Give the player a love interest!

[Honchkrow Reloaded]

I find shipping (which a love interest would promote) pretty annoying and I don't think canon love interests really fit the style of previous Pokemon games. I especially think having White going like "omgz i luv black/N/the other dude" in-game really devalues the strong female characters we've had over the past few generations...

Well...we're not trying to be sexist, if that's what you mean.

 

[Georgie Pie]

The only thing I think when "romance" and "video game" are used in the same sentence is Harvest Moon, where the entire game revolves around courting a potential spouse, getting married and having kids.

The argument here shouldn't be "Can little kids fall in love?" it should be "What would a parent's reaction to a romantic plot be?" Because kids may be the target audience, but the parents ultimately have to buy/approve/not confiscate the games.


Warning: this gets a bit rant-y below:

Spoiler

And I don't buy kids "falling in love." I don't care how many fictional sources are thrown at me, love really isn't possible until the kids are at least older than 20 and no longer acting soley on hormones. -_-

ALL of those fictional lovestories (books, movies, TV, I don't care) were written BY ADULTS. These are scenarios thought up by adults, who tack a younger age on their characters to sell more books to more readers. Something out of an adult's head is not a good argument for "little kids can fall in love." It's a better argument for "Only older people can write romance."

Rant over. I don't expect anything other than the "grandparents scene" from HGSS. More likely than not, there will be that kind of scene between Cheren and Bell, not one of them and the PC.

 

[qwrqrwqas]

Fictional? Are you saying that Pokemon actually happens somewhere on Earth, then? Nah, just kidding with you.:-D
However, if you don't like my first argument, there still is precedent. If anyone's read "The Underland Chronicles", you do know that Gregor and Luxa were only 13 years old? And they fell in love anyway? These guys are said to be older, so logic says 13+ years old [there's a thread where we're arguing about their age already, I think personally that they're 13-15].

For your second point, I somewhat disagree. I personally can't say as I've never had a crush on any girl, but they might be ready for love. Quoting some guy whom I forget, "If they can save the world, they can fall in love, too".

Of course, Pokemon being fictional anything goes anyways... and the protagonist does end up saving the world, but that's fiction. I'm guessing that's why you've been throwing fictional examples, but it sure didn't look like you were trying to back that the protagonists of B/W could fall in love regardless of age.

Still, using fictional 'precedents' as proof that real teenagers and pre-teens can fall in love is silly. Teenage relationships are very different from adult relationships. And that quote is wrecked. Do you honestly know kids that can save the world? Books do not equate to real life.

 

[lmao]

1. That was fictional. You can't be serious using that as an example. I'll take the '(real) 8 year olds with girlfriends,' but with many grains of salt since well, they're 8.

2. As to the PCs being 14-16... They're teenagers. They haven't quite mastered the love and romance game yet (see: teenage girls wanking over that damn book; teenage boys being... teenage boys, lol). They're 12 year olds in 18 year old bodies - dangerous weapons of angsty destruction.

I think keeping serious relationships for the player character out of the game is better with the whole silent protagonist shtick. You can fill in the blanks yourself, if you really want. That's the point of the PC anyways - a game avatar for the player, nothing more. Subtext, however, is fine, considering they've been doing it already. Other characters coming on to the PC? Okay, sure, cool.

Besides, what would you do with a hypothesized love interest plot line, anyway? Sure, contests and Pokeathelon might not add anything, but they deal with your pokemon at the very least.

Bahaha, I completely agree with everything you just said.

It would do absolutely nothing for the plot, so it's unnecessary.

 

[Sovereign]

Just to clarify, I didn't say the Black & White protagonists were 10. I know they're older. I just used 10 as a generalization for every other protagonist we've had.

I really want to see this happen. Love interests (Even slight) can sometimes take a story-line to a whole new level. For example, let me show you a scenario. The villainous team realizes that you have been foiling their plot for some time now. They want to stop you. Kidnapping your love interest (even if its just a crush), would be a brilliant plot... Likely to be overthrown (As usual).

The possibilities are endless. GameFreak would have nothing to lose by adding some romance, but they'd have everything to gain.

 

[shining-Celebi]

A gay option would be marvellous!!!

I mean Pokemon needs to show the gays some love too!!!

 

[Der_Neuevenmenschen]

Your'e talking about impressionable kids here. Have a gay older couple. It wouldn't hurt anyone, really. Why does the kid have to fall in love anyways? Wasn't Pokemon about filling in the gaps with your imagination? For all we know, the player could be fucking his/her Pokemon to get his/her kicks! Love interest is a good idea, but it would take all the fun out of giving the player the ability to make a commentary for the character.

 

[Suicide by cop]

I don't care how many fictional sources are thrown at me, love really isn't possible until the kids are at least older than 20 and no longer acting soley on hormones. -_-

To quote myself:

I'm 14, I'm in love. Who are you to say it's not possible?

 

[mini-chan]

wut wuz that.
it's got nothin to do with the discussion.
I think to stick to the no-love policy for the games!

 

[Rellik]

I'm all for it, so long as it's done properly. Maybe have your gender-opposite have a crush on you or something? That would work. So long as they don't turn the game into a whole "Save the Princess" type deal.

 

[League]

I'm all for it, so long as it's done properly. Maybe have your gender-opposite have a crush on you or something? That would work. So long as they don't turn the game into a whole "Save the Princess" type deal.

No: this love option will only be good if it is a '"Save the Princess" type deal.' Anything else and it will be terrible.

Because, if it does amount to something of that sort, then it will merely be more plot used to engender more battles.

 

[tobinus]

I don't think that the player itself would get a love interest.. but a side character could, IMO. I'd liked some more character development - just look at Super Mario Galaxy, where you get to know the story of Roselina (I think that was her name). A love interest would fit that kind of sidestory well.

 

[HadouKid]

I think it would be great, the "Save the Princess" type of thing. It would add something fresh to the game, as well as an actual connection with the game, especially if they go Wi-Fi with it. Save the wrong person, and they change attitudes and hate you, save the right person, they battle alongside you more.
But...the love intrest thing...no. Just a save your closest friends type of deal.

 

[Sandslash-Master]

Perhaps a love-intrest between the main character and their rival's pokemon? Like Pikachu and Buneary in the anime.

 

[Suicide by cop]

Perhaps a love-intrest between the main character and their rival's pokemon? Like Pikachu and Buneary in the anime.

And what if you were to release your Pokemon. That won't work.

 

[lmao]

To quote myself:

I'm 14, I'm in love. Who are you to say it's not possible?

His point was that most fourteen-year-olds don't truly understand what love is about since they're hormone driven. Especially the boys. When you're fourteen you're young, ingenue, and most importantly inexperienced, meaning you have a very limited perspective and don't know much about the subject, and if anything it's mostly infatuation that will die down soon.

Most people around that age just get a boyfriend/girlfriend "just because" and throw around the word "love" so many times that the meaning is less valuable.

But I guess it's useless to argue that, since you'll just claim you're in "love" whether it's true or not.

 

[Suicide by cop]

But I guess it's useless to argue that, since you'll just claim you're in "love" whether it's true or not.

I'm a lot more mature than most guys my age. Trust me, I know the difference between love and crushes (I read enough romance novels anyway). I love him, and you can say I don't, and that it's hormone-driven, but the question is, how would you know?

Anyway, we're getting off topic.

 

[Ivysaur]

I'm a lot more mature than most guys my age. Trust me, I know the difference between love and crushes (I read enough romance novels anyway). I love him, and you can say I don't, and that it's hormone-driven, but the question is, how would you know?

I'm not going to say that you don't, but many people that don't actually love someone and really are just hormone-driven would answer the same way.

Anyway, we're getting off topic.

It's pretty much on-topic, actually. This whole thread is about implementing some sort of love interest to the teenage protagonist; a real-life example works great as a comparison.

 

[qwrqrwqas]

I'm a lot more mature than most guys my age. Trust me, I know the difference between love and crushes (I read enough romance novels anyway). I love him, and you can say I don't, and that it's hormone-driven, but the question is, how would you know?

Anyway, we're getting off topic.

Well, I can't judge a person over zeroes and ones, but I'd say you're an exception to the rule. Most people your age probably aren't as mature. Sure, it's possible, but how often is that possibility invoked?

I agree with the off topic toast, though. This isn't about your love life; it's about the possibility of romance between the protagonists of a video game, lol.

Given that Pokemon is fiction (10 year olds with boobs? they could have put a love interest plot way back in crystal ffs), I don't see why they would only raise the ages of the protagonists for the sake of including a love plot. They probably just did it because it'd be different for a new generation.

 

[League]

Well, if you're arguing that many others your age don't know what love is yourself, I don't see why you're bringing your, err, love into this matter.

If most, what, fourteen year-olds don't, most thirteen year-olds and younger don't. If your argument is that kids can know what love is (which it probably is, as I remember your statement to arise after a statement of an opposite nature), it still stands that, as you just stated of others your age, most others don't.

Anyway, it doesn't matter what kids know of "love" or not. It matters to what degree any such thing is implemented. Dialogue will be dialogue, plot will be plot, yada yada yada; if left as dialogue or a minor plot element, it amounts to nothing. (And if such a things amounts to nothing, why add it?) The more such a feature distracts from the general nature of every past storyline, the more it is a problem I say. (As well as it will be less likely.)