Character relationships?

[Ranhansha]

Oh, hell to the no!
Side quests where you get to know important NPCs better -> Good.
Weird and forced shipping with NPCs for weird fetishes -> I cri evrytiem.

[Gun-Cat]

It doesn't need to be an outright relationship or eb. Just let us bond with the NPCs by giving us quests to hang out with them, fully voiced with long cutscenes and descissions we have to take. That way we actually care for them.

Maybe a questchain where we get wasted with Thancred, trying to hit on fair maidens and failing miserably, ending with a scene of our character and him strumbling drunk through the backstreets of Ul'Dah. Could even get it a little more serious with him breaking down because of Minfillia and you having to console him.

Or get a quest from Matoya, telling us to distract Y'shtola from her work, ending up in Gold Saucer, able to do mini games with her. She has such a competetive side that she would maybe give us a run for our money.

Or training with Lyse, or having to mediate some sibling squabbelt between Alphinaude and Alisae or... the possibilities are endless.

I know it would cost money for voice acting and require a lot of work for something that is not a gear threadmil, resulting in sub money, but it would feel so Final Fantasy to actually do stuff with our companions for once that isn't saving the world.

[Roda]

It doesn't need to be an outright relationship or eb. Just let us bond with the NPCs by giving us quests to hang out with them, fully voiced with long cutscenes and descissions we have to take. That way we actually care for them.

Maybe a questchain where we get wasted with Thancred, trying to hit on fair maidens and failing miserably, ending with a scene of our character and him strumbling drunk through the backstreets of Ul'Dah. Could even get it a little more serious with him breaking down because of Minfillia and you having to console him.

Or get a quest from Matoya, telling us to distract Y'shtola from her work, ending up in Gold Saucer, able to do mini games with her. She has such a competetive side that she would maybe give us a run for our money.

Or training with Lyse, or having to mediate some sibling squabbelt between Alphinaude and Alisae or... the possibilities are endless.

I know it would cost money for voice acting and require a lot of work for something that is not a gear threadmil, resulting in sub money, but it would feel so Final Fantasy to actually do stuff with our companions for once that isn't saving the world.

Now this is something I can get behind

[FallenArisen0990]

Awesome input.

This would be nice but the only problem is, these quests would then have to be label's missible or said NPC can't "die" because it would just be another Culinary Lv 50 all over again lol. The other option would be to make these quest mandatory. I always did love the little side quests in JRPGs where you did get to learn about the characters more (Mana Khemia <3).

[Ametrine]

GOOD STUFF

YES EXACTLY

Just a fun quest chain that's just hanging out with fellow Scions! CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT MAN

[Anarnee]

We do have relationships with the scions, its called friendship.

[Oscura]

We do have relationships with the scions, its called friendship.

I'd say it's stretching it to call what we have with the Scions a "friendship."

[EdwinLi]

I'd say it's stretching it to call what we have with the Scions a "friendship."

I always saw it more as a mutual interest type of relationship. After all the WoL only became part of the Scion because of the Echo.

[Averax]

You can have romance options with other players. there's a whole ceremony surrounding it.

Alphinaud if your character was a girl then Alisae if you were a guy.

They are 16 years old, man.

We do have relationships with the scions, its called friendship.

I ship the WoL with friendship

[Meraii]

They are 16 years old, man.

They were 16 at the start of ARR, they are 18 now (they are pretty ovbiously not fully grown yet though).

I personally think that relationships with NPCs dhould be left to the player's imagination. It is very easy to imagine that Aymeric has a thing for me, SE doesn't need to make it explicit.

I do like the idea of having more side quests revolving around building up friendships with the characters, and even non-canon storylines for seasonal events though.