Avowed game director say romance is more romantic when it isn’t a system

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Carrie Patel, the game director at Avowed, recently discussed with Eurogamer why Avowed doesn’t appear to have any romantic elements. However, if you look closely, there are indeed romantic interactions within the game, but they aren’t designed to feel like numerical or strategic enhancements to your character, as in leveling up a Wizard. In simpler terms, she has subtly implied that relationships become more relatable and authentic when they aren’t treated as mechanics or systems to be manipulated.

As you incorporate romance mechanics, develop associated systems, metrics, and methods for players to boost and assess their emotional connections with other characters,” she explained to Robert Purchese at Eurogamer (Hi Bertie), “the more it transitions from being a genuine relationship experience to something that people interact with as a system.

In my perspective, Avowed does indeed hold the potential for finding a soulmate, but unlike Commander Shepard receiving romantic hints, it isn’t presented as blatantly as that. Instead, it happens organically – through getting to know someone and discovering mutual feelings.

Patel clarified that there’s no system to keep tabs on your progress with a certain character, but if you interact with them as you would naturally in the story, you may stumble upon an opportunity by the game’s end. This encounter will likely seem authentic, growing organically, and will come as a pleasant surprise.

In Avowed, I’m still making my way through the game, and I haven’t a clue who this character is, so you’ll have to find out for yourself, you roguish scamps. As for me, I usually don’t get romantically involved in RPGs because I’m afraid of emotions, and well, we’re trying to save the world here, right? We can focus on romance after the ending. Honestly, I’ve let quite a few potential relationships fade away. Sometimes, the game design gets the better of me, yes. And guess what? I was flabbergasted at the end of Dragon’s Dogma to discover that I’d been courting the local blacksmith the whole time!

This version maintains the original meaning while using simpler language and a more conversational tone.

If it stirs up feelings for you, you may find intriguing David Gaider’s insights about crafting romanceable characters, as discussed in an interview that additionally touches on his abandoned Planescape sequel endeavor.

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2025-03-12 19:26