I'd like to see two things in Fallout IV:

1) Generally, a little more in depth role play, and

2) specifically, the opportunity to develop a romantic interest with one or more NPCs.

I'm not talking about the one night stands and hokers of the previous Fallouts. Those interludes are fun RP diversions. But I'd like to see something a little more in depth, and more fun to play than the shotgun wedding in Modoc ending up with a totally useless spouse you kill or get divorced from ASAP.

What about taking the model of the follower quests from New Vegas and building on it, where the quest involves building a romance? Maybe the quest would culminate in a marriage, where major characters in the game could attend the wedding, something like the wedding in Rivet City? Maybe the PC could even decide what characters to invite, and doing so would help improve invited characters' attitudes toward you?

Just throwing out ideas here. I'm surprised and a little disappointed that Fallout seems comfortable depicting one night stands and acts of prostitution, but not a real romantic bond between characters. How on earth did they make New Vegas, with all its sappy love songs, without including a romantic subplot? I have to think the idea of a romance would appeal to a lot of the RP crowd, like me, for whom a big part of the game is the opportunity to live another life in another world. And those who find the idea unappealing don't have to explore that aspect of the game.

I'd love to find out if other people are interested in better RP and/or a romantic subplot. Can I really be the only one who thinks the idea is fun? Hopefully we can generate some discussion to show the developers there's interest. Maybe even give them some ideas.

While the implementation of a "romance" system like those prevalent in Bioware games wouldn't deter me from picking up Fallout 4, it'd certainly seem out of place. If I'm a wastelander who can barely manage to survive day-to-day life, the very last thing on my mind is going to be finding a soul mate.

prosttutes do actually make sense considering in that environment there would be people desperate to survive by any means necessary, as well as people who just want to forget how crappy the world is for a bit. As far as anchoring yourself down with a more permanent partner, that just seems....impractical. Just my two cents.

Maybe not soul mates per se, but I wouldn't mind seeing companion characters who actually flirt back.

However, romance/six in video games is something that is hardly ever done well, so I'd advise Bethesda to approach with caution.

Yeah, but you don't get the impression that romance is totally non-existent in the wasteland. There are several NPCs with romantic lives depicted in the series. Boone from New Vegas to name one off the top of my head. Biologically, the very reason you're bothering to eek out an existence in the post apocalyptic hellscape is that old genetic drive. Even in the wasteland, people will still fall in love and get married.




prosttutes do make sense. And I don't object to their presence in the game. I'd just enjoy RPing a romance too. Very easy to imagine a romantic bond forming with a follower like Veronica (or Boone if you're a chick) as you travel the wastes together. Frankly, it's harder to imagine some kind of feelings NOT forming.

I have faith they can handle it competently. Maybe I'm just sentimental, but I really get a kick out of the idea one of the followers being a romantic interest.

I am against it. I don't want the story to be about Romance. It is not really role playing if you can only "romance" one character. If you can only do it with one or two then its not really worth doing, IMO.

God no, jesus man.

Here's another way of looking at it:

Some people would like a romantic storyline. Others feel it is out of place in a post apocalyptic world (even though the game depicts many married couples, and some romantic story lines not directly involving the PC). So to make the game appealing to more players, don't make romance central to the game by building an entire romance system. But do include one or two characters with romantic storylines. Players who enjoy that aspect of the game can take on those followers. Players who don't can take on different followers, or take on the romantic followers but not follow their quests.

That way the story isn't about romance, but has a romantic aspect which IS worth it to players interested in that.

If its done right then yes

The last thing fallout needs is to have ten year olds running around talking about fallout having six scenes or romances, or having some idiot reporter saying "Fallout? More like Ballout..."

My point is if you are forced to romance someone it would svck. If you can only romance one or two characters it would svck at least to me.

Its the type of thing that would svck terribly if implemented wrong.

I don't think it would really fit in Fallout. I don't mind flirty content. But full out romantic stuff? I'll save that for real life; I prefer shooting people's heads off.

That's not a bad compromise. For me, the only thing that would irk me is if the romantic subplot was forced upon me (IE, having to get involved with a character or they'll throw a fit and leave) but with two companions that I can choose to avoid altogether should I so please, that problem is avoided.

Fallout already has six scenes. Some of them involve what might be called "graphic audio." A parent concerned about the game's morals should be more concerned about the absence of a romantic subplot than the presence of one.

Heh. That could make a fun follower, with a lot of RP potential. S/he falls in love with the PC whether or not the PC reciprocates. S/he's willing to follow the PC to the gates of hell because of the love, so to speak. The PC can play along with the romance or not, but ends up with a fanatically loyal follower either way. People playing evil characters can pretend they're taking advantage. People playing good characters might not be able to let the follower hang around in good conscience, unless the love is reciprocated.

But yeah, I agree it shouldn't be a necessary aspect of the game. Still, I think the game would be enriched if it was there.

No.
Horrible idea for Fallout.

The base for a Fallout protagonist (with maybe the exception of Tactics) is that he/she is a mysterious stranger with his/her own goal to achieve that helps/or destroys those he/she encounters and then move on.

Getting a husband/wife and settling down all cozy like does not really fit Fallout.

Another problem for me is this: How can it be done well?

Listen, what happens when we've exhausted companion dialogue?
They become nothing more but meat shield pack mules with some funny one liners.

"If" I'm going to marry someone then I want to see that relationship evolve and be dynamic.
This cannot be done in an open game like Fallout is now.
In Bioware games it works as several dialogue/romance options are closed off until certain points in the main quest.
And as those games have a form of linearity in them it works together a lot better.
But having Veronica as my wife and then still only hearing the same one liners with no real development makes it seem so incredibly unnecessary.

So a big no from me.

Who said anything about settling down?

And the base of the game also includes letting that mysterious protagonist develop and achieve his own goals as set by the player.



I like the idea of a follower with a romantic quest. I don't see why that couldn't be handled by competent storytellers, which the Fallout makers clearly are.



I think it's accepted in an RPG that you're suspending your disbelief about the characters when the dialogue options dry up. There's no reason a player's imagination can't account for that, the same way it does for any other NPC.



I don't know about the Bioware games, so I'm not suggesting them as a model.

I'm curious, what would you say about an NPC quest depicting the development of a a non-romantic bond, like, say as between soldiers?

I don't need any romance. I bang prosttutes and then kill them. Hell of a step-up, and it's been in all the Fallout's so far!

Not Fallout 3 and Tactics.

No. Even if it is "done right" with extensive, dynamic dialogue, it would just take away focus from other dialogue and sub-plots that are more fitting in Fallout.

I don't need romance.http://images.wikia.com/fallout/images/c/c2/Virgin.jpg.

Sigh

Well seeing as how it happened you could get married in FF2 , (which unlike a lot of its humor I did not find over the top actually) it has been done and lets face it even three had the crush on your sweetheart who drop kicks your heart for her other lover the Vault. (well maybe not but seemed they tried to go somewhere that rout heh)

To be honest I do not mind either way, but it does burn me when nay sayers say it does not fit... Hell way i figure it love and humor, and joy bringers like music are probably the only way a waster would avoid svcking his own gun (uhh wow i meant killing himself not err nevermind) plain and simple, and as humans we are just sorta geared for it no matter how bad it is. Just living is not as great as its cracked up to be even for the most evil hardended ass walking the scorched earth. (though I suppose maybe inflicting pain could be there love heh)

I personally don't want to see Fallout become Bioware. As a 30-year old married man who already has to explain to his wife why he plays video games, I don't need the added complication of six scenes like in Dragon Age. Fallout's "fade to black" is a great deal more beneficial. On the other hand, I happen to like immersion role-playing and wouldn't mind a romance with a companion or NPC.

I think Fallout: New Vegas gave an excellent example of how it COULD be implemented. Here's my thoughts:

* Lady Killer, Black widow, etc. become like "Wild Wasteland." The option for romance only pops up if you take those perks.
* Then you have companions as a romance option. It would go something like: Boone (Female Only), Veronica (Female Only), Arcade Gannon (Male Only), Rose of Sharon Cassidy (Both), and so on.
* The Romance Companion quest would have a short little ending at the end if completed.

Likewise, I wouldn't be adverse to the Fallout 2 ending too for romantic/promiscuous PCs.

"Sarah Weintraub gave birth to the Courier's child, who went on to slap iron and deliver packages like her father before her."

I like that idea but would it work both ways where as a male character can knock a chick up or as a female character your character can end up with "one in the oven"

I think the "bun in the oven" one would be all manner of complicated given RL beliefs on the subject.

Maybe only if a proper conversation option was triggered.