Romance Review

[Karameck]

I played the game back at launch, but due to work/school/etc... I only really got to start working through a lot of the content last year after returning from a long hiatus. The romance options have been my favorite aspect of the game all the way back to KOTOR, and I am thrilled to have finally worked my way through most of what SWTOR has to offer in that department (for female characters).

 

I have been pleasantly surprised to find that on the whole I felt they were well done. In case anyone else is having slow night and wants to kill some time reminiscing about our lovable comps I thought I'd share my thoughts. Oh, and if you disagree feel free to fight me. I welcome opposing opinions just as much as agreeable ones.

 

For the purposes of my rankings I am including KOTFE/KOTET content in my consideration, obvious spoilers below.

 

S Tier Romances

Theron Shan - Secret Agent with a Heart of Gold

 

Theron quickly became my favorite romance after the first full run through of his content. He has a lot of great quips, even in the absence of force powers he holds his own, and his brooding nature gives him a sexy edginess. A snarky spy boy who drinks caf & whiskey, but takes his job seriously and is good at it? Yes please!

 

His family dynamic can also add a lot of richness to the story, and frankly he is a... well designed character.

 

Aric Jorgan - The Stoic Lover

 

My biggest complaint with Aric is that is felt like the Vanilla story gave you so few real romance opportunity, however the slow burn of this relationship was incredibly charming, and the additional KOTFE/KOTET content really sealed the deal. Aric is a believable tough guy who strikes the right balance between serious soldier, and considerate lover. Aric is also one of the few companion reunions that tackles the real heartache felt in your absence head on. While most of your crew seems to have gotten along just fine without you, Aric has clearly been fighting the demons of your memory since you left. His reunion is bittersweet in all the right ways, a relief of being together, but aware of the reality that everything isn't instantly roses, wounds take time to heal, but now you can heal together.

 

Torian Cadera - The Dedicated Warrior

 

Torian's romance is surprisingly mature for a character so young. The devotion Torian has to Mandolorian culture, and eventually you, is evident and and enjoyable. Torian strikes a great balance a lot of the romance options fail to, he is neither prudish or loose. He respects you as a warrior first and takes it slow, but he isn't preachy about waiting and instead indulges when the timing is right. His quiet confidence is incredibly attractive and his expertise in Mandolorian culture also adds more depth to your BH story.

 

 

A Tier Romances

Malavai Quinn - The Consummate Imperial

 

The worst thing a romance story can be is boring, and Quinn's is certainly far from that. Whether you love him or hate him, Quinn elicits a reaction, and for me it was definitely one of love.

 

Quinn is my favorite of the vanilla romances, the way his romance overlaps with the main story makes both more interesting, and makes the feelings stronger. Quinn is attractive, cunning, and dedicated. While the incident certainly isn't endearing on it's own, it adds a lot of depth to Quinn's character and motivations. For a character who wants to help shape a better Empire Quinn is an ideal partner in "crime".

 

Vector Hyllus - The Optimistic Imperial

 

Vector is just great, even sans the romance options. His upbeat attitude and quirky nature are deeply endearing, and his sunny (some might say naive) outlook on the Empire is charming on it's own and offers an interesting perspective not often seen.

 

Vector is polite, but not shy. He strikes the right chord for a class where flirting is almost a job necessity; instead of being jealous or protective like Corso, Vector takes it in stride and trusts in his own confidence and you. The hive mind aspect is certainly interesting, and while I personally opt to not broadcast my bedroom antics, I like the unique twist his condition adds to the story.

 

 

B Tier Romances

Corso Riggs - The Good Ol' Country Boy

 

Corso gets a lot of hate, but I found him to have his own charm. Corso is a very believable character, as in, I have met people like him IRL. I think the writers did a good job capturing someone who has very human contradictions. All about being nice to the ladies, but chivalrous to the point of being condescending. Strong sense of justice (for men), but runs around with criminals willingly. Hero worship of your bad *** Smuggler, but irresistible urge to protect her and treat her like a "lady".

 

It all comes together to paint a country boy in over his head with a bad case of puppy love. For the right character it works well, but it isn't very versatile and the heavy handedness would likely mean most free-spirited smugglers would have to pass.

 

Andonikas Revel - The Pirate without a Heart of Gold

 

Andronikas is Hon Solo if he never had a crisis of conscious. While he warms up to you, he makes no secret of his nefarious past or tendencies, and he isn't looking to do good. His straight forward nature and boldness are good qualities and overall I like him as a character. He has a particularly romantic conversation at one point where he talks about drifting in the middle of empty space and just enjoying the moment.

 

The main problem with Andronikas is that he's boring. There isn't really more to his character aside from being a bad boy who makes an exception on some of his worst instincts for you. Also a critique I've seen floated around (that I think is very fair) is that it is a big step down for most Inquisitors. You're on the Dark Council by the end of the story, and your only suitor is a largely unknown pirate?

 

 

C Tier Romances

Doc - The Womanizer

 

Doc's romance was a roller coaster. There were several really nice moments, but overall the entire arc of the romance just didn't work for me. You're either playing the loosest Jedi knight in history who seems to have no qualms about casual sex, or you're playing a hard to get goody goody, which would work, except the turn around time on Doc from "never settling down" to "I'm willing to prove I'm committed and you can trust me" is way too short to be believable. The Las Vegas style wedding is cute, and I think the writing around it is at it's peak, "make an honest man out of me" trying to keep you from getting the cold feet he's had from the beginning, that whole bit is charming. It's just not enough to out weigh the rest of the conversations where his pacing just wasn't in sync with my knight's.

 

 

F Tier

Felix Iresso - The Nice Guy

 

Iresso is a nice guy, but he is just so BORING. Being the last companion you get really hurts his story as well. The holocron back story isn't that interesting to me considering it doesn't have much resolution in vanilla so really doesn't help out the romance. He also comes across as completely head over heals even if your Jedi is... less enthusiastic. Overall not a bad choice, but completely forgettable and didn't add anything to my character's story.

 

Koth Vortena - The Badish Boy?

 

Disclaimer: I haven't actually played this romance, only watched the cut scenes for it.

 

Koth just isn't that likable to me, especially not to a degree I'd want to romance him. His romance scenes also just don't read right in my opinion. It's almost as if he's supposed to be bad-boy lite, but it just doesn't work.

 

As a stand alone character there are some good points, but he's easily my least favorite romance option.

 

 

*NOTE: I do not cover Lana above because I have not played through Lana's romance yet, and have avoided spoilers as I plan to play through in the near future. EDIT: Arcann falls under this same category.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Karameck

[WayOfTheWarriorx]

I played the game back at launch, but due to work/school/etc... I only really got to start working through a lot of the content last year after returning from a long hiatus. The romance options have been my favorite aspect of the game all the way back to KOTOR, and I am thrilled to have finally worked my way through most of what SWTOR has to offer in that department (for female characters).

 

I have been pleasantly surprised to find that on the whole I felt they were well done. In case anyone else is having slow night and wants to kill some time reminiscing about our lovable comps I thought I'd share my thoughts. Oh, and if you disagree feel free to fight me. I welcome opposing opinions just as much as agreeable ones.

 

snip.......

 

 

You had me at 'Oh, and if you disagree feel free to fight me.'

Edited February 7, 2019 by WayOfTheWarriorx

[Karameck]

You had me at 'Oh, and if you disagree feel free to fight me.'

I accept, state your terms.

[Limariko]

I always find it interesting on people's takes on romances in the game since depending on dialog choices there's variety. Case in point, I've heard plenty about how apparently horrible Vette's romance is with the power imbalance and how it's apparently Stockholm Syndrome at work, but when I figured to do a playthrough to see for myself I didn't take all the flirt/kiss options and ended up with a narrative of someone who's had a miserable life for the most part getting her head together and rediscovering who she is.

 

One thing that usually gets brought up as a complaint not only here but in other Bioware games is a LI being boring as if it's the most horrible thing possible. I don't know if it's a matter of real life experiences or what skewing perspective along with boring being in the interpretation, but I'm really trying hard to understand how being 'boring' is a negative quality.

[Goreshaga]

My top 4 would be Theron, Aric, Torian and Vector.

I'd like to place Arcann in a top 5, but with only 2 cutscenes to go by, it's a bit difficult. But the begining of the romance was quite nice and promising.

I think so far my least favourite would be Iresso.

 

Theron is both my favourite companion and romance option. I always though i'd have my JK end up with a Force user, and she ended up with a non force user, but it turns out pretty well.

I kinda like the irony of him falling for a Jedi considering his past with the Order, then my JK is pretty close to Satele that she sees as a mother figure and worked with Malcom on Alderaan, so i quite like that odd family dynamic.

And well, it was a nice change from Doc who my JK never fell for.

 

My first reaction to Aric was that he was not a nice guy, but in the end i really like him. He goes from grumpy and slightly condescending when he considers you a rooky to really respect you and the romance is really nice as he's a really sweet lover. His reunion, is for me the best so far, which made me like that romance even more.

 

Torian's young but really mature, and i like him as a character. He's always respectul of my BH, not shy about his feelings, and i never felt like he was forcing things. I like that he's teaching her to be a Mandalorian, and that he makes fun of her Mando'a during KOTFEET. The reunion was really sweet as well.

 

Vector is clearly the best thing that ever happened to my IA considering everything that happens to her during her class story. Though he clearly suffers from not being an integral part of the main story during KOTFEET, while his reunion was pretty sweet, it was rather meaningless considering he comes back once everything is over, which is a shame as him, his diplomatic skills and the Kiliks could've been a great asset to the Alliance (i'd take him over Kaliyo without a second thought)

 

While Iresso is a nice guy and would probably be nice to be around irl, as a character, he's not really interesting and i have a really hard time getting into that romance. He also suffers from the fact that there are 2 other men on the JC's ship that would probably interest me more than him as possible LIs.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Goreshaga

[IoNonSoEVero]

IOne thing that usually gets brought up as a complaint not only here but in other Bioware games is a LI being boring as if it's the most horrible thing possible. I don't know if it's a matter of real life experiences or what skewing perspective along with boring being in the interpretation, but I'm really trying hard to understand how being 'boring' is a negative quality.

 

What's weird to me is that the ones who are cited as 'boring' are sometimes the only ones who treat their partner decently, don't beat them up or try to kill them, don't cheat on them or betray them, etc. It's as though 'boring' is a synonym for 'non-abusive' and 'non-toxic' sometimes. I'm not saying that's true for the OP, just that it seems to be something I've observed from time to time.

 

Anyway, if I were to choose my favorite romance in the game it would be Lana.

Edited February 7, 2019 by IoNonSoEVero

[Goreshaga]

For me a boring character or even more so LI is one who doesn't really sparks any kind of feelings from me, and i just end up in a "i don't care" state towards that character. And ones who don't really seem to react to anything.

 

Iresso is one i find boring. As i said, he's a decend and rather nice guy who has a Sith holocron in his head, but other than that ? I don't hate him, but i don't feel anything in particular for him either, he's just there. That's mainly why i can't really get into that romance.

Then for instance, on the other hand there is Jorgan (as they know each other, that's an even better comparison). At first i did not like him because of his behaviour, i pretty much wanted to punch him when first meeting him. Then you get to know him better and realise that there is much more to him than that rough exterior and that behind that wall, there is a really sweet and caring man, who wants to protect his men as much as he can and who'll never, ever cheat on his wife.

Then maybe one of Iresso's main problem is that he's the last companion you get on a JC while Jorgan is the first on a trooper, so you spent much more time getting to know Jorgan.

[sauceemynx]

My top 4 would be Theron, Aric, Torian and Vector.

I'd like to place Arcann in a top 5, but with only 2 cutscenes to go by, it's a bit difficult. But the begining of the romance was quite nice and promising.

I think so far my least favourite would be Iresso.

 

Theron is both my favourite companion and romance option. I always though i'd have my JK end up with a Force user, and she ended up with a non force user, but it turns out pretty well.

I kinda like the irony of him falling for a Jedi considering his past with the Order, then my JK is pretty close to Satele that she sees as a mother figure and worked with Malcom on Alderaan, so i quite like that odd family dynamic.

And well, it was a nice change from Doc who my JK never fell for.

 

My first reaction to Aric was that he was not a nice guy, but in the end i really like him. He goes from grumpy and slightly condescending when he considers you a rooky to really respect you and the romance is really nice as he's a really sweet lover. His reunion, is for me the best so far, which made me like that romance even more.

 

Torian's young but really mature, and i like him as a character. He's always respectul of my BH, not shy about his feelings, and i never felt like he was forcing things. I like that he's teaching her to be a Mandalorian, and that he makes fun of her Mando'a during KOTFEET. The reunion was really sweet as well.

 

Vector is clearly the best thing that ever happened to my IA considering everything that happens to her during her class story. Though he wlearly suffers from not being an integral part of the main story during KOTFEET, while his reunion was pretty sweet, it was rather meaningless considering he comes back once everything is over, which is a shame as him, his diplomatic skills and the Kiliks could've been a great asset to the Alliance (i'd take him over Kaliyo without a second thought)

 

While Iresso is a nice guy and would probably be nice to be around irl, as a character, he's not really interesting and i have a really hard time getting into that romance. He also suffers from the fact that there are 2 other men on the JC's ship that would probably interest me more than him as possible LIs.

 

Your top four list matches mine. I think there's a difference as to what works IRL and what works in a story/game; Felix would undoubtedly be the best actual boyfriend, but in a story you need a bit of conflict or quirkiness, and he doesn't offer any. The others provide more of that. But IRL...as much as I love Torian, his dislike of first person pronoun usage would probably drive me nuts after a while, Vector's hive talk would get on my nerves, Theron has loads of mommy issues, and Jorgan is too gruff for everyday living. As story companions go, however, they're aces. Definitely my faves.

[sauceemynx]

What's weird to me is that the ones who are cited as 'boring' are sometimes the only ones who treat their partner decently, don't beat them up or try to kill them, don't cheat on them or betray them, etc. It's as though 'boring' is a synonym for 'non-abusive' and 'non-toxic' sometimes. I'm not saying that's true for the OP, just that it seems to be something I've observed from time to time.

 

Anyway, if I were to choose my favorite romance in the game it would be Lana.

 

Yes, there can be a large disconnect between what people actually want IRL and what they seem to enjoy in stories. (I include myself in that, although I draw the line at Quinn. Some things cannot be forgiven.)

 

As for Lana, none of my characters has romanced her, but the more I play through the knights expansions, the more I like her. To me she's the ultimate BFF, so I can see why she'd be a good romance option.

[Goreshaga]

Your top four list matches mine. I think there's a difference as to what works IRL and what works in a story/game; Felix would undoubtedly be the best actual boyfriend, but in a story you need a bit of conflict or quirkiness, and he doesn't offer any. The others provide more of that. But IRL...as much as I love Torian, his dislike of first person pronoun usage would probably drive me nuts after a while, Vector's hive talk would get on my nerves, Theron has loads of mommy issues, and Jorgan is too gruff for everyday living. As story companions go, however, they're aces. Definitely my faves.

Yep as much as i love my top 5 in the game, both as characters and as romance options, i don't think they'd necessarily be to my taste irl.

I'd probably go more for a regular guy with a simple, regular relationship than something full of drama. But a bit of drama is what makes a good romance in a story.

 

In this game i like romance that feels like both partners are equals though, that's also why these 5 are my favs.

 

I romanced Lana up to Iokath (haven't seen past that point), she's pretty sweet, but doesn't really fit with any of my main characters.

She's my JK's BBF though

[SteveTheCynic]

One thing that usually gets brought up as a complaint not only here but in other Bioware games is a LI being boring as if it's the most horrible thing possible. I don't know if it's a matter of real life experiences or what skewing perspective along with boring being in the interpretation, but I'm really trying hard to understand how being 'boring' is a negative quality.

We play games in part for their escapist aspect, and I think the complaint isn't so much about the romances being *boring* as it is about them being *ordinary*. (And, of course, then badly expressed as "boring"...)

 

In that sense, "ordinary" (expressed as "boring") is in direct conflict with "escapism", and it is this conflict, rather than the ordinariness of the romance, that attracts the negativity.

 

Example: apart from his mental health issues that are explored in the story, Felix Iresso's romance is pretty ordinary. He's a nice guy who seems to care about the JC, and we get enough of that in our everyday lives. Compare him to SI/Andronikos. Andronikos is a bad man, no doubt about it. OK, not at the "he'd kill a man as soon as eat a peanut" level, but he's definitely not a nice guy, and that takes us outside our everyday existence.

 

Example: Kaliyo is someone I absolutely would not want to romance in real life, and I probably wouldn't want to know someone like that either, other than on a friend-of-a-friend(1) basis, but watching the Agent/Kaliyo romance unfold is a great deal of fun, especially if you play the Agent as dark and cynical. Again, it's something outside our ordinary existence, which aligns (for me) with the escapism.

 

(1) I'd probably also be desperately worried on behalf of the friend that she's a friend of, to be honest.

 

EDIT: the "kill a man as soon as eat a peanut" line is a reference to something that the protagonist of Dave Duncan's "Seventh Sword" series says, although the person he's talking about isn't a *bad* man, just driven by a set of values and morals that don't really conflict with killing people who deserve it combined with a very high bar for not deserving it.

Edited February 7, 2019 by SteveTheCynic

[Ardrossan]

I don't care for Torian. I've had difficulties getting the romance to start, and eventually I realized it was because if you aren't Mandalorian, he automatically puts you in friend zone category. Unlike any of the other romances, it's predicated on a certain playstyle - if you don't accept that choice, you won't get Torian's romance, but of course, you haven't met Torian the first time around, so it's not obvious. IRL it makes perfect sense that a potential partner would disqualify you for not fitting into their culture, in-game it's an annoying mechanic.

[Lhancelot]

I don't care for Torian. I've had difficulties getting the romance to start, and eventually I realized it was because if you aren't Mandalorian, he automatically puts you in friend zone category. Unlike any of the other romances, it's predicated on a certain playstyle - if you don't accept that choice, you won't get Torian's romance, but of course, you haven't met Torian the first time around, so it's not obvious. IRL it makes perfect sense that a potential partner would disqualify you for not fitting into their culture, in-game it's an annoying mechanic.

 

I just always found his manner of talking grating. He sounds like a teenage boy that just hit puberty who wants to hump everything. Annoying as hell to me.

 

I couldn't believe how easy the choice was for me to choose him or Vette when I got to save only one of them. Torian would be blasted out the air shaft every time.

[Karameck]

One thing that usually gets brought up as a complaint not only here but in other Bioware games is a LI being boring as if it's the most horrible thing possible. I don't know if it's a matter of real life experiences or what skewing perspective along with boring being in the interpretation, but I'm really trying hard to understand how being 'boring' is a negative quality.

IMO the goal of an RPG is to tell a story, and good stories manage to make you feel something. If there is no tension, then typically there is little emotion. The tension doesn't have to come from abuse, betrayal, or mistakes. It can come from the foil between your character and your romance option, or it can come from the contrast your LI provides to the rest of the your character's world.

 

To me boring here doesn't just mean "normal" nor does it mean "too nice", it means that there just isn't enough meat on the bones to dig into. A character can be completely nice, respectful, and "good" and still be interesting depending on other elements of their character or the role they play in your story.

 

Vector is a good example of a character that could be considered to have a boring personality (he never considers betraying you, he isn't the jealous type, and he patient and all around caring), but because of the way his romance arc contrasts to the Class Story it works really well. You have an agent who's life is constantly being uprooted and twisted, almost no one can be trusted. Then you have Vector who serves as a rock and a point of stability in the otherwise crazy world. His "boringness" works in this aspect because it's a point of relief. Even if you remove the hivemind I think his character would work well.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Karameck

[Joluka]

Man, you like Torian? Really? Boring.

 

My favorite romances go like this (in no order, my rankings change minute to minute):

 

 

1. (Dark) Jaesa Willsaam - I love how you can just go all-out with her. You can treat her exactly as a Sith would and it makes sense, and even better, she likes it. I love how evil she is, how sensual, and her story in Act I. She’s the perfect fit for my Pureblood who wishes to turn each of his followers into a Sith fanatic. Can’t get enough of her, and her voice actress is a solid A that became an A+ when Jaesa returned. One moment she’s screaming at you, and the next she’s whispering through her teeth, “And the worst part is, I still love you...” Gets me every time. Rachael Leigh Cook, everyone.

 

 

 

Vette - She can be the last vestige of Light in the Wrath, or perhaps his redeemer. She’s also really funny, and has called me a psychopath more times than anyone has been able to before dying, so there’s that.

 

 

 

3. Kira Carsen - She’s loyal, hilarious, has a great story, and she’s not over the top. She’s the perfect Padmé to an Anakin-type character. I found that if you don’t preach at her, the romance feels so much more natural, and that’s basically what I’m doing with my new JK. Also, she’s hot for a Jedi. Well, her base skin is way too pale, but the blonde-green-eyed one is great.

 

 

 

4. Corso Riggs - I actually think the way he acts is sweet, and he balances out the hyper-adventurous girl really well. I never once found him rude or demeaning, he’s just a simple farmer and my smuggler gets that. None of the flyboys have ended up satisfying her, even if they were fun—but Corso did, and she doesn’t know why, she just knows he’s made her love him like no other.

 

 

 

5. Risha - I have only played this romance once, but again, she’s like Leia with a twist—she’s more mercenary than she is a genuinely good person when you first meet her. I feel like if you play this through as Dark Side, you kind of grow out of your shells together by the end and grow a heart. I also really like her voice, her sarcastic humor, and her overall story.

 

 

 

6. Theron Shan - Unfortunately, I broke up with him when Corso came back, but damn, femSmuggler and him were a damn good fit. I’ll keep him on my femBH and femConsular, since I don’t like Torian or Iresso.

 

 

 

7. Lana Beniko - The only reason she’s below Theron is because he has a bit more of a personality, but if I were to describe Lana in one word, that would be “true.” She’s so faithful, loyal, protective, but most importantly, she’s smart. She’s not a good fit with an absolutely authoritarian Sith Lord like my Wrath, which is why I dumped her for Jaesa, but damn, that break-up scene... her about-to-cry expression. I have to admit, I regretted letting her go for about three days straight, but she just didn’t compare to Jaesa, at least not for the way I like to play my Warrior. At some points, they’d be having too sweet talks and responses to each other that it felt out of character for my dude. She’s more of a match for my femAgent—they’re both pragmatic, and they’ve got people they hate, but at heart they’re kind people who just want an Empire free of corruption and so much evil. I imagine Lana was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one to my Agent because working with her gave her hope that the Sith weren’t all awful people. And if the Sith are the Empire, then the Empire can be saved, too.

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Joluka

[Estelindis]

Glad you agree about Theron and Aric being in the high tiers! Gonna disagree with you on Iresso though. He's my other favorite romance (though I haven't played all romances yet, so maybe the future will hold more faves).

 

I don't find Felix boring at all. To me, his calm, low-drama personality is refreshing and relaxing. He's a perfect match for my consular. He helps her get through life's troubles rather than adding more. Of all the various LIs I think he's the one I'd most enjoy hanging out with in real life: kick back, watch some dumb action flicks (like the one he mentions in a romance mail), and not worry about a thing. If people need drama, the most recent development in his story has certainly added some of that.

 

Personally, I don't feel like a romance has to be filled to the gills with drama. I think the key is mutuality: mutual love, attraction, admiration, respect, and support. I see all those things in spades between Felix and my consular. While for some people there's a sharp differentiation between the kind of romance they enjoy in fiction and real life, I'm gonna agree with those in this thread who prefer the opposite. Here's to low-drama mutual affection.

[Karameck]

Man, you like Torian? Really? Boring.

I really do. For a BH where it's implied they don't have any real bonds/commitments before the start of the story becoming a Mando feels like a nice evolution into being a part of something bigger (and not just a freelancer) and Torian really makes the transition feel real (considering otherwise it's just some guy saying "hey want to be Mando? Cool.". I like the story arc of being a carefree BH to finding a family and purpose.

 

Not to mention I thought his content for KOTFE/KOTET was very well executed.

4. Corso Riggs - I actually think the way he acts is sweet, and he balances out the hyper-adventurous girl really well. I never once found him rude or demeaning, he’s just a simple farmer and my smuggler gets that. None of the flyboys have ended up satisfying her, even if they were fun—but Corso did, and she doesn’t know why, she just knows he’s made her love him like no other.

I think this is a really nice interpretation of it, and similar to the vibes I got. As a FemSmug you clearly have a lot of options, Corso gives you loyalty and sincerity, hard qualities to come by when you associate with scum an villainy.

 

6.Theron Shan - Unfortunately, I broke up with him when Corso came back, but damn, femSmuggler and him were a damn good fit. I’ll keep him on my femBH and femConsular, since I don’t like Torian or Iresso.

Probably one of the best parts of Theron is how he seems to work really well with each class, but also gives a slightly different flavor for each one as well. I’ve enjoyed romancing him with various companions.

[Karameck]

Glad you agree about Theron and Aric being in the high tiers! Gonna disagree with you on Iresso though. He's my other favorite romance (though I haven't played all romances yet, so maybe the future will hold more faves).

 

I don't find Felix boring at all. To me, his calm, low-drama personality is refreshing and relaxing. He's a perfect match for my consular. He helps her get through life's troubles rather than adding more. Of all the various LIs I think he's the one I'd most enjoy hanging out with in real life: kick back, watch some dumb action flicks (like the one he mentions in a romance mail), and not worry about a thing. If people need drama, the most recent development in his story has certainly added some of that.

 

Personally, I don't feel like a romance has to be filled to the gills with drama. I think the key is mutuality: mutual love, attraction, admiration, respect, and support. I see all those things in spades between Felix and my consular. While for some people there's a sharp differentiation between the kind of romance they enjoy in fiction and real life, I'm gonna agree with those in this thread who prefer the opposite. Here's to low-drama mutual affection.

For me it's not about low drama, just how the LIs mesh with my character. I want them to add to the story or depth of the character, and in my experience Iresso just didn't add anything.

 

I consider Vector, Aric, Torian, and Corso to also be low drama. But I would argue they bring something new to your story. Vector is the rock for an agent caught up in an otherwise insane treacherous world, I see him as the only thing holding my agent back from insanity. Aric is the stoic soldier who helps you gauge your soldiers progress, he warms up to you as you prove yourself; not to mention he serves as a great example of a loyal republic soldier who still has heart and helps guide your Trooper to do the same. Torian helps you become a Mandolorian and understand the rich culture it has. Finally Corso serves as a foil to all the other smooth talking guys hitting you up, he lets you decide if you want endless freedom or the stability of a real, loving relationship. This can be fun because it puts you in the shoes of a Han Solo or Andronikas, uncommon for a female character, and fun to experience.

 

Iresso at a most generous interpretation (in my opinion of course) is a good guy to your good girl. He doesn't challenge any notions other than whether or not love is OK for a jedi, but even then you two do everything by the book and notify the council. There are sweet moments like clearing out the ship, but I don't see my character being any different without him. He doesn't spark interesting questions for my character or help better define them.

 

As far as who I'd like to hang out with IRL? Probably Aric, Vector, or Malavai (assuming I was imperial). EDIT: Although I'd take Theron above all of those, he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Karameck

[Limariko]

Thanks for all the responses I got to my question, it's given me perspectives to think on. Last time I asked it back when the Bioware forums was around, I got flack for allegedly being a boring person since I liked the boring romances.

 

I've always gone with what flows best for the character I'm playing. Case in point, the Kira romance was okay but for all the 'we have to keep this secret' angle since my Knight would've been 'we're going to be open' since who's going to tell the Knight who duked it out with the Emperor he can't have a little joy in his life. I have one Inquisitor who did romance Andronikos and one who didn't since on the one his point of 'I'm broken, you're broken so let's be broken together' worked, and on the other it hadn't so she's single atm.

[Goreshaga]

For me it's not about low drama, just how the LIs mesh with my character. I want them to add to the story or depth of the character, and in my experience Iresso just didn't add anything.

 

I consider Vector, Aric, Torian, and Corso to also be low drama. But I would argue they bring something new to your story. Vector is the rock for an agent caught up in an otherwise insane treacherous world, I see him as the only thing holding my agent back from insanity. Aric is the stoic soldier who helps you gauge your soldiers progress, he warms up to you as you prove yourself; not to mention he serves as a great example of a loyal republic soldier who still has heart and helps guide your Trooper to do the same. Torian helps you become a Mandolorian and understand the rich culture it has. Finally Corso serves as a foil to all the other smooth talking guys hitting you up, he lets you decide if you want endless freedom or the stability of a real, loving relationship. This can be fun because it puts you in the shoes of a Han Solo or Andronikas, uncommon for a female character, and fun to experience.

 

Iresso at a most generous interpretation (in my opinion of course) is a good guy to your good girl. He doesn't challenge any notions other than whether or not love is OK for a jedi, but even then you two do everything by the book and notify the council. There are sweet moments like clearing out the ship, but I don't see my character being any different without him. He doesn't spark interesting questions for my character or help better define them.

 

As far as who I'd like to hang out with IRL? Probably Aric, Vector, or Malavai (assuming I was imperial). EDIT: Although I'd take Theron above all of those, he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

That's how i feel too.

 

For me to like a romance, the LI and my character have to look like they bring something to each other and feel like they're equals.

That's why while i like Quinn and some part of the romance, it's not my fav as he really feels like a lapdog to my BT3 female warrior who look like she'd break him in an instant, she feels so much stronger and powerful than him that i find it trully unequal even though she trully respects his smart, strategic mind. And that's why Arcann is a much better match for her.

Corso is a nice lover too, but as my smuggler was going for every man she met along the way, he felt like a lost puppy clinging to her no matter how badly she was treating him. I really felt bad for him by the end of the story.

 

About Aric, i liked that while she was tecnnically his superior, he's more experienced and starts as the one who outranks her in the begining. He then helps her become a good leader. And she has to actually earn his respect through the course of the story. He's not in aw with your prowess from the start.

 

Torian, i feel the same, i like that she found a new family when honnor is on of the most important thing, and the he guides her, he teaches her to become a true Mandalorian. And i like the way they can tease each other.

 

Vector i already said that, he's trully the best part of my IA's life, the only sweet and bright thing she has in her dark world, especially when going through her conditioning. He's great support to her, and a really nice and sweet man.

 

And Theron, i love his relationship with my JK.

He's the first man who made her challenge the non attachment rule of the Jedi. She realised that before meeting him she was living in some sort of emotional numbness, being detached from pretty much everything and everyone, while trying to be a good Jedi, and he made her a better person.

Now she won't go back to being a Jedi because she would not want to abandon him, and so he also found stabilty and a family with her

 

Iresso for me is a rather nice guy, but suffers from being (for me) the least interesting companion of the least interesting PC in my least favourite storyline (and my main JC is a male anyways so the romance with him is out, but i don't like the vanilla romance with Nadia either, so my poor Zabrak is sticking to the Jedi code and will probably be forever alone). Maybe if we had more time with him to ba able to know a bit more about him that would change, but as it is, i'm not really into that character. Add to that that i find a lone soldier in a Jedi crew to be pretty silly (same holds true for Rusk as well, but he's not a LI, i just don't really see the point in any of them joining their respective crew except that their higher ups wanted to get rid of them and thought that giving them to some random Jedi they just met would be great).

The fact that he's also the only option for a female JC when there are 2 other males on that ship is a bit disapointing. Well Doc being the only option for a female JK before SoR was a bit disapointing as well.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Goreshaga

[IoNonSoEVero]

I don't care for Torian. I've had difficulties getting the romance to start, and eventually I realized it was because if you aren't Mandalorian, he automatically puts you in friend zone category. Unlike any of the other romances, it's predicated on a certain playstyle - if you don't accept that choice, you won't get Torian's romance, but of course, you haven't met Torian the first time around, so it's not obvious. IRL it makes perfect sense that a potential partner would disqualify you for not fitting into their culture, in-game it's an annoying mechanic.

 

You can actually romance Torian even if you reject the Mandalorians - there are videos on YouTube. He won't try to teach you the language but will ask why you turned down Mandalore. What seems to turn that romance off is later. He asks you if you two can raise your kids Mando, and if you say no (or say you're not planning on having kids) that seems to turn things off and he won't propose.

Edited February 7, 2019 by IoNonSoEVero

[Karameck]

That's how i feel too.

 

For me to like a romance, the LI and my character have to look like they bring something to each other and feel like they're equals.

That's why while i like Quinn and some part of the romance, it's not my fav as he really feels like a lapdog to my BT3 female warrior who look like she'd break him in an instant, she feels so much stronger and powerful than him that i find it trully unequal even though she trully respects his smart, strategic mind. And that's why Arcann is a much better match for her.

Yeah, the unevenness of a lot of the relationships definitely can change the tone depending on how you play your character. That's one of the other strong points for Theron, he is one of the only non-force users to really feel like an equal not just in respect, but capabilities. He proves time and time again that he is resourceful, connected, and intelligent. He achieves things you couldn't without him.

 

As you mentioned with Quinn he is portrayed as very intelligent which really helps his romance arc, as otherwise it would be impossible to not assume you are outright taking advantage of him. As it stands I see him as making an informed choice to accept the risks of in exchange for the prestige and thrill of being with the Warrior. On the Warrior's side I don't actually feel like it's that odd to end up with an Imperial, it's not unheard of and assuming you're both interested in bettering the Empire your values are similar. Frankly I feel more like I'm taking advantage of Corso or Iresso as both of them clearly have placed you as god status, but aren't' shown to have the same self-awareness of the difference that Quinn has.

 

As for your comments on the other companions I totally agree, I think we do have a similar outlook on them. I totally feel your point for Corso, basically it's either a nice story of Corso making an honest woman out of you, or... a sad story of a boy pining for a girl way out of his league.

 

Thanks for all the responses I got to my question, it's given me perspectives to think on. Last time I asked it back when the Bioware forums was around, I got flack for allegedly being a boring person since I liked the boring romances.

 

I've always gone with what flows best for the character I'm playing. Case in point, the Kira romance was okay but for all the 'we have to keep this secret' angle since my Knight would've been 'we're going to be open' since who's going to tell the Knight who duked it out with the Emperor he can't have a little joy in his life. I have one Inquisitor who did romance Andronikos and one who didn't since on the one his point of 'I'm broken, you're broken so let's be broken together' worked, and on the other it hadn't so she's single atm.

Yeah, that's why I like talking about it, I love hearing other people's thoughts because it helps me appreciate the stories more myself.

 

They say if someone talks up a food/drink item before giving it to you (think a coffee shop where they describe in detail how the beans were hand picked by a Buddhist monk, then slow roasted for 10 years, and finally heated at the *perfect* temp just for you) it actually increases your enjoyment, I feel the same way about stories. When other people provide additional insight it makes the stories more enjoyable and helps you notice things you might not have otherwise.

[Estelindis]

For me it's not about low drama, just how the LIs mesh with my character. I want them to add to the story or depth of the character, and in my experience Iresso just didn't add anything.

 

I consider Vector, Aric, Torian, and Corso to also be low drama. But I would argue they bring something new to your story. Vector is the rock for an agent caught up in an otherwise insane treacherous world, I see him as the only thing holding my agent back from insanity. Aric is the stoic soldier who helps you gauge your soldiers progress, he warms up to you as you prove yourself; not to mention he serves as a great example of a loyal republic soldier who still has heart and helps guide your Trooper to do the same. Torian helps you become a Mandolorian and understand the rich culture it has. Finally Corso serves as a foil to all the other smooth talking guys hitting you up, he lets you decide if you want endless freedom or the stability of a real, loving relationship. This can be fun because it puts you in the shoes of a Han Solo or Andronikas, uncommon for a female character, and fun to experience.

 

Iresso at a most generous interpretation (in my opinion of course) is a good guy to your good girl. He doesn't challenge any notions other than whether or not love is OK for a jedi, but even then you two do everything by the book and notify the council. There are sweet moments like clearing out the ship, but I don't see my character being any different without him. He doesn't spark interesting questions for my character or help better define them.

 

As far as who I'd like to hang out with IRL? Probably Aric, Vector, or Malavai (assuming I was imperial). EDIT: Although I'd take Theron above all of those, he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

I agree with all the comments you made here about the other LIs. I like all of them too, for a lot of the same reasons. I suppose it really is just a question of how you see your consular meshing with Iresso vs. how I see mine.

 

You could say it's as simple as a good guy for a good girl, and for me there certainly is a strong element of that. But the most important aspect of their relationship, with the way I see my consular, is that Felix lets her be and feel human. (Well, she's mirialan, but human in the more universal sense of a grounded, ordinary person whose limitations are understandable and normal. )

 

For me, the consular has strong messianic overtones. In the prologue, in her very first conversation, it's said that even as a padawan she's one of the strongest force-users the Jedi Order has ever seen. As we know, with great power comes great responsibility. In chapter one, she literally takes the pain of others onto herself to save them. It hurts, weakens, and damages her - but she still does it. (I believe in the beta this originally caused actual stat loss? I still would've had her do it, because I think that's an accurate representation of what's happening in the story.) The way I play her, she's always willing to sacrifice, to give away however much of herself it takes to help others. But what does that leave for herself?

 

As gifted as the consular is, she's ultimately a person, and people have limits. We can't bear infinite suffering. We can't be endlessly giving. We can keep that up for a while - for a very long time, in the case of a person as focused and dedicated as the consular - but one day we will run out. We will come to the end of ourselves. We can only keep giving to others (in a healthy manner that doesn't eventually cause us to burn out) if we're willing to accept others giving themselves to us, if we allow outside sources to refresh and replenish us.

 

For my consular, that's Iresso. By the time of Hoth, she has already been through a lot as a result of helping others. Some of the things she's suffered have her internally questioning how long she can keep it up, but she doesn't see any alternative, because people still need help. Then in steps this person who gives her another way. He says it's good if other people help her carry some burdens. It doesn't mean she's weak or deficient, it doesn't mean she's cruel or she's failed. It's right for her to have someone in her life who does for her what she does for others.

 

One scene stands out to me in particular. On Voss, someone must give their strength so Gaden-Ko's poison can be purged. Either the consular takes on this burden yet again or she can ask one of her companions to give their strength instead - any of them but Iresso. Iresso doesn't have to be asked but puts himself forward immediately, before she can even say anything. I did a quick YouTube check to compare the scenes with the other companions (since I always had Felix for this scene in my consular playthroughs), and maybe it's different for a male consular if he's romancing Nadia, or if the female consular isn't romancing Iresso, but for the female consular romancing Iresso he's the only one she doesn't have to ask. He just does it. Once he volunteers, via the middle conversation option she can voice concern that she cares about him and doesn't want him harmed, but he simply says he can take it and she's more important to the mission. Then, without any further input from her, he does it. I love that he makes this choice for her. He doesn't leave it to her to put the burden on him (which is its own kind of burden), he actively relieves her of it.

 

It's hard for me to fully explain how loving I think this is, but it reminds me of the deeply different ways I've approached people in painful situations before and I after I lost a parent. Before, I would say: "please let me know if there's any way I can help." At the time, I didn't realize that kinda imposes an extra burden by asking them to think of something for me to do and then get back to me. Now, after my own experience of grief, I realize that in a difficult time I don't want to think about anything but the mountainous awfulness in front of me. I don't want to have to ask people to do anything, I just want them to be there. So now I try to be there for people like that, and if there's anything that obviously needs doing to just do it. That's what I think Felix does for the consular.

 

The love that I see develop between Felix and the consular gives her permission to be "human," to have needs and limits. For me, compared to her previous sense of isolated messianic responsibility, it's a really important step of character development. Their openness about their relationship, not hiding it from the Jedi Order but clearly explaining why they think it's a good thing, is a crucial part of that. I see her as previously not ever opening herself up to romantic relationships because that's not something a "perfect Jedi" is supposed to do, and she feels she has to be a perfect Jedi. But then she slowly becomes closer to Felix, and far from leading her down a dark path he gives her the strength to keep walking a good one. Maybe that path isn't perfect. She's not exactly sure what that word means anymore. As the saying goes, and as she's come to realize, the perfect can be the enemy of the good. Well, whatever perfect means, she's chosen to replace it in her mind with sustainably doing the best she can day by day, helped by someone who gives her joy and support so she can keep helping others.

 

So that's the depth Felix adds to my consular's story.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Estelindis

[Goreshaga]

I agree with all the comments you made here about the other LIs. I like all of them too, for a lot of the same reasons. I suppose it really is just a question of how you see your consular meshing with Iresso vs. how I see mine.

 

 

You could say it's as simple as a good guy for a good girl, and for me there certainly is a strong element of that. But the most important aspect of their relationship, with the way I see my consular, is that Felix lets her be and feel human. (Well, she's mirialan, but human in the more universal sense of a grounded, ordinary person whose limitations are understandable and normal. )

 

For me, the consular has strong messianic overtones. In the prologue, in her very first conversation, it's said that even as a padawan she's one of the strongest force-users the Jedi Order has ever seen. As we know, with great power comes great responsibility. In chapter one, she literally takes the pain of others onto herself to save them. It hurts, weakens, and damages her - but she still does it. (I believe in the beta this originally caused actual stat loss? I still would've had her do it, because I think that's an accurate representation of what's happening in the story.) The way I play her, she's always willing to sacrifice, to give away however much of herself it takes to help others. But what does that leave for herself?

 

As gifted as the consular is, she's ultimately a person, and people have limits. We can't bear infinite suffering. We can't be endlessly giving. We can keep that up for a while - for a very long time, in the case of a person as focused and dedicated as the consular - but one day we will run out. We will come to the end of ourselves. We can only keep giving to others (in a healthy manner that doesn't eventually cause us to burn out) if we're willing to accept others giving themselves to us, if we allow outside sources to refresh and replenish us.

 

For my consular, that's Iresso. By the time of Hoth, she has already been through a lot as a result of helping others. Some of the things she's suffered have her internally questioning how long she can keep it up, but she doesn't see any alternative, because people still need help. Then in steps this person who gives her another way. He says it's good if other people help her carry some burdens. It doesn't mean she's weak or deficient, it doesn't mean she's cruel or she's failed. It's right for her to have someone in her life who does for her what she does for others.

 

One scene stands out to me in particular. On Voss, someone must give their strength so Gaden-Ko's poison can be purged. Either the consular takes on this burden yet again or she can ask one of her companions to give their strength instead - any of them but Iresso. Iresso doesn't have to be asked but puts himself forward immediately, before she can even say anything. I did a quick YouTube check to compare the scenes with the other companions (since I always had Felix for this scene in my consular playthroughs), and maybe it's different for a male consular if he's romancing Nadia, or if the female consular isn't romancing Iresso, but for the female consular romancing Iresso he's the only one she doesn't have to ask. He just does it. Once he volunteers, via the middle conversation option she can voice concern that she cares about him and doesn't want him harmed, but he simply says he can take it and she's more important to the mission. Then, without any further input from her, he does it. I love that he makes this choice for her. He doesn't leave it to her to put the burden on him (which is its own kind of burden), he actively relieves her of it.

 

It's hard for me to fully explain how loving I think this is, but it reminds me of the deeply different ways I've approached people in painful situations before and I after I lost a parent. Before, I would say: "please let me know if there's any way I can help." At the time, I didn't realize that kinda imposes an extra burden by asking them to think of something for me to do and then get back to me. Now, after my own experience of grief, I realize that in a difficult time I don't want to think about anything but the mountainous awfulness in front of me. I don't want to have to ask people to do anything, I just want them to be there. So now I try to be there for people like that, and if there's anything that obviously needs doing to just do it. That's what I think Felix does for the consular.

 

The love that I see develop between Felix and the consular gives her permission to be "human," to have needs and limits. For me, compared to her previous sense of isolated messianic responsibility, it's a really important step of character development. Their openness about their relationship, not hiding it from the Jedi Order but clearly explaining why they think it's a good thing, is a crucial part of that. I see her as previously not ever opening herself up to romantic relationships because that's not something a "perfect Jedi" is supposed to do, and she feels she has to be a perfect Jedi. But then she slowly becomes closer to Felix, and far from leading her down a dark path he gives her the strength to keep walking a good one. Maybe that path isn't perfect. She's not exactly sure what that word means anymore. As the saying goes, and as she's come to realize, the perfect can be the enemy of the good. Well, whatever perfect means, she's chosen to replace it in her mind with sustainably doing the best she can day by day, helped by someone who gives her joy and support so she can keep helping others.

 

 

So that's the depth Felix adds to my consular's story.

That's an interesting view on the relationship

I guess i've never seen it that way because i've only done the full JC's story once and with a male JC, so there actually was no one like that for him.

 

I think you see your JC-Iresso's relationship the same way as i see my JK-Theron relationship.

She's always been considered the best fighter of the Jedi Order, sent to defeat impossible foes so that she could protect everyone and save the Galaxy.

The JC is the healer while the JK is the protector, which is a burden for both Jedi.

 

Then comes Theron, he's not Force sensitive, but he can take care of himself, she doesn't need to protect him (as shown when she goes to rescue him on Rishi and he's already freed himself), and while she doesn't need to be protected either, he wants to do that because he loves her (that's what he says at the begining of Umbara, that he'd do anything to protect her). They're different, have different set of skills and they're equals.

She lost a bit or her humanity along the way, especially after being Vitiate's puppet and loosing her memories, she became a bit darker and more focused on taking him down (which was going down a dark path as well), and he managed to reawaken the emotions she lost, and made her feel like a mortal human again, bringing back some optimism with him. Especially now that Vitiate/Valkorion is nothing more than bad memories.

[Estelindis]

That's an interesting view on the relationship

I guess i've never seen it that way because i've only done the full JC's story once and with a male JC, so there actually was no one like that for him.

 

I think you see your JC-Iresso's relationship the same way as i see my JK-Theron relationship.

She's always been considered the best fighter of the Jedi Order, sent to defeat impossible foes so that she could protect everyone and save the Galaxy.

The JC is the healer while the JK is the protector, which is a burden for both Jedi.

 

Then comes Theron, he's not Force sensitive, but he can take care of himself, she doesn't need to protect him (as shown when she goes to rescue him on Rishi and he's already freed himself), and while she doesn't need to be protected either, he wants to do that because he loves her (that's what he says at the begining of Umbara, that he'd do anything to protect her). They're different, have different set of skills and they're equals.

She lost a bit or her humanity along the way, especially after being Vitiate's puppet and loosing her memories, she became a bit darker and more focused on taking him down (which was going down a dark path as well), and he managed to reawaken the emotions she lost, and made her feel like a mortal human again, bringing back some optimism with him. Especially now that Vitiate/Valkorion is nothing more than bad memories.

Thanks, I appreciate you seeing my point of view. Your own story that you shared is very sweet. I'm happy for your JK and for you experiencing this satisfying arc. Theron is one of my favorite SWTOR characters period, not just a favorite companion. I think he can complement a huge range of characters, as a friend, romantic partner, or even as a nemesis (which he definitely is to my DS sniper). I imagine that your JK having Theron at her side through a lot of the Zakuul story helped her immensely at a time when she had to shoulder huge responsibility. Then I imagine the uncertainty of the following arc was correspondingly more painful (even if she trusted him).

 

I am really stuck on which of my characters I should use to properly romance Theron: fully, exclusively, no holds barred. A few of my characters have flirted with him, two did the full mini-romance during the SoR-Ziost arc, and one of them (my SIS-loyal operative) continued to romance him after the five year gap but ended their relationship after Nathema (partially for meta reasons, so I'd have them properly split up before doing Vector's return and resuming that romance). I can't have any of my original eight characters romance Theron and only Theron, because they all went with their class romances and I can't bear to break original hubbies' hearts. But I have strongly been going in the direction of making my second JK exclusively romance Theron. I've already made her stalwartly resist Doc. (I don't think any of my lady consulars could resist Felix, no more than any of my lady troopers could resist Aric.) I have only been hesitating re. Theron because there's talk of maybe a Scourge romance in the future, and I don't know that I want to play JK again to make a new one for Scourge (not without some specific idea of how to make the the third JK different from my first two). But reading your JK story inclines me so strongly in the direction of Theron for JK2. Theron's feelings for a romanced PC seem so strong and genuine. The PC seems like the light in his workaholic life, someone who loves and cares for him in himself (a bit like Felix is for my messianic JC). Right now, for my taste, of the six classes I'd consider for his romance (excluding trooper and consular for reasons already given) knight works best. Theron has a really interesting relationship with the Jedi Order, shaped by it in so many ways but not part of it. He can relate to Jedi, but he can also provide an outside perspective that I think can give them some pleasant relief.

Edited February 7, 2019 by Estelindis