I still disagree. Alistair's relationship to the PC can change in some interesting ways. Not just with romance, but political ramifications. You can "harden" him up, tell him Please continue, my good sir. and grow some balls, and he starts to wanting to be king. You can also kill loghain and refuse morrigan's offer thinking you're following a heroic thing in both cases, and then suddenly, it's up to you or him who kills the archdemon. Some depressing moments there actually. You can also be nice to him all the time, where he'll never get the hardened personality, and in that case, it'll create some new options towards the end. Depending on what you do with Loghaine. You can also just outright betray him.. in which case, he'll be a pathetic drunk that shows up in DA2.

The original Daggerfall promo included romance as well, that was oh I'unno, nigh 16+ years ago. So even back then, they knew that romance was a draw and it still is. svcks for you, I know.

All romance is is an extension of wider NPC depth in general. It doesn't have so much to do with romance so much as general disposition towards the player all around. The only reason to protest it is because you just like the game-y, button pressing/combat parts of rpgs. Which is cool, but that's never been what rpgs have only been about. Or storytelling, in general. They're not arcade games. Stories are about all aspects of life. You have to be a cretan to not recognize that.

Not sure how it "svcks for me" but thanks for the condescension anyway. Wasn't in the last two games (unless you want to count the "House of Eartly Delights" from Morrowind...) and I enjoyed them just fine. Guess I just don't require that extra element to immerse myself and RP.

Condescension. You're the one telling people it's only fit for dating sims or some [censored]. Just fight it out, hold to your original attitude, instead of comment on how others are looking down on you now.

it's so weakly developed that marriage, as a roleplay factor, is at the very minimal qualification.

I'm just saying that even back when Daggerfall was being promo'd, romance was a compelling reason to purchase it. It really didn't work out that way, but still, they obviously knew that romance was another part of their player's roleplaying experience. I'm giving away my age here, because I do indeed remember seeing such a promotion and as such, was bitterly disappointed when it didn't turn out to be as nearly grand as they made it seem (pre Morrowind). I was just trying to illustrate how even back then, Beth devs realized how much the entire roleplaying experience meant to their fanbase. Even if it meant that it made me completely dissolutioned when what they promised was not what came to be.

You get half of an imaginary income...
You get free meals every once and awhile...

free money from her shop, and you can sell her all your crap

Get the speech perk that allows you to invest money in shopkeepers. Then when you get married, you can give your spouse thousands of gold. A live-in, trading NPC with lots of gold is quite useful indeed.

I'm talking about the romance arc specifically, not storylines in general. Alistair's romance does certain things at certain times and only with certain approval, etc. Point is that Bioware's philosophy is much more of a scripted story- you're seeing the story they wrote- whereas Bethesda's is to leave things open-ended so that players have as much freedom to construct their own story as possible.

I think they could flesh out the companions a little more than they did in Skyrim, maybe make the other guilds work like the Companions so that it feels like you are questing together with your romance, or make the "favors" you do for them be a little more personal and involved than just fetching this or that- more like the companion quests in FNV. However I would rather not see them go full Bioware. Bioware already does that and TES games are more about the world and adventure.

There's room for what you're talking about though. There's a lot of direction in the various choices, I admit, but still enough room to create a rationale on my own basis, for making those choices. I play hetero characters, so I never had a romance with Alistair, but there was a friendship there. And Loghain got in the way. It doesn't tell me why I should go one way or the other. My own reasoning was almost entirely my own doing. I roleplayed a human who looked up to Loghain.. That guy would have been a lauded war hero to most Fereldens. And like a certain [unnamed] character in this game, I thought he was worth redeeming. I didn't save him for [censored] and giggles or to be evil, but because he's sort of like the Anakin Skywalker of that game. But the game itself doesn't really tell me any of that. That's my contribution to the RP part. It's the same thing I do in Skyrim, when a story starts emerging from my actions.

As for romance, I'm partial to Leliana. She's another who changes from the same mechanic as Alistairs. You can choose to harden her personality, and a lot of reasons why you would do that is up for your own imagination.

Construct my own story. I wish. I can't construct any kind of depth or emotion with the NPCs in Skyrim. Script or not, at least there are options and dialogue that have consequences behind Bioware's characters. And way better voice actors.

Yesss!!!

And even though that stuff is directed, I think they offer enough branches from your choices to cover what many players would want. Like a Jack romance is interesting in that way. You can be a Renegade shep who encourages her volatile nature and is a screwup yourself, or a Renegade shep who tries to keep her from screwing up too much, or a Paragon who tries to be a "boyfriend rescuing the troubled girl", or a Paragon who can't stand her. That's enough to roleplay with. It's better than not having much conversation or confirmation of your choices with NPCs at all. Imagination is cool, but it's nice to have actual feedback to your actions.

I just get married cuz it makes my house feel more "homey" than just coming home and having a Housecarl. I always like to have people hang out in my house just standing around or doing their own thing. Makes it feel more lively.

I wanted the 10 G and the sound it makes.


I don't care much for it on Steam though.

That's a failure of your imagination, then.

while i do like that they incorporated the ability to marry in this game i have to admit that it was a little bit lacking. but what do you want? because of the way this game is set up you getting married doesn't affect anything anyway. heck you beating the main quest line doesn't do anything. nothing you do in this game matters so whats wrong?

ME "romances" can hardly be called that. One or two brief conversations and a fade to black boink before you go off on the last mission. I mean, come on. Anyway, why do you want Bethesda games to be just like Bioware's when you already can play a Bioware game? Let Bethesda games keep their own distinctiveness and spare the forums the Talimancer vibe which is bad enough with Lydia already.

^

Why do I want it? Why not? Either question holds the same weight to me. I'd want DA to be more like TES too. I'd rather not have everything be in it's own bubble. Good ideas are good ideas.

The whole concept of marriage in a game is weird, why it was put into a game is beyond me, I read somewhere on these forums that sum1 married grelka like, WHAT WERE U THINKING!?

What is the purpose/benefit of this?

I get an extra vendor in Whiterun and a follower should I wish it. I also get free food and coin from being married.

The question should really be...

Why not get married?

This