I'm interested in systems where players can build up relationships with NPCs, and one recent example of this is the ability to marry some of the NPCs in Skyrim. So what I'd like to know (assuming you played the game) is, which one(s) did you marry, and more importantly what made you choose that one? If there was one you wanted to marry but couldn't I'd like to know that too. What made you want to marry a specific NPC instead of the many others available?

Personally I found the voice-actor to play a big role in which NPCs seemed attractive to me, which I probably wouldn't have noticed except for the fact that there are about 5 male voice actors for the whole game, and it's easy to recognize which one did which characters.

Well, I didn't play Skyrim that much, but I ended up marrying the archer girl with tattoos and stuff. Forgot her name, but she was in the companions guild I believe. I wanted to marry Lydia first, but it wasn't possible if I recall correctly. For me, I think it's because I was playing an archer, so it just made more sense to have a ranged companion, otherwise she'd be in my line of sight all the time. And she was more or less the first "available" (for lack of a better term) spouse so I just went through with it. Plus she had good artwork, and that counts too.

But I didn't feel emotionally involved at all, if that's what you're asking. She was just another companion to me, perhaps prettier to look at, but that's about it really. The extra bonuses were nice, but the game was so easy already. Frankly, I didn't pay too much attention. I never found very attractive the concept of interactively involving the player's romantic feelings in a video game. Just like the whole phone dating thing in GTA IV, I never really caught on. Feel free to disagree, though!

My spouse met her fate a few days after the wedding to one of those rotating spikes, regardless. She will be missed. Sort of.

I find that a bit disturbing.

Would you be a bit disturbed to later find out that one of those attractive male voices was a member of GameDev.net? Especially if it was one you wanted to (or did) marry?

Would you then not find it hard not to give said individual special privileges?

Do people take those marriages seriously?
I mean do people start taking these marriages as part of their real lives and start to dismiss other parts of their real lives?

Of course that might be a good thing if “part of your real life” means beating the kids, but for normal humans?

I am not asking out of jest. I have heard of people in South Korea who really get into this kind of thing to the point where they shut out their real families.
I am asking because…is this happening to the Western civilization?


L. Spiro

I don't really remember, it's quite a long time since I played Skyrim. Some developers want to provide you a world where you can be anything, well most of them still force you to be the lone hero.

While I didn't find their implementation great it was okay, I guess. It was better than some of the "romance" options that are provided by other games.

It's the same with the player characters friends, they could be so much more, but often they are just there making an occasional appearance or dying whenever the developers needed some extra dragic moment.

I did like what Valve was doing in Half-Life 2. While Alyx is cute'n all she seemed more like a good friend. They didn't try to force something.

Okay she could be a bit more involved, besides some passages here and there and some sniper cover, but overall they did a great job.

[quote name='sunandshadow' timestamp='1357693300' post='5019299']
I found the voice-actor to play a big role
[/quote]

Yes, most people underestimate the audio part of games, but it's just an important part of games as it's of movies.

That's why I like to play the games in english and not german, sometimes they just choose the wrong voice and the whole expirience is ruined. Not often, generally the synchronization quality in germany s quite high, but it does happen.

[quote name='L. Spiro' timestamp='1357728533' post='5019412']
I am asking because…is this happening to the Western civilization?
[/quote]

I guess you can find all kind of crazy stuff all over the world. But I wouldn't say it's common, probably not even in korea.

For most people it's just part of the game. Just like some people play to collect all archievments, while I don't really give a... thought.

I liked the movie "Lars and the Real Girl" which is a kind of funny view on the whole subject (not video game related).

I think you picked up one of the dullest relationship systems around as example. It's just a "wanna marry me?" "k thx bai" *adds "stay in players house" AI package*

Skyrim characterization is null for NPCs except for *very* hand picked examples related to the main quest (Ulfrik, Phaarthumax, and thats it pretty much).

You should inspect games where those things are a more prominent feature like Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, maybe the whole Triss or Shani issue in The Witcher 1.

Skyrim's solution to in game relationships is very weak, not what I'd pick as a reference.

I mean, your question is, what did you make marry that NPC? Well, how many things Skyrim offers me to like that NPC? Their voice, their appareance, maybe what they do, and thats it. There are very few examples of NPCs you can have a conversation with, or that you may get to know better. Stuff like where did you grew up, how you enjoy yourself in this forsaken place, do you like where you're living, why did you move to Skyrim, what do you think about Skyrim, do you like me, do you like what I do, etc. Basically, things that get you to know someone, are non existant in Skryim, it offers players very little hooks for making them like a particular NPC.

Haven't (had time yet) played skyrim but i liked the companion/wife system in the king's bounties, gets something (additional armor slots) even for non RPing but stat fanatics like me!

never did get involved with that system, mainly because there was no incentive or reason to do it. -IF- a game wants to create a "meaningful" relationship between the player and an NPC, it has to work at it. It has to create it "the old fashioned way" via involvement over time with the player in their exploits. The NPC cant be weak, nor needy, nor overtly forward, etc. It has to come-about as normally as possible and even then, the player themselves should be the initiator not a overt dialog box. The NPC shouldnt be standoffish either. Any working relationship, platonic or otherwise, involves give and take, ribbing and rejoicing, good times and bad times. If you setup the framework to allow these things in a non-awkward fashion, you can develop at least a mild caring for your fellow NPCs. Sure, they are just bits of code, but you have actual experiences with those bits of code in a workable way that allows you a glimpse of empathy toward that bit of code. THAT can be something to work with as a player and as a human. Currently, except for a few games which just had a very good story to allow similar types of character growth between the player and the NPC, there isn't much out there that "goes the distance" of actually attempting to build on human psychological factors to establish an actual relationship. Also, given the current sophomoric state of the games industry, I don't expect this to happen from -any- major studio.

Would you be a bit disturbed to later find out that one of those attractive male voices was a member of GameDev.net? Especially if it was one you wanted to (or did) marry?

Would you then not find it hard not to give said individual special privileges?

Do people take those marriages seriously?

Wouldn't bother me, I don't think I'd feel any compulsion to give that person special privileges in an online situation like this, though face-to-face I'd react to them the same way I would anyone with an attractive voice (that I didn't have some other reason to dislike). I don't take marriages in games seriously because I have yet to see one where an NPC manages to be convincingly like a person. However I do know people who take in-game marriage to another player as seriously as any other long-distance relationship, and get really upset if they think that person is cheating on them with someone at their location, etc. Are you sure the ones you heard about weren't between two players?

I think you picked up one of the dullest relationship systems around as example. It's just a "wanna marry me?" "k thx bai" *adds "stay in players house" AI package*

Skyrim characterization is null for NPCs except for *very* hand picked examples related to the main quest (Ulfrik, Phaarthumax, and thats it pretty much).

You should inspect games where those things are a more prominent feature like Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect, maybe the whole Triss or Shani issue in The Witcher 1.

Thank you for the recommendations. :) I'm definitely interested in looking at other games that have made some attempt at having romanceable NPCs. Though, I think because of the very basicness of Skyrim's system it makes a good test for those few elements it does provide that might make the player prefer one NPC over another (voice, appearance, maybe social role in their town. I know that I am actively repelled by a character being a beggar or a drunk, for example.)