Eiwynn
143
Enough fixating on one post.
Please move the conversation onward from here.
3 Likes
I’d say the same concept of feeling MC being the creep and always being the one to initiate the interest can be applied to the RO doing the same to MC(there have been some persistent ROs). I’d say it’s a balance issue, perhaps…
Which brings me back to my own vaguely put post awhile ago. Scenes in which RO is thinking to themselves or talking to a friend on what they should do about the feelings they have for MC. Should they just confess and ask MC on a date? Should they let MC ask first? Should RO just give up on MC and move on? And there would be a choice from RO’s perspective on what they do, made by the player. It would be a good way to see through RO’s perspective for players and give them agency in how they want to proceed that’s comfortable for them(especially if they accidentally initiated the romance). But again, depending on how many ROs there are, that’d be a lot of work and the writer would have to be prepared to handle it or eventually scrap doing it favor of something else.
I even have an old story in which that would be a scene. Depending on background and chosen job, a RO could already have a crush on MC. Eventually, a scene would be played where RO is hanging out with a friend and decides to ask their friend for advice because they’ve hit an emotional wall and aren’t sure what they should do with their feelings. They’ll talk about the relationship up until then(dependant on player’s choices) and then choices relevant to that will be selectable depending on friend’s analysis(if MC’s responses were good/neutral/bad).
I was even thinking a counter scene that goes back to MC(if they have indicated interest a certain amount of times) about RO and literally give them a choice of even selecting the opposite of what they selected for RO. Like if they selected for RO to give up, but select to confess to RO, or vice versa, for some angst(I see you, angst lovers).
1 Like
I kind of understand where you’re coming from, in letting players “decide” how a character moves forward about their feelings from a player point of view. But, as a writer, that’d be quite limiting and rather dull, in my own opinion; many writers don’t write to please others and let people shape the characters created by the writer themself; they write people. And most players, from the threads I’ve read (including this one and my own), tend to respond more positively to ROs feeling like real people who are autonomous; to remove that would add a certain level of… I don’t know a word for it, something like blandness, maybe?
Also, for players, it could be frustrating to have to direct the ROs in what to do, especially if you have to do it multiple times. It feels less like romance and more like a clicker game from sadpandastudios or something. Which isn’t a bad thing, but it sounds very awkward in a written game with proper plot.
13 Likes
Also, to the actual OP and idea: I love the idea of making romance more natural by allowing ROs to pursue the MC as well as MC pursue them! It gets so dratted boring to have to go OOC for some playthroughs by being the one to start everything; let me be the one being chased for once, please!!! Thank you Ms. Jenkins for giving us the gift of her ROs doing that, lol.
It’d also be nice to see more diversity in relationships, as well. Like, just because MC or the RO asked the other out doesn’t mean they should be the one to do EVERYTHING to keep the relationship moving! Like, MC asked RO out, but RO is the one who approaches them first on details about the first date or vice versa!
13 Likes
Been observing this thread for a while and I’m gonna give my piece as both a writer and a player: I don’t fall for dolls or simply appearance. I fall for characters. So I would never want to control how the npcs respond to me. If I wanted that i would write a mind control game and get it over with. When I like a character, I like them for their personality and If i don’t get that, I’m moving on to someone else.
Secondly, I’m a shy person. I’m not very good at initiating conversation. In fact I feel like every time I do, it’s awkward as all hell. When I play a game i may some times roleplay as another character, even a different gender. But most of the time, like many here, I will self insert. And as such I want to be able to be myself i these stories and that includes the fact I will most certainly not hit on an npc cause I’m shy. So I’ll rather the npc initiates the exchange rather than me and even flirt with me because i feel more comfortable like that. So it would be refreshing to see that in action. One of my favorite IFs for this exact reason is Wayhaven Chronicles. Because there you can be shy but still get hit on by the other characters and I loved that.
As a writer I’m on my way to writing something like that soon. One wip I’m currently working on that’ll have ROs flirting with you and depending on how you react to them, it’ll lead to a relationship or not and everyone else in the audience for cog will be the judge of the result.
20 Likes
Romance is personal to everyone. Everyone has their own differing opinions on reader initiative, flirting, characterization, etc. You cannot please everyone. Write what you believe to be the most interesting, or at least what you believe others will find the most interesting. If people dislike it, they’ll let you know. The ultimate point of a WIP is to obtain feedback, after all.
28 Likes
I think a middle ground can be forged.
I don’t mind when Team Bravo hits on the Detective since I have the option of not returning their interest which doesn’t initiate more flirting on their end. If I wanted to, I could play as a Detective who doesn’t mind flirting but keeps it strictly when she’s not doing her job.
What’s nice about Wayhaven is that even if I don’t go for the first flirt option with Team Bravo, I always have the next one to do so. I am never locked out of the relationship if I miss a chance to flirt.
A good possible middle ground to give NPCs their own personalities would be to have them flirt a little bit with the MC, maybe once or twice depending on the setting. If the MC is receptive, the RO would naturally respond back with more flirting since the MC has given their consent to that kind of behavior.
If the MC responds with a negative respond after the couple of times, then the NPC would stop flirting, but that wouldn’t lock out the MC from pursuing a relationship. Maybe it could offer a chance of nuance or something by the MC explaining that ‘Hey, I like to keep my job and my personal life separate but we could go to the coffee shop this weekend?’.
This same scenario could be flipped to where this is how an NPC would respond to the MC flirting with them too.
And YMMV depending on the setting of the story.
6 Likes
I can’t agree more. RO mechanics is a very difficult mechanics with a very difficult spectrum to fill, I personally have lots of problems to implement shy characters and assertive romance NPCs because it is something I literally don’t like and enjoy. I, however, try to remember that games have to have in the possible a spectrum of romance options and player responsibilities. I as a writer, go for a switch player can switch about activating npc flirting or not.
I think people have to forget personal opinion when writing an interactive fiction with choices that want to charge about or at least be very upfront about the nature of the romances to a player don’t feel harassed by NPCs. I am talking from experience.
I can’t deal with this right now. Another mod will get to this later.
Eiwynn
159
In the holiday spirit, I deleted everyone’s obsessive fixated posts… next time, there may be less forgiveness and more punishment.
When I said: “move on” I meant it.
I think the thread should stay closed for a bit… I or another mod will decide when to reopen it.
4 Likes
