Yahtzee weighs in on the romance

[RKade83]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLvWlM_9SI8

[Bobs]

The romances are terribly done. I like the game overall but the romances are sloppy and feel like they were done by a teenager. They basically throw themselves at you from the start.

[Rex is back, baby!]

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

[RKade83]

Originally posted by Rex:

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

He does offer solutions.

[Friends with Benedicts]

How can a board game weigh on a feature of a digital game. Thats preposterous.

[Makkura]

Originally posted by Rex:

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

Roll for orientation. Do this on every new game start.
Roll for base attraction. Do this on every new game start.
Roll for charm. Do this on every positive dialog choice. Magnify depending to base attraction.
Roll for disgust. Do this on every negative dialog choice. Magnify depending to base attraction.

If at the end of the game you managed to beat a attraction threshold and the orientation fits to the respective sexes, then you may kiss the girl.

[Psywar]

Romances with origin characters should not happen on act 1.

[Zero McDol]

Originally posted by Rex:

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

Yea, pretty much.

Complaining does no good without an actual improvement suggestion to go with it. The complaint ends up being a mere sounding board, which doesn't help anyone but the one doing the venting.

In the end, while it would be good to have more team building scenes and friendly moments with party members, however there's absolutely nothing wrong with also having optional romance routes. It doesn't have to be one or the other; developers can just as easily build on both elements.

[Coffee Addict]

he's still a thing?

[Vitae Mecha]

What do you think this is? An Asian romance game with sexy sliding block puzzles? Get out of here.

[Gracey Face]

Originally posted by Rex:

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

Each prospective romance partner should have set sexual preferences instead of "I throw myself at PC" that match their background and general character. They should have physical characteristics that they view as attractive which or decrease their attractiveness to the PC.
They should not throw themselves at the PC immediately or within a few seconds of you starting the game but should require you to have beliefs or aspects of your personality that they find attractive and they should find these things out about you naturally while you play through etc.

Look at the Githyanki girl as an example of how this is done wrong. She is very sexually forward due to that (apparently) being the way her culture works, which is ok. But then she says she finds you highly attractive because you're competent and dominant within about 10 minutes of starting the game. What have you done to show you're competent and dominant at that point? Bullied some tiefling refugees maybe? Not really impressive.

[TripSin]

No, it's better to let the player be able to pursue a romance with any of the characters.

Yes, unfortunately you will apparently get some nonsensical crybabies who will whine about it (maybe because they don't have healthy romantic relationships irl), but it's worth it. The vast majority of normal players will appreciate it.

Making romances restrictive is more detrimental to the player experience than anything and is unnecessary, I find it idiotic to believe otherwise. I also find it really silly to get so triggered over it in a fantasy video game.

[Coldhands]

Yeah, most of the romance in BG3 is fan service. There's loads of it, but it all of it feels like the primary objective is to give the player characters to bang and/or call their boy/girlfriend as quickly as possible.

[Pacino]

Originally posted by Rex:

How is a romance properly done? The critics always whine but never offer a solution.

A lot of people do offer solutions but usually it gets drowned out by strawman replies. Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best games I've played in a while but the romance is cringey and amateurish like most games.

It basically just comes down to the writing being poor and the characters sexuality being at the forefront rather than anything of substance.

[Zero McDol]

Originally posted by Coldhands:

Yeah, most of the romance in BG3 is fan service. There's loads of it, but it all of it feels like the primary objective is to give the player characters to bang and/or call their boy/girlfriend as quickly as possible.

Not that I have an issue with sex and romance in this game or anything, but more often than not in games, nothing comes after the intimacy content. It's kinda like reaching the intimacy goal in the game, then the game going good job, that's the end of the romance.

Kinda dull really, but that's just my opinion.

[Makkura]

Originally posted by Zero McDol:

Originally posted by Coldhands:

Yeah, most of the romance in BG3 is fan service. There's loads of it, but it all of it feels like the primary objective is to give the player characters to bang and/or call their boy/girlfriend as quickly as possible.

Not that I have an issue with sex and romance in this game or anything, but more often than not in games, nothing comes after the intimacy content. It's kinda like reaching the intimacy goal in the game, then the game going good job, that's the end of the romance.

Kinda dull really, but that's just my opinion.

It's kind of funny. On one hand, if people point out how the RP aspect of the game is shallow and the game part is uninspired then there is always this force that denies that and declares it the best RPG on this side of the millenium.
But when it is pointed out that the romance is so shallow that it gets reduced to "collect points to get laid", then suddenly it's "the game doesn't need to be detailed to begin with".