Alternatives to NPC romance, since it's a polarizing topic

[Tennyoelf]

-SNIP 4 size-

I am reminded of kneeling when hugging smaller targets in-game since I play Elezen. So yes, that was a poor choice of an example. Kissing would be the only problem, imo.

And yes, I was being serious, I don't troll. You put thought into your reply, I was trying to do the same. And haters are definitely a group not to be listened to. But I am talking about legit issues reasonable people have brought up, at least I think it's a legitimate concern. So I wasn't referring to the people who think it's icky, but people who worry about the game's reputation that might hurt people from trying the game. Or worry about certain overzealous ERPers who may cause more issues like the one here. It's a small worry, granted, but when forming a plan to implement certain content, multiple angles should be considered.

In another reply, I mentioned that these types of quests should probably not start with the NPCs themselves, but permanent NPCs, such as a delivery moogle trying to find Urianger to deliver a letter but finds you instead. Of course, that leads to worry about if they kill off the NPC before the player can do that quest. I have mentioned using the echo to "flashback" to the quest, of course, that means adjusting the starting NPC to trigger the flashback. You could have quests with characters no longer around to require the start of a New Game + of the relevant content, such as having to restart Heavensward to buddy/romance Haurchefant, then a new "goodbye" quest could be made available afterward, or some such.

I'm not arguing against romance, but alternatives if they can't do it (right now) or come to the decision that they don't want to do it. Some complaints are just haters who are gonna hate, but some complaints are valid, and I simply don't want to overlook those who do. I feel a bit weird since I actually really want romance in the game, but I don't want to dive headlong into it without consideration of others with reasonable complaints.

Someone mentioned that it might be weird if a player wants to romance an NPC while they can marry another player and I think not everyone has alts. They also have divorce in-game and not all players marry other players as the obvious answer. If a married WoL wants to romance an NPC, should that be allowed? Should it require divorce? Vice versa? There is concern about the twins since some people want to romance them and they're underage.

And yes, people will definitely be upset no matter what they do, you can't make everyone happy, but it's good to think of it from different angles, which is all I'm trying to do. If you've read all my replies in the thread, I may have come off more aggressive on the platonic angle, but that's because some people seem to have skipped my entire OP and went "icky romance" when I wanted honest feedback.

[HollowedDoll]

Just release a third party VN, and let them have it, like lmao.

[Yandere-chan]

I am reminded of kneeling when hugging smaller targets in-game since I play Elezen. So yes, that was a poor choice of an example. Kissing would be the only problem, imo.

And yes, I was being serious, I don't troll. You put thought into your reply, I was trying to do the same. And haters are definitely a group not to be listened to. But I am talking about legit issues reasonable people have brought up, at least I think it's a legitimate concern. So I wasn't referring to the people who think it's icky, but people who worry about the game's reputation that might hurt people from trying the game. Or worry about certain overzealous ERPers who may cause more issues like the one here. It's a small worry, granted, but when forming a plan to implement certain content, multiple angles should be considered.

In another reply, I mentioned that these types of quests should probably not start with the NPCs themselves, but permanent NPCs, such as a delivery moogle trying to find Urianger to deliver a letter but finds you instead. Of course, that leads to worry about if they kill off the NPC before the player can do that quest. I have mentioned using the echo to "flashback" to the quest, of course, that means adjusting the starting NPC to trigger the flashback. You could have quests with characters no longer around to require the start of a New Game + of the relevant content, such as having to restart Heavensward to buddy/romance Haurchefant, then a new "goodbye" quest could be made available afterward, or some such.

I'm not arguing against romance, but alternatives if they can't do it (right now) or come to the decision that they don't want to do it. Some complaints are just haters who are gonna hate, but some complaints are valid, and I simply don't want to overlook those who do. I feel a bit weird since I actually really want romance in the game, but I don't want to dive headlong into it without consideration of others with reasonable complaints.

Someone mentioned that it might be weird if a player wants to romance an NPC while they can marry another player and I think not everyone has alts. They also have divorce in-game and not all players marry other players as the obvious answer. If a married WoL wants to romance an NPC, should that be allowed? Should it require divorce? Vice versa? There is concern about the twins since some people want to romance them and they're underage.

And yes, people will definitely be upset no matter what they do, you can't make everyone happy, but it's good to think of it from different angles, which is all I'm trying to do. If you've read all my replies in the thread, I may have come off more aggressive on the platonic angle, but that's because some people seem to have skipped my entire OP and went "icky romance" when I wanted honest feedback.

I really don't think animations are going to be an issue at all for something like this. There is a kiss emote in the game already, in which just combining hug w/ kiss is rather close even on its own. It really isn't a crux in this no matter what comes of the idea.

Perhaps we simply disagree in what comes off as a reasonable complaint. I'm not sure how there being romance w/ NPCs would affect ERP in the game. I can assure you, people are going to ERP regardless and such content existing isn't really going to change that in either direction because ERP is something that occurs between players. Whatever fantasies people have about NPCs, there isn't really any reason such would be typed out in public. ERP is something that has existed since the dawn of MMOs and isn't at all unique to FFXIV. It will never not be a thing because human beings are innately sexual. It thus doesn't really seem related to this type of content any from either angle.

As for modding, I would estimate at least a quarter of the active player base mods their game, but it is likely far more. But, like ERP, this isn't really going to be something that is going to affect the status quo of it. There are countless incentives for people to mod the game in various ways. As said, though, modding existing doesn't really connect to a reason to not have romance content for NPCs. It's simply a separate topic all together.

If this was something the FFXIV team ended up implementing, I don't actually think it would be all at once. I think it would require a lot of writing and, in particular, trigger based alternative dialogue. Perhaps, it could even affect how certain things playout. It's really up to the writing team though. To say that it's impossible for it to be made to work though is just cynicism. The potential for it to work is a certainty; the question is if the writers would have the time, budget and skill to accomplish it to a degree that reaches a minimum level of overall satisfactory for those interested in said content. I lean on them being able to though.

Seeing as this is something that seems to be commonly asked about, and I'm speculating when I say this, but, in particular from the Japanese base, it is always in the realm of possibility that it may actually be implemented. As to if they should? Well, I certainly think they should do so, as I would enjoy the game more for it, as such content is appealing to me. I'd even be willing to pay extra for it if it would be necessary. Like, some sort of optional companion expansion or such. For others, perhaps they don't really care either way. I don't think it's a problem for some to be into it and others not to be so long as it's optional with a default set of events that happen if one doesn't really dive into such content.

I don't think it's an issue for eternally bonded players to do such content. It's not like the MSQ acknowledges your in-game player lover anyways. I'm actually in a relationship with someone, for over four years now, and we both would enjoy content like this very much so. If someone feels like it would be weird for them personally though, they can opt out. I think it's obvious that it isn't at all something that should be locked out from eternally bonded players though. That wouldn't make any sense to just create pointless restrictions. It either would bug you or it wouldn't, but the choice to do such content should always be open to the player regardless.

I'm not sure who would eventually be available for romance. I think it would make sense to start with just a few and slowly add to it. Maybe they could have some sort of voting system for registered players even. It is just speculation as to how they would go about that. As for the twins, I could see them being a potential option. This is a fantasy universe, and so the rate that such characters develop within it is up to the writing of the author, to which, the twins seem rather experienced for their assigned age, but even that aside, 16 is actually the age of consent for most of the world. Even in the US, many states have it set to 16. Of course, if that was a concern for the developers, they could always let the romance quest for them be later on when they would be 18 if they think it really would matter. I feel like the discussion of who would be potential partners is really besides the topic though, and is something the FFXIV team themselves would need to determine after the fact.

[Eric_Riot]

So kind of like what Star Wars the Old Republic did:

https://swtor.fandom.com/wiki/Companion

You have multiple "Marrie" options. They actually did a really good job. As you gain influence with two different "romance" options the one you didn't choose is included in the cut scene with the one you did chose. They get all hurt and say something in line with their character personaly. I maxed them all out (well all the ones available at the time to me when I was playing) and I got to say each personal story was amazing. It really did add to the game.

[Alleo]

Well a buddy system like that will probably not be done because of the amount of work it would need but it would be awesome, especially if they also do it for minor characters that are barely developed.

About death: Still kill them off but give people the chance to see the buddy path through new game plus if they did not do it at the time of the death. This way death would not be much different from right now, just that you were able to at least spend some more time with them before that. (Which could also make their death more emotional)

[Eric_Riot]

.. the twins seem rather experienced for their assigned age, but even that aside, 16 is actually the age of consent for most of the world. Even in the US, many states have it set to 16. Of course, if that was a concern for the developers, they could always let the romance quest for them be later on when they would be 18 if they think it really would matter...

What age were the twins when FFXIV first came out (8-24-13)? They were 16 in 2013 + 8 Years since... are they 24 years old now?

[Alleo]

What age were the twins when FFXIV first came out (8-24-13)? They were 16 in 2013 + 8 Years since... are they 24 years old now?

They are still 16 because according to the devs we are in some kind of time bubble and all the events in the game seemingly took place in only one year. (Poor WoL all that stress in such a short amount of time, they really deserve their island sanctuary. Wonder if that time bubble will finally stop after Endwalker since we conclude one huge story)

[Eric_Riot]

Thanks for the Info

[TroySoFab]

So your solution is "They were really great roommates"? I disagree with the whole idea of NPC romance, but this is just as reductive.

[Iscah]

Rowena is literally everywhere at once. There are plenty of NPCs that already do this--you can go talk to Gerolt in Gangos, then teleport to the North Shroud and talk to him there too, with no updated dialogue. Players are quite used to this already. And it's also possible to lock custom deliveries behind certain main story quests, so it would be possible to make it so that players could only start custom deliveries with, say, Y'shtola, after completing the 5.3 patch quests, etc. etc.

Rowena and Gerolt are also very static characters. It doesn't matter what order you encounter them in; their personalities never really change or develop. ARR-era Gerolt in Hyrstmill is acting just the same as ShB Gerolt in Gangos, and he hasn't so much as changed his pants in the meanwhile.

The more prominent the character and the more they change in the MSQ, the more noticable it's going to be if there's also a second version of them "stuck in time" from an earlier era of the game.