Christine Tomlinson (University of California, Irvine & University of Southern Denmark)
Contemporary videogames increasingly emphasize agency for players, which is limited by the parameters of the game’s design. Role-playing games (RPGs) tend to emphasize this, highlighting players’ abilities to shift the narrative, make impactful choices, and potentially explore romance. The emphasis on agency can often result in “playersexual” romance, where character sexuality is based solely on players’ desires, reducing any potential impact of including gay romances. Where does romance fit for players in contexts of fantasy and agency?
This qualitative project uses content analysis of direct gameplay of the Dragon Age series and Baldur’s Gate 3 and of online conversations between players of these games. These games were chosen for their similar aesthetics and game elements, from using fantasy settings that draw from physical world Medieval inspirations to the inclusion of romantic narratives that the player can engage in, and due to the frequency with which they are compared to each other by fans and gaming news outlets alike. The analysis highlights patterns in how players perceive agency and in how “playersexuality” fits within these romantic play scenarios. For many players, having the ability to engage romantically with any character they choose is a positive experience in terms of their agency and ability to influence the game. On the other hand, desires for “realism” that do not extend to the Medieval setting emphasize how players want to consume romantic storylines and see representations of identity. In these discussions, there is some tension between a desire for control and hopes for a realistic romantic experience.
Interestingly, hopes for a “realistic” romance often override desires for agency, leaving many players dissatisfied with experiences that provide an “on-demand” romance where characters do not feel fleshed out. This point is especially interesting given the settings and aesthetics of these games. Despite having an incorporation of magic, fantasy creatures, gods, and monsters, these games still draw inspiration from the physical world’s European Middle Ages. Calls for realism in these cases focus primarily on romance; there are no discussions hoping for more realistic struggles, less access to impossible feats, or more historically appropriate dialogue. Nor do they want period-relevant restrictions on expressions of gender or sexuality. Although agency is important to some players and in some regards, hopes for authenticity do not extend beyond this segment of play. Emphases on agency, the ability to explore fantasies, and fictionalized worlds that resemble familiar historical periods are appreciated by these players, but they often judge in-game romances based on contemporary ideas of romance and identity that frequently do not put player agency first. Games like Dragon Age and Baldur’s Gate 3 allow for explorations of fantasy within a fictionalized Medieval period, but players often hope for romance with characters who have fully formed identities, often including sexuality that might limit their agency when it comes to romance.
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Thanks for the paper, Christine. Really interesting topic!
I participated in a panel last monday in which D&D was discussed. One of the things more than one speaker lamented was how the popularity of the system and settings prompted people to use it for things it wasn’t designed for. I.e. instead of looking for RPGs that attempted to represent different aspects of the human experience, many people took the path of least resistance and attempted to “fit in” everything into D&D rules.
I wonder if there isn’t a similar underlying tension beneath the testimonies you collected? After all, the popularity of romance options notwithstanding, CRPGs like DA and BG are not specifically designed to simulate romance (in the same way, say, Ren’Ai visual novels and a slew of other indie games are).
This is a really good point and one that I have seen discussed by players (and one that I personally lamented while playing BG3 as a fan, rather than a researcher). One thing that stands out to me is mostly the inability to capture the creative and collaborative element of D&D, beyond the limitations of the system and people trying to apply it too broadly. BG3 captures some of the system really well and I think that it’s great that it’s opening up the D&D mechanics to a wider audience, but it’s true that the application is limited when player agency is boxed in by game parameters that don’t exist in table top gaming (obviously ignoring the influence of the DM here).
That’s also a really thought about simulating romance. I think that CRPGs do this a bit differently and to, for many players, a great effect. Romance is just a slice of these game experiences that a large portion of players loo k forward to, but it’s true (and fans pick up on) their limited scope in capturing romance in deeper ways much of the time since their focus is typically mostly elsewhere in terms of mechanics and narrative.
Have you looked into Obsidian’s games (and player receptions of these games) too, by any chance? The studio’s devs are famously hostile to romance tropes, and often the games include romance that feel like anti-romances – or, at least, that seem to be taking a jab at other popular games.
Might be interesting as a counterexample!
Thanks very much for your paper Christine! Did your research highlight any characters/romances which were identified as balancing the demands of agency and authenticity particularly well or badly?
Thanks for the fantastic question! It’s a really complicated experience for a lot of players in that is seems like a portion of authenticity comes from characters having their own agency, which is sometimes at odds with that of the player. Once players can access a romance, though, most of this comes down to personal preference and interest. Players have their favorite romances and characters that they become highly attached to, with a portion of authenticity coming from how engaging the romance itself feels once the player enters it. So, in short, I think that there are a couple of levels to authenticity here: one level of authenticity highlighting the characters feel like real, fully fleshed out people; another level of authenticity coming from within the romance and how these characters engage with the player.
It is kind of interesting with news coming out about the new Dragon Age release (The Veilguard) in terms of moving away from the impact that characters with set sexualities had. Players are already talking about how playersexuality sounds like it’s making a come back and there are some mixed feelings about this.
Thanks Christine! I’ve not kept up with the Dragon Age news – it will be interesting to see if they can combine deep relationships with player-character-centric sexuality.