Dating Mechanic

[gekiganwing]

...I found an american dating sim once, where you had to do the tracing game when you're on a date (like the gardening mama tracing game) when you touched her arm or kissed her, and if you failed it would upset her and your date would fail.

That sounds a bit like Virtually Date Ariane. It's been a while since I played that game. It has interesting game mechanics and design, though I didn't like the 3d polygon characters (I would have preferred drawn art, or even photographs).

Anyway, what would make for an interesting romance game mechanic? Good question. Some gameplay concepts to think about...

1. A game in which the main character fights for love. Someone, somewhere, somehow, he fights for love... Um, anyway, what if the main character chose sparring or battle companions, and his/her relationships improved as "experience points" after they fought successfully. I thought about this idea because I've read about a mid 90s untranslated game called Fire Woman Matoi-Gumi. Learn more about it here: http://pcenginefx.com/PC-FX/html/pc-fx_ ... _-_f1.html

2. More text/graphic adventure game elements. I believe it would be difficult to incorporate a consistent parser in Renpy. But if you only focus on a few basic commands, or have a few context-specific options per scene, then it might work.

3. Characters pursue YOU. The main character realizes that several potential love interests are competing over him/her, and they all have their own statistics. So instead of building stats to attract NPCs, the player has to watch the various characters' stats, and decide how to react.

Here's a few more general, gameplay-related concepts to consider...

1. The ability to avoid or politely reject potential love interests. While I liked the fan translated version of Tokimemo Girls Side DS -- I'd been waiting many years to actually understand one of the core games -- it was frustrating at times. Had to occasionally date several boys just to keep them from getting angry, since they'd become interested in my main character after she reached certain stat levels. While my character could leave her job or her club, she couldn't reject love interests without causing a lot of friction. Incidentally, my one good ending was with Wataru Hibiya, a character with no rivals.

2. Loyalty and commitment. And by that, I mean something more than only expressing interest in just one character. I mean the option to show interest in a character's faction, club, ideals, beliefs, etc. In order to get together with that one guy or girl, the main character has to authentically support the group they belong to.

3. Taking a step back, and pairing off other characters. The main character encourages friends and acquaintances to get together. He/she might not even have any possible relationships. The player would therefore act through this person, as a matchmaker of fictional characters.

[pondrthis]

Anyway, what would make for an interesting romance game mechanic? Good question. Some gameplay concepts to think about...

[smartass]
How about the idea that gave "Demons' Souls" the 2009 "New Game Mechanic of the Year" award?

Make romancing the targets super difficult (i.e. as tough as in real life), and allow players to see where other players failed or leave in-game messages for each other. It would be a communal single-player experience where players learn from each other's mistakes and after enough effort, everyone is eventually able to please that mega-hot guy or girl. Also, if you're confident in your abilities, you can enter another player's date and cock-block to high heaven.

Sounds like a winner!
[/smartass]

[Loveli]

1. The ability to avoid or politely reject potential love interests. While I liked the fan translated version of Tokimemo Girls Side DS -- I'd been waiting many years to actually understand one of the core games -- it was frustrating at times. Had to occasionally date several boys just to keep them from getting angry, since they'd become interested in my main character after she reached certain stat levels. While my character could leave her job or her club, she couldn't reject love interests without causing a lot of friction. Incidentally, my one good ending was with Wataru Hibiya, a character with no rivals.

2. Loyalty and commitment. And by that, I mean something more than only expressing interest in just one character. I mean the option to show interest in a character's faction, club, ideals, beliefs, etc. In order to get together with that one guy or girl, the main character has to authentically support the group they belong to.

3. Taking a step back, and pairing off other characters. The main character encourages friends and acquaintances to get together. He/she might not even have any possible relationships. The player would therefore act through this person, as a matchmaker of fictional characters.

You know I really have to coment on these last three! Because well I'm planing some games that include this! The game I'm working on right now has number 1 and a little of number 2. And I have also been toying with the idea of number 3 for one of my future projects! So really maybe master minds do think the same way? xD Or maybe I just want to kill myself with all of my crazy game ideas! You know I'm working on my first project but actually I have like 4 or 5 other game ideas that I'm dying to make so I have 15 years and school is hard on me so... If I keep working on my own at this rate... I will probably be thinking about marriage before I finish all of them! D: Maybe I will have to take some of my crazy ideas whit me to the grave! (I say that because besides from my ideas for VNs I also have a LOT of ideas for written fiction and so... yeah, too many ideas.)

Anyway if you want to know anything about my games or ideas or whatever feel free to ask xD

[LVUER]

It seems some people misunderstood the purpose of this thread even though I have clearly said in the first post (but their opinion is still greatly appreciated though). I'm not talking about dating sims or mechanic in dating sims, I'm talking about dating mechanic in games with main purpose isn't dating (namely RPG).

Anyway, surprisingly people seems content with just multiple choice where we have to answer according to the girl's personality. Personally, I don't really satisfied with just this. It's not about being realistic, but I just want something more "challenging" than just picking some choice to win the girls' heart.

[Aleema]

Personally, I don't really satisfied with just this. It's not about being realistic, but I just want something more "challenging" than just picking some choice to win the girls' heart.

LOL, and I want something more challenging then showing off my boobs to win a guy's heart.

Aren't all relationships just conversations with choices, when you think about it? Did you mean, more interactive, or more like an actual game than a test?
I think, especially in games where the purpose isn't to hook up with people, that turning a relationship into a game is kinda silly. Whereas, I would see a game that's completely about dating people, I would see it as more the actual gameplay. Date girls via a Match 3 gem game. Okay. But if that was in Dragon Age, I'd be feral.

[Showsni]

It seems some people misunderstood the purpose of this thread even though I have clearly said in the first post (but their opinion is still greatly appreciated though). I'm not talking about dating sims or mechanic in dating sims, I'm talking about dating mechanic in games with main purpose isn't dating (namely RPG).

Anyway, surprisingly people seems content with just multiple choice where we have to answer according to the girl's personality. Personally, I don't really satisfied with just this. It's not about being realistic, but I just want something more "challenging" than just picking some choice to win the girls' heart.

Well, you could try integrating the main gameplay with the sidequest dating mechaincs. For instance, if you character uses buffing/healing magic or items on datable allies in battle, they grow to like you more. If you let them die, they like you less. (Actually, that sounds like Pokémon; your Pokémon grow to like you more if you walk around with them in your party, use beneficial items on them, give them certain items or let them be massaged at certain places; they like you less if you let them die, feed them nasty tasting berries (each one has a preference for which flavours it likes), feed them bitter herbs, etc. Then depending on how much they like you, they reward you in gameplay terms too; some will only evolve if they like you enough, and the move Return does more damage the more they like you. The move Frustration does more damage the more they dislike you.)

[Aetheria]

Aren't all relationships just conversations with choices, when you think about it? Did you mean, more interactive, or more like an actual game than a test?
I think, especially in games where the purpose isn't to hook up with people, that turning a relationship into a game is kinda silly. Whereas, I would see a game that's completely about dating people, I would see it as more the actual gameplay. Date girls via a Match 3 gem game. Okay. But if that was in Dragon Age, I'd be feral.

I tend to agree - inserting other types of gameplay into an RPG to make a romantic subplot more challenging would likely be sort of pointless, since it wouldn't have much to do with the gameplay that the player was looking for in the first place when they started the game.

It would make more sense to tie relationships to stats or events that would be in the game anyway: a character might only like you if your intelligence were over 30, or if you sided with the werewolves instead of the vampires, or whatever. Dragon Age actually does do this: for example, there's a point near the end of the first game where you have to decide the fate of an important NPC, and although the choice isn't about any of the possible romances, one of the choices will cause a certain love interest to break it off with you and leave.

[lordcloudx]

How about Thousand Arms? You have to date every single girl and keep healthy relationships with them if you want to forge better magic, but eventually, the game will start to recognize which girl has more relationship points with you and the girls you date will start asking you questions such as: "You like Sodina the most, don't you?"

Edit: whoops, didn't see that Thousand Arms was mentioned in the first post.
Anyway, how bout the system in Star Ocean 2? Your relationship points with all characters are decided by private actions, the kind of food you like to cook with which characters and even the way you behave in battle, including which characters you take into battle often with you. Of course, there are also some decision points with apparently more weight throughout the game. In any case, isn't that realistic? You never really know which ending you're going to end up with unless you play it safe and always choose the decisions that lead towards an ending with Rena... even then, you can't really be sure who you'll end up with on your first playthrough.

Edit2: To add more interactivity (or the illusion of it) you could have an AI bot handle the dating elements of the rpg. So you'd be actually sorta talking to the AI using the keyboard and it would respond to certain keywords or whatever else turns on AI bots nowadays. (virtual idols seem quite satisfied with leeks, mind you.) You'd probably get clues for certain lines to use or whatever throughout the game to get the AI to respond... and you could add a certain element of realism by having the AI track relationship levels and stuff. Heh... maybe it could connect to a central server with more powerful computers to make the AI act more realistically and it'd be tied to your online identity along with other information from your game.

like so
player: You're hot, baby!
eliza: I know.
player: wanna cyber?
eliza: asl please
player: hey, I asked you question!
eliza: yes, I understand that you asked me a question. What is your name?
player: look, If you're going to pretend to act like a real woman, then at least try to carry on the conversation.
eliza: Women are strange, aren't they? Have you ever been to Paris?

[PrivateEyes]

I see what you are getting at. The main thing is though that most giant game companies look for a quick profit. Too make a game that has both impressive RPG and dating mechanics would require alot of time and dedication, and there's also the problem that RPG's in themselves aren't very popular, at least in America or other Western countries.

Its much simpler for the companies to create a few slightly modified guns, a half-assed storyline, and online play. Boom, instant profit.

Would it kill them to make something like Sengoku Rance, that even without the H, has a solid storyline, very likeable characters, and innovative gameplay? I was so impressed by it that I ordered it from overseas (yeah I spent over $100 but I was satisfied) lol

That's why these days, I only play handheld or PC indie games. Maybe if I get better at coding, I might start a project one day that's a RPG/dating sim hybrid. ^__^

[HotLimit]

Personally, I don't really satisfied with just this. It's not about being realistic, but I just want something more "challenging" than just picking some choice to win the girls' heart.

LOL, and I want something more challenging then showing off my boobs to win a guy's heart.

Hahah, that reminds me of the comment in the customization thread: "Characters who dump me at the last minute because I wasn't wearing a fluffy bunny t-shirt are still jerks".

Anyway, I'm totally stumped when it comes to, "dating mechanics for RPGs that can't be conversation choices, can't be realistic, and must be more challenging then a sliding-square puzzle (or match 3 gems or whatever)".

How about the Chocobo thing from Final Fantasy VII:
When you get into a battle, sometimes a girl appears mixed in with the enemies. She'll run away if the battle gets too heated, but if you throw her some grass to keep her occupied, you might get to date her when the battle is finished (assuming you don't hit her by mistake).

[J. Datie]

How about some kinda extension of the normal multiple choice thing. Say, divide it into two different types of interaction: small talk and flirting. The small talk would be like normal dating sim type multiple choice questions with the pretty obvious answers. Then, once the relationship value for that character is high enough, whenever you talk to that character, you can choose to try to romance them, or continue to with the small talk. The difference would be that the romance multiple choice questions would have much less obvious correct answers. To be able to correctly answer the romance questions, you'd need to pay attention to that character's personality during the small talk parts, during the main game sections, and maybe even during side quests. Of course, this would need to be programed so that the player doesn't encounter certain questions before they'd be able to properly answer them.

So basically, the same thing RPGs already use, but making use of the rest of the game outside the multiple choice questions.

[Aleema]

How about the Chocobo thing from Final Fantasy VII:
When you get into a battle, sometimes a girl appears mixed in with the enemies. She'll run away if the battle gets too heated, but if you throw her some grass to keep her occupied, you might get to date her when the battle is finished (assuming you don't hit her by mistake).

Someone do it.

[Taleweaver]

How about the Chocobo thing from Final Fantasy VII:
When you get into a battle, sometimes a girl appears mixed in with the enemies. She'll run away if the battle gets too heated, but if you throw her some grass to keep her occupied, you might get to date her when the battle is finished (assuming you don't hit her by mistake).

Er, grass? I don't know; wouldn't it send strange messages both about dating and women if giving out free drugs was the start of a relationship?

[LVUER]

Aren't all relationships just conversations with choices, when you think about it? Did you mean, more interactive, or more like an actual game than a test?
I think, especially in games where the purpose isn't to hook up with people, that turning a relationship into a game is kinda silly. Whereas, I would see a game that's completely about dating people, I would see it as more the actual gameplay. Date girls via a Match 3 gem game. Okay. But if that was in Dragon Age, I'd be feral.

Like I said, it's not about being realistic. Only to seek more challenge. Only choosing answers and showering girl with gifts seems cheap for a dating mechanic. And it doesn't have to be minigames too, though it's ok once in a while.

Well, you could try integrating the main gameplay with the sidequest dating mechaincs. For instance, if you character uses buffing/healing magic or items on datable allies in battle, they grow to like you more. If you let them die, they like you less. (Actually, that sounds like Pokémon; your Pokémon grow to like you more if you walk around with them in your party, use beneficial items on them, give them certain items or let them be massaged at certain places; they like you less if you let them die, feed them nasty tasting berries (each one has a preference for which flavours it likes), feed them bitter herbs, etc. Then depending on how much they like you, they reward you in gameplay terms too; some will only evolve if they like you enough, and the move Return does more damage the more they like you. The move Frustration does more damage the more they dislike you.)

That's Sakura Wars, right? And I also believe there's an RPG like that, where you have to keep the girls alive to raise her affection points and don't let her dead at the end of a fight. In fact, I also want to implement these on my games ^_^

How about Thousand Arms? You have to date every single girl and keep healthy relationships with them if you want to forge better magic, but eventually, the game will start to recognize which girl has more relationship points with you and the girls you date will start asking you questions such as: "You like Sodina the most, don't you?"

Edit: whoops, didn't see that Thousand Arms was mentioned in the first post.
Anyway, how bout the system in Star Ocean 2? Your relationship points with all characters are decided by private actions, the kind of food you like to cook with which characters and even the way you behave in battle, including which characters you take into battle often with you. Of course, there are also some decision points with apparently more weight throughout the game. In any case, isn't that realistic? You never really know which ending you're going to end up with unless you play it safe and always choose the decisions that lead towards an ending with Rena... even then, you can't really be sure who you'll end up with on your first playthrough.

Edit2: To add more interactivity (or the illusion of it) you could have an AI bot handle the dating elements of the rpg. So you'd be actually sorta talking to the AI using the keyboard and it would respond to certain keywords or whatever else turns on AI bots nowadays. (virtual idols seem quite satisfied with leeks, mind you.) You'd probably get clues for certain lines to use or whatever throughout the game to get the AI to respond... and you could add a certain element of realism by having the AI track relationship levels and stuff. Heh... maybe it could connect to a central server with more powerful computers to make the AI act more realistically and it'd be tied to your online identity along with other information from your game.

like so
player: You're hot, baby!
eliza: I know.
player: wanna cyber?
eliza: asl please
player: hey, I asked you question!
eliza: yes, I understand that you asked me a question. What is your name?
player: look, If you're going to pretend to act like a real woman, then at least try to carry on the conversation.
eliza: Women are strange, aren't they? Have you ever been to Paris?

It's ok to talk about Thousand Arms. Even though I (or everyone else) already played it, there could be a fact that we missed or you simply have different insight than us. The AI bot is way too difficult, there's no way I'm going to make that (^_^;) If only I could though...

[HotLimit]

How about the Chocobo thing from Final Fantasy VII:
When you get into a battle, sometimes a girl appears mixed in with the enemies. She'll run away if the battle gets too heated, but if you throw her some grass to keep her occupied, you might get to date her when the battle is finished (assuming you don't hit her by mistake).

Er, grass? I don't know; wouldn't it send strange messages both about dating and women if giving out free drugs was the start of a relationship?

I'm not going to lie, most of what I script is based on those "space-trader/drug-trader" games. "There's a girl in the hold, and she's stealing all our grass!"