Romance Sidequest: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|"''I love it when women fight over me...''"|'''[[Player Character|Shepard]]''', ''[[Mass Effect]]''}}

An optional [[Romance Arc]] sidequest in many [[Western RPG~~|Western RPGs~~]] wherein the [[Player Character]] enters a romantic relationship with an NPC (usually, but not always, one of their [[Player Party|party members]]). Sometimes it's a full-blown quest, sometimes just a series of dialogues with the NPC. Sometimes you can screw everything up with wrong dialogue decisions, sometimes [[But Thou Must!|you can't]]. May or may not involve [[Optional Sexual Encounter|sex upon completion]].

An optional [[Romance Arc]] sidequest in many [[Western RPG]]s wherein the [[Player Character]] enters a romantic relationship with an NPC (usually, but not always, one of their [[Player Party|party members]]). Sometimes it's a full-blown quest, sometimes just a series of dialogues with the NPC. Sometimes you can screw everything up with wrong dialogue decisions, sometimes [[But Thou Must!|you can't]]. May or may not involve [[Optional Sexual Encounter|sex upon completion]].

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 [[~~Troll|trolls~~]] of all kinds the incentive to slap this genre label onto any game that includes romance with NPCs).

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 [[troll]]s of all kinds the incentive to slap this genre label onto any game that includes romance with NPCs).

Related tropes are [[Relationship Values]] that are sometimes interchangeable with (or a prerequisite to) a [[Romance Sidequest]] and [[Optional Sexual Encounter]] which this sidequest ''can'' but might not culminate in. Also related is the [[Match Maker Quest]], when the PC does this for out of party [[NPC~~|NPCs~~]].

Related tropes are [[Relationship Values]] that are sometimes interchangeable with (or a prerequisite to) a '''Romance Sidequest''' and [[Optional Sexual Encounter]] which this sidequest ''can'' but might not culminate in. Also related is the [[Match Maker Quest]], when the PC does this for out of party [[NPC]]s.

== [[BioWare]] ==

[[BioWare]] is undoubtedly the [[Trope Codifier]] in [[Western RPG~~|Western RPGs~~]], so this trope is found mostly either in their own games, or games influenced by them.

[[BioWare]] is undoubtedly the [[Trope Codifier]] in [[Western RPG]]s, so this trope is found mostly either in their own games, or games influenced by them.

* 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 [[Romance Sidequest]] includes a (non-explicit) sex scene didn't help matters either.

* ''[[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 Romance Sidequest includes a (non-explicit) sex scene didn't help matters either.

** ''[[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'' [[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.

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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 ~~female--this~~ is made up for the fact that every single Origin has a romantic interest; also, [[Estrogen Brigade Bait|Bann Teagan]]). And as if ''that'' wasn't enough, one of the visitable locations in the capital city is a whorehouse, and yes, you ''can'' sample the wares this time.

* 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 female—this is made up for the fact that every single Origin has a romantic interest; also, [[Estrogen Brigade Bait|Bann Teagan]]). And as if ''that'' wasn't enough, one of the visitable locations in the capital city is a whorehouse, and yes, you ''can'' sample the wares this time.

** 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 [[DLC]]-only Sebastian. However, it then tops ''Origins'' by making [[Everyone Is Bi|ALL of them bisexual]] (except Sebastian, who is also celibate).

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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~~|Optional Sexual Encounters~~]] (which makes sense, since Geralt screwed like a rabbit in [[The Witcher|the books]]). Most of them are just one-night stands but two (the medic Shani and the sorceress Triss) are solid romance arcs, complete with detailed dialogue trees and fairly intricate courtship, even by the usual standards. While the actual 'scene' is obfuscated in the usual way, you get a pretty explicit picture at the end of it.

* 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]]s (which makes sense, since Geralt screwed like a rabbit in [[The Witcher|the books]]). Most of them are just one-night stands but two (the medic Shani and the sorceress Triss) are solid romance arcs, complete with detailed dialogue trees and fairly intricate courtship, even by the usual standards. While the actual 'scene' is obfuscated in the usual way, you get a pretty explicit picture at the end of it.

** 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.