AroAce Options/Inclusivity In Games
It's pride month and while I amnewly hyperfixating on Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, my demisexual & demiromantic desire for strong platonic options instead of romance kinda came up again with a vengence.
⚠️ Very Mild and Brief/Vague Spoilers for Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (who all is romanceable really and pretty small details) & Baldur's Gate 3 (mentions of an event in game that allows players to have a potentially spicy encounter with other characters) ⚠️
I WOULD KILL for games to have a platonic or romantic option ontop of same sex and/or gender romance for romanceable characters (+ other inclusive features.) Not like a Crobus situation in Stardew Valley, but a yes/no prompt when you get close enough to a character.
It'd be awesome in general as someone who is aroace spec or just be able to play games with the same level of bonding but a different type of it if nothing romantic sparks for me, unless its literally a game like FF7 where it's more of a shipping the character with Cloud type of thing than a "I am romancing this character" type of thing.
I think it'd also be nice for anyone who like just isn't interested in any romanceable characters in a game (in or wants to be closer to one & go thru their story more but isn't attracted them in THAT way.
Yes, youtube and the internet exists, but it still has some level of uncomfortable feeling to it still for me.
Like it could be as simple as having a version with the romantic bits, romantic context and romantic subtext and one that's just... without all of that.
Yes, I understand it would be more expensive, require more coding and more labor, but it'd be so worth it within any game with romanceable npcs and at least some modicum of plot/story and character development- especially when it doesnt fully finish up without romancing the character(s).
As a DnD fan/player, I CAN'T play Baldur's Gate 3 due to how vague/subtle the romance decisions are- or even how mean they can be! I felt like I was walking on eggshells to avoid an adult scene during the thiefling party. I alsp want to be able to care for, support and bond with the party without having to be mean, rude or break hearts just to avoid an unwanted romance. 💀
I want the inclusivity for all people who are within the asexual or aromantic specturms or even just those who love a good story or some good/fun character development.
Back to Guardians of Azuma, I am currently with the second? Major story arc and I am so attached to pretty much all of the characters! (I developed feelings for Subaru & Murasame so far.) I decided to romance Suburu this save and realized some closure for him was locked behind romancing him! Him/Kaguya depening on who you play as are major parts of the story and character development of the character you play as! There's NO reason why the one part when you start dating has to be fully romantic only.
This game like Rune Factory 4 (My first rf game) really hit it out of the ball park with the characters, lore, world building and bonds again. I am very attached to almost all of the romanceable npcs (one is a major part of the story arc I'm in and thus isnt available as a regular villager atm) and many of the non-romanceable characters too! I want to see the full extent of their character, backstories and development, I plan on getting them all to 6 hearts!
But I would KILL to get 10 platonic hearts with full events- just a romance free version. I'd love to have af least a romantic partner and one person who is a platonic partner/best friend. You don't need to have them both move in and live with you in these types of games. Maybe just limit that to one person. (And let the modders do the rest if people want that.)
I do love what little they do have tho in the platonic hang out interactions, I can gush for hours how nice and fulfilling it felt to take Matsuri to the caves for an adventure, Kanata to tell me "Whenever I'm with you, I can be myself," the maternal attachment I have to Hina because of her being a literal small child in RF5, having Kai talk to me about his concerns for his people, how much I want to bother Kurama like a younger sibling just bc he calls the player a pest and so much more. They feel like friends and/or family in the game, strumming up some nostalgic feelings even.
I know most series only added even a modicum of inclusivity for LGBTQ+ people in games very recently, but I can dream of a feature like this. 🥰😍
