Do you feel silly romancing digital characters?
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Honestly, sometimes I do. I mean it's strange that I put a lot and I mean A LOT of emotional investment in Mass Effect and the hope that my fake relationship with Ashley Williams would reach a happy and satisfying conclusion in the third game. The fact that I care so much about it says something.
Says something else too if I'm prepared to spend hours of my life arguing on the net in defense of the aforementioned Ashley Williams for all the criticisms she gets. Defending her honor and my choice in regards to romancing her as if she were actually my girlfriend is something to think about.
I guess on one level it's great to see that Bioware were able to make a character that I would in turn be capable of forming such a great bond to, enough that it even caused me to rethink a few of my positions on things. For example, prior to romancing Ashley, I was very anti religious. Quite open to mockery and lashing out against religious groups and the very concept of religion, but after finding out that the character I had been chatting up happened to believe in god... well, I took a turn in the other direction.
It's really something to note that what many classes, studies and attempts from people making conversation in the past had failed to do, my efforts to get laid in a video game had.
It's also worth noting that Ashley appealed to me far less due to her looks and the dialogue associated and more with just the fact that she felt real. All her perfections and imperfections that subsequently made her a character with character, that I think made her appeal more to me. Which is also a success in some respects.
Also the only other romance in a bioware game that ever gave me any interest was Jack (Subject Zero) from Mass Effect 2, who I romanced in one minor playthrough. Again, it's funny because she doesn't look like the girl friend type. She's crass, crude, aggressive, sweary, violent and certainly doesn't adhere to what is considered 'desirable' by the modern popular culture.
And yet when I see her romance scene, I'm just moved. I feel warmth watching her finally stop hiding behind her aggressive barrier and finally move into the arms of someone who loves her regardless of all her past issues, baggage and problems.
It seems a little silly but hey, if movies can do it, I see no reason why games can't have the same effect.
On the other hand though, some people tend to seriously 'overdo' the degree of affection towards fictional characters. I hesitate to use the term 'Talimancer' because for one thing I find it to be a stupid term, for another I find it needlessly mean and for a final thing I doubt the majority of the Tali fanbase are really deserving of getting as much hate as they do, and think it's unfair that a lot of them get bullied for it.
All the same... I've clicked 'Mass Effect Tali' into a google image search and the results weren't pretty. Granted, I think it'll be a long long time before I make a sex doll to look like a video game character. And again I doubt the majority of any fanbase of specific characters are that creepy and pathetic but all the same, not a great image to think about when you find yourself looking at your video game crushes.
The other problem is that often 'romancing' or the process of wooing in a video game is less an emotional journey and an excercise in ridiculous. Games like Fable that seem to honestly think you'll care about the random pointless NPC of whom were it not for the ring floating above their heads would be indistinguishable from the rest spring to mind.
I've cringed many times watching romances appear in games, much more than I have felt heart warmed. I suppose that's the case with all media but still....
So in conclusion, I don't feel bad about feeling attachment to well characterized characters but all the same I worry about obsessing over stuff that isn't real.
Says something else too if I'm prepared to spend hours of my life arguing on the net in defense of the aforementioned Ashley Williams for all the criticisms she gets. Defending her honor and my choice in regards to romancing her as if she were actually my girlfriend is something to think about.
I guess on one level it's great to see that Bioware were able to make a character that I would in turn be capable of forming such a great bond to, enough that it even caused me to rethink a few of my positions on things. For example, prior to romancing Ashley, I was very anti religious. Quite open to mockery and lashing out against religious groups and the very concept of religion, but after finding out that the character I had been chatting up happened to believe in god... well, I took a turn in the other direction.
It's really something to note that what many classes, studies and attempts from people making conversation in the past had failed to do, my efforts to get laid in a video game had.
It's also worth noting that Ashley appealed to me far less due to her looks and the dialogue associated and more with just the fact that she felt real. All her perfections and imperfections that subsequently made her a character with character, that I think made her appeal more to me. Which is also a success in some respects.
Also the only other romance in a bioware game that ever gave me any interest was Jack (Subject Zero) from Mass Effect 2, who I romanced in one minor playthrough. Again, it's funny because she doesn't look like the girl friend type. She's crass, crude, aggressive, sweary, violent and certainly doesn't adhere to what is considered 'desirable' by the modern popular culture.
And yet when I see her romance scene, I'm just moved. I feel warmth watching her finally stop hiding behind her aggressive barrier and finally move into the arms of someone who loves her regardless of all her past issues, baggage and problems.
It seems a little silly but hey, if movies can do it, I see no reason why games can't have the same effect.
On the other hand though, some people tend to seriously 'overdo' the degree of affection towards fictional characters. I hesitate to use the term 'Talimancer' because for one thing I find it to be a stupid term, for another I find it needlessly mean and for a final thing I doubt the majority of the Tali fanbase are really deserving of getting as much hate as they do, and think it's unfair that a lot of them get bullied for it.
All the same... I've clicked 'Mass Effect Tali' into a google image search and the results weren't pretty. Granted, I think it'll be a long long time before I make a sex doll to look like a video game character. And again I doubt the majority of any fanbase of specific characters are that creepy and pathetic but all the same, not a great image to think about when you find yourself looking at your video game crushes.
The other problem is that often 'romancing' or the process of wooing in a video game is less an emotional journey and an excercise in ridiculous. Games like Fable that seem to honestly think you'll care about the random pointless NPC of whom were it not for the ring floating above their heads would be indistinguishable from the rest spring to mind.
I've cringed many times watching romances appear in games, much more than I have felt heart warmed. I suppose that's the case with all media but still....
So in conclusion, I don't feel bad about feeling attachment to well characterized characters but all the same I worry about obsessing over stuff that isn't real.
I don't mind if throughout the game the relationship between the two characters builds as the story progresses. It's just when it becomes a case of you have to actively pursue it and all it does is give you a sex scene for the sake of it that I don't care for it.
Fable 3 I never bothered with the relationship system, was just so pointless
Fable 3 I never bothered with the relationship system, was just so pointless
Lol i think that is the answer to most fantasies. got to love internet for the perv inside all of usVault101 said:awww dont worryxXxJessicaxXx said:Kaiden was bland...not like Joker *cries*Vault101 said:
hehe
theres always Fanfic or Deviant-art
To add something from my side i like the ability to flirt and romance in dragon age 2 the most from recent bioware games since it makes you feel less sudden. Like garrus who is always calibrating and then suddenly wants to have sex with you before the last mission(not that i didn't mind , mind you).
A little. If only because the romances aren't very... well they just seem to be too easy to get, especially in the newer Bioware RPG's. It doesn't really feel meaningful or interesting, since some speech options obviously get you where you want to be. I've been avoiding them to some extent in my recent playthroughs, actually.
Yup. Very much so.
I certainly wouldn't do it if someone else was watching me play.
Why? Well... I suppose it comes fown to the following:
a) Plain old self conciousness. I'm already a shy male nerd. The last thing I need to be is a shy male nerd who chats up digital females. Bleh.
b) Maybe I'm just playin the wrong games, but I am yet to see a one that contained a truely convincing romance. Especially when it's based on choice, because that always means it has to irrelevant to the overarching plot. I applaud Bioware and the like for attempting to tackle that kind of material, but they just aren't there yet.
c) The pandering factor. Most romance subplots seem designed to feed my ego. "Ohh, you're such a stallion that every nearby attractive female wants to climb your pole. So now you get to chooose! Go get 'em champ!" This annoys the hell out of me. So much so that I often play a female just to subvert it. (Not that that's any less weird, come to think of it. Shy male nerd playing as a female chatting up digital females... yeeech!)
I certainly wouldn't do it if someone else was watching me play.
Why? Well... I suppose it comes fown to the following:
a) Plain old self conciousness. I'm already a shy male nerd. The last thing I need to be is a shy male nerd who chats up digital females. Bleh.
b) Maybe I'm just playin the wrong games, but I am yet to see a one that contained a truely convincing romance. Especially when it's based on choice, because that always means it has to irrelevant to the overarching plot. I applaud Bioware and the like for attempting to tackle that kind of material, but they just aren't there yet.
c) The pandering factor. Most romance subplots seem designed to feed my ego. "Ohh, you're such a stallion that every nearby attractive female wants to climb your pole. So now you get to chooose! Go get 'em champ!" This annoys the hell out of me. So much so that I often play a female just to subvert it. (Not that that's any less weird, come to think of it. Shy male nerd playing as a female chatting up digital females... yeeech!)
Zhukov said:
Then chat up digital males
. Do not think Anders will mind in dragon age 2. Or if you really wanna try for a little more difficult fish try Sebastian (at least he looks sexy/cute in his armor).By the way who else thinks Merrils normal armor looks better then the one you get when romancing her(it just doesn't fit her).