.

Oh thank god, I was beginning to think I was the only one. This is what made me skip on the series - SSW is the only CoG series so far that I got one game but not the subsequent ones. The Soul Stone is the most toxic relationship I’ve seen in a CoG game, and that’s saying something when the exact same game has a dude that is basically Hitler plus mindrape.

@milaswriting Thanks. I started trying it out last night. I’m still close to the start (boss has just gone AWOL) but I’m enjoying it so far. The only change I’d wish for now would be for the Rival (I suck at names) to be even more infuriated by the fact that I’m absolutely indifferent to their hatred.

@Elysian

M is borderline, I only gave them a try after book two came out and people were saying how much their romance improved.

As someone for whom the M romance is the absolute favourite in Wayhaven*, I’m gonna weigh in here: I don’t think what you have with Morgan is QUITE at the romance stage per se at the end of Book 2. I DO think that M is the one that most respects the Detective and it’s obvious they care a lot (they’re the only RO that checks if Falk did anything to the Detective at the house of mirrors), but I wouldn’t call it being at the romance stage yet. Of course, M’s romance arc appears to be based about them realising that it’s possible to have feelings other than in your pants, so it makes sense.

@Elysian

Wayhaven’s A

A is my least favourite romance path in Wayhaven (well, excluding the love triangle, which I can’t stand), and I don’t think you’re at the romance stage with them by the end of Book 2, either (but for completely different reasons than M). But I think it’s worth playing through because the Farah teasing is AMAZING and the spider-plant scene is positively hilarious.

[Hayden_Winter]

@JBento

Oh thank god, I was beginning to think I was the only one.

No, I’ve seen others comment on it before. But you might have been one of them.

@JBento

The Soul Stone is the most toxic relationship I’ve seen in a CoG game, and that’s saying something when the exact same game has a dude that is basically Hitler plus mindrape.

*and optional

[Zyrios]

Nah, I’ve pretty much always believed that the Soul Stone is a non-option as far as having any kind of relationship with it goes. Garnet can whine all she wants about how she just wants to be my friend, that bitch is a means to an end and nothing more.

As for WTS, if you really want to piss Blane off, spar with them in the training room and actively cheat in order to win. They get so self-righteous about you doing that, it’s pretty pathetic honestly. (“I don’t cheat in order to win a fight!” Yeah, I’m sure the people who are actively trying to kill you are real impressed by your hollow, meaningless “honor,” Blane.)

[usr_554]

Im joining those with the dislike for M from Wayhaven. I dont think its a bad character, I just dont like their romance route. Theres something about viewing mc as a means to sexual relief and constant comments bordering sexual harassment that takes me out of my comfort zone. At least Wayhaven isnt one of those games that cut out characters you dont romance and I still can spend time with M building friendship and enjoy the character​:ok_woman:

[JBento]

This feels like more “I don’t care for this RO” than “this character should die in a fire and make the world a better place”, though this

@usr_554

Theres something about viewing mc as a means to sexual relief and constant comments bordering sexual harassment that takes me out of my comfort zone.

tidbit is pretty bad if it makes you feel like that, yeah.

EDIT: I think it’s the downside of the otherwise very good (imo) Wayhaven method of locking in a romance route. If you start out interested in Morgan and then decide that she’s too sexually forward for your taste (or comfort or mental health), you can’t opt out and take the thing down the friendship path you say you enjoy.

[Tarlonniel]

@JBento

Oh thank god, I was beginning to think I was the only one.

I’m in that boat too. Not exactly an RO, but definitely a relationship I was 100% not willing to be in.

[Elsee]

I’m gonna have to join the no morgan for me train. They’re just too much for me. First off, they see u as a sex object, and they don’t respect u at all at first (if someone blows smoke at my face irl, they’re gonna get smacked). It’s just not a good environment to foster a romantic relationship. I would avoid him entirely irl. I only played thru his route because i wanna see what all the charas routes are. I actually gain some sort of perverse pleasure in seeing him squirm when MC was mad at him about what he said on the cafe. Hehehehe get reckt M! I’m going to break your heart just when u finally taste what love really is. Im playing the long game with you

A (wayhaven) - damn, shut up grandpa, ill do wat i wanna do, stop breaking my sh*t while you’re at it.

Darcy, oh darcy. Sigh. I have made it my goal to drive u out of the institution

It’s funny bcoz I like Jun from SoH, I am aware that he’s toxic, abusive, and rapey, and I am so guilty for liking him, but somehow I do. The author did a heck of a job inducing sympathy for him. (For the people who think the rape is unavoidable, he never actually goes through with it, if you say your planned safe word with him, i know thats a very small comfort, and it doesn’t excuse anything about his character) i just can’t help but have empathy for him. I hated him for 3 books. 4th one made me like him I’m sorry.

Grey (SiNY) - gets on my nerves too much. But i must admit playing through his route that i liked him after. If irl, i would get in so much fights with him by calling him old.

Basically any ROs that are clearly hostile, mean, or outright disrespectful is an immediate no. However, i will STILL play through the route bcoz im curious about it.

I basically love fluffy ROs like Nate (wayhaven), fun ROs (Semryu), just overall nice and decent, and i absolutely love the bestfriend/childhood friend route.

[Tarlonniel]

@Elsee

if someone blows smoke at my face irl, they’re gonna get smacked

That smoking scene did put me off the M route for a long, long time. It’s fairly tame as far as “bad boy” moments go, but I can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke in real life, and M was such a jerk about it. Treating the MC like a potential sex toy was another turn-off. I was able to get past it all and do the route, but they’re still not entirely forgiven… maybe in another few books…

[JBento]

The thing about being M is that, due to their super-duper-extra-enhanced senses, EVERYBODY does this to them. All the time. You know that cologne/perfume/your natural scent you have on? Any time you come to medium distance of M, you’re shoving that smell, extra-power, up their nose.

@FabricSeat

See, that’s where a considerate person would not choose to inflict on others a suffering they are familiar with.

By being actively hostile, M discourages people from getting near them, which is the goal because like that they have to smell people less, and nobody has bathed in a year. From this thread, I think we can safely say that it’s an effective tactic.

Also, if you’re close enough for M to blow smoke at you, you’re waaaaay too close for their nose to be comfortable with you.