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Quiz Description: Romance! Romance!


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#1 Leo

Posted 27 May 2003 - 01:59 AM

Romance! Romance!


by Dave Gaider



Romance has been an element in fantasy literature for a long time...and for good reason. Your average epic fantasy contains grand and powerful themes such as flawed heroes struggling with their inner natures and good vs. evil at its most basic essence. No wonder, then, when a hero (or heroine) gets caught up in larger-than-life events that threaten them and everything around them it is only natural that they turn to another character to cling tight to. Indeed, in many stories such love often becomes more important than the events themselves.

It should be no surprise, then, that we (meaning us writers at Bioware) were interested in adding romance themes into the overall story for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. It may not have been the first CRPG to have romance in it, but I think we managed to present it in a fairly new way. Members of your party slowly interacted with the main character more and more, getting to know one another's backgrounds more intimately as the backdrop of the main character's quest continued and his or her destiny as a Child of Bhaal dragged him interminably to the story's conclusion.

The things is, of course, is that the story isn't actually concluded. Those that have played Baldur's Gate II to the end know this. A stage of the main character's life has definitely drawn to a close, but that same character is about to enter a new stage where he or she has attained a great deal of experience and power...and his or her destiny as a Bhaalspawn is about to take on much greater personal significance. Like the overall story, the romances, too, did not reach a definite conclusion. The main character and the paramour may have ended up drawing very close...or drifting apart. Their love may have ended up being turned into a vampire...a horrific experience...only to be rescued by the main character. They fought beside the main character, following them to Hell and back to save their immortal soul...

The game is over. But what comes next? One of the things that has pleased us greatly is the amount of attention and discussion that the romance plots have engendered. Fans have told us they want more, they want longer, they want more variety...and so forth. They weren't for everyone, of course...some people didn't like the way certain romances went. Some didn't like the way certain characters acted. And some, naturally, just didn't find the romance stuff belonged in their gaming at all. As one of the writers who penned those romances (a first for all of us), hearing the comments has been both a pleasure and a learning experience. Leo has given me a soap box, here, where I can hear some more of your ideas for the future of these plots. I like this site...it's been a real treat to see people inspired by characters I helped create and I've seen some fantastic short stories and scenes written here...and I can't think of a better place to do this.

So, OK, here's the question: if you had a romance while playing Baldur's Gate II, you're bound to know who the characters involved are and how the stories with them went. How do you forsee that story continuing in the future (keeping in mind that an expansion or sequel, at this point, is still purely hypothetical)? Perhaps you thought another NPC would have been better suited for a romance...how would such a romance begin or play out? Write out your idea as a scene, perhaps, or a short story...something that describes exactly what you're getting at. Or just discuss it, if that's what you'd prefer. I will respond to or comment upon as much of this as I can. So...if you want a chance to get a word in to one of the designers, display your skills or just talk about the subject, here's your chance.

Dave Gaider




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