Romanceable NPCs with one another?

[EvilChani]

@jay-walker

Personally, it’s “I will steer clear of the RO”.

Same here. The one caveat is that, if all of the (male) ROs are paired off with someone else when not romanced–and I know it before ever playing the demo or buying the game–I’m going to avoid the game altogether. I oftentimes choose poorly on my first run of a game, when picking a path to play for my first MC (example: first run of Wayhaven, I chose Adam–and about halfway through, I quit and started again). If M had hooked up with someone else, or Alima’s dumb ass was mentioned in A’s run, I never would’ve played M’s route and would’ve just quit (I’m sure that wouldl make Mishka wish she had done that, lol).

I will say that, if the MC-RO romance was internally drama free (like we always see with NPC-NPC romances), I might actually give it a go, especially if the MC-RO romance was pitched as a, “I could be happy with someone else, but you’re my lobster” kind of thing. I’m older than most of you, but the whole soulmate thing (when writen well) always gets me (even if one of the soulmate pair is an asshat that makes the other one want to strangle them at times).

@jay-walker

like Skyrim.

My character in Skyrim accidentally married Mauricio (before I restarted and got a mod that would let you marry the head of the Thieves’ Guild). He was annoying, so I turned him into a cheese danish and ate him.

@JBento

I dunno what barbaric cruelty @HannahPS ever inflicted upon you, but whatever it was, suggesting they romance Milo is an overreaction.

She wanted pain, so I delivered it!

@LiliArch

I just wouldn’t want potential players disregard the whole game just because I couldn’t make my mind about one character’s gender.)

As long as there is an enticing RO of that gender available, I don’t see an issue. If that’s the only male RO, then count me out of the game.

@HannahPS

I have been surprised to occasionally see people saying they don’t want to romance characters where they could be polyamorous, even if they don’t get together with someone else if you’re not with them.

That’s not my issue with Milo. My issue is that Milo pretended to give a damn about you, murdered you, and if you do get into a relationship with him and choose not to be part of the poly, he’ll still be with the other guy, anyway. Basically, you’re stuck in a V-poly, like it or not. Plus, he fucks whoever he wants to (not just the other guy, btw), while you have to be faithful. The whole thing is a huge turnoff.

[LiliArch]

@EvilChani

As long as there is an enticing RO of that gender available, I don’t see an issue. If that’s the only male RO, then count me out of the game.

That’s fair. “I don’t have any suitable ROs, so I don’t play the game” is vastly different from “I don’t like how this one RO is handled, so I don’t play the game, no matter how many potential others I might like there are”, which was my fear. (In this case, they’re all gender selectable. Also in this particular RO’s case, you’ll pick who you’d want to be available as RO, and the one you pick would not end up in a relationship in that run, even if you don’t romance them. It’s only the option you didn’t pick as a potential-RO who does. But since that one would be a potential-RO in another playthrough, it’s non-romanced RO in relationship with NPC, although you’ll never see that if you always pick the same gender.)

[AnneWest]

@LiliArch

Also in this particular RO’s case, you’ll pick who you’d want to be available as RO, and the one you pick would not end up in a relationship in that run, even if you don’t romance them. It’s only the option you didn’t pick as a potential-RO who does.

That alone changes the whole dynamic. Many times when I’m leery of the whole idea it’s because I feel that it means I would be inserting my PC into a relationship where I am actively breaking up something that I had no business being a part of. (Not the case if it’s designed to be any shape of a polymance, only in “single” romance routes.)

[EvilChani]

@AnneWest

Many times when I’m leery of the whole idea it’s because I feel that it means I would be inserting my PC into a relationship where I am actively breaking up something that I had no business being a part of. (Not the case if it’s designed to be any shape of a polymance, only in “single” romance routes.)

That’s exactly my feeling on the matter. In instances like you mention, it always feels squicky, like I’m somehow ruining the RO’s life by making a MC who will be an inferior choice for that RO, while they could be actually happy with the NPC. It just makes for a miserable playthrough.

[rfzhao]

For people who find this squicky, is it the romantic intimacy or just the intimacy in general? Would you feel the same way about ROs in a FWB relationship with each other where both parties make it clear that they have no romantic feelings for each other?

[ViIsBae]

So, I have a question about that part. There are games like INFAMOUS that have RO’s that are already in a relationship with someone in some games, and I see that they can be rather popular. Or for instance (Amy said this next one is not going to happen from what I understand so this is purely hypothetical) if Seven and Avina ended up together in the end, or were together now, and the only way for you to be with Seven was to start off the relationship as “the other partner” in a cheating scenario, would you do it; general question to everyone. Because Seven is by far the most popular RO in that story, so I’m curious to see what people say about that hypothetical

[vera]

To be honest, given my dislike for Avina, I would easily yeet their entire character in the trash if they stood in the way of me getting with someone I’m actually interested in. I don’t like sharing, and if you, a potential LI, like your NPC so much, you can stay with them.

But generally I hate, hate, hate and hate once more shit like this. It’s a surefire way to make me hate the character LI uses as their another partner, and it’s definitely an easy way to make me hate them as well. I like messy drama when it’s centered on two, most of all three people who are equals in a relationship. No cheating, no fighting for affection, nothing like that.

[HarrisPS]

I would be interested in a relationship starting with the MC being “the other partner” in theory but I don’t think I’ve played that dynamic much. The closest I think was Joseph in Dream Daddy where it’s not something that leads to a longer-term relationship in the end. From a writing perspective I can see why it doesn’t appear very much: there are so many more elements to keep in mind in order to make the character and relationship appealing.

I would rather, I think, play a situation where you’re a third joining a pre-existing relationship which I believe is one of the G/Victoria/MC dynamics that can happen in Infamous. That can still be messy and complicated.

[The_Lady_Luck]

@EvilChani

Plus, he fucks whoever he wants to (not just the other guy, btw), while you have to be faithful.

Ouf. That’s generally considered a serious red flag in poly circles.

The ‘not breaking up with an established partner because a new one doesn’t want to be poly’ part actually makes me happy, since I’ve heard too many stories of the opposite happening in real life, and it’s really shitty and hurtful to the established partner.

Granted, I haven’t played that game since the early demo, so I don’t know how badly it’s handled.

@ViIsBae

was to start off the relationship as “the other partner” in a cheating scenario, would you do it

Generally not interested in having my character take part in cheating.

With the distinction that it’s not cheating if everyone involved is fine with it, no matter what society says. If it’s an open relationship, or like an arranged marriage where neither of them expect the other to be faithful but has to hide the affairs, then it’s not a problem.

[Tarlonniel]

@ViIsBae

start off the relationship as “the other partner” in a cheating scenario

I would never play a game or a romance which put my character in that situation.

[EvilChani]

@rfzhao

Would you feel the same way about ROs in a FWB relationship with each other where both parties make it clear that they have no romantic feelings for each other?

I’d probably avoid that as well, since fuckbuddies can decide they’re in love when someone else pops into the mix. And I’m always partial to the “fuckbuddies to lovers” stories.

@ViIsBae

Or for instance (Amy said this next one is not going to happen from what I understand so this is purely hypothetical) if Seven and Avina ended up together in the end, or were together now, and the only way for you to be with Seven was to start off the relationship as “the other partner” in a cheating scenario, would you do it; general question to everyone. Because Seven is by far the most popular RO in that story, so I’m curious to see what people say about that hypothetical

I’m the odd one out–I hate Seven as a RO, at this point, partially because Savina seems like a QPR, from what we see from the outside. And I don’t think shs said Savina would not end up together if Seven isn’t romanced. In fact, she jokingly implied they would end up together over on tumblr. The whole thing is just too squicky to me with Seven. If it was Seven just hating the MC while secretly caring about them–without Avina being forced on us at every turn–I’d probably like Seven as a RO. But with Avina in the mix? No thanks. He can stay with Saint Avina and my MCs will avoid them when they can.

That said, I do find the G romance appealing, and G’s freaking married. I think it “feels” different there because it’s clear G/V have serious problems. They aren’t up each other’s ass the way Seven/Avina are. And, from the outside, it appears G/V aren’t really suited for each other. So it’s still cheating, but it’s not like you’re breaking up soulmates/meant-to-be the way it feels with Savina. It also feels like the narrative itself favors Savina as a pair, as well as Seven and Avina separately. So that also is a big part of the way I feel this way.

Disclaimer: The above is my opinion, not “fact”. It’s a subjective thing, based on what we’re seeing in the game and on tumblr/Patreon. I get that not everyone agrees, but you will not change my opinion on it. The only thing that can do that, at this point, is what happens in the game itself.

[LiliArch]

@The_Lady_Luck

With the distinction that it’s not cheating if everyone involved is fine with it, no matter what society says. If it’s an open relationship, or like an arranged marriage where neither of them expect the other to be faithful but has to hide the affairs, then it’s not a problem.

So if your spouse in arranged marriage would actually be happy for you and support you any way they can, it’d be fine? That saves me from one headache.

[The_Lady_Luck]

I mean, I’m currently poly and was in an open relationship for many years before that, so I reeeaaally can’t speak for monogamous people, on whether they’d be comfortable with it.

But if both parts of a marriage agrees that it’s fine to sleep with/date other people, then doing so isn’t cheating.

[JBento]

@HannahPS

I was so confused by this post but then very amused.

Mission accomplished!

@EvilChani

My character in Skyrim accidentally married Mauricio (before I restarted and got a mod that would let you marry the head of the Thieves’ Guild). He was annoying, so I turned him into a cheese danish and ate him.

This is why the existence of no-fault divorce is important. So @EvilChani doesn’t go off her diet.

@ViIsBae

if Seven and Avina ended up together in the end, or were together now, and the only way for you to be with Seven was to start off the relationship as “the other partner” in a cheating scenario, would you do it; general question to everyone.

I know nothing about the game, but this scenario? Regardless of game and/or RO,

@LiliArch

So if your spouse in arranged marriage would actually be happy for you and support you any way they can, it’d be fine? That saves me from one headache.

I mean, yeah, the objection @The_Lady_Luck seems to have (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) wasn’t “one person has multiple partners”, it’s “and this person is a worthless little shit who’s actively betraying the partner they purport to care about to their face.” Which is the same as mine.

[vera]

I’m mainly monogamous, but I enjoy poly in some specific cases - mainly when two people like MC so much that they decide that fighting for him isn’t worth it, or when MC himself loves two other people too much to choose between them.

But it boils down to love. Mutual respect, love and desire to actually build a relationship. With the most “LI can leave for NPC” cases there’s none of that in their relationship with MC, and at times said LI expects MC to crawl back to them after they do all sorts of vile shit. So I’m very against them if the poly isn’t initiated by MC - the “LI already likes someone” else scenarios are far more prone to things I’ve described.

[ViIsBae]

What if in the game down the line they go to therapy and work out their issues? Would that change things at that point? I haven’t played the demo so I don’t know how it goes, but again, hypothetical.

[vera]

Therapy didn’t fix my deep-seated issues for two years and still can’t (self-therapy, sure, but being medically labelled as mentally unstable brings nothing but issues). I doubt it’ll be easier in a live competition with Love Island levels of drama.

[Dragomer]

I just like harems personally.

[vera]

How do you think Devon is gonna put Jun in the harem ending? I don’t mind harems myself, but I enjoy pairs of three much more. I think that’s the most amount of people in a relationship I could reasonably write, too.

[EvilChani]

@ViIsBae

What if in the game down the line they go to therapy and work out their issues? Would that change things at that point? I haven’t played the demo so I don’t know how it goes, but again, hypothetical.

Theoretically? If Seven’s behavior toward the MC changed, and they stopped being attached to Avina at the hip (friends are fine, but when you’re sharing a bed with them every damned night and can’t function without them by your side 24/7, that’s a problem for me), then sure, it would change. But there’s another problem…

How long it takes to get there. I don’t like the “you get together at the end!” stories to begin with, but when combined with the miserable Savina situation? The longer it goes on, the less likely I will be to “get over it” and enjoy the story (for Seven and MC, I mean). There are some things that should be dealt with sooner, rather than later, and the idea that “oh well it’ll be so great because the scene where it happens is SOOOO awesome, guys!” doesn’t work.

There comes a point where you cross a line and drag things out for so long that, no matter how “great” the scene you have in mind is, it’s not enough to offset the misery people had to endure to get there. This holds true in every part of these games, but it’s especially true for the romances (and friendships, really). Time under pressure is definitely a thing, but when the time and pressure become crushing, then the reward you get at the end doesn’t make up for the fact you’re in emotional traction for for the next year.