Merlin's "Date" Emotional Hangup

[Emblee]

Hello! I've never posted on steam forums before but I love My Time at Portia and have had a blast playing it for months now and came across something that for the first time, made me unhappy as I played.
I was curious if anyone shared my opinion on this matter:
Yesterday I got the quest "News Camera" where Merlin says she'll help you get the camera if you go on a date with her (as a social experiment I hear).
- As additional information I am, both in the game and in real life, quite happily married. And this quest really bothers me emotionally.
I don't care if it is for an "experiment" or not, it gives me a feeling like I'm going behind my in game spouses back or almost as if I'm cheating on them, and that personally pains me to do even in a game.
Maybe it's just because I'm soft hearted in real life, and the idea of doing that to my real life spouse kills me inside, but I really wish there was another way to go about Merlin's quest without having to fake date her. At least for those who are married in the game.

Thanks for listening! Does anyone, married or not, share the same thoughts?

[bytesback]

Personally I don't like this quest because it just feels wrong. Almost as though your using her (which you are)

[Lilith]

Originally posted by bytesback:

Personally I don't like this quest because it just feels wrong. Almost as though your using her (which you are)

Well, she's using you too, so you're even, I guess? Lol

I wasn't married yet when I got that quest, but I don't see the problem anyway, since she calls it a "date" but in reality it's more like a friend date, because you only get the "Play" options and not the romantic options like "Holding hands" and "rest on lap", which you only get once you have confessed to somebody. You get to spend some time with her doing stuff also normal friends do, like chatting, having dinner together and playing. I wouldn't see it as a cheating action.

I get you don't even invite other NPC to play with you anymore, then? You just chat and give gifts to them to increase their relationship wth you?

[AsianGirlLover]

I wouldn’t mind having an alternative way to complete the quest if you were currently in a relationship with another character.

That said, you’re just chatting and maybe buying dinner in exchange for a camera. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

[XBL Laberbacke]

Originally posted by AsianGirlLover:

That said, you’re just chatting and maybe buying dinner in exchange for a camera. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

It's made worse by the fact that you can produce one later. So much for "one of a kind" or "far beyond our capabilities".

[AsianGirlLover]

Originally posted by XBL Laberbacke:

Originally posted by AsianGirlLover:

That said, you’re just chatting and maybe buying dinner in exchange for a camera. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

It's made worse by the fact that you can produce one later. So much for "one of a kind" or "far beyond our capabilities".

You can? I haven’t played the game in forever tbh. Waiting for it to finish as I got tired of getting used to certain changes with each update

Edit: is it true that commissions were nerfed and that making Gols is a bigger pain in the ass now?

[XBL Laberbacke]

http://mytimeatportia.wikia.com/wiki/Camera_(Book)

[Emblee]

Originally posted by Lilith:

Originally posted by bytesback:

Personally I don't like this quest because it just feels wrong. Almost as though your using her (which you are)

Well, she's using you too, so you're even, I guess? Lol

I wasn't married yet when I got that quest, but I don't see the problem anyway, since she calls it a "date" but in reality it's more like a friend date, because you only get the "Play" options and not the romantic options like "Holding hands" and "rest on lap", which you only get once you have confessed to somebody. You get to spend some time with her doing stuff also normal friends do, like chatting, having dinner together and playing. I wouldn't see it as a cheating action.

I get you don't even invite other NPC to play with you anymore, then? You just chat and give gifts to them to increase their relationship wth you?

Yeah I don't spend any time going on "play dates" or whatever with other characters now, because I don't really desire to increase their relationships that much.
Perhaps then my problem is purely with the word choices, as going on a "date" with her implied romantic intent.

Originally posted by AsianGirlLover:

I wouldn’t mind having an alternative way to complete the quest if you were currently in a relationship with another character.

That said, you’re just chatting and maybe buying dinner in exchange for a camera. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

Agreed with the alternative way to complete it if in a relationship, I think it really is the wording that bothers me so much, I have no issues going and hanging out with Merlin, but I don't like that they call it a date... Oh well, if it's just sitting around and talking then no biggie!

[Emblee]

I wonder if anyone has gone through this process with Merlin while being romantically involved with another, and having them see you while you're with Merlin? Does your partner react negatively in some way?

[larindel]

Oh yes, he does!
In my last game, married to Aadit, I wanted to see what happens if he sees my dating Merlin ... he was sooo sad and disappointed!
I felt so sorry that I decided to reload the day. Still it felt totally wrong dating Merlin. Really unconfortable.
It's not only the feeling of using her and being used by her, it's also kind of cheating on your husband/lover and ... well, prostitution.

In my new game I had this quest before romancing anyone, which made it slightly easier, but still feels like prostitution a little.

[Random❧]

It's not really prostitution since she has an emotional disconnect from the whole endeavor but I was kind of horrified that the crazy lady from the lab wanted to go out on a "social engagement" with me. lol

[perryprongs]

I also had a problem with the "date", as I am a girl playing a girl character (I know not a problem for some, but bothered me). Maybe it could be called "hanging out" instead of a date....

[Explicitly Offensive Cuneiform]

Originally posted by bytesback:

Personally I don't like this quest because it just feels wrong. Almost as though your using her (which you are)

Saying "I will give you the camera if you go out on a date" is better than saying "I will give you the camera if you be my friend". At least with the date she can see if you are a jerk or a nice person.

The whole thing is kinda funny. I view it like this: merlin knows that there are camera blueprints out there, but she also knows that she is not making any friends staying inside and researching all day. So she tricks the player into hanging out with her.

I mean, in all fairness she will give the camera to a friend, so she sees that you want the camera, and has decided to try to befiend you. Sure it is awkward, some people are awkward. She probably is very shy because she fights farther lee, but also feels that the town likes lee more than her, and does not want to get chashed out of another town.

Granted, this date is not an issue for me, as i have spent the first two months working very hard, and now have a level 3 work bench, level 2 assembly area, and am about to finish the all the non quest research via disks. So when i was asked out on a date, i am not romantacily involved with anyone. My highest realationship is associate.

Also my workshop is #1, beating higgens by 1500 points. So i don't have friends, just associates, but it annoys higgens so it is worth it.

[Weizen1988]

I guess I can understand how the wording might bother someone somehow. but its a play date, like any other play date, all romantic options are unavailable far as I saw, we played on the spring see saw and she went home. My question is how on earth are people married this quickly, you get that quest like day 2 of the first summer.

The problem I see is people getting jealous from it. make that only trigger from actual romantic dates, not hanging out with your friends. If someone i was in a relationship with got jealous because i had lunch with a classmate, coworker, or friend, id no longer be in a relationship, thats controlling and absurd.

[Explicitly Offensive Cuneiform]

Originally posted by Weizen1988:

I guess I can understand how the wording might bother someone somehow. but its a play date, like any other play date, all romantic options are unavailable far as I saw, we played on the spring see saw and she went home. My question is how on earth are people married this quickly, you get that quest like day 2 of the first summer.

The problem I see is people getting jealous from it. make that only trigger from actual romantic dates, not hanging out with your friends. If someone i was in a relationship with got jealous because i had lunch with a classmate, coworker, or friend, id no longer be in a relationship, thats controlling and absurd.

Another thought that occurs to me, is maybe merlin has a reputation? Maybe she has been romanticly involved with everyone in town, and this is just her means of tricking you into a date?

So this would trigger that response from people that like you....

[Weizen1988]

Originally posted by ancient biblical hentai:

Originally posted by Weizen1988:

I guess I can understand how the wording might bother someone somehow. but its a play date, like any other play date, all romantic options are unavailable far as I saw, we played on the spring see saw and she went home. My question is how on earth are people married this quickly, you get that quest like day 2 of the first summer.

The problem I see is people getting jealous from it. make that only trigger from actual romantic dates, not hanging out with your friends. If someone i was in a relationship with got jealous because i had lunch with a classmate, coworker, or friend, id no longer be in a relationship, thats controlling and absurd.

Another thought that occurs to me, is maybe merlin has a reputation? Maybe she has been romanticly involved with everyone in town, and this is just her means of tricking you into a date?

So this would trigger that response from people that like you....

No, logically that would make people dislike her more, not reflect on you, they have the reputation in that situation, not the player, a foreigner who has only been in town for a few weeks. For that matter, if the pc was capable of speech this whole thing would be irrelevant. "Im doing a favor for the paper, they need a camera, she has one, and the deal was i take her to lunch in exchange for the camera."