discussion Love Interests and Realism

[VNThrowaway]

Hey everyone! As I've been playing more visual novels recently something has struck me and I want to get some opinions...

Why do we have so many games where every single girl just instantly falls in love with the MC and where there seems to be *ZERO* consequences for the MC to sleep with anyone and everyone? I know that these are "lewd" games, and many people play as much (or more) for that as for the story, but am I the only one that wants to actually connect with a particular character and not feel like I'm being forced to essentially be a walking bundle of hormones who just wants to sleep with everyone?

It seems wild to me that there are so few games where your choices have real consequences, that in every game the girls all have this insane world-view that as long as the MC spends time with them they don't care how many other girls he pursues (if it's even acknowledged he's sleeping with everyone). Am I crazy?

I've been thinking about starting development on a game of my own for the past month, and one of the things I've been thinking a lot about is whether people would even want to play the kind of experience I'd want to make. The way I've always written stories is to put myself in the shoes of each character and really think hard about what they would think/feel/do in a particular situation, to the point that in past role-playing I've had to make choices for my characters that emotionally devastated me personally because it's what they would have done even if it isn't what I wanted to happen.

If I were to make a game that's the same philosophy I'd be using, and it would mean characters who actually behave/react like people, choices with moral/emotional consequences, and the very real possibility that if a player tries to sleep with every love interest that it's not going to end well for them because that's how it would work if you did that in real life. Now, I'm not saying that I want my game to be a reflection of reality, but shouldn't we expect more depth to the characters?

What are your thoughts?

 

[Redyscom]

It depends on the game. Some are just as you say, but in others the relationship is much more organic and believable—though it’s important to note that just because a girl shows interest in the MC doesn’t mean she’s head over heels in love from the start; it’s just interest that later develops into love.
Context also plays a role; you can’t expect relationships to work the same way in games set in modern times as they do in fantasy worlds.

 

[adam1111113]

From what I have seen, games seem to fall in two extreme buckets, ones where the most improbable love interest are ready willing and able at hello, and games that get abandoned after 5 years of buildup before any real sex. Well written character interactions are few and far between.

 

[tav___]

I think it's because most people want to play games to relax not to "stress" about what is wrong or not.

Also it requires skill to write good stories with good characters, choices, repercussions, etc. which not all authors have.

And at the end of the day be it a more serious game or not you can't take the fun out of it.

 

[DreamingWizard]

Are you talking about pornographic games only? That's the norm because it's the power fantasy, I supposed. And at the end of the day, a game is about experiencing content, most people would probably want to be able to experience character A and character B romance without having to reset the entire game for it, or you know, people want that totally hot threesome scene, and that requires more than two people.

In non-pornographic games where there is romance, I believe most make you chose one partner only, like Rune Factory, Wrath of the Righteous, Stardew Valley, Planescape: Torment, Dark Messiah, to name a few, but there are some exceptions alright. I don't think there's, for instance, any consequence for "dating" multiple girls in Persona 3/4 (though I believe that is necessary to unlock some stuff, like actual combat useful stuff).