Forums » Smalltalk » Romance in Roleplays

For me, I am on a precarious stand on the fence. On one hand, I am a romantic, and I adore intimacy of all kinds. Family, friendship, ... and of course, the kind Cupid encourages.

On the other hand, I hate breaking a character just to push them into seeing someone in a romantic light. I mean, if I want stuff like that to happen, I might as well just pick up a random Sims game!

As for flavour ... I like them intense. Whether they're opposites or two people in a morbid situation, I like reading and writing about deep relationships and their contribution to character development (or vice versa where they changed their ways, and thus opened up doors in their life).

One thing I really squirm about is how someone (as the roleplayer) might take the bond beyond IC (in-character) and get possessive when you roleplay-date elsewhere as a different character.That's so unhealthy, yet sadly quite common.

I'm fine with romance. I like romances that are more naturally progressing. Like, if those characters are the kind to jump right into, that's fine. If they're the kind of people that take a while, that's fine too.

I've yet to experience the attachment and I don't think I'll ever be that person.

Although it didn't happen to me personally, I was almost involved in one such case!

It turns out that the guy I simply said, "Hi" to in a group roleplay has a girlfriend from another group roleplay, and she PM'd me to tell me that!

Hmm, well in terms of IC, like JTA said, I prefer it when it's naturally played out. If my character falls in love and it's reciprocated? Awesome! It gives some depth, dynamic flavor, and possible character development to a roleplay. If not, it makes for some incredible drama. If I have to break my characters' personalities to have them fall in love with someone just for sheer romantic value (or just for the smexy), it's not worth it.

OOC wise? ...Well, that's more of a toughie... Partially because I found my current love via roleplay a long time ago. I feel that if there's something more between the players that's mutual and if all parties are fine with it, then it's good to go for it. Experience from real life gives RPs more spice, after all! If not, communication is key to keep OOC bonds friendly and healthy. (It goes double for when feelings of love ARE returned.) It maybe sound easier than it really is for some, though.

But I have to agree with Icebird: when it gets to the point you can't explore different romance dynamics with your characters because your RP partner is possessive or jealous, that's when there may be a more underlying problem. Roleplay is well, roleplay. At the end of the day, it's fantasy; it's like acting out a movie or writing a book together, basically. It doesn't reflect how real people really feel about others behind the scenes, you know?