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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|"''I love it when women fight over me...''"|'''[[Player Character|Shepard]]''', ''[[Mass Effect]]''}}
An optional [[Romance Arc]] sidequest in many [[Western RPG
In the earliest examples, the number of female love interests was often higher than that of male ones, likely because [[Most Gamers Are Male]], but the most recent trends gravitate toward gender parity. Also, most romance sidequests in older games were heterosexual, to avoid offending [[Moral Guardians]], and, again, because most gamers (and [[Most Writers Are Male|writers]]) are (heterosexual) males. This, too, has been on decline in recent games and a [[Gay Option]] is often included nowadays (sometimes to the point of [[Everyone Is Bi]]). Romancing multiple characters at once is usually impossible, except on the early stages, after which you "must make a decision".
In contrast to Western RPGs, [[Eastern RPG|Japanese RPGs]] usually tend to integrate the romance into the main story rather than move it to sidequests. Some, with their love for linearity, tend to pair [[The Hero]] up with one specific girl in the course of the story, into which this subplot is rigidly integrated. Others tend to incorporate a [[Relationship Values]] system to determine which character has a romantic relationship with who. The Japanese are also responsible for inventing the genre of games that consist ''entirely'' of romance sidequests: [[Dating Sim]] (which, incidentally, gives the [[
Related tropes are [[Relationship Values]] that are sometimes interchangeable with (or a prerequisite to) a
{{examples}}
== [[BioWare]] ==
[[BioWare]] is undoubtedly the [[Trope Codifier]] in [[Western RPG
* Bioware's first attempt at romance was in ''Tales of the Sword Coast'', the expansion to the original ''[[Baldur's Gate]]''. In the village on Balduran's island there is a character of the opposite gender of your PC (Delainy if you're male, Durlyle if you're female) who will express interest in you. If you respond with flirty remarks, you are eventually given a quest. Upon completing their quest you receive a flower and a kiss as thanks, and they will later help you escape when you discover the [[Town with a Dark Secret|dark secret]] of their village.
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** It IS possible to love more then one woman at a time, using a means that is or isn't a gamebreaker regarding on your views. You simply need to be too far away for your conflicting love interests to converse with you when the one longest along asks you to be hers alone.
* ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' has Bastila for male PCs and Carth for female, as well as a hidden ([[Hide Your Lesbians|and very abbreviated]]) "plot" with Juhani for females. The sequel doubles the number of love interests (Visas, Handmaiden, Atton, Disciple) but downplays the "romance" part a great deal, instead opting for [[Relationship Values]]: in the final cut, there's not even so much as a kiss there. In the cut ending, the romances were supposed to play a greater role (such as making your chosen love interest sacrifice themselves for you or two love interests fighting to death over Exile).
* ''[[Mass Effect]]'' has Ashley for male PCs, Kaidan for female PCs, and Liara for either. The latter became (in)famous for attracting attention of every [[Media Watchdog]] out there because not only does she effectively introduce a lesbian subplot (technically she's from a [[One-Gender Race]], but [[Discount Lesbians|who are we kidding]]) but she is also [[Interspecies Romance|an alien]], to boot. That the
** ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' takes it [[Up to Eleven]]: [[Fan Nickname|MaleShep]] can choose among Miranda, Jack, and [[Boldly Coming|Tali]]; FemShep is offered Jacob, Thane, and [[Boldly Coming|Garrus]]; both can go for a (female) [[Anything That Moves|omnisexual]] Kelly Chambers, Samara (if Paragon), and {{spoiler|Morinth}} (though that would be greatly [[Out with a Bang|inadvisable]]), though the last three don't net you the Paramour achievement. All permanent squad members require completing their Loyalty Mission before romance is unlocked. In addition to the new romances, there are three that can carry over from the first game if you pursued them and the game registers whether you stay true to them: Ashley or Kaidan, with whom {{spoiler|you only get a single dialogue in the game}}, and Liara, the only old flame with whom romance can be consummated, if only at the end of the ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' [[Downloadable Content|DLC]] storyline.
** ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'' lets you continue most of the romances from the previous two games, adds three new romances among the Normandy staff (two exclusively same-sex, one bi) and allows male Shepards to romance Kaidan.
* ''[[Jade Empire]]'' has Dawn Star (male PC), Sky (male/female PC), and Silk Fox (male/female PC). If you want a same-sex relationship, though, you have to tell the heterosexual options that you're not interested in them (in other words, insult them). You can also apparently talk Dawn Star and Silk Fox into a threesome, but you'll end up pairing up with Silk Fox.
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** Technically, if you have [[What an Idiot!|a low Wisdom score]], you can [[Death by Sex|kiss Grace...]]
* In ''[[Sonic Chronicles]]'' you could enter a romantic subplot with Amy Rose. And no, there was no sex scene.
* In ''[[Dragon Age]]'', there are ''four'' romance options among the recruitable NPCs: Alistair, Morrigan, Zevran, and Leliana, one each heterosexual male, heterosexual female, bisexual male, and bisexual female. So that's three out of four options (two of the opposite gender and one of the same) no matter ''what'' gender your character is. And as if this wasn't enough, there are several minor NPCs in the game that you can unlock one-night stands with (but only one if you're
** As to influence you to knock up everyone, you can get an achievement for being a part of every possible romance account-wise.
* ''[[Dragon Age II]]'' follows the suit with Isabela (the bisexual pirate captain you [[Optional Sexual Encounter|could bed]] in the first game), Merrill (a temporary companion from the Dalish Origin), Anders (a possible party member from ''Awakening''), Fenris, and the [[Downloadable Content|DLC]]-only Sebastian. However, it then tops ''Origins'' by making [[Everyone Is Bi|ALL of them bisexual]] (except Sebastian, who is also celibate).
** The romances can even take different paths depending on whether or not the romance is with a friend or a rival. A romance with a friend is fairly standard material. A romance with a rival is fraught with [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]] and [[Foe Yay]].
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* A minor case in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword]]''. One of the girls in the bazaar will develop feelings for Link, if you play your cards right.
== [[Role
* But not everything is so grim. In ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', there is a moderate amount of nonlinearity in regards of Cloud's love life: depending on how well the player treats Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie at the early stages, Cloud gets a date with one of them at one point. If he doesn't treat ''any'' of them well, he gets a "date" with the [[Scary Black Man]] Barret. Is that [[An Aesop]] I see before me?
** To a degree, this is also present in ''X'' as well. The Tidus/Yuna relationship is still central to the plot and two major cutscenes revolve around them, but by treating Lulu or Rikku well, Tidus can also develop a quasi-romantic relationship with either of them, to the point that Tidus' final overdrive where a character helps can feature any of the women, depending on who Tidus has the most affection levels with. [[Word of God]] confirms that different ending sequences if Tidus had preferred either character over Yuna were intended, but there was insufficient room on the disc for them.
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* ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'' allowed the player (via Lloyd) to pair off with any of the eight other party members. Only the female options were meant to be romantic, although there were some very strange vibes between Zelos and Lloyd.
* ''[[Arcanum]]'', aside from the potential for paid sex and a few brief flings, had one potential romance, with an Elven Princess. She was a bit finicky (though somehow fell for an Escaped Lunatic,) requiring near maximum intelligence, highly good alignment, and at least average beauty. Courting her simply amounts to asking her opinion about various places in the world, and give flirty answers when she starts to appear twitter-pated. And avoid the obviously bone-headed comments.
* When ''[[The Witcher]]'' went for the mature-rating with their plot, content and dialogue, they figured they could throw in a whole pile of [[Optional Sexual Encounter
** Averted in [[The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings|the sequel]], where Triss is established as Geralt's love interest. However, there are still sexual encounters, which are ''much'' more graphic than the previous game.
* ''[[Divine Divinity]]'', an action-RPG in the mold of ''[[Diablo]]'' (but with more traditional fantasy trappings and a dash more humor) features an incredibly awkward and absurdly shallow "romance" with an elf of the opposite gender as yourself. Allegedly, this was inspired by ''Baldur's Gate II'' and the apparent elf-chick fetish on the part of whomever wrote the romance subplots for that game, and a jab in general at RPGs with shoehorned romance quests.
** To elaborate on how absurd the whole thing play out: First, the dialogue with her/him indicate that you're hopelessly smitten by first sight, and reads very over-the-top-poetry-written-by-teenager. Their response comes off as politely embarrassed and trying to get you to go away. They won't take it any further until the situation with the elf-dwarf war is dealt with. After that, they send you their father, who only agrees if you find their family heirloom... [[Snipe Hunt|which doesn't actually exist in the game]]. So instead you find a dwarven jeweller and ''get a forgery''. After that, they literally have no option but to accept you, and you can get your reward... a kiss. That's right, in order to get smoochies from a perfect stranger, whom regards you as a borderline stalker, you only have to employ deception of the basest sort and insult their family honor behind their backs. True love, ladies and gentlemen.
* The various ''[[Star Ocean]]'' games are well known for this, as the endpoint of their [[Relationship Values]] mechanic; it doesn't affect gameplay strongly, but the choices you make in "Private Actions" throughout the game (either within storyline cutscenes or in special scenes focused entirely on the task) allow you to eventually choose which of the game's [[Multiple Endings]] you get. ''[[Star Ocean the Second Story]]'' allowed you to pair up ''every'' character in your party, although most of the same-sex pair-ups were of a "Just Friends" nature, while ''[[Star Ocean: Till the End of Time]]'' only allowed it for the main character.
* ''[[Radiant Historia]]'' has a short one that triggers after making three specific decisions across two different timelines, during which Raynie will confess her feelings for Stocke. This sidequest is mandatory if you want [[Golden Ending|the best ending]]. This sidequest is also a [[Guide Dang It]], because all three dialog options required...[[In Love with Your Carnage|are combat related.]]
* ''[[Alpha Protocol]]'' allows Mike to build up a potential romance with any of four female characters - Mina, Scarlett, Madison, and SIE. He can also bed all four of them in a single playthrough, earning an achievement ''and'' a perk. And no, [[Fan-Preferred Couple|unfortunately]], he can't romance Sis.
* ''[[Ar tonelico]]'' allows you to [[Journey to the Center of the Mind|dive into the female protagonists' psyche]] and complete various tasks. After you reach the deepest level, you get a marriage scene. [[And Your Reward Is Clothes|And a very powerful wedding dress for the heroine to equip.]] It's that kind of game.
* In ''[[The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind]]'', there is an exclusive quest chain available for male characters where you can enter a romance with a [[Catfolk|Khajiit]] [[Classy Cat Burglar|thief]] named Ahnassi, doing favours for her and receiving gifts in return. At the end of the chain, she will give you the key to her house and ask you to move in with her. There is no corresponding quest for female characters, the closest equivalent to one for them is the Dunmer [[Gentleman Thief|gentleman bandit]] Nels Llendo encountered on the road. Rather than try to rob you as he would a male character, he will instead be quite smitten by a female PC and will let you pass without a fight, and will also politely ask for a kiss which you can choose to accept or not.
* There is a quest in ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' called "The Bonds of Matrimony" that involves arranging and attending your wedding ceremony after proposing to an eligible NPC.
* [[Fire Emblem: Awakening]] features a literal and interesting variation of this: If any opposite-gendered characters in your army reach an [[Relationship Values|S level Support]], you will unlock a sidequest chapter in which the couple's [[Kid From the Future]] joins your army. My Unit plays this trope straightest, as not only can they marry any eligable character, they all get unique [[Dating Sim]] style "confession" scenes.
== [[Simulation Game]] ==
* ''[[Harvest Moon]]'' has the [[Dating Sim]] element as a hallmark of the game. Competing with rivals to marry eligible NPCs changes the math on a simulation that is otherwise about making virtual money at your virtual job on a virtual farm.
** In fact, [[
** Many players do, in fact, 'level up' their relationships with all potentials because it [[More Friends, More Benefits|carries certain benefits to do so]]. The end result of the choice, however, does not usually change gameplay significantly.
*** Certain games do react to this. The original allowed you to get a special womanizer themed ending if you wooed all the girls without marrying, and the boy option Wonderful Life games give you a "[[What the Hell, Hero?]]" type scene.
** Also, since there are in fact rivals, many players take it upon themselves to initiate those events as a [[Match Maker Quest]]. These virtual people are, after all, apparently close virtual friends and deserve virtual happiness.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Romance Arc]]
[[Category:Role Playing Game]]▼
[[Category:Player Party]]
[[Category:
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