So if and when they do implement S/S romance...

[Amenian]

I see you're logic, however they have already added a patch for a new flashpoint and operation not that long ago.

 

Feels like they're dragging their heels on this, but I could be wrong. Like everyone I think all that needs to be changed is the flirt option and ect which should only take a few days as one guy stated above where players modded DAO for Alister and Morrigan to switch over and since it fades to black in this game as I've heard then there are no animations to alter either in my mind.

 

Dragging their heels? The game's been out less than a month! I know it might not seem like a difficult fix, but there are so many bugs and performance issues and what-not that are way more important than this that need to be fixed first. I want my female shadow to be able to romance Nadia Grell too, but seriously, a little patience is in order. This is kind of ridiculous.

[Whatsalightsaver]

^^^

So if I get the above post correctly, you don't feel like playing because...you can't have a same sex romance in the game yet?

 

If this is indeed the case then...wow. I don't have anything against adding such non-gameplay-essential stuff that people want in the game, but to want to STOP PLAYING because you can't do something so trivial that has ABSOLUTELY no impact on the game whatsoever?

 

Kinda this. I don't have anything against homosexuals or having that be an option in the game. I do find it disturbing that despite everything this game still needs, there is so much clamoring for there to be more money and development time spent on this relatively pointless feature.

 

I'm not saying homosexuality is pointless, I'm saying that companion romance, weather it be hetero or homosexual, barely impacts any sort of core gameplay or endgame. Even people who have romanced their companion are going "ok, she had my babies, now what?" If a person honestly needs an in game relationship so bad that they'd quit for that reason, they probably should just spend more time trying to cultivate a real one.

 

On a separate note, I think the request makes very little sense from Bioware's side, and I'm surprised they agreed to do it. MMO gamers are a minority of America's population, LGBT players are also a minority. So...we're talking about appeasing a minority within a minority, and that doesn't make much business sense. In a perfect world, there would be romance options for both, and I would support that. However, it may be a bit unrealistic for the same reason most movies are centered around a heterosexual relationship: more people can simply relate to it, so it makes more money.

 

Dunno, just my thoughts. I'm not against it as long as it doesn't suck resources dry and we as a player base don't get less content because players didn't like their romance options. If Cataclysm taught me anything, it's that resources are not infinite and if you want more side stuff, you're going to get less actual content.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Whatsalightsaver

[Jairec]

Personally, I find the idea that we need special s/s romances rankles. Why? Is there particularly gender specific voice over work that I missed? It's not like I need Irreso to call me girlfriend and have a passion for shopping or that Nadia needs to espouse a love of golf and DIY home improvement. Just flip the bi switch and have done. I don't see why sexual preference requires fundamental romance rewrites. Edited January 16, 2012 by Jairec

[thegrognard]

Looking through the companions, it looks like a bunch of characters are already getting the shaft (or not getting the shaft, so to speak) when it comes to options.

 

Jedi Knights, Sith Inquisitors, Troopers, and Bounty Hunters only get one option for a romanceable companion.

 

Male Consulars, Male IAs, and Female Smugglers only get one option as well, while their counterpart get two. (Except the Female Consular, who gets THREE!)

 

Sith Warriors also get two for each sex.

 

 

 

It looks like companion balance is screwed up in general. How did the same company that made Mass Effect and Dragon Age manage to muck this up so badly?

 

On the other hand, if it's this messy now, then it can stand to be messy for a while longer. BioWare should just flip the bi-switch on a couple characters for each class and be done with it.

I noticed that huge unbalance when looking at the wiki. I think the best explaination of where you ask how they ould muck up so badly is to look at DA2. That thing was rushed like no-one's business and it even feels it.

 

As many people say they should just flip the bi-switch. i feel relaly sorry for the male counsulor who gets the one single woman whilst the female gets three guys.

[Baytree]

Kinda this. I don't have anything against homosexuals or having that be an option in the game. I do find it disturbing that despite everything this game still needs, there is so much clamoring for there to be more money and development time spent on this relatively pointless feature.

 

I'm not saying homosexuality is pointless, I'm saying that companion romance, weather it be hetero or homosexual, barely impacts any sort of core gameplay or endgame. Even people who have romanced their companion are going "ok, she had my babies, now what?" If a person honestly needs an in game relationship so bad that they'd quit for that reason, they probably should just spend more time trying to cultivate a real one.

 

On a separate note, I think the request makes very little sense from Bioware's side, and I'm surprised they agreed to do it. MMO gamers are a minority of America's population, LGBT players are also a minority. So...we're talking about appeasing a minority within a minority, and that doesn't make much business sense.

 

I'm a hetero female but I don't like playing female characters or trying to romance them. I don't even want to flirt with one. Frankly, most female characters in games give me the creeps. (Barbie meets Uncanny Valley. Eeeeek!)

 

So, without SGRA I have no options to explore that I would actually enjoy. If you read through other comments many others feel the same regardless of their sexuality. SGRAs are not solely for the LGBT community. As mentioned there is a limited number of romance options. If nothing else this would allow people to romance who they wanted regardless of what gender they rolled.

 

It's also not just about the actual romances but the flirts and the one night stands.

 

Different people enjoy different things in games. My reaction to the announced update was “Of all the things they could be doing why are they choosing THIS?” Operations and Flashpoints? Yawn. Boooooring.

 

But there are lots of people they do matter to. They are a huge and important part of the game for those people just as companion and NPC interactions are what make the game enjoyable for me. It's what makes this game stand out from all the other MMOs I've played.

 

As you say, there is a huge clamouring for SGRA. That would suggest that it is very important to a large number of people.

 

I think part of the reason people are talking so much about the issue is that there has been no ETA on SGRAs nor any info on HOW they are going to include them. This has left a large number of people, including myself, very frustrated.

 

Something to think about: What if Bioware had only done SGRAs with no options for OGRAs? Think how upset people would be if they'd done that.

[pmatisz]

Kinda this. I don't have anything against homosexuals or having that be an option in the game. I do find it disturbing that despite everything this game still needs, there is so much clamoring for there to be more money and development time spent on this relatively pointless feature.

 

I think what's got a lot of people riled up about it is that Bioware was once the leader in same-gender plot options. When the same-sex romance options hit the Dragon Age franchise people went nuts - on both sides of the issue - and Bioware was like "whatever." They actually told an outraged straight male gamer to "get over it." It was edgy, it was innovative, and there were no apologies.

 

Now... I think a lot of folks are worried that Bioware is losing its edge on that front and is going mainstream. And that matters -- it matters a lot. If they lose their edge on one front, how much longer until they lose the edge across the board and become just another Blizzard.

 

Sure, money's great... but gaming as a medium is as important to our generation as movies and novels were to our parents and grandparents.

 

It's a new medium. It ought to push the boundaries.

[AelixVII]

Repost from another thread but it something I'm concerned about:

 

 

Bounty Hunters only get one romance option and it seems that if you don't make a move on Mako, by the time you get Torian, the quests seem to pair them together. This isn't fair if you want to pair a male char with Torian or a female char with Mako. If this is true (I was reading around companion quest dialogues and didn't want to spoil too much for myself) then will Torian spend the whole of my game chasing Mako until the patch comes, then suddenly be all like 'OH WAIT, I'm gay, will you marry me?' lol

 

 

So how would that work? :/

Edited January 16, 2012 by AelixVII

[DarthThuzad]

As a guy IRL, I don't want to follow any of the romance quests when I'm playing my sorceress unless they give me the opportunity to les it up with Thana Vesh, should they add her and somehow bring her back from the dead.

[thegrognard]

I think what's got a lot of people riled up about it is that Bioware was once the leader in same-gender plot options. When the same-sex romance options hit the Dragon Age franchise people went nuts - on both sides of the issue - and Bioware was like "whatever." They actually told an outraged straight male gamer to "get over it." It was edgy, it was innovative, and there were no apologies.

 

Now... I think a lot of folks are worried that Bioware is losing its edge on that front and is going mainstream. And that matters -- it matters a lot. If they lose their edge on one front, how much longer until they lose the edge across the board and become just another Blizzard.

 

Sure, money's great... but gaming as a medium is as important to our generation as movies and novels were to our parents and grandparents.

 

It's a new medium. It ought to push the boundaries.

 

I totally agree, it should push the boundries just as comics, music, television and even books have done. The way i see it is not only is the companion system in this game quite unique as is gaining relationship and a romance plot too so by adding this they really would be pushing the boundries that'll really outshine wow and every other MMO on the market, which this game needs being somewhat pricy compared to others out there.

[MoistMuffin]

As a guy IRL, I don't want to follow any of the romance quests when I'm playing my sorceress unless they give me the opportunity to les it up with Thana Vesh, should they add her and somehow bring her back from the dead.

 

That could be a necrophilia option in the new zombie rakghoul expansion coming. SORRY COULD NOT RESIST.

Edited January 17, 2012 by MoistMuffin

[BrigOrion]

I don't see this being added until after they complete their conversion to F2P. And then you'll have to purchase the option in the cash shop.

[Exastiken]

I don't see this being added until after they complete their conversion to F2P. And then you'll have to purchase the option in the cash shop.

 

Three reasons:

 

1. They are adamantly against going F2P with this game for a LONG time.

http://kotaku.com/5869732/star-wars-mmo-wont-go-free-in-the-foreseeable-future

 

2. Didn't you read the official statement?

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=1676144#post1676144

"Official statement follows:

Due to the design constraints of a fully voiced MMO of this scale and size, many choices had to be made as to the launch and post-launch feature set. Same gender romances with companion characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a post-launch feature. Because The Old Republic is an MMO, the game will live on through content expansions which allow us to include content and features that could not be included at launch, including the addition of more companion characters who will have additional romance options."

 

3. [Opinion] You're kidding about your assumption that SW:TOR is going "freemium", right? Conversion to free-to-play, hah. I've played a ton of F2P MMOs (Vindictus, Dragon Nest, Vindictus, Spiral Knights, Maplestory, Silkroad Online, Perfect World, Flyff, Divine Souls, Dungeon Fighter Online, Lunia, Hellgate, AdventureQuest Worlds, Combat Arms, CosmicBreak, Battle of the Immortals) and I hear gold farmers spamming messages in the chat all day long and see an overload of tickets in customer service that take a while to resolve or not at all. Plus, the game usually becomes unbalanced because of the cash shop. Subscription-based service gives gamers insurance that players will receive a higher quality of balanced gaming experience, and is a deterrent for hackers. Plus, SW:TOR is VERY healthy at the moment, with over 1.5 million subscribers.

[Banetek]

I object to them adding s/s romance because I feel the majority of people will not like it.

 

It will most likely not lose them a lot of customers and I'm sure it will be tamed down to such a level that it won't be too offensive to players who feel that , that type of behavioral acceptance push is wrong and pushes a RL agenda..

 

 

I feel if Bioware does put s/s romance in the game there should be an option to NOT have to have " romance " as an option. Maybe we could have it be a filter option like the profanity option, we could have a S/S option enabled or disabled, right there next to the profanity filter.

[CharagonIGN]

I object to them adding s/s romance because I feel the majority of people will not like it.

 

It will most likely not lose them a lot of customers and I'm sure it will be tamed down to such a level that it won't be too offensive to players who feel that , that type of behavioral acceptance push is wrong and pushes a RL agenda..

 

 

I feel if Bioware does put s/s romance in the game there should be an option to NOT have to have " romance " as an option. Maybe we could have it be a filter option like the profanity option, we could have a S/S option enabled or disabled, right there next to the profanity filter.

 

They've already perfected that option in their other titles. It's called "don't flirt with those characters".

[CharagonIGN]

I think what's got a lot of people riled up about it is that Bioware was once the leader in same-gender plot options. When the same-sex romance options hit the Dragon Age franchise people went nuts - on both sides of the issue - and Bioware was like "whatever." They actually told an outraged straight male gamer to "get over it." It was edgy, it was innovative, and there were no apologies.

 

Now... I think a lot of folks are worried that Bioware is losing its edge on that front and is going mainstream. And that matters -- it matters a lot. If they lose their edge on one front, how much longer until they lose the edge across the board and become just another Blizzard.

 

Sure, money's great... but gaming as a medium is as important to our generation as movies and novels were to our parents and grandparents.

 

It's a new medium. It ought to push the boundaries.

 

Pretty much this.

 

 

This is something that was expected from BioWare from the start. To say "the game's only been out a month" is missing the point. This isn't a new idea they've come up with. It's not some feature nobody asked for until after launch.

 

This game has been in development for years and BioWare somehow managed to push it out the door without including the one aspect they are most famous for.

[BrigOrion]

Three reasons:

 

1. They are adamantly against going F2P with this game for a LONG time.

http://kotaku.com/5869732/star-wars-mmo-wont-go-free-in-the-foreseeable-future

 

2. Didn't you read the official statement?

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=1676144#post1676144

"Official statement follows:

Due to the design constraints of a fully voiced MMO of this scale and size, many choices had to be made as to the launch and post-launch feature set. Same gender romances with companion characters in Star Wars: The Old Republic will be a post-launch feature. Because The Old Republic is an MMO, the game will live on through content expansions which allow us to include content and features that could not be included at launch, including the addition of more companion characters who will have additional romance options."

 

3. [Opinion] You're kidding about your assumption that SW:TOR is going "freemium", right? Conversion to free-to-play, hah. I've played a ton of F2P MMOs (Vindictus, Dragon Nest, Vindictus, Spiral Knights, Maplestory, Silkroad Online, Perfect World, Flyff, Divine Souls, Dungeon Fighter Online, Lunia, Hellgate, AdventureQuest Worlds, Combat Arms, CosmicBreak, Battle of the Immortals) and I hear gold farmers spamming messages in the chat all day long and see an overload of tickets in customer service that take a while to resolve or not at all. Plus, the game usually becomes unbalanced because of the cash shop. Subscription-based service gives gamers insurance that players will receive a higher quality of balanced gaming experience, and is a deterrent for hackers. Plus, SW:TOR is VERY healthy at the moment, with over 1.5 million subscribers.

 

They're going to have to go F2P regardless of what they have said previously. They won't be able to pay the bills otherwise. I understand money, unfortunately you do not.

[Exastiken]

They're going to have to go F2P regardless of what they have said previously. They won't be able to pay the bills otherwise. I understand money, unfortunately you do not.

 

That is a rather obtuse accusation because you think every game goes F2P. I admit, in the LONG LONG LONG LONG run EA will consider turning SW:TOR F2P, but it definitely does not have those ideas, and especially ONE MONTH after their flagship MMO came out -.-

[Bielduwyn]

That content hasn't been a toggle in any prior Bioware game, and I hope they don't change that habit in a hurry.

[Banetek]

I have the option to filter out profanity in gen chat, I have the option to filter out offensive players and I would like the option to filter out being presented with homosexual romance options because it is just presenting a mundane political issue that I don't even care to think about when all I'm trying to do is enjoy a game.

 

Kudos to the RPers who want same sex romance... No problem. Just give us a toggle to filter it out so we can not have to think or be presented with it...

Edited January 17, 2012 by Parali
inappropriate content

[elexier]

Banetek it already has the filter in place.

 

Its the same filter that allows you to choose light side or dark side, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLICK IT.

 

This is 2012 not the 1800's and this game is for 16y+ if you have a problem with with people of the same sex flirting with each other then that I am afraid is your issue.

 

I like many others was expecting the same sex romance to be in as optional, for two reasons.

 

1. There previous games had it

 

2. Romancing was highlighted as a feature. (so most assumed it would be like there previous titles.

 

Do you object to seeing 2 females flirt with each other in a bar your in, I'd place a solid bet you don't, but just in case you do, You might want to consider actually going outside and looking around, not everything is black and white these days.

 

America has a black president (Obama I belive his name is, (sorry i live in the UK so not 100%)

 

We have people with missing limbs presenting children shows. (good on her I say)

 

We have gay people presenting other shows and headlining films

 

Chances are that person that served you for your milk at the shop this morning is gay or Bi.

 

Wake up and grow up, the following scentance WON'T KILL YOU.

 

We are jedi this is wrong

 

I like you alot (FLIRT) -- Oh ow the wrds they BUUUUURN

[ahrimahn]

IIRC, it was a relatively simple mod to make Morrigan and Alistair "switch sides" in Dragon Age. And that was made by the players.

 

It shouldn't take much effort for the people who made the game to do the same.

 

 

Pick out a dozen characters or so, change their "can you flirt with them" modifier to yes, make sure the dialogue matches up, and there you have it.

 

A day or two. Maybe three, tops. It'd be a worthwhile fix until they can go in and really do it properly.

 

This ignores the problem of voice actors scheduling and recording these line readings will take time. Unless there are already dialogues recorded and we are just waiting for them to be implemented its going to take at least a few weeks. Personally I am glad they're putting them in at all, I remember that PR disaster where they said there are no such things as gay people in Star Wars.

[Darthmoriquendi]

Ok so back on track to the original post.........Would be nice to see the new content that is added with additional companions but personally I would love to see them fix issues with companions we already have. More dialogue, quests, romance fixes etc.......Maybe that will happen with this update, but don't know as I have not seen any information about the companions we have now.

[Darthmoriquendi]

Looking through the companions, it looks like a bunch of characters are already getting the shaft (or not getting the shaft, so to speak) when it comes to options.

 

Jedi Knights, Sith Inquisitors, Troopers, and Bounty Hunters only get one option for a romanceable companion.

 

Male Consulars, Male IAs, and Female Smugglers only get one option as well, while their counterpart get two. (Except the Female Consular, who gets THREE!)

 

Sith Warriors also get two for each sex.

 

[/color]

 

It looks like companion balance is screwed up in general. How did the same company that made Mass Effect and Dragon Age manage to muck this up so badly?

 

On the other hand, if it's this messy now, then it can stand to be messy for a while longer. BioWare should just flip the bi-switch on a couple characters for each class and be done with it.

 

 

Actually Sith warrior female only gets one romance and marriage option Malavai Quinn, Lt. Pierce is just an option to have a quickie with and then its all over. No marriage with him.

[Rayla_Felana]

I object to them adding s/s romance because I feel the majority of people will not like it.

 

If the Christians can accept Homosexuality, what is stopping you and these other people you surmise won't like it, from just accepting what you see everyday, here in Great Britain we have Daily afternoon presenters and movie stars all over that are Homosexual: Sir(yes, the Christian Royal family knighted a Gay man) Ian Mckellen, John Barrowman, Stephen Fry, Paul O'Grady, and many many more, now unless America is still back in the 1960s, which it isn't, you are just pulling random people out of thin air and claiming a 'majority' will even care.

 

It will most likely not lose them a lot of customers and I'm sure it will be tamed down to such a level that it won't be too offensive to players who feel that , that type of behavioral acceptance push is wrong and pushes a RL agenda..

 

Except in the Star Wars galaxy, we have never seen any mention of sexual preferences or a difference between females and males, one could imagine races in that galaxy have moved beyond such things and realized there is more to the galaxy than which gender should be having sex with another.

 

I feel if Bioware does put s/s romance in the game there should be an option to NOT have to have " romance " as an option. Maybe we could have it be a filter option like the profanity option, we could have a S/S option enabled or disabled, right there next to the profanity filter.

 

If so, there should also be an enable/disable button for OGRAs, as to not 'offend' Homosexuals.

 

I seriously don't understand what it is with America and the amount of blind discrimination that goes around in it.

[tmblake]

According to a reply from support I got personally, it sounds to me like they will be adding new companions instead of expanding existing ones. But that's just what it sounded like to me.