Gay romances: bash Bioware for the right reasons!

[Bulba]

while reading some of the replies of the thread, i get the feeling that rpgcodex should be renamed into gaycodex.

New fog - you've got some serious personal issues/problems if you are looking for romances in the games and for boyfriends on the rpgs forums

please, please, please go and hang yourself - trust me nobody is gonna miss you

 

[Antihero]

What's with this obsession with romances in games now anyway. Especially how some people go about demanding them - Awakening was crap, but not for lack of romance options. And how many men do you ever see reading tawdry romance novels, so who are they really for anyway? At least who's it for if you're going to prolong the inevitable until some plot point far into the game.

The Witcher was probably spot on with sex cards for the straight male demographic, but I guess they're going the BioWare route now. Whatever, it's not like I need to get my virtual jollies, but without the reward of consummation for the in-game romance, I doubt they'd care enough to even try pursuing it there either. At least, it's a game and most of the characters are too shallow to feel any real affection for, except for what people dream up about them for themselves.

Besides, too much focus on them is taking monetary resources away from the things that truly matter, like fine tuning the bikini plate mail. If they didn't have the Zevran romance options, they could have given the Dalish elf armour modeller more resources to hedge up the bare midriff a bit. For shame, I say.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Um, it's not the Gay, it's the romances in general. Though DA did provide us with many lulzy screenshots, so I guess that's a plus...

 

[DraQ]

are you suggesting that gay romances in Bioware games are actually OK precisely because they are generic, gratuitous and generally an afterthought on the developers' part, ergo they don't "hurt" straight gamers by leeching resources from other areas of the game?

Exactly, though I'm certainly not promoting them: they're tasteless and repetitive, but at least you can't condemn Bioware for spending too much money on them.

No, but I can condemn Bioware for including them, period. You don't bash games for stuff they do right. Regardless of my opinion on less common sexual orientations and regardless of my (dis)inclination to follow such path in game, well implemented and well written gay romance that actually added something to the game wouldn't really be a suitable target of my ridicule, for the same reason I don't bash games for including well implemented alternative quest paths even if they are not the kind of paths I'd follow - RPGs are all about options, both in terms of character building and plot progression, well implemented options are commendable. Period.

Unfortunately, (b)romances in Bioware games have become goal on their own - with its bar set embarrassingly low.
They are nothing more than fap fodder and their enthusiasts are nothing more than a bunch of sad wankers. For this reason both players and Bioware deserve getting pelted with shit.

P.S.
LOL GAYFAGS ARE GIGANTIC FAGGOTS!!!1


P.P.S.
Hi Drog!

 

[Jools]

They are nothing more than fap fodder and their enthusiasts are nothing more than a bunch of sad wankers.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Mom, uncle Drog is talking to himself again. I'm scared.

 

[Achilles]

Homosexuality is a grievous SIN. It is WRONG on EVERY level.

Not when it's between hot women Andhaira. Be reasonable.

On-topic, we hate Bioware romances, straight or gay, because they are shitty, tacked-on fanfic-level scenes that serve as nothing more than wanking material for pathetic individuals and viral advertising through "controversy".

 

[treave]

I rather suspect that the "gay romances" are targeted at their female fanbase, at any rate. At least, that's the feeling I get from perusing Bioware Social.

 

[FatCat]

Fucking child molesters you all should DIE !!!!

 

[Mastermind]

Fucking child molesters you all should DIE !!!!

It's the codex, just homos and trannies here. If you're looking for child molesters the Bioware forum headquareters is thataway ->

 

[Luzur]

BRO IF YOU WANNA SUCK A DICK THAT IS FINE WITH ME

YOU MAY STILL BE A TRUE BRO MAYBE YOU LIKE FAT GIRLS MAYBE YOU LIKE SKANKS MAYBE YOU LIKE GRANDMAS OR MAYBE YOU LIKE GUYS WHO CARES WELL MAKE FUN OFN YOU FORA WLL OF ITT LOOLLPLLOLL POLESMOKERS???!?!?!

the only one whose words i trust in here.

 

[piydek]

Brilliant, look at the recieving end's face.

 

[Jools]

Fucking child molesters you all should DIE !!!!

It's the codex, just homos and trannies here. If you're looking for homosexual child molesters the Bioware forum headquareters is thataway ->

Sorted.

 

[Azrael the cat]

To the OP, there's no shortage of gays and bis at the codex, or trannies for that matter. I'm not a fan of folks using homophobic insuilts like 'fag' but the Codex is no worse than the rest of the net when it coems to that. You'll find that very few people have a problem with the romances being 'gay' per se - though as always homophobes tend to be louder than others - but it's more the shittyness of their romances that's the problem. And as a guy who has done his fair share of batting for both teams, Bioware's gay romances are fucking awful. They write like (surprise sur-fucking-prise) the author's only experience of gay folk is from watching cliched television. You know what would be a great gay romance. Take either the Dakkon-TNO relationship and add a sexual element (not literally that game, not a fan of shipping, but it's a good starting template). It ties into the existing character dynamic, it's one more chain that TNO has over Dakkon, one more cruelty if playing evil and if playing good it's one more thing where the TNO knows he is using Dakkon as a slave even while trying to do otherwise (hence another reason why, at the end, TNO's (i.e. the player-character's) death is the only 'good' ending possible). That would give depth, drama, fit the overarching themes of the game, and it would be an element of the central workings of the plot/characters/themes rather than some shitty sideshow.

For Bioware, on the other hand, their gay romances - even more than their straight romances - seem there only to satisfy the fanfiction crowd. There's just nothing to them other than titilation. And they seem happy with that. From a company that aspires to art, to story-driven gaming.

In an artistic medium, saying 'we're putting this in because lots of buyers want it' is the sign of the hack and the forgettable poptart. An artist would say 'we're putting this in because it matters, because it will make this more meaningful'.

 

[JarlFrank]

Personally, I'm an intolerant gay-hating bastard, but I don't object to gay NPCs that are portrayed realistically, and even a gay romance can be okay. Again, only if it's done realistically.

Bioware romances are either there to add marketing drama (OMG THE GAEM HAS GAY SEX LETS ALL WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT THIS DEPRAVITY, INVOLUNTARILY GIVING THE GAME MORE PUBLICITY IN THE PROCESS) or to serve as fap material for the fanboys/shlick material for the fangirls (ooooh so cute teeee heeeee wanna nom her head). There's no depth in them, no sense of character development, nothing beyond simply being there for the sake of being there.

Oh, and the way romances develop is even more laughable. Give your romantic interest lots of presents, do things he or she approves of, then offer a quickie in the camp. There is no real emotional connection between the characters, there is no real reason why they have sex with each other, and the development of the romances is just horribly out of place.

I'd rather have something where a more naive, non-adventurer girl that joined the party to escape the boredom of her sheltered life fucks the main char because she's fascinated by him being a strong and fearless warrior, while she wants to be an adventuress too but doesn't reach his levels of bravery because her previous life was so sheltered and battles make her fear for her life, so she totally wants to be like him but can't. Which is why she admires him and wants to fuck.

Much better than "oh, thanks for giving me flowers, tee hee!" Bioware romances.

 

[New Fog]

You'll find that very few people have a problem with the romances being 'gay' per se - though as always homophobes tend to be louder than others

From what I've read on the Codex, it's not very obvious, but OK, if you say so.

For Bioware, on the other hand, their gay romances - even more than their straight romances - seem there only to satisfy the fanfiction crowd. There's just nothing to them other than titilation. And they seem happy with that. From a company that aspires to art, to story-driven gaming.

You're quite right, and I agree 100%. But my point is that at least they don't spend any money into it. If they can please the fans on their message boards with zero extra effort, then maybe they should even remove every gender check in all of their romances!

art

Come on, we're talking about Bioware here! and of course we would love more games as impressive as P:T... though I'm not sure I'm convinced by your Dakkon-TNO example A better example would perhaps be Gann in MotB, I think he was more or less supposed to be bisexual in the early development.

 

[Mastermind]

Bioware romances are either there to add marketing drama (OMG THE GAEM HAS GAY SEX LETS ALL WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT THIS DEPRAVITY, INVOLUNTARILY GIVING THE GAME MORE PUBLICITY IN THE PROCESS)

Where? All I see are articles/retards praising how progressive they are for it.

 

[SCO]

Don't buy Bioware games since BG.

Don't give a shit.
Actually masturbated to the BG2 romantic encounters mod so i'm a "sad tosser" too, but i don't give a shit either.

 

[JarlFrank]

Bioware romances are either there to add marketing drama (OMG THE GAEM HAS GAY SEX LETS ALL WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT THIS DEPRAVITY, INVOLUNTARILY GIVING THE GAME MORE PUBLICITY IN THE PROCESS)

Where? All I see are articles/retards praising how progressive they are for it.

I remember the Mass Effect bisexual alien sex scene to have gotten some "GAEM WITH SEX" articles in the non-gaming press before release.

 

[Sceptic]

I remember the Mass Effect bisexual alien sex scene to have gotten some "GAEM WITH SEX" articles in the non-gaming press before release.

It was all over Fox. "Virtual rape simulator" or some such. All the idiots involved had to eventually admit they hadn't even seen the game, let alone played it.

 

[Nael]

Don't give a shit.
Actually masturbated to the BG2 romantic encounters mod so i'm a "sad tosser" too, but i don't give a shit either.

 

[Cassidy]

What's with this obsession with romances in games now anyway.

I have a suspicion Bioware's fan base is strongly related with the following's fanbase:

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Twilight was actually kind of cool.

Ed's brother: "No Edward, if you kill him YOU WILL BE JUST LIKE HIM"

Ed: "Ok,I won't kill him"

*Ed's sister comes from nowhere, jumps on the villain, twists his neck*

*first guy turns around and cuts the villain in pieces and puts fire on it, while dancing around the bonfire together with Ed's other siblings*

 

[JarlFrank]

I remember the Mass Effect bisexual alien sex scene to have gotten some "GAEM WITH SEX" articles in the non-gaming press before release.

It was all over Fox. "Virtual rape simulator" or some such. All the idiots involved had to eventually admit they hadn't even seen the game, let alone played it.

Yeah, the reactions of the mainstream media to games is fucking ridiculous (I remember the time after that school shooting in Germany back in 2006 or when that was, where all the media went on about "killer games", describing simple FPS games like CounterStrike as brutal murder simulators where blood spurts around everywhere and body parts fly through the room, while none of the journalists have ever seen anything about the game except for 2 youtube videos and 3 screenshots), but hey, if a developer knows that he can exploit that fact to gain some publicity.

If the media is all over your game because it has VIOLENCE and SEX, many people will know about it, and you can be sure that there's quite a lot of people who will buy the game exactly because it has a supposedly scandalous amount of SEX and VIOLENCE.

 

[Mastermind]

Twilight was actually kind of cool.