Attention, female Skyrim players

[sleepysugarlump]

I need some help. I'm trying to make my own RPG, and one feature that it will share with Skyrim is the ability to marry NPCs. But as a man, I'm having a little difficulty writing the romance scenes for dating male NPCs. I just don't know how to go about it.

 

So my questions are, what would you be looking for in an RPG relationship? What would make you care about it as a player? Which Skyrim NPC did you marry, and why?

 

Thanks in advance :)

[Illiad86]

I haven't married anyone in Skyrim yet, they did a pretty poor job on it anyways. Do a favor for someone, they like you, wear the amulet, and get married. All they do for you is make you a meal and give you money for their "imaginary" store (unless they are a store owner already). Plus, 3/4 of the men they let you choose to marry are butt ugly :P Looks aren't everything, but man, the choices are terrible :P

 

I was looking for a more in-depth way of getting married. I don't really know how it could be done but I was thinking this:

 

You still do them a favor and they like you as a friend

If you visit them/talk a lot, you could ask them to go on a date

Go to the local inn and get a meal and talk (make it choice and consequence i.e. say something "wrong" they lose interest...depends on the character I suppose)

If it went well, few days later, the NPC can ask you on a date.

This date will be more "serious" and kind of decides if they want to marry/you want to marry them

Then you can wear the Amulet and ask them. They can refuse or accept.

After marriage, you still have the options that are already presented in the game.

When you are gone for a long time, your spouse will send you a letter through the Courier saying they miss you. You go home and they are elated to see you. You can talk about your adventures, they talk about their days, you have a night on the town, spend the night.

If you don't keep up with visiting your spouse, they can ask for a divorce or a separation.

 

I dunno, that's my idea of it. I was really upset when I read about how marriage worked in Skyrim, found it quite pointless other than free money from your spouse :P I just wanted a more in-depth way of getting into a relationship and eventually marrying someone. There should of been more NPCs to marry too, there were a few of them I considered wanting to marry but they weren't on the list.

 

It's a simple system, but I'm sure modders can change it up somehow.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Illiad86

[sleepysugarlump]

That sounds a lot better and more comprehensive than what's currently in-game. I absolutely love the idea of your spouse writing to say they miss you.

Thanks for the great reply, lots to think about.

 

Plus, 3/4 of the men they let you choose to marry are butt ugly

Truth. The only man I found who wanted to marry me was scruffy and old. In fact, I think he was actually homeless. Sure, I've stolen from an orphanage and pickpocketed beggars, but it doesn't mean I don't have standards!

[Illiad86]

Thanks :) I was also figuring if they asked for a separation or divorce, you can try and make up for it. Maybe giving them nice gifts, taking them out to dinner, talking more, etc. If you do it right, they will forgive you.

 

Haha, the only guy I ever really decided to marry was the smithy in Riften. Dirty guy, but he was decent looking I suppose :P

[Thor.]

If you want a good camparison of a open world rpg that had marriage and owning furniture and banking on profit by owning a house (: like renting it out, the fable series is a good start. It was ahead of its time. Edited February 21, 2012 by Thor.

[Vagrant0]

If you want a good camparison of a open world rpg that had marriage and owning furniture and banking on profit by owning a house (: like renting it out, the fable series is a good start. It was ahead of its time.

Except that it still failed in many regards to depth and interaction. Also had the same "give this person lots of x Item, and they like you enough to marry." which is just a bit too shallow. For the actual courting part of things, I might be so bold as to suggest poking your head at some of the deeper visual novels and dating sims that are around. The better ones have various dialogue challenges, dating events, and require the player to actually remember things about the character (favorite color, flower, places, type of alcohol, type of food, type of art, ect) or hurt the chances of building a relationship.

 

The problem is really that settling down and starting a family conflicts with the adventuring lifestyle. Meaning that regardless of the gender of the player, it would force the other person to either stay at home, waiting patiently (or impatiently) for brief return visits and tales of adventure, or their partner would journey with them and aid periodically in various efforts (like Khalid and Jaheira from Baldur's Gate). In both cases one idea would be that you have the option of participating in additional events to keep up a relationship score, and in the first case, occasionally guilting the player into either visiting back (because of illness or a tough harvest depending on how long in time the game is) suddenly, or giving them a reason to stick around for more than a quick in and out. There are many ways in which this dynamic can be played with that are virtually untouched... But unfortunately as great as these things might be, they may distract you from other progress in the game. Which is why all marriage systems which have come before had a sort of "tacked on" feeling to them.

[Thor.]

Distraction of the main quest line, hmm that would be a great idea. Skyrim already accomplished that idea though. Not to mention the mods that do that as well.

 

if i would to make a game i would try to make as many distractions as possible to the main quest, it makes the gameplay much longer and less linear. Like marriage and socialization for one.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Thor.

[sleepysugarlump]

Regarding distraction from the main quest, my thinking so far has been to just not have a main quest, and replace it with various long term goals that the player may or may not aim for. "Space Trader" for Palm OS simply gave the player the optional task of earning enough money to buy their own moon, and then left them to it. I think there's potential for development along those lines.

 

For the actual courting part of things, I might be so bold as to suggest poking your head at some of the deeper visual novels and dating sims that are around.

That's a good idea. Any in particular that you'd recommend?

[Thor.]

But try to make it have story line though, but not tie it to a main quest line, and alternative bad and good would be cool to, a alternative ending, even though its not a ending :teehee: :teehee:

 

My fav leveling system would have be out of Borderlands, if you didn't finish some of the quests that the npc give you, the enemies would be twice as difficult then you, and then you would have to grind your way out by doing smaller side quests that ties to the none existiing but is some what a main quest but isn't :teehee:

Edited February 22, 2012 by Thor.

[DeadMansFist849]

Firstly, sexual orientation is not gender, not everyone is straight and this is not something I want to debate as nobody should have to defend their own existence.

 

But onto the content of my post, well, it doesn't have to work differently based on the gender of an NPC. It depends what type of NPC you're making in terms of personality. It does have to be more than just giving shinies, though, to be worth anything. Pick the right dialogue choices, take them on quests if that is that NPC's favourite thing, or take them horseriding or whatever, and then if you still have the amulet of Mara, the wedding can go ahead. Oh, and it can go horribly wrong if you wear that amulet around other NPCs after you get married--the marriage is broken and you lose half the gold in your inventory.