Im more of an independent character. Unless romancing another character gives me a particular benefit I probably wouldn’t romance anyone at all.
I love pissing off other characters, stating my own opinions, and overall directing my character to act like a total b****.
While romance doesn’t often come to my character when it does I find it a little suspicious and it usually leads to some sort of mystery I love it way too much.
So all in all Romance is not a core part of the game. For me, it’s just the occasional stem that pops up on a fruit that nobody eats.
well , it is there because 1) The writer itself like romance and want to try to create characters for the players to share something they like .
Its sure more work, but then again writing different path is also alot of work .
It give the player more motivations , make the story have more weigh .
Soldier saving one country vs soldier saving family vs duty vs morality vs love …etc .
Its like asking why are you writing a story in a certain Time Line ? why not the present or the futur instead of say the past ? because the writer like that time period , or wanna challenge themself , or the idea they had would fit that time line .
That is not true . Because the issue here , is assuming that ALL who write romances and add them to their games are some kind of Pro . alot of the writers , its their 1st WIP , their first story . They are in a way writing a game with a script and they are also learning as they do that .
As they keep adding romances to games , others writers and reader and player take notes and improve .
Fallen Hero for exemple, all the romances are tied to the story itself . Take the romance away and you are taking the main characters that are its core away .
Well one of the reasons people add romance to their stories is because romance is very popular and a good money maker. WayHaven is probably one of the highest selling games across the entire CoG and HG catalogue.
In some cases I’m fine with playing a game without romance or (passing up on romance options), but that has to have an especially interesting story setting and plot and a certain kind of MC which would make me less focused on whom I can romance and when can I start that. Kevin Golds games are like that for me: In his games I can easily imagine my MC getting so focused on their work and everything going on around them that she doesn’t have much time or care left to look for a romantic relationship, maybe that’s something my MC would start to regret when she gets old but I guess having regrets just gives a more human feeling to her.
But in most cases I’d prefer having romances and CoG/HG spoiled me enough over the last few years that I wouldn’t be content with anything else than lesbian romances which are actually there for women who happen to like other women instead of just to cater to straight guys who for some weird reason want to play a female character, but still want to hook up with a girl.
So I guess while knowing a game doesn’t include romances isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me if there is another interesting looking game with romances and I’d have to choose one then I’d go for the latter.
I love romance-----well, it’s more accurate to say that I love being able to choose who the most important character to my MC is and to be able to explore that relationship, regardless of what that relationship is. Romance just happens to be my favourite form of that since I’m a sap at heart. I am sick and tired of media that pairs the protagonist with the character they have (what I feel to be) the most boring dynamic with, and I love the ability to choose which relationship I find interesting enough to develop.
However, if the author isn’t interested in being character-centered or in writing romances, I’d prefer that they don’t write romances at all. The worst thing you can do is write something that’s super tacked on to the point that the audience can tell you have no interest in writing it, imo.
To that end : I think it for Choicescript games it depends on whether they’re plot centric or mechanic centric or character centric. For character centric, I definitely would like some sort of relationship system. Plot is…maybe, depends on the author. Mechanic-centric is…I’d actually not like romance in that sort of thing, unless the author does it really well----and that is very rare.
My favorite part of fiction is the interaction between complex characters. I usually use the label “romance” as a shortcut to find it - I’m not seeking the romantic stuff, though (when it’s well written is a plus, but I feel like it’s overestimated and usually it mess the story more than helps it).
However, since the genre is so popular, there are many games with poor characters as RO’s and the interactions described generically as “they went to a date and had a great time together” - this so disappointing and unfortunately, common.
On the other hand, there are many stories without romance that I love. Usually, because they have great characters (Pixar’s movies as an example) but it is hard to find this kind in the game media – and I am disappointed enough searching over the uh, romantic ones, so I do not even bother trying to find them.
Is the romance a core part for me? Nop. Focus on the characters is, though and, as I said, the romance label is my shortcut to find it. So, I probably won’t try an interactive fiction game if there is no RO.
I have to say that I loved the romance in Fallen Hero and couldn’t help it as to date Ortega. Even If it’s the stupidest thing you could possibly do.
This Game would truely suffer without the romance.
It’s complicated. I’m always in the mood for romance (as long as it feels natural enough.) But I also live for cogs that aren’t focused on it, just add in some mystery, good plot & interesting characters. Though some part of me will long for romance if it’s missing, the story/characters will be enough to keep me reading
I like romance quite a bit, but I think there are games that do better without it than with it. It takes time an precision to develop interesting, third-dimensional and fun ROs, and if you have those, I think their stories fit a lot better with an overarching plot than with a game where they feel like peripheral characters to the themes and the action.
Sometimes, in CoG releases, it feels like there is romance in the game because it is supposed to, and not exactly because it adds to the narrative. This ends up with romantic subplots that feel a bit unfulfilling, with sidelined characters and small, in-between choices.
But, then again, it all varies. Mecha Ace isn’t a very long game, but it still has time for a few romantic subplots told in short scenes. The Hero of Kendrickstone, on the other hand, would feel cluttered if it also featured different ROs, each with their own backstory. I think the moral of the story is that, if a game is going to have romance, it should feel a bit like a logic extension of the story, and not something that’s there for being there.
This is what I was about to say. I was thinking of Choice of Alexandria, where the romances kinda seemed to be tacked on and only there because CoG readers expect romances. KG does romance very well in his other games, but Alexandria just didn’t have space for a proper romantic subplot.
In my opinion, if you can’t fit a romance into the game properly, then don’t include it.
I feel like romance is something that I fight for in any kind of stories, it’s like that something that you will always come back to even if you fail. I am also a sucker for engaging and compelling stories so to be able to have both is amazing.
I also think that if there is romance to any kind of stories, the romantic interest should always react to everything that your MC does, not just fade into the background. I especially love it when ROs are unpredictable, showing different emotions to various actions that you do in game.
So, yes I appreciate it and for me it is a core part of the game, it makes my character much more complete I guess. I need someone to notice the things I do for others and the changes I make for myself, and me to them.
The Berenice romance in Choice of Alexandria does feel tacked on, I agree, but the Nefertari one is fairly integrated into the plot, and the Ptolemy III romance makes more sense if you see it as more of a power-motivated seduction.
I agree that Nefertari is integrated into the plot - but she’s the only really well-integrated romance and she’s only available on a side route many players will never see, particularly because working with her means you’re not hyperteching.
I enjoy romance a great deal! I especially enjoy it when there’s some complication that means the romance isn’t necessarily a sensible idea. I do think that romance popularity in games has a lot to do with wish fulfilment and fantasy, and that’s not at all a bad thing!
I don’t think it’s a necessity in ChoiceScript games as long as character relationships are deep and rewarding - family and friends are also awesome to build. But if there’s no romance and other sorts of relationships are very thin, the lack will be striking. The CoG/HG/Heart’s Choice brand tends to highlight characters, so players come to them with particular expectations.
I prefer games that include romance, because I feel, that when the romances are good, normally/often the normal relationships feel real too.
I have done some counting, just for this thread, I have bought around 60 games from the 3 different labels. From that only about 5 games are without romance. Two are Matts games, I really like his humor and on is a horror lovecratian one, where even I think romance would be a burden.
From all this games I have read about 5 games more than 10 times. Only one is a book I read that much not because of the romance. The other ones are Wayhaven, which is only romance, Zombie Exodus Safe Haven, where the romances are not a real keypoint but the writing generally is really great and almost every choice you make has influence in at least flavor text, which is totally stunning. Then there ist creme de la Creme, which is great with friendships as well, the characters seem so real and Keeper of the sun and moon, one of the first games that I played that does not punish your relationship, when you tell someone you just want to be friends,.
So if a game includes romance and trusted Beta gamers do not complain about poorly written female mc´s I will most certainly buy a game, I might never play it through, but I will pay for it, since I try to encourage writers to write more romance^^ as I pay for games from writers I like regardless of the story itself^^
