Dragon Age: Inquisition attempting more nuanced romance

BioWare explains its new approach for romance options in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and how it plans to make "approval" a less vital factor.

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Some of BioWare's biggest franchises, Mass Effect and Dragon Age, have made a point of including romance options. Dragon Age: Inquisition will bring back the virtual wooing, of course, but the studio is making a few changes to how you'll charm your paramour.

"We're doing a few of those things in Inquisition, trying to tell some romances of a style that we have not done previously," writer David Gaider said.

Most significantly, the team explained to Game Informer, approval from the romantic options has been given less influence.

"Previously, we had a lot of the follower content gated by your approval rating," Gaider said. "Whereas what we're doing now, we're having a lot more of your content event-driven. The approval you're at informs the nature of the conversation." For example, they might disagree with a decision, but they'll remain your friend and possible romantic partner.

BioWare also aims to make the relationships a little more reactive to your history with a character. "Your interactions aren't just, 'Hello, I'm here by my tent waiting for you,' but instead something that feels like an outgrowth of all your adventures together and the kind of things that you've been doing," said creative director Mike Laidlaw. "In my ideal scenario, your interaction with the character isn't just about having interacted with them; it's about your interaction with them in relation to the whole game that you've chosen to play. So if you make really sweeping decisions in other parts of the game, that may actually change the nature of those interactions."

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 29, 2013 10:30 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Dragon Age: Inquisition attempting more nuanced romance.

    BioWare explains its new approach for romance options in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and how it plans to make "approval" a less vital factor.

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      August 29, 2013 10:58 AM

      Do you think BioWare might eventually just start making dating sims? lol

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      August 29, 2013 11:33 AM

      They should follow Siants Row 4 lead.

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        August 29, 2013 1:13 PM

        Best and most nuanced romance options in any game ever made. That turn I had with CID just set my heart a flutter.

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        August 29, 2013 1:23 PM

        all the ME parody stuff was amazing.

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      August 29, 2013 11:53 AM

      Something about the Bioware Romance options, especially the Mass Effects and DA1, just really make these games so much better for me and I'd be greatly disappointed if they were lacking or had not been improved. I think I become much more invested in the characters and that it also gives the games more of that epic cinematic feel.

      I just hope we get more options, and that the romances are a little more exciting. It seems like no matter what the personality type is, the characters are almost always willing to hop in the sack with you without enough romance development. I'm kind of looking for more of the Leia/Han hate-love relationship we see in all good adventure romance movies. I want more Morrigans.

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        August 29, 2013 1:02 PM

        DA1, especially with Morrigan, had the most complex relationship there was in a DA game. It wasn't just romance for the sake of romance, it tied in with the game and with the whole baby thing at the end became a little side story in and of itself

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          August 29, 2013 1:04 PM

          there was in a DA bioware game. If they're trying to do more of that, great. But it seems a little contradictory that they aren't tying approval rating to romance. Some personality types that would make sense I'm sure, but if you're romancing this sweet angel of an elf it wouldn't make sense for her to sleep with you if you're constantly slaughtering people left and right.

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      August 29, 2013 11:59 AM

      BioWare needs to fire the fanficcers and instead bring back the aspies who made BG2.

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        August 29, 2013 1:05 PM

        Seriously. There's been a serious drop-off in maturity in this department.

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      August 29, 2013 12:16 PM

      My biggest complaint has always been that the characters seem to all be tied to the same generic path when it comes to interacting with the player. Every romance in ME1, 2, & 3 evolves at the same pace, no matter what you do. It makes it so fake and forced.

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        August 29, 2013 12:35 PM

        yeah, why can't it start with a chance meeting at the glory hole???

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      August 29, 2013 12:19 PM

      It can't be any worse than the "give them a bunch of gifts and they'll sleep with you" approach taken in DA 1.

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      August 29, 2013 12:27 PM

      Not every game needs a romantic subplot. Bioware handles them so awkwardly that it cringifies the entire experience. Even when they made good games, the romance stuff felt kind of like someone who had never had sex wrote them.

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        August 29, 2013 12:34 PM

        ^^^^ this, fucking seriously. I have always found them so cheesy and unnecessary that they detract me from the game a great deal.

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        August 29, 2013 12:46 PM

        I agree it's terrible, but apparently it's extremely popular with their fanbase so they aren't going to stop doing it

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        August 29, 2013 12:56 PM

        Bah, it's an idealized fantasy in the same vein as Japanese dating simulators. You can even ignore it completely.

        Kinda hypocritical to complain about it when the game is also providing a power fantasy with the combat.

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        August 29, 2013 12:57 PM

        Bioware can pretty much roll over and die at this point. I certainly wouldn't miss them.

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        August 29, 2013 12:58 PM

        Agreed, and even from gameplay POV they're just tedious.

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        August 29, 2013 1:06 PM

        Same for movies. I don't understand why every action movie needs a romantic subplot these days.

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        August 29, 2013 1:14 PM

        They should go the Witcher route - give a girl a rose and she sucks your dick

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        August 29, 2013 1:28 PM

        Well it was optional. I just find it weird that they never had a purpose to it beyond polygons humping. It didn't change the story at all.

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        August 29, 2013 1:31 PM

        it's for extra content - you can unlock more of your party's abilities or whatever if you do that stuff. and it's about choice. choose one because you can't romance everyone!

        so it does have some value. or you can skip it altogether. but then again, it's an RPG, so some folks expect that stuff.

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        August 29, 2013 2:03 PM

        [deleted]

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        August 29, 2013 2:14 PM

        My gf said she has "triangles". I then loaded Witcher 2 and showed her *REAL* triangles and said she was crazy. She didn't get it and left crying.

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        August 30, 2013 7:10 PM

        In this thread: people who must have played games from a totally different BioWare. What the hell was going on in these games' romances that got y'all so charged up?

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      August 29, 2013 1:08 PM

      I Bioware games there's gay sex lurking in every corner.

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      August 29, 2013 1:54 PM

      Any game where I can woo the voice of Claudia Black, however crudely, can't be too terrible.

      Of course, that doesn't mean it'll actually be good.

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      August 29, 2013 1:59 PM

      Looking forward to my next romance in DAI.

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      August 30, 2013 12:36 AM

      BioWare games are the only games to make me turn a game off in shame.

      "What're you playing? ... what the hell..."

      "It's just this ... you know, she's gay. Or asexual ... bi. Whatever."

      *OFF*

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      September 2, 2013 1:49 AM

      Don't care about romances. Make a good game, BW, not the crap that you've been churning out. Get your damn priorities straightened out.

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